May 5, 2018 Saturday

Luke 3:16, Colossians 2:11-14 Water is Baptism?

 “An outward sign” of grace!

“John answered them all, "I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16 NIV)

“11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 ¶ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:11-14 NIV)

Why do we fight over Baptism?  It has often amazed me that we so often fight over the signs of God’s grace, Baptism and Communion.  How much water do we use?  Who should Baptize?  When should it be done?

Here are some thoughts from these verses.

Baptism is done by God!  What the church does is a symbol of what God does in us!  The important part is not how we do Baptism, but are we allowing God to work in us.

Water is not the important part!  We are told Jesus will Baptize us with fire and the Holy Spirit.  Fire and breath, not water!  The word fire carries with it the idea of lightning!

Our part is faith, not the ceremony!  It is much more important that we believe in the working of God in our lives.  This may cause some to question infant Baptism but there the faith of the Parents comes into play as in the story of the jailer who had his whole family Baptized in the middle of the night! (Acts 16:25-34) 

“That which we do not understand we turn into ritual or ceremony.”

God is going to circumcise us.  Circumcise has a root meaning of to cut around.  God is going to cut away all the bad “and nail it to the cross” and leave only the good!

The symbology of buried and raising has more to do with funerals than immersion.  This term for buried is to inter in company with or to be buried as Jesus was buried.  Not to be just put away in the ground, but in expectation of rising!

We are to be raised!  This word means to rouse (from the dead) in company with and in resemblance with someone.  Not only will we be raised but we also will be like Jesus!  We will be raised with Jesus to be like Jesus so we can be with God forever!

We are to be made alive!  This is more than just sozo to make alive.  It is sozoopoieo which means to reanimate conjointly with and to quicken together with.  God makes us alive WITH and IN Him by Jesus.  Jesus IS the life and to be alive is to be conjoined, and roused WITH and IN Jesus!  As our life is forever so is Baptism.  Once forever!

“Baptism is something done to us, not done by us!”

            Today I feel a little better.  Though I had a hard time waking up after awhile I got going and the day was better.  Some describe their days as good or bad but God reminded me that any day I seek Him is a good day.  Bonnie had a long day as she went to the Asbury Women’s breakfast at the Ramsey House (not ours).  Then she went to Farm Day for Renovatus and then went to Asbury to practice the organ. 

            I completed my homework for the Vision Meeting tomorrow.  I will share it here too.

Homework for Vision Meeting

Why am I a Christian?

            I am a Christian because like the Disciples must say:

“But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68 NKJV)

            When I was 19 I was given 3 months to live because of a blood disease and God healed me by taking away the pain, healing me physically and taking me from existence to life.  I truly have nowhere else to go.

In the midst of all that is going on why am I a Christian? 

            It is because of all that is going on that I continue to be a Christian.  During my life I have seen incredible evil and the destruction it leaves with it.  Though it is not popular to talk about satan and evil I have seen their reality in the lives, families, congregations, communities and throughout the world.

            The only hope and help is the redemptive and recycling power of Jesus to overcome satan and evil one heart and life at a time.

            The power of one!  One person revealing the love of Jesus into the life of one who is in need of hope, redemption and to be recycled into the image of God.

Why do I go to worship?

            Over the last year I have struggled every day to get to corporate worship.  The power of corporate worship is the opportunity to be ministered to and to be able to minister to others.  Jesus was an example of this and called us to continue this and by this to bring others into corporate worship and a relationship with God.

            Worship is more than just “coming to church” but is a public expression of our love for God, for God’s people and those who have not discovered the hope of God’s love revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus.

            There is a song by Wayne Watson that speaks about what community worship should be which is titled “I Can Breathe Here”.  In worship I experience the life breath of God as I breathe in and send the Holy Spirit out as I pray and breathe out.