“He will baptize you with The Holy Spirit and Fire”  John 3:11(b)

The literal and practical outcome of our baptism “With The Holy Spirit and With Fire” is found in the book of Joshua and it shows us how we enter a Kingdom Relationship with Him.

Joshua 1:3 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.

4 “From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.

5 “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

v8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

These prophetic words of God show us HOW WE CAN ENTER INTO A PRACTICAL KINGDOM RELATIONSHIP with Him.

Again, we are told, in John 6:31-35  “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’”

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.   “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him

 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.

“This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

“I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

These prophetic words of Jesus tell us HOW WE CAN ENTER INTO A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM RELATIONSHIP with Him.

Jesus is telling us that His Baptism of believers “With The Holy Spirit and with Fire” requires that His Word permeate every part of your being: body, soul, mind and spirit.  You are called to continue His Works until He returns to consummate the age.  This His Command and this is your calling!

This command is NOT A METAPHOR or is it HYPERBOLE.  THIS COMMAND IS LITERAL! 

For this to happen, for you and I to obey Jesus’ Command and to respond to our calling, we must do as John (and Jesus) say, and “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

The Kingdom of Heaven, The “Basileia”, is of royal power, kingship, dominion and rule, the right or authority to rule over a kingdom.  It is the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah and of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom.

It is at hand, “Eggizo”, the Greek words which means it is so near that is joined as one thing to another.  In other words, nearer than is your wrist to your hand.  This word refers to the crook of your arm or a curl as in a wave.  It is near, it is active and powerful, it can overpower and you can be joined to This Kingdom.  You can enter into it, or better understood, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU!  (Luke 17:21)

Jesus is revealing the location of His Kingdom which is accessible – but only for the few who are willing.  Jesus  makes no secret of it, yet, not many will understand and fewer yet will be willing to follow Him and enter His Kingdom.  (“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”)  Matthew 7:14

As the word of The Kingdom spread, questions began to surface.  “Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; (v21)  nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in within you.”  Luke 17:20

You can only imagine the consternation created, especially among the religious ruling elite.  They must have asked, “Is Jesus saying that Heaven has come down to earth?”  And, in the minds of the Pharisees, they wondered “who is this Jesus and what gives Him the right to say these things?”

These same questions and this same controversy persist until this day.  For example, many of the contemporary Bible translations or versions, purposefully and deliberately changed the Greek-to-English translation of Luke 17:20-21,

from saying…

“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in within you.”  

to saying…

“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” 

“In your midst” is a deliberate misquote and a deliberate misinterpretation of God’s literal Word which should read “Within you”!  They are miles apart in meaning and will have the effect of misleading and misdirecting a Believer from his or her ultimate goal in serving God.

In this day and age, The Kingdom of God is at hand and Jesus will baptize the willing believer with The Holy Spirit and with Fire. 

“Now therefore arise, you and all this people, cross this Jordan, to the land which I have given to you.

“Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.

“From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.  (The land God promised)

“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

Read these words, drink them in, consume them.  Now, GO!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

 

WHAT DOES THIS SAY?

“Bear Fruit in keeping with repentance”: 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

This is the “Gateway to Safety and Freedom”.  I will almost guarantee you that most have never heard this verse taught or preached in any detail.  Why is that? 

Going forward in some church building, whispering or whimpering some ‘magic words’ which we call “the sinner’s prayer” is not going to save you.  Oh, it might be a ‘first step’, but, until you “Bear Fruit in keeping with repentance”, you are not safe.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?

Have you ever heard this before?  “Please, bow your heads and close your eyes and repeat this prayer after me. 

“I know that I am a sinner.  I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.  I ask you to come into my heart.  I promise to serve you to the best of my ability. Please save me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“For all who prayed this prayer, CONGRATULATIONS!  You are NOW, a child of God!!  (Congregational applause)  Please pick up some literature after our service.  It will tell you what to do next.”

It is called, “The Sinner’s Prayer”.  But, is It Biblical?  And, is it enough to save your soul and get you into heaven?  The Sinners prayer – is it biblical?

Is it enough, to utter a scripted prayer, and expect a magical transformation of your life and a free pass to heaven?

Perhaps this little mimicked prayer, almost like an incantation, will get you thinking about salvation, but, the Bible seems to consider this a more serious matter and addresses it a bit differently.

The Bible and Jesus say there has to be a commitment to follow Jesus in His teachings and His commandments.

The facts are that neither Jesus nor His disciples ever used a “sinner’s prayer” to induce people to follow Jesus.

And, neither Jesus nor His disciples minced their words on this important matter.  They just gave it straight, and then you either dropped what you were doing, what you had been, and followed Him – or not. 

So, what are you to do?  Has Jesus changed His mind about how we are to follow Him and become a Christian?

Additionally, and more importantly, the Bible tells us, in Matthew 4:17  “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repentance, a necessary step for Salvation, refers to an emotional change, and to a change of choice and has reference to particulars for one’s entire life.  Repentance signifies only regret, even amounting to remorse.  In a Christian sense, repentance is a reversal of moral purpose, a change of attitude and behavior to the teaching of model of Jesus.

Another example of the seriousness of this matter is found in Philippians 2:12 which says,

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling…”

Being saved is not just a simple prayer, repeated at the urging or insistence of someone else. It requires a serious commitment to follow Jesus and to accept a radical change in our life.  And, once prayed, it is someone’s responsibility to then disciple, walk with the person who is seeking salvation in discipleship.

Finally, and most importantly, Jesus told us at least a couple of things we are to BE and what we are to BE DOING while we wait for His return:

1.  Matthew 10:7  “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Verse 8. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

a)  Verse 9. “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, Verse 10. or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

b) Verse 11. “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. Verse 12. “As you enter the house, give it your greeting. Verse 13. “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.

c) Verse 14. “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Verse 15. “Truly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

2.  Verse 18. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Verse 19. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

a)  Verse 20. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

WE THE CHURCH  have been warned by Jesus

“Matthew 7:21  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Verse 22. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Verse 23. “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’  

We, THE CHURCH, need to get to the Gospel Message and the Teachings of Jesus and make disciples in the likeness of Him.  We have drifted far and are now at great risk.

                     A PROPHECY FOR TODAY – Part 3

Matthew 3:7, says, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

Suppose with me, that you were sent to deliver a message, a warning of a pending disaster, to a specific group of people.   And, you were tasked with getting them ready to escape a coming disaster.  How soon would you tell them?

Also, would you be busy warning people who would not encounter the disaster, or would you spend your time warning those who would be affected?  This is a simple, if not a silly question, isn’t it?  No one in their right mind would waste time telling someone to flee a coming disaster if it was not going to affect them!

John the Baptist is warning and preparing those who would be affected by the wrath to come.  And, he was wondering who had warned the Pharisees and Sadducees – the brood of vipers – who were coming for baptism, to flee from the wrath to come.

There are two important messages here:

1.  The “coming wrath” was immanent!  In fact, it would begin within just a few years of John’s warning.  And, it began as Jesus said, “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”  And, these birth pangs continue to this day!  And, they are intensifying as we near the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal.

This has not been our only warning. 

The period of the breaking or opening of the first FIVE Tribulation Seals, which began between around A.D. 33 is also referred to THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS or the LAST DAYS.

John the Baptist began warning about this period in or around A.D. 27, the time of Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus calls this period the LAST DAYS or the END OF THE AGE in Matthew 24:3-8

The Apostle Peter calls this period the LAST DAYS in Acts 2:16-17

The Apostle Paul calls this period THESE LAST DAYS in Hebrews 1:1-2

The Apostle Peter again reminds us THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS in 2 Peter

The Bible tells about the END OF DAYS and the Tribulation.  It is important to know that the Tribulation period actually is called by three prominent, although variant names: 

(a)  The Beginning of Sorrows, Birth Pangs, The End of The Age or the Last Days

(b)  The Tribulation also known as The End of Days 

(c) The GREAT Tribulation also know as the Wrath of God or the Wrath of the Lamb.

2.  This warning was for the “children of God” only.   You can know this since  John 1:10 tells us that “Jesus was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  v11  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  v12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name”.

And,  Matthew 13:10 tells us, “The disciples came and asked Jesus, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11  Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

YOU have been warned.  The time is near.  Are you ready?  (And, if you do not know what “being ready” entails, you are not ready.  BE WARNED! )

If you have concerns, please contact me and let’s talk.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Whitestonefellowship1@gmail.com

The Next Teaching from Matthew  3:8, Escape the Coming Wrath

(More reading on this subject: It Has Been Spoken)

(You can listen to this study on audio, and pause the audio to follow page links for important details, then, resume the audio when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of references and footnotes.)

Matthew3:4  Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Verse 5.  Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan;

Verse 6.  and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

The Bible can be easier to read with all the ‘new versions’ floating around.  And, assuming they are correctly written, you can begin to think you understand what the Bible is saying.

But, even that is not enough.  Unless you have the Holy Spirit and you see the Word in the correct context, you are still “seeing through a glass darkly”.  In the case of these verses, context is everything to understanding and to doing.

We are told that John is living in the wilderness, dressing in garments of camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey.  This is a description of first century poverty.  In reality, John is beyond being financially poor, he is destitute of any earthly possessions. 

So, why so much talk about poverty and the seeming conflict between wealth and poverty in the Bible?  Should we embrace poverty also?

Matthew 5:3, will give you understanding of the meaning of true poverty, its purpose and insights through context. 

We learn that,  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Again, Matthew 19:21  Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

And again in Mark10:17  “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Verse 18.  And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

Verse 19.  “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”

Verse 20.  And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.”

Verse 21.  Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Verse 22.  But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

Verse 23.  And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”

Verse 24.  The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

Verse 25.  “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Verse 26.  They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”

Verse 27.  Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Verse 28.  Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”

Verse 29.  Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,

Verse 30.  but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

John the Baptist is an example to us that it is possible to live and walk in the power, in the provision and in the presence of The Kingdom of God, while on earth. 

Setting your mind, your focus, on Earthly possessions effectively blocks access to Kingdom life.  If you dispute this, look at Jesus’ life and example and hear His Words again:  “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Everything you have is the result of how you think.  Very few come by their possessions by accident or happenstance.  People toil, day and night to earn and possess.  And this is what God is saying to you, “Think on Me.  Toil, day and night, to possess Me and my Greatest of all Gifts to you.”

Jeremiah 29:13 ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’

Matthew13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, Verse 46, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

It is not wealth or possessions, in and of themselves, which blocks access to Kingdom life and walking in His Authority.  IT IS THAT YOUR MIND IS SET ON THINGS OF THIS WORLD which blocks access.

Romans 7:6 says, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, Verse 7, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, Verse 8, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

 And finally,  Matthew 6:19 cautions us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Verse 20. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; Verse 21. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

 Verse 22. “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Verse 24. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve, (douleuo, Greek = be a slave to), God and wealth.

Poverty, difficulties, stress, lack, need and want are the trip wires at the doorway into the Kingdom of Heaven, placed there by God to assist us, to strip us of the obstacles preventing us access to the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Jesus has already said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that you will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

1.  Let go of your possessions of wealth, intellect, position, status or anything you treasure on earth and you will receive a hundred times as much NOW!  (If you cannot let go on your own, God will aid you, just don’t resist Him)

2.  You will also receive persecution.

3.   And, you will inherit Eternal life.

These are some of the greatest secrets contained in the Word of God.

Please, brothers and sisters in Christ, do not turn the Bible into a text book.  It is a portal into the Kingdom of God.  It contains all the mysteries of God, the earth and the entire cosmos, and it unlocks those mysteries. 

You have the opportunity to know by experience that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them!  This is WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU, NOW!

More to come.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

The Next Teaching:  A Brood of Vipers, (Matthew 3:7)

Previously:  A PROPHECY FOR TODAY – Matthew 3:2-3

(You can listen to this study on audio, and pause the audio to follow page links for important details, then, resume the audio when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of references and footnotes.)

Matthew 3:2, says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Verse 3.  “For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”

 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?

This is important to you because you must be ready for His Return.  Most protestant denominations have been taught that the tribulation period will begin at some future date and that all Christians, without exception, will be Raptured off the earth and into heaven.  They teach that if you have prayed ‘a sinner’s prayer’, nothing more is needed for you to avoid the coming tribulation and to go to heaven.  This is a false and dangerous message.

The Bible teaches, and we see this teaching here, that the “Days of Distress” also known as “The Birth Pangs” of the tribulation began in the early 1st century.  Earth and all its inhabitants will experience – and, already, have experienced – the opening or breaking of the first 5 Tribulation Seals. 

The 6th Tribulation Seal will signal the beginning of the Great and Terrible day of the Lord, the Rapture, followed by a half hour of silence in the heavens while the saints are sealed and found to be before the Throne of God, and the 144,000 of faithful Jews will be sealed.

However, if you are not found doing or to have been doing what Christ has commanded of all Christians, before His Return, you are is grave danger of being left behind and cast into the outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth!

The day of His return is very near.  There is likely little time left.   If you should die before that day, you are still accountable.

The Great Apostasy, found in the 5th Seal, has begun.  The revealing of the anti-Christ is all that is left to happen before Jesus Returns.

Matthew 3:1, says, “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,”

The spirit of Elijah, (John the Baptist), has come as prophesied.  (For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”) 

John’s preaching (kerusso, Greek) is one of authority to be a herald, to officiate as a herald to proclaim after the manner of a herald, always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed.

His message is, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  This message is the “golden key” for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

His method is, “I baptize you with water for repentance”.  This is the preparation for your salvation.

His missive is, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  This is your salvation and your calling.

John is announcing to you the Day of the Lord is now at hand.  John conducted his ministry with an eschatological authority that demanded immediate action. He taught that judgment is at hand.

Interestingly and importantly, Jesus is telling you that whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. And, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

John is still speaking, and he is pointing you to Jesus.  He is telling you that you must be baptized with water for repentance which requires that you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, so you will be saved, and you will escape the coming Day of God’s Wrath; for it is with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

Baptism is a form of binding.  Once you have believed, called on the name of the Lord, repented of your past life, the covenant of baptism is next.  Once that is completed, thankfully, God’s promises and covenants are permanent.  Make your decision and agree with another believer and make it permanent.  (Remember, that breaking this vow can be catastrophic.  Make your decision wisely.)

You can remain safe in the shelter of God.  Your present life made new and clean;  your past forgotten and your future secure.  Do so, and you will be on the greatest adventure of your life. 

Embrace it.  Do it.  Finish strong!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:  Many think that ‘repentance’ is a one-time act.  It is a daily act.  Every day is made new in God.  Stay up-to-date with God and let’s get this done, together!

The Next Teaching:  Poverty and the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 3:4)

Previously:  The Axe is Laid – A Prophetic Word, (Matthew 3:10-12)