Pactolus Baptist Church
Daily Devotional
By Pastor Jerry Teboe
MIRACLES IN 2025
Advent Series 1
Willing Spirit to Serve
Luke 1:26-28
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
As we begin the month of December, we start to look forward to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ at His first advent. This month I want to focus on His first coming with a devotional each day that tells of His arrival.
After the angel had appeared to Zacharias in the Temple with the promise of a child, Elizabeth became pregnant. Then six months later, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with the news that she would become the mother of the Christ child, Jesus.
Can you imagine the fear Mary felt when this angel just showed up in her house? Also, there was the strange greeting that he used when he spoke saying, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. What does it mean to be blessed among women? So many questions came to her mind. She did not understand.
He then told her she would conceive a son, and He would be called Jesus. Jesus means Salvation! “Is he saying what I think he is saying?”, she asked herself. The only thing Mary could grasp was that she was not married and was a virgin. When she asked the angel how it could happen, he explained that the Holy Spirit would come over her and that she would become pregnant.
It became clear to her as she remembered the promise of Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14, therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. She was to be that virgin. She would be the mother of the Lord. She of all women would bear the Christ child.
I don’t know for sure that she understood it all, but she was ready to do the Lord’s will. Many times, God asks of us things we don’t understand, yet He just wants us to be willing to follow Him. Maybe it won’t be something spectacular like Zacharias and Elizabeth having a child in their old age, or like Mary bearing the Christ child, but whatever it may be, we can have that same willing spirit to serve when God calls.
Bible Reading for the Year
December 1st, Ephesians 4-6
Prayer Needs
Please continue to pray for Jennifer Teboe Buchamer. Please pray for her radiation treatment plan. She begins radiation on Monday, December 1st. She is in a lot of pain. Please pray that the pain will subside.
Please pray for Dr. Jordan’s wife, Melva. She has a heart catheterization and possible stents on December 4th. Dr. Jordan is still having back pain.
Please pray for Beth Buchta. She had a hip replacement, on November 25th.
She still has pain, and her blood pressure is low. Pray for a quick recovery.
Please pray for Lee Roy Elks, Jackie Whitehurst’s brother-in-law, who is back in the hospital.
Please continue to pray for Linda Franks. She had a setback, and the doctor had to prescribe new medication that is helping her. She sees the surgeon on December 16th.
Please pray for Marvin Silverthorne. He will see his eye doctor on January 20th.
Please pray for Anderson and Meredith Womble, friends of Donna Dixion. Meredith is 32 weeks pregnant. The fluid has cleared up in the baby’s lungs, but the situation is still precarious. Please pray for the doctors to make the right decision about when to give a steroid shot for the lungs.
Please continue to pray for Phil Corey. Pray for his continual dialysis treatments.
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Pray for our Missionaries!
Sue Singleton and the mission in Cambodia
Dr. Joe Jordan and the CBM (Cross and Bible Ministries)
Travis and Caroline Fennessy – IBM missionaries to Southeast Asia