Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 25
Wednesday


INSIGNIFICANT

READ:
Luke 3:2-6,15-18
______________________________________________________________________________________

The Word of God
came to John the son
of Zacharias in the
wilderness. __Luke 3:2
___________________________________________________________________________________

Movers and shakers" are people climbing the ladder of influence and success. Luke 3 mentions seven prominent leaders who exercised control in the society of their time. Roman Emperor Tiberias Caesar held the power of life and death over people in his far-flung empire. Pontius pilate represented Rome as governor of Judea; while Herod, Philip, and Lysanias kept people in line at the regional evel. Annas and Caiaphas served as hight priests, taking their religious authority seriously.

While these power brokers flexed their political muscles, "the Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness" (v.2). Who could seem less important than this obscure man living in the desert and listening for God's voice? What could John the Batpist possibly accomplish by "preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins"? (v.3). Yet multitudes came to John seeking truth, turning from their wrongs, and wondering if he could be the messiah (vv.7,15). John told them, "One mightier than I is coming....He will baptize you with the Holy Soirit and fire" (v.16).

John's life helps us understand what it means to be significant in God's eyes. Like John, may everything we say and do point others to Jesus. __David McCasland

```````````````Lord, help us to surrender our desire for influence``````````````
``````````````and success to You. May our heart's desire ever be``````````````
```````````````````to be used by You to further Your kingdom.```````````````
```````````````````Make our lives a living testimony of You.``````````````````
________________________________________________________________________________________
Our surrender to God precedes His
significant work in our life.

**************************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 3:2-6,15-18*************************

2 While Annas and
Caiaphas were high priests,
the word of God came to
John the son of Zacharias in
the wilderness. 3 And he
went into all the region
around the Jordan,
preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission
of sins. 4 As it is written in
the book of the words of
Isaiah the prophet, saying:
The voice of one crying
in the wilderness: 'Prepare
the way of the Lord; make
His paths straight. 5 Every
valley shall be filled and
every mountain and hill
brought low; the crooked
places shall be made
straight and the rough ways
smooth; 6 and all flesh shall
see the salvation of
God.' "...

15 Now as the people were
in expectation, and all
reasoned in their hearts
about John, whether he was
the Christ or not, 16 John
answered, saying to all, "I
indeed baptize you with
water, but one mightier
than I is coming, whose
sandal strap I am not
worthy to loose. He will
baptize you with the holy
Spirit and fire. 17 His
winnowing fan is in His
hand, and He will
thoroughly clean out His
threshing floor, and gather
the wheat into His barn;
but the chaff He will burn
with unquenchable fire."

18 and with many other
exhortations he preached
to the people.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

John the Baptist's greatness was prophesied by an angel before he
was born. The angel told his father that he would be great in the
sight of the Lord, be filled with the Holy Spirit even in the womb,
and when he grew to be a man would minister powerfully (Luke
1:13-17). Jesus called John the greatest of all prophets (7:28).