“PREPARING THE WAY”

 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.  And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.  I indeed baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”  (Mark 1:1-8)

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for God.  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Is 40:3-5)

John was the messenger of God sent forth by God to prepare the way for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Predestined and called by God before being formed in his mother’s womb, and prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah before he was ever conceived as being “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness”, John the Baptist was a man with a powerful mission.  The message spoken forth by John was simple and direct, yet most powerful and life changing.  He began his message with one word…..REPENT!

Many prophets came before John declaring the same message of repentance, warning all who would have the ears to hear of the impending judgment to come if they would choose not to turn from the wickedness of sin, and turn their hearts and lives back to The Lord God.  From Isaiah to the prophet Jeremiah, to Nahum, Jonah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Malachi, Amos, Zephaniah, Hosea, Joel and the like.  All came bearing the same message of warning from the Lord……REPENT!

In the days of John the Baptist, multitudes came to hear his message and receive his baptism.  Although the Messiah was yet to come, many of the crowd recognized through the message of John their absolute need of a Savior and need of forgiveness of their sins.  Although John’s baptism did not provide the forgiveness of sins as the Lord had yet to come and make the ultimate sacrifice at Calvary, it was nonetheless symbolic in that it prepared these that had come to him, for the coming of The Lord and opened their hearts to receive the message of salvation through the acceptance of Him.  Thus, when the time came they were desirous and ready to say yes to the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord and accept Him as The Messiah!  John himself spoke concerning the baptism in saying: “I indeed baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost” demonstrating the power in the baptism of The Holy Spirit.  John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit represents and/or symbolizes the believer’s “spiritual” death, burial and resurrection with Christ Jesus as the old passes away, and behold all becomes new.  The water baptism of John symbolized cleansing and those who came to him for such professed repentance of their sins.  John’s purpose and calling was to PREPARE THE WAY of The Lord and he did so by preparing the hearts of those who would hear the message of repentance and surrender.  His message provoked the heart of the sinner into repentance and promoted expectancy and acceptance of The lord Jesus.  When He did arrive, those that BELIEVED the message of John,  were prepared and ready to receive Christ as The Messiah as many who had followed John, then turned to follow Jesus. 

Today, just as it were in the days of John the Baptist, God has sent His prophets who are thus “Preparing the Way” for the Coming again of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As it were with John and the prophets of old, the prophets of today come bearing the SAME message before Christ’s return, beginning with ONE word we are commanded to…REPENT!  For judgment will surely fall upon the land and upon every individual who refuses to do so.  Individually as believers, collectively as the Church, universally as a Nation, WE MUST heed the warnings of the prophets of God and repent of our wickedness, and return our hearts back to him.  Individually we KNOW the areas in our lives that need cleansing and the Lord is offering that cleansing now through repentance.  For many are still living the lives they once lived before professing Christ as if they’ve never KNOWN The Lord.  Therefore the Lord saith: “Wash you, make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil” (Is 1:16)  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Is 1:19-20)  In like manner, collectively we KNOW the areas of the church that needs cleansing yet we keep turning a blind eye away refusing to repent and begin doing as the LORD commanded rather than heeding to the commandments of man.  We have sought more to please man, rather than God.  We have allowed what we condemned of the world to enter in and take up residence within the Church, thus we should be utterly ashamed.  For we cannot say to the man of the world “repent, you are consumed with sin” while we welcome the very same sins amongst our members.  “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (Is 29:13)  And finally, as a Nation we MOST CERTAINLY KNOW of the areas needing cleansing yet rather than repent and return to the Lord, the Nation has chosen through wicked actions to push Him further aside and yet all the while CLAIM to be “One Nation under GOD”.   How can we be one nation under God, when we continue to allow so much ungodliness?  This is a nation in dire need of repentance and if she refuses thus saith the Lord: “The earth, mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.  The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.  Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” (Is 24:4-7)   “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; THEN will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  (2^nd Chr 7:14)

The coming of the Lord is NIGH!  He has sent forth his prophets who are “preparing the way”, declaring the SAME message, professing the SAME word, REPENT…FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD IS NEAR!

I Love you all so very much.  Have a blessed week in the Lord and remember:  Whatever we do, do ALL for the GLORY of GOD, who ALONE is worthy of the GLORY and the PRAISE!

The Lord be with you this day and always!  Shalom Uvracha (Peace and Blessings)……..

Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh,
Adonai Elohim Tzeva-ot
Asher Hayah Va-ho-veh VaY’vo

Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come!

May the peace of the Lord be with you today and always……

Khandielese
Daughter & Servant
   of the Lord God