Sunday, June 22, 2008

Baptism


Tonight I had the awesome privilege of being with and watching two of my dearest friends, along with seven of their children, publicly profess their faith in Jesus through baptism at Cedar Creek Church. All together there were probably over 100 people baptized. I stood there amazed and completely moved at what God is doing in this world. He is so faithful to us even when we don't deserve it. Even when we aren't faithful to him. He is just there, patiently waiting for us.

Tonight is also special to me because it is an answer to my own prayers. It is again God being faithful to me; faithful to hear my prayers and faithful to answer them in miraculous ways. I have prayed for several years for these friends that they would find Christ and find new life in Him. Over those years I have watched God work in ways that I never thought possible in their lives and in my own.

I had asked when it was all over if they felt different. It wasn't to mock or make fun of the baptism. Galatians 3:26-29 says


"So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all
who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no
longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all
Christians--you are one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you
are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises
God gave to him belong to you
."



Baptism to me is much more than an outward sign of an inward change. It
is a new life. It's not our salvation, but it ushers in a change. It is a
death to our old selves and a new life, a whole life in Christ. After
baptism we should feel closer to God, we should feel like He is everything.


I haven't been baptized since I was a little girl. While I know that
repitition doesn't offer any brownie points, I believe I'm going to reaffirm my
baptism. My life has changed drastically since I was a little girl. I
rededicated myself to Jesus shortly after I had Jourdyn and God's been
putting overtime with me ever since!! I think I need to be rebaptized as a
symbol of the new life he is creating in me.



2 comments:

James and Sue MacFarlane said...

Hey, PAstor Jim would like to baptize you along with Andrew - We have been waiting for warm weather in the streams.

char said...

O! your going to make me cry.... I was happy to have u there! We all felt differently afterward. I think its hard to leave not feeling differently. It was a very moving experience and god was working over and above in that room last night. It was wonderful to feel!

 
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