In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.' " [Isaiah 40:3]
John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And 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 for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Monday, February 15, 2010
prepare ye / god save the people | godspell
Prepare ye the way of the Lord. . . .
You vipers' brood!
Who warned you to escape from the coming retribution?
Then prove your repentance by the fruit it bears;
and do not presume to say to yourselves,
"We have Abraham for our father."
I tell you that God can make children for Abraham
out of these stones here.
Already the axe is laid to the roots of the trees;
and every tree that fails to produce good fruit
is cut down and thrown on the fire.
I baptize you with water, fro repentance;
but He who comes after me is mightier than I.
I am not fit to take off his shoes.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Hey!
You come to me?
I want to get washed up!
I'd rather be baptized by you.
No. We do well now to conform with all that God requires. . . .
you sons of snakes | cotton patch gospel | tom key
You sons of snakes! Tell me, who put the heat under you to run from the fury about to bust over your heads? You got to reshape your lives, because God's new order of the Spirit is confronting you.
You got to give me what? You got to give me what? You got to give me proof! Proof that you have had a changed life.
And don't you go feeding yourselves none of this "we good church folk" nonsense. I tell you right now: God could make good church folk out this pile of rocks right here. Hallelujah!
The chain saw is set at the trunk of the tree. And every tree that does not perform some worthwhile function, it's going to be cut down, it's going to be thrown into the fire, it's going be burnt up, hallelujah. Hallelujah! Can I hear a hallelujah?
I indeed dip you. I dip you in water. I dip you in a changed life. But he that's coming after me, he's so much more powerful than I am, I'm unworthy to shine his shoes, hallelujah! He's going to dip you ! He's going to dip you in fire! He's going to dip you in the Holy Spirit!
His combine's already running. He's going to give this field a thorough going over. He's going to store up the grain in the bin, and burn off the stubble. He's going to do it! Praise God. Amen.
you vipers' brood!
You vipers' brood!
Who warned you to escape from the coming retribution?
Then prove your repentance by the fruit it bears;
and do not presume to say to yourselves,
"We have Abraham for our father."
I tell you that God can make children for Abraham out of these stones here.
Already the axe is laid to the roots of the trees;
and every tree that fails to produce good fruit
is cut down and thrown on the fire.
I baptize you with water, fro repentance;
but He who comes after me is mightier than I.
I am not fit to take off his shoes.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Who warned you to escape from the coming retribution?
Then prove your repentance by the fruit it bears;
and do not presume to say to yourselves,
"We have Abraham for our father."
I tell you that God can make children for Abraham out of these stones here.
Already the axe is laid to the roots of the trees;
and every tree that fails to produce good fruit
is cut down and thrown on the fire.
I baptize you with water, fro repentance;
but He who comes after me is mightier than I.
I am not fit to take off his shoes.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Friday, February 5, 2010
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