Brood of Vipers

I have often disregarded John the Baptist a little and not personalized his teachings because he was talking to a different people under a different covenant and chastising the ‘evil’ deserving Pharisees and Sadducees. When he cried out to ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near’, was he talking about the next three years that would rock the world, or was he talking about the second coming of the Messiah? Literally he was addressing the people in front of him, but prophetically, he may be addressing today’s Christian church and the second coming of the Lord. He says, in Matthew 3, to the leaders in the local denominations, ‘Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.’ Whoa! Don’t just say that you’re safe because you’re associating yourselves with those who have come before you and were righteous. For, the axe of God’s judgment is ready to cut you off at those roots and toss you in the fire if you don’t produce your own fruit. He says, when Jesus comes again, He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat and will gather up the wheat into his barn and cast the chaff into never-ending fire. Are we, today’s Christian church, like these Pharisees and Sadducees, living off the fruit of and associating ourselves with those whom were righteous before and around us (like pastor Jerry Pruitt )? Or do we have our own deep roots, seeded by the Word, producing fruit in abundance and living righteously as an ambassador for Christ? Should we be taking up John’s message to all that will hear crying out “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”. And if we do call out “Repent of your sins”, will they just yell back, “brood of vipers!” – Hypocrites, because of how we live our lives? What have we become, as a church who says, you don’t have to repent (change your mind; particularly with reference to the will of God) of sin, God loves you just the way you are? What a twisted lie from the Devil. Yes, God does love you regardless; He loves you enough to give you free will to either repent from sin and receive Him as your Lord, or to burn with the chaff and fruitless trees in unquenchable fire.