Christian Writers Circle

December 2013

Time for God’s Way
by Judy Hitson

As I was reading Matthew Chapter Three this Advent season, it seemed the Lord was calling me to write to you to prepare the way of the Lord. It was a struggle trying to understand what the Lord was saying to me because I wrote to you previously, Time to Prepare and Take Time to Prepare.

You know how it is said when the Lord is saying something to us, He repeats Himself? That is the way it has been for me reading and hearing Matthew 3. It is the chapter I’ve been meditating on to hear the word of the Lord for us to end this year on the topic of “Time.” As we Christians prepare for Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Lord with the first advent, we also prepare for the second advent. The second advent of Christ seems like the culmination of time and the reason we should anticipate His return and be ready for Him, going His way.

Take a look with me through this familiar passage of Scripture and prayerfully consider these contrasts. Open your Bible to Matthew Chapter 3. I will write to you what I sense the Holy Spirit revealed for us to think about. From the New American Standard Bible, I write:

In verse one the first three words about popped off the page, “In those days.” It is difficult to articulate what I heard and saw. Trusting the Lord to capture what He revealed to me in hopes of communicating His way for us in these days.

Matt. 3:1 In those days – Biblical History – John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness…
In your day – your history – the question comes to mind, “Are you a voice of one                                                                     crying out in the desert?

Spiritually, are we not living in a dry and arid land, void of the Spirit except for the people of God listening and obeying God’s voice?

John the Baptist preached Matt. 3:2 “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” :3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “THE VOICE OF ONE  CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’ “ Isa.40:3

As in those days, so too in our days, there is a need of repentance for the kingdom of God is at hand. We cannot be the silent majority. We must cry out, ‘Make ready the way of the LORD…’

What does that look like?

As you read on through Matthew 3:4-12 in regards to John the Baptist consider your life in contrast to his to make ready the way of the LORD. John wore a garment of camel’s hair, a leather belt about his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People came to him from Jerusalem and Judea. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. It seems John discerned the hearts of the people for when the religious people of the day came for baptism, (verses 7-9) Pharisees and Sadducees, John said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

It is a serious matter to consider the fruit of our lives in keeping with God’s ways in daily living.

John spoke of baptizing with water for repentance but One coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire; he said, “He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (verses 10-12)

John’s basic needs were met with the clothes he wore and food he ate. The thought occurred, “In our day, are we meeting our basic needs for shelter, clothing and strength or are we indulging on lusts of the flesh?”

Everyone was going to hear John and the question came to mind, Do you have others come to hear what you have to say about the Lord?

The people that came to John were baptized with water and confessed their sins. I heard, Are you confessing faults to one another and praying for one another that you may be healed? (James 5:16)

When we consider the way John talked with the Pharisees and Sadducees, I heard, “How do you talk with those who call themselves Christians but you discern are bound with religious spirits like the Pharisees and Sadducees in John’s day?

I saw John was telling the religious people not to presume they have Abraham as their father. Do we hear those who presume their salvation because they go to church, were baptized, but without the life of the Spirit have religion without a relationship with God?

Yes, it is time for God’s way. Let us pray:

Lord Jesus reveal Your ways for our lives and help us live in light of it by Your Spirit. Amen.