Dec 18th

Im not very well prepared.   For Christmas.  For Sunday when Im leading the worship at the family/nativity/christmas service.  For tomorrow teatime.  For anything really.   Not very well prepared.

Sometimes spontaneity is wonderful and productive and anointed.  But mostly it pays to be ready, rehearsed, on the ball.  Mostly the better prepared we are the better we shall do at whatever task we are attempting.
Im constantly nagging at Sam to make sure he has all the right books with him for school. the right homework done, the right sports kit....... not because I enjoy being a nag ( honestly I don't!!)  but because I want his life to be as hassle free as possible.  And going to school without the right stuff leads to stress and trouble and tears.

John the Baptist was sent to ' nag' the world into getting ready.  The New Testament writers refer to the fact that he was prophesied in the Old Testament

Luke 3:4-5, "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth."  

Why did the world need to get ready and what did it need to do?
Well Jesus was coming.  And the sins of the people were going to stop them from being able to recognise Him as the Messiah when He came.   People were wearing dark glasses - glasses of greed and envy and malice and pride, of adultery and theft and murder and hatred.  They were not going to be able to see clearly enough unless they repented of their sins and took off those lenses.

 Hebrews 12:14 tells us, "...holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

And it is the same today as it was 2000 years ago.  People still cant see Jesus.  And the answer is the same now as it was then.   Repent. Give up your sinful ways.  Say no to living your own life by your own rules...... its not getting you anywhere.  Leave that life down.  Bury it in the waters of baptism.  And when you have set it down take another look at Jesus.  You will find you can suddenly see Him for who He really is - the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world  


Lord, this Christmas I want to see past the tinsel and the mince pies and the presents.  I want to see You.
Prepare me Lord.  Bring down the mountains, raise up the valleys, make straight the crooked places so that You can come easily in.  Help me to set down each and every filter and dark lense which would obscure my view.  Fill my vision Lord.   Amen