THE SEVEN-FOLD MINISTRY OF PREPARATION, 2
Unlike the dear martyrs that die all the day
long for their faith, we’re the fortunate sons and daughters of
John the Baptist was charged with a mission:
to prepare a people for Messiah with the words, “Repent, for the
1) “John Will Be Great”
– We Must Be a Great People
What makes a people great? Greatness is often equated with wealth or
fame. But the best meaning of “great”
for us is just plain old “big” – a people are great if their hopes, dreams and
faith are big. We learned that we’re in
the human resources business. We
make disciples who are prepared. But
we’re also in the spiritual resources business. Our greatness goes beyond that of those
antichrists who carry bombs and machine guns, “for the weapons of our warfare
aren’t carnal but they’re mighty to the pulling down of strongholds.” If we could only be a great, magnanimous
and wider-visioned people, a spiritually gifted and active people, a more
compassionate people, we could defeat any bloody enemy with the sword of His
mouths and all prayer. If we
want to be great, we can. We just must
decide that’s what we want and go for greatness. The sky’s not the limit when you have
an invincible faith and an almighty god.
Shall we be great in the eyes of Yahweh (John 1:15) and be called the children of the most high? Yes, if we will, we shall!
2) “John Shall Drink No
Wine” – We Must Be a Serious (Sober) People
¿What does our mission have to do with
drinking? I mentioned that “he shall not
drink” is a technical phrase meaning that John discarded his rightful place as
a priest in the great temple, which was his inheritance. He chose instead to receive the inheritance
of his Heavenly Father – a bed of skins in an arid desert, a plate full of bugs
– and an exciting and dangerous mission: preparing a people for the advent of
the greatest person “who ever lives to make intercession for you.” With a sober determination and a calculated
choice, John passed up that which was convenient and profitable for a Kingdom
he couldn’t even see – the
3) “John Will Be Filled
With The Holy Spirit” – We’re to Be a Spirit-filled People
John the Baptist, the Forerunner, attested,
“I have baptized you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire.” And the Risen
Yahshua reiterates this same message to his disciples at the time of his
ascension:
Acts 1:4,5. Yahshua charged them not to depart from
We’re to be a
spirit-filled people ¿but how can we be unless we’ve experienced the
deep move of Yahweh inside? When the
Holy Spirit descended on the men, women and children in the upper room on this Pentecost
day in Christian year 33, the Jewish year 3793 and the Hebraic year 4033, those
awaiting him we not disappoint when he arrived!
Hardly! There was a rushing wind,
flames of fire, tongues of the nations, inspired speaking and a condition that
appeared as drunkenness. My friend, if
you’re spirit-filled and baptized in the fire, you know it. There’s evidence of it in you. Boldness!
Authority! Fruits! Gifts!
Discernment! And a deep, deep
inner witness and love for the Baptizer.
In times like these, you must be baptized in the Holy Spirit in similar
fashion as they were in the upper room at Pentecost. Ask, then tarry in his presence until you
receive the empowerment that he will love to give you.
4) “He Will Turn Many
To Yahweh” – We Must Likewise Be an Evangelical People
The work of evangelization is the work of
reconciliation – bringing together god and human – and human and human. The goal of the entire endeavor of preparing
a people for Yahweh is atonement and unity – not the kind of strained
unity achieved by church councils and conferences, where liberal and
conservatives find enough common ground to protect their financial and
intellectual investment. No, this is theocratic
unity – we subordinate our wishes to Yahweh and his Law for His purposes;
and we teach others to do likewise so that when Yahshua comes out of hiding in
a couple months, he’ll find faith – a people prepared! A people at one. A people who are veterans in fighting the
spiritual battle against all forces that destroy peace. And a generation of spirit-filled young
children to carry on.
John was baptizing out at Bethany Beyond
Jordan – that’s on the West Bank outside
Those were the days, my friend. In our land of plenty, in our rich churches,
in our metropolitan communities, there’s too much competition for the mind and
body. Too many ball games. Too many great TV specials. Too many so-called spirit-filled churches
where entertainment is king. Too many
hospitals – the center of entertainment for many. Too many substitutes for the real thing. Too many replacements for that inner
void. Too many foul spirits to fill in
where they have no business. Oh, if we
were an impoverished people – if we were given the gift of paucity – if
our community was afflicted with penury – if we found ourselves suddenly
in poverty, then they’d come out, come out of Babylon to where there’s
living water. Because we live in the
golden age of our society, our task of evangelization is made all the more
difficult.
But people may still come out to see a
miracle. This fellowship has the
makings of a miracle ministry if somebody will get excited. That’s another characteristic of John’s
prophetic ministry.
5) “John Will Go In The
Power Of Elijah” – We Can Be a Powerful People
Yahshua proclaimed John the Elijah of
his day. The first Elijah worked during
the reign of King Ahab, who mixed the worship of Yahweh with that of Asherah
and Baal. Ahab made a graven image of
Yahweh in the form of a golden calf; then he married Yahweh off to
Asherah, the Christmas Tree. Read
about it in 1 Kings 16:30ff. Jezebel came along from Sidonia and brought
her own goddesses and priests. Ahab
proclaimed that Yahweh and Baal were the same god – a “god of many names” –
married to Asherah, the Christmas Tree.
The name “Jezebel” means, “Yahweh is Baal.” Obviously, Elijah had to minister the true
word in quite a lonely fashion within a perverse but so-called “inclusive”
environment of exciting worship services and religious celebrities. As a lone voice in the wilderness of sin, he
challenged the absurdity of these pontifical pronouncements and took on the
ecclesiastical and political establishment of his day. You know his story. Elijah won great victories, but ended up in
the fetal position of fear in the belly of a dank cave.
John also took on the Ahab and Jezebel of
his day – King Herod and Queen Herodias.
Herodias had been married to Herod’s brother Philip, but now Herod had
her. This was a blatant break with the
Law that Herod himself had established.
He put himself above his law and above that of Yahweh, and John
denounced him publicly as a profaner of true worship and an impostor. John was not only a religious giant, but a
political challenger.
Elijah was known for his overt
miracles. When he mastered the prophets
of Baal, fire flew from heaven. On the
other hand, John wasn’t a miracle worker in that sense. He had a different gift. He was able to persuade people of every
stripe to repent and believe – an Elijah-type performing internal
miracles.
Elijah went off with Yahweh. John died.
Power has a different meaning in our dispensation than in that of
Law. Power today means internal
fortitude – spiritual authority – supernatural ability. And for us, such power comes only through our
own surrender. For even when
we’re at ebb, Yahweh’s at high tide. We
are a people of his pasture, the sheep of his hand; and through his hand,
we are a powerful, miracle-working people no matter what our physical
state.
6) “John Will Turn The
Hearts Of The Fathers to the Children” – People Will Expect More From Us
I heard a psychologist recently say that the
most valuable three words she can offer some patients are: “Get over it!” She said, “You’d be amazed how that works
when spoken with authority. Some even
return to me totally changed.” This
psychologist hands over her authority to the powerless patient. So through an objective strength and strong
permission, she’s empowered the weak.
People should come to expect that same from every spirit-filled believer
– a sharing of power.
In a very mystical way, Yahshua did the same
thing with his disciples as the culmination of their formal education:
John
20:21-23. Jesus said, “Be at peace. As the Father has sent me, I send you.” He breathed on them, and said, “Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven; if you retain them, they are retained.”
To fulfill this kind of
awesome responsibility, these boys and girls had to “forget about themselves,
concentrate on him and worship him.” His
concerns became theirs. His
responsibility became theirs. His
authority was dispensed with his permission to use that authority.
To forgive sins was thought to be the
auspices of G-d only. Imagine the burden
of this kind of empowerment – and the illegality – the risk. No matter their personal idiosyncrasies,
hindrances, baggages, oppressions, in light of the universal message of eternal
salvation, they just had to get beyond themselves. They had to “get over it” so that they could
get on to their mission.
I think of the lame man at the Beautiful
Gate. Scripture says that when Peter and
John came past, he looked at them with expectation of receiving. And receive he did – but he didn’t get the
crumb he expected, he received much, much more.
Likewise, you and I, by the virtue of being together in this place,
receiving the word and sacrament, and going forth to serve, are labeled. We are a people called by the title of
Yahshua. Everybody knows who you
represent and what kind of person you claim to be simply because you sit in
this place. As a Christian, you owe
everybody a little something of you.
Maybe it’s time for you to get beyond whatever keeps you from being the
fervent personal witness that forgives and retains sins. People are looking up to us, expecting
something. We should give them far more than
they expect. We must give our petty
problem and fleshly thorns over to him and get on with our business of
preparing the way.
7) “John Will Turn The
Disobedient” – Finally, We Must Be a People of Righteous Judgment
When Yahshua spoke to the unconverted
masses, he said, “Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1). But when
he spoke to the religious, he said, “Judge with righteous judgment” (John
7:24).
The ability to forgive and retain sins is based on right judgment because
the confessor becomes an advocate between the sinner and the perfect Father in
heaven.
Paul interprets judgment in an even more
assertive way –
Ephesians 5:11-17 (excerpts). Take no part in the unfruitful works of
darkness, but instead expose them.
When anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything
that becomes visible is light. Look
carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the
most of the time, because the days are evil.
Do not be foolish, but understand the will of Yahweh.
We must be judgmental and
judge, exposing evil at every turn.
However, in order to do this, we must first understand the will of the
Most High.
Earlier in the month, the General Conference
of the United Methodist Church took place in Pittsburgh. On the agenda was yet another bill to alter
church law to include homosexuality as compatible with Christian teaching, and
thus vindicate bishops of the church who appoint self-avowed, practicing
homosexuals to the clergy, and clergy people who perform same-sex
marriages. The constitutional change was
again avoided, but by a small margin.
Later in the Conference, five hundred members of a homosexual advocacy
group marched into the Conference hall and disrupted the proceedings for twenty
minutes. 500 marched in! No authority in
that Christian body said a word – on the contrary, the bishop-in-charge thanked
the demonstrators as they exited.
Overt homosexuality in the pulpit may or may
not be compatible with Christian teaching – that depends on the vote. Overt homosexuality in the pulpit is
definitely incompatible with the Bible, which should be the standard of
morality rather than “Christian teaching.”
Those same ones who so vocally affirm the letter of the Ten
Commandments, who so vocally disdain the practices of corrupt bishops and
perverse clergy persons, these same are silent when right judgment is required.
The Millennium Mission
We are to be a people who know right from
wrong. My friend, if you stay the course
and endure until the end, ¿don’t you know that you’ll judge angels? We must put our minds to the Law of Yahweh
and learn of our mission when Yahshua makes his public appearance. Some here will be judges in that great
Millennium, others, legislatures. Some
will be teachers and preachers, lawyers and advocates, administrators and
theologians. Some will be the parents
and others will be children. It will be
a great day, and it’s coming soon, for if he’s not stolen in like a thief
already, he’s even at the door.
Are you a people preparing? A great and serious people? A spirit-filled and evangelical people? A powerful people able to bestow miraculous
gifts? A people of righteous
judgment? Are we a people prepared? Say, yes. Yes! Yes!
He’s coming in power! We’ll hail the blessed hour! We shall see the King when he comes!
LITANY:
THE SEVENFOLD PRAYER FOR THE MILLENNIUM
Pray
for:
The
Parousia of Yahshua
The
Return of Torah
All
Saints and Martyrs
Peace
in Jerusalem
The
Nations of the Earth
Equitable
Justice for All Creation
The
Kingdom Manifest on Earth