He would just need to repeat what he said two thousand years ago to be relevant, striking and... disturbing.

One only needs to browse through his sayings in the Scriptures to see this:

Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Mat. 3.2)

Repentance - a change of mind, attitude, direction - will always be the turning point that allows us to take a fresh start in life and taste God’s blessing. No repentance, no hope...

Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]. (Mat. 3.8)

We like quick fixes, but repentance needs to show some obvious fruit. It goes far beyond regrets and remorse to produce a deep and lasting change, as slow and incomplete as it may be...

He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry. (Mat. 3.11)

A disciple of Christ never dares to think he is a master at anything. We cannot answer every question but our lives and our message point towards He who alone is totally trustworthy - "the way, the truth and the life".

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Mat. 3.11b)

Before Jesus ever started his ministry of compassion, before He died and rose again, we were already included in God’s plan to fill and transform us with His Spirit...

Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? (Mat. 11.3)

Doubt sometimes catches up with our faith just as shadows go with light. Maybe doubt is the shadow of faith... Until the day when we will see Him face to face, without a shadow of a doubt...

I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord]. (Jn 1.23)

We cannot change people nor convince them to believe or obey God. But we are called to be a message - silent or audible - inviting others to follow along in Christ’s footsteps...

Look! There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn 1.29)

How good it is to turn our eyes again and again to the one who saves us from ourselves, misery and despair! He never disappoints nor deceives anyone...

A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.] (Jn 3.27)

Most of us love being around people who do not "think of themselves more highly than they should", but who are not ashamed to be who they are by the grace of God! We have something to give because we have received so much from Christ our source...

He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]. (Jn 3.30)

And not the opposite - "I must decrease so He can increase"? It just doesn’t work that way... But the more I surrender my life to God, the less I need to struggle to conquer what doesn’t honour Him in my life. His presence dispels sin as the light conquers darkness...

God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit! (Jn 3.34)

He is not greedy. He is always ready to give more than what we need to be and do what is good, if we will only learn to humbly and simply rely on Him...

And what if, on June 24th, we all celebrated the message John the Baptist left us, he who was a prophet in his days and still is today?

Pierre Quiroul

A ministry companion

(All Scriptures from the Amplified version of the Bible)