• The birth of John (Luke 1:57-58 [57] Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. [58] And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
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• The naming of John (Luke 1:59-63 [59] And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. [60] And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. [61] And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. [62] And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. [63] And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
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• The prophecy of Zecharias (Luke 1:64-79 [64] And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. [65] And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. [66] And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. [67] And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, [68] Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, [69] And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; [70] As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: [71] That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; [72] To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; [73] The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, [74] That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, [75] In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. [76] 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; [77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, [78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, [79] To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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• John – the Lord is gracious
• Zecharias – The Lord remembers

• Five times in the Bible (Psalm 18:13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
  See All...; Luke 1:32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
  See All..., 35, 76; Luke 6:35But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
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• Three times in Luke 1 (The Son of the Highest - verse 32; The power of the Highest - verse 35; The prophet of the Highest -verse 76)
• Isaiah 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
  See All... – For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS SENT: (John 1:6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
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1. TO PREPARE THE WAYS OF THE LORD (Luke 1:76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
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1. Before the Face of the Lord
1. A place of prayer (1 Kings 13:6And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
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2. A place of judgment (1 Peter 3:12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
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2. To Make Ready a People Prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
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3. To Prepare the Way of the Lord (Luke 3:3-5 [3] And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; [4] As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. [5] Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
   See All...; Isaiah 40:3-5 [3] The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: [5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
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4. Importance of Preparation (Proverbs 16:1The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
   See All...; Proverbs 24:27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
   See All...; Proverbs 30:25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
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2. TO GIVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION (Luke 1:77-78 [77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, [78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
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1. By the Remission of their Sins (Luke 1:77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
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1. A dispensational work to bring the Jews (“his people”) to a readiness to receive their Messiah
2. A reminder to us that repentance is an important part of our salvation (Acts 20:21Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
   See All...; 2 Corinthians 7:10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
   See All...; 2 Timothy 2:25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
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2. Through the tender mercy of God (Luke 1:78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
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1. God’s mercy leads to His grace (Hebrews 4:16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
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2. God’s mercy led Him to send His Son
1. The dayspring from on high
1. Description of the morning (Job 38:12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
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2. The day star (2 Peter 1:19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
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3. The arising sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
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2. Hath visited us (1 John 4:10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
   See All...)   Around the World to Save a Soul – “A dying publican’s wife, in England, recently gave the following encouraging testimony, as narrated by the evangelist who visited her. He says: ‘I was asked to go to a public house in Nottingham and see the landlord’s wife, who was dying. I found her rejoicing in Christ as her Saviour. I asked her how she had found the Lord. “Reading that,” she replied, handing me a torn piece of paper. I looked at it and found that it was part of an American newspaper containing an extract from one of Spurgeon’s sermons, which extract had been the means of her conversion. ‘Where did you get this newspaper from?’ I asked. She answered: “It was wrapped round a parcel which was sent me from Australia.” Talk about the hidden life of a good seed! Think of that, a sermon—preached in London, conveyed to America, an extract printed in a newspaper there, that paper sent to Australia, part torn off (as we should say, accidentally) for the parcel dispatched to England, and, after all its wanderings, conveying the message of salvation to that woman’s soul. God’s Word shall not return unto Him void.” [Isaiah 55:11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
   See All...] –from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond (p. 326).
3. TO GIVE LIGHT TO THOSE IN DARKNESS (Luke 1:79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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1. To Them That Sit in Darkness (John 8:12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
   See All...; John 12:46I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
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2. To Them That Sit in the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23:4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
   See All...; Psalm 107:10-16 [10] Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; [11] Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: [12] Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. [13] Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. [14] He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. [15] Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! [16] For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
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4. TO GUIDE INTO THE WAY OF PEACE (Luke 1:79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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1. To Guide our Feet (Psalm 32:8I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
   See All...; Psalm 48:14For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
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2. Into the Way of Peace
1. Not Known by those who reject God (Romans 3:17And the way of peace have they not known:
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2. Given to those who receive Christ (John 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
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Conclusion: Nightly Meetings with Bwana – The English missionary C. T. Studd (1860-1931) established and operated the Heart of Africa Mission in his later years. He was known to the African nationals and the other missionaries as Bwana. His work with the other missionaries was amazing. “Probably the times with Bwana which will live most in their memory are the nightly meetings at Ibambi. More than anything else they kept the Mission on the true foundation of all spiritual work—the Bible and prayer. There were no time limits, but he just opened the Bible, read maybe two or three chapters, and then talked. The Epistles were his favourites. One hour, two hours, in Conference days till after midnight, night after night, it was always the same, our hearts burned within us as we met with Jesus. The greatest of all the lessons that we learned there was that if Christian workers want continual power and blessing, they must give time to meet together daily, not for a short, formal meeting, but long enough for God really to speak through His Word, to face out together the challenges of the work, to deal with anything that arises to hinder unity, and then to go to God in prayer and faith. This alone is the secret of victorious and spiritual warfare. No amount of hard work or earnest preaching can take its place.” –from C. T. Studd: Cricketer & Pioneer by Norman Grubb (p.218).

Step out of your comfort zone. Or, as the Bible says, launch out into the deep Luke 5:4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
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Not Killed by Water Baptism

Not Killed by Water Baptism – This story is told by the Baptist preacher John Taylor of an incident that occurred in Kentucky during the 1780’s: “I was invited to baptize some people there [on Silver Creek in Madison County, Kentucky]. I think five were baptized at the time and among them an old man the name of Wilson, apparently far gone in a consumption. This became a great trial to my faith. I found [that] the old man could only speak a little above a whisper. And though he had been much of a singer and a prayerful man in his family, all had been laid aside perhaps for a twelvemonth for want of breath.

“I had lately been reading Mr. [David] Rice’s pamphlet on infant baptism, where he had aver[r]ed that it was instant death to wet a man allover in the last stages of a consumption. If all this is true, thought I, which I did not know to the contrary, in this thing I had great perplexity.

“This old man came foremost to the water. And I [was] almost ready to tremble with fear, but in we went. As quick as he recovered from the water, he raised his hands [and] with pretty strong voice cried, ‘Glory to God! Glory to God!’ The first thought I had was, ‘Old man, you are not yet killed.’

“A handsome, little revival of religion went on. This old gentleman’s voice was so far restored that he resumed worship in his family and became a pleasant singer in public worship. And [he] lived after this for several years, so that wetting him allover did him no harm.” –from Baptist on the American Frontier: A History of Ten Baptist Churches by John Taylor (p. 192).