Mark 1:1-4 NIV “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.1.2.NIV
I so much want to be the Lord’s messenger. Salvation comes from the Lord. Miracles come from the Lord. Unless the Lord shows up, nothing of eternity is put up. The Lord Jesus must come and bless with His presence the work done for His glory; otherwise, it is men working in vain. What is necessary for the Lord to appear among those who are proclaiming His Name by seeking His appearance? First is the desire for Him to come and bring salvation. The good news is God’s pardon of humanity through the life, death, and resurrection of the Son. The good news is God loves us and has come to us to rescue us from the power and penalty of sin so that we might live with Him forever in love and joy. Do we seek this? Is this what we are truly after in our pursuit of God? If so, if we really want to be cleansed from sin and transformed into holy people, then we must repent from our selfish and self-centered living. The second thing we must do is repent, for we have sought our own way, lived according to our own will, and done whatever is right in our own eyes in order to justify ourselves before God. Humility before God is the posture prepared for His presence with us. If we want God to come to us in His glory and power, we must go to Him in humility and surrender. This is the message of the servant of God, repent from sin and walk in obedience to everything Jesus has commanded. This is the straight way that leads to life eternal and abundant.
