GET TOGETHER – HE IS STILL THE MESSIAH
Mt 11:2,3 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Have you ever been to an event where the Holy Spirit was working in such a wonderful way? Those times can be so uplifting, exciting, and life changing for us. The Lord has blessed J.J. and I with those times in so many ways. We have seen Him work in powerful ways in small group settings, youth conferences, Christian retreats, mission trips, and saving the souls of people that the devil thought that he had(and by the way that part includes us) in his evil grip. Those times are so wonderful.
And then there are the times that the Holy Spirit has been with us when we experienced the unexpected death of a loved one, or we were experiencing challenges in some other way. It doesn’t always feel like He is with us. But that is why our love for Him has to go deeper than our feelings.
This morning as I was reading from the G ospel of Matthew this thought came to me. What it must have been like for John the Baptist to be locked up in a stinking dark, dirty prison. Can you imagine the psychological and spiritual torment that he was experiencing in that prison?
Here is a man that is a cousin to the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a man that was filled with the Holy Spirit in his Mother’s womb Lu 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. Lu 1:41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is a man that baptized our Lord Jesus and was there experiencing what the great Three -In-One did on that day Mt 3:16,17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”(NKJV)
I have ministered in prisons, and I have never been to one that I wanted to spend the night in. And it is only by the grace of God that I haven’t had to spend the night in one. I can’t imagine the taunts that the enemy was hurling at him that night. There had to be a great assault of fiery darts being shot at him by the demons in that prison. I have read about very faithful Christians having a dark night of the soul at some times. This had to be one of those times for John the Baptist.
Jesus sends word to John the Baptist Mt 11:4-6 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” He was still the Messiah, the Rescuer, the Deliverer then. And He is still the Deliverer now. We know that John the Baptist would be beheaded at what was most likely a pretty wild party: Mt 14:6-8 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”
We might think that his relief didn’t come. But think about it. He went from being in a prison to being in the presence of God forever and ever. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2Co 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (NKJV)
Not everyone is called to die for the faith like John the Baptist did. Although we are all called to die to self and to live for God and for others. You may be going through one of those periods that we all experience at times where it may be the loss of a loved one, or some trial in life that makes you question is God real? The enemy may be trying to convince you that the Lord has left you. You may be wondering is Jesus still with me. Let’s be reminded of what He has promised us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is with us always even to the end of the age. I heard a song the other night concerning when Jesus showed up to raise Lazarus from the dead. In that song are the words “He may be four days late, but He is always on time.” Yes! He is still the Messiah! Yes! He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Yes! He will come back for His church one day. Don’t give up. John the Baptist has been with him close to two thousand years, and we will be with Him one day as well. And we will always be with Him forever and ever!
Let Us Pray
Lord we thank You that at some of the times that we may not feel like You are with us. We know that those are the times that You are with us in a very special way. We thank You that You are our Rescuer, our Deliverer, and You are The Messiah. Today for all that are going through a challenging time in their journey with you give them the assurance that You are with them and that You are contending with everything that is coming against them on their behalf. We thank You that through your Holy Spirit that we can walk in victory in every situation and circumstance.
In Jesus Name
Amen
J.J. and I thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement in the ministry that God has called us to.
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
PS For those in Northwest Alabama our Broadcast Redeeming the Time comes on at 9:30 A.M. AND 9:30 P.M. on Sunday morning and Sunday night. That is on Spectrum Channel 10. In Jasper, it is on TV 16.
Please pray for the Lord to reach the lost through these broadcasts, and to encourage the faithful.
Preston Headrick
Evangelist
Real Party Ministry
P O Box 2302
Hamilton, Alabama 35570
Real Party Ministry 