Can you be as blunt as John the Baptist?

 

     I like to talk about John the Baptist today. He was one of the greatest people in the Bible I think. ( Matthew 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater then John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater then he.) He did what God told him to do and did not ask for anything in return. I think we all can learn a lot about him and use all of it in our life today for Gods glory. Now let us look at John and see who he was and what he did.

     John was born of a man and woman. Their was no Holy Spirit that got his mother ( Elisabeth) with child, it was just a regular man like you and me. No special woman, his parents follow the angel directions to the best way they could. They both were born of sin like all men and woman, but they were faithful to God. Can you say that to your kids? ( Luke 1:13-17  But the angel said onto him, fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.)

     John was full of the Holy Spirit, and use it to get other people to repent, and Baptist them in the name of God. This does not make him different then you or me, we are born from man and woman, then when we confess our sins to God, and ask Jesus Christ to forgive us, and believe in Jesus. We are filled with the same Holy Spirit as John was. ( Romans 10:9  That if thou confess with they mouth the Lord Jesus,  and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.) Jesus send the Holy Spirit into us so we can learn and grow in to something special for God. It is how we used and grow in the Holy Spirit that make us different then John the Baptist. ( Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witness unto both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.)

     John the Baptist use his gift foe God and Jesus. He lead people to God, but first you to show them what they are doing wrong and for them to confess to God through Jesus Christ. ( Romans 3:10-12  As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one. There is none understandeth, there is none that seeth after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one.) So when I hear men of God who are so call leaders say it not up to them to point out what sin they are doing, I feel sorry for the people he is suppose to be leading. John was blunt with all the people around him. from the Kings to the poorest of people. he pointed out there sins, in fact John lost his head because of not holding back what he saw. ( Mark 6:18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.       Mark 6:27 And immediately the King sent for the executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and behead him in prison.) We all get gifts from God to use, they list them out in the New Testament, it is up to us to learn to use them. ( 1Corinthians 12:1  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.)

     There is so much more we can and need to learn from John the Baptist. I only started to show a little of him and how we are not different from him. All of us need to keep growing and doing God's work.

 

God Bless

Reverend Dale Merchant