Testimony

161206This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. (John 1:19-28, NRSV)

Who are you?

I am a father, husband, pastor, musician, lover and follower of Jesus Christ. I do not always do everything right as I am a sinner, but try to live a life which shows the love Christ gave to me to all the world around me.

Who are you?

I am not Elijah. I am not John the Baptist. I am not Jesus Christ. I am merely a follower of Jesus and one who tries to show the love of God to the world.

This is John’s testimony and my testimony.

What is your testimony?

Who are you?

prepare the way

161205Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. (Isaiah 40:1-11, NRSV)

Where is the wilderness?

When I hear wilderness, I think of trees and lots of them. Darkness, overgrowth, and lots of undergrowth too. But is that the wilderness?

In Isaiah, the wilderness is the desert. The barren land no one would be in.

And does this passage mean low spots will be raised and mountains will be flattened? I would love to see that, it would be really interesting to see that happen.

I think what Isaiah is saying, while we may actually see valleys rise and mountains made low, is that we are supposed to help everyone see that when Jesus gets here when His kingdom comes to the fullness of its being, we will all be on the same level. All hierarchy will be done away with and we will all be equal in the eyes of God. When this happens, the kingdom will be fulfilled.

So do what you can to lift the lowly and humble the proud, doing it all in love, as we are all equal in the eyes of God.

Fire and Spirit

161204In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:1-12, NRSV)

Water is cleansing and allows for repentance, but the one who is coming after John will baptize with fire and with Spirit.

This one will clear the threshing floor and gather the wheat and burn the chaff. So which are you wheat or chaff?

Well here is the thing, until it is separated, wheat and chaff belong to the same plant.  So the answer to the question is yes. Yes I am wheat, and yes I am chaff.

And we are called to lift up our wheat and allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn within us and prepare the way for Jesus to come through our lives and be shown to the world.

So allow Him to shine through you and allow the Spirit to burn deep in your life and light up the love of God in you so the world may see your wheat and see His love for them.

Peace be within you

161203I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.”
For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.
(Psalm 122, NRSV)

Let us go to the house of the Lord!

Does this not bring you joy, to be in the presence of other believers, with your family in Christ. To be in the place where love will prosper and security is always there?

So sing His praises and be glad to go into the house of the Lord!

valley of decision

161202Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the LORD is a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. So you shall know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water; a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Wadi Shittim. Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. I will avenge their blood, and I will not clear the guilty, for the LORD dwells in Zion. (Joel 3:14-21, NRSV)

Multitudes in the valley! Can you picture it?

The day of decision is here. It is not a day far off, or even days away, it is here and now, and we need to decide what we will do.

Where will you go, and whom shall you serve?

I am with Joshua on this one, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

I know that God is my stronghold and my protection. He will be my shade and my shelter, and in Him I can trust.

So I have decided to follow God.

What is your decision?