(Written Sunday, May 2nd)
Special thanks to Pastor Dave at 242 Community Bible Church in Brighton, MI whom I stole a lot of this blog’s ideas from J
Picture this…(you may have to switch the roles J)
It’s your wedding day. Everything is perfect, and your soon-to-be-husband is waiting for you at the end of the aisle. As you may your way to him, you imagine spending the rest of your lives together. The pastor begins the ceremony and the time comes to say your vows. He asks your soon-to-be-husband to repeat after him, to which your groom replies with a whiney, “do I have to?” .. the pastor, though confused, moves on and proceeds with the ceremony. He then asks your groom to present the wedding ring, to which he says, “I was going to buy a ring, but they’re kind of expensive, so I decided to pass on getting one.” The pastor doesn’t understand it, but he moves on to the unity candle, to which the groom again declines. Towards the end of the ceremony, the pastor asks if the groom would like to kiss the bride, and he replies, “I think I want to spend my life with you, but do I have to do kiss you?” The pastor, the guests, especially you, begin to question the commitment of this man. He says he loves you and wants to be with you but when it’s time to make the commitment, he’s not ready to step up to the plate and commit himself to you. How would that make you feel?
Do you think God feels like this with us regarding our commitment to Him?
The past few weeks, our pastor has been talking about baptism. I had been thinking about it for a while, but without plans to actually do it. Since accepting my position on the World Race, He has taught me so much, helped me grow in ways that I didn’t even know I needed to grow in and answered more prayers than I can count. I know that I still have A LOT of room to mature in my relationship with Him, but knowing what I know – that God sent Jesus Christ, His one and only son, to pay the penalty-with His life– for our sins and rose again so that we may repent and be forgiven which will lead us into everlasting life in Heaven with God our Father– and feeling what I feel, I felt I was ready.
“because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Truthfully, I’ve been wanting to wait until we were out on the World Race to be baptized while on the inside I knew it had nothing to do with the place, but EVERYTHING to do with my relationship and commitment to God.
During the sermon, the pastor went on to say, “some of us may be planning to wait so that we can be baptized in the Jordan River…” (he said this as a joke-an extreme– I’m sure, but little did he know that that was exactly my plan!..one more example of when God decides to take my plan and show it who’s boss J). He then went into discussing the Book of Acts when Peter spoke to 3,000 people of whom were baptized immediately after hearing the gospel! Immediately! They weren’t sitting around waiting for the right time or place, they heard the gospel, felt the truth that was spoken over them, felt God’s presence and acted!
The more the pastor spoke, the more I felt it in my heart that it was time! I no longer wanted to give part of myself to God, I want to give Him my ALL. So, with that we went into prayer and not long after I was baptized!! It may not have been in a foreign far off country, but it was an amazing experience and I am so excited to have made that next step! More great news is the my friend, Heather, came to church with me and she was also baptized!! What a great day 🙂
If you have been feeling God urging you to move, I would encourage you to take your next step! Maybe your next step is going to church if you haven’t gone in a while, praying if you have been distant with Him lately or maybe it’s getting baptized and showing your commitment to God. Each person moves at their own pace and has their own next step…it’s all in God’s timing…
Take a moment right now and think about it…what is your next step?
