12-4-16 - Are you ready?

Rev David Schultz

 Matthew 3:1-12

 1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”4Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them,
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from
the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have
Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from
these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.
Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you
with water for repentance, but he who is coming after
me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy
to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he
will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into
the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”