Restoration Ministries: September 2010
Then He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath [a] enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' Ezekiel 37:4-6
I so often look with my worldly eyes to my life, my circumstances. Sometimes all I see is the lack, my unsolved problems, my uncomfortable situations, my battles. Even after so many years of following Jesus, I still need to make an effort at times to focus only on Him. To look at things from a different view.... His view.
Knowing the constant battles, it is my prayer for you in this hour, that you will look at your circumstances, with different eys. May God open your eyes so that you may see Him in everything.
"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"
"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'
What exactly does this scripture mean... Prepare the way for the Lord.
* Is it expected of me, to do anything?
* What do I need to do, to Prepare the way?
I read this scripture this morning again and suddenly it just hit me.... "Prepare the way for the Lord"
and suddenly I am not sure whether I am doing the right thing or not. Am I doing in what I am doing, preparing the way or am I just busy....
Is it to spread the Gospel
Announcing Jesus has risen
Is it to love thy neighbours
To look after the poor and feed the hungry
or to just spend hours and hours in prayer
loving the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit?
Maybe this will shed some light on these questions
What does it mean to 'prepare the way'? It means to create a favorable environment or to make it easy for one to come to you and operate in your life. Let's take a look at Luke 3:4-5, "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth." Apparently, John the baptist was creating a favorable environment and making it easy for Jesus to enter into and operate in the lives of the people.
How did John 'prepare the way'?
We are clearly told that John was sent to 'prepare the way' for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:2-3), but what exactly did he do in preparing the way? In Luke 3:3-4, we are told, "And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Also in Matthew 3:1-3, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
So how did the people cooperate with John in preparing the way for Jesus? They confessed their sins and were baptized as a sign that they have turned from their sins, as Matthew 3:6 tells us, "And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins."
If it is, why do we then make it so complicated?
At His feet...again & again
Father, please 4give me 4 I have sinned, again..
4give me 4 my lack of faith
4give me 4 my rebellious heart
4give me 4 for hardening my heart against You
4give me 4 blaming You
4give me 4 not trusting You
Ek het beheer verloor!
Ek het onlangs ‘n artikel gelees en beself eks dieper in die ‘ding’ in as wat ek gedink het ek is.
Jeb Magruder, 'n raadgewer vir president Richard Nixon, het aan die Senaatskomitee van Ondersoek gesê: , 'Ons het onsself gebluf deur te dink ons was nie met iets onwettig besig nie. Teen die tyd wat ons wél onwettige dinge gedoen het, het ons reeds beheer verloor.'
Ek het myself gebluf deur te dink ek is nie met sonde besig nie.... Ek was moeg om vir alles in geloof voor te staan. Ek het in opstand gekom omdat dinge nie ‘vir my ook net kan gebeur nie’. Hoekom moes ek altyd bid vir alles? Vir vrede in my huis. Vir guns vir ‘n nuwe werk sodat ek vryliker finansieël kan asem haal. Ek is ‘op gebid’ vir ‘n deurbraak as my kind iets benodig of op ’n kamp wil gaan. Hoekom Here moet ek altyd vir geld vra? Hoekom kan ek nie net ‘hê’ nie. Ek voel soos ‘n bedelaar. Altyd bakhand. Waar is my trots? Het ek nog so iets? As ek na die Here toe gaan die laaste tyd voel ek nes ‘n bedelaar .....
Ek was moeg om die enigste een te wees wat heilig probeer leef. Ek was moeg of altyd die alien te wees. Ek wou ook bietjie geliefd en aanvaar voel deur mense om my. Net een keer! Is dit so verkeerd?? Ja... Want ek het begin kompromeë aangaan, en als boonop geregverdig. Ek het my gewete opsetlik onderdruk en as gevolg daarvan het my geloof skipbreuk gely. Ek het beheer verloor. My gewete is in ‘n slegte toestand.
Iemand het gesé jou gewete is soos ‘n bewegingsverklikker...
Ek het die Here gefaal.