Miracle Needed

You know that voice which says “Oh, why don’t you just give it up?  You know that person will NEVER come to Christ!”

“But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

Up until a year ago, my oldest sister, Sandy, had not talked to me for over 20 years.  She is 7 years older than me, and I would tear up when I thought that she could die and I wouldn’t even know it.  I shared the Gospel with her many years ago.  The sister between myself and Sandy poisoned her towards me.  I thought it was hopeless.  I almost walked away from the whole thing.

But then I remembered the Scripture above which speaks of God’s Omnipotence.  I prayed to Him that He would reunite Sandy and myself.  Then I felt led to ask my prayer-warrior brothers and sisters on FB if they would pray with me for this.  Many said they would.

The Beginning of the Miracle

Sandy had not blocked me on FB as my other sister had done.  One day, after taking a deep breath, I wrote a message to her.  I told her that I wanted to speak with her and hoped that she felt the same.

She wrote back and told me that she would talk with me on one condition – no politics or talk of Jesus.  I told her that would work.  I said that I just wanted to be able to have a relationship with my big sister.

I never really got to know Sandy when we were young.  She got pregnant and left home at 17 – I was only 10.  But as we began talking on the phone, we laughed until we cried.  Hardly a week would go by that we didn’t talk at least once or twice.

The Summer Visit

Sandy’s husband has advanced Alzheimer’s and is in a home now.  Last summer, Sandy asked if I would like to come up to visit her.  She had not been well and I could tell that she was getting worse.

When I arrived, it was absolutely amazing.  It was as if the Lord had poured His love into both of our hearts.

Her condition concerned me greatly.  I told her that I would drive her to her doctor if she would make the appointment.  When we got there, her doctor listened to her lungs and told Sandy that she had pneumonia.  It was absolutely God’s providence that I was there for her – at this point she was not driving.  She was put on various medicines and she was quite confused because of her condition.  I helped her to organize the medicines and her vitamins.

It amazed me how the Lord sent me to her at just the right time.  But should that amaze me?  Everything He does is incredible and always right on time.  By the end of the week, the antibiotics had kicked in and her other meds were working.  Tim picked me up to return home.

The Scary Illness

A friend of Sandy’s where she lives traded cell phone numbers with me so we’d keep in touch. She is a doctor and also a sister in Christ.  She has been sharing with Sandy too.  Her name is Carol. She loves Sandy a lot.

About a week after we got home, Carol called me and said that something was terribly wrong with Sandy and she was taking her to the ER.  The pneumonia had not cleared up and Sandy’s liver and brain were being affected.  She developed Encephalopathy (swelling of the brain).  The doctors gave Sandy antibiotics intravenously.  After she improved, Sandy was put into a rehabilitation facility to regain her strength.

Tim and I went up to the rehabilitation place and brought Sandy some things she needed.  She was still so weak and a bit confused, but very happy to see us.

A Christmas I will never forget

Sandy was finally strong enough to travel.  We invited her to spend Christmas with us.  She was so excited!  I read the Christmas story from Luke and I could tell that Sandy was really listening.  She was loaded with questions for me about the Lord.

She found the tract called “Gone” in the guest room.  She wanted to know what it was about.  I told her all about Kristin and how she died from an aneurysm.  I told her that she went immediately to be with Jesus because she had repented and trusted Him before she died.

I told her about our dad and how, at the end of his life, he watched Billy Graham Crusades and would write letters to me from Florida about the Lord.  I told Sandy that on his last night before he died, I led him in prayer to Jesus.

I could see my sister’s heart was softening.  She began to tell me that some of her grandkids were searching for the truth about Jesus.  When she told me this, I could see excitement in her face.

I have to say that at certain times when Sandy was with us, it almost felt like a dream.  But I knew that God had orchestrated everything from the Summer visit at her home, to the Christmas visit at our home.

One of Sandy’s daughters came to drive her home.  I could feel my eyes filling up with tears, but I didn’t want to lose it.  Sandy is not used to people with a lot of emotion.  But when she got home and called me, she said that she had to hold back the tears in the car.  She said that she didn’t want to leave.  She said that she really loved me.

My Faith has been Strengthened

I talked with Sandy today.  She told me that she could hardly wait until I come up and visit her again.  She said it was an open invitation.

And I will go.  God has given me everything I need to lead my sister to Him.  She needed to see the Love of Christ in me and Tim.  She knows that we sincerely love her and that we’d do anything for her.

If someone had told me over a year ago that this would be happening now with my sister – I would have told them that I didn’t have the faith to believe that.  But God gives us faith when we trust Him and His Word.

He spoke the Universe into existence – why in the world should this be difficult for Him?

Will you consider praying for Sandy to be saved?

Brethren, His Eye is on the Sparrow……

Shalom b’Yeshua

MARANATHA!

Grandmageri422@gmail.com

Articles at grandmageri422.me

Mary, A Crowded Inn, A Jewish Handmaiden, And the Birth of God’s Messiah

Catholics have sought to deify the mother of Jesus for centuries.  She is called “Queen of Heaven,” “Mother of God,” “Co-Redemptrix,” “Sinless Virgin,” and so many other names which do not in any way describe this Jewish handmaiden.

When a Catholic visits a priest for confession, that person is told to recite prayers to Mary. Surely she will get these prayers to her son, right?  Wrong.  The confession and prayers should be taken boldly to the throne of Christ.  We have access to the Lord of Glory!  Why go to His mother, especially when she is dead.

Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’

“But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’

“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’

“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’”  (Luke 1:26-35).

 

The Magnificat

“And Mary said,

‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever’” (Luke 1:46-55).

Please notice that in the second verse of the magnificat, Mary says “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (emphasis added)

Yes, Mary needed a Savior just as much as we do!

Many Catholics, who strive to convince others that Mary is alive in heaven and is Queen of heaven, use this Scripture to that end:

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’  Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’  And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26-27).

Jesus was saying “John, take care of my mother.” And this is confirmed in verse 27, when it says that John brought Mary to his own home.  How the evil one loves to twist Scripture!

 How angels gazed upon this long awaited birth of God’s own Son on the earth

We know that the multitude of the heavenly host joined the first angel in announcing the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds – these very extraordinary shepherds.  Did you know that these particular shepherds were appointed by the high priests to raise the most perfect lambs to be used in their sacrifices?

Little did they know that these angels were proclaiming that God was sending His Perfect Lamb – His Only Son of whom John the Baptist would say, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Jesus was the final Lamb of God, and before He died that horrific death on the Cross, He said “It is finished.”

 Playing Mary in Christmas Plays

I am older now, but I really can’t remember how many times I played the part of Mary in our church’s Christmas plays.  However, I do remember how I felt when I was dressed up as Mary, and especially when I would hold the child who represented our Messiah Yeshua.  I was overcome to the point of tears; sometimes it was difficult to get through songs.

I imagined to myself that GOD had come in the flesh.  Think about that – GOD – the Creator had wrapped himself in human flesh, and He came for one main reason:

He came to die for our sins, and to conquer death and hell, so that we could be reconciled to the Father in heaven.  Incredible and so amazing!

Tell the Christmas Story

This Christmas, if you are having family and friends over who do not believe, take this opportunity to tell the Christmas story – read it out of Luke.  Remember – some people have NEVER heard the Word of God.  And what better Scripture for them to hear?!

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’

“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

“Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Luke 2:1-20).

Hallelujah and Praise to our Lord!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

MARANATHA!