THE SEVEN-FOLD MINISTRY OF PREPARATION, 1

When the angel of Yahweh came to Zechariah in the Holy Place, he gave the priest good news about a most unusual son that was to come from his own loins; we know him as John the Baptist. Yahshua made it clear that John was given to be the forerunner of the Messiah not only in days gone by but in the last days. The angel gave Zechariah a sketch of John’s purpose – to prepare the way of Yahweh, appearing in the persona of Yahshua of Nazareth, Yahweh’s only begotten son. John came and gave his life in preparing hearts for Yahshua’s advent – “Repent!” he cried. “For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Those who heeded this trumpet call were later entrusted with the sacred oracles of the end-time plan by the Sovereign Yahshua himself.

In our time, we understand that the latter-day forerunner is to be a small John-the-Baptist movement – a little flock. Indeed, Yahweh is preparing his little flock now in the same way that he once sent John to make his path straight. If we look at the angel’s prophecy to Zechariah about John’s ministry, we see a supernatural diagram for preparing the way for the soon-coming King of Kings and his austere Rule. We find in the angels’ prophecy that, just as there are seven millennia in salvation history, there are seven characteristics of a people prepared.

1) “He Will Be Great” – We Must Be a Great People

What makes a people great? Many equate greatness with fame. But the most foundational meaning of “great” is “big” in the sense of magnanimous or all-encompassing. A people becomes great if it’s hopes, dreams and faith are big. In his essay on successful human resources strategies, Dr. James W. Walker describes what greatness requires in the workplace. He writes,

“Companies too often set their sights too low and end up with human resource strategies that are too functional, too operational, too narrow, and too generic. At best, these strategies maintain parity. They fail to make the compelling and convincing case necessary to energize their organizations to take bold actions and [make] changes to achieve a competitive advantage through people.”

What Walker is saying is that “companies” should be less conservative and more willing to take risks. Risk-taking excites employees and invites them to take “bold actions” on behalf of their common goal. Friends, we desperately need some excitement! We need to abandon the status quo and make a new case for Messiah. We must NOW set our sites higher than the rest and focus on Yahshua first, then our collective vision. I don’t know about you, but I’m desperate for something thrilling. I’m so sick and tired of sitting around I could live forever. Too many lives at stake – eternity at stake – the fate of the world at stake.

Walker’s advice applies to us perfectly. Being the seeing generation, we’re in the human resources business. We may not be a great people in number or fame, but that doesn’t matter. We can always be a great, magnanimous and wider-visioned people if we decide that’s what we want to be, because we already claim an apostolic faith and a powerful god, yes? The sky’s not the limit. ¿Shall we not be great in the eyes of Yahweh (John 1:15) and be called the children of the Most High? Yes, if we want to, we are able! Get excited then! Focus in! BE GREAT!

2) “He Shall Drink No Wine” – We Must Be a Serious (Sober) People

To be great, we are to be consistent in our Messianic witness and dedicated entirely to our mission as preparedness workers. In John’s day, “to drink no wine” was a technical expression indicating that John was dedicated to Yahweh from birth. When he reached the age of bar mitzvah, he accepted a Nazarite vow. You see, John was a Levite of the priestly class. He was to inherit his father’s office in the Temple, if he would just take it, but he denied his just desert in favor of just the dessert. He abdicated his glorious ecclesiastical office in favor of his true calling. He avoided a career to take up a life-consuming mission. He chose death rather than a parchment and a pension – all for the sake of preparing saints of all ages – saints like us – to look up and live.

¿What does this have to do with wine drinking? With a sober determination, John passed up the convenient and profitable for a Kingdom he couldn’t even see – the Kingdom of Heaven. He wasn’t disappointed.

The same Messiah who fulfilled him in his day is returning in ours. Neither will we be disappointed. You might recall Yahshua saying, “He who is least in the kingdom is greater than John” (Luke 7:28). However, at the time this was said, there was only one other person in the Kingdom and that person was the Kingdom. John’s second only to Yahshua because “many are called but” John made the sobering first choice.

For us, sobriety means we seek Yahweh’s will for our mission and allow nothing, nothing, nothing to deter us. Consider the terse statement of your Savior found in

Luke 14:26. “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Oooh! This is a hard saying. But what more can we add to the notion of sobriety to this? Listen! Six thousand years have passed. Now serious choices must be made, and serious sacrifices are required. Time’s up.

And time’s up for my message. We’ll conclude this morning’s word with the third of the seven characteristics of the forerunner, certainly the most powerful:

3) “He Will Be Filled With The Holy Spirit” – We’re to Be a Spirit-filled People

These days, everyone who can sing, “This Is the Day” considers herself spirit-filled. Entire churches and denominations call themselves spirit-filled while denying the very foundation of what that term entails. Nowadays, “spirit-filled” has come to mean upbeat or exciting or enthusiastic or entertaining or guitar strumming. But in truth, to be “spirit-filled” or “spirit-baptized” means to be personally endued from the Holy One above with a two-fold power – first, unto personal holiness – second, unto boldness to witness. “I have baptized you with water,” cried John, “but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” And the Risen Yahshua reiterates the same message to his disciples at the time of his ascension:

Acts 1:4,5. Yahshua charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

What does this mean? Indeed, for the seeing generation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit has little to do with entertainment. It has much more to do with accepting the call to your mission then tarrying in prayer, faith and expectation until the Spirit of Yahweh ignites your spirit ablaze through the Shekinah of his glory or the hands of the Apostle.

There’s also confusion as to the evidence of spirit-baptism. We mustn’t overlook the obvious. We may ask ourselves, “Have I remained in expectation until I’ve felt the power of Yahweh’s glory coursing through my body?” “Am I being supernaturally motivated to model the fruits of the Spirit and seek His gifts?” “Am I acquiring a mission and boldly going forth like never before?” “Am I lifted up in the sight of Yahweh because I’ve first humbled myself before him?” “When I am weak, is he made stronger through me?” “Am I strengthening the brothers and sisters, or am I at the business of tearing them down?” Most importantly, “Am I loving Yahweh will all my being?” Now that’s the most important question of all.

John the Baptist and the Bible clearly teach that this baptism is a second work of grace apart from justification, salvation or born-again experience. It’s also called ‘the gift of the holy spirit’ because when you receive, you’ll know for certain – there’s a powerful assurance. No more will you have doubts about your salvation because you’ll obtain and inner, undeniable proof that Yahshua is real and alive and “nigh unto you”; and that he’s called and empowered you to be his witness in your seeing generation. Your devotion, actions and words are indicative of your interior condition.

So the Baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t some optional thrill or merely a useful accessory to being a believer. If we are to be a people prepared and preparing, if we are to fulfill the heavenly calling, if we are to be awake with our clothes on, then we mustn’t let another powerless, tedious and tasteless month go by without seeking out this essential blessing. There may not be many months remaining before his presence becomes a public spectacle. Don’t be caught naked; be clothed in the Shekinah Glory at all times in the meantime.

Finally, if you’ve already received this second blessing, there’s no better time than now, as we study to be a prepared people, a seeing generation, to examine yourself anew to determine how you’ve used your precious endowment. As there are seven great days of creation, and as there are seven long millennia of salvation history, there are also seven levels through which we may progress to assure our receiving empowerment and becoming a seeing people, a people prepared. We shall learn the other four along with an unquestionable sign at our next meeting.

Prepare Ye, Prepare Ye, the Way of the LORD!

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness!

Prepare Ye the Way; Prepare Ye the Way of the LORD.

RECEIVE OR RENEW THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SEVEN STEPS

1. Sincerely make confession of your commissions and omissions against the Father Yahweh and your generation.

2. Renounce all evil, all unsavory attachments, all occult bondage, all habitual bad behavior and worldly folly.

3. Affirm your trust in Yahweh and his son to save you from the wrath to come. Ask that you might be born again.

4. Determine now to start leading a life that reflects Yahshua and keeps the commandments of Yahweh.

5. Nurture a personal relationship with the Father and Son through prayer, devotion, charity and good deeds.

6. Determine that without fail you’ll frequently assemble with likeminded believers and worthily partake in the sacrament.

7. Remind the Father that you are a holy nation and ask Him to gloriously baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

8. Keep seeking; keep asking; keep living in total expectation of receiving your endowment at any time.

Luke 1:8-17 Now while [Zechariah] was serving as priest before Yahweh when his division was on duty, 9. according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of Yahweh and burn incense. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11. And there appeared to him an angel of Yahweh standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; 15. for he will be great before Yahweh, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Yahweh their Elohim, 17. and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for Yahweh a people prepared.”

The Signs Not Perplexing

My friend, the signs of Yahshua’s return aren’t meant to be obscure or difficult to figure out, especially for the generation that dwells upon the event horizon – the very lip of eternity. As Reagan also said, let’s not overlook the obvious, although there is vast prophetic confusion in our day. Why would Yahshua tell us that he’s coming as a thief if he didn’t expect some few to catch him? I’m watching closely; are you?

Some contend, “the Bible says nobody may know dates or times.” These folks have no idea of the context of this saying. Messiah assured us that a righteous generation ought to be able to interpret the signs of the times. ¿Are we not a royal priesthood, a holy nation? I’ve just outlined to you the signs of the times – the calendar’s about times! In the next installment of this series, I’ll share another irrefutable sign of Yahshua’s presence for your consideration.

et our prophetic insight isn’t our main objective today, only the alarm bell that hopes to awakes us from slumber, and the slothful, pew-centered, program polluted religion observed by the spiritually dead. Our primary mission is to prepare now for his visible appearance any day. (For me, the rapture is a far too iffy foundation upon which to build my claim upon eternity. If Yahweh was going to rapture believers out of tribulation, why isn’t the rapture happening now in places like Sudan and Algeria, where millions of innocent believers have been slaughtered in this seeing generation.) As for me, I want to be ready to walk in Jerusalem just like John. How about you?