Pick someone you admire who isn’t a family member. It could be a sports hero, business person, politician, star of the screen or stage, performer, scientist, teacher. It could be a pastor, writer, evangelist, speaker. It could be your future husband or wife on your wedding day. You choose.
Now, let’s say you were going to have a personal, intimate, confab with this individual. Not just a quick pass-by and wave, but an actual conversation, dinner, travel time together, etc. And, it was going to happen tomorrow.
What would you do? Would you pull out your best outfit (or buy something new)? Would you press your clothes? Would you take a bath or shower? Would you fix up your appearance? If you had the time and money/access, would you call in the hair and makeup people.
This was the role of John the Baptist. But instead of focusing only on the outside appearances, he was equally focused on an inward transformation. He called people to get prepared. To wash away not only the dirt and grime, but also their sins. To repent and be baptized, to be washed and prepared to meet the coming messiah.
He knew the promise of God and He saw the grime that sin placed on the hearts and souls of people. He cared not for himself alone, but for every person who might be called.
That meant he spent his days and nights on the outskirts, calling others to repentance, up to his waist in the waters.
How are you living like John the Baptist? Have you grown from the one being called into the water, to one of the workers standing firmly in the Living Water of faith in Jesus Christ? Are you willing to forgo your own self to save others?
John the Baptist wasn’t just a historical figure, he was an example of someone whose purpose in life was to know God, love God, enjoy God and glorify Him. Don’t you want the same?
My Answers:
10.
a.
To be a witness. To set straight the path. To call people to repentance.
b.
To grow in my relationship with God to be able to witness to others in thought, word and action and to be an instrument to reflect His light into the world
11.
Jesus alone occupied a place in heaven prior to entering this world as a flesh and bones human. He alone returned to that place of majesty
The Notes are Good 