Read Matthew 3 Here --> ESV, KJV
In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” - Matthew 3:1
There is nothing attractive about John’s message. It was raw to the core and not designed to please people or make them feel better about themselves. It was a clear, unmistakable warning that judgment was coming, but God would save those who turned to Him in faith.
John's message was solid. He did not flaunt, favor and flatter anyone. His message was never intended to affirm anyone's self-righteousness space. God spoke to Prophet Isaiah about Him, 700 some years ago, to deliver the people of Israel, to pave way to announce the arrival of the Lord, and to let the people know that they must take this message seriously. The people were suppose to prepare themselves for the soon coming Savior by repenting of their sin.
John’s message was received both positively and negatively. Thousands flocked to Him and was moved to repentance and was baptized. The Spirit of God persuaded and caused them to pay careful attention to his words. When John preached that the judgment of God was coming, they felt the weight of their sins, and knew the terror of those facing the holy judgment of God.
But the Pharisees and Sadducees were very different. The pharisees were the self-righteous men who thought they don't need to repent and the Sadducees were the liberals, who denied life after death and there is no judgement. They did not receive John's word at all. It impacted them poorly and negatively.
To repent is all about turning our heart to God, and making room for God in our lives. It means to actually stop doing the things for which we are sorry, or start doing the things that we are sorry that we don’t do. Repentance requires action.
Either way, our mission, as a follower of Christ, is clearly to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to believe and to repent of their sins. We don't have to worry if they received it or not, It is the work of the Holy Spirit to persuade them of their wicked ways and to help them turn back to God. We just obey God in what we are called to do diligently and faithfully. There is no time to waste people-pleasing. If you think you are called to Share the truth of the Gospel to the ends of the earth, then do it immediately.
So here is the Highlight: When you follow Jesus, you are bound to his death and his resurrection. When you follow Jesus, you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit who empowers, equips, purifies, strengthens, inspires, convicts, and transforms.
2000 years ago the way to prepare for the Lord was to repent, that is still the case today. We must with the help of the Holy Spirit, examine our lives and continue to repent and that we grow in our likeness of Christ for his glory every single day. The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Repent and believe the good news. Prepare to receive the Son of God, Jesus Christ, into your heart. Amen. God bless.
PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for blessing me with the wonderful truth of your gospel. Thank you that your word speaks with truth and grace. It is life-giving. It brings healing, comfort, peace, joy and love for those who believe. Bless me to be effective in the mission of sharing your truth to those around me. Help me to have the boldness and courage to speak about repentance and the Kingdom of God. I pray your Holy Spirit to lead me. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
REFLECT: How do you feel about repentance? How can we encourage each other to prepare through repentance? How do we prepare the way for the Lord today?
If you missed reading the Daily Devotion for Matthew 1 Go Here. God Bless
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Daily Devotion Written by: Team I Love Psalms
One Year Reading through The New Testament Plan - This is the Bible App Plan, which we started this year, January 1st, 2023 and ends on December 31st, 2023. This plan helps us to read through the entire New testament. Here is the link: BIBLE APP if you want to join us, but it has a limit to only 150 participants. In case, you missed joining and being part of our circle, we post Daily Devotion Written by: Team I Love Psalms sharing from each New Testament chapters all year through (365 Days). You can read them here and start your Devotion with us, so you won't miss out with us at all. Once you read through the chapters for each day, you are more than welcome to share your thoughts and comments below to encourage each other daily. Thank you. God bless.
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