Baptism of Believers

 Matt 28:19
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

After Jesus was risen from the grave, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were told by the angels to go tell the other disciples that He was risen. As they ran to tell them, Jesus appeared to them. The excitement and wonder was overwhelming. First, they saw an angel, then they were the first to see Jesus face to face. Sorrow was turned to joy as they were told to go tell the disciples that He would meet them in Galilee. It was on a mountain in Galilee that Jesus gave His disciples the mission to tell the world that He died on the cross for sinners, and that He was the resurrection of life. That all power was His and the Holy Spirit would come to give them the power to turn the world upside down. 

The account given to us by Matthew is one of the many scriptures given to us that teach baptism and the doctrine of the Trinity. Being baptized does not bring salvation, salvation is only accomplished by confessing and believing in Jesus. But one cannot ignore the commandment given to us by Jesus that baptism is an important sacrament after one comes to believe. It proclaims to the world that we have made our choice. We are followers of Jesus, and He is the Lord of our lives. A systematic study of scripture will show that baptism is plainly taught in scripture. As believers, we should encourage those who come to Christ to proclaim their faith by being baptized. To argue that one cannot get to heaven without it is to be ignorant of the plan of salvation and the reason Jesus died on the cross. But as followers of Jesus, one should desire to proclaim Christ by being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just as Jesus commanded.

Salt of the Earth

 Matt 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
 
The familiar scripture of Jesus teaching on the mount off the lake shore of Galilee, now known as the Sermon of the Mount was given to His followers. They were given a glimpse into the true nature of what it will mean to be a true follower of Christ. Jesus is the true salt of the world, and to follow Him means that we also are the salt of the earth. Sermons have been preached of the significance of being the salt that makes a difference. Salt that has lost its true properties of salt is of little use and is no different that any other dirt mineral that is used to trod upon. If we are to be His disciples, then our life must make a difference. It can be said that a life that follows Christ will make a difference in the world, if such a person is not making a difference, then they are not truly following Christ.

The Light of the World

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Matt. 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

As follower of Christ, there are no secret Christians. How you live will portray what you believe. The life of a Christian is to show the world that it is possible to live a life of love and kindness. Not only possible, but essential to calling yourself a follower of Jesus Christ. Being  the light of the world implies that the world is filled with darkness and those that live in the world walk in darkness and are lost. Light is what pierces the darkness. It illuminates the way and serves as a beacon to help people find their way out of darkness. We our the light of the world when we reflect the true light for “He was the true Light, which lights every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9). If your light is shining, it is seen by all who know you. Christian are not to hide this light, but we are to let it shine, not in word only, but in the way we live.

Hear The Voice of God

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

To truly hear the voice of God one needs to be a follower of Jesus. God speaks to all of humanity to entreat them to be followers, but the intimacy of fellowship and communion with a God that is divine, comes from living close to God. He will speak to us anytime and anywhere, but we can hear Him better when we are able to shut the world out around us and take time to get alone with Him. Finding a trysting place, to shut out the things that beg for our attention is not always easy.  We can hear His voice and know His desire as we read His word and meditate on His truths. We shall know Him more intimately as we listen and follow His commands. 

Follower of the Lord

1 Thess 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

I became a follower of the Lord on this day 43 years ago. This is my story. I grew up in a religious home. Went to church every Sunday, taught to respect the sacred things of God. The church was my religion. I had a sense of security knowing I went to a church that promised that as long as I kept the tenants of the church and was faithful to its teaching, that I would have a place in heaven when I died. I never recalled anyone telling me that I could have a personal relationship with God and know Him through Christ. Yes, there was a lot of symbolic rituals that pointed toward having communion with Christ, but I was never told that I could go personally to Christ and asked for forgiveness and that the Bible taught that He and He alone is able to forgive. I never was encouraged to read the Bible for myself. We had a large  Bible in our home, but it was never opened and read in our home. We were sent to church school to learn about the teachings of the church, but I never recalled ever opening a Bible. So at the age of 15, I began my quest to learn what the Bible taught. A whole new world was opened up to me. I thought I knew a lot about God and His love, but His Word opened my heart to truths that went far beyond the teaching of the church. It was in the Word that I learned about the life of Jesus, how He lived and how He wanted me to live. Reading the writings of Paul opened my eyes about human nature and how we overcome the flesh and the temptations of life. I found that stories in the OT held truths and life applications that were invaluable. Being a follow of the Lord was more that going to church on Sunday, it was a life style that I would seek to live to this very day. I don’t claim to be perfect, and I have made my share of mistakes in life, but this one thing I know, once I was blind, but now I see. Thank God, I became a follower of the Lord and received His Word in much affliction, but with joy in the Holy Spirit. 

Follower of the Lord

May 18^th, 2008

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

There are many people out in the world who inspire others to follow them. They see themselves as leaders for a particular cause. Paul was such a person, but his cause was for others to follow Christ. He always was aware of the awesome responsibility to be an ensample how one should be a follower of Christ. Many looked to him for guidance and direction. As believers, we have a responsibility also to lead others to Christ and live so that others see our good works and desire also to follow Christ.

Greetings from Paul

• Different than Galatians
• God’s Blessing and favor

Giving Thanks Always

• Words of appreciation
• In all things give thanks
• Praying for others brings unity

Great Work of Faith and Love

• Work of faith- Believing God in spite of all
• Labor of love- Love of God compels-love demonstrated
• Patience of hope- Never give up

Gospel Power

• Words are empty without anointing
• Power comes through believing and prayer

Guide to Christ

• Ensample unto others
• Looking to the saint for spiritual direction
• Pointing others to Christ

God-Ward Faith

• On the move for God
• Spreading the Word
• Always drawing closer to God

Going with God

• No longer in sin
• New creature in Christ Jesus

Grace of Deliverance

• Christ died for our sins
• Christ rose that we might have life
• Christ is coming for those who believe