Today's Devotional

"The Call of John the Baptist"

 We all have it.

^15-17 “He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.” Luke 1:15-17 (MSG)

When I read this today God immediately spoke to me. This is my call as well. If we read what the Angel tells Zachariah about his son John the baptist we find that in preparing the way for Christ's first coming, he was a representative of those who are to prepare a people for our Lord's second coming. 

Lets break this verse up.

ABSTINENCE

"He’ll drink neither wine nor beer." As young people or even in our adult lives one of the greatest temptations is to to what the world does. The problem is that when we are young lets face it, we think we are INVINCIBLE. When we take a look into the world, fun HAS to go together with drinking alcohol. But we are called to be misfits. We will not join the "fun" this world has to offer. That "fun" can kill you while your driving. It will cause you to stay home all day the next day vomiting with a huge headache. It can leave you pregnant. So many things alcohol brings, exactly why we should never indulge in activities like this.

FILLED

"He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb." We have to know one thing everyday when we wake up, WE ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT! He lives inside of you. The moment you received Jesus in your life He came to live inside of you. Repeat and believe this every morning "I am filled with the Holy Spirit" your life will never be the same. We must make sure we STAY filled by praying, congregating, and reading Gods word.

EVANGELISM

"He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God." One of the greatest callings you have in your life is to bring people to God. So many lost souls in the world that need you to speak to them about Jesus. We cannot sleep on this calling, WE MUST WIN SOULS for the kingdom of God. If not the devil will.

POWER AUTHORITY AND WISDOM

He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics. Authority is something we must have to conquer this world for Christ. We must understand that we are sons and daughters of the most high. When people see the confidence and authority in the way you speak they will see something different. That difference will bring them to God. It is awesome to see when homes and families are restored. Whether you are with the youth or with the adults, bringing families together and restoring the hearts of the parents and children is one of our callings. The bible says if one lacks wisdom to ask God. There will always be skeptics and people with doubts that will come against you. We must show that we have wisdom! Read the word of God, read books, and get to know God intimately in your prayer time. You will be amazed at the things God tells you! Matter of fact this post is fruit of that!

Something to think about!

The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel. Luke 1:80 (MSG)

  

In the natural order of things, the son of Zacharias would have been educated for the priesthood. But the training in rabbi schools would have unfitted him for his work. God did not send him to the teachers of theology to learn how to interpret the Scriptures. He called him to the desert, that he might learn of nature and nature's God.  

It was in this lonely desert where he found his home. But it was his choice to forgo the enjoyments and luxuries of life for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial.

WE ARE CALLED TO BE LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST. Jesus is coming soon and our job is to prepare his coming and get the people ready.

People, GET READY!

I hope this post encourages you to keep moving forward, keep seeking God, keep winning souls. You have a GREAT calling. Shalom, I'm out.

A Revelation

"The Knife & The Lemon" PT.2

THE LEMONADE

Part 2 of this amazing revelation will completely change your life. After sharing my first revelation of "The Knife & The Lemon" I received in morning prayer, one of my friends who read it received yet another revelation. I would love to share what the Holy Spirit spoke to his life and mine as well. 

If you notice when the juice inside of the lemon gets sqeezed out it's sour. Now ofcourse we all know that "in the moment" sin may seem a bit satisfying (to the flesh) but in the end its SOUR. Let's check out what the first part of Romans 6:23.

For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Sin is so SOUR that it will ultimately bring DEATH physically and spiritually.

Now why is this post called the lemonade? Keep reading! Lets check out the second part of Romans 6:23.

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV) 

The gift of eternal life is the SWEETEST thing I've ever encountered in my life. I mean it is the greatest news a sinner can receive. It is like a dying cancer patient receiving news that he/she no longer has cancer and will live!

So by now you might of guessed. I'm making a lemonade out of all of this. Now that we have the lemon juice and sugar we need the pitcher and some water. The pitcher represents your life. God has a calling for your life. You are the one that decides what goes in the pitcher.

Last but not least the water. The bible says Jesus gives us the water. If we receive the water he gives us we will never thirst.

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14 (NIV)

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart. John 7:38 (NLT) 

In our pitcher we need water. We need Jesus daily! We need to fill our lives with God. In John 4:14 it says the water we receive from him will well up to eternal life. THIS HAS TO BE OUR DAILY DESIRE. Living a life that will be rewarded with eternal life. Yes Jesus saved us on the cross when he died for our sins and resurrected on the 3rd day. But our salvation CAN be lost. We have to fill our lives daily with God. Believe me there is NO BETTER THING! Our life can be so much better by just living a life pleasing God. I have experienced this myself.

In the end what we have prepared is a delicious lemonade on a HOT day. 

God will turn your past of sin (the sour) into a testimony when the gospel and salvation come into your ears and heart (the sugar). When your life (the pitcher) is full of God (the water) a lemonade will be ready to serve. 

Follow my friend and brother Jose Diaz who helped me with this PT 2. His blog is awesome!  http://www.itsjosebro.blogspot.com/