Written by Ed Arcton
Matthew
quotes Isaiah 40:3 “ A voice of one calling in the desert prepare the way of
the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God” (NIV) and
applies it to John, the Baptist (vs. 1-3). John’s simple food and clothing (vs.
4) showed a disciplined lifestyle he grows up with. Prophet Malachi wrote about
the Lord’s messenger “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way
before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the
messenger of the covenant, whom you desire will come, says the LORD Almighty”. (Malachi
3:1)NIV. “See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful
day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike
the land with a curse”. (Malachi 4:5-6 NIV) and the angel who announced John’s
birth had said he would be the Lord’s forerunner (Luke 1:13-17). Zechariah the
Father of John, the Baptist also confirmed this and said “And you my child,
will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord
to prepare the way for him”. (Luke 1:76).
Repentance was the
Message of John.
“Repent” in (vs. 2) means to have a change of mind that leads to a radical change of lifestyle.
The result of repentance should be seen in one’s life. Unless there is fruit in
keeping with repentance (vs. 8), it is empty. That was John’s challenge to the
religious leaders (vs. 7-10). Baptism is
a symbolic act that signifies an inner repentance (vs. 11). When accompanied by confession of sin
(vs. 6), it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to enter a person’s life and
make it completely new. I call it born again by the Spirit of God or
regeneration or the new Birth. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creature; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). Such persons have
yielded their lives to God’s rule.
Why was John
reluctant to baptize Jesus (vs. 13-14)? Unlike all others, Jesus had no sin to confess. In baptism, Jesus identified with
human sin and failure. He submitted to baptism as our substitute. What happened
immediately after Jesus’ baptism (vs. 16-17)? What would this mean to Jesus and
for us? Medicate on this today as you walk through your daily activities.
Remember
John the Baptist was born and called a Prophet of the Most High. What about
you? Do you know what you were born to become tomorrow?
Before you
were born, God had already planned your lifelong and also programmed and design
your destiny for you “what you will become tomorrow”. Go to God in prayer, seek
His face and he will unfold unto you what the future hold for you today. And
you will know the end of your journey right from the beginning of your first
step. God is faithful to all His promises. Forever his Word is established and
stands forever.
God is
always ready to take charge of your life if only you are willing to let Him. He
will give you His Plan, show you His purpose and you will know his design and
objectives he has outline for your life. Stop chasing after your own self
planned programmers you cannot tell how the end will look like and never live
by law of chances; it will never favor or blessed you in anyway. Chose to live
your life in God’s world and in God’s Word. Not in your own or another person’s
own. Don’t let man rules your life and controls your destiny, let God do that
for you. When He does your life will be full of fruitfulness and will be called
the Blessed of the Lord. Why not place your life right now in the hands of the
Living God. You will not be disappointed and He will not fail you in anyway.
Remember He is the SOVEREIGN GOD.
Prayer (Pray this with holy anger)
1.
I kneel before
you today and confess Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Rule over me as I yield my
life to your control, no matter the cost in Jesus name. Amen
2.
Let the Word of
God plant and establish the garden of my destiny in the mighty name of Jesus
Christ
3.
Spirit of the
Living God breath into me the Fire of Holiness of God in Jesus name.
4.
Let every root
and every fruit of the old nature hiding anywhere in my life be consumed by the
fire of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name.
5.
Holy Spirit fill
me with your Power and strength to live a new life in Christ Jesus my Lord,
Amen
Remember: Jesus is Lord
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