NOW at this time of her first coming into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to her from God, to declare to her the conception of our Saviour, and the manner and way of her conceiving him.
Accordingly going into her, he filled the chamber where she was with a prodigious light, and in a most courteous manner saluting her, he said,
Hail, Mary! Virgin of the Lord most acceptable! O Virgin full of grace! The Lord is with you. You are blessed above all women, and you are blessed above all men, that have been hitherto born.
But the Virgin, who had before been well acquainted with the countenances of angels, and to whom such light from heaven was no uncommon thing,
Was neither terrified with the vision of the angel, nor astonished at the greatness of the light, but only troubled about the angel's words,
And began to consider what so extraordinary a salutation should mean, what it did portend, or what sort of end it would have.
To this thought the angel, divinely inspired, replies;
Fear not, Mary, as though I intended anything inconsistent with your chastity in this salutation:
For you have found favour with the Lord, because you made virginity your choice.
Therefore while you are a Virgin, you shall conceive without sin, and bring forth a son.
He shall be great, because he shall reign from sea to sea, and from the rivers even to the ends of the earth?
And he shall be called the Son of the Highest; for he who is born in a mean state on earth, reigns in an exalted one in heaven.
And the Lord shall give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
For he is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and his throne is forever and ever.
To this discourse of the angel the Virgin replied, not, as though she were unbelieving, but willing to know the manner of it.
She said, How can that be? For seeing, according to my vow, I have never known any man, how can I bear a child without the addition of a man's seed.
To this the angel replied and said, Think not, Mary, that you shall conceive in the ordinary way.
For, without lying with a man, while a Virgin, you shall conceive; while a Virgin, you shall bring forth; and while a Virgin shall give suck.
For the Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you, without any of the heats of lust.
So that which shall be born of you shall be only holy, because it only is conceived without sin, and being born, shall be called the Son of God.
Then Mary stretching forth her hands, and lifting her eyes to heaven, said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Let it be unto me according to thy word.
Most of the teaching of Jesus are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Complete Sayings of Jesus presents every word spoken by Jesus in one place and provides an index to assist in finding specific ocassions, places and/or events. It is a must read aid for serious Bible study.
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ; and they direct us to imitate his life and character. The Imitation of Christ is guide to following the example of Jesus Christ. Let it be our most earnest study to dwell upon the life and example of Jesus.
The Apocrypha books are 14 books that were included between the old and new testaments in the original King James Version of the bible and many others. Church leaders agreed that these books were valuable for instruction in life and manners, but did not all agree that they should be considered canon.
The Childrens Bible provides bible lessons from the Old and New testaments. There are 216 stories written in plain english. The stories are easy to read and understand but they are not just for childern. It is a pleasure to read and enjoy these important stories.