DARREN STOTT

In Luke 1:46-55, we find a portion of Scripture that is known as "Mary's Magnificat," because it begins in the Latin Bible, in verse 47, with the words "Magnificat animum mea Dominum", which means "My soul magnifies the Lord." In verse 51 Mary sings, "He has done mighty deeds with his arm." Mighty deeds: what mighty deeds? Mary is drawing our attention to the redemption of God's people in the Exodus. Do you remember the story of how Moses led God's people out of Egypt, out of slavery and out from under a false identity. Slavery was not what God wanted for his children; he wanted them back and for them to be free.


Do you remember the amazing works of God's power that were demonstrated in order to liberate the children of Israel? Blood, frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of every first born, not to mention the supernatural provision of food and healing in the wilderness? Indeed, a supernatural display of divine love. This is what Mary is alluding to when she sings, "the Mighty One has done great deeds."

This same redemptive strong arm of God that delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt's clenched fists is now at work on the earth again - at work in Mary's womb – she is about to give birth to Yeshua: Jesus the Anointed One. Jesus will come like Moses to execute justice and to provide freedom from the grasp of sin, sickness, death and Hell. This is what we celebrate at Christmas time – the end of slavery, the era of works and the law. This is an exciting time of the year when we celebrate the shattering of the glass that separated heaven from earth and the amazing gift of adoption (that is available to all mankind) into the family of God through Jesus Christ.

"So yes, the heavens are open, but you may not see it if you can't look past the temporariness of life's current dilemmas to gaze on the eternal ramifications of God's mighty deeds."

Usually during the Christmas season, we are encouraged by pop-culture to go into our shell's and reflect on our needs, our wants and our desires; many get the Holliday Blues because they feel alone, needy and without certain essentials. I would exhort you to refuse to entertain holiday hopelessness this year but, rather, choose to shatter the silence of despair with praise that resembles Mary's. Try starting by reflecting on God's mighty deeds and ask "What has God done for me?" Write it out, sing it and, in doing so, your praise will shatter the silence of unbelief, the silence of separation from the love of God and the silence of isolation from others. God's strong, right arm is being flexed at Seattle Revival Center through the lives of ordinary men, women and children. Like Moses, and Jesus Christ, God wants to use you to set captives free. People should be able to look at our lives and see the mighty deeds of God at work through us. Our emotions, behavior and response to the Lord should inspire singing in others.

So yes, the heavens are open, but you may not see it if you can't look past the temporariness of life's current dilemmas to gaze on the eternal ramifications of God's mighty deeds.