John the Baptist preached in the Desert,
"Repent, for heaven is near."
He baptized the people who repented;
They came from all over to hear.
People sought out John from Judea,
From Jordan and Jerusalem.
There at the Jordan River,
Crowds repented and were baptized by him.
John was a cousin to Jesus.
God chose him to prepare the way,
For Jesus to enter His ministry;
John was bold in what he would say.
John's clothes were made of camel's hair;
He didn’t work a job to earn money.
A leather belt was around his waist.
And his food was locusts and honey.
The prophet Isaiah called John:
"The voice of one calling in the desert,”
John called men to repent, be baptized,
His ministry was intentionally overt.
John saw Pharisees and Sadducees coming,
Where people got their spiritual bath,
He yelled, "You brood of vipers!
Who warned you of the coming wrath?”
“Do not think you can say to yourselves,
'We have Abraham as our father.'
I tell you that out of these stones,
God can raise up children,” so don’t bother."
“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance,
For if a tree doesn’t bear good fruit,
It will be cut down and thrown in the fire;
The axe is already at the root.”
"I baptize with water for repentance.”
“But One whose power is much higher,
Whose sandals I am not fit to carry,
Will baptize with the Spirit and fire.”
“His winnowing fork is in His hand,
And He’ll clear His threshing floor.
He will gather His wheat into the barn,
And the chaff will burn evermore."
Becky Wall
