"Announcing..."

Luke 1:16-17 Many of the people of Israel will he (John) 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.
 
GOD has set the stage. Everything has been arranged since eternity past and now God’s great gift of love is about to come into the world! 
    But there is one final thing to do. One final person must come on stage before the main act occurs. Before the star comes out, God wants to excite his people to cheer and to celebrate his Savior of the world. The Savior’s own  prophecies and teachings, his presence and his power await the announcer to introduce him to the world. God’s desire is for his people to expectantly and joyfully raise their hearts to receive his Son.
    John is to be the impassioned announcer. Go to 1 Kings to read of Elijah’s passion and power to awaken people to God. Elijah pointed out Israel’s sins. He demonstrated God’s salvation through great miracles. God will use John in an “Elijah-like” way to awaken the Jews to his judgment and to prepare his people for God’s salvation. Fathers will care for their children in God’s ways. The Jews and then the world will listen to what is right. Many from this time on will be ready to wholeheartedly receive their Savior!
    How about you? Have you met the Savior? If you haven’t, read through the entire gospel of Luke. You will meet the Lord in all his humanity and his glory. If you have met the Savior, Luke will help you be renewed in the Lord God’s passion for you.
    As you confess, “I know Jesus.” It is a very good time to be as Elijah and John were. You can announce the Savior to the world, can’t you? You can tell of the Savior’s passion and God’s power to forgive sins. You can proclaim to the world how Jesus has offered his eternal life to those who believe in him.
    Go ahead. Be a Jesus Announcer. Get people excited. Pray their hearts are raised up to meet Jesus. Tell your friends God’s Savior has come for them.
 
Prayer: Open my mouth, Lord, to announce your salvation. In Jesus’ saving power I pray, amen.