A Voice Crying In The Wilderness
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness in Judea, and saying,
“Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.”This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ”
A voice of one calling in the wilderness. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him.
Matthew 3:1-3
John the Baptiser was a special herald of Christ, our Lord. He was literally crying in the wilderness of Judea. At that time there was a spiritual wilderness, confusion, rather like there is today. He was responsible for turning many sinners to righteousness, and a people prepared for the Lord. He prepared the people for Christ’s first coming. As Christians today, we are called to prepare the way for Christ’s second coming,
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20
A Spiritual Battle
Ever since creation, the earth has been in a spiritual battle. Everything God created was good, and for His pleasure, but satan, a fallen angel had been cast out of heaven because he got too big for his boots, and disguised as a serpent, persuaded Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” causing them to disobey God bringing a curse, and seperation (Genesis 3:1-10).
Satan continues to tempt men, until he is thrown into a pit for a 1,000 years after Jesus returns (Revelation 20). Consequently, we inherited that fallen sin, and the only way to be reconciled to God, is to confess our sins and invite Jesus into our hearts, to be born again. Victory can only come through the shedding of Jesus blood at Calvary, and nothing else (John 3:16).
Throughout history, God has had to intervene on the earth, due to man’s disobedience and wickedness. Noah, was the only one deemed righteous to build an ark, to save every specie and Noah’s family, as God flooded the earth. The tower of Babel was destroyed through idolatrous worship, and mens tongues were confused, and multiple languages ensued. That spirit of Babylon, is still at work today.
A Nation Chosen by God
The Jewish people have sufferd immensely through time. Why is this?
Because since satans fall, he has attempted to build an evil empire to deceive God’s creation. Trying to destroy the chosen line from which our Messiah comes. However God’s word says.
Come Zion escape, you who live in Babylon. For this is what the Lord Almighty says. “After the glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you – for whoever touches you – touches the apple of his eye, I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know the Lord Almighty has sent me.”
Zechariah 2:8
Preparing the Way
So how do we believers today, prepare for the second coming of our Lord?
As already mentioned, we are to make disciples of all nations. But first and formost, we must repent wholeheartedly for our oun sins, the sins of the church and the sins of our Nation. “Let Your will be done.” Jesus is a voice in the wilderness, weeping for His bride, His creation,His church, the lost. He has had enough of being rejected through the rebelliousness of man.
His desire is for us as Christians to be co-workers with Him. We must not pray against His will & purposes to halt the covid. He is allowing society to be broken down and shaken to the core, so folks recognise their desperate need of a Saviour.
It is so important that we pray with understanding, maturity, in unison, within the framework of God’s word. Praying the prophetic word into being, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“I will shake all nations and the desired of all nations shall come, and I will fill the house with the glory”, says the Lord Almighty. Haggai 2:7
We need an “Issacher anointing” to understand the times and the seasons we are living in, and God’s strategy for our prayers. Issacher was Jacobs son, one of the twelve tribes, the tribe were men, who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1Chronicles 12:32).
Fulfiling the Conditions
God’s greatest desire is to pour out His blessing upon His people and the land. However, most promises in the bible contain a condition that we have to fulfill, before that can happen. For example-a well known scripture on prayer.
“If My people who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
The Condition – humble ourselves, confess, repent, turn around and sin no more.
The Blessing – God will forgive our sin, and heal our land.
Prayers & Proclamations
Who can understand His errors?
Cleanse me from my secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless.
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Forgive us Father, where we as a nation, have broken all the ten commandments since 1953,
Legalising witchcraft, allowing abortion, killing millions of babies. Permitting homosexualty, even in the church. Allowing same sex marriage. Not keeping Sunday special etc.
We also failed to fulfil our obligation to Israel, for political and financial reasons, with the Balfour and San Remo declarations. Allowing millions to be exccuted in concentration camps. Those that survived, only to be turned away at Haifa, and then be drowned.
Father, we are so guilty, have mercy on our land we pray, because of your loving kindness. Now we have been cut off from the ungodly powers of the EU, you are giving us a second chance. Help us to flow with your plans for your chosen people.
We thank you, that despite covid, the Jewish people are still returning home in fulfilment to Your word. You are making a way in the wildernes. Praise Your Wonderful Name.
During this time of “shaking” may ungodly structures and thrones be displaced, and You Father will be given Your righful place of Lordship in our land. Give us vision to see things as You do. We thank You Father, that you are seated on Your throne, exalted above every principality and power, above every king, queen, president or priminster and kingdom. As your body, may we be brought back into alignment with Your will for the UK. We ask that a mantle of prayer be released, to partner with the Lord to bring healing, deliverance and salvation to our land (Ephesians 1:17-23).
We thank you that we belong to another government, an everlasting government. Only through Your grace, can we walk in victory, under the banner of Jesus Christ, and only through the shedding of your blood at Calvary, and nothing else. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow, whatever happens. Hallelujah!
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and queens; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge and understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light that dwells with Him….
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His Kingdom is from generation to generation, All inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to HIs will in the army of heaven, And among the inhabitants of earth. No one can restrain His hand, Or say to Him, “What have You done?
Daniel 2:20-22, 4:34-35
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, we are steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58
Amen
Pam Yates