Seeds of Christmas Past:

Prepare His Way: It's all about Repentance. John the Baptist played a pivotal role in the life of Jesus of Christ. He called attention to a coming Savior and a need for repentance.

In his book, "Experiencing God" Henry Blackaby says, "You can't go with God and stay the way you are." That phrase, speaks to the power of repentance.

Luke 1:76-77

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,  To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins..."

• John preached “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2)
• John baptized unto repentance for the remission of sins
• Repent means to have a change of mind demonstrated by a change of lifestyle
• Remission is the process of releasing from guilt and penalty (forgiveness)

Nothing has changed. Together, remission of sins and repentance paint a glorious picture of God's plan for our salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. We acknowledge our sin and turn away from it; God forgives us; and Jesus recues us by taking the blame.

Repentance is still the call of the day—a change of mind and a change in lifestyle. When we repent, we turn away from a sinful lifestyle and turn to a Godly lifestyle.

Unfortunatly, we don't hear a lot about repentance today. Pastors, preachers, and teachers talk about the gospel message with little reference about a changed life.

Prepare His Way: Acknowledge that God requires the same thing today as He did 2000 years ago—faith and obedience. Turn from sin and turn to God.