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"Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight….And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
Luke 3:4, 6

If we are to receive the powerful presence of God, we must prepare ourselves. John the Baptist was God’s messenger to help people prepare to receive the Savior of the world. John preached unwaveringly: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven at hand! (Matthew 3:2). Those who heard John’s message and prepared their lives recognized Jesus when He came, and they left all to follow Him. This was especially true of the disciples, whose hearts God Himself prepared (Matthew 16:17). Preparation must precede God’s presence!

God’s instruction for preparation is specific: repentance! This involves a complete change of mind, heart, will, and behavior toward Him. He is Lord, and your life must be prepared to receive Him as your Lord. Anything less is inadequate. Some were obviously unprepared to follow Jesus and missed the opportunity (Luke 9:57-62). The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were largely unprepared for His arrival. They knew the Messiah was coming. They even knew where He would be born (Matthew 2:4-6). Yet when word came that the Savior had been born, they made no effort to join Him, preferring instead their religious ritual.

If you are unprepared, you, too, will miss the opportunity to experience Jesus. You may practice religion, but you will miss God. While others encounter the Lord personally in worship, your heart will remain unmoved. As others receive a fresh word from God, you will experience a painful silence. Religious activity can never be a substitute for a heart that is pure before Him. Purity comes only through repentance. Pray, as the Psalmist did, that God will examine your heart and reveal your need to repent of your sin (Psalm 139:23-24).

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying:"Arise, take the young Child and His mother,flee to Egypt , and stay there until I bring you word;for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
Matthew 2:13

Whenever God clearly speaks to you and you obey His will, you can expect to face opposition. Spiritual assaults and attacks by the ungodly are not always signs that you are out of the will of God; they may even indicate that you are in the very center of God’s will. Mary’s husband, Joseph, was a righteous man who feared God, yet his obedience to God forced him to flee for his life to a foreign country. Joseph’s hardship came, not because of his sin, but because of his obedience. Although Joseph and Mary were forced to move to another country, they remained in the center of God’s will.

Jesus warned His disciples to expect persecution from the world as they obeyed the Father. He reminded them that they would not face persecution alone, for Jesus, too, had faced the hostility of the world and had been victorious (John 16:33).

Don’t become discouraged when you face opposition. Opposition may indicate that you are acting in obedience to God. Do not let opposition cause you to doubt God’s will. Examine your heart. If you have done what you know He has asked you to do, trust Him to see you through the antagonism that comes form those who are not walking with Him. When they encountered persecution, the disciples did not ask God to remove their opponents, but to give them boldness as they faced opposition (Acts 4:24-31). God’s will for you may involve hardship, as it did for His Son (John 15:20), but He loves you and will not allow you to face more than you are able to handle.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

I’ve worked within the multimedia field over the years as a developer of web and computer based training material.  One of the things  learned is that there has to be a deliberate effort to maintain focus on the objective while in the development process.  Without a deliberate approach to meeting the criteria for the learning/training objective, the development process can quickly be compromised as the presentation of the product takes precedence over the product’s content. The message gets lost, something that can and does takes place even within the church today as technology is embraced.

I think that P.T. Barnum definitely knew a little something about the human psyche and it’s desire for "signs & wonders".  Presenting the latest amazing gadget,curiosity, or event with an excited tone is one tactic for creating a sense of desire along with urgency for a particular object.    Another tactic used in sales promotions, campaigns, PSAs, or activism spots is the calculated use of a selected piece of music that evokes an emotional response sympathetic to the one selling their wares or ideas.

In the west we’re "trained" via television, radio, newspapers,magazines,movies or the Internet to expect to receive "information" via a BIG production. Again, the church has in some instances adopted similar approaches as an effort to evangelize to more unsaved souls.  Notice however in the following verses from 1st Kings 19 that though Elijah was looking for God to appear to him amongst the chaos and excitement of all of the the BIG productions going on as God made His presence known.  As God spoke the universe and all of it’s elements into existence back in Genesis, so too did the LORD choose this method, to make His presence known to Elijah.

1st Kings 19:11-12
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
      Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
      Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Are you looking for God to show up in a BIG way?  Maybe He is looking for you first to hear Him.

"Shhhh".

Grace and peace be with you

So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Acts 19:20

Paul’s world worshiped idols. No idol was more revered in Ephesus than the goddess Diana. The great statue was housed in a magnificent temple and was recognized as one of the wonders of the world. An idol-making industry, providing a livelihood for many people, developed in Ephesus to support the widespread idolatry of the day.

Paul did not go to Ephesus to condemn those worshiping idols but to unashamedly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. As Paul shared the truths of God, and as people were set free from sin’s bondage, idol worship began to decline. The contrast between stone carvings and God’s power to change lives became obvious. The righteous lives of the Christians stood in stark contrast to the hedonistic practices of the idol worshipers. The victorious Christian witness was so compelling that the economy of the entire city was thrown into upheaval as idolatry diminished in favor of Christianity.

An idol is anything that diverts our devotion from God. Our society is as idolatrous as Paul’s was. Rather than worshiping statues, we choose possessions, pleasures, or careers as our gods and pour our time, finances, and energy into these things.

Each of us is called, as Paul was, to live a victorious, joyful, and purposeful Christian life in the midst of an idolatrous society. We do not have to seek out and condemn today’s idols. Rather, as we live out our Christianity, enjoying the abundant life God gives, our lives will discredit the idols around us. We may face opposition and hostility from those who are angered at the contrast between our God and theirs. People do not like to have their idols dethroned. Yet as we uphold Christ, others will see a difference and be drawn to Him and the life that He offers.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

And the evil Spirit answered and said,"Jesus I know, and Paul I know;but who are you?"
Acts 19:15

There is no secondhand spirituality. No one else can develop Christian maturity on your behalf. A strong Christian heritage is an asset, but it cannot take the place of your own vibrant, growing relationship with Christ.

Paul had a powerful work with God. God used him so mightily that extraordinary miracles occurred through his life. Cloths that touched Paul were taken to the sick, and the sick were healed (Acts 19:10-12). Evil spirits were cast out. Paul’s preaching and teaching were instrumental in building a strong church in Ephesus . Paul’s ministry was so impressive, in fact, that others tried to duplicate it.

Seven sons of the chief priest, Sceva, attempted to cast out demons the way Paul did. They confronted an evil spirit and attempted to exorcise it "by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." These men were trying to use a spiritual power that Paul had acquired after years of walking closely with his Lord. They could imitate Paul’s words, but they could not duplicate the power that was his through his personal relationship with God. The evil spirit retorted, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" The demon then viciously attacked them and humiliated them. The evil spirits were fearfully aware of Jesus (James 2:19); they were familiar with Paul’s influence over the powers of darkness. But the demons had no knowledge of the seven sons of Sceva.

You can duplicate the words and deeds of a spiritually mature Christian, but you cannot inherit his or her walk with God. Christian maturity takes effort; it comes over time. If you ignore the place of prayer and if you neglect your relations with Christ, you will not grow in your faith. Imitating the faith of others will not give you victory. Only as you nurture your own relationship with Jesus will your life be filled with spiritual maturity and power.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day