Sunday, January 11, 2015

You Are Baptized


 

Pastor Jerry was reading from Mark 1:4-11 about John The Baptist baptizing people in the Jordan river, and Jesus came requesting to be baptized.  John at first refused, but relented and when Jesus came up from the water, an amazing thing happened.   

And immediately, coming up from the water, the heavens parted and the Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 

Pastor asked a question,  “How does your faith hold up in times of trial?  Sometimes we are shaken.  Do we become bitter with sorrow and emotional turbulence.  We might pray, Get me out of this and I will become a Priest. (Or some other rash promise.)

When everything is successful and we think we can control the situation, we think we don’t need faith. 

This week has been sour.  That is nothing new.  Throughout history there have been invasions, terrorism, troubles, sickness and death.  

So much depends on one’s faith and what you believe.  Faith is deep seated confidence, while belief is often opinion.  Faith is always NEW while belief comes and goes. 

Place faith on what is vital, and to build up our faith often takes a lifetime.

You can model Faith, but you cannot give someone faith. 

In Genesis chapter – In the beginning all was new.

In John chapter 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 

The Word is capitalized as Jesus is the Word and linked with creation. 

When we receive Jesus we are made a New creation, something that was never before.

God is doing something new and radical in truth guiding principles.  We have all had experiences that are unique. 

The message of Jesus was The Kingdom of God and Salvation, and he begins a ministry of new beginnings.

How do we define ourselves?  

There are several traditional methods of baptism.  Christian baptism defines us and it relates back to the cleansing of all impurities and a new beginning.

Regardless of the method, we can remind ourselves “I was baptized.”

 

5 comments:

Ifeoma Samuel said...

Baptism should remind us of the grace we have received by the Blood of Jesus shed for us.And the washing away of our guilty stains.

Thank you Lord for your amazing grace.

Thanks Hazel, for drawing my attention to the comments problems on my blog. I have effected some changes. Thanks for visiting.

Aritha V. said...

Thanks Hazel for this hopefiul encouragement in a time of terror!

Michelle said...

I am reminded our sons are now adults and we have to trust that God is guiding them.
I do pray they see our faith by the way we live.
I just sat here and realized, one of our sons has never been baptized.
I do pray for God to speak to his heart on this matter.

caryjo said...

And relying upon the Lord is all that counts. I was baptized at least 3 times in different churches in different parts of our nation, for one reason or another. The Lord called me to do it in California at a church I was visiting on Sunday night, back in '71 or '72. It was a cleansing situation, if nothing else, even though I had been with Him since '66 and had been baptized at a Baptist church. Anyhow, doing what the Lord calls, and going where the Lord says, that's all that counts. Thanks again.

Wise Hearted said...

Hazel, we ladies talked about this very subject today at bible study. Wishing you were part of this study, we would draw from your wisdom.