<TITLE>07. Par 23-26</TITLE>L-23 And John was simply confirming the promise of God, and preaching against intellectual religion. And if he is--that same message went forth today, it would raise just as much of a stir among the religious people as it did then, 'cause the only difference, they say in having Abraham for our father, they say today, "Well, I want you to know I'm a member of a certain-certain congregation."
And John said, "But the axe is laid at the root of the tree. And every tree that don't bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." And he said, "He's coming with a fan in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge the floors, and burn up the chaff, and gather the wheat into the garner."

L-24 Oh, no wonder Jesus said there was not a man born like him. And the reason that John did this, he was a special person. God equips a man; He equips him with His own material.
They didn't go out in the wilderness to hear an intellectual lecture, something that would be like a politician's speech. Jesus said, "What did you go to hear when you went out?" When the people had heard John, heard a man that was born from his mother's womb full of the Holy Ghost. They didn't hear a compromiser on the Gospel. They didn't hear denominations argue this one's right and that one's wrong. They heard a Gospel Message that cut to the heart.

L-25 John preached the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He never preached something that he didn't have. He preached what he had received. And men of God that's sent into the fields today has no right to preach the Gospel without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's the first qualification of a minister, is to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
"So what did you go to see? A man dressed in soft clothes?" He said, "Those that are dressed in soft clothes are of kings' palaces." John was too far from Hollywood to be a dressed up social sort of a preacher.
"What did you go to hear, a man with a fine education?" John went into the wilderness at the age of nine years old, the history says. His education come from God.
Why, did they go to see his campaign manager, an eloquent man who could fix up the campaigns and get all the churches to cooperate? Why, of course not. He rebuked Pharisees and Sadducees. He called the ministerial association a group of snakes. He said, "Oh, you vipers. Who's warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Don't start saying within yourself, 'We belong to this, or we belong to that,' for God is able of these stones to rise children to Abraham."

L-26 What we need today is some more John the Baptist preaching, anointed with the Holy Spirit. And he did not take back when they seen... When he preached on marriages and divorces, he preached right straight on the straight Gospel. Because he didn't take it back... Why? He was anointed. He couldn't help being what he was.
You can't help being what you are. Even if you're a sinner, you're not responsible for being a sinner. You're responsible for remaining a sinner. There is a way prepared for you. But to be a sinner, you was borned that way.


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