12/23/2024
SCRIPTURE:
After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, �Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.� (Matthew 1:20, NIV)
OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself, what do I learn about the Holy Spirit?
1. The Holy Spirit is responsible for 'what is conceived in her [Mary].'
INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself why it is so significant that the Angel of the Lord lets Joseph know 'what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit'?
Now, the angel lets Joseph know that Mary's pregnancy results from the miracle of God's intervention in Mary's life without her having to do anything but believe in what the Lord would do through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the initiation of the Holy Spirit to work in Mary's life for the miracle of conception without the involvement of Joseph or any other human being for the conception. The angel of the Lord wants Joseph to be aware of that without being afraid to take Mary home as his wife. Also, the angel of the Lord is letting Joseph know that what is happening in Mary cannot be explained scientifically or logically, for it is a miracle and will be a miracle.
IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my life for the here and now.
Miracles are not just a thing of the past but the here and now. Three years ago in November, I tripped and badly fell in Oakland. My whole body landed on my right shoulder. I could still get up and go to the bus stop by the Lord's grace. I found out later that I had passed out on the bus. Whatever was happening, I went into shock. When I woke up on the bus, I got down and went home. At home, I suffered through the night, barely sleeping from 11:00 pm - 7:00 am. It was so painful that our good friends Danilo and Lidia came to our house and took me to the emergency room. The doctor was shocked that I did not return to the ER. He even told us that it may not be possible to put the shoulder back in place without surgery because I waited so long. We prayed, and the doctor was able to put the dislocated right shoulder back in place. I had to wear a sling over my shoulder. He told me that it would take a long time to heal. The only problem was that I needed a side job at the time while doing ministry, which required both hands to lift 50 lbs or more 🙁 I needed both hands to lift heavy boxes and put them away. I prayed for the Lord's healing, and a miracle happened; it started with Pastor Mike coming to our house and administering communion near my bedside, claiming the Blood of Jesus for my healing and restoration. Pastor Mike told me about that job. I prayed for a miracle because, with a sling, I could not get that job and work for Lydia. Before the job interview, I prayed and prayed.
That day's Bible reading was from Psalm 81. I claimed the promise there for myself that said, "Now, I will relieve your shoulder of its burden. I will free your hands from their heavy tasks." (Psalm 81:6, TLB)
A miracle happened because I took my sling off when I claimed that promise and felt my shoulder was rapidly healing and strengthening. I went to work without the sling and could do my job. But the fantastic thing was that even though I did not tell Lydia I had dislocated my shoulder, she put me on the register. It felt like my hands were freed from lifting heavy boxes and putting them away. Miracles have not stopped five years ago in our lives.
Growing up as a Hindu, I had severe asthma and was even admitted to the ER. There were times I even felt like I would die. I lived through that for many years. Slowly, I learned about Jesus and what He has done in people's lives through the Bible stories my mommy would read to me. One day, I watched The 700 Club, and Pat Robertson talked about 'accepting Jesus Christ into your life.' I did not know what that meant, so I asked my mommy.
I thought to myself, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow as the Bible says He is, then what He did in those days He can even do now. That means Jesus can even heal my severe asthma. So, coming from a Hindu family background, I believed in Jesus, accepting Him into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior.
When I believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit not only healed me of my severe asthma, but my life was also transformed. Other than being healed of my asthma entirely and being able to do things I could never do before, I was also so ecstatic that my beloved dad, who was a Hindu at the time, would ask my mommy, "Ramesh is so different, what brought the change in him?" My dad would even ask me, and I got to share about Jesus with my dad.
My dad did not become a Christian right away, but I praise the Lord that he gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ right before He went to be with the Lord. This was a miracle, including everything that happened before that.
You see, in October 2007, my dad went into cardiac arrest after battling renal kidney disease for more than 6 years. On the day he went into cardiac arrest, my prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ was, "Lord Jesus, please don't let Satan take my daddy, for he does not know you yet." The Lord Jesus heard our prayers, and my dad was able to be resuscitated and spent the next 70 days in the ICU, etc. During that time, every day, we prayed for a miracle. The Bible verse that came to my mind was Jesus' response to Martha when Lazarus had died: "The purpose of his illness will not result in death but for the glory of the Lord." In those 70 days, almost every minute, my mommy was by my dad's side. She would read the Psalms and New Testament to him every day from Matthew to Revelation. On Dec 17th, right before he died, my beloved dad gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. In those 70 days, we saw miracle after miracle happen. But the greatest miracle is that my beloved dad was called to be Jesus' very own and resides in Heaven. So, even though my daddy died physically and spiritually, his illness did not result in death but life with the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you, Jesus!
My mommy had led both of us to Christ at different times. I was led to Christ on Valentine's Day, and my dad was led to Christ during Christmas. The prayer my mommy prayed with me went something like this, which I prayed almost every day, believing in my heart:
Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I am so sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I repent of all my sins. Please cleanse me with your precious cleansing blood, and I will be clean again. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you for dying for my sins and returning to life on the third day to save me. Please, Jesus, come into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me, Jesus, and I will live for you and serve you for the rest of my life. Thank you for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me, Jesus, so I can live for you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior, accepting you into my heart. Please be my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus. Thank you for listening to my prayer and answering me. In Your Name, I Pray Jesus! Amen!
We know that if the Lord Jesus wanted to, He could have kept our dad physically and wholly healed him, but we cannot always understand His ways. I know that our family has experienced miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you so much, Jesus.
But more than that, our daughter's birthdays were a miracle, too. Because of complications during the pregnancy, a C-section had to be done. When baby Esther was delivered, she had the umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck. We praise the Lord Jesus for a healthy baby Esther that Jesus gave us. She is 12+ now.
When baby Evangeline was born, an emergency C-section had to be done, too, after trying so long for a natural birth. When she was born, she had swallowed so much meconium she did not breathe right away, and her Apgar score was 0, so she had to be in the NICU. At the time, Pastor Hugo, Heather, Pastor Mike, Jeanne, Calvin, Elise, Edwin, Marie, and many others visited and prayed for her. A miracle happened in her life, too. She is now a healthy 9-year-old child today.
I ask you now, dear friend, why expect a M.I.R.A.C.L.E in your life this season?
Dear friend, I do not know what you are going through right now. You may be in a painful situation, a confusing situation, a perplexing situation, etc. It may be related to relationships, finances, academics, career, health, behavior, job, etc. From a human viewpoint, there may not seem to be hope for any change, BUT I want you to know that there is hope for the season, and the hope is in the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever you are going through, be assured that the Holy Spirit can intervene if He chooses to, for nothing is impossible with God. If God could make Mary pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can make anything happen if He chooses to. Rest assured in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I choose to because the Lord has his own purposes and timing that we cannot understand. I know that He loves you and me very much and wants to always be our Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Wonderful Counselor.
He wants you to believe that miracles happen even in this time and are not limited to 2000 years ago. The greatest miracle in your life will be this Christmas season when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a miracle because your life will change dramatically when you do that, and others will notice the difference. When they cannot explain why you have changed so much for the good, the arrow can point to the Lord Jesus Christ and how the Holy Spirit is transforming your life by His grace. When they cannot explain why you have been healed, the arrow can point to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life by His lavishing grace. These are just two examples. The miracle starts with the Holy Spirit, which I have experienced in my life, and our family has experienced it.
We also eagerly anticipate three miracles this Christmas season if the Lord chooses to give them! My precious wife Chandraleela and I are praying for these three Christmas miracles He knows about. If He chooses to, the miracles will happen. Thank you, Jesus. We believe in miracles because of Jesus Christ.
You can also experience miracles in His precious timing for Jesus, which is the reason for the season. Please wait for Him even when your chances look slim and the future dim.
To be continued....
May you experience a miracle this Christmas season, knowing Jesus is the reason for the season.
"Miracle Is Redeemer's Awesome Capability Loving Each! (M.I.R.A.C.L.E)"/"Why expect a M.I.R.A.C.L.E in your life this season?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for the miracles you have done while you physically walked the earth. Thank you for the miracles we experience even 2000 years later because of the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in us as we turn to you. In essence, it is you that is living in us. Thank you for transforming lives by your grace. Help me, please, to be guided by your Spirit. Thanks so much for your help. I pray for your miracles in the lives of those suffering and in pain. Come, Lord Jesus, and intervene in our lives. Come, Lord Jesus, and reveal yourself to us, strengthening us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Choose us to be your very own, Oh Lord. O Come O Come Emmanuel. Ransom us. Thank you for dying for my sin and returning to life to save me. I yield my life to you, Oh Lord, and ask for your help. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior as I yield to you. Thank you, Lord, for having heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name, I Pray Jesus! Amen!
The formatted version with the previous Advent devotionals can be found online at
"Miracle Is Redeemer's Awesome Capability Loving Each! (M.I.R.A.C.L.E)"/"Why expect a M.I.R.A.C.L.E in your life this season?" By Ramesh C. Reddy