How We Should Prepare Ourselves For the Coming of the Lord

“For he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15).

John the Baptist was a Nazirite, dedicated to the Lord for life from his mother’s womb. A Nazirite drinks no wine or strong drink, lets his hair grow long, and avoids all contact with the dead (Num. 6:3-6). He is completely dedicated to God. In addition, John the Baptist lived a solitary life in the desert; renounced normal clothing, dressing himself in camel’s skins; and instead of bread, wine, and normal food, ate locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4). Jesus tells us that John neither ate bread nor drank wine (Luke 7:33).
John was furthermore “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:15-17).
This desert ascetic, John the Baptist, is our model during Advent, which is the time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. We are to prepare ourselves and our world as John prepared himself and the world to receive the Lord at his coming. We should live as though we were in the desert, living simply, in austerity and simplicity, reserving our heart for Christ in silence and solitude, in prayer and fasting, in moderation and love, not dividing our heart among worldly pleasures.
In the desert, we shall see the glory of the Lord if we are prepared. In the desert, we prepare the way of the Lord. How many things in our life still need rectifying? How, for example, do we spend our time? Are we really using our time in the way God wants us to? Are we spending enough time in spiritual reading and study of the word, or are we using up too much time in the small details of life, setting aside the essence of a life dedicated to God? All this must be set right if we want to have peace with God and peace in our heart. These things are the mountains that we have to make low, and the valleys that we have to lift up. These things are the uneven ground that we must make level, and the rough places that we must make a plain so that the glory of the Lord may appear (Isa. 40:3-5). These are the things that we must do to be prepared to receive the Lord at his coming.
Then “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God” (Isa. 35:1-2).

The Ascetical Message of Jesus

“So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, ‘Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you’” (1 Kings 19:19-20). This is the call of Elisha to be Elijah’s follower. Elisha asks permission to first say farewell to his parents. He then slew the oxen and cooked them on the wood of their yoke, indicating thereby his intention to leave his former life behind him and begin a new life as a follower of Elijah. The call which Jesus gives us is similar but still more radical. He does not even allow a would-be disciple to say farewell to his family. One said to him, “‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:61- 62). We see here the radicalism of Jesus’ call. It implies a radical renunciation of our former way of life, a sharp break with ordinary life. It is a call to a completely new and different way of living. Most people try to eliminate this radicalism and compromise with ordinary living. They try to serve two masters (Matt. 6:24), accommodating themselves to a comfortable but compromised life, divided between God and the pleasures of the world. They do not like to hear Jesus’ radical teaching that we have to renounce a worldly life to be his disciples. But Jesus’ call is clear. “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple … So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26, 33). There is more than one way of doing this, but to try to follow Jesus without this radicalism and renunciation is to misunderstand his call. Many today would like to remove asceticism from Jesus’ message. They want to be his followers in everything but this. There are even those who would like to remove asceticism from monastic and eremitic life. Yet asceticism is the foundation for mysticism and contemplation. Renunciation of the world and its delights is the first step, the foundation upon which everything else is built. This is how one loves God with all his heart, with an undivided heart. Without this sacrifice, this first step, it is impossible to serve only one master (Matt. 6:24) and love God with all one’s heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30). Nowadays this is the message most people need to hear, for most have rejected it, and so they are building their house on sand. They lack a foundation. We need to remember what The Imitation of Christ is constantly saying: “The more you withdraw yourself from the consolation of all creatures, the sweeter and more blessed consolations you will receive from your Creator” (3.12.5).

Jesus Christ-- Sent by God? (Full Episoode)

Episode 1 => Sent by God?

     Nearly everyone toady has heard of Jesus Christ. His influence on history has been greater than that of any other human. Indeed, the very calendar used in the most part of the world is based on the year he is thought to have been born! As the world book Encyclopedia says. “Dates before that year are listed as B.C., or before Christ. Dates after that years are listed as A.D., or Anno Domini (in the year of our lord).”

      So Jesus was not an imaginary person. He really lived as a man on earth. “in ancient time even the opponents of Christ never doubt the [actual existence] of Jesus,” notes the Encyclopedia Britannica. So just who was Jesus? Was he really sent by God? Why is he so well known?

   Episode 2 => Why He Came to the Earth

       Explaining why he had come to earth, Jesus told the roman governor Pontius Pilate: “for this I have been born and for this [purpose] I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) but what particular truth was Jesus sent to the earth to make known?  First, truths about his heavenly Father. He taught his follower to pray that his father name is “hallowed,” or held only. (Matthew 6:9, King James Version) and he prayed: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me.” (John 17:6)  Also, he said: “I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth.”—Luke 4:43.

        How important to Jesus was this work of making known his Father’s name and kingdom? He said to his disciples: “my food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34)  Why did Jesus consider God’s to be as important as food? It was because the kingdom of heaven is the means by which God will fulfill his wonderful purposes for humankind. It is this kingdom that will destroy all wickedness and will clear Jehovah’s name of the reproach that has been brought upon it. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 21:3, 4) so Jesus never held back from making God’s name and kingdom known. (Matthew 4:17; Luke 8:1; John 17:26; Hebrews 2:12) He always spoke the truth, whether it was popular or not. He thus provided an example that we should follow if we want to please God.—1 Peter 2:21.

        Yet, to make it possible for us to gain everlasting life under the rule of God’s kingdom, Jesus had to pour out his lifeblood in death. As two apostles of Jesus said: “We have been declared righteous now by his Blood.” “The blood of Jesus [God’s son] cleanses us from all sin.” (Roman 5:9; 1 John 1:7) so an important reason why Jesus came to earth was to die for us. He said: “The son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul [or, life] a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28).  

    Final Episode => Why Jesus Performed Miracles

      Jesus is well known for the miracle he performed. He had deep feeling for people who are in trouble, he was eager to use his God-given power to help them. For example, a person with the terrible diseases leprosy came to him and said: “if you just want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus “was moved with pity, and he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him: ‘I want to. Be made clean.’ ” and the sick man was healed!—Mark 1:40-42

       Consider another bible scene, and imagine Jesus’ tender feeling for the people described: “then great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd the crowd felt amazement as they the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.”—Matthew 15:30, 31.

        That Jesus really cared about these suffering persons and truly wanted to help them can be seen by what he next told his disciples. He said: “I feel pity for the crowd, because it is already three days that they have stayed with me and they have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away fasting. They may possibly give out on the road.” So Jesus, with just seven loaves and a few little fish, miraculously fed the “four thousand men, besides women and young children.”—Matthew 15:32-38.

        Yet the miracles Jesus performed were of only temporary benefit. People that he healed developed physical problems again. And those he resurrected from death later died again. But Jesus’ miracles proved that he was sent forth by God, that he was really God’s son. And they proved that, with God’s power, all human problem can be solved. Yes, they showed on small scale what will take place on earth under the kingdom of God. At that time the hungry will be fed, the dead will raised! And never again will sickness, death or any other troubles cause unhappiness. What a blessing that will be!—Revelation 21:3, 4;   Matthew 11:4, 5. 

Pls, watch out for another series

Jesus Christ—Sent by God?(Final Episode)

Final Episode => Why Jesus Performed Miracles

      Jesus is well known for the miracle he performed. He had deep feeling for people who are in trouble, he was eager to use his God-given power to help them. For example, a person with the terrible diseases leprosy came to him and said: “if you just want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus “was moved with pity, and he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him: ‘I want to. Be made clean.’ ” and the sick man was healed!—Mark 1:40-42

       Consider another bible scene, and imagine Jesus’ tender feeling for the people described: “then great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd the crowd felt amazement as they the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.”—Matthew 15:30, 31.

        That Jesus really cared about these suffering persons and truly wanted to help them can be seen by what he next told his disciples. He said: “I feel pity for the crowd, because it is already three days that they have stayed with me and they have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away fasting. They may possibly give out on the road.” So Jesus, with just seven loaves and a few little fish, miraculously fed the “four thousand men, besides women and young children.”—Matthew 15:32-38.

        Yet the miracles Jesus performed were of only temporary benefit. People that he healed developed physical problems again. And those he resurrected from death later died again. But Jesus’ miracles proved that he was sent forth by God, that he was really God’s son. And they proved that, with God’s power, all human problem can be solved. Yes, they showed on small scale what will take place on earth under the kingdom of God. At that time the hungry will be fed, the dead will raised! And never again will sickness, death or any other troubles cause unhappiness. What a blessing that will be!—Revelation 21:3, 4;   Matthew 11:4, 5.

Pls, watch out for another series

Jesus Christ—Sent by God? (Episode 2)

Episode 2 => Why He Came to the Earth

       Explaining why he had come to earth, Jesus told the roman governor Pontius Pilate: “for this I have been born and for this [purpose] I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) but what particular truth was Jesus sent to the earth to make known?  First, truths about his heavenly Father. He taught his follower to pray that his father name is “hallowed,” or held only. (Matthew 6:9, King James Version) and he prayed: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me.” (John 17:6)  Also, he said: “I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth.”—Luke 4:43.

        How important to Jesus was this work of making known his Father’s name and kingdom? He said to his disciples: “my food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34)  Why did Jesus consider God’s to be as important as food? It was because the kingdom of heaven is the means by which God will fulfill his wonderful purposes for humankind. It is this kingdom that will destroy all wickedness and will clear Jehovah’s name of the reproach that has been brought upon it. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 21:3, 4) so Jesus never held back from making God’s name and kingdom known. (Matthew 4:17; Luke 8:1; John 17:26; Hebrews 2:12) He always spoke the truth, whether it was popular or not. He thus provided an example that we should follow if we want to please God.—1 Peter 2:21.

        Yet, to make it possible for us to gain everlasting life under the rule of God’s kingdom, Jesus had to pour out his lifeblood in death. As two apostles of Jesus said: “We have been declared righteous now by his Blood.” “The blood of Jesus [God’s son] cleanses us from all sin.” (Roman 5:9; 1 John 1:7) so an important reason why Jesus came to earth was to die for us. He said: “The son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul [or, life] a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28).  

    
Pls, watch out for the “Final Episode” titled “Why Jesus Performed Miracles”

Jesus Christ—Sent by God?

Episode 1 => Sent by God?

     Nearly everyone toady has heard of Jesus Christ. His influence on history has been greater than that of any other human. Indeed, the very calendar used in the most part of the world is based on the year he is thought to have been born! As the world book Encyclopedia says. “Dates before that year are listed as B.C., or before Christ. Dates after that years are listed as A.D., or Anno Domini (in the year of our lord).”

      So Jesus was not an imaginary person. He really lived as a man on earth. “in ancient time even the opponents of Christ never doubt the [actual existence] of Jesus,” notes the Encyclopedia Britannica. So just who was Jesus? Was he really sent by God? Why is he so well known?

Please, watch out for “Episode 2” titled “Why He Came to the Earth”