Dear Faith Family, 

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God, (Isaiah 40:3). 

The stockings were all hung by the chimney with care, 
The paint on the trim work is new everywhere. 
The hardwoods are swept quite beyond compare. 
The carpet is vacuumed and completely bare. 

The nativity scene can be seen all out there.  
The Salvation Army deposits really aren’t rare. 
The smoke from the woodstove does fill up the air. 
Not an inch of the cupboard is found to be bare. 

You get the picture, right?  Guests will soon descend upon your home and the preparations have begun.  Stuff has to go.  Stuff has to come.  Stuff has to be cleaned.  Mr. Clean on steroids?!  In any case, preparations are being made for the arrival of company.   

No less preparation was made for the first coming of Jesus.  John (John 1:19-34) prepared the way for the coming of Jesus.  In fact, God prepared everything for the coming of His Son.  The Old Testament culminates in the coming of Jesus, the Christ.  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son…, (Galatians 4:4). 

In all of the hustle and preparation bustle take a deep breath, hold it in, let it out slow, and ask yourself a question.  “How am I preparing for Jesus’ second coming.  You do know that He is coming back, right?  So how are you preparing for His return? 

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.  Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect, (Matthew 24:42-44). 

Prepare your mind.  Know who Jesus is.  Know that He is coming.  Prepare your heart.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Trust Him.  Prepare your life.  Allow Jesus to sweep up your sin.  Turn from it.  And, by His grace practice the truth of His Word, daily.  Exercise your faith.  Pick one command from His Word today and practice it all day long.  Be kind (Let someone in front of you in traffic or in checkout line at the store.  Say something nice to encourage someone.  Thank someone today.)  Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (ask someone how they are doing and listen to their story). 

Gettin’ ready, 
Pastor Karl