Genesis 1:1-5 KJV; In the beginning light was created by the Word. And now we celebrate that the Word of God who is Jesus the Christ is the light of the world.
Showing posts with label baptized. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baptized. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Monday, January 1, 2024
Ambassadors for Christ
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 KJV; Sunday of the Baptism of our Lord; baptized into the Body of Christ we have been made new and reconciled to God; therefore, we are now not just children of God; but, ambassadors for Christ.
Thursday, January 12, 2023
One In Christ
Galatians 3:22-28 KJV; There are no divisions in the Body of Christ. All who believe in him are united in him.
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Baptized Into The Death And Life Of Christ
Romans 6:1-11 KJV; The celebration of the Baptism of our Lord.
Sunday, January 1, 2023
A New Year In Christ
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 KJV; Celebrate the new year for in Christ you have been made new. You do get a new start every single day!
Friday, July 15, 2022
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
One In Christ
Reading from Galatians 3:23-29 KJV for the 2nd Sunday of Pentecost. Christ did not discriminate when he died so that all who would believe in him would be one in him. Nor, should we discriminate against others.
Sunday, April 17, 2022
Monday, March 7, 2022
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Baptized?
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
(Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 KJV)
John the Baptist baptized all of the people for the repentance of sins and there were multitudes of them! He told them that one was coming who was greater than he was and that one would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. That one has come. Have you been baptized? Have you shared the Good News and encouraged anyone to be baptized lately? After all Jesus did command us to:
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."(Matt 28:19-20)
Over the years I have encountered so many people who were not baptized and that includes both children and adults. Some were eventually baptized. Many chose not to be. In Baptism your sins are forgiven. In Baptism you are anointed with the Holy Spirit. In Baptism you are a child of God. What precious gifts from God these are! If you have not been baptized into the Body of Christ what are you waiting for? If your neighbor has not been why are you not teaching them and sharing the Good News of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord?
Receive the gift of life and live life redeemed by the Word who willingly shed his blood for you!
God's Peace - Pr. J.
Saturday, January 8, 2022
Willful Sin
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:1-4 KJV)
Baptism is so much more than simple washing with water. It is a gift from God. When we are baptized into Christ the old man is put to death even as Christ was put to death for us. When we are baptized into the Body of Christ we receive new life in him.
There are so many times that we willfully sin using the excuse that God will forgive us because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Shall we really purposefully continue in sin that God's grace might abound? How ungrateful can we be? Jesus loves us so much that he would allow himself to be tortured and put to death for our sins and yet we would continue to willfully sin! We are sinners. That is a fact. We are also saints having been washed clean by the blood of Christ. Out of love for the one who died for us let us live as Christ lives reconciled to God our Father and one another doing what is right and good glorifying our Father in heaven.
In baptism the old man in us has died and a new man is born. May God help us to live life in Christ!
God's Peace - Pr. J.
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Being Fruitful?
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
(John 15:5,7-8 KJV)
So... do we even desire to live life fruitfully or would we rather sit around and complain about how life has not given us any fruit?
Jesus tells us that in order to be fruitful; in order to have a fruit producing and fruit filled life we need to abide in him. Those who have been baptized in to the death and the life of Jesus the Christ do indeed abide in him and he in us. He is the giver of life. He is the source of all goodness and love within us.
Do not delay; cling to his words, live life in and for Christ and be fruitful that our Father in heaven is glorified.
God's Peace - Pr. J.
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Baptized For Renewal And Regeneration
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matt 28:18:20
What is baptism? Is it something that we choose to do because we want to give ourselves to Jesus or is it truly a gift from God for the growth of His Church; His Kingdom? According to what the Lutheran Church as teaches from Luther's Small Catechism:
First
What is Baptism?
Answer: Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God’s command and connected with God’s Word.
Which is that word of God?
Answer: Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Second
What does Baptism give or profit?
Answer: It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.
Which are such words and promises of God?
Answer: Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Third
How can water do such great things?
Answer: It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.
Fourth
What does such baptizing with water signify?
Answer: It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
Answer: St. Paul says Romans, chapter 6: We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death, that, like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Baptism is not the same as taking a bath. Water alone may wash the outside of the body; but, it cannot cleanse our souls. Water with the Word received in the Sacrament of Baptism; however, washes us through and through.
I am often asked why I would baptize infants. My answer (in short, because this is just a blog) is that first we are commanded to baptize all nations; all people. That does not exclude children. Jesus said we are not to hinder the children from going to him. I have also been told that babies cannot believe so therefore they should not receive this Sacrament. Jesus also said that in order to enter into the kingdom of God we must become like little children. (Matt 18:2-3) Knowledge or intelligence does not necessarily equate with faith. Just because little children do not have the same knowledge that some adults have we should not equate that with an inability to have faith. Faith, itself, is a gift from God and is not something we muster up on our own. Many of the little children that I've known probably have more than most adults Christians as they have not yet been subjected to the doubts of this world.
Most importantly, baptism is a gift from God, for the washing and regeneration of all people and for renewing by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove. When we are baptized, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit, for regeneration and renewal. I would not presume to withhold this gift of God; His very presence, from anyone, especially a child. Would you demand that a child go through life without this gift?
My parents were not church going people. But, they saw fit to have me baptized at home at about age five. I thank God that they did this for me. I thank God that Pr. Leslie Niemi was willing to officiate at our home. I know that it is preferable that baptism take place within the church. But, I thank God that Pr. Les was not willing to withhold this Sacrament from me for any reason. I remember that day; although, it has been so long ago and details are getting a little foggy. I thank God for the regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit that began so many years ago. I do not want to even consider where and what I would be today if it had not been for the events of that day. Thank you Pr. Les for being a servant of God.
God's Peace - Pr. J
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Believe And Be Baptized
"Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"
(Acts 8:35-36 KJV)
"Secondly.
What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.
It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.
Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.
Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
I have run a across a very sad thing. There are those within the church on earth who have not been baptized! How does this happen? How is it that a believer has not received the Sacrament of Baptism? What has hindered them from being baptized?
I've heard a few reasons. For some it has come down to the embarrassment of not having been baptized earlier, as a younger person. There are those who have not been baptized within the church and yet are receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. They will rarely just tell you of their own volition that they have not received the gift of baptism. You will have to ask them.
I first ran across this years ago when I was working on membership rosters and the official congregation records. We were missing information that should have been in the books: things like birth and baptismal dates that would have been registered decades earlier. I thought that this might be a good reason to do some extra home visits and get to know some of the congregation a little better. A very elderly woman whom I regularly visited in a nursing home was on the list for missing baptismal dates. When I asked her where and when she'd been baptized, she was relieved that I asked her because no one else ever had. She confessed that she had never been baptized. When she was a child, they had a circuit pastor, who normally did baptisms during hay making season. Her family was in the fields (Yes, even on Sunday) working when the pastor came around. After she got older and got more active in the congregation no one ever asked her about her baptism and she was a bit embarrassed to admit that she hadn't previously been baptized. That's the short version of a very long story. Ultimately, she received the Sacrament of Baptism in the nursing home with her children and grandchildren around her about a week before she died.
This was not a lone incident. Most I've encountered were eventually baptized. A few have declined to receive this gift from God.
We are to go and teach and baptize (Matt 28:19-20) so that others might come to faith and be assured that they have received forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. The mission field is huge. It begins within our own congregations. Do not assume that someone is saved just because they attend worship once or twice a year or even every Sunday. Do not assume that they know Jesus. Do not assume that they have received the Sacrament of Baptism. Proclaim the Good News to all people and encourage them to receive this life saving gift from God. And... don't forget to tell them about all of the benefits of Baptism, which is truly a gift from God for them.
God's Peace - Pr. J
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Empowered By The Spirit
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| Zeba, MI; United Methodist Camp Meeting |
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
(Act 1:4-11 KJV)
Just before he ascended into heaven Jesus informed the disciples that they would be baptized and empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out into the whole world to be witnesses of Jesus. And, so they were. And, so they did.
What do you believe you were baptized for? Baptism is a gift from God. It endows us with many gifts. In baptism we are forgiven our sins. We are born again as children of God most high. We, as the first disciples were, are anointed by the Holy Spirit and empowered to go out into the world to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. Do we use that gift? Do we go out? Do we share the marvelous things that God has done and continues to do through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit?
"May God fill us with the desire to go forth '...and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.'"
(Matt 28:19-20)
God's Peace - Pr. J.
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
What Hinders Baptism?
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
(Acts 8:35-40 KJV)
I remember a very awesome neighbor of a congregation I served years ago. He has long since been gone from this world.
As I was sitting in my office in this very remote church building, I heard a 4-wheel ATV pull into the parking lot. I went out to greet this man whom I had never met as he had never attended worship there and had recently moved into the neighborhood. He said he wanted to reaffirm his baptism and become a member of that congregation. By listening to him, I found out that a couple of our council members had been evangelizing in the local tavern and he was anxious to commit to serving God as a member of our congregation.
I asked him when he wanted to do this. He said this Sunday. I smiled and let him know that it wouldn't happen that fast. I had to get council approval. Then there was the service and bulletin to be prepared with the secretary.
What about this eunuch? Why didn't he have to wait to be baptized? Where were all the constitutional administrative rules and regulations then?
There were none. Nothing hindered the eunuch's baptism. Philip shared the Good News of Jesus the Christ. The eunuch professed his faith in Jesus the Christ and he was baptized. That was it!
It only took a couple of weeks to jump through the hoops before he reaffirmed his faith in the presence of the congregation. He did indeed faithfully serve the congregation and community until his death as he said he would.
For someone to believe and to receive the Sacrament of Baptism or affirm their faith if they were baptized as a youngster not fully realizing what it meant to be a member of the Body of Christ they must hear the Good News of Jesus. This Good News comes not just from the pastors lips; but, from the lips of every believing member of the Body of Christ. It is shared every where we go. On the side of the road as Philip did and even in taverns as my council members did.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matt 28:18-20 KJV)
God's Peace - Pr. J.
What Hinders Baptism?
 |
| Dave's Memorial Service at the Falls we had visited on 4-wheelers as a congregation |
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
(Acts 8:35-40 KJV)
I remember a very awesome neighbor of a congregation I served years ago. He has long since been gone from this world.
As I was sitting in my office in this very remote church building, I heard a 4-wheel ATV pull into the parking lot. I went out to greet this man whom I had never met as he had never attended worship there and had recently moved into the neighborhood. He said he wanted to reaffirm his baptism and become a member of that congregation. By listening to him, I found out that a couple of our council members had been evangelizing in the local tavern and he was anxious to commit to serving God as a member of our congregation.
I asked him when he wanted to do this. He said this Sunday. I smiled and let him know that it wouldn't happen that fast. I had to get council approval. Then there was the service and bulletin to be prepared with the secretary.
What about this eunuch? Why didn't he have to wait to be baptized? Where were all the constitutional administrative rules and regulations then?
There were none. Nothing hindered the eunuch's baptism. Philip shared the Good News of Jesus the Christ. The eunuch professed his faith in Jesus the Christ and he was baptized. That was it!
It only took a couple of weeks to jump through the hoops before he reaffirmed his faith in the presence of the congregation. He did indeed faithfully serve the congregation and community until his death as he said he would.
For someone to believe and to receive the Sacrament of Baptism or affirm their faith if they were baptized as a youngster not fully realizing what it meant to be a member of the Body of Christ they must hear the Good News of Jesus. This Good News comes not just from the pastors lips; but, from the lips of every believing member of the Body of Christ. It is shared every where we go. On the side of the road as Philip did and even in taverns as my council members did.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matt 28:18-20 KJV)
God's Peace - Pr. J.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Repent; The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15 KJV)
The good news, the gospel, is this: "The kingdom of God has come near." It has come near for you. It is at hand. It is not some far away place. It is at hand! Into this dark and dreary world the kingdom has indeed come.
We pray as Jesus taught us to pray: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10) What does this actually mean for us? By the grace of God the Kingdom of God has broken into this dark and dreary world.
The Kingdom of God is at hand and it can be realized as we reach out, with the love of God, in the will of God, to love and serve our neighbors. Notice that immediately after Jesus is baptized and is then tempted by Satan, he begins his ministry proclaiming this good news of the Kingdom. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and then he proceeded to show us God's will for our lives in that kingdom as he reached out to make whole the people he encountered; so that they might live life on earth even as it is lived in heaven; loving and serving God and one another..
May you live life in the Kingdom of God, even today. May His will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.
God's Peace - Pr. J
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Gifts Of God Cannot Be Bought By Us
But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
(Act 8:9-15, 17-24 KJV)
It takes time to really get to know the LORD. We may hear the message and believe; but, it still takes time to really get to know; to have a relationship, with the LORD. There are many lessons to learn along the way in order to grow in Christ. Some of us take longer than others to learn the lessons.
Simon, the sorcerer, did not understand fully when he was first baptized. The people thought that he had great power; that is, until Philip came to town. Philip was busy proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Even this sorcerer, Simon, heard Philip, believed, and was baptized.
When Peter and John came to town, they prayed and laid hands on the new believers because they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. In his zeal, Simon wanted this ability to lay on hands so that people might receive the Holy Spirit. Whether he wanted it to make himself look good or in order for even more people might come to know the Holy Spirit or both, we do not know for sure. It may have been a noble quest or it may have been a self-centered request. A real problem was that Simon thought that he could buy this gift. He did not yet know Jesus enough to know that the gifts that are given us were purchased by His blood. They cannot be bought.
A few years ago, I tried encouraging an elderly woman to return to worship now and then, as she was able. She had no problem getting around; but, no longer drove so I promised to pick her up. She did not want to go. Her response was "I paid my dues." I reminded her that we cannot buy salvation. She was a very lovely woman and it made me very sad to think that her relationship with Jesus all these years had been a relationship built on the law and not the graceful love of God. She, had indeed been very faithful in attendance when she was younger. But, I wondered, had she really heard and understood the message of God's gift of love to her, in His Son, Jesus the Christ. Had she accepted Jesus Christ as her one and only savior?
When Peter and John pointed out Simon's sin in thinking he could purchase God's gifts it appears that he repented and grew from the lesson as he asked for prayer. May we all be willing to accept that our works will not purchase for us any of God's gifts. May God help us to, day be day, to grow in relationship with Him, our Father, our Savior, our Counselor.
God's Peace - Pr. J.
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