Mark 1
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets:[a]
“ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”[b]
3 “ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘ Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.’”[c]
I hear a voice coming out of the wilderness. The voice is beginning to come from many but is the unique and indistinguishable voice coming from Jesus. I hear the voice of Lord Jesus Christ rising up in the hearts of many who Christ has prepared and chosen. These messengers have been driven into the wilderness for a season. These are His Messengers prepared in the experience of the wilderness. They have been refined, sifted, and broken until there is nothing left of the flesh. Purified until there is nothing left of pride and aspiration. Now He is beginning to call upon them to rise up, come out of the wilderness and cry out in one voice. Messengers who can carry the pure message of Jesus Christ in their heart and speak with the voice of Jesus to millions and millions. They will begin crying out with a thunderous voice to the world heading down a wide path of destruction.
How can we distinguish them from the normal crowd?
These messengers are hearing and responding to the call of the Lord Jesus. They have been prepared and called to declare the coming of Jesus Christ. They have been anointed. Clothed with the Spirit of God with authority and power. But they are humble servants with one burning desire... to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. In their eyes they see Jesus Christ coming and they want nothing more then to declare this openly until everyone who hears them can see Jesus coming themselves.
What do these messengers look like?
They will take on the appearance of the the first messenger God sent to prepare the way for His Christ who was to come into the world as the lamb of God. They walk in the spiritual appearance of John the Baptist. What do I mean....let us look at John the Baptist for his appearance tells us the heart of these messengers....
Matthew 3:1-4
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘ Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.’”[a]
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
First- They will coming out of the wilderness. A place in their lives in which they have been prepared in the dry, hard, and purifying place in the desert.
Second-They will come out of the wilderness. Meaning a place with no name or association. They will not be known through their association to a denomination, fellowship, or non-denominational. They will carry no worldly credentials or acceptable pedigrees. They will carry no affiliation declaring where they have come out of only affliction. however, they will not be found coming out our institutions or religious systems. Yet there will be now doubt from whom their authority and their power rest upon them from. And you and I will know that they have come from is the wilderness and sent by God.
Third-These messengers are of no greatness or appearance, status or title. They are just messengers who will have no distinguishing marks or denominational brands upon them. Their faces and names will be unknown and not found on the jackets or inside covers of best selling books. They have no real wealth in the world and their manner will be comely and unattractive.
Fourth- They will have spent many days in the wilderness consuming the pure power of the word and the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. They will have not consumed the food of the world but have purged and purified their soul from the refuse of the world. They cut out the steady diet of television. They have removed from their dinner table the movie buffet. They have removed themselves completely from the world and it's steady diet of tv, movies, and entertainment.
Look toward the wilderness saints. Look for them rising up in our midst. The Lord is sending messengers out from the wilderness. They will be coming out of this most undesirable and insignificant place. The place you least expect to hear the Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ....They will be coming out of the wilderness! They will have One voice the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ....
Preparing the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight
