Luke 3:4-6 “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”
The above scripture was referenced in regards to John’s teaching on repentance and baptism in Luke 3.
I thought this scripture fitting because on the last day of my World Race, I got baptized.
Now, for those of you who have known me the entirety of my life – you would know that I have already been baptized. I was 11years old, and my father baptized me. I know that I am already saved. I have already proclaimed Jesus Christ as my savior. I’ve already been baptized in the Spirit and in water. I didn’t NEED to be baptized.
So why get baptized again?
Well – honestly, I’ve been through a lot of spiritual cleansing this year. I felt like it was a good time to have an act in the physical to be a testimony of all of my shame, past struggles, and sin that I am lying to rest.
I was reading Luke on the beach last week, after Jesus so tenderly woke me up at 6:30am one morning during our debrief. I didn’t think it was coincidence that my roommate for debrief had been talking about baptism, that the Lord woke me up to read Luke, or how the chapter I read was about John the Baptist (chapter three) and how he was baptizing people in water, preaching on repentance, and how he also baptized Jesus before He was led into temptation and before He started His ministry.
Luke 3:8-9 “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
After reading that verse I was reminded that I want to constantly produce good fruit. I never want to be completely cut down. I fully believe God has been pruning me this last year. He has been cutting off my past struggles and shame one by one. He has been cutting away the unnecessary to make room for new growth.
I just spent 11months of my life trying to form myself after Christ. And in that moment on the beach I was reading about His testimony. Yes – I had already been baptized, yes I had already received the Holy Spirit. Yet, that didn’t calm the longing I felt to continue to try and be like Jesus. I wanted to be baptized before starting my ministry, just like Him. I wanted to be baptized before going back to America and facing the old temptations of my flesh and my past.
So I did!
Our squad’s coach Matthew Wright and my squad mate Abel Ballew baptized me and four other squad mates the morning of July 23rd, 2016.
It is another morning to remember. I went into the water timid and unsure, and I came out of the salty ocean water excited and ready.
I am ready to start my ministry.
I am ready to battle these temptations.
I am ready, because Christ is coming with me – and He will lead me, and has already won this battle for me.
I buried my flesh, my shame, and my past struggles, and I rose out of the water ready to go forward into ministry.
I know that many struggles lie ahead, but at least now I have a symbol for my fresh start and new commitment.
Psalm 119:9-16 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”
