Encouragement

Dec 07 2024

December 7 – Mary’s Song Continued

For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.” – Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭48‬-‭49‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Mary has broken out in song under the unction of the Holy Ghost. As she sings she, by the Holy Ghost, reveals truth that has come to her.

God regards humility and her state is His bond servant. She sings of God’s regard for humility, in which she views her present state. This word means to stand, to be fixed. It is a constant place before God. Humility being the proper response to a Mighty and Holy God To Whom she proclaims.

I have heard people pray for the Lord to humble or make them humble. This is not what He does. That kind of humility is humiliation. Some 72 times in scripture it says to us, “humble yourselves.” It is our place and state to maintain. This is what God saw in Mary. Think of being overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, having an angelic visitation, and being chosen to birth the Son of God, the Messiah prophesied and long waited for. Yet she remained in her humble state.

The Satanic source, pride’s work in us, is to make us think more highly of ourselves rather than lowly, as in the state of humility. Satan’s justification and lies are his only objective.

So much of Jesus’ birth is set in the state of humility. Why is this? God resists the proud.

The Holy Ghost spoke this to my heart years ago: “Spiritual Pride did not start with man but in heaven, and there was a war fought with Satan and a third of heaven. God cast him out and it will never get back there again.” His only response to it is to resist, resist, and resist. Pride cannot be covered by grace. It is a blocker and a resister to God’s amazing grace.

God gives grace to the humble, He favors humility.

Mary’s song is a testimony to God’s regard, how He perceives, favors, or is partial to. Not gifts, callings, personalities, or talent. He holds humility in the highest regard. It is the righteous response to God’s holiness and is the center of the fear of the Lord. She knows without question that it is God who has done great things and Holy is His name.

Glory to God in the Highest!

-Keith Curlee

Dec 06 2024

December 6 – The Song of Mary

And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth 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 on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 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 seed forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. – ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭46‬-‭56‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Luke, in his recording of these events, writes that he has taken pen in hand to set in order the narrative of things which had been fulfilled. This wonderful account of Mary and Elizabeth’s celebration in the Holy Ghost gives us such great detail and clarity of the events that took place in this glorious coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As discussed previously, Elizabeth and Mary found themselves in the first experience of a Holy Ghost encounter, where two or three are gathered. They are both moved into a heavenly place of blessing, revelation, and worship. As soon as Elizabeth speaks blessing over Mary she breaks out into worship. She says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” A revelation of the distinction between soul and spirit. To magnify, to make great, her mind being brought into a greater knowing of how great is her God. An illumination and renewal of how she perceived God. Her spirit breaking forth into rejoicing in God her Savior.

In this season, the wonderful carols written by those who the Holy Ghost moved on to compose. Helping us to break forth in songs of rejoicing and to declare the certainty of His birth. Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, not to mention Handel’s Messiah and its crescendo, The Hallelujah Chorus.

If you’ve ever wondered when Christmas carols first came about, the answer lies in the 14th century. Christianity spread across Europe from the fourth to the 14th centuries, and the first carols were produced by Franciscan friars who were followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. You might say that the soul of the church began to magnify the Lord and a spirit of rejoicing was renewed.

Paul, when writing about being filled with the Holy Ghost, emphasizes singing Psalms, Hymns, and spiritual songs to one another. I remember when I pastored years ago in Houston our house groups would go and carol from house to house. What an opportunity for the people of God to declare the word of God with little resistance.

For Mary, she broke forth in song a new song in her heart. How important is singing to our spiritual life! To magnify the Lord and to rejoice in Him. Revelation 5:9: “And they sang to Him a new song.” This response by the Holy Ghost and the bride is an eternal act of worship, never-ending, magnifying the Lord forever.

Glory to God in the highest. May our gatherings center around magnifying and glorifying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Lord!

-Keith Curlee

Dec 05 2024

December 5 – The Angelic Sign To Mary Comes To Pass

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” – Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭41‬-‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The angel told Mary beforehand concerning Elizabeth being with child that this would be a sign given to her: “And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.” “And it happened when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting.” The baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and was filled with the Holy Ghost. Then Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Ghost, began to bless Mary and acknowledge the child she was carrying was her Lord. Where the Spirit is the Lordship of Jesus is confessed.

For Mary, this was a confirmation of the word given to her by the angel. Two women, one advanced in age, the other a 14-year-old girl. Both finding themselves in supernatural, impossible places in which God, and only Him, could do. One going to give birth to the prophet who was going to prepare the way for the Kingdom of God. The latter giving birth to the only begotten Son of God. Just months before being faithful and going about their everyday life.

This declared blessing, given by Elizabeth to Mary, “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

How wonderful to have these divine appointments where we find brothers and sisters who find themselves called and chosen to bring forth the will of God together. This is real unity that binds us together in fellowship and love. To have relationships where, when you come together, He is in your midst and you are built up in the Holy Ghost.

This is not social but has an eternal destiny together and you know He is absolutely in your midst. Just as with Mary and Elizabeth, their coming together caused such blessing and fulfillment of the word of the Lord that was spoken. May in this season these kinds of relationships, divinely ordered by God, be yours.

Glory to God in the Highest!

Dec 04 2024

December 4 – Six Months Earlier

The first angelic birth announcement—get ready.

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in years. Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” – ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬, ‭11‬-‭17‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Since Malachi’s prophetic word to the Levites, there had been 300 years of silence. Malachi’s call calls us to live faithfully before God and offers hope that God is not yet finished with extending mercy to His people—as both Zachariah and Elizabeth walked. His message from God is for the Levites of God to see their errors, to notice their deficiencies, and to turn (again) to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. The word is to the Levites. The messenger of the covenant is coming to the house to cleanse, to heal one, and burn up another.

The prophets had prophesied for some 600 years, as in Isaiah’s case. All of Israel had been instructed to look for the Messiah. Praying daily and in the synagogues for the Davidic Kingdom to be restored. Now God sends His angelic messengers to announce the time has come. Heaven does not put this announcement in the hands of humans, but a heavenly host of angels who will have singleness of mind and will carry out the will of God and not be deterred in any way. Here God has chosen Zachariah, a priest, and his wife, Elizabeth, who was barren—without child. Luke writes they were advanced in age, were seen by God as being righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. The supernatural intervention from Heaven concerning the coming of the Messiah, the Deliverer, the Savior of the world, the only Son of God, has come in the fullness of time.

The summing up of all things.

And God had chosen a messenger, a prophet who would be, as Jesus said, the greatest. No one born of women is greater than John the Baptist. He will come in the spirit of Elijah and prepare the way of the Lord and preach repentance. For the kingdom of God is at hand. The angel says of him, that he will be great in the eyes of the Lord, will not drink wine or liquor, but will be filled with the Holy Ghost while being in his mother’s womb. Many men and women have been anointed by the Spirit, but up until this point no one has been filled, baptized in the Holy Ghost. John the forerunner, preparing the way for God’s Son, the Messiah, to come.

We cannot do the Will of God without the Holy Ghost. Years before, the Holy Ghost would come on the men and women, anointing them to do God’s will, but no more. It would take more, to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Now God would not only anoint His chosen for specific circumstances and situations but fill them with His power and remain in them. Just as it was said of Jesus, the Holy Ghost descended on Him and remained. Paul later says to not be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Be encouraged in this season if you find yourself advanced in age. Remain as Zachariah and Elizabeth: committed, faithful, and continuing in prayer. God saw and heard them. God is not done with us yet. Glory to God in the Highest!

-Keith Curlee

Dec 03 2024

December 3 – The Angelic Birth Announcement, Mary’s response

And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. – ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭38‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Here we see Mary, as she endeavors to comprehend and wrap her mind around the Angel’s word to her. The impossibility of such a supernatural and unbelievable thing happening. So many questions must have assaulted her thinking. What would people think? Who would believe an angel appeared to me? Why would God choose me? What will my family say?

This is impossible. Yet she did not voice any one of these doubts and fears. Her response was one of the most powerful and clear answers in recorded scripture: “Behold the Lord’s servant, be it unto me according to Your word.”

When God called them, many of God’s servants gave Him excuses why they could not say yes to Him. They saw their limitations and failures and too great of a task.

Mary shows us what our mindset should be when the Lord speaks to our hearts. Her confession, “I am Your servant, I am here for You no matter what You ask of me, I am yours. Be it unto me according to Your word.” She simply received and let the word of God have its perfect work.

For every believer, our place is to simply be a receiver—”Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” Peter declared.

When I think of Mary, I cannot help but hear Jesus teaching us about our hearts being like soil. To the degree we receive the seed is to the degree it yields its intent. Some 30, some 60, some 100. Her response as His servant was, “Be it unto me according to Your word.”

May we become receivers of all He has for us in His promise of His good work He has begun and will finish according to His word.

Glory to God in the Highest!

-Keith Curlee