Letters to the Churches: To the Church that Must Prepare
This follows in a series of letters written to the Advent Christian church. The first letter can be found here; the second letter can be found here; the third letter can be found here.
Introduction: When the King Comes to Town
In ancient times, when a king planned to visit his landholdings or cities, messengers were sent ahead to announce his arrival. Roads were cleared. Homes were swept. Streets were beautified. The people didn’t wait passively—they prepared actively. They made a straight and easy path for the king to arrive. This wasn’t just protocol—it was honor. It was readiness. It was a declaration: “We are not just aware of the King—we are awaiting Him.”
They stood ready because they knew this; ‘He is already on His way.’
That same call echoes today. The King is coming—not just to inspect His cities, but to reign over them. And our role as pastors and churches is not just to believe in His return, but to prepare the way for it.
We are the messengers. We are the path-clearers. We are the voice crying in the wilderness.
Scriptural Foundations: The Call to Prepare the Way
The prophet Isaiah declared it first. John the Baptist embodied it. And Jesus affirmed it.
Isaiah 40:3 (NIV) “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”
Luke 3:4–6 (NIV) “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’” This was not just poetic prophecy—it was practical preparation.
John didn’t just preach repentance—he cleared the spiritual clutter of the day and pointed to the arrival of Jesus. His voice was clear and direct; with urgency he called people to clean house, to make room, to get ready. That is our calling today. Not just to preach about heaven, but to prepare hearts for the King. Not just to affirm His return, but to align our churches with His reign.
The Role of the Church: Path-Clearing, Not Just Path-Finding
We often treat the second coming of Christ as a theological destination. But Scripture treats it as a relational visitation. The King is not just coming to end history—He’s coming to claim His bride. This is more than a mere visit we are preparing for—it is a royal wedding.
We must send the Word ahead. Just as messengers went before the King, we must go before His arrival with the gospel. Matthew 24:14 (NIV) “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world... and then the end will come.”
We must beautify the house. In ancient cities, people cleaned their homes and adorned their streets. Today, we beautify the church—not with paint and programs, but with holiness and unity. Revelation 19:7 (NIV) “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” We must make the path straight. We remove obstacles—sin, division, distraction—and create a clear, straight path for the King to be welcomed. Luke 3:4 (NIV) “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”
Clearing the Clutter: Our Minds Must Be Ready Too
It’s not just our churches that need cleaning—it’s our minds. Today’s believers are distracted by both good and bad things. We’re overloaded with entertainment, consumed by politics, buried in busyness, and often numb to the Spirit’s voice. We scroll more than we seek. We react more than we reflect. And we’ve become so saturated with noise that we’ve lost the ability to hear the whisper of God.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Paul wrote these words to believers living in the heart of the Roman Empire—a culture obsessed with status, spectacle, and self. The “pattern of this world” was everywhere: in the temples, in the streets, in the politics. And Paul’s call was radical—don’t just resist the culture, be reprogrammed by Christ. Today, we face a digital empire of distraction. The patterns of this world are piped into our pockets and homes 24/7. If we don’t renew our minds, we will inevitably conform.
Colossians 3:2 (NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Paul wrote this to a church surrounded by competing philosophies—Gnosticism, paganism, and legalism. The temptation was to mix heavenly truth with earthly systems. Paul’s command was clear: elevate your thinking. Fix your gaze. Today, we’re tempted to mix and match in the same way… We blend biblical hope with political outrage. We chase earthly success while preaching eternal life. My fear is this; if our minds are not set on things above, our churches will drift here below.
1 Peter 1:13 (NIV) “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” Peter wrote to scattered believers facing persecution and pressure. His call was not to panic—but to prepare. Be alert. Be sober. Be anchored in hope. Today, we are scattered in a different way—fragmented by media, ideology, and anxiety. And Peter’s words still ring true: Don’t be lulled to sleep. Don’t be intoxicated by comfort. Stay awake. Stay ready.
We cannot prepare the way for the King if our minds are cluttered with everything but the kingdom. The Spirit is speaking—we must be still enough to hear Him... Because when the King comes, He’s not looking for distracted minds—He’s looking for devoted hearts. He is looking for us as leaders in His church to: Preach Readiness, Not Just Reassurance.
An End-Times Charge to All Churches: Our Collective Challenge as the Storm Approaches
Can our pulpits ring once more with the call to prepare? Not with fear-based hype, but with faith-filled urgency that awakens the church.
Can we disciple beyond information—training for eternity, not just for Sunday? How can we better help our people lay aside every distraction, live with eternal focus, and walk with clarity of purpose.
Can we clear the clutter from inside our churches? Is it time to address division?
Do we make a stand to confront sin and remove the busyness that makes it hard for the King to be welcomed.
Every sermon, every service, every gathering—are we preparing the house for His arrival, or just presenting a program? And each week—can we announce the Arrival, not just the agenda?
My Prayer for us all is that every outreach, every prayer, every moment of worship will carry the urgency of heaven and the King standing on our doorsteps!!
The Trumpet Blast Is Near—Will the Church Be Ready?
In the days of old, when the King arrived, the people stood at attention. They didn’t scramble—they were ready. The roads were clear. The homes were prepared and their hearts were expectant. Let it be so with us. When the trumpet sounds, we don’t want to be found distracted—we want to be found devoted. Not just aware of His coming, but aligned with it. Not just preaching about the King—but preparing for Him. We are not preparing for a revival. We are preparing for His return.
A Closing Promise to the Overcomers: “To the one who clears the way, I will come swiftly. You will not be found distracted, but devoted. You will stand at attention when the trumpet sounds.”
Revelation 3:11 (NIV) “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven... with the trumpet call of God... And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
Matthew 25:10 (NIV) “The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.”
Final Conclusion: A Revival of Readiness
These four letters are not isolated challenges—they are a collective call. A call to our Advent Christian movement to remember who we are, why we exist, and what we can become.
I write these final words as I began them—not as a prophet, but as a pastor. Not as one who has mastered this message, but as one who has been undone by it. These letters first stirred my own soul before they ever reached yours. They are not pronouncements from above—they are invitations from within. Invitations to remember, to repent, and to rise.
These are not four isolated challenges—they are one collective call. A call to remember who we are, why we exist, and what we must become; an Advent Christian Movement preparing the way of the Lord in these final days.
To the Church That Forgot the Mission the Church That Forgot the Mission: Reclaim your identity—not just as an Advent Christian Church, but as mission-driven stakeholders. This is not a ministry assignment—it’s a missional mandate!
To the Church That Lost Its Voice: Restore prophetic urgency. The silence has lasted too long. The Lion must roar again!
To the Church That Grew Comfortable: Awaken from spiritual ease. The storm is already stirring. The words of Jesus demand action and proclamation.
To the Church That Must Prepare: Clear the way for the King. His coming is not a rumor—it’s a promise. The trumpet blast draws near. The church-bride must be ready.
This isn’t about preserving a denomination—it’s about preparing a people. It’s not nostalgia that drives us—it’s necessity. The shaking has already begun. The storm is intensifying. And the King is on His way.
Now, as I pen these final words, I am not sure if they were just meant for me, to pull me out of the sameness of my weekly tasks; to re-align and re-ignite my call and my work or will they have some value to others that read these letters? Could these letters stir us? Might they humble us, convict us, revive us?
If nothing else, I pray that I have been faithful in sharing what has been placed on my heart. I needed to wrestle with these truths and challenges; I need to be prepared and ready because when the trumpet sounds, we all want to be found faithful— Not just doctrinally correct, but spiritually awake. Not just historically rooted, but prophetically alive. Not just gathered, but mobilized.
The King is coming. Let the church be ready. Let the path be clear. Let our voices be heard.