Day 10, January 12, 2020
The John the Baptist Influence - Influence and Ministry
John the Baptist had quite a fast.. Eating locusts and honey.
His disciples fasted as well.
But Jesus has this amazing thing to say about John.
Matthew 11:11-12 (NLT)
“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing,[a] and violent people are attacking it.
You might be thinking “how can I be greater than John the Baptist?”
However, with the Holy Spirit living within us, He (Holy Spirit) brings us His power and capacity to be greater than John the Baptist.. Do greater things.. Do have increased and influential ministry.
A lifestyle of fasting enables this.
Generally not a lot happens during the fast, but after the fast, break throughs and influence and effectiveness occur.
The great song writers and theologians Charles and John Wesley taught that we should have several times a week. They founded the Methodist Church.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We are all ministers! He has committed us the message of reconciliation.
We are all messengers. We are His ambassadors to make appeals on behalf of Christ for and to others.
We need the Holy Spirit to fill us and to guide us; and we need to observe fasting.
