Sunday, December 9th

From John:

From the 3rd chapter of Matthew:
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.'"

This passage introduces two of the themes for this
Sunday: repentance and preparation, or anticipation.
In this context, I believe that repentance may have
less to do with being sorry and more to do with
turning toward Jesus. Not only must we turn our
hearts, minds, and actions toward the Living God, but
we must do so quckly! God longs to use us now, but He
cannot use us to our fullest potential if we hesitate
to make corrections in the direction of our everyday
lives, when needed.
Anticipation. Christmas is a very tangible example of
anticipation. Most of us not only look forward to the
day, but also spend a great deal of time, money, and
effort in preparation for it. May it also be said of
us when it comes to the kingdom of God.
This Sunday, purpose to water the seeds of
anticipation your heart, that you may be completely
turned toward our Savior in all that you are.