Make Ready The Way Of The Lord

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

December 09, 2024

in Spritual Growth

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December 08, 2024

2nd Sunday of Advent 2024
Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9
Philippians1:1-11
Luke 3:1-6

God speaks to us and tells us that He would not do anything before telling us. He’s given to us a great life and a purpose. Scripture tells us that we have been given a specific task to do. One of the tasks is to show the life that He has given us. It’s time for us to awaken.

Today’s Gospel is a heart cry. Although it was written long ago, it is meant for us today. From the beginning of time, God has blessed man to be fruitful and be able to multiply. God is our creator. We should be listening to who we are in Him. Man was created to rule and reign. He had peace, he was friends with all the animals. But when sin entered, the authority was given to Satan. And ever since, the enemy had been ruling in deception. Causing chaos upon people’s lives. And then there came a time that God possibly said to Himself, “this is enough!” And so He sent Christ to redeem us and restore that which was stolen from us. The enemy had been putting people in slavery for too long. Even the temple was perverted. It became the seat of faith for the people. The people’s faith was in the temple, not in God.

It was at this point that God spoke to John to open the doors and lead the people into the paths of righteousness. There had to be a change. Man had been divided, man was doing what he wanted to do. So John had been assigned to bring forth the Word of God to the people. The rule in those days was when a young man turned 30, he was to become a servant of the temple. John had left home and attached himself to the wilderness. He did not follow the rules of the temple. He was one that God could use because he was not tied to any system. His message was, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” In the eyes of the people, John looked wild. He wasn’t tied to any tradition at all.

Isaiah 40: 1-5 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling:

“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” So the gospel message is clear: “Make ready the way of the Lord.”

God has blessed us with everything pertaining to life and godliness. God has provided life to all of mankind. Let every valley be lifted up. Let oppression be removed. Let every mountain and hill be made low. Man has become so ambitious that he has forgotten what God truly desires him to be. These mountains must come down. Man thinks he is so smart and doing perfectly well. But without God, he is nothing. God wants things to be in a smooth, level path for us. And we are to bring forth fruit. The Kingdom is coming! We must prepare. We must bring forth a harvest. Then all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Baptism was a sign of repentance and cleansing. It was a turning away from the old into a new life. We are challenged to be witnesses of what God wants us to be. He wants us to fix our lives, to bring forth the smoothness of life in our hearts. We are living in a wilderness today. That which is in our hearts we should live it out. Even in the midst of chaos, we are to bring forth joy and peace. Philippians 1: 3-11 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.