My Soul Glorifies the Lord Luke 1:46-55, NIV And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me?holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things?but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “My Soul Glorifies the Lord,” based on Luke 1:46-55. Please repeat after me, “My Soul Glorifies the Lord. My Soul Glorifies the Lord.” After confessing our belief in Jesus and throughout our lives as Christians, we live by the grace of God. Then, to whom does God give this grace? Those who earnestly seek the grace of God will receive His grace. Therefore, we must always seek the grace of the Lord. In our morning prayer, we must pray to God, “Lord, help me to live today by Your grace.” When we come to church, we must pray, “Lord, help me to experience Your grace through the worship service. Bless me so that I will go into the world and share Your grace and blessings with others.” Hallelujah! A person who had experienced the most abundant measure of God’s grace in human history must have been Mary, who conceived the Lord Jesus. How could a human lady conceive the Son of God? This event was a direct result of the miraculous grace of God. After finding out that she conceived the Son of God, Mary praised the Lord. The message in Luke 1:46-55 is Mary’s praise to God when she became pregnant with Jesus. It is called Magnificat, the praise of Mary. Mary served God in the most pure and beautiful way; therefore she contained enough of God’s blessings to become pregnant with Jesus, the Son of God. Her praise describes the characteristics of God, who pours His grace upon all of us. First, the Lord is mindful of the humble state. Luke 1:47-48 says, “…and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.” Mary gave thanks to God for showing His grace to a humble person like her. Mary was living in Nazareth. The poor, the hungry, the oppressed, and the fugitives gathered and lived in Nazareth in those days. Nazareth was a crime-ridden area. Mary was overwhelmed by the grace of God because God had chosen her and blessed her?a Nazarene. Being overwhelmed, she said, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant, doing His great work.” Mary was one of the poor and underprivileged people who were living in Nazareth. Her fianc? Joseph also was a poor carpenter. Nonetheless, God’s grace was upon them. The humble and underprivileged turned into the most blessed and glorious. This is grace. Mary was not blessed because she had some power or qualifications for such grace. She was blessed because God chose her and poured His grace upon her. The same is true with us today. We are not saved because we are qualified. We have been chosen and saved by God through His love for us. It is all thanks to the grace of God, a free gift to us from God. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith?and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” God knows the humble state we are in. He knows the difficult situations we are in and has mercy on us. Psalm 103:13-14 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” As a father loves his children, so the Lord loves us. Therefore, never be afraid of anything. Do not be dismayed. Do not despair. Look unto the Lord of love and grace, marching forward with faith. Our Lord is the Lord of forgiveness and healing. He comes to us while we are suffering, hurting, and agonizing. He holds us in His arms, tending our wounded hearts, forgiving all our sins and faults, and renewing us. God has infinite mercy and compassion on us. He knows how humble and low we are. He is the God of grace and love, who takes care of us. There are two major airports in New York City. One is JFK Airport, named after President John F. Kennedy, used primarily for international flights. The other is LaGuardia Airport. This airport was named after Fiorello LaGuardia, the most respected legendary mayor of New York City. Mayor LaGuardia was a judge. One day, while he was presiding in a summary court, an old man who had been caught for stealing a loaf of bread was brought in. The old man told the court that he had stolen the bread because his family was starving. Judge LaGuardia decided, “I can do nothing but sentence you for breaking the law. The fine will be 10 dollars.” As he spoke, he took money from his wallet. “Here is the 10 dollars to pay the fine. It is a penalty on my part for having not been considerate and living too comfortably.” Then he took a hat and gave it to the bailiff, saying, “And I am going to fine everyone in this court 50 cents for being a member of a town where a man has to steal bread to eat.” The bailiff passed around a hat to collect the people’s fine, which amounted to $47.50. The stunned defendant left LaGuardia’s courtroom that day with $47.50 in his hand. He cried in gratitude, a changed man. This story became widely known. Later, LaGuardia was elected as the mayor of New York. An airport was built and named after him. This is the life imitating the Lord Jesus. It is the life which practices the love of Christ. LaGuardia’s service of love for the humble and the poor is long remembered by people. It is hard to impress wealthy people with a gift. On the other hand, a small gift will greatly impress the poor, the hungry, the wounded, or the troubled. The Sharing Love and Happiness Foundation ministers to the needy and shares the love of the Lord with them, which makes them very happy and grateful. I pray that you will practice the love of the Lord with others. Second, the Lord does great things. Luke 1:49 says, “…for the Mighty One has done great things for me?holy is his name.” The Mighty One has done great things for me! The Mighty One signifies that God is omnipotent. The Almighty God has done great things. How could a virgin get pregnant? God inspired Mary through the Holy Spirit and the baby was conceived by the Spirit. Marvelous things are happening these days, too. We were sinners. We deserved and were destined to be punished. However, due to the mighty power of God, we have accepted the Lord Jesus and have become changed and blessed children of God. Whoever believes in Jesus can now receive God’s grace as a free gift and can enjoy everlasting blessings in heaven. God is doing great things for us even now. At the beginning of the Apostles’ Creed we make confessions of faith to the Almighty God. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” What kind of confessions of faith are we making? We confess that we believe in the Almighty God, our Father in Heaven. We are finite. Our power is limited. However, when we leave all things to the Lord, He will do great things for us. When the Israelites came out of Egypt after a 430 year long period of slavery in Egypt, the Red Sea was ahead of them. Inspired by the Holy Spirit; “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14) God will fight for us even today. What we have to do is stand firm with faith and look unto the Lord. Then He will perform marvelous miracles in our lives, pouring His grace upon us. During the reign of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria brought his 185,000 soldiers and surrounded Jerusalem to attack. The Israelites were on the verge of total defeat. Then Hezekiah went up to the temple of the LORD and prayed to the Lord, “Have mercy on us.” The Almighty God worked that night and killed all of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Isaiah 37:36 says, “Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning?there saw all the dead bodies!” Such a large army was demolished just over night. Nothing is impossible to the Lord. Miracles are happening at this moment, too. Hymn Number 464 verse 4 is as follows. There is nothing too hard for my Lord to do; I can safely trust all life’s journey thro’; He will bear me up, and my burdens too, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, the everlasting arms, how they hold me, Ever hold me, and enfold me; I am safe in life or death, for around and underneath Are the mighty, everlasting arms. Hallelujah! Nothing is impossible to the Lord. When we march forward with faith in the Lord, miracles will take place. Leslie was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 31, 1952. As a complication of his premature birth, Leslie developed retinal problems, then glaucoma, and his eyes had to be surgically removed in the first months of life. There was also brain damage, and Leslie was extremely ill. His birth mother gave him up for adoption. It was a serious situation. Leslie was extremely ill, unable to see, and his mother had given him up. Who was going to take and raise him? The county asked May Lemke, a nurse-governess whom they knew and trusted, if she would take Leslie into her receiving home, ill as he was and carrying such a dire prognosis. That didn’t deter May. At age 52, a devoted Christian, May said she would take care of him until she died. And she did. She adopted him when he was six months old. May was heartbroken to see the poor state of Leslie. He could not even suck milk. May prayed and massaged his limbs. To feed him, May had to push food down his throat. It was a year before Leslie could chew food himself. She taught him how to make sounds so he could communicate. May literally strapped his fragile body to hers to teach him how, a step at a time, to walk. He couldn’t stand until he was 12. At 15, Leslie finally learned how to walk. Hallelujah! Leslie seemed to respond to music. Because his adoptive parents were devoted to him, they bought Leslie a piano and encouraged him to listen to piano music. When Leslie was 15, his parents heard music in the middle of one night. Without knowing what was happening, they followed the music and opened Leslie’s bedroom door to find Leslie playing the piano flawlessly. God’s miracle, May said, came into full bloom that night. Hallelujah! He began to play the piano from that night on. He played the piano so well. Let us see his performance. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Let us give glory to God. His birth parents gave him up because he was like a vegetable due to severe birth brain damage. However, a faithful Christian woman adopted him and raised him as a great child of God. His story was shown nationally on ABC Television. His story was made into a drama. These days he travels around the world, giving glory to God through his performances. God worked with Leslie. God is performing miracles for us. God wants to do great things for those who believe in Jesus. Nothing is impossible to us. When we march forward with faith, miracles will happen. God loved Leslie. Even though he was forsaken by people, God chose him and gave him a new life through a faithful person. God is using him greatly for the glory of God. It is true. Life is too hard anyway! Let us leave all our cares to the Lord. Leave everything to the Lord means that you leave all the matters?personal, at home or work places, and business matters. Then the Lord will perform great wonders in your life. Third, the Lord scatters the proud. When God works great things, He removes pride from our lives first. The God whom we trust in and serve is the God who scatters the proud. Mary makes her confession to the Lord who scatters the proud. Luke 1:51-52 says, “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;?he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” Why do you think God chose Mary? God chose Mary because she was pure, gentle, and humble. When we are humble before God, He will do His work through us. An ordinary unmarried lady would have freaked out if she had been told to have a child. She would have yelled back, “This is nonsense. What is going on?” However, Mary was a prayerful woman. She was obedient to God. She obeyed, saying, “May it be to me as you have said.” Then God’s great miracle was upon her. Leo Tolstoy once said, “Nothing is mightier than a humble person.” It is true. God uses us greatly when we are humble. Luke 1:51 says, “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;?he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.” Thomas Aquinas once said, “Pride is the queen and mother of all the vices.” Lucifer the archangel, without knowing his due position, wanted to be like God. He was judged for it and became Satan. Adam and Eve, tempted by Satan, wanted to be like God. They were so proud that they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were punished for their sin. We remember the story of Babel tower written in Genesis Chapter 11. The people said, “Let us make a name for ourselves.” They were building a high tower. God came down and confused their language so they had to stop building. The people were scattered. If they had not tried to build Babel tower, we would not have to study foreign languages so hard, since there was only one language before Babel tower. Korean would suffice. From this point onward, people were scattered speaking different languages. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ ” Please remember that the humble will experience wonderful grace of God. When we are broken and humble, saying, “Lord, I am nothing. You are everything to me. Work on me,” the Lord will begin to work. Luke 1:52 says, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” Here, the word “rulers” means those who are proud and think highly of themselves even though their power is given by God. The Scripture says that God brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. Remember all the power comes from God. Romans 13:1 says: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Hannah was provoked and irritated because she had no children. When she fervently prayed to God with tears, God saw her humility, heard her prayer, and performed a miracle for her. He gave Hannah Samuel, three more sons and two daughters. Being grateful for this grace, Hannah praised the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:1 says, “Then Hannah prayed and said: ‘My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.’ ” The Lord has compassion on those who humbly kneel down before Him, asking for His help. He will do great things for them. One day a man with leprosy came to Jesus and asked for His help. His hair was all gone. His nose was disintegrated. His fingertips had become rotten. His wounds were discharging pus all over his body. Jesus had mercy when this man with leprosy asked for His help. Jesus reached out His hand, touched the man, and healed him. Matthew 8:3 says, “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.” This shows what it is like lifting up the humble. Be always humble before the Lord. Approach the throne of the Lord with tears, saying, “Lord, I am nothing. I cannot thank You enough for saving me, a wretched sinner. Drops of grief can never repay the debt of love I owe. Lord, I give myself away. It is all I can do.” When we come to the Lord with such a confession of faith, He will listen to our prayers and pour His grace upon us. Never be dismayed. Never give up. Never despair. The Lord is with us. I earnestly pray that you will serve the Lord with gentleness and humility throughout your lives. Fourth, Mary praised the Lord who fulfills His Words. Luk1 1:55 says, “…to Abraham and his descendants forever,?even as he said to our fathers.” God fulfilled His Word and performed great things. Galilee was somewhat of a despised place by people. However, God had given them a promise through Scripture. Isaiah 9:1 says, “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan.” People used to despise Nazareth of Galilee. However, the Lord changed and honored Nazareth. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, grew up and lived there until He was 30. God fulfills His promises. Not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. When Mary was told that she was going to be pregnant with a child she asked how it could happen to her. Then Gabriel said in Luke 1:37, “For nothing is impossible with God.” Then Mary replied to Gabriel. Luke 1:38 says, “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” God’s Word is accomplished for those who say, “Amen,” to it. When we reply, “Amen, it will be done to me as promised,” God’s miracles will happen for us. Read the Word and accept it with “Amen.” Accept the sermon with “Amen” when it is spoken. Miracles will be yours when you take and accept them with Amen. Blessings will be yours. When you doubt the Word, no miracle will happen to you. God is not going to do great things for you when you doubt the Word. In North Korea, the high officials know Yoido Full Gospel Church and our healing ministry. One high official asked one of our representatives, “It is a fake, isn’t it? How can such things happen? How can disease be healed by a word? People are standing up according to a plot, aren’t they?” They do not believe it. Miracles will take place when we believe and say, “Amen.” Problems will be resolved. God heals diseases that man cannot heal. Many members are healed while they pray or while they listen to the Word of God. Miracles take place when we accept them, saying, “Amen.” When we listen to the Word and when we act on faith, miracles will take place. Genesis 12:1-3 says, “The LORD said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ ” When Abraham obeyed God’s command, he became the forefather of faith and the source of all blessings. All his descendants were blessed through him. It is true. When we obey God’s Word, He will bless us. When we keep His decrees, we will dwell in His grace and blessings. A team of New York state sociologists attempted to calculate the influence of a father’s life upon his family and future generations. The study included two men from the eighteenth century, Jonathan Edwards and Max Jukes. Max Jukes was a bright man but he rejected Christianity. He married a non-Christian woman. His marriage was not a success and he chose a life of unprincipled behavior and crime. On the other hand, Jonathan Edwards was a faithful Christian. His wife was also a faithful Christian. Their children grew up, watching their parents reading the Bible and praying to God. They loved and respected each other. Max Jukes’ children, however, grew up, watching their parents fighting, drinking, and gambling. The sociologists studied what happened to their descendants. The descendants of a godless man had terrible lives. Max Juke had 1200 descendants, twice as many as those of Jonathan Edwards. Among his 1200 male descendants 440 lived lives of outright debauchery, 310 were paupers and vagrants, 190 were public prostitutes, 130 convicted criminals, 100 alcoholics, 60 habitual thieves, 55 victims of impurity, and 7 murderers. This notorious family cost the state of New York $1,200,000. On the other hand, Jonathan Edwards formed a model and precious family of faith. He later served as the President of Princeton College. Among his 688 male descendants 1 was the vice-president of the United States, 3 were U. S. congressmen, 14 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 authors, 60 doctors, 120 college professors, and 300 clergymen, missionaries, or theology professors. Hallelujah! What a blessing! When we march forward, trusting the Word of God, miracles will take place. Blessings will come to us. God gave a word of promise to Joshua at the entrance to Canaan. Joshua 1:7 says, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” We will be prosperous and successful wherever we go if we believe, trust, and follow the Word. God is mindful of our humble state. The Lord does great things. He scatters the proud. And He fulfills His Words and does great things to those who accept the Word with “Amen.” I pray that you will have great faith and experience enormous grace and miracles of God. It is my earnest prayer for you in the name of our Lord. Let us pray. Our Father of infinite love, grace, and mercy, we give thanks to You. As Mary was pregnant with Jesus in her purest form by obeying Your will; help us accept the coming of the Lord in our purest form. Make us Your faithful servants. Help us to give thanks to Your grace all the time. Help us to trust the Lord, who is mindful of the humble state and who does great things. Help us accept the Lord who scatters the proud in our hearts. Bless us so that we will serve You with humility. Fulfill Your promises in our lives, blessing us with Your miracles. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 2