December 6 "Announcing..."

Luke 1:16-17 Many of the people of Israel will (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. All has been arranged since eternity past, and now God’s great salvation gift is about to come into the world!

     But there is one final thing to do. One final person has to come on stage before the main performance begins. Before the star comes out into the spotlight, God wants to get people excited, revved up and ready to cheer, “Praise the Lord!” God wants his people to celebrate their God and all he is to them. God desires his people worship him afresh and new, to raise their arms in exuberant joy. His prophecies, his presence and his power are waiting in the wings, ready for John, the Master of Ceremonies to introduce the Lord Jesus to the world..."Announcing the Savior is coming! Get ready. Repent and be saved! There is no one like him. He will bring joy to the world."

     That’s John’s role, and he will do it in Elijah’s. Now that you know more of Elijah, you understand what it means that John “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.” John will preach as did Elijah of Israel’s sin. He will proclaim as did Elijah the true God of Israel. He will offer God’s miraculous life to the Jews.

      God will use John’s passion to change hearts to hear the gospel. Fathers will care for their children in the sight of God, and people will listen to what is right. Many will become ready to wholeheartedly receive their Savior!

     Has someone prepared you to meet the Savior? Have you heard of the Savior? Have you met him? If you haven’t, keep reading. He’s about to show up.

     If you have met the Savior, you have something wonderful to announce, too, don’t you? Just as John, you can tell others of sin’s wrong ways. Then you can joyfully tell of God’s right ways. You can gladly offer God’s Savior to those who have not heard.

     Go ahead. Be like John. Get people excited. Tell your friends, “Jesus is God’s Savior! He has come for you. Repent and be saved.”

Prayer: Teach me, Jesus, how to be excited, to be joyful, to be loving and how to be a voice for you. In your name I pray, amen.