Tiberius Ceaser, Pontius Pilate, Herod the Tetrach, Philip the Tetrach were ruling then, When Annas and Caiphas were high priests, the word of God came to John in the wilderness.
It's interesting to see how God bypassed the great political leaders and great religious leaders and gave His word to a man who was waiting for Him in the wilderness.
We can thus conclude that having a high position even in the church, and having popularity amongst people and having a high reputation does not impress God. God is not a respecter of persons. What God looks for in a man is a person who is humble and seeks after Him alone. John did not have others with Him, but He had made up His mind to seek God and do His will even if no one else does.
Have you made up your mind to Gods will for your life even if you are alone?
There is a story behind the great hymn, 'I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS'. The man who said those words got converted with His family by a missionary who came and preached in His village. He got arrested and put in an open place sorounded by the villagers with the bows and arrows ready to kill Him and his wife and children. He would only be save if he denied Jesus. When told to deny Him he said, " I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back". His child children got killed.
When asked the second time, He answered, "The world behind me, the cross before me, no turning back, no turning back". His wife got killed
When asked the third time, he said, " Though none go with me, I will follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back". He also got killed but as a result many who saw that got converted and one of them wrote those words which we now sing.
To what extent will you go to follow Jesus? Are you willing to do His will and please Him at any cost or will you only serve when it's convenient?
John had a message which even the great religious leaders do not have. He preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
There is a great lack in most pulpits today of the message of repentance; turning away from sin and self and turning to God in humility and brokenness.
He called himself a voice crying out. He had heard from God. Unfortunately today, what many hear is not a voice but an echo of what someone else said. Majority don't know God, they only know about God reading from books written by others, some who knew God.
We need people who know God in our generation but it's unfortunate we try to look for convenience. The proud self in our lives must be crucified. The message of the cross must again be brought back in the pulpits. What people here today is about money and material wealth and health. These things God gives to everyone. The richest people in the world are not christians, the people who live longest and the healthiest are not christians...
God gives health and wealth both to believers and atheists. We must find our way back to the message of the cross. Repentance involves
1. Every valley shall be filled. This means we must turn from self pity and discouragement. We are not orphans. We have a Father in heaven who loves us and cares for us. He rules over everything that affects us. He will not allow what we can't bear come to us. We are children of the most High God. Why should we be discouraged as if God have been impeached from His throne? Why should you pity yourself as if God does not care for you? The only time that a child of God should be discouraged and pity themselves is when God dies or get dethroned; but as long as God is on the throne, the child of God has every reason to rejoice.
2. The mountain and hill shall be brought low. This means that pride must not be allowed in our lives. We must be levelled to see that we are equal to other brothers and sisters who may not be as privileged or educated or wealthy as we are. Pride makes us despise others and treat them with contempt. Pride makes us arrogant and make demands on others. People who are proud get offended and are angered very quicky. We must humble ourselves and acknowledge that whatever we have, we have been given by God. Whatever we think we have should only be compared with what Jesus have.
3. The crooked shall be made straight. This means that we must set right in our lives the crooked ways we have acted. Like Zacchaeus restored four times what he had cheated others, we must repay our debts, restore what we have stolen, apologise to those we have hurt or taken advantage of.
4. The rough places must be made smooth. This means we must change the rough way we acted in the past. The way we spoke to others when provoked must now be kind and gentle, we must change our wrong attitudes and the prejudices we've acquired in our past. We must seek for good to for evil in people
When this four things happens in your life, everyone will see the salvation of God. They will see that you have been truly converted. They will ask you what happened.
Have you been truly converted? Do people who know you acknowledge that they have seen the salvation of God in your life?
You are blessed to be a blessing
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@Blessed Mshindi Mambo
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