Christian Preparation Episode 71
Prepare the way of the Lord, that is the cry for Christian preparation. The early Jews and Gentiles did not understand nor did they have the wonderful ability to read about God in the Bible. We do! In this episode, we will study what it means to prepare and to await the coming of our Lord.
Thanks to our sponsor Media Angels, Inc. You can find books and products on MediaAngels.com as well as on Amazon. I highly recommend getting a copy of One More Child when the book releases as well as A Few Minutes with God or the Truth Seekers Mystery Series for your children.
If you listen to my podcasts in order then you learned in the last one about the beginning of the Christmas season with the start of Advent. Today we talk about waiting in preparation but also understanding that the ministry of God was not an easy one. John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus after his time in the desert. We are in a time of freedom from sin and a time of forgiveness through repentance. In Isaiah, we read, “A voice of one calling; In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord…” The voice of John the Baptist in the desert asks us to prepare the way for the Lord – we are to make our paths straight in the desert a highway of God.
Friends, what is cluttering your life? What is standing in the way of God? What is the roadblock or the bump in the road that is difficult for you to navigate around? Is there one? Give yourself some time to reflect. If you are keeping a daily journal think about this, and be honest with yourself. Whatever that obstacle, whatever that problem, nothing is too big or our GOD. Our God is there for us and as Christians we must prepare.
You know I love the idea of accepting God as my personal Savior but that is just the beginning. It is not the end. Christian preparation is an everyday thing.
Reflect upon these points:
- What are your last thoughts before you go to bed at night?
- What do you think about when you wake up in the morning?
- Do you think about God during the day?
- Do you thank God during the day?
- Do you feel joy in your heart when you think about God?
Reflections are not to make us feel bad or inadequate, they are to give us an idea of where we are going or what needs work. As I shared these points with you I know there are two areas where I need major work.
Christian preparation means praying before we go to sleep and trusting in the goodness and providence of God for our needs. Notice I said needs and not necessarily wants, although the Lord hears these as well.
I for one want to answer the calling of John in the desert to prepare the way of the Lord.
I do this by listening to Christian music – I did a podcast and I’ll put the link in the show notes about Christian music I love that is uplifting. At Christmas time I love to listen to Michael W. Smith’s classic albums of Christmas. What better way to prepare than to sing in glory to God.
Praising God in song will bring you joy. Another way to have joy is to forgive. Who is it that you need to forgive. If you say no one that means you have not given yourself time to think! I promise you we all have to forgive someone and often the person you need to forgive the most is yourself!
Dear Jesus … give us a servants heart and allow us to embrace all that you have in store for us this Christmas season. I want to know you – to love you and to serve you all the days of my life. Starting this very moment Lord, I want to be known as a follower of Christ. I will not compromise truth which you have laid out in the Holy Bible, which you have passed on in the word to generations of faithful men and women and which you showed by example when you lived on this earth. Dear Lord let me keep my eyes focused on you — not on the fleeting things of this world that get me off track. I want to praise you Lord in joy and in song. Thank you for coming as a tiny baby to a poor family – thank you for living a life that was an example of kindness, love, and compassion, thank you for dying on the cross and rising – to give us new life. Dear Lord, I bring you my prayers and needs and lay them before your feet… and I pray this in Jesus, Name. Amen.
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