{"id":6531,"date":"2020-05-29T19:06:46","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T23:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/?p=6531"},"modified":"2026-06-04T15:54:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:54:44","slug":"the-main-thing-prepare-the-way-of-the-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/the-main-thing-prepare-the-way-of-the-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"The Main Thing – “Prepare the Way of the Lord” (172)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Main Thing - \"Prepare the Way of the Lord\"<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Steven J. Hogan<\/p>\n

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~ A Saturday Morning Post #172 ~

<\/em>NOTE:<\/strong> I am sure most of you are aware of the sickening and evil murder of George Floyd, and now the senseless rioting that is being seen in major cities all over our country. God is not blind to what is going on in the United States. We have had this problem of the pandemic for over 10 weeks, and now the tragic events of this past week. We must realize that God wants to get our attention, to wake us up – He wants us to turn to Him, to seek Him, to repent of our sins. And we also need to pray for our leaders. God is the answer – only He can truly help us. May He have mercy on us. “… for God troubled them with every kind of distress. As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded… they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul.” 2 Chronicles 15:6-7, 12. The “main thing”<\/em> we need to do is given in the message of John the Baptist, which is talked about in this post.

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THE POST:<\/strong> It\u2019s good to keep up with what\u2019s going on in the world, particularly as it relates to prophecy. As for me, I watch cable news, read a few newsletters, look at some on-line sites, and view an occasional You-Tube video. In the past ten weeks I\u2019ve learned some things about COVID-19, masks, ID 2020, digital identity, surveillance drones, forced vaccines, crypto-currencies, a global financial order, 5G technology, and Russia-China-Middle East alliances.

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I am interested in these subjects because I want to see how they might relate to the end-times and the fulfillment of prophecy. But it doesn\u2019t take long to see that there\u2019s a lot of information and a lot of conspiracy theories out there. Now I do plan to keep reading up on subjects like these because I want to be informed, I want to understand the times, and I want to be a watchman (1 Chron. 12:32, Ezek. 3:17). But I\u2019m not going to take the time to burrow into all the minutia, especially if what\u2019s being said seems far-fetched and extreme. Isaiah 8:11-13, 1 Timothy 1:3-4

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You see, I don\u2019t want to go down some rabbit hole – I need to stay above ground so I can see the big picture. I do believe God wants us to know general things about Christ\u2019s coming and the end-times, and I\u2019ve taught extensively and repeatedly on these subjects. But I don\u2019t think it’s worth it to get bogged down in specifics or speculation. What I\u2019m saying is that we need to be balanced, and discerning. Yes, there are some things we need to know, but there comes a time when we just need to trust God and realize that He’s in control. Sadly, many Christians get so focused on what\u2019s going on in the world that they fail to do the work of God.\u00a0

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As a pastor, my primary job is to build up the church and reach out to the lost, which is also my purpose with this blog post. My desire for you is to know what will be happening before the rapture of the church, and to be encouraged, to be strong in faith, hope and love, to be doing the Lord\u2019s work, and to be excited about the return of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1-5

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One way to be encouraged is by learning from the lives of believers that we read about in the Bible. I cannot think of a better example than John the Baptist. Even though he and his fellow Jews were oppressed by the Romans, he didn\u2019t fret, he didn\u2019t get angry, he didn\u2019t focus on what they were doing, and he didn\u2019t debate with the \u201clearned\u201d<\/em> men of the day. He did what God wanted him to do, which was being a forerunner for Christ. And isn\u2019t that our job today? Yes, it is! John knew that Christ was coming soon, and he told the people all about Him. Here we are 2000 years later, living in the end-times, and we too know that Christ is coming soon, and we too need to be telling people about Him. Now what can we learn from John\u2019s life?

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John was a man of godly character. He feared God, and he wasn\u2019t afraid of man. His goal was to please God, not man. John was humble – he knew who he was in relationship to Jesus, that Jesus was eternal, above all, and more powerful. He said, \u201cHe must become greater; I must become less.\u201d<\/em> (John 3:30-31). John was zealous and passionate, and was determined to fulfill the mission God had given him. He was a holy man, not distracted or weighed down by the world or the flesh. John was honest and sober-minded, and did not withhold or sugar-coat the truth. He spoke the word of God plainly, clearly, and powerfully. John 1:19-34

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John was a man with purpose, which was to \u201cprepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for Him\u201d<\/em> (Luke 3:40). How did he do this? He preached the gospel, the good news (Luke 3:18). He proclaimed, \u201cthe kingdom of heaven is at hand\u201d<\/em> (Matt. 3:2). He told the people that they were sinners, and specifically how they were sinning (Luke 3:10-14). He told them that Jesus was the Lamb of God, \u201cwho takes away the sin of the world\u201d<\/em> (John 1:29). He exhorted the people, telling them that they needed to repent if they were to be forgiven of their sins (Mark 1:4). He told them that salvation and being a member of God\u2019s kingdom was by the work of the Messiah – He \u201cwill baptize you with the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/em> Luke 3:15-16, John 1:29-34

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John also told the people what would happen if they did not repent, that they would be judged for their sins. He spoke soberly and boldly how the Messiah would baptize with \u201cfire,\u201d <\/em>specifically about the \u201ccoming wrath,\u201d<\/em> being \u201cthrown into the fire,\u201d <\/em>and the \u201cburning up of the chaff with unquenchable fire\u201d <\/em>(Matt. 3:7-12). John also preached about the millennial kingdom age, though he knew not, like we know, when it would come. He thought it would take place at Christ\u2019s 1st<\/sup> coming, but now we know it will be during His 2nd<\/sup> coming. John declared, \u201cEvery valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth\u201d <\/em>(Luke 3:5). This is speaking of the time when Christ the King will rule over the world, when there will be righteousness and peace. John goes on to say that \u201cAll people will see God\u2019s salvation\u201d <\/em>(Luke 3:6), which is referring to when Christ returns and saves a great many Jews, soon followed by His 1000-year kingdom age, when the whole world will witness God\u2019s mercy, power and glory. Isaiah 40:3-11; Psalms 47, 67, 72, 98

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More than any other passage in the Bible, these words about John\u2019s life, his character and purpose, motivate me to prepare the way of the Lord. Can you see how relevant his life is, and how it instructs us what we are to do? We can get so distracted by what\u2019s happening in the world, even with things that may relate to Christ\u2019s return and the rapture, but we must stay the course, and continue to carry out the Lord\u2019s work. We are to teach the saved about the 2nd<\/sup> coming of Christ, and tell the lost about the 1st<\/sup> coming of Christ, and their need to be saved before His 2nd<\/sup> coming, before it\u2019s too late, before they are \u201cthrown into the fire.\u201d

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\u201cI solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, in view of His appearance and His kingdom, preach the word\u201d<\/em> (2 Tim. 4:1-2). This is for pastors and preachers, but it should also encourage you to tell people the truth about Christ, His 1st<\/sup> coming and His 2nd<\/sup> coming. Don\u2019t get off track, don\u2019t be focused on man\u2019s work – be doing God\u2019s work, keeping the main thing the main thing – \u201cPreach the word.\u201d

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P.S. When you get time, read “Make Ready the Way of the Lord,”<\/a><\/em> another post that talks about your purpose in life, that you are a forerunner for Christ. Then there’s an article, “What Does God Want Me to Do in the End-Times?”,<\/a><\/em> which lists out a number of verses instructing you how you are to live for the Lord.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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