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(Is.40:1-5,9-11;\xa0\xa0 Ps.85:9-14;\xa0\xa0 2Pt.3:8-14;\xa0\xa0 Mk.1:1-8)\xa0\xa0 \u201cBehold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.\u201d\xa0 And so, \u201cJohn the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.\u201d\xa0 And so comes \u201cthe voice of one crying out in the desert,\u201d in the desert that is our fallen lives: \u201cPrepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.\u201d Turn from your sins, brothers and sisters.\xa0 Repent.\xa0 It is the Lord\u2019s will that \u201call should come to repentance,\u201d that all should be \u201cfound without spot\xa0or blemish\u201d on the day of His coming, on the day all \u201cthe elements will be dissolved with fire.\u201d\xa0 With the fire of the Holy Spirit does the Lord Jesus come now to baptize, that what John has cleansed from our souls might be gone forever \u2013 that the new person we become by this baptism of water might be made complete, might become hardened and lasting in the furnace of His love. God \u201cproclaims peace to His people.\xa0 Near indeed is His salvation to those who fear Him.\u201d\xa0 Hear what His prophet says, for he cries \u201cout at the top of [his] voice\u201d that indeed all hearts might listen: \u201cHere is your GOD!\xa0 Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by His strong arm.\u201d\xa0 Yes, \u201cthe mouth of the Lord has spoken,\u201d and now the WORD is in our midst, walking amongst us as our shepherd and \u201cleading the ewes with care.\u201d\xa0 The \u201cjustice [that] shall walk before Him, and prepare the way of His steps,\u201d has come, and now the level highway that leads to His kingdom we must tread \u2013 there is no denying the road that is set before us. Christ is coming, brothers and sisters, and Christ has come.\xa0 The Baptist has prepared His path, and He, the Son of God, has walked it.\xa0 And now we await His return in glory.\xa0 And \u201cthe Lord does not delay His promise\u201d; His return is sure.\xa0 Already we see the \u201cglory dwelling in our land.\u201d\xa0 He waits for you to come now to Him.\xa0 In patience He looks for you to turn.\xa0 Turn to Him now in earnest; with all your soul cry out His Name.\xa0 \u201cJesus Christ the Son of God\u201d dawns on the horizon.\xa0 Embrace His love; walk His sacred path. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Please Even Me Out" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, may peace be proclaimed to your people and we follow on your way of salvation.\xa0 YHWH, let your Word be proclaimed to the ends of the earth that all hearts might be prepared for the return of your Son, for the Day when all the elements will be dissolved by fire and the thoughts and deeds of every soul revealed. John the Baptist has come and prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus.\xa0 Now His disciples go forth, now the Gospel is cried out from the heights of Zion \u2013 now every man shall plainly see that you, O LORD, are God; and peace shall come to him who turns to your glory. With fire let us be baptized today, LORD, with the fire of the Holy Spirit.\xa0 Washed clean from our sins let us now be perfected for life in your kingdom.\xa0 Let us not fear the coming Day but welcome it and hasten it by living uprightly before you.\xa0 In your patience you wait for us to turn from all sin and embrace your presence in our midst.\xa0 Let us make straight your way into our hearts.