I Love John The Baptist
By David J. Stewart
Luke 7:25, “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.”
I love everything about John the Baptist. He lived out in the wild, ate wild
locusts and honey, and wore camel's hair for clothing. What a sight John must
have been! Matthew 3:4, “And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair,
and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild
honey.” John pulled no punches, tickled no ears, held nothing back, didn't
bite his tongue, and didn't care what his critics thought. John the Baptist
was outspoken and spoke out! I love John.
Would to God today that our nation had a handful of such men that can't be bought off with money, prestige and the comforts of success. I'm so sick and tired of the “dress for success” crowd. No Sir, let's preach THE TRUTH!
Listen to what John the Baptist said unto the religious leaders... “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). John knew they were false prophets, unsaved Modernists of their time, who were conceited in their false religion. I want to be like John the Baptist so much, and so should you.
Do you know why John was the way he was and preached the way he preached? It's because John the Baptist lived a very simple lifestyle. John didn't need anything from anybody. John didn't live in a fancy home, didn't beg for donations, nor did he have many worldly possessions. In fact, he may not have owned anything. John wasn't a covetous man. Money meant NOTHING to John the Baptist. He certainly didn't dress to impress, nor did he have a Shirley Temple style hairdo like Joel Osteen. John was no girly boy!
I guarantee you that to the same degree that a preacher needs or desires money, to that same degree his stance on the Bible and doctrines will be adversely affected. It doesn't surprise me that a pastor who denies the inspiration of our precious King James Bible, would also endorse a wicked U.S. President like Barack Obama. Proverb 28:4, “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.” This Scripture teaches that those who keep God's Law contend with evildoers. Those who forsake the Law, which certainly would include denying the inspiration of the Bible, praise the wicked.
Preachers who get a taste of “the good life” financially often fall quickly. Money is like that possessive stone in the demonic movie, Lord of the Rings, where people start chanting “precious” in its presence and evil overtakes their better sense of judgment. Such are pastors who are bathed in financial success. They are the biggest sellouts, who won't preach THE TRUTH, they praise wicked leaders, trash out the Bible, are ingrates, and shame the name of Jesus Christ. It will be a cold day in Hell before I'll accept a penny from anyone for serving God and preaching the truth. I'm not for sale!
A group of people went out to see this pull-no-punches preacher that all of Jerusalem was talking about. Who was this John the Baptist guy? They expected to see some fancy-pants theologian. They expected to see a well-dressed, charming, eloquent speaker. When they saw John their mouths dropped open. John was wearing animal skins, probably finishing off a batch of insects for lunch. They were utterly disappointed in their carnal, worldly, and covetous minds. Jesus commented as to what they saw in Luke 7:25, “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.” In Matthew 11:11 Jesus called John the greatest born amongst women; yet he who is least in God's family is greater than John Jesus said.
John the Baptist wasn't for sale. He spoke THE TRUTH without apology, and it cost him his life one day...
Mark 6:18-20, “For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.”
Oh, the power of a woman over a man! It was Eve who talked Adam into sinning against God. It was Sara who talked Abraham into impregnating Hagar, because she didn't believe God would give her a son. It was Lot's wife who turned back to watch Sodom be destroyed and she became a pillar of salt. It was Delilah who for nine days preyed upon Samson's heart, until Samson finally gave in and revealed the source of his strength. The Philistines tortured Samson and put out his eyes. It was Job's wife who told him to curse God and die, so Job went out and cursed the day he was born and wished he were dead. Oh the power of a woman over a man!
And it was Herod's deceitful wife who hated John the Baptist and wanted him dead according to Mark 6:19, so she conspired and set Herod up, and John the Baptist was martyred as a result (Mark 6:27-28).
It
is very interesting that the Bible says Herod heard John gladly. Wow! Herod
listened to what John had to say, observing John, because John was a just and
holy man the Bible says in Mark 6:20; Herod did many things as a result of
listening to John. I am curious what those things were? What did Herod do? No
doubt they were good things if John the Baptist advised Herod. That is so
interesting.
Yet, Herod's wife hated John with a passion, because she was really Herod's brother's wife. John openly rebuked Herod for committing adultery (Mark 6:18). Evidently John and Herod had become fairly acquainted, because the Bible says Herod “heard him gladly.” That is amazing, considering that Herod was an unsaved heathen leader. So it was not as if John was dishonoring Herod; but rather, a just man of God caring enough to warn Herod that what he was doing would lead to judgment by God. Herod's adulterous wife wanted John dead and succeeded in her conspiracy to kill John. I would not want to be in that woman's shoes in eternity. Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
I love John the Baptist because he said it like it was, pulling no punches, without reservation. God wrote the Bible as is, without apology, and it is the most offensive Book in existence to this lost and dying world. That's why the world hates the Jews so much, because God gave the world a conscience by way of Israel, from whence came God's Law (Romans 9:4). If God doesn't apologize, then neither should we for THE TRUTH.
I have no respect for preachers who desire to be accepted in the “business community,” more than they do in the eyes of God. I have no respect for a pastor who dips his sails in sinful compromise, trimming his sermons in an attempt not to offend members in the congregation with money. I have no respect for a pastor who supports government leaders who commit blatant theft, tyranny, murder, treason and Communist immoral agendas. I have no respect for a preacher who denies the inspiration of our English King James Bible, but he once did when he was small in his own eyes.
Money, success and power corrupt ministers! That is why America's largest churches are also amongst the worst and most apostate. Success breeds arrogance, wealth and apostasy! There was nothing cultured about John the Baptist, but Herod gladly listened to him because he was a just and holy man. Amen! John spoke THE TRUTH, and it eventually got him killed. That's the way I want to go from this insane world! What an honor!
You weak-kneed, smiley-face, Bible-inspiration-denying, arrogant, spoiled, hypocritical, intelligencia preachers out there who think you know more than God need to carefully think over Proverb 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” God give us some John the Baptists who preach THE TRUTH without apology! God give us some genuine men of God who stand for what's right, and are right for what they stand for!
