"While they were living in Nazareth, John the Baptist began preaching out in the Judean wilderness. His constant theme was, 'Turn from your sins......turn to God......for the Kingdom of Heaven is coming soon."

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Bible Commentary: "John the Baptist burst on the scene. His theme was 'turn from your sins.....turn to God.' He meant that we must do an about-face......a 180-degree turn....from the kind of self-centeredness that leads to wrong actions such as lying, cheating, stealing, gossiping, revenge, abuse, and sexual immorality. Instead, we must follow God's prescribed way of living found in His Word. The first step in turning to God is to admit your sin, as John urged. Then God will receive you and help you live the way He wants you to. Remember that only God can get rid of sin. He doesn't expect us to clean up our lives before we come to Him.

"The Kingdom of Heaven began when God himself entered human history as a man. Today Jesus Christ reigns in the hearts of believers, but the Kingdom of Heaven will not be fully realized until all evil in the world is judged and removed. Christ came to earth first as a suffering servant; he will come again as king and judge to rule over all the earth as victor."

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