As I was up this morning reading my devotions the Lord dropped this thought in my spirit, remember John the Baptist?
What is it that we remember about John the Baptist?
● He was known to be a little different, even somewhat eccentric; a voice crying out in the wilderness!
Wilderness= an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region. Interestingly John was preaching about repentance to a people who were not familiar with the message and to some who didn’t want to hear it!
Matthew 3:2 AMP “Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John lived simply and not like the Pharisees who paraded around in Robes piously! He knew his purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus and share the message of God’s saving grace. He was not promoting himself.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 RSVCE And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
We too are called to be different and to go into the uncultivated, uninhabited and inhospitable “Wilderness” to share God’s message of Salvation to the lost.
Mark 16:15 NLT And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone
2 Peter 3:9 TLB He isn’t really being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent.
We are all aware of the trying times that we are living in and the fact that things seem to be getting worse; Or is it really God setting things up for the soon coming arrival of Jesus?!
2 Timothy 3:1-5,14 AMP But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith].
But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them.
1 Peter 5:8 CEV Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.
Luke 21:28 GNT When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.”
We must be reminded of our purpose:
● To live our life for Christ!
● To reach the lost for Jesus!
● And to dare to be different so that we may make a difference!