John the Baptist's Ministry was one of Seeing
John the Baptist 's ministry was one of seeing.
John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John's ministry work was baptism and repentance that flowed from a call to lead people to see. John wasn't preparing people to be found acceptable by God, only Jesus would be able to do that. John's job was preparing people to see and recognize Jesus while everyone around them was rejecting Him. That is why he called people to repent:
John 1:25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
27 “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
The main part of preparation to see is turning from the flesh, which is called 'repentance.' Repentance simply means 'agree with God.'
The flesh wars against the Spirit. When I make a conscious choice to agree with God about what is right, I get the ability to see more rightly. John was inviting people to deal with their flesh in advance of Jesus doing something much more intense that would be misinterpreted outside of the leadership of God. "Repent! The kingdom is at hand" isn't a command to make yourself holy, it's an admonition to position yourself to see! Otherwise you will reject the help that is designed to save you.
Repenting is practical. The way you get ready to meet Jesus is super practical. But, you have to do it intentionally!
Luke 3:7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9 “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
Don't fall in to the trap Satan lays. Simply assuming because you 'name Jesus' name' you are fine is delusional. You have to bear fruit worthy of repentance... Even more so than Israel was required to! You have the Spirit of God! You've been given much more, and more will be required.
Repenting of the flesh leads to sight by the Spirit. When you yield your own mind, will, and emotions to the Spirit of God, He will lead you in safety and readiness! Claiming to see yet being blind is the worst.
John 9:39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
Repent! Then you will see the kingdom coming all around you!!
Jesus is coming.
Looking forward to teaching about this in the context of the Mark of the Beast on Sunday. Many believers will miss the Mark of the Beast and gladly accept it because they simply wouldn't repent in advance of their fears about not having enough money!
John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John's ministry work was baptism and repentance that flowed from a call to lead people to see. John wasn't preparing people to be found acceptable by God, only Jesus would be able to do that. John's job was preparing people to see and recognize Jesus while everyone around them was rejecting Him. That is why he called people to repent:
John 1:25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
27 “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
The main part of preparation to see is turning from the flesh, which is called 'repentance.' Repentance simply means 'agree with God.'
The flesh wars against the Spirit. When I make a conscious choice to agree with God about what is right, I get the ability to see more rightly. John was inviting people to deal with their flesh in advance of Jesus doing something much more intense that would be misinterpreted outside of the leadership of God. "Repent! The kingdom is at hand" isn't a command to make yourself holy, it's an admonition to position yourself to see! Otherwise you will reject the help that is designed to save you.
Repenting is practical. The way you get ready to meet Jesus is super practical. But, you have to do it intentionally!
Luke 3:7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9 “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
Don't fall in to the trap Satan lays. Simply assuming because you 'name Jesus' name' you are fine is delusional. You have to bear fruit worthy of repentance... Even more so than Israel was required to! You have the Spirit of God! You've been given much more, and more will be required.
Repenting of the flesh leads to sight by the Spirit. When you yield your own mind, will, and emotions to the Spirit of God, He will lead you in safety and readiness! Claiming to see yet being blind is the worst.
John 9:39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
Repent! Then you will see the kingdom coming all around you!!
Jesus is coming.
Looking forward to teaching about this in the context of the Mark of the Beast on Sunday. Many believers will miss the Mark of the Beast and gladly accept it because they simply wouldn't repent in advance of their fears about not having enough money!
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