John the Baptist

Hope you had a good Easter weekend last weekend celebrating Jesus our risen King! We are still in our series about perspective. Getting the right perspective on a situation can be the difference between being an overcomer and being defeated. How you see things can make the difference between living life in victory or living in defeat. The right perspective can help you stay on the path to destiny and the wrong perspective can lead down a path of destruction. It is important how we see things around us. 

Last week we looked at Jesus and how instead of focusing on the pain and trauma of the cross, He fixed His eyes on the glory that was to come after the cross. He didn’t ignore the cross. He prayed about it in the garden on Gethsemane and talked to His disciples about it but He fixed His eyes on the glory set before Him, see Hebrews 12:2. 

Perspective is about seeing ourselves right and seeing God right and not allowing ourselves to get stuck when life happens to us. Rahab did not let herself be stuck in her life as a prostitute, Ruth did not let herself be stuck in her life as a widow, Esther did not let herself be stuck feeling sorry for herself and living fearful and Jesus did not get stuck in the garden looking at the cross. All of these at some point determined or made up their minds to keep moving forward no matter the cost and no matter what it looked like. They all chose to trust God with the outcome and God was faithful to each and every one of them. 

Rahab was rescued from destruction and ended up in the lineage of Jesus, Ruth found her Boaz, re-married and ended up in the lineage of Jesus, Esther ended up being queen and rescuing all the Jews under king Xerxes rule and Jesus… Jesus ended up exalted and lifted up and seated in heavenly places above every power or principality. He was given the Name above all names and He is our way to the Father and brought salvation to all of us!

The right perspective will lead us towards destiny. This week we will be talking about none other than Jesus’ cousin John. John 1:22-23 says, ““Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:“I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’””

Part of seeing ourselves right is knowing our purpose and who God says we are. John the Baptist knew exactly who he was and what he was called to do in his lifetime. Take note that John when speaking about himself, he quoted scripture. He didn’t say who his mama said he was or who his friends said he was, but he repeated who God said he was. A voice in the wilderness, making a way for the Lord’s coming, see Isaiah 40:3. 

Isaiah 40:3 didn’t say anything about John being a baptist though. John had to have his own relationship with God and walk with God to find out the fulness of who God created him to be. Likewise, when God speaks to us about who He has called us to be, He does not give us full details and a blueprint of exactly what it will look like. He gives us clues and it is up to us to follow Him and trust that He sees the big picture and that if we keep following Him, we will discover exactly who we are and who we are created to be. 

As we journey with God we need to be open to Him changing our perspective, changing the way we see ourselves, changing the way we think about ourselves so we can be transformed into the image of Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 3:18. God is faithful. His faithfulness is weaved through every story in the Bible. Easter is the greatest reminder of God’s faithfulness. God promised that on the third day He would raise Jesus from the dead and He did it.

God keeps His word. Isaiah 40 was written about 700 years before John ever lived yet God’s word was still true when John spoke it. God does not change His mind about who He says we are. God keeps His word.

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano