Mark 1:1-11 KJV
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John the Baptist a man born with the Holy Spirit in his heart, who had the testimony of Jesus inside his mother's own womb of Mary coming to see his own mother. (Luke 2) We want to think of John the Baptist as the only forerunner of Christ, but all prophets are forerunners. John the Baptist was unique because he was filled with the Holy Spirit from conception. He was not the Christ but would proclaim who the Christ was. John the Baptist still had to decide for himself if he believed the Holy Spirit testimony that was within him. He is anointed with the Spirit the Holy Spirit is not his own soul. John the Baptist born a Jew/Israelite. Born of the Priestly family. Born to preach repentance in the highways and byways of life. Anointed by birth or by his tribe and Father work, after all children often followed in their father's footsteps. He was to be raise as a nazarite(a person chosen and who performed a sacrificial service to God). He would eat only certain types of foods in the wilderness and growing up. He would not cut his hair until his task ordain by God was fulfilled. Yet this was a call on his life even in the womb of his mother. Not a call of choice, yet later the choice no doubt was implied during his training years under his father, and the priesthood. Something hard to full grasp perhaps without being in the tribe of Israel. Yet all that were called to the priesthood would have similiar experience. Was John call unique, perhaps being filled from the womb. Perhaps because his parents were of old age. The uniqueness would of been because angel visitation to his father when he went in where the ark was and came out not being able to speak, until he was born and he declare his son's name was John. Unique because is was prophetic birth. Yet he was not the Messiah.

John would declare who the Son of God was, but his declaration could of been of any Jew born by faith. Yet Christ was born not by faith alone, but was born of the word of God, by God's Spirit hovering over Mary his mother by birth. John role in declaring Christ came with the baptism of Jesus. The baptism of demonstrating the change from filth of the world to cleanness through repentance baptism. A baptism of change or decison to follow the law and purifying the one baptized as they walked into Jerusalem city to go to the temple. Jesus needed no purifying, but it symbol of faith that others that were not Christ would need to follow. Yet John would witness the anointing of Jesus by the Father and the Spirit of God descending like a dove and declare it. John would have a testimony to his heart who the Christ(the anointed one) was.

John having this testimony should of been encouragement through out his ministry, yet when John the Baptist is imprisoned, he sends word to ask once more if Jesus was the Messiah by his disciples. The decision of faith in Jesus not fully declared by John at this inquiry. Jesus would later declare John was least in the kingdom of God. We have to understand it is because of his doubt of who the Messiah was, though he had testimony of his Father before him at the baptism and even from his mother womb of his call by God the Father.

Is this dilemna, this is where John the Baptist in a crisis was having doubt, because he behind bars, in a situation caused by his own preaching about the king herod and his brother's wife. If we stop there and realize our humanity kicks in when our crisis is caused by our own storm and not by the storm caused by God. John should of perhaps not mention the kings affair with his brother's wife, but he did. It was part of the events in society and probably even common talk around the dinner table, used in a sermon. Something common causing a storm in John the Baptist life that would cause him to be beheaded on the whim of king's niece who danced beautifully for him. His storm being finished with the stormed that caused his human imprisonment.

Sometimes our storms are own making and not the making of God. We must realize our storms can be forecasted by the enemy. The enemy being by our own making. John went against the government with the rumor, not really in our world, but it was by the world in which he lived. To speak against the king was dangerous in itself, but it was only the truth he spoke. King was not bother by it. Yet the woman was. It was condemnation of her adultress life style. She asked for the head of John the Baptist through her daughter and had his head deliverd on a silver platter, so she knew he was dead.

John storm of doubt not sure of who Christ was, the confusion of his location was jail. His confusion by his sin, that would lead to his death. The confusion of if Christ is who he claimed, why did he leave him imprisoned and not set him free like Daniel who was deliverd the next day out of the lions den. Why was he suffering, if he obeyed God in the wilderness to preach repentance and be saved. It because of his humanity he was suffering, it was because of his humanity. His faith was still intact but he needed assurance of faith. He need to know the miracles were wrought by the hand of the Messiah. John disciples would deliver the message back to John that Jesus was truly the Messiah. The shame of doubt now etched, but not unpardonable sin, just a sin he needed to repent of unbelief and doubt. He would be least in the kingdom because of his doubt because of signs by God the Father who had declared who Jesus was.

Is your storm of doubt getting you in trouble. Is the storm of the situation you in causing your trouble. Is your actions in the storm causing you trouble as it did John the Baptist with Jesus. Are your storms you fault? Think for a moment those signs of early faith in God was so real to your heart are they still real as the day of testimony of first salvation. Think God is giving you those signs of faith to increase your faith. Use it in the hour of your need to hold your faith, those anchors of testimony keep you on the solid foundation of faith in Christ Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father let all signs of our faith to our heart of your reality pentrate the believers heart in times of struggle in faith. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Matthew 11:7-13 KJV
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Luke 1:13-17 KJV
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Luke 7:20-24 KJV
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?