Saturday, August 20th

Well, yesterday my friends had their 5th wedding Anniversary. It's important to remember such dates, Birthday, Wedding, National Holidays, Founding of a business, and Baptism. I am sure there are other days we con commerate, but really, Baptism should be at the top of the list. What more important a day than the day of starting a life for God? The day you win the lottery? NO! Granted that would be a joyous day, but the day you go to heaven or the day you get a bunch of money that in the end means nothing? Think about it...

Baptism (noun)
1. A religious sacrament marked by the symbolic use of water and resulting in admission of the recipient into the community of Christians.
2. A ceremony, trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified, or given a name.

Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

(I just wanted to point out that it was "like a dove" and not an actual bird landing on Jesus.)

Acts 2:36-41
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Note: A few things from this scripture, first, the order. They first had to see they crucified Christ, then they had to repent, once they repented, they were baptized, and once they were baptized, they were added to God's number. Something I noticed...

Romans 6:1-4
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Note: We stop sin! We died to sin and now live a life for God. Baptism is participation (the act of taking part or sharing in something) with Christ in his death, and when we are raised from the waters, we are raised a new person, a person in Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-6
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Note: the one's list as I call it... one baptism, I find this interesting, seeing as to how there are quite a few out there in this world. One God, despite there are many that people worship... so the one hope, if we don't have the one baptism, the one faith, the one God, then are one hope is for not... This goes to show that Baptism is SO IMPORTANT. If we don't just have baptism, but the right baptism, then hope is meaningless, like a chasing of the wind. Johnny Out.