"New Lives For Old" "When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God" - so says our Scripture lesson today. John the Baptist (as we call him) is obviously known for baptizing people. Actually, he should be remembered for his message - he should be "John the Preacher" not "John the Baptizer" because it was his direct, confrontational preaching that made people remember him. It was his preaching mouth that got him in trouble, not his baptizing hands. His message? Repent! He told Herod, the ruler of Galilee to repent for taking his brother's wife, Herodias, as his own. Herodius plotted with her dancing daughter to have John's head - literally - killed as if he were an annoying gnat flying about in the royal box. But Jesus said, "The truth is that John the Baptizer" is greater than anyone who has ever come into this world."...(John 11:11) "Before John came, the law of Moses and all the prophets told about the things that would happen. And if you believe what they said, then John is Elijah. He is the one they said would come. You people who hear me, listen!" (John 11:14) It was the right time for his message of repentance. Before we can get new lives, we have to dump a lot of junk out of the old life. That's a two step process - being sorry for what you have done and asking God to forgive you for all of it. There's a time of repentance built into every communion service, where when we confess our sin, "God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness." No wonder John's message was also a welcome one - many people wanted to hear it, and to hear it that had to expend a good deal of effort. John planted himself in the middle of nowhere. He set up shop in the wilderness and anyone who wanted to hear what he had to say had to go to a lot of trouble to get there - borrowing the neighbor's donkey perhaps or setting off on foot with enough water for the journey, and going down lonely trails infested with bandits. To hear John preach you had to trek way off into the blazing hot desert, traverse relentless hills of thick sand and make you way down to the Jordan River, far away from any city. He was particularly hard on people in organized religion, the Pharisees and Sadducees. They didn't go there to hear him except to hear enough so they could find a way to do him in - after all, if he became too popular their temples would be empty of people - worse yet their offering plates would be empty. "You bunch of snakes!" John said, "slithering down here to the river. Do you think that a little water on your snake skins is going to make any difference. It's your life that got to change, not your skin! If your life is changed, people will be able to tell. You'll bear fruit. And don't think you can pull rank because you are a descendant of Abraham. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can take these rocks and make them into descendants of Abraham. What matters is your life. Is your life green? Is it bearing fruit? Because if it is dead wood then it goes into the fire. Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is near!" My advise to you is, "Live your life understanding that only what's done for Christ will last." What are these things? Acts of kindness, Works of charity, Visiting the sick, comforting they who mourn, being more concerned about the welfare of your wife or husband or significant other than your own. Carrying about with you a spirit of good will and acceptance. Not being judgemental, Not complaining. At our last minister's meeting, one of the ministers came with a band on his wrist. Each time you complain about something, you have to move the band to the other wrist. The goal is to see how long you can go without having to do that. How about YOU? Could you last only an hour - a day - a week? The program's goal is to go 21 days. Are all of your branches green - or just a few of them. (A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen.) I have a senna polifida tree that isn't
