I brought a new batch of students to church last sunday. Two were from my school and the rest from the different schools that joined us this December. The speaker flew in from Sweden. He is a Chinese pastor who worked amongst the Swedes for the past 16 years or so. His message was on John the Baptist. I think the pastor is Jonathan.
When all focus on the baby and the coming Messiah during the Christmas season, we often forget about John the Baptist. Imagine growing up with Jesus? John the Baptist grew up with Jesus because he was a cousin of Jesus. Perhaps they might have played together once so often but I am sure his mother, Elizabeth, would have told him that his cousin Jesus was special because of how he was born. They might have gone to the same school and discussed some subjects together. But John the Baptist grew up preparing the way of the Lord. He may not know who the Messiah was then but he certainly did when Jesus baptised him.
All these while, people waited for Jesus to come, just as we wait for Christmas to arrive. Today we are still waiting. We are waiting for His second coming. But what are we doing as we wait for His return?
Jonathan was concerned about what we will be doing while we prepare for the second coming of Christ. He said that preparation is important as we walk with Christ. He commented that the Chinese churches are growing too fast and he wondered if the churches are preparing people to know God personally. He was concerned because it is important to prepare the heart to do the work of God.
