23/10/2013
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea.
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Matthew 3:1-3
This month we are preparing ourselves for entering a deeper realm of relationship with Jesus! We will examine how to prepare ourselves to experience God beyond the realms of tradition or religion. We ultimately want to know how to go deep in the heart of God and bring forth His greatest desire.
God’s greatest desire is for you and I to be like Jesus. By your lifestyle, your voice and your ministry, you point to the Lord Jesus. When you point to the Lord with your lifestyle, God pours out His blessings upon your life.
I want to focus in on a word with you right here: “PREPARE.” It means, “to make ready or adjusted.” Think about what that means. When Eastern monarchs went on a royal expedition they sent pioneers to open the passes. These pioneers leveled the ways and remove all impediments, so there was a clear path for Sovereignty.
In the same way, God is having us “clear a path” for Him to come through the landscape of our life; He is having us “prepare” so that we are made ready for His Presence. Like Esther prepared for 12 months before going before the king, we must prepare for the presence of God.
The inner ache that so many feel from deep within is an invitation to experience life and fellowship in a “higher place.” There is an upward drawing by the Holy Spirit to live out the greater life in God. The impartation of this “higher place,” or ascended life, is the downloading of the gifts we have been given from heaven!
As God’s will is being done in heaven, His plan is for His will to be fulfilled in your heart and through your life!
Jesus came for you to experience the fullness of God – which is all that Heaven has to offer! By manifesting the Presence of God, starting with you, His kingdom will be established in the earth. God is leading His Church into unprecedented breakthroughs and moves by the Spirit of Biblical proportions. This is only done by the pouring out of His Spirit!
For you to “prepare the way of the Lord for his presence,” you must ask yourself a question… “Which side of the cloud are you living on?”
Moses’ congregation was led through the wilderness by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. The Presence of Jehovah gave Israel “light by night.” Egypt lay behind them, and Canaan’s milk and honey called them onward.
The backside of the cloud was a place of darkness. It represented their past pointing back to Egypt. The front side of the same cloud was flooded with light. It forecast their future, reaching forth to the land of overflow and abundance. “Which side of the cloud are you living on?” Are you moving towards your past, or your future?
As we examine how to prepare ourselves to experience God beyond the realms of tradition, I want you to ponder this question. How much of your lifestyle, your beliefs and actions are left over from “Egypt?” Ultimately, we want to know how to get intimately close to the heart of God and bring forth His greatest desire.
Like the pioneers who went before the monarchs to clear the way and level the path for the coming King, we must also make straight our ways and remove all hindrances, so there is a clear path for sovereignty. Jesus Christ is coming for His bride, His glorious church without wrinkle or spot – and we must prepare the way.
