with the flow

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” ’ Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ (Matthew 3:1-12, NRSV)

Have you ever done something because “everyone else” was doing it?

That is the thought I get when I read what John said to the Pharisees and Sadducees. I hear Him asking them, “Why are you here, just because everyone else is?” We think we need to do what others are doing so we will be cool. We need to be a part of the in crowd, and not need to stand out.

We go along with things everyday that go against what we believe because we think it is easier to just go with the flow than to stand up for what we believe.

But why do we do the things we do?

Why are we moved to do things differently than society?

God created us to be different, to be stand outs!

God created you to be a beacon of hope that will shine and show people the path to Him.

So shine and go against the crowd! And don’t just go with the flow but help the flow go where it will be fed!

prepare the way

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord” ’, as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. (John 1:19-28, NRSV)

I am the voice of one crying, “In the wilderness make straight the paths of the Lord!”

John was crying in the wilderness and that we need to make straight paths in the wilderness…

The wilderness is not the forest! In John’s and Jesus’ day the wilderness was the barren land. The land of sand…

It is where people would not be. And today, the wilderness is where God is not.

And you might be saying, “there is no where God is not there.” And you would be correct. Yet He is not accepted every where!

What are you doing to prepare the way of the Lord?

What are you doing that is helping others to see Jesus clearer?

What are you doing to make straight paths and to help people know His grace and mercy?

John was not the only one crying in the wilderness, that task also falls to you.

So go and cry in the wilderness of your every day, and make straight the paths of the Lord!

right path

Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ Then you will defile your silver-covered idols and your gold-plated images. You will scatter them like filthy rags; you will say to them, ‘Away with you!’ He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures; and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water—on a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow. (Isaiah 30:19-26, NRSV)

There will be no more weeping, for the Lord will be gracious at the sound of your cry and will hear you and heal you. He will set you back on the right path…

When we cry out to God He will hear us and make the path before us the clear path that is the one He would choose for us. We will look at the idols that have been taking His space and crush them and throw them away. We will clear our hearts out of all the garbage and look to Him as He sits in the spot that is His!

He will shower us with His mercy so we grow in Him and closer to Him and will push all of the refuse out of our lives so that we are oriented to Him and walking on the right path.

So call to Him and let Him clean you and shower you with His mercy!

play a part…

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’ (Acts 1:12-17, NRSV)

Peter stood among the gathered body of believers in worship and said that Judas had his share in the ministry…

Judas did his part like none of the other 11 could have…

We are all a part of the body of Christ and have a part to play. Judas had a piece to do in the ministry. Judas was a disciple who followed God, and Jesus. He led those who arrested Him to the garden that night and some would say started the process of Jesus’ crucifixion. Yet would this have happened without Judas?

Judas was led to do what he did. (we could discuss who we think it was that led him, but that would be a different blog…)

And what are you led to do?

If we can see what Peter said above, that Judas played his part in the ministry of Jesus, then we all have a part. What is your part?

Are you ready to go as far as Judas, and do what God needs you to do?

Covenant of Peace

Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord. Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will settle the desolate towns. Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. This is like the days of Noah to me: Just as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:1-10, NRSV)

Has everything always gone your way?

Do you find it hard to face the day because everything seems to go against you?

Isaiah tells the barren women to sing praises! Because your children will be more than the children of her who was not barren!

Praise the Lord in your sorrow!

Isaiah tells us that we should praise the Lord at all times, because no matter what we face, nothing will remove the eternal covenant of His peace from us.

As in the days of Noah, the world was destroyed but Noah held tightly to the peace and the protection of God. He is walking with you, just as He was with Noah and his family.

Trust in the peace He can give you!