Mar 15 - His Name Is John

Crazy story about one guy, Balak, asks another guy, Balaam, to come and put a curse on the people of Israel because they were conquering everything through the land and they were camping in his land the plains of Moab so he was afraid. Balaam kept saying no because the Lord had told him those people are blessed do not go. Then the Lord tells him to go ahead and go to Balak but do only what I tell you. Well on the way his donkey keeps seeing an angle of the Lord that was sent and strays away a couple times then lays down the third time he sees the angel. This keeps Balaam from being killed by the Angel. Well Balaam can't see him so each time he gives the donkey a beating. After the 3rd beating the Lord gives the donkey the ability to speak. "What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" it asks. "You have made me look like a fool!" uuuuhhhhh your talking to a donkey I think your looking like a fool all on your own. They talk a minute and then the Lord opens Balaams eyes so he can see the Angel standing in the roadway with a drawn sword. He falls face down before the Angel. The Angel lets him go on but tells him "say only what I tell you to say.

Balaam arrives and Balak takes him to a few different places to curse the people of Israel and Balaam keeps doing as the Angel tells him and blesses them. Balak finally snaps and tells Balaam "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at elast don't bless them!" But Balaam replied to Balak, "didn't I tell you that I can do only what the Lord tells me?" Then King Blak said "Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there." Some people never learn!

In Luke today John the Baptist is born! Now they named him John and all the people were confused because no one in their family was named John, but that is the name the Lord gave them to name him. Zechariah motions for his tablet and writes down "His name is John" and instantly he can speak again. Word spread though out the Judean hills about what had happened so everyone was wondering what the child would turn out to be because God was surely upon him in a special way. His father Zachariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
"Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant-the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. And you my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." So the ground work has been laid for John and Jesus to full fill the scriptures.....how cool is that!