Immanuel United Church of Christ

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet the Pastor
    • Next Steps
    • Who We Are >
      • Who We Are
      • Staff
      • Church Committees
      • United Church of Christ
      • History
      • Stained Glass@Immanuel
    • First Time Visitor
    • Find Immanuel
    • Weddings@Immanuel
    • Contact
  • Sundays@IUCC
    • Worship >
      • Listen to Sermons
    • Sunday School >
      • Adult Education
  • Connect
    • Youth Groups >
      • Junior Youth
      • Senior Youth
      • VBS & Sports Camp 2021
    • Women's Groups
    • Men's Groups
    • Interest Groups
    • Family Ministry
    • Mental Health Resources
  • Grow
    • Small Groups
    • Adult Study
    • Devotional Blog by Pastor TJ
    • Devotional Resources
    • Still Speaking
  • Serve
    • Missions >
      • Afterschool Program
      • Summer Club
      • Grant's House
      • Laces for Lisa Faith & Fitness Trail
      • LUM Christmas Jubilee
      • Growing Hope Globally
      • Pancake Brunch
      • Fish Fry
      • Community Outreach
      • Other Missions >
        • UCC Missions
      • Serving our Youth
      • Serving Immanuel
    • Music
    • Health Ministry
  • News@IUCC
    • Covid Response Plan
    • Weekly e-Spire
    • Calendar
  • Give to IUCC
  • Pastor TJ's Sermons
    • Pastor TJ's Sermons YouTube
    • Listen to Sermon Podcast

Angels Whisper

12/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Read again the wonderful story of the angel speaking to Zechariah and was touched.  Zechariah is going about his daily duties in the temple.  He is burning incense to glorify God, when the angel appears.   So many times God comes to us in the ordinary, the daily duties of life, as we faithfully serve God wherever we are in life.  But in another sense, he is in the Lord’s house.  And so it is that God often meets us in the intersection of the ordinary and the extraordinary, the human and the divine.  When the angel appears to Zechariah, he is afraid.  But the angel speaks those beautiful words of comfort and promise: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, “ your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call his name John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”  Zechariah moves from fear and trembling to wonder and rejoicing.  This was likely a prayer request that Zechariah and Elizabeth had long given up on.  But God was faithful.  
  The promise had to be fulfilled in God’s timing not theirs, as so often is the case in our lives as well.   Of course, Zechariah could hardly believe it and said so.  At least he was honest with God.  A lesson we would do well to learn as well.   The angel told him that because he did not believe, he would not be able to speak until this happens.  Perhaps it was not so much punishment as a way for Zechariah to do what we should do more—to quietly meditate on the promises of God.  And as we meditate on God’s promises in silence, the promise unfolds in power within us.  So it was with Zechariah, and perhaps Elizabeth needed a little silence from Zechariah as well as she pondered this divine wonder.  But then the moment of triumph as Zechariah was asked after John’s birth what the child’s name would be, and he faithfully followed God’s command and affirmed that his name would be John, and all of the sudden he was able to speak again.  So it is with the seed of faith that meditates on the promises of God, growing faithfully, until in the right moment it springs forth into the full flower of promise.  A lesson for each of us . . .
 
(scripture of the week)
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, “ your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call his name John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”  Luke 1:13
 
(prayer of the week)
Lord, help me to find new faith in the promises you have made to me for my faith and life.  Help me to mediate on your words of promise to me that they may grow within me and, in the right moment, come forth through your power and to your glory, amen. 
 
Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor Dr. TJ Jenney
    ​Awarded Top 30 Devotional Blog  
    Listen to Inspire Podcast

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture

1526 South 18th Street

Lafayette, IN 47905

Phone 765-474-6496


Worship Services;

Contemporary Service 8:30am 

Coffee & Conversation 9:30am 

Sunday School & Adult Ed 9:45 am

Traditional Worship ​10:45am 
 
​
​
No matter who you are, or where you

are on life's journey, YOU are

welcome here!