Prepare The Way Of The Lord

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

December 14, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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WATCH

December 7, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12

2nd Sunday of Advent

Today is the 2nd Sunday of Advent, as we look forward to an event that’s coming. Going beyond ceremony, we need to know the truth. The reality of Advent is that which is coming at the end of time. Many churches teach us how to have money, joy and peace for now. But the final event for humanity is the coming of Christ. We learned that there was this period of time or there were 400 years without prophets. When Pope Leo XIV became Pope, he said that, as a church, we have excelled in ceremonies but have failed to teach Christ. Our hope is not in the ceremonies, our hope is in Christ, and we need to see this.

John the Baptist was sent to prophesy the coming of Christ and to prepare ourselves. Make way the way of the Lord. Preparing ourselves is not just confined to one event. The necessity of preparation- even in dying we need not fear. If we are in Christ, when we die, we still live. Jesus had to become flesh in order to save us. Adam was given the authority, but he failed, which is why Jesus needed to become flesh to be able to identify with man. Joseph and Mary took time to train Jesus in the ways of God. Today, we have the responsibility to train our children. We need to train them properly to truth and honesty. Right now however, there is the modern technology called AI, which doesn’t make you think anymore. Each generation is getting weaker and weaker. One of the most important things is to take the things of God seriously. Train up a child in the way that he should go, so that when he becomes old, he will not depart from it. God gave us the authority to rule. That was how He intended man to be.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.” Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

John was a simple person. He did nor demand fancy things. His garment was made of coarse camel’s hair, he ate locust and honey, he preached in the wilderness. The leaders of the church on the other hand, were legalistic. They made things hard for the people to follow because the laws they made were complicated. John saw through the hearts of these leaders. He saw through their real intentions of wanting to be baptized. They did not come for what baptism was meant for. They had their own agenda. In the world today, major churches are collapsing. Why? Because Christ is not in the center. They build nice buildings, they have the best equipment, a great choir and all the other fancy elements but the center of focus is not Christ.

Prepare the way of the Lord. This was John’s task. His main message was “repentance.” Baptism was done in the river where the water flowed. If you repent and are baptized, then you are now eligible in the way of the Lord. The Holy Spirit (the Strength of God) comes when you have been cleansed and baptized. He told the people, “There is one coming who is greater than I.” When Christ was baptized, the heavens split open to symbolize the unity between heaven and earth. When baptism is present, there should be great expectations. Isaiah 11:10 “Then on that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal flag for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.”

Scriptures tell us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, without the possibility that mankind will find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:1 “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves.” We were created to be a source of help to others who may not know Him. We need to study the Scriptures so that we will be knowledgeable of the things of God, for His Word is eternal. God created us for eternity.