Spirit Of John The Baptist

Deuteronomy 1:11 The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME

WE WILL SEE AND LIVE THIS EVENT

Calendar for July 2011

July

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This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays.

This happens only once every 823 years.

This year we're going to experience four unusual dates.

1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...

Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born - now add the age you will be this year,

The results will be 111 for everyone in whole world.

Forerunner Generation Spirit of John the Baptist

Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

What Made John the Baptist Great?

Introduction: When we think of the greatest men and women of the Bible, we think of Moses, Abraham, David, Sarah, Ruth, Elijah, Peter, and Paul. Yet, Jesus Christ said that no one had ever been born who is greater than John the Baptist.

What made John stand out that Christ singles him out as the greatest human being born up to that point in time?

I. He was Spirit-filled

A. Luke 1:15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”

B. We need to realize that it’s the Holy Spirit who drew us to belief in Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit Who wants to mold us into the image of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us as our Advocate.

C. Every believer is indwelled by the Spirit, but not every believer is controlled by the Spirit.

D. Ephesians 5:18 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.”

E. To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to have opened yourself to the Spirit, committing every area of your life to Christ, seeking to glorify God in everything,

and dedicated to do God’s will.

II. He lived a Separated life

A. Matthew 3:4 “And John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

B. John’s food and clothing was far from fashionable.

He lived a strict, separated and disciplined life. He did not conform to the world around him.

C. Matthew 11:18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking…”

D. Mark 6:20 “...Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man…”

E. We need to fashion our lives from a heavenly perspective not based on this world’s.

F. An advertising billboard campaign in Los Angeles by New York fashion house Charivari displayed these words: "Just because you live in LA it doesn’t mean you have to dress that way." Just because we live the world doesn’t mean that we have to be like the world.

G. Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”

III. He was Steadfast in his stand

A. John the Baptist was uncompromising when it came to truth and righteousness.

B. His messages were not watered down or permissive.

He called sin - sin and confronted the issue of sin regardless whether he was speaking to the people, the priests, or the politician. , confronted backsliders with the nearness of eternity and compelled men to fruits of righteousness and obedience to the word of God.

C. Luke 3:7-9 “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ’We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down

and thrown into the fire.”