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Preaching with Power, April 18
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 3:1,
2
, R.S.V.
John the Baptist in his desert life was taught of God. He studied the
revelations of God in nature. Under the guiding of the Divine Spirit, he
studied the scrolls of the prophets. By day and by night, Christ was his
study, his meditation, until mind and heart and soul were filled with the
glorious vision.
He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was lost sight of.
He beheld the majesty of holiness and knew himself to be inefficient and
unworthy. It was God’s message that he was to declare. It was in God’s
power and His righteousness that he was to stand. He was ready to go forth
as Heaven’s messenger, unawed by the human, because he had looked upon
the Divine. He could stand fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs
because with trembling he had bowed before the King of kings.
With no elaborate arguments or finespun theories did John declare
his message. Startling and stern, yet full of hope, his voice was heard
from the wilderness: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 3:2
. With a new, strange power it moved the people. The whole
nation was stirred. Multitudes flocked to the wilderness....
In this age, just prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of
heaven, such a work as that of John is to be done. God calls for men who
will prepare a people to stand in the great day of the Lord.... As a people who
believe in Christ’s soon appearing, we have a message to bear—“Prepare
to meet thy God.”
Amos 4:12
. Our message must be as direct as was the
message of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding that
his life was imperiled, he did not hesitate to declare God’s word. And our
work in this age must be done as faithfully.
In order to give such a message as John gave, we must have a spiritual
experience like his. The same work must be wrought in us. We must behold
God, and in beholding Him lose sight of self.
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