Word of Encouragement
Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing from John the Baptist. I love this guy. He comes out of the woods all homeless looking and acting crazy, wild hair and wild ideas. He declares Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And he introduces to any who will listen that Jesus is the Messiah. The reference is to the Passover Lamb in Exodus. God instructs his chosen people to put the blood of the sacrificial lamb over the doorpost of their homes so that the angel of death might pass over their home.
In the same way, it is by the blood of Jesus that death loses its grip over believers. Death has no power over us because we have certainty of eternity. I love that God sends someone like John to announce this. A man with no education, does not even have a home, eats locusts off the tree branch is chosen by God to prepare the way for the savior of the world. The educated have trouble with him. People in positions of power and authority have trouble with him. I do wonder if he had gone to Seminary if people in these positions would have listened. I think they would have pretended to listen, not much more.
We all need to be careful of the things that get in the way of hearing the truth from God. Sometimes it might be our intellect, others our emotions. Most of the time it is some tradition or something we are protecting that really does not need protecting.
I hope and pray you all have a great week.
I love being your pastor,
Ernie