VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS
"Comfort, yes, comfort My people!"
Says your God.
"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord's hand
Double for all her sins."
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
The voice said, "Cry out!"
And he said, "What shall I cry?"
"All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower
of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God stands forever."
O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Isaiah 40:1-9 NKJV
The prophet Isaiah spoke these words about 700 years BC, foretelling the ministry of John the Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
a highway for our God." John said this of himself when asked by priests and Levites sent by Jews from Jerusalem to ask who he was.
The ministry of John the Baptist was that of a forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. His voice was lifted up calling his listeners to repentance from sin and wickedness, and to be baptized by full immersion in water as an act of surrender to the will of God for their lives. In lifting his voice in preparation for the ministry of Jesus, John said of Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease."
Jesus commenced his earthly ministry following His baptism by John at the Jordan River, in order "to fulfill all righteousness" as it says in Matthew 3:15. The next three years of Jesus' life were attested by healings and outstanding signs and miracles, deliverances from demonic oppression, and most of all by lives transformed by the power of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, the Savior of the world. As it says in Matthew 4:16 "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned." (a prophecy of Jesus fulfilled - spoken some 700 years BC by Isaiah in chapter 42:7).
Following his death on the Cross at Calvary, and His triumphant resurrection from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. He told the group of disciples who were committed to following His teaching that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them; and they would be witnesses to Him in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8.
The first century church grew exponentially as the apostles and their converts moved from Jerusalem literally to the ends of the then known world. The apostles came under quite severe persecution, which became a catalyst for their moving out from Jerusalem to all parts of the then known world. The apostle Paul, writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, warned that: in the last days perilous times will come. He went on to list the characteristics of godlessness which would be seen in men (and women) in the last days, when, to be a Christian would bring much opposition from wicked men. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul says to Timothy, and to us today:..all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Just as the prophets in the Old Testament, and indeed John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus' ministry, called people to turn from sin and wickedness, and from idol worship, to follow the living God, more than ever, today there is a need for Godly men and women to lift their voices to declare the Truth of the Word of God - to stand boldly for righteousness and righteous causes. I read recently, where in America, surveys had shown that ninety percent of church leaders were silent on some of the looming social issues of our times, such as sexuality from the Biblical perspective, and associated with that, issues such as same-sex marriage, and homosexuality, abortion, and euthanasia. Bacause of the lack of teaching on these topics, something in the order of forty seven percent of Christian youth and young adults say they support same-sex marriage.
Today, we live in a world which is becoming increasingly either secularized by the philosophy of secular humanism, where man is the central point of reference for society - or being threatened by the rising tide of Islam's doctrine of world domination, either by violent force, or by stealth. Either way, the voices of anti-Christ sentiment appear to be taking centre-stage in a world gone mad, aided greatly by the foolish and naive spouting of politically correct politicians and media pundits.
Here in Australia, the issue of redefining marriage continues to be pushed by the Australian Labor Party, the Greens, and other minor parties and independent politicians, along with the majority of the Mainstream Media. The push by radical homosexual activists themselves for redefining marriage, and gender identity has been taken up by large corporate bodies, who somehow must see the promotion of this cause as enhancing their public image, with no regard to the effects this push will have on children caught up in these unholy unions of men with men, and women with women.
Thank God for the voices in the wilderness speaking boldly on some of the issues facing the nation, from a Godly perspective, in order to push back the rising tide of darkness and depravity seeking to engulf society. Voices such as Vision Christian Media, Australian Christian Lobby, some of the smaller political parties, such as Australian Conservatives, Rise Up Australia Party, as well as individual Christian Liberal Party politicians - and other ministries such as Australian Heart Ministries, and social commentator, Bill Muehelenberg. There are others, but many of the churches remain largely silent, perhaps for fear of losing some who might be offended by the Truth.
Now is not the time for those who know the truth to be silent. John the Baptist was called "a voice in the wilderness." He ended up losing his head, because he was not afraid to speak the truth. God never promised that the Christian life would be a bed of roses, but He does expect all who know the truth to proclaim it, without compromise.
Keith Green, a young man who, through his music, and life lived for Jesus in full surrender, and who sadly was taken from us before he reached the age of thirty, wrote a song called "Asleep In The Light", really a wake-up call to the church. Its message written around forty years ago, still is relevant to the church today:
God is calling,
And you are the one
But like Jonah, you run
He told you to speak,
But you keep holding it in.
Oh, can't you see it's such sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church just can't fight,
'cause it's asleep in the light.
It is time for you and me who make up the church of the living God to:
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:1,2
Says your God.
"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord's hand
Double for all her sins."
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
The voice said, "Cry out!"
And he said, "What shall I cry?"
"All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower
of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God stands forever."
O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Isaiah 40:1-9 NKJV
The prophet Isaiah spoke these words about 700 years BC, foretelling the ministry of John the Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
a highway for our God." John said this of himself when asked by priests and Levites sent by Jews from Jerusalem to ask who he was.
The ministry of John the Baptist was that of a forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. His voice was lifted up calling his listeners to repentance from sin and wickedness, and to be baptized by full immersion in water as an act of surrender to the will of God for their lives. In lifting his voice in preparation for the ministry of Jesus, John said of Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease."
Jesus commenced his earthly ministry following His baptism by John at the Jordan River, in order "to fulfill all righteousness" as it says in Matthew 3:15. The next three years of Jesus' life were attested by healings and outstanding signs and miracles, deliverances from demonic oppression, and most of all by lives transformed by the power of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, the Savior of the world. As it says in Matthew 4:16 "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned." (a prophecy of Jesus fulfilled - spoken some 700 years BC by Isaiah in chapter 42:7).
Following his death on the Cross at Calvary, and His triumphant resurrection from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. He told the group of disciples who were committed to following His teaching that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them; and they would be witnesses to Him in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8.
The first century church grew exponentially as the apostles and their converts moved from Jerusalem literally to the ends of the then known world. The apostles came under quite severe persecution, which became a catalyst for their moving out from Jerusalem to all parts of the then known world. The apostle Paul, writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, warned that: in the last days perilous times will come. He went on to list the characteristics of godlessness which would be seen in men (and women) in the last days, when, to be a Christian would bring much opposition from wicked men. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul says to Timothy, and to us today:..all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Just as the prophets in the Old Testament, and indeed John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus' ministry, called people to turn from sin and wickedness, and from idol worship, to follow the living God, more than ever, today there is a need for Godly men and women to lift their voices to declare the Truth of the Word of God - to stand boldly for righteousness and righteous causes. I read recently, where in America, surveys had shown that ninety percent of church leaders were silent on some of the looming social issues of our times, such as sexuality from the Biblical perspective, and associated with that, issues such as same-sex marriage, and homosexuality, abortion, and euthanasia. Bacause of the lack of teaching on these topics, something in the order of forty seven percent of Christian youth and young adults say they support same-sex marriage.
Today, we live in a world which is becoming increasingly either secularized by the philosophy of secular humanism, where man is the central point of reference for society - or being threatened by the rising tide of Islam's doctrine of world domination, either by violent force, or by stealth. Either way, the voices of anti-Christ sentiment appear to be taking centre-stage in a world gone mad, aided greatly by the foolish and naive spouting of politically correct politicians and media pundits.
Here in Australia, the issue of redefining marriage continues to be pushed by the Australian Labor Party, the Greens, and other minor parties and independent politicians, along with the majority of the Mainstream Media. The push by radical homosexual activists themselves for redefining marriage, and gender identity has been taken up by large corporate bodies, who somehow must see the promotion of this cause as enhancing their public image, with no regard to the effects this push will have on children caught up in these unholy unions of men with men, and women with women.
Thank God for the voices in the wilderness speaking boldly on some of the issues facing the nation, from a Godly perspective, in order to push back the rising tide of darkness and depravity seeking to engulf society. Voices such as Vision Christian Media, Australian Christian Lobby, some of the smaller political parties, such as Australian Conservatives, Rise Up Australia Party, as well as individual Christian Liberal Party politicians - and other ministries such as Australian Heart Ministries, and social commentator, Bill Muehelenberg. There are others, but many of the churches remain largely silent, perhaps for fear of losing some who might be offended by the Truth.
Now is not the time for those who know the truth to be silent. John the Baptist was called "a voice in the wilderness." He ended up losing his head, because he was not afraid to speak the truth. God never promised that the Christian life would be a bed of roses, but He does expect all who know the truth to proclaim it, without compromise.
Keith Green, a young man who, through his music, and life lived for Jesus in full surrender, and who sadly was taken from us before he reached the age of thirty, wrote a song called "Asleep In The Light", really a wake-up call to the church. Its message written around forty years ago, still is relevant to the church today:
God is calling,
And you are the one
But like Jonah, you run
He told you to speak,
But you keep holding it in.
Oh, can't you see it's such sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church just can't fight,
'cause it's asleep in the light.
It is time for you and me who make up the church of the living God to:
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:1,2
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