Prepared For The Lord

November 5

(Luke 1:16-17 NIV) "Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. {17} And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

(Matthew 11:12-15 NIV) "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. {13} For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. {14} And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. {15} He who has ears, let him hear."

The angel told Zechariah that the son born to him and Elizabeth would have a role in bringing people back to God. John would grow up to be a prophet. He would go before the Lord preaching repentance as Elijah had done in ages past. His preaching would cause people to turn around -- to turn away from sin and turn toward the Lord. Instead of mocking righteousness, the disobedient would begin to see the wisdom in following God’s way. Their hearts would turn and become open to something new: a new direction, a new answer, a new covenant. John would have the privilege of preparing people for the coming Messiah, Christ the Lord. This is our calling today, believers. We were born again to proclaim with our lives the value of repentance and righteousness. In the time we have left here, we are to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”, starting with ourselves. Are you ready? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day