Voices in the Desert

Isaiah 40: 1-11, Mark: 1:1-8

Mary Ann Wray

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Hebrews 3: 14

Preparing the “Way of the Lord” by preaching and teaching the whole Gospel truth is and always has been unpopular and costly. It’s costly not just in terms of economics and popularity, but results in rejection by a large portion of the populace. Simply put, most people don’t want to change the way they live, not then and not now. They want things to get better and they want to have more rather than possibly less. Anything that smacks of laying down their lives for the cause of Christ and Biblical Discipleship is too religious and radical for them.

Jesus repeatedly warned about the leaven (teaching) of the Herodians who were Hellenistic political teachers trusting in a man appointed leader to solve their problems and end strife; the Sadducees who rejected the Supernatural power of The Resurrection of the dead, and Pharisees, who were legalists and the epitome of hypocrisy and greed. (See Luke 11:39; Matthew 16:6, Mark 7: 21-22, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1-15)

Voices of objection to current trends, methods and messages sounding over sound waves are muffled and marginalized by “mainstream” messengers. These types of messengers are tasked by the “god of this World” with conditioning mankind through pop culture, media and entertainment, man-made religions, political pundits and fluffy sounding philosophies not founded upon God’s Word but clever, lofty sounding lectures.

On the other hand, people who are passionate about the truth and love God with their whole heart, mind, soul and strength will embrace and be emboldened by the whole counsel of Scripture proclaimed in out of typical or expected places. When these voices do emerge in typical expected places, you will often recognize the truth by the reaction of the crowd (Acts 7:54-60, John 6:26, 27).

Yielded hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ won’t follow, put up with and pay those who “make merchandise” of you by reason of twisting Holy Scriptures for gain, fame and so called “ministry advancement.” They will also reject the voices of mainstream moguls who tell people what they want to hear no matter how charismatic they are and how many promising sounding lies they tell.

Lovers of the truth will search the scriptures for answers and do their own due diligence to find factual information rather than arbitrarily believe so called facts. When they do so, in reality, they discover what is being peddled as truth is mere fables. (2 Timothy 4: 3-4)

God always has a remnant of believers and voices emerging from the wilderness and a people who care more about the Kingdom of God than the Kingdom of Men and this World. The glitter and glamor of being popular and the seduction of greed and false promises repulse rather than appeal to and flatter them. Each day we have a choice to follow a voice. Who will you listen to today?

“For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3: 14-15

If you’d like to read more here is a very good explanatory article about the three types if leaven…

https://grace.allpurposeguru.com/2024/05/leaven-of-the-pharisees-sadducees-and-herod/