Crying In The Wilderness

The prophet Isaiah (8th century BC) foretold the coming of a forerunner to Jesus Christ in the following words:
A voice of one calling In the wilderness
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3)

Isaiah’s 700 Year Prophecy – Gabriel

About 700 years later, an elderly, childless priest of Jehovah named Zecharaiah was ministering in the temple at Jerusalem when the angel Gabriel appeared standing at the right side of the altar. Gabriel spoke:

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17)

Zecharaiah was filled with doubt, because on the facts before him this was a most unlikely happening – both he and his wife were old. So he questioned the angel, who spoke the message again and then added,
“And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Ouch! It doesn’t do to doubt the word of the Lord!

Gabriel’s Prophecy Goes Ahead

So Zechariah was struck dumb – but the prophecy’s fulfillment continued. And when the promised child was born, Zecharaiah remained unable to speak until a controversy arose about naming the child. Then Zecharaiah called for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John,” and at that moment he was able to speak again.

John grew up, and “developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.” (Luke 1:80)

John The Baptist and Jesus

Meantime. Elizabeth’s cousin, Miriam, had given birth to a boy named Jesus – and John was to be His harbinger (forerunner). John’s special ministry was to preach repentance to a nation spiritually in the wilderness, because their religious leaders, instead of leading the people in the spirit, had sold out to ‘The Law’ (Pharisees) and Mammon (Saducees).

In due course, “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:1-3)

Note, Luke is very precise about the timing. Thanks to a number of excellent, contemporary Roman historians, the facts he quotes here can be verified historically to provide the dating for these events.

“People’s hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah.” (Luke 3:15)

John replied:
“I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17)

When Jesus began His ministry, John recognized Him publicly, and the story of Jesus being baptized by John is one of the best-known passages of the New Testament.

The Ultimate Fulfillment of John’s Prophecy

John The Baptist’s prophecy about Jesus is still in the process. At the end of Jesus’ 3 years of ministry, He foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit upon believers (John 14:21, Acts 2:1-4), and gave ‘the Great Commission’ to go forth and preach the Gospel.

When Jesus returns again, (Matthew 24:30-31) He will return not only as Victor, but as Judge – and “His winnowing fork will be in his hand”. [my edit]

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I Make All Things New

new-lion If there is one message that comes consistently through most of the prophetic utterances of recent months, it is this: God is moving in a new way – he is opening up the Kingdom Age upon this earth, releasing new change, doing new things, and breaking bondages.

These prophecies, and recent events around the world, are an exciting confirmation that our God is truly the master creator, that He has not finished (and never will finish) creating, that man was made and called to work with Him, and that He has not taken His hand off the wheel – although there are times when, in our limited perception, He seems to have forsaken us.

These prophecies are also a vindication of many years of prayer by spirit-filled intercessors world wide. Why should that be?

We need to remember our beginnings: that God created us to manage His creation, to walk with Him in the cool of the day to strategize, and plan, and fellowship. Making a huge investment in man, He also limited Himself by arranging our relationship so that the exercise of His power on earth needs the acquiescence (ie prayers) of His people to fully release it. If you doubt me on this, Dutch Sheets’ excellent book “Intercessory Prayer” is regarded by many as the best guide and explanation out there, as to why intercession is so important.

As an example, check out 1 Kings 18 where God used His prophet Elijah to deal with the wicked king Ahab:
“And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.” (1 Kings 18:1-2) We know from James 5:17-18 that this drought and famine had been brought on 3 years previously by Elijah’s prayers at God’s request. The story continues:

“And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is that you, the one who troubles Israel?

And he answered, I haven’t troubled Israel; but you, and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed the idols of Baal.

Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.” (1 Kings 18:17-19)

There follows a test of strength between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal, to prove whether Baal or Jehovah is the true god. This is a must read at 1 Kings 18:20-40, and it culminates in the total defeat of Baal and the vindication of Jehovah.

So the people are overcome, and turn from their wicked ways. Now comes the illustration of intercessory prayer to restore rain upon the land:

“And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, [the birthing position]

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again – seven times [seven is God’s number of perfection and completion].

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.

And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” (1 Kings 42-46)

Why would God limit Himself to needing man’s prayers in this way? For one big reason – He wanted that relationship, that fellowship, that companionship – and He wanted it freely given by beings with a choice. He did not want to work with a bunch of robots and He didn’t want to rule the world like a despot – and if we imagine ourselves in His situation, we can most certainly buy into that. It is a beautiful plan.

God has a vision of what He wants in eternity, and it includes man – a redeemed man – working alongside and fellowshipping with Him, and it has taken the sacrifice of Jesus to make that possible.

So we need to remember that it is not God, but man, who delays the fulfillment of this great partnership.

In the Book of Revelation, John wrote:
“ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:5)

This is God’s promise for the future – the end times future. But I believe it also has relevance right now, when He is getting ready to pour out His spirit on the earth and we can expect renewal, restoration and change in many things, including the churches – and great revivals.

We need to be open-minded enough to accept change, and the new ways God is revealing Himself to people on this earth, because THAT is changing radically. We also need to press forward with intercessory prayer to enable the fulfillment of God’s plans for renewal at this present time.

Go, prayer warriors, go!!

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Blessings,

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I Will

“I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth…

“If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

“They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.”

Revelation 11: 3, 5-6.

It is thought that these Two Witnesses when they come will be the reincarnations of Elijah and Moses (or Enoch). They will be God’s final outpouring to turn people to Him before the end. Once their work is done, the Antichrist will be able to kill them, and their bodies will be left lying in the streets of Jerusalem for 3 days. They will then revive and be taken up in the sight of all onlookers, as proof of the validity of their message and works. (Revelation 11:11-13)

The timing of the arrival of these two witnesses is as yet uncertain but it will not occur until after the Antichrist has made his appearance.