OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what do I learn about the Holy Spirit?
1. The Holy Spirit is responsible for 'what is conceived in her [Mary]'

INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself why is it so significant that the Angel of the Lord lets Joseph know 'what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit'?
In Joseph's mind, Mary's pregnancy was very troubling because he knew that he was not with her for her to become pregnant. So, different thoughts were going through his mind in the pain and shock he was in. It is in this situation that the angel of the Lord intervenes to assure Joseph that Mary did not do any wrong. On the contrary, she has been faithful to Joseph in her relationship and is still the virgin Mary that he fell in love with.

Now, the angel lets Joseph know, Mary's pregnancy is a result of the miracle of God's intervention in Mary's life without her having to do anything but believe in what the Lord was going to do in her life through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the initiation of the Holy Spirit to work in Mary's life for the miracle of conception without the involvement of Joseph or any other human being for  the conception. The angel of the Lord wants Joseph to be aware of that without being afraid to take Mary home as his wife. Also, the angel of the Lord is letting Joseph know that what is happening in Mary cannot be explained scientifically or logically for it is a miracle and will be a miracle.

IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life here and now?
Miracles are not just a thing of the past but the here and now too. Three years ago in November, I tripped and badly fell in Oakland. My whole body landed on my right shoulder. By the Lord's grace, I was still able to get up and go to the bus stop. I found out later that I had passed out in the bus. Whatever was happening, I went into shock. When I woke up in the bus, I got down and went home. At home, I suffered through the night barely sleeping from 11:00 pm - 7:00 am. It was so painful that our good friends Danilo and Lidia came to our house and took me to the emergency room. The doctor was shocked that I did not come to the ER right away. He even told us that it may not be possible to put the shoulder back in place without surgery because I waited so long. We prayed and the doctor was able to put the dislocated right shoulder back in place. I had to wear a sling over my shoulder. He told me that it would take a long time to heal.  The only problem was that I needed a side job at the time while doing ministry which required both hands to lift 50 lbs or more :( I needed both hands to lift heavy boxes and put them away. I prayed for the Lord's healing and a miracle happened, It started with Pastor Mike coming to our house and administering communion near my bedside claiming the Blood of Jesus for my healing and restoration. Pastor Mike is the one that told me about that job. I prayed for a miracle because with a sling I would not be able to get that job and work for Lydia. Before the job interview, I prayed and prayed. That days Bible reading was from Psalm 81. I claimed the promise there for myself that said, "Now, I will relieve your shoulder of its burden. I will free your hands from their heavy tasks." (Psalm 81:6, TLB)

A miracle happened to me because when I claimed that promise, I took my sling off and felt my shoulder was rapidly healing and strengthening. I went to work without the sling and was able to do my job. But the amazing thing there was even though I did not tell Lydia that I dislocated my shoulder, she put me on the register. It felt like my hands for freed from their heavy tasks of lifting heavy boxes and putting them away. Miracles have not stopped three years ago in our lives. They have happened before 3 years ago and after 3 years ago too.

Many years ago as a Hindu, I had severe asthma and was even admitted to the ER. There were times I even felt like I would die.  I lived through that for many years. Slowly, I was learning about Jesus and what He has done in people's lives through the Bible stories my mommy would read to me. One day, I was watching the 700 Club and Pat Robertson was talking about 'accepting Jesus Christ into your life.' I did not know what that meant so I went and asked my mommy.

I thought to myself if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow as the Bible says He is, then what He did in those days, He can even do right now. That means, Jesus can even heal my severe asthma. So, coming from a Hindu family background except my mommy at the time, I believed in Jesus accepting Him into my heart to be my Lord and personal Savior.

When I believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit not only healed me of my severe asthma but my life was also transformed. Other than being healed of my asthma completely and being able to do things I could never do before, I was also so ecstatic that my beloved dad who was a Hindu at the time would ask my mommy, "Ramesh is so different, what brought the change in him?" My dad would even ask me and I got to share about Jesus with my dad.

My dad did not become a Christian right away but I praise the Lord that He gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ right before He went to be with the Lord 15 years ago on December 17, 2007. This too was a miracle including everything that happened before that.

You see in October 2007, my dad went into cardiac arrest after battling renal kidney disease for more than 6 years. On the day he went into cardiac arrest, my prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ was, "Lord Jesus, please don't let Satan take my daddy, for he does not know you yet." The Lord Jesus heard our prayers and my dad was able to be resuscitated and spent the next 70 days in the ICU, etc. During that time, everyday we prayed for a miracle. The Bible verse that came to my mind was Jesus' response to Martha when Lazarus had died: "The purpose of his illness will not result in death but for the glory of the Lord."   In those 70 days, almost every minute my mommy was by my dad's side. She would read to him the Psalms and New Testament everyday from Matthew to Revelation. On Dec 17th right before he died, my beloved dad gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. In those 70 days we saw miracle after miracle happen. But the greatest miracle of all is that my beloved dad was called to be Jesus' very own and resides in Heaven. So, even though my daddy died physically, spiritually his illness did not result in death but life with the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus!

My mommy had led both of us to Christ at different times. I was led to Christ on Valentine's Day and my dad was led to Christ during the Christmas season. The prayer my mommy prayed with me went something like this which I prayed almost everyday, believing in my heart:

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I am so sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me of all my sins. I repent of all my sins. Please cleanse me with your precious cleansing blood and I will be clean again. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you for dying for my sins and coming back to life on the third day to save me. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus so now I can live for you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior accepting you into my heart. Please be my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

We know if the Lord Jesus wanted to, He could have kept our dad alive physically and completely heal him but we cannot understand His ways always. What I do know is through the power of the Holy Spirit, our family has experienced miracles. Thank you so much Jesus.

After years of heartache, my marriage to my precious wife Chandraleela is a miracle in itself including how the Lord Jesus made everything fall in place in the right time for my precious wife to be with me in the states after a painful 1.5 year wait due to visa situation. Exactly, 12 years and 5 months ago on Friday, July 23, 2010, I went to India for the first time in 25 years. Then, I went to Bakery Inn in India and asked Chandraleela if she would marry me. One week later, on Friday, July 30, 2010, we were married. After a grueling 19 months later, she was with me in the U.S on New Year's Eve of December 31, 2011 when Elder Calvin and Elise picked us up from the airport. They were the first faces Chandra met from the church I was part of and now we both are part of.

But more than that, both of our daughter's birth's were a miracle too. Because of complications during the pregnancy, a C-section had to be done. When baby Esther was delivered she had the umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck. We praise the Lord Jesus for a healthy baby Esther that Jesus gave us. She is 10+ now.

When baby Evangeline was born, an emergency C-section had to be done too after trying so long for a natural birth.  When she was born, she had swallowed so much meconium, she did not breathe right away, and apgar score was 0 so she had to be in the NICU. At the time, Pastor Hugo, Heather, Pastor Mike, Jeanne, Calvin, Elise, Edwin, Marie, and so many others visited her and prayed for her. A miracle happened in her life too. She is now a healthy 7 year old child today.

I ask you now dear friend, why expect a M.I.R.A.C.L.E in your life this season?
Dear friend, I do not know what you are going through right now. You maybe in a painful situation, a  confusing situation, a perplexing situation, etc. It maybe related to relationships, finances, academics, career, health, behavior, job, etc. From a human viewpoint, there may not seem to be hope for any change BUT I want you to know that there is hope for the season and the hope is in the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever you are going through, be assured that the Holy Spirit can intervene if He chooses to, for nothing is impossible with God. If God could make Mary pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can make anything happen if He chooses to. Rest assured in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I say chooses to because the Lord has his own purposes and timing that we cannot understand. What I do know is that He loves you and me very much and wants to always be our Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Wonderful Counselor.

You can experience miracles too in His precious timing for Jesus is the reason for the season. Wait upon Him even when your chances look slim and the future looks dim.

To be continued....

May you come to experience a miracle this Christmas season knowing Jesus is the reason for the season.

"Miracle Is Redeemer's Awesome Capability Loving Each! (M.I.R.A.C.L.E)"/"Why expect a M.I.R.A.C.L.E in your life this season?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for the miracles you have done while you physically walked the earth. Thank you for the miracles we experience even 2000 years later because of the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in us as we turn to you. In essence, it is you that is residing in us. Thank you for transformed lives by your grace. Oh Lord, when I gave my life to you, you transformed my life and others noticed the difference. Forgive me Oh Lord because through the years, I have gone my own way many times and caused so many people pain. I am sorry Lord. Help my life to reflect your presence in me. Thank you Oh Lord. Help me please to be guided by your Spirit. Thanks so much for your help. I pray for your miracles in the lives of those who are suffering and in pain. Come Lord Jesus and intervene in our lives. Come Lord Jesus and reveal yourself to us, strenghtening us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Choose us to be your very own Oh Lord. Thank you for dying for my sin and coming back to life to save me. I yield my life to you Oh Lord and ask for your help. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior as I yield to you. Thank you for healing me. Thank you Lord that you have heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!