Deeds for Needs: Baptism

Funny thing happened on the way to Rolley Lake last Sunday.....I got Baptized. I had put it off for about 7 years....When I finally did decide a date...it rained....and not just drizzle. I guess because God had waited so long....He wanted to make sure I was Immersed.

Why did I do it at this stage in my life?
For most of my life fear was in control of me, not love. I conformed to the wishes of others....too afraid to choose what I wanted for fear of a confrontation. I've been mostly shy and afraid for most of my 44 years.

I didn't choose to be baptized because I fear salvation - God loves me - I am already saved.
I didn't choose to be baptized because it's some weird ritual to becoming a member of a church - Christ loves me so much he died for me - I'm already a member of His church.
I chose to be baptized because it's a gift God wants each and every one of us to experience.
I chose to follow Christ and I am choosing to make changes in my life that will allow me to fulfill God's purpose for my life.
Doesn't mean I'm purified and holy now... it means I'm willing to make changes in my life so the fruits of the Spirit will become more prominent in my life Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness and Self-Control.
On our own we see only in bits and pieces, but with Christ we see the fullness of Gods love.

It's not the truth about somebody else that sets me free, it's the truth about me that sets me free. and if I let God do a deep enough work in me then no matter what someone else is or is not doing; I can be happy and enjoy life.

Jesus wants to make a great exchange - You give Him everything - He gives you Himself. Took me a long time to understand this concept. The world and it's weird idea's get in the way to confuse. Many people have some weird idea's of who Jesus was/is...

I leave you with an excerpt from 'So you don't want to go to church anymore' by Jake Colsen

“You really have no idea what Jesus was like, do you?”

The words slipped off the man’s lips as gently as the breeze wafted through the trees overhead and were in stark contrast to the heated argument that swirled around him. They were so softly spoken that I read them on his lips more than heard them. But their impact was not lost on the crowd. The noisy clamor subsided quickly as tension-filled faces gave way to puzzled expressions. “Who said that?” was the unspoken question that filled the eyes of their surprised faces as they scanned the others around them.

I chuckled under my breath because no one was looking at the man who had just spoken. For one thing, he was so short that it was easy to pass over him. But I had been watching him and the crowd for the last few moments intrigued by his demeanor.

As people were glancing around he spoke again into the stunned silence. “Do you have any idea what he was like?”

This time all eyes turned downward toward the voice and were surprised to see the man who’d spoken.

“What do you know about it, old man?” One of them finally spoke up, his mockery dripping off of each word until the disapproving gaze of the crowd silenced him. He laughed it off and looked away embarrassed, grateful that their eyes had swung back to the stranger. But he was in no hurry to speak. The resulting silence hung in the air, far beyond the point of awkwardness. A few nervous glances and shrugs shot throughout the crowd, but no one spoke and no one left. During this time the man scanned the crowd pausing to hold each person’s gaze for a brief second. When he caught my eye, everything inside seemed to melt. I looked away instantly. After a few moments I glanced back, hoping he was no longer looking in my direction.

After what seemed an insufferably long time he spoke again. His first words were whispered directly at the man who had threatened the others with hell. “You really have no idea what motivates you, do you?” His tone was one of sorrow, and his words sounded like an invitation. There was not a trace of anger in it.

Embarrassed, the man threw his hands up and twisted his lips as if he didn’t understand the question. The stranger let him twist in the gaze of the crowd briefly, then looking around the circle he began to speak again, his words flowing softly. “He was nothing special to look at. He could walk down this street today and not one of you would even notice him. In fact he had the kind of face you would shy away from, certain he wouldn’t fit in with your crowd.

“But he was as gentle a man as one would ever know. He could silence detractors without ever raising his voice. He never bullied his way; never drew attention to himself nor did he ever pretend to like what vexed his soul. He was real, to the very core.

“And at the core of that being was love.” The stranger paused and shook his head. “Wow! Did he love!” His eyes looked far past the crowd now, seeming to peer across the depths of time and space. “We didn’t even know what love was, until we saw it in him. It was everyone, too, even those who hated him. He still cared among them.

“And with all that love, he was completely honest. Yet even when his actions or words exposed people’s darkest motives, they didn’t feel shamed. They felt safe, really safe with him. His words conveyed not even a hint of judgment, simply an entreaty to come to God. There was no one you would trust more quickly with your deepest secrets. If someone were going to catch you at your worst moment you’d want it to be him.

“He wasted no time mocking others, nor their religious trappings.” He glanced at those who had just done so. “If he had something to say to them, he’d say it and move on and you would know you’d been loved more than anyone had ever loved you before.” Here the man stopped, his eyes closed and mouth clenched as if choking back tears that would melt him in an instant if he gave in to them.

“I’m not talking about mamby-pamby sentimentalism either. He loved, really loved. It didn’t matter if you were Pharisee or prostitute, disciple or blind beggar, Jew, Samaritan or Gentile. His love held itself out for any to embrace. Most did, too, when they saw him. Though so few ended up following him, for the few moments his presence passed by them, they tasted a freshness and power they could never deny even years later. Somehow he seemed to know everything about them, but loved them deeply all the same. ”

He paused and scanned the crowd. In the last couple of moments perhaps as many as 30 people had stopped to listen, their gaze firmly on the man and their mouths agape in bewilderment. I can record his words here, but am bereft of an adequate description of their impact. No one within earshot could deny their power or their authenticity. They rang from the very depths of his soul.

“And when he hung there from that filthy cross,” the man’s eyes looked up into the trees that towered over us, “that love still poured down--on mocker and disillusioned friend alike. As he approached the dark chamber of death, wearied of the torture and feeling separated from his Father, he continued to drink from the cup that would finally consume our self-will and shame. There was no finer moment in all of human history. His anguish became the conduit for his life to be shared with us. This was no madman. This was

God’s Son, poured out to the last breath, to open full and free access for you to his Father.”

As he spoke further, I was struck by the intimacy of his words. He talked like someone who had been with him. In fact, I remember thinking, “This man is exactly how I would picture John the Disciple to be.”

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than he stopped in mid-sentence. Turning toward his right, his eyes seemed to seek something in the crowd. Suddenly his eyes locked on mine. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention and my body quivered with a wave of chills. He held my gaze for a moment, then a brief but certain smile spread over his lips as he winked and nodded at me.

At least that’s the way I remember it now. I was shocked at the time. Was he acknowledging my thought? That would be silly. Even if he were John, he wouldn’t be a mind reader. What am I thinking? How could he be a 2000-year-old disciple? It’s just not possible.

As he turned away, I glanced behind me to see if anyone else could have been the target of his gaze. It didn’t look that way, and no one around me seemed to take notice of his wink and smile. I was stunned, like I’d just been hit in the head with an errant football. Electricity raked over my body as questions raced through my mind. I had to find out more about this stranger. The crowd was swelling in size as more and more people poked their heads in trying to figure out what was going on. Even the stranger seemed to grow increasingly uncomfortable with the spectacle the scene was quickly becoming.

“If I were you,” he said with a wink and a smile as his eyes swept over those who’d started the discussion, “I would waste far less time ragging on religion and find out just how much Jesus wants to be your friend without any strings attached. He will care for you and if given a chance will become more real to you than your best friend and you will cherish him more than anything else you desire. He will give you a purpose and a fullness of life that will carry you through every stress and pain and will change you from the inside to show

you what true freedom and joy really are.” With that he turned and made his way through the crowd in the opposite direction from where I was standing. No one moved or said anything for a moment, unsure just how to end the confrontation and break up.

If you would like to read further... follow this link for a PDF file: http://www.jakecolsen.com/contents.html

I was very honoured to have shared this day with Janette (from deeds for needs and North Ridge Church) and my Mother Elly.

A very big thank-you to Krista and Trevor who came on that cold wet rainy day to baptize us. Blessings to you....AAAAHHHHHCHoooooooo....:)

Here is a link to see a 4 minute video clip of the baptism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24APpNGeHIA (The reason why we are laughing at the beginning is.... Um... I said, "The water is so cold...I guess we don't have to worry about leeches). :)