John the Baptist

John the Baptist

Billie Hammers

Zacharias was a priest, and as a priest he was to burn incense when he went into the temple. In those days priest were permitted to marry. Zacharias was married to a lady named Elisabeth.

Now Elisabeth and Zacharias didn't have any children. They were getting old and they wanted to have children. Zacharias had prayed and asked Yahweh for a child. One day as Zacharias was offering incense in the temple an angel of the Lord came to him; his prayers had been answered and Elisabeth would have a son. The angel told Zechariah to name the baby John. He told Zacharias that he would have joy and gladness. He said that many would rejoice at the baby's birth.

The angel told Zacharias that John would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he would be filled with the Holy Ghost before he was born. The angel said John would turn many people to the Lord. He would go out in the spirit and power of Elias.

We are spirits living in flesh bodies. Our flesh bodies grew for us to live in while we were still inside of our mother's stomach. Our spirit came from Yahweh, but because the natural eye cannot see spirit we needed a body to live in here on earth. Yahweh made the body of our mother's able to grow a flesh body during the nine months we are incubated in our mother's stomach. This flesh body is the house that the spirit lives in while here on earth. After we are born we have to learn how to operate our body and how to use it properly.
Elisabeth produced the body of John, but Yahweh sent the spirit of Elias to dwell in that body. Elias had loved and served Yahweh when he was here on earth and everyone that knew him, was sad when he went to the Lord. Now John's body would be the house of the spirit of Elias, and John would love and serve Yahweh just as Elias had.

John came in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the father's back to the children, and to make things ready so the people would be prepared to receive the coming of the LORD.

Zacharias questioned the angle about how he would know this would come to pass for he and Elisabeth were old and well stricken in years.

The angel said "I am Gabriel and stand in the presence of Yahweh; and am sent to speak unto you and to show you these glad tidings."

Gabriel said Zacharias would not be able to speak until the baby was born because he did not believe what the angel said. When Zacharias left the temple that day he couldn't speak. He wrote letters when he wanted to communicate with anyone.

Eight days after John was born they went to the temple to name him. Elisabeth said they would call him John and Zacharias agreed, then the Lord loosed Zacharias' tongue and he gave praise to Yahweh. Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying, "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

John fulfilled all that Yahweh spoke by the angel Gabriel and by Zacharias. John was a voice crying in a time of darkness and confusion. His message to the people was to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

John was six months older than Yahsha. They were cousins and John told the people at the river Jordan that Yahsha was greater than he was and that He would deliver the people from their sins.

John said that he would baptize them with water unto repentance, but Yahsha was coming and he would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and fire.

John was a faithful worker for Yahweh. He brought the message that the Lord told him to bring.

Memory Verse

"I indeed have baptized you with water:
but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."

Mark 1:8

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