Music link: https://youtu.be/ED_UBBuAu_Q
You know, it is too bad that more people don’t read the scriptures. I believe that if they did, then they wouldn’t do the stupid things that they do.
You know what I mean?
Can I get an “amen” on that…
2 Kings 2:23-25 New Living Translation
23 Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!”
24 Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.
25 From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria.
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First off, don't expect me to apologize for something I should have been doing much sooner. God has called me to preach and to preach radically...
Following taken from "Google AI:"
AI Overview
After being told his preaching was too harsh, John the Baptist famously responded with, "You brood of vipers!". He challenged the crowds' reliance on lineage, stating that God could raise children of Abraham from even the stones. He further emphasized the urgency of repentance by declaring that the ax was laid to the root of the trees, and every tree not bearing good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Question I asked of AI:
"When the people said to John, "His preaching was too harsh didn't he point to Him who was to come after him?"
AI Overview
Yes, according to the Gospel of John, when some people criticized John the Baptist's preaching as too harsh, he did point to Jesus as the one who was to come after him. John's ministry was to prepare the way for Jesus, and he acknowledged that Jesus was greater than himself.
John the Baptist's role was to preach repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins, calling people to prepare their hearts for the Messiah. While his message was direct and sometimes challenging, he consistently directed people to Jesus, recognizing that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, according to the Gospel of John.
As you can see by the above quotes what I was trying to get AI to say, was that John, when rebuked for preaching too strong , replied back to his detractors, “Oh, you think that my preaching is strong, well, let me tell you that there is one coming after me, whose sandals that I am not worthy to untie.”
(My Paraphrase)
But John went on and he said, “I am telling you that I have only been preaching about “water and baptism,” nevertheless, when this guy shows up he is going to be preaching, “FIRE” and of a Spirit, which comes straight from ‘heaven,’ itself.
Can you understand what I am saying?
You know, we let these traditionalist “Theologians,” set up the background of the events, and so, many imagine this episode in the Bible. I am talking about the time where they felt so ‘offended,’ by the strong preaching of John. So, these so-called “theologians” would wish you to believe as they explain the backgrounds of the stories.
In other words, many in the church seem to have defined this anecdote or story of the Bible, as John being a real bad dude, a mean vicious preacher out to condemn the people. But then Jesus is supposed to come on the scene as John claimed he would, and according to their written or spoken traditions, Jesus finally left his home at the age of thirty and began to tiptoe, down through the Tulip lined streets, until he met his disciples.
Then coming to Peter and Andrew, Jesus, yells from maybe thirty feet away. “You Hoo, fellas over here, come and follow me, so Peter and Andrew leave their nets to follow Jesus.”
Well, what I am trying to get at here is that this was not what John the Baptist was Preaching.
What John the Baptist was preaching, was more likened to this version, as follows:
“John, who was thoroughly disgusted by the hypocrisy and the covetousness, the lying, the deceitfulness in which he had to witness every day, lays in to these worthless human beings. Not only does he expose them for all of their hypocrisies, but he proves to the entire Nation what total worthless human beings that these religious fraudsters were, and no one could deny it by his evidence he presented.
Following is a scripture concerning righteous “LOT,” which I am sure was similar, as to what John the Baptist endured in his generation:
AI Overview
The suffering that righteous Lot endured daily while living in Sodom is described in 2 Peter 2:7-8. This passage states that Lot was a righteous man, but his soul was tormented by the wicked deeds he saw and heard, and he was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. Specifically, 2 Peter 2:8 says, "for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard>>".
So, anyway, getting back to John who was rebuked by some of the people for his harsh words while preaching.
You see, how John answered his detractors ought to make you have “goosebumps,” because of what “John" answered back to those filthy ones who thought that he was so harsh in his preaching.
From “Google AI,”
AI Overview
Yes, in the New Testament, John the Baptist did say that Jesus would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. This statement is found in Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, and Luke 3:16. John's words are not meant to imply that Jesus would literally bring a physical fire, but rather that He would bring about a powerful spiritual transformation and cleansing through the Holy Spirit.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus, identified Jesus as the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
In biblical symbolism, fire often represents purification, judgment, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, it's not a destructive act, but a powerful transformative one. The Holy Spirit empowers, guides, and renews believers, making them more like Christ.
Jesus' coming did cause division, as some were drawn to his message and others were not. The fire of the Holy Spirit can challenge individuals to make a choice between following Christ and adhering to worldly values.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a spiritual experience that gives believers spiritual gifts and a deeper understanding of God's will.
So, what I am trying to say is that when the people tried to rebuke “John the Baptist,” for preaching too harshly, John answered their questioning like this:
He says, “OH, you think that my preaching is too harsh. Well, I have only been preaching “water and baptism,” much similar as the style of “Milk and Cookies,” your children are served in Kinder Garden.
Nonetheless, there is coming one after me and this “dude.” Is going to be preaching “FIRE,” and of a” GOD Spirit” who speaks by the authority directly from heaven.
Do you understand what I am saying?
John was saying if you can’t handle my TRUTH, there is no way that you will ever be able to handle his TRUTH.
No, you will die in your shoes for Eternity, if you disobey this man’s warnings.
Well, gee John, wasn’t Jesus a much kinder preacher than John, he never called the Pharisees, hypocrites, or liars names, did he?
Taken from “GoogleAI:”
AI Overview
Yes, Jesus addressed the hypocrites and Pharisees with strong and often harsh language. He used terms like "hypocrites," "brood of vipers," and "blind guides," along with accusations of hypocrisy, greed, and neglecting the law while focusing on outward appearances.
Here's a more detailed look at Jesus's harsh language toward the Pharisees:
This chapter in Matthew's Gospel is particularly known for Jesus's direct and strong condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. He uses a series of "woes" (exclamations of grief or denunciation) against them, pointing out their hypocrisy and lack of genuine faith.
Jesus often used metaphors, like calling them "children of hell" or "blind guides," to highlight their spiritual blindness and the consequences of their actions.
He directly accused them of hypocrisy, prioritizing external rituals over inner righteousness, and of closing the kingdom of heaven to others while not entering themselves.
Jesus consistently criticized the Pharisees for focusing on outward appearances and rituals while neglecting the true spirit of the law and their relationship with God.
Jesus's harsh words were often a response to their specific actions and teachings, including their opposition to his ministry and their attempts to discredit him.
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