“Prepare Your Soul For The Lord!”

“Prepare Your Soul For The Lord!”(Mk.1:1-8).
Mark opens “the beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” with the fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy.
It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messengers ahead of you, who will prepare your way – a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”
The preparation was not a physical kind of thing. It was a spiritual preparation through water purification. John came as such a harbinger, “baptising…and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” The people went out to John, and as they confessed their sins, John baptised them. (We wonder what baptism formula John used), but he made it clear that he was just a herald who was not even worthy to untie the thongs of the sandals of the one who will come after him.
John also made a distinction between his baptism and that of Jesus:“I baptised you with water, but he will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”
Water baptism is for the confession of sin, but Jesus fills the baptised with the Holy Spirit.
This is the reason why in the Great Commission, Jesus gave the baptism formula of “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”(Mt.28:19).
Also, after baptism the minister seals the baptised with these words:“May the merciful God and Father who has given you new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and received you into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ, keep you in the fulness of his grace, and sanctify, strengthen, and + seal you through the Holy Spirit for service unto eternal life.”
The trinitarian formula of baptism includes the baptism of water purification for the forgiveness of sins and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the baptism of Christ with the Holy Spirit.
Dear friend, the Holy Spirit does not take a permanent seat in the believer. Each time sin contaminates the body, be sure that the Holy Spirit will take a vacation.
When the Holy Spirit went on such a vacation from David, he cried out to the LORD: “Create in me a clean and pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me”(Ps.51:110-11).
Prayer of the day and week: LORD, keep us away from presumptuous sins as we turn to Christ our Savior. Amen!
Welcome back to a new working day and week! Have a blessed working day and week! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
13/01/2025.