As Christmas approaches I think how it is so important for Christ birth to be remember and find myself once more going through the prophesies as well as the prophetic news of upcoming events from an angel concerning a cousin in another town. God does not hide from his people what they need to know if He desires them to know it. God does not hide his work from his people, they see and know it his work and also the Spirit speaks of his work. When a person that is lost is born again, the congregation of believers know it in their Spirit.They might not hear your confession but they feel your turmoil concerning a decision. They also feel your joy upon salvation that one more child of God has come home. Salvation does not come from being in a church though that might be a place one gets saved. Salvation comes from belief in Christ and confession of sin. Belief begins with the first acceptance of the reality of God. The second belief is unto salvation understand God's gift of salvation through Jesus. God is knocking on your heart it is the same as God saying Mary I going to give you a child. His Spirit comes and speaks to your heart. Might not hear a voice or know his presence, but you know what he speaks to your heart. Because he convicts the soul unto salvation, asking to come in to your heart. You can either receive or reject Christ. Mary had a choice to reject the news of the angel Gabriel or to receive it has truth. No doubt she had doubts and fears after the angel left, but God left a message to verify the truth about her upcoming pregnancy that caused her to investigate. What evidence is unsaved person seeking, one that is tangible of the reality of God. Mary was righteous her salvation through faith, yet she had to go on a journey to discover reality of truth.

Mary came to Elizabeth house and as soon as Mary greet Elizabeth the baby leap in her womb for joy. Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit testified to Mary that those things told to her would happen because she believed. Belief being crucial to Mary receiving the gift of God as being chosen mother of Christ. We all carry Christ, but we did not carry him in the flesh as he grew. Upon the knowledge of Elizabeth pregnancy she began to praise God and magnify God's name, giving a discourse of her own blessings and a list of the blessings of her ancestors of God mercy and grace to even the poor and weak.

How much faith does Mary need to give birth, none, but it takes faith that this child one is carrying is the Son of God. Think for a moment the stories of gods and goddess filtering into knowledge of the Jewish people. Pagan world nothing new for it been around for centuries and even in their ancestors culture dating to the time of Abraham's father's people. To Rome this would of been just another birth, until they announced this was a birth of a new king. That is why in chapter 2 of Matthew we see Herod all upset. Yet the words of the angel spoke to Mary was only words without evidence. With proof of God's promise happening to another, truth came clear of the reality Mary is pregnant. Baby conceived not big enough to even be felt. Yet the knownledge knowing it would be, because Elizabeth was pregnant blessed by the Lord. Mary was not a pregnancy of rape, or incest, but of miraculous conception.

Mary knew the reality of Her God at the moment she greeted Elizabeth. She did not even doubt the angel, but the reality became more clear. Her joy was able to come forth with joy and celebration. Can we celebrate the joy of salvation, those that receive Christ into their heart know the joy of the Lord comes upon them as they receive the hope with faith. How can one not be happy knowing your sin are forgiven, how can you not be happy knowing God just blessed you with his grace of his Son giving you peace within your heart. I only heard one story of no immediate joy and I realized afterwards the reason maybe it was exactly where the person was in their life and problems surrounding them. Maybe they were in situation they did not know how it could be removed. Maybe they did not lay all their burdens at the cross. They were basing their experience on what they had seen when others received Christ, not knowing some people expressed there joy with exuberantly and emotional reflex, yet very real. Not everyone is the same, and not all experience of faith is the same except the knowledge of truth being receive fills the heart. Not all burst in song like Mary, and not all experience one leaving the place of salvation and return to their lives on a park bench, or rat infested house, a mansion in bel air, or dealing with the feelings of loneliness wishing one could remain in a crowd of people that knew the joy of the Lord. The fullness of fellowship is different then the fullness of alone time with God. The way we express ourselves to God in a crowd might be different then alone. That is okay. We need to understand the difference in the warm feeling of people and the emotion of time alone, yet God never changed The diversity of our life is seldom looked at beyond a psychological field. Mary was alone when Angel came to her, and now she can express her joy because Elizabeth spoke of understanding by the Holy Spirit. No doubt Elizabeth and Zacharias celebrated. When Mary returned home she would have to face the pharisees and deal with her bethrothe and tell him she was pregnant. The joy not gone, but events not fully told in scripture beyond the joy of the coming Christ brought to those that believed.

Dear Heavenly Father you know our hearts whether we believe, but you also know how to bring peace and hope through your word and not only a feeling of joy. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: Joshua 24:2-3 KJV
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.