Baptism

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy. ”
Luke 3:21-22 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.3.21-22.NLT

Jesus Christ himself,  God come in the flesh, our Savior, even though He was sinless and without blemish, participated in water baptism,  being plunged beneath the waters of the Jordan river. The baptism itself was not the act that washed Him clean,  because He was already clean from sin. But the testimony of His baptism brought glory and honor to God.

We should look at baptism in the light of bringing glory and honor to God. If we are saved,  if we have been baptized by the Holy Spirit which is a blessing given to us by God,  we should give thanks to God and participate in water baptism as a testimony to bring glory and honor to God. It is one of the ways that we can bless God in return.

David wrote in Psalm 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” And Jesus told us in Luke 10:27 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

So our new lives in Christ are not to be centered upon ourselves. Our lives are to be surrendered as  a living sacrifice to God,  dedicated to serving Him by serving others,  dedicated to spreading this gospel and baptizing others in His name. Discipleship is not just for a single pastor standing in front of rows of people. Discipleship is for every Christ follower,  and it starts with baptism in the Holy Spirit of Christ who comes to live in us. And our testimony,  our ministry upon this earth starts with the living testimony of a water baptism.

After His baptism,  Jesus faced 40 days in the wilderness of trial,  and then He began His ministry. His life is our example to follow. So where are you on your journey,  friend?

Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?

Have you brought the Lord glory and honor through the testimony of your water baptism?

Have you proven yourself in the wilderness and come out ready to start your ministry?

Are you actively ministering daily in your life,  sharing the gospel with the nations, baptizing in His name,  following in the footsteps of Christ?

Please don’t be content being lost.

Please don’t be content practicing religion once a week or even once each morning, instead of following Christ’s example and being a living sacrifice, moment to moment, breath to breath,  serving the King of Kings.

If that sounds like work,  then ask yourself what your heart truly desires and decide today who you will choose to serve.

If that sounds amazing, then let’s pray together, let’s study this Word of God together, let’s share Christ with the world together, let’s confess our sins to one another, let’s hold one another accountable, let’s be the light in the darkness, let’s baptize in His name, and let’s make disciples of the nations.

You. Yes, you, are a disciple of Christ,  a student of the Word of God,  a child of the most high. You are not meant to follow a man in a big building built by the hands of men, you are meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God,  of Christ who lives in you, who is your teacher. And you are meant to fellowship with other believers, not in a position of leading others or being led by others,  but in a position of unity together as a part of the body of Christ.

We are each to actively participate and sharpen one another,  because it isn’t our scholarly wisdom or knowledge that we are sharing,  but it is our love. It is our testimony of what Christ has done in our lives that we can each share.

And if you say that you have no testimony of what Christ has done in your life, then seek Him,  Knock at His door in prayer,  and plead with Him to come and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Do not stop at one prayer or one day or one week or one year of heartfelt,  surrendered prayers,  humbling yourself before the Lord daily – dying daily to Christ. For it is in humbling ourselves before God that our hardened hearts are broken and restored to life.

And if you are restored to life, participate in a water baptism and testify to the world that you are a new creation in Christ,  and that you are prepared to begin your ministry.

The harvest is great and the laborers are few. Take your ministry to the next step today,  friend. Expand into the amazing labor of participating in the Kingdom of God,  His will being done on earth as it is in heaven, through our very lives touching and serving others,  bringing Him blessings and honor and glory.

He has an amazing purpose for your life,  beloved friend. And He is waiting with open arms for you to return to Him,  to take your place as a beloved son or daughter of the Most High God.

Come join your brothers and sisters in the field. You are called. Hear His voice,  “Come, follow me,  and I will make you fishers of men.”

You who have ears to hear, you know His voice,  you know the call. Are you stepping out in faith today? Are you serving in His will and purpose for your life?

If not, repent,  for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Beloved friends, I am so excited about what the Lord has in store for you. I send greetings from your fellow brothers and sisters who are alive and walking in the Spirit not in the flesh. Come, let’s share our table and eat together, grow together,  learn together, and live peaceably in unity. And may it be to the honor and glory of the Lord our God that we lift our lives as praise to His name, and may He reign victorious forever and ever, Amen.