Wanna Try The Camel Hair Approach?

“As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight,’”                                                                                                                             Mark 1:2-3 (ESV)

I may have said this before but I don’t mind repeating this, I am not a man that enjoys wearing a suit. I don’t care that my wife says I look handsome in one, I feel like I am in bondage when I wear it, especially the tie part. To quote my friend Brain Poplawski, “it feels like a weak man trying to choke me.” But I am also quick to remember my days at The Colony of Mercy, where the suit is mandatory armor for Sunday morning Chapel service, so it is in that where I try to find a way to make the tie work. But the camel hair suit that John the Baptist wore…hmm? I wonder if it was itchy but the question for this morning is, “Could you wear John the Baptist’s suit?”

Yes I realize that there are those of you today who have just sat there and said, “John the Baptist’s suit? Boy, you better put on Jesus!!” And if you just said “AMEN” I’m down with that but hear this out…MEN. If you think for one moment that standing up for the Gospel means you get to wear Jesus only you may wanna think again. There are going to be those times where you have to call it like it is and when you do you’re gonna get dirty and if you ain’t getting’ dirty for the cause of the Gospel…what Gospel are you preaching? You oughta think about fittin’ yourself in a camel hair suit first because that wasn’t just a garment of covering. It represents a prototype for what the Armor of God will become after the finished work of Jesus Christ. (That’s just what I think)

There were three things that made John the Baptist stand out to me. The first is that he was bold in his purpose. He had no problem calling sin…SIN! In Mark 6:18 we read, “For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Now Herod had respect for John but when it came to God’s Law John was no respecter of any person. John had been personally with Herod, and had plainly and freely told him of his sin, and faithfully reproved him for it; alleging what he had done was contrary to the law of God, period. Herodias didn’t like it but I don’t think John cared. He called it right down the middle and Herodias had his head for it.

The second thing that stands out about John the Baptist is that he was humbled in his purpose. We read in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” We use this statement a lot when it is applied to the “die to self” or the “exchanged life” motto’s but we could also say that John’s own popularity had to start taking a back seat so that the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of world” took His rightful place among His children. This brings me to the third that stands out about John and that is his thankfulness that people were turning to his cousin for salvation. “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. (John 3:29)

I think we approach those times when we really should be calling it right down the middle and because there is a “Herodias” around we seem to balk at doing what is right and calling sin, SIN. I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past but in my present I’ve been taking off that shiny suit of armor and trying the camel hair one out. It’s not comfortable and you may only get a honey-coated locust for your troubles but in the long run the right things of God will happen (like there are really any wrong ones). It is my hope that I am not alone and that all my brothers –in-Christ will give the “Camel Hair Approach” a try. Who knows, it may be the next new trend at Men’s Warehouse. Amen? – Chris Huhges is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Job 32-34

Think About This: “It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times. To preach against such sins as our prevalent and to recommend such virtues as our most wanted.”—John Adams (2^nd President of The United States)

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promises, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9