Make straight the way of the Lord
In John 1:23 John the Baptist said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' as the prophet Isaiah said in
Isaiah chapter 40 “...The voice of one shouting in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be raised, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the crooked places be made straight, and the rough places smooth. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken”
I don't know if these words, spoken by John the Baptist of what is written in Isaiah chapter 40 were ever more vital, more needed than they are today. Though they were spoken over 2,000 years ago, the world needs to hear them again and again. “Make straight the way of the Lord”
The days of playing church, of using church for our own agendas, of church social clubs are coming to an end. It's time to get real. Things all around us are changing at an astonishing pace. Satan is intensifying his attack on our young people, our old people. As the Word states, he's like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.
Regardless of what most have been told, there is only one way to heaven and that's through a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no other way. You cannot be good enough, do enough to earn your way to heaven. The only way is to know Him. Not about Him, but personally know Him and be born again.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
It's time to hit our knees for our children, our grandchildren, our neighbors, our co-workers, our church members, our church leadership, our Country's leadership for our own relationship with the Lord. Not out of fear, but out of knowledge that the Way, the Truth and the Life is Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God wants to know you. Won't you reach out to him today?
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' "
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."
And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"
He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' as the prophet Isaiah said."
Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.
And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."
These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'
I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
