Do you know what happened after John the Baptist preached the message as one crying in the wilderness? Let me help you remember: Matt.3 Message Bible: 'While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer", was preaching in the desert country of Judea.' His message was simple and austere, like his surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here?" John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy: "Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!" John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. he lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life. When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It's your life that must change, not you skin! And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendent of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendents of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire." "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in the drama-compared to him I'm a mere stagehand-will ignite the kingdom life within you. Changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house-make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God: everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned." Jesus then appeared, arriving at the river from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptize not you!" But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it. (emp. mine) Can you see it now? Jesus then appeared! The ones coming to be baptized were the religious crowd, you know the ones, today we would call them "church people". But they saw the need to repent of their sins and be baptized. Do you see that same need? Please stop resisting the Holy Spirit, I implore you to let the Holy Spirit convict your heart, and clean you up, getting you ready for Jesus and His soon appearing. If you keep a deaf-ear to this last days message you will NOT make it to heaven! It's that plain. John also said in verse 11&12 KJV, ' I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12) Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. This Holy Ghost and fire is recorded in Acts 1:4,5 and 8 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. 5) For John truly baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. verse 8 But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. We so desperately need this power today. We can't be as affective in our witness, and our prayer lives with out it. Study about it in the book of Acts,and see what happened when the disciples came out of the upper room, after they received the promise of the Father. We need this same power, for we too are His disciples, now in this time. God loves you and wants the very best for you. He has already given you His very best (Jesus). Please don't resist the ministry of the Holy Spirit in these last days. We need the power!
Evangelist Sally B. Tussey
Marvelous Grace Ministries
| Published in : Truth and Opinion, Living A Christ Life |
| Keywords : Truth and Opinion, Living A Christ Life, A Cry In The Wilderness, John the baptist, Jesus, batizing, bible, christian, church, |
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