Monday, 25 June, 2018

Mary Believes

Posted on Monday, 22 December, 2014Sunday, 20 August, 2017 by Zheluo Cai

Luke 1: 34 – 38

What a beautiful faith! Zechariah, godly and mature (vv. 5–6), had doubted the possibility of birth because of his age. This young girl, certainly still in her teens, never hesitated or doubted a supernatural birth, though she was single! There is a blessing for those of us who learn to believe in spite of doubt. There is blessing for those of us who respond as Mary did with perfect, childlike trust.

Mary’s faith-response is even more striking when we realize that, according to Old Testament Law, her pregnancy while still single might well be dealt with by stoning! And certainly her fiancé, who would know the child was not his, would hardly go through with the marriage. Yet all these things Mary was willing to trust God to work out! Instead of worry, joy filled Mary’s heart. And her praise song, known as the Magnificat (vv. 46–55), was filled with praise for God and with a vivid awareness of His greatness and love. What was Mary’s vision of God?

[He] has done great things (v. 49). Holy is His name (v. 49). His mercy extends to those who fear Him (v. 50). He has performed mighty deeds (v. 51). [He] has lifted up the humble (v. 52). He has filled the hungry (v. 53).

Mary knew God as a God of power and a God of concern, the One who cares enough for the humble and the hungry to reach down and to meet human need. Perhaps this helps to explain Mary’s response to the Lord. She had a clear vision of who God is. She knew Him as a God who cares … who cares enough to act. May we each know God so well!

Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher’s commentary (p. 644). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The Once and Future Stars of Andromeda.
Credit and Copyright: ESA/Herschel/ PACS/SPIRE/J.Fritz(U.Gent) / XMM-Newton/EPIC/W.Pietsch(MPE). The big, beautiful Andromeda Galaxy, aka M31, is a spiral galaxy a mere 2.5 million light-years away. Two space-based observatories have combined to produce this composite image of Andromeda, at wavelengths outside the visible spectrum. In reddish hues, image data from the large Herschel infrared observatory traces enormous lanes of dust, warmed by stars, sweeping along Andromeda's spiral arms. The dust, in conjunction with the galaxy's interstellar gas, comprises the raw material for future star formation. X-ray data from the XMM-Newton observatory in blue pinpoint Andromeda's X-ray binary star systems. These systems likely contain neutron stars or stellar mass black holes that represent final stages in stellar evolution. More than twice the size of our own Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy is over 200,000 light-years across.

The Mohawk people are the most easterly tribe of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, an Iroquoian-speaking indigenous people of North America. The Mohawk were historically based in the Mohawk Valley in present-day upstate New York west of the Hudson River; their territory ranged north to the St. Lawrence River, southern Quebec and eastern Ontario; south to greater New Jersey and into Pennsylvania; eastward to the Green Mountains of Vermont; and westward to the border with the Iroquoian Oneida Nation's traditional homeland territory. Their current major settlements include areas around Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River in Canada and New York.

The flag of Malaysia is composed of a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal territories, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity between these entities. The crescent represents Islam, the country's state religion; the blue canton symbolises the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay rulers. It was first raised on 16 September 1963.

Germany - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution Tuesday, 19 June, 2018
Exercise increased caution in Germany due to terrorism. Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Germany. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. Read the […]
Belarus - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions Monday, 18 June, 2018
Exercise normal precautions in Belarus. Read the Safety and Security section on the country information page. If you decide to travel to Belarus: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter. Review the […]

Ethiopia Saturday, 23 June, 2018
Summary: Addis Ababa: Saturday 23 June: A large rally in support of Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed, was disrupted by a grenade attack, resulting in c80 injured, some seriously. Minor incidents were reported as crowds dispersed, but the streets are now mostly calm. We encourage visitors to continue to follow our advice below on […]
GOV.UK
South Africa Friday, 22 June, 2018
Latest update: Safety and Security section (Crime) - revised information; risk of crime increases in urban areas, particularly central business districts of major cities and townships on the outskirts of major cities; a higher state of awareness is required if travelling through these areas
GOV.UK

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