By Andrew Williams – January 3, 2022
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:11 HCSB
Good morning fellow disciples.
We see John proclaiming that he was not the Christ. We see John saying that he baptized with water for repentance, but there is one who’s coming after him who is greater than him, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Many persons thought that John was the Messiah, that he was the anointed one, the one that they had all been waiting for. John knew otherwise. John knew that he was just the forerunner to Jesus Christ, and that his role was to prepare persons for the message of the Kingdom of God.
He did not take any credit for himself. In fact, he pointed persons to the one who would come after him. Even though he might not have known who Jesus Christ was, he knew that when he baptized Him and saw the Spirit of God coming down on Him, then that would identify the Messiah.
In today’s society, many of us belong to religious organizations or churches. We preach and teach a lot of doctrines that speak about living the good life or living the holy life. However, many times our focus is not on pointing persons to Jesus Christ, it is about pointing persons toward living lives that are acceptable in the sight of others.
As we examine ourselves today the question that I have to ask is this: Are you pointing persons to Jesus Christ or are you pointing persons to a church, a denomination, or to a religious organization?
As you ponder this question may you find out what your hearts desire is. Is it to point persons to Jesus or is it to point persons to a church where they can attend?
Let us pray.
Prayer: Father God, like John, I look to You and I say thank You for giving me my role here in Your Kingdom. It’s not about me, it’s about Your son!
I will point everyone that I know to Him! I will speak about Him! I will preach about Him! I will teach about Him! I will lead persons to Him so that they can be saved, so that they can be delivered, and so that they can be healed of their infirmities!
I pray, Father God, that as I live my life, and as I speak Your word, that others will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I pray that they will remain focused on Him and on what He has said and what He continues to say through His Holy Spirit, who is living in us, Amen.