I got Baptized!

My story of baptism:

I was converted when I was 16/17 years old, and was never baptized. I've always known that after you are converted that you are to be baptized, but I didn't do it. I had begun to be convicted of this last fall, but put it off and put it off and then something remarkable happened.

God put into my life, the Raimundo family, and they posed a question and challenge to me.

"Do you want to know if a person wants to obey the word of God? Simple. Give him a commandment."

This started to chafe my soul, I knew I had to obey but I had something stopping me.

I wanted to be in control, I wanted to control that people thought I had things together, I wanted to control and pretend that nothing was wrong.

But my issue was that I was afraid that people would think poorly of me, think I was childish, think I were a fool.

I wanted control. I was proud. I wanted to be my own god.

But Jesus Christ is my LORD! I am not God! God is God, and I am only His beloved servant.

The words from the Raimundos echoed through my thoughts constantly. Then a verse was brought to my attention.

John 14:15

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Those were Jesus' words...and I was saddened because I had not obeyed.

The rich young ruler had been given commands and was also saddened, but he then turned away from Jesus, I knew that I must follow my Jesus, anywhere and everywhere He would lead me.

I began to ask friends to pray for me.
You see, my fear of men and of ridicule was not founded on the idea that getting baptized would look or be odd, but rather...it would not be the first time I would do this, it wasn't even the second, truly it would be both the third time...yet the only time I would be baptized.

I had gone through baptism as a very small child, when I did not understand the gospel. Then when I was about 12 I had an "emotional" experience, and it seemed good to me to get baptized as that was expected and it went with the flow. It was the result of bad judgment from poor character. Both times the only thing that happened...I got wet. That's it.

Thankfully God didn't give up on me.

Christ faithfully pursued me until I was converted, then He now constantly woos my soul to be conformed to His image.

As I was saying, those two previous dunkings held me back in fear, as I did not want to be called a fool or thought less of. Then slowly it was brought to me, by Christ's sweet mercy, I'm complete in HIM! It doesn't matter what the public thinks, or even what you, or my family, or the President, or any human being thinks. I must obey Jesus Christ, no matter the cost.

So, for weeks and weeks I prayed and finally told my parents that I wanted to talk of being baptized.

Thankfully, both my parents asked questions and we went over some things. I then talked with my last pastor (a dear friend) and my new pastor. Then I was baptized.

I was baptized into Christ's death and burial...

...and resurrection to walk in the newness of life!

September 29th, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 2013

After that I enjoyed the company for a bit with the other 16 people who were baptized with me, then my family went to lunch to celebrate my baptism and our joining this new church.




So, some technical stuffs:

 ~ What is a baptism? ~

It is an act of obedience.
It is telling the world who secures my identity. Who I belong to, who I live for, who I honor, who is my Master in life.

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. That Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour of this person's life.
Baptism is a commandment given to Christians.
- Matthew 28:19
- Acts 2:38

I followed my Jesus' example of death, burial, and resurrection to a new life and a new hope in Him.
- Matthew 28:19
- Romans 6:1-11
- Colossians 2:12

Romans 6:1-11

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

~ Who gets baptized? ~

Christians, and only Christians.

The Bible teaches that those who repent of their sin are to be baptized. Baptism is a symbol, it is not what saves a person, nor what makes that person righteous.
- Mark 1:4
- Luke 3:3

Dating Jesus?

In the past, I've struggled to know when should I take time out in my day to read my Bible. It had also been a struggle to me to let go of my pride to ask fellow Christians questions. I finally asked my Sisters some questions about their own time to read and pray. I got various responses and it made me curious. Some would read very early in the day, some later, and some later yet.

Then this past year, I heard some people talking about "dating Jesus". I was baffled. Dating Jesus? That's odd. That's not biblical. That's dangerous to the soul. Dating Jesus? What a strange and perverted idea that was to me.

I can't date the God of the universe. I can't date and dump the Saviour of the world. I can't love and leave the One who came to make me new.

I didn't want to believe what I'd heard of, people "trying-out" Jesus. Maybe they thought that Jesus is someone they could try-out. But Christ is not someone they could just date and toss out. That whole thought process is wrong, because with Jesus it's all or nothing. He doesn't do things half way, and those He has ransomed should imitate that.

Now, I am not perfect, and I make mistakes, this isn't me saying that I get it all right, or that this is exactly how you should live. I am only saying what I do and what I understand.

Jesus Christ is the lover of my soul. Christ is the Bridegroom of the Church.

Jesus loves me so much He died for me, He took my sin away, and purchased me. He washed me clean and makes me new. I am redeemed. He has love for me bigger than the world, and deeper than the oceans.

I love Jesus too. I want to know Him and be with Him. So, I have a time and place that I go to, so that I can meet Him.

I meet with Him, just us, alone and private, so quiet that the  birds still sleep and the moon shines gently. I meet the lover of my soul there, same place, same time each morning.

It's quiet and dark outside, and inside everyone is sleeping, except me and Jesus.

I don't date Jesus. I'm already His, and He is already mine!

To just "date" Jesus would not be honoring His sacrifice as it should be honored, I'm not to just "try-out" Christ, but I'm to be absolutely committed to Him. There is no "what-if" clause in our relationship, because our relationship is sealed by God.

I am fully committed to Him, and our time together is far more than a date.

I come to worship Him, study Him, and learn from Him.

He is my Morning Song!

Psalm 108:1-2

"My heart is steadfast, O God!

I will sing and make melody with all my being!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!"

Simplicity

The sky is a hue of blue, a radiant rich blue that fades into the distance to a creamy soft blue, like sea foam. No hint of clouds to interrupt the blue ceiling above me, so the brilliant sun seems close. It's much too bright to even attempt looking directly into the fiery intensity. I slowly close my eyes, and take in the heat that bakes the earth as an oven. The feeling from the intense light warms my skin as I grin up at the enormous sky.

With a gentle sigh, my eyes are brought to rest on the surrounding landscape.

The evergreen trees are a dark blue green. Their presence makes me think of Christmas and of Winter's white snow. The vast forest of leafy trees has started to look like an open crayon box left in the sun too long. The greens, browns, yellows, reds, all mixing together into a beautiful miriad of color. The beauty before me was enough to fill the soul with awe.

Each breath of the air brought in new fragrances of the panoramic beauty about me. The crisp smell of cedar's, and the smooth smell of the beginnings of autumn, mixed in was a touch of the smell of a stream's bubbling waters, over all was the presence of the freshness of the breeze from the plain's grasses.

The leaves on the ground leap about like acrobats in the gentle breeze. Doing flips they hurl themselves from their branches and gracefully land upon the grassy knoll. Some travel from their lowly place by doing cartwheels, others leap and bound to a new destination. Each taking care to be tender upon the blades of grass that they touch.

Flying so gracefully free high above was a small sparrow, she dove down and snatched several long blades of grass, as she came up she landed in a tree. Her nest was well under construction. The care and patience she put into it was obvious as she wove the grass with all sensitivity to it's design.

Just below her, on the ground, was a red ground squirrel. He moved with small quick motions as he gathered his acorns together. His ability to climb the bark of the tree with such ease stuck me with curiosity.

Gentle clouds began to drift across the sky's blue canvas. My soul filled with wonder as I watched the Master paint yet one more sunset. The silver lining on the clouds gave way to gold as vibrant pinks and oranges lit up the world about me. So bright was the sun's final glow, from purest white till a bloody red and finally the purple sky began to dim as stars conquered the night sky.

The ordered constellations dancing through the clouds and brightening the night's darkness.

Psalm 19:1-2

"The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge."