Preparing the Way: A Vision for Unity and Revival

And same thing like Korea and Korea needs something new. Right? There were all kinds of revivals in the past but we don't want the past. Right? We don't want Pentecost of Acts chapter 2 because we don't live then and we're not living there. We want what God has for us here. We want what God has for Israel and for the churches and the body of Messiah in Israel. So I knew that this would be an encouraging moment because this is what brings us together. Amen. And in these amazing situations. [00:27:24]

And so it's like I'm listening to his story and I'm thinking like these were the prayers that we were doing in Tel Aviv 20 years ago. Wow. Walking and prayer walking and going to the gay festival and going after the gay festival and like just praying that what is God going to do? Like we needed some sort of something new because the congregations in Israel were stuck in the Jesus movement. And it's nothing bad. And it's nothing bad but that's just the way that the Messianic body around the world, the average age of a Messianic congregational leader right now is 66 years old. [00:28:00]

And God is leading us down a similar path. Now, in those days, John the Baptist, John the Baptizer, this is not a title. This is some of his responsibilities and duties, which we will get into. So, it translates it, John the Baptist, John the one who was baptizing, John who has the authority to baptize. In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. [00:35:24]

Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up. Every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Amen. [00:37:07]

So this was not just any place along the Jordan River. This was the traditional place where Israel entered the promised land. This is the place where Joshua got to leave Israel and God split those waters and they came into the promised land. It's right back at the very beginning. And we're going to see these themes that he's going to be tying in. [00:41:04]

And we're going to see like this whole entire picture of what's going to end up happening, that John's role is an inferior role, but absolutely crucial because without him, without Elijah, there's no Elisha. Without Joshua, without Samuel, there's no prophet to go and anoint David. And so we see this picture throughout Scripture again and again, and this is who John was, from the moment that Elizabeth became pregnant with John. [00:44:34]

He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and there are children and there are few. Now I know every single Jewish mother wants their child to be the Messiah, because they already think that they treat them like that, especially their son. Oh, my son. My wonderful son. But John's whole role in life was going to be preparing the way for his cousin. [00:45:07]

And of course, they all wanted David to come back with the sword and the sling and to kill Rome. But instead, he was preparing the way of the Lord to come. The Mashiach ben Yosef, the Messiah, the son of Yosef, the suffering servant. And so even he himself would live a life of suffering. He lived a life preparing the path for Jesus. He was the witness of the one who was going to come. [00:52:38]

Because he was like a young Josiah bringing back the simplicity of a Torah of repentance. He was like King Hezekiah who rediscovered the word of God that brought back the simplicity of repentance. Not a complexity but the simplicity. God's kingdom is now. God's kingdom is for everybody. And the Messiah, he's almost here. That sounds exactly like today. [00:54:18]

But no longer just for Israel but for the entire world. The entire world. God is making a way in the desert. God is preparing things. There's a greater escalation that needs to happen for the return of Jesus that yes, Israel will be saved. And Israel must rise up and declare Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Israel must be saved. [00:55:19]

And Israel must rise up and declare Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Israel must be saved. There must be a critical mass of Jews saved. But also the gospel must go out and go to every single nation. And this is why we have a one new man and a coming together. That there is a role for Israel and there's a role for the nations. [00:56:01]

times, that you would really be praying for this hunger of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I'm open. Lord, I'm open for you what you want to do. It's not going to be like the 1980s. It's not going to be like the 1990s. We're not going to replicate the abuses that have all come out now that happened over the last 20 years in different spirit -led organizations. We're going to be focused on Jesus and humility and serving and yet the power of God is real. [01:18:32]