“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
John the Baptist was the first to know and acknowledge the importance of the presence of Jesus and to know his part in proclaiming Him.
There is a sense that now is the time for us to rise up and proclaim boldly, relentlessly, passionately in the same way and not tolerate any more what the enemy has infiltrated into the world as counterfeit worth and dependency upon.
John the Baptist was not prepared to tolerate people not knowing their need for action.
The need to be repentant and be washed clean of sin by baptism and to be reborn to the purity and single mindedness of faith in God.
He single handed and single minded was like a warrior paving a way for Christ to come.
He was not lukewarm in his mission but red hot in his passion and unstoppable until his purpose was fulfilled as Jesus arrived to be baptised and proclaimed by God as His Son.
“Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Referring to us being more powerful than John the Baptist, are those now to, in the same focused warrior like mode, say enough is enough of the enemies drip by drip attempts to bury God, Christ and faith out of sight in the world by the stealth of sin.
We make the choice and speak out. In our mouths we carry life and death. That which we tolerate we by default give quiet agreement to. Jesus came to destroy death and by His blood on the cross He did.
We have allowed it to creep in and strangle and choke the world again if we have given in. Or if we have been Luke warm. The sort of church God would vomit out of His mouth.
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. “
The empire and the kingdom clash. If we allow sin, corruption and death to rob and paralyse us we diminish.
Jesus came to bring life in abundance.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
We are overcomers. When we see others as more than ourselves and we push back for the sake of others with John the Baptist tenacity.
Seeing beyond ourselves has implications corporately. We all get set free. We are liberated from a wasteland of fear. A Spirit that is asleep.
Perfect love overcomes fear. People are moved from fear to faith. From futility to fruitfulness.
We reverse the curse. Turn the wasteland to fruitful when we take every thought captive with the mind of Christ.
Solutions are God’s solutions not our own. God creates a perfect storm for us to spend the currency of our favour. Trust and faith in Him.
When we magnify God He can put His favour upon us and break the chains and strongholds of fear.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
We know how to think and therefore how to act.
The illustration shows the being baptised in the Holy Spirit and born again out of the sink hole of spiralling sin in the world. Light emanating to push back the darkness.
Four Scriptures that come to mind:
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11 ESV
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” Revelation 3:16-18 ESV
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”Romans 12:12 ESV
The song The Power of The Cross. Casting Crowns
Lessisgreater 