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<v Steve>Hi, this is Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster.

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<v Steve>You're about to hear the LifeSpring Advent Calendar, which was recorded in 2006.

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<v Steve>It's a daily show which will run right up to Christmas Day,

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<v Steve>so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

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<v Steve>Now, the story of Advent and Christmas is a timeless story, so it doesn't age.

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<v Steve>However, the links and the phone numbers mentioned on the podcast have all changed but one.

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<v Steve>WhyChristmas.com is still current and active,

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<v Steve>and it's the best Christmas information website on the Internet.

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<v Steve>LifeSpringPodcast.com now forwards you to LifeSpringMedia.com.

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<v Steve>And the phone number you'll hear on the show is changed to plus 1-951-732-8511.

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<v Steve>Hello and welcome to the Christmas Eve edition of the LifeSpring Advent Calendar and I'm Steve Webb, your host.

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<v Steve>Well, we're really close to Christmas now and there are only two more doors to open.

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<v Steve>Today's the last Sunday of Advent and I happen to know we have a special guest today.

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<v Steve>The Reverend Rosie Greer, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, a member of the Fearsome Foursome, one of professional football's most feared defensive lines.

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<v Steve>So let's see what's behind the door with Rosie and James.

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<v James>you're right Steve

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<v James>it's the fourth or last Sunday in Advent

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<v James>and it's also Christmas Eve

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<v James>so happy Christmas Eve everybody

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<v James>now Christmas Eve isn't always on the fourth Sunday of Advent

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<v James>but it is this year

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<v James>on our calendar today

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<v James>we'll be finding out about the birth of a baby boy

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<v James>no not that one

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<v James>it's not Jesus

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<v James>but his slightly older cousin John

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<v James>who's also known as John the Baptist

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<v James>so let's light four candles this week

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<v James>and find out more about John

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<v James>the story of John's birth comes from the book of Luke in chapter one and says this

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<v Speaker 3>in the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the

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<v Speaker 3>priestly division of Abijah his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron both of them were

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<v Speaker 3>upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulation blamelessly.

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<v Speaker 3>But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.

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<v Speaker 3>Once when Zechariah's division was on duty, and he was serving as a priest before God,

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<v Speaker 3>he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the

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<v Speaker 3>Lord and burn incense. And when the time for burning of incense came, all the assembled

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<v Speaker 3>worshipers were praying outside. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right

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<v Speaker 3>side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

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<v Speaker 3>But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife

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<v Speaker 3>Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to

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<v Speaker 3>you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

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<v Speaker 3>He is never to take wine or other fermented drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from

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<v Speaker 3>birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God, and he will go on

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<v Speaker 3>before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the heart of the fathers to their children

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<v Speaker 3>and the disobedient to the wisdom of righteousness, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

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<v Speaker 3>Zechariah asked the angel, how can I be sure of this? I'm an old man and my wife is well along in

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<v Speaker 3>years. The angel answered, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to

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<v Speaker 3>speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until

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<v Speaker 3>the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper

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<v Speaker 3>time. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in

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<v Speaker 3>temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the

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<v Speaker 3>temple, for he kept making signs to them, but remained unable to speak. When his time of service

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<v Speaker 3>was completed, he returned home, and after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months

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<v Speaker 3>remained in seclusion. The Lord has done this for me, she said, and these days he has shown his favor.

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<v Speaker 3>and taken away my disgrace among the people.

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<v Speaker 3>At that time, Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.

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<v Speaker 3>When she entered Zachariah's home and greeted Elizabeth,

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<v Speaker 3>when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb

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<v Speaker 3>and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

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<v Speaker 3>In a loud voice she exclaimed,

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<v Speaker 3>Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.

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<v Speaker 3>But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

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<v Speaker 3>As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

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<v Speaker 3>the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

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<v Speaker 3>Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.

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<v Speaker 3>And Mary said, My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

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<v Speaker 3>For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

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<v Speaker 3>From now on, all generations will call me blessed.

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<v Speaker 3>For the Mighty One has done great things for me.

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<v Speaker 3>Holy is His name.

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<v Speaker 3>His mercy extends to those who fear Him from generation to generation.

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<v Speaker 3>He has performed mighty deeds with His arm.

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<v Speaker 3>He has scattered those who are proud in their innermost thoughts.

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<v Speaker 3>He has brought down rulers from their throne, but has lifted up the humble.

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<v Speaker 3>He has filled the hunger with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

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<v Speaker 3>He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,

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<v Speaker 3>even as he said to our fathers.

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<v Speaker 3>Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, then returned home.

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<v Speaker 3>When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.

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<v Speaker 3>Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

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<v Speaker 3>On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.

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<v Speaker 3>But his mother spoke up and said, No, he is to be called John.

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<v Speaker 3>And they said to her, There is no one among your relatives who has that name.

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<v Speaker 3>Then they made signs to his father to find out what he would like to name the child.

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<v Speaker 3>He asked for a writing tablet.

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<v Speaker 3>To everyone's astonishment, he wrote, His name is John.

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<v Speaker 3>Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak praise in God.

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<v Speaker 3>The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea, people were talking about these things.

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<v Speaker 3>Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking,

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<v Speaker 3>What then is this child going to be? For the Lord's hand was with him.

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<v Speaker 3>His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,

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<v Speaker 3>Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

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<v Speaker 3>He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

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<v Speaker 3>as he has said through his holy prophets of long ago.

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<v Speaker 3>Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

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<v Speaker 3>to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.

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<v Speaker 3>The oath he swore to our father Abraham to rescue us from the hand of our enemies

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<v Speaker 3>and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

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<v Speaker 3>And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,

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<v Speaker 3>for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

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<v Speaker 3>to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

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<v Speaker 3>because of the tender mercy of God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

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<v Speaker 3>to shine on those living in darkness and in the shelter of death,

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<v Speaker 3>to guide our feet into the path of peace.

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<v Speaker 3>And the child grew and became strong in spirit,

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<v Speaker 3>and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

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<v James>Wow, another amazing story that's part of Christmas.

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<v James>Angels, babies, and people being struck dumb.

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<v James>Elizabeth was Mary's cousin,

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<v James>and a descendant of the priest families of Israel,

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<v James>and her father was also a temporal priest.

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<v James>Zachariah was also a temporal priest,

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<v James>and he was both a very highly and kind man,

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<v James>but he and Elizabeth came from a small village,

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<v James>so he was thought of as a bit of a village hick by some of the other priests.

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<v James>Both Zachariah and Elizabeth would have been over 60 when this story took place,

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<v James>and they didn't yet have any children.

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<v James>Not having children was a big problem for a priest,

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<v James>because you needed to produce the next generation of priests.

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<v James>Zachariah was a normal priest,

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<v James>and this was the first time that he'd been randomly chosen for the important job

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<v James>of sprinkling incense on the altar.

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<v James>Only he, as the incense priest, would have been in that part of the temple.

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<v James>His role was to pour incense onto the golden altar and then bow in worship to God.

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<v James>He would then leave that part of the temple and say the final prayer of the service.

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<v James>Zechariah poured the incense on the altar, but before he could bow and leave, an angel appeared by the altar.

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<v James>And in all the history of the Jewish religion, this was the first time that an angel had appeared to someone in that holy part of the temple.

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<v James>So this was something very special indeed.

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<v James>that angel was Gabriel the same one that had told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus

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<v James>the name John means the Lord is gracious and he was to be called this because God had been very

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<v James>kind to Elizabeth and Zechariah in giving them a child Gabriel told Zechariah that John would be a

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<v James>very special man who would tell people about Jesus Zechariah didn't really believe the angel and

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<v James>asked him to prove it so Gabriel made him dumb until he believed what the angel had said

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<v James>Elizabeth did indeed become pregnant

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<v James>and she stayed in hiding for the first five months

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<v James>because people probably wouldn't have believed that she could become pregnant

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<v James>so she waited in hiding until it was absolutely undeniable

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<v James>The words that Elizabeth spoke to Mary when they met

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<v James>showed that Elizabeth knew that Mary had a very important baby in her

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<v James>and that her baby would also have something to do with Mary's baby

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<v James>The words that Mary said in reply are known as the Magnificat

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<v James>and are a special thank you prayer to God

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<v James>When Mary went home back to Nazareth, leaving Elizabeth and Zachariah,

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<v James>Elizabeth would have been about nine months pregnant,

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<v James>so Mary would have been about three months pregnant.

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<v James>Mary may have gone because she didn't want to get involved in the publicity of John's birth.

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<v James>So not long after she left, Elizabeth gave birth to John.

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<v James>Most people would have assumed that the new boy would be called Zachariah after his father,

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<v James>as that was the tradition.

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<v James>But Elizabeth knew that he was to be called John.

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<v James>The family doubted this, so they asked the still dumb Zachariah what he should be called.

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<v James>as soon as he wrote down the word John

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<v James>as the angel has said he could speak again

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<v James>the prayer that Zachariah then said

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<v James>was the same one that he should have completed the temple service with

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<v James>but now Zachariah saw what the words really meant

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<v James>and Christians believe that these words are about the coming of Jesus into the world

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<v James>and that's what Christmas tomorrow is all about

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<v James>¶¶

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<v Steve>So that's the story of One Special Baby.

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<v Steve>Do you think maybe you can figure out what we'll be talking about tomorrow

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<v Steve>on the LifeSpring Advent Calendar?

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<v Steve>Make sure you listen to find out.

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<v Steve>Today's theme music was Brian Duncan and the Neo Soul Band with This Christmas,

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<v Steve>and the background music was Michael Silvestri.

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<v Steve>And special thanks go out to Rosie Greer.

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<v Steve>You can find out more about Rosie at rosiegreer.com,

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<v Steve>and of course there'll be links to the music

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<v Steve>and Rosie's website at lifespringpodcast.com.

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<v Steve>Don't forget to listen tomorrow for the very special Christmas edition

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<v Steve>of the LifeSpring Advent Calendar.

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<v Steve>For James Cooper, I'm Steve Webb.

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<v Music>This Christmas

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<v Music>Of a newborn love

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<v Music>This Christmas

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<v Music>It's the best of all I know

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<v Music>This Christmas brings