Less Hurry, More Holy: Preparing to receive

"Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him [John the Baptist], and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." - Matthew 3:5-6

Dear Friends in Christ -

What was it about John the Baptist that made people want - all of a sudden - to tell the truth about their sins, things they had been hiding for months, years, decades?! Certainly, it couldn't have been his wardrobe or eating habits that were so compelling. Camels' hair . . . locusts? No; it must have been something else.

The compelling thing about John was his passionate message: "PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD." In no uncertain terms, John said they needed to get ready, NOW. He reminded them of the promises of God and announced their fulfillment in the present.

People flocked to John for miles and miles around. If the promises of God were going to be fulfilled, they didn't want to miss out! They knew the stories. God had created the universe, called the people of Abraham to be His chosen ones, delivered them from slavery, sustained them in the wilderness . . . if God was going to do His next big thing . . . well, they didn't want ANYTHING to get in their way. Not even the things they had been stumbling over inside themselves for ages.

What internal box or bag do you need to give up - to confess - in order to prepare the way for God to come to you? We don't need John yelling from a local hill-top; the echoes of his words are enough to stir our consciences.

Make no mistake, it's GOD who is coming this Christmas, fulfilling more promises in His wake. So . . . PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD!

Faithfully with you, preparing to receive . . . -
Janet+