When John the Baptist entered the scene, many people including the Pharisees curiously came to hear what he was preaching. He was preaching a radical message in which most at that time were not expecting. His message as far as they were concerned was extreme. It was extreme to them because they did not know they had drifted so far away from God.
In fact, he was not even preaching in the traditional places of the synagogues. He was preaching in the wilderness, the desert of Judea. He was preaching what appeared to the people a extreme radical message. He was telling them to repent and be baptized. The Lamb of God was coming and the people had to prepare for His coming. John the Baptist was preparing the way. He was a voice in the wilderness. John was a forerunner to the Messiah.
Mark 1:6 "6And John wore clothing woven of camel's hair and had a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey.
John's message may have been extreme but it had depth. It had conviction. And as a result, it drew many from the surrounding areas to come repent and be baptized.
Mark 1:5 "And there kept going out to him [continuously] all the country of Judea and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, [a]as they were confessing their sins."
And since his message drew people, it got the attention of the Pharisees and the Sadducees as they came to see what was happening.
Jesus is coming back very soon. The question is how do these passages apply today. I believe God is preparing His army of forerunners. Many are in their wilderness being trained. I pray they will all pass their training and test.
Why did John the Baptist preach in the wilderness? Why did he not preach in the synagauges? His message was too radical for the traditional venues of church. They would or had already kicked him out. Just as today, the pure FULL gospel is being preached outside of the churches. It is being preached on Facebook. It is being preached on the streets. It is being preached in the third world countries. It is being preached among the laity themselves. It is being preached outside from most of the traditional venues.
It is very rare to find a church that is preaching the Full Counsel of God. It is very rare to find a church preaching the uncompromised Word of God. But Praise the Lord, God does have His reserved churches!
What are most churches preaching today? They are preaching Super Bowl Sunday because we are in that secular sport season? They are selling classes on how to budget their money during this soft economy. They are selling books/CD's on how to be prosperous instead of living Holy righteous lives. They are preaching nonsense.
Why are they not preaching repentance!!! For the King of Kings is returning!!! But they got time for football? These preachers got time for another job to puff up their 401Ks instead of praying? They are playing farmville and the likes instead of praying. Are they not hearing the messages from people who are being taken to heaven and hell. Are they not hearing that many many preachers and their wives are in hell!!
Why did John the Baptist wear garment made of camel's hair and eat locust and honey? To the normal person, John the Baptist probably looked like a crazy person preaching a crazy message who ate bugs. But you see, what he wore and ate represented something. It showed that he was separated from the system. He was separated from the world. But the Pharisees and Sadducees came looking for him in their nice beautiful garments. Today, they would come looking nice in their suits with their degrees in theology.
John the Baptist was not ordained. He did not have a covering in the traditional sense. He did not go to bible school.
In Luke 1:80, it states,"And the little boy grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts (wilderness) until the day of his appearing to Israel [the commencement of his public ministry]." He was trained by God in the wilderness.
He was an outsider. The Pharisees and Sadducees knew who he was. They recognized his anointing. They were jealous and this is why they had come to him. They were jealous and they had felt threatened by his impact.
John the Baptist called them brood of vipers! Imagine if someone called some preachers today in public a brood of vipers. Many would whine and cry out, "stop judging! Do not judge lest you be judge!" What they do not know is that John the Baptist was not speaking from his own authority. He was speaking what the Spirit of God has directly put in His mouth.
John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees do not assume you have Abraham as your forefather. In today's term for the gentile Christian leaders, God forerunners would be saying, "do not think just because you come from generations of preachers, that qualifies you to anything!. Just because you have degrees over degrees, do not think that qualifies you to anything either. Still brood of vipers bowing down to religion and money!!"
God is raising His servants from the laity because most of the church leadership are sleeping with the spirits of Balaam, Cain and religion. Just as in the days of old, they continue to throw stones and kill God's prophets and servants. Today, instead of literally killing you as in the days of old, they instead try to kill you spiritually and would ruin your name if they could.
Nothing has really changed. They continue to call God's work the work of the devil and yet they themselves do not possess any power. They are in fear of losing their numbers because they serve the almighty dollar! History repeats. Because the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the majority and nation of Israel had rejected their Messiah. Will history repeat again?
As Jesus is about to return, are the majority of Christians rejecting her KING because religion is so rampant in the churches? God is raising up His forerunners to the nations? I asked Him, why are you sending your servants out from the USA to the nations when so many in America are sleeping and blind? Could history be repeating? When Israel had first rejected the Messiah, the message went to the Nations of Gentiles. Now, as the Christians await the return, are the Christians in America rejecting the call to repent and return to their first love? Many do not hear because they are so desensitized. Many do not hear because many have hardened their hearts? Therefore, God is sending His message to the nations who are hungry and waiting!!!! Could history be repeating?
Do you not understand how the Father is grieving!!!!! Do you not understand how so many are deceived? Do you not understand how so many are stiffed neck and stubborn even today? Wake up already!!
Luke 23:27-30 (Amplified Bible)
27And there accompanied [Jesus] a great multitude of the people, [including] women who bewailed and lamented Him.
28But Jesus, turning toward them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.29For behold, the days are coming during which they will say, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [a]to be envied) are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have never nursed [babies]!
30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover (conceal, hide) us!
And because Israel had rejected her Messiah, judgment had come. In 70 AD, Rome had decimated all of Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed and the Romans killed more than 1 million Jews. They crucified 500 people a day. The slaughter was enormous. Men, women, children, and priests, young and old, so many slaughtered.
What do you think is coming for this great nation that is now in harlotry? The false prophets say peace peace when there is no peace. Judgment is coming. Difficult days are coming. Prepare your hearts. Get on your knees and repent!! Return to your first Love. Many have too much of the world in them. Many are lukewarm! Repent!
Ask God to show you His Truth! Ask God to put you in agreement with you! Open up your hearts! Pray, so many are not praying enough. Lord have mercy on your people.
Zechariah 13:8-9 (Amplified Bible)
8And in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive.(A)
9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them. I will say, It is My people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.
Revelation 3:15-18 (Amplified Bible)
15I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!
16So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!17For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.18Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see.
It is very sad. At least if the religious were cold, they would know they are in need to return to their Savior. But when someone is lukewarm, they do not even realize they are heading to hell.
All the Glory to Him
All that I know and have acquired is directly from Him. I am but only a willing empty vessel. May you give all the Glory to Him.
Fire of God!
Steve Kim
AMEN & AMEN!!
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