February 8, 2025

Who are we to try and usurp the will of God? Paul knew this well when the prophet Agabus warned him that he would be taken into custody in Jerusalem. But, Paul, being given this information, did not change his plans to go there. He went so far as to admonish them for wanting him to stay in safety rather than go to Jerusalem and face prison time or possibly be killed. Once there, the brethren welcomed him in, but some there admonished him for not sticking to the Mosaic law by entertaining Gentiles. I believe this is one of those instances where "if in Rome you do like the Romans do" because he went through a cleansing ritual so he could enter the temple, but it was there that they accused him, forced him out of the temple, and called for him to be taken into custody. I'm all about peace and safety, but at what point should we let that go and not be afraid to stand firm on God's Word and do the hard things He has called us to do? Time is drawing near, and we may be forced to choose. What are you going to do if put in that situation? Do not cower, but allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into what is right in the eyes of God. We must be like Paul and not let our comfort dissuade us from doing what God calls us to do. Stand strong, mighty warriors of God, and remain in your armor because you never know when God might call you to war. 

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. Acts 21:13-14

February 7, 2025

Baptism is a cleansing after repentance, which was the baptism of John. However, our baptism is the baptism of Jesus; the person baptizing you lays their hands on you and baptizes you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When John baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit lit on him like a dove, and God spoke verbally, introducing Jesus as his son. Does it happen to us like that? Not likely. Most people in the United States are dead to the movement of the Holy Spirit, so there is little evidence of his infilling, like speaking in tongues and prophesying. During Paul’s time, Apollos preached but only received John’s baptism. He was an eloquent preacher, knew the scriptures, and believed in Jesus, but Aquila and Pricilla filled him in on the missing truths about Jesus to help his message. Nowhere does it say he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, but I believe he must have been at some point in his ministry, possibly by Aquila and Pricilla. Otherwise, his message would have fallen flat. If you are saved and haven’t been baptized, make an appointment with your preacher and get it done; it is your public profession of faith. Baptism is also obedience and has significance in the kingdom of God. 

This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Acts 18:25-26

February 6, 2025

As Paul traveled to spread the gospel of Jesus, he was warned by the Holy Spirit not to go to Asia. It doesn’t say he had a vision, so you have to wonder if it was a vision or if others had received the same warning and they collaborated. Whatever the case, they determined not to go there. While in Thyatira, they met a woman named Lydia who decided to trust in Jesus, and her whole household came to know him. While there, they went into the city to spread the word about Jesus, and this woman, a soothsayer who brought in a lot of money for her master, followed them around, calling them out.

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. Acts 15:17

That seemed like a good thing for her to say, but it was driving them crazy, so Paul cast out that demon from her, and her master lost all hope of any gain from her possession. Because of it, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. While in jail, they sang hymns and prayed, and suddenly, an earthquake shook the jail, and all the doors opened. The jailer was so fearful of what would happen if the prisoners escaped that he drew his sword to kill himself. Paul stopped him and told him they were all there; because of that, he accepted Jesus as his Savior. The jailer cleaned up their wounds, was baptized, and Paul and Silas were released. We will see that jailer in heaven. You can see from this story that no matter how bad our situation is, God can use it for good and to further His kingdom's purpose. Stand firm if you are going through a rough situation and wait it out; God can use it for His good.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:29-31

February 5, 2025

Did you know that Paul was stoned for preaching the gospel? The people raged against him, threw stones at him, and dragged him out of the city for dead. Then, the disciples gathered around him, and he stood up and walked away. God was not finished with him. He brought salvation to the Gentiles; thank God for Paul bringing Jesus to us and giving us a chance to have our sins forgiven. We must remember that we are not here to live a fanciful life, and we may encounter hardships, but it’s nothing that Jesus didn’t encounter; look at what Paul went through as he started churches and appointed elders. The life of a Christian may not be easy in the minds of ordinary people, but we have the Holy Spirit, who gives us the ability to endure whatever comes upon us because of our belief in Jesus. Until you’ve suffered from hanging on the cross and had heavy rocks thrown at you, leaving you for dead, you haven’t come close to what our Savior and Paul went through. The other disciples went through traumatic deaths also. It all goes back to this verse in James: 

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:2-3

When you go back to the Greek word for "temptations," "peirasmos," it is also rendered as "adversity," so you can see we are to be grateful that we are doing enough for the kingdom to face trials; it means we are doing something right. 

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Acts 14:19-20

February 4, 2025

Flesh versus spirit; I’ve pondered this a lot because of the approach of Jesus’ return. Think about it for a minute. What keeps our flesh alive? Food, water, air? What keeps our spirit alive? Emotions. Happiness, joy, anger, trauma, belief, sorrow, hope, fear, love, etc. Even our physical well-being contributes to our mind, will, and emotions, like hunger and thirst. And like choosing the proper food, we must avoid what is poisonous to our spirits so it is maintained in a good and healthy manner. Jesus always points us in the direction of the spirit. He didn’t come to save our bodies; he came to save our souls by giving us his Spirit. Don’t get me wrong, we need our bodies to expand the spiritual kingdom for the here and now, but it’s not everything.

Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Acts 11:16 

Are you nourishing your spirit with the Word of God? Yes, our minds and bodies are melded together as one here on earth, but when God calls us home, it is not our physical body that will be welcomed into heaven. We will eventually get a glorified body like Jesus had when he showed himself alive, but I think it will be when we return as the Church to the New Heaven and New Earth. As you go about your days, think about your spiritual health, and ask God to help you heal from wrong thinking so you can cope with whatever the enemy tries to throw at you. When things go awry, my go-to phrase is “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” He will comfort you when you reach out to him and soothe your spirit. 

February 3, 2025

The early church had a dispute over some of the widows being unfairly treated, so they appointed deacons to handle the chores so the apostles could spend their time preaching rather than waiting tables. Stephen was one of those deacons, and even though he was in a lower position than the preachers, he was full of wisdom and could have filled a preaching role. Because Stephen was knowledgeable, some historians say he may have been taught under Gamaliel just as Paul had been. When there was controversy, Stephen stepped up to handle the situation, and the Holy Spirit filled his mouth with words, and the malignant men couldn't counter what he said because it all made sense. Jesus told us not to practice our response and let the Holy Spirit take over. Steven's encounter was the perfect example of how we are supposed to handle such situations. If we follow this example and allow the Holy Spirit to do his job, maybe Jesus will stand up and welcome us into the kingdom of heaven as he did Stephen. None of us want to be martyred, but if it happens, it happens. We know our home is not of this earth; we belong to the kingdom of heaven.

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Acts 6:12-13 & 15

February 2, 2025

Biblical scholars can come close to the interpretation of Daniel and John’s book of Revelation. However, they may not be exact and can only rely on what the Holy Spirit chooses to tell them. Can they misinterpret the cues they are getting from him? Absolutely. We judge and interpret based on what we already know and the atmosphere we are surrounded by, and sometimes that is not a very accurate litmus test because these men, though guided by the Holy Spirit, only knew of their current surroundings. Therefore, our picture is vastly different because our technology has increased, causing what we see to be very different than what they saw during that time. Could they have seen what we see now? All things are possible with God. However, they may not have been able to explain it. Don’t be upset if you’ve heard every explanation in the world and still feel that you’re in the dark; these matters are in the hands of God, and He will reveal them to you as He sees fit. The main point is to ensure you are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, trusting Jesus until the end, and that the beast hasn’t marked you for destruction. If you are reading this and have been following my posts “To the followers of Christ,” you should have nothing to worry about. Hold on to what you have until the end. 

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: Revelation 13:15-16

February 1, 2025

Though it may feel like we are approaching the return of our King and Savior, many mysteries still surround it. John, the writer of Revelation, heard some mysteries in a thunderous voice and was told not to reveal them. The angel, clothed with a cloud and a rainbow on his head, gave John a little book and told him to eat it. The taste was sweet in his mouth but made his stomach bitter, which makes so much sense when you think about what may occur before Jesus’ return. We will be so happy for ourselves but have our stomachs turned by the events and the people not included in the wonders to come. Though we may not understand all the symbolism in Revelation, God has given us an understanding of who we are to trust to get us through the trials and possible tribulations leading up to his return; Jesus is the only way. He will give us the strength to stand firm if facing persecution. Don’t ever give up or give in. The beast system seems to be at our doorstep with digital cryptocurrency, and it may require everyone to take a mark to be able to buy and sell; even if it’s not as it rolls out, it will be presented soon after. We hope we are raptured before, but we should prepare our hearts to endure if we are not. Remember, there are mysterious things we don’t understand. The bottom line is to be ready for whatever might happen and keep your eyes on Jesus!

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. Revelation 10:4

January 31, 2025

In the Bible, 33 percent or one-third is significant. However, if you pay close attention, you will hear it used often on television; that number seems to pop up during disasters. There is a good reason for that, and it has to do with the number of angels kicked out of heaven who decided to side with the devil rather than God. I’m sure these angels/demons have a lot to do with the mayhem we experience, and they want it known that it was them and that they should be given credit for the disaster. If you read about the seven trumpets in Revelation 8-10, you will find that God uses one-third to describe how much of the Earth should be destroyed by the angel holding the trumpet. It makes me wonder if God is sending his loyal angels to defeat the angels that followed Satan and anyone else who sided with them and participated in the evil against God. I feel like God may be giving us clues by opening our eyes to what is happening in the heavenly realm that happens to spill over into actions here on Earth. Look for 33, 33%, or one-third, and see if it is associated with evil or good. You might be surprised by what you find. Stay vigilant; we are closer than you might think to the return of our Savior. Make sure you are ready!

Each of the first four angels with the trumpets was to destroy one-third. The verse included is an example. 

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Revelation 8:6-7

January 30, 2025

Several days before Passover, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt. It symbolized the lamb being chosen as the sacrifice for the upcoming feast as required by the law of Moses. The people who lined the streets waving palm branches were also his followers and knew he was unique and different from the other religious leaders of that time. Because Jesus is a different kind of King, he made his way to the temple, symbolic of his spiritual kingdom. He went into the temple with a vengeance, turning over tables and running the money changers out, cleansing it from unrighteousness. The temple was suppose to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. Considering that we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit of God, are you a house of prayer or a den of thieves? Do you focus your life on Jesus or is it about making the next big windfall? Sometimes, we get off track of what is really important and lose what we should focus on: Jesus. If we turn our attention towards him, the rest will fall into place as it should. Stay keenly aware of your motives; you never want to experience Jesus coming into your temple with a vengeance to clean out the filth. Live a repentant life, thankfully praising Jesus for everything he has done. 

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matthew 21:12-13

January 29, 2025

How can the rich get into heaven? This question comes into play because the rich have a lot here on earth and may be satisfied with their circumstances, not desiring a better way of life beyond their earthly experience. They have fulfilled all their wants, so what more could they dream of? That’s why Jesus says it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. It is so important that we get our minds right and set our hearts on Jesus so the extraordinary things of this world don’t distract us from the true riches set aside for us by Jesus. What we have here on earth is nothing compared to what we have in Jesus; we have only the dross of unrefined gold, but what is waiting for us is beyond what we could imagine. Be careful not to get caught up in the things of this world; set your eyes on Jesus and keep in check what you adore in this current life. Don’t get discouraged if you are rich and think you cannot get into heaven. Jesus says all things are possible with God. The world is changing rapidly; get your mind right because Jesus’s return may be right around the corner, so we need to be prepared. 

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:24-26

January 28, 2025

We are often saddled with burdens we don’t realize are there. It’s not that we are unaware of our burdens, but we put them in the back of our minds like an app opened in the background, draining our battery. It’s time to close those apps. When you erase them from the screen, it’s the beginning of your healing. Jesus came that we might learn a better way of life, let go of the past, heal, and learn to do things his way. Unloading your worldly cares and focusing on Jesus is the best way to unleash his grace and mercy into your life. The verses I lived by for years until I learned to heal from the past is this:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke iseasy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

If you learn to follow his guide by taking on his yoke, he will carry the heaviness for you and make your way easier. It goes back to the verse that says “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 1 Corinthians 12:9

Sin is the most heavy load, whether it’s your own sin or the sin of others against you. These are the issues that weigh us down the most. The best way to let these go is to turn them over to Jesus. He has already paid the price for those sins, so it’s time for you to stop paying for them! They are not worth the effort of keeping them alive for you to continue to worry over them. Some people don’t know how to let these burdens go because they have become part of their personality. However, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are supposed to take on his characteristics and let go of the guilt from the past. Prayer and confession is the best way to let it go. If the burden creeps in again, pray and confess again. Do it until its app is no longer running in the background. It may take some time, but keep working on it until it’s a healed memory.

January 27, 2025

There is something we may leave out when trying to convince someone to follow Jesus: the cost. Even though salvation is free, when you turn away from the devil, he comes after you to try and convince you to stay worldly. When Jesus sent out his disciples to preach, teach, and heal, he warned them that they would be like sheep among wolves. He didn't paint a beautiful picture but prepared them for possible persecution and discouragement. Refinement is the byproduct of following Jesus and dealing with the devil at every turn. The most beautiful stones are made under pressure, and the refiner's fire purifies gold. Once the dross is poured away from the gold, or when the rock is chipped from the stone, the beauty is exposed, and the truth about the work God is doing in you can be seen. The road to refinement is grueling, but it is better to lose your flesh than your soul. Jesus says it is more beneficial to fear the One who can kill both your body and soul than the one threatening your flesh. He tells us not to fear them at all. You will face challenges in whatever you do to fulfill your part of the great commission, but be strong and courageous, and do not be afraid, the Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still while he intervenes on your behalf. When you are weak, then He is strong. 

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

January 26, 2025

A common theme during Jesus’ time spent among the people was that he commended the faith of those seeking healing. Jesus commended the men for their faith, who brought their friend, who was paralyzed, to him for healing. Jesus praised the woman for her faith, whose body wouldn’t stop bleeding, which was healed when she touched the hem of his garment. A young girl was raised from the dead by Jesus because of the faith of a certain ruler. Two blind men and a mute man received healing because of their faith. These people saw God’s work through Jesus, and he became quite famous. It gave them enough faith in him to believe in him for the healing they needed. He made it abundantly clear that he had come to call the sinners to repentance because, in many cases, he told them to go and sin no more. Him forgiving them of their sins got the attention of the scribes who accused him of blasphemy because only God could forgive sins, but because their hearts were hard, their religion blocked them from seeing the truth about who he was. 

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. Matthew 9:4-6

Jesus has done many things for us even though we haven’t seen him in the flesh. When you are going through a rough time, and it seems God is not hearing your prayers, take a few moments to remember what he has done for you in the past to help boost your faith and give you the expectation that He will bless you again. Keep a book to write down all the blessings you have received from him so you have something to reference for remembrance.

January 25, 2025

Many of Jesus' miracles were recorded in the Bible. One of the most common themes I found in Matthew 8 was humility. Those needing Jesus to heal them came to him believing he would be their source, and they groveled before him. In this chapter, he healed the leper, whose disease could only be cured by him, and the centurion's servant, who humbled himself, saying that he was not worthy of Jesus coming under his roof and believing Jesus could heal his servant from afar. Jesus calmed the storm at sea and also removed demons from two possessed men. This situation is where the demons called out Jesus as being the son of God and begged him to send them in the herd of pigs, and they ended up in the sea. I believe those demons are now our sea monsters! Why do we see so few miracles today besides Jesus not being here physically? Maybe it's because we are too arrogant and faithless, or our faith is less than a mustard seed. We may barely get into heaven because of our arrogance. The best thing we can do is learn humility and stay connected to our source of power, Jesus. Humility and faithful expectation are how the Roman Centurion got the miracle of healing for his servant without Jesus being present; this story might be our key to healing today. 

And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Matthew 8:7-8

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Matthew 8:10

January 24, 2025

I finally realized what John was talking about when he said the world couldn’t contain all the books that should be written about what Jesus did during his ministry. I could nearly write a book on each of his lessons, and I’m sure some people have. Every word of scripture is savory, but for some reason, probably Jesus’s deity, I hang onto every word recorded as spoken by him, making it even more difficult to expand on it for a short devotional. Years ago, when I started my journey into writing, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to follow the path of Jesus. I took him literally and began by reading all the red words in the Bible. It was an eye-opening experience that I will never forget. We are to emulate him, so reading his words gives us a clear pathway to do what pleases him. His words in Matthew 7 tell us to take the narrow path, which is harder to follow. The wide path leads to destruction and is easy, but the narrow path leads to him. That’s why you may be facing hard times: You’ve made the clear decision to follow Jesus, while most others tend to take the easy way, which leads to hell. Keep going! It may not be easy, but the first few minutes of heaven will wipe away all the heartache you’ve encountered by staying true to Christ. The only regret you may have is not following him sooner. We are a blessed people. Thank you, Jesus, for saving us!

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

January 23, 2025

In a day and age of anxiety, God encourages us to be calm, lay down our worries, and leave it to Him to take care of us. Jesus tells us to let it go and stop our anxious thoughts. Why? Because you cannot add a day or minute to your life by fretting over what is to come. Don’t worry about food or clothing; He is our provider. He gives the example of the birds; they don’t gather and store food. They go out and forage every day, and God feeds them, and they wake up happy every morning; I know this because I hear them chirping. One day, we will find out how needless it was that we spent so much time and anxiety over what we were over-prepared for when we could have trusted God to care for us rather than overanalyze every detail of our lives. What should we do to stop our worry? Take every thought captive and redirect its path as soon as it comes into our minds. Learn to control your thoughts. When something negative enters your mind, immediately filter it with prayer in the name of Jesus and turn it into a positive. The more you practice this, the better you will feel, and you will show God that you trust Him. 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:33-34

January 22, 2025

If you want the truth about how Jesus expects us to behave, look at Matthew 5. The chapter contains Jesus’s sermon on the mountain. We call the points of his sermon the Beatitudes; it’s the attitudes we are supposed to reflect and the blessing that comes from adhering to them.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Matthew 5:3-11

Each one of these equates to happiness. Though we may go through trials from evil trying to break us or God trying to train us, He gives us blessings beyond measure, and those blessings bring us the fullness of joy that the worldly do not understand. We have the peace that passes all understanding because of Jesus. If you lack in any of these areas, pray and ask God to help you restore the right attitude so you can abound in the blessing associated with that characteristic. 

January 21, 2025

After the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, he immediately departed to the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. During that time, the devil, knowing he was hungry and vulnerable, began tempting him, but because Jesus knew the word of God, he was able to counter all the devil threw at him by quoting scriptural truth. If you are following God's plan for your life, the enemy will put his talons in the weak people around you, and if you don't believe me, open your eyes and watch. It is then that you will see the truth about who they are. One of the ways that the enemy uses them is they will come after you by talking about you behind your back, and rather than confronting their issues with you, they will disparage you to others. Stand firm on the word of God, and don't allow anyone being used by the enemy to try and defeat you. If you think you might be the source of trouble, confess and repent. These situations happen most often in families because it is the goal of the devil to break down family bonds. The devil wants nothing more than to discourage you and sully your reputation. Rely on God's strength to get you through if you are in a less-than-ideal situation, and keep your eyes on Jesus. He overcame in the wilderness; use him as your example. 

After Jesus's wilderness experience, he began his ministry, called a few disciples, and began teaching. 

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Matthew 4:10-11

January 20, 2025

John the Baptist comes on the scene to introduce our Savior Jesus Christ to the world. He started his ministry by preaching to the country people first; why do you think that was? Country people keep to themselves and are less likely seen as sinners. However, because they weren’t mixed in with the city lifestyle, it doesn’t mean they weren’t sinners; to the contrary. No matter where you live in this world, you are still in the world unless you have confessed your sin and made Jesus your King and Savior. The Pharisees and Sadducees heard about John’s ministry and came to his baptisms. When he saw them he called them out for their hypocrisy. They were all given a warning to repent. Then Jesus appeared and called on John to baptize him; at first, he refused in humility, but he didn’t let his humility cause him to disobey, so he baptized our sinless Savior. When Jesus came up from the water, the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and there began the ministry of Jesus. Don’t let your humility or perceived humility cause you to disobey God’s calling. Even if you feel unqualified step up when God tells you it’s time. For this reason, God tells us not to rehearse our strategy when we are before kings or judges, and I would also include laypeople: let the Holy Spirit fill your mouth with the words that God knows they need to hear. 

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16-17