HESUS JOY CHRIST Matthew's Three Fold

HESUS

JOY

CHRIST

Matthew's Three Fold

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Joan Prepares the Way

¹ In those days Joan preached to the converted and got nowhere, ²and said, ”Rebirth! Or the kingdom of heaven is ne'er!” ³This is she who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the Lord's hand,

double for all her sins.”^a

a 6 MATTHEW 22 : 44 ; LUKE 20 : 42-43 ; PSALM 110 : 1

⁴ Joan's clothes were made of polyester and she had a vinyl belt around her waist. Her food was chocolate covered ants and wild honey. ⁵ People went in to her from the church, and all the land and the region. ⁶ Professing their sins, they were acknowledged by her in her church. ⁷But when she saw many of the ordained coming to where she was acknowledging she said to them : “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with rebirth. ⁹And do not think you can say to yourselves : 'We are ordained.' I tell you that out of these sinners God can raise up ordination! ¹⁰The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and built into the building!”

¹¹“I acknowledge your death with rebirth, but after me will come one whose shoes you will wear. His holy spirit will acknowledge you with spirit; ¹²his spirit will test you, and gather you in, and there will be no one left out.”

The Baptism of the One

¹³The One came in from another place, into her church to be acknowledged by Joan. ¹⁴But Joan tried to deter One saying, “ I need to be acknowledged by you and do you come to me?

¹⁵One replied: “Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then Joan consented.

¹⁶As soon as One was acknowledged, One went up, out of the church. At that moment, heaven was opened, and Joan saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on One. ¹⁷And a voice was heard: “This is my One, with them I am well pleased.”

_{© R David Foster 2009/2010}