Does baptism save? NO!

Jesus was baptized, but then something interesting happened. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove. The disciples were baptized by the Holy Spirit and with fire. In the Old Testament people were baptized, as well as the new. The new testament is Jesus, the living Word. The first judgement of God upon the earth was when He flooded the whole earth, with water. The second judgement to come is going to be fire. Many in traditional churches believe it is necessary to be baptized in order to receive salvation, and that grace, or the cross, or His blood isn't enough. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Baptism can't save you, but Christ can. I believe we should be baptized, but I do not believe, as some do, that it alone can save us. Using the above verse, this discussion reminds me of circumcision verses non circumcision. Jesus, Paul and Stephen all told the religious leaders, "You uncircumcised of heart..." The Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus had instituted over 300 additional commands after The Lord gave Moses the law. The Jews taught that unless you were circumcised you could not go to heaven. Just like the Pharisee in us, we want to put additional commands on His Holy Church today, that keeps them from salvation, unless we do all the right things, according to man, or even according to man's interoperation of scripture. Our salvation is not gained by our works, but by grace. If we think something we do will gain us, or our children, entry into heaven, then we believe we are saved by works. There are a few scriptures that tell us about being baptized by His Holy Spirit, which can happen at the time of baptism, before it, or after it. In the case of Jesus listed above, it was after. In the case of the first filling of the Sprit, in Acts 4, it was before. It is a separate filling that Jesus desires for us. If we are not filled with the Spirit, as Jesus promised that He would send, how can we go out, unless we are "filled"? Acts 1:8 "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." It is not us, it is Him. We don't have the power or ability to save ourselves or anyone else, that is to Christ alone be the glory, forever and ever, Amen!

The 900 pound man; The Lord's provision verses ours

I just watched a show about a 900 pound man. This morning when I wake up I feel The Lord saying to me when I am tempted to overeat that it is the same spirit that killed that man of gluttony. So I felt I was supposed to say out loud, "What fellowship does light have with darkness. In The name of Jesus I rebuke the spirit of gluttony in this house forever." (2 Corinthians 6:14) Lust and gluttony are often connected. My wife had a dream in the same night. She was in this castle and whenever someone thought about a certain food, a waiter came a delivered it to them. My wife loves to serve, and so she tried going in the kitchen, but the servants did not allow her to lift one finger, she insisted, but they would not change. God gives us what we need, He desires to give us good gifts, all we have to do is receive them. It is not our job to go and manufacture The Lord's provision, that's up to Him, because He alone knows what we need. He's not into over supplying, but in meeting our needs. Though I've known The Lord to give abundantly, it is not so we can spend it on our own pleasure. In fact, if we do, we may get in the way of the Lord providing. (James 4) Just like in the dream, The Lord knows what we need even before we ask. (Matthew 6:8) I just pray that we'd allow God to provide the way He wants, and that we'd not get in His way. We will never be able to out serve Him, for we will never be God.

Lord I need you

Romans 12 verses 1 & 2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed t this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. This is the scripture that came to me this morning after breaking a fast. Then when I came down stairs after praying with my wife about this, she read Max Lucado’s daily devotional, Grace For The Moment, and today’s scripture is 1 Corinthians 6:19 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? As Max says, we don’t want someone to trash our house, so don’t trash God’s house, which we are. I’m on a fast right now. Two days ago, thinking I was between 16 and 19 years of age, playing kick ball with the kids. I was rounding 3rd base headed home when a cute little 7 year old decided to walk right in front of the freight train, that was not slowing down real easy. So I had a choice. To plow into a 59 pound little girl, with my 250 pounds, or take a fall. I took the fall. Ouch. My rib. Yesterday I was walking up the stairs with a silver serving tray with two pizzas on it, as if I were serving a god, and I couldn’t see the stairs, I thought they kept going, so I hyper extended my knee, or something that hurts really bad this morning. After checking with my doc this morning, I am going to be fine, just sore...maybe for a really long time. Was it worth it? No. OK, so I’m not 16, or 17, not even 18 or 19. I am 47. I now have a different set of callings than I did when I was younger. Husband, father, I have a job. But this remains, I am a Christian. I am His. This scripture came to me yesterday: Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; You see I am not my own, I have been brought with a price, His perfect sacrifice, the one where He laid His life down for mine. Trash for treasure. He did that, for me. I can be a freight train with my will intact. I can mow over my opponents with great weight. Instead of letting The Lord have His way. With everything I have my way in, I am like a freight train, mowing over whoever just happens to get in the way. I need Jesus to be my words, not measure them, but be them. I need Jesus. “Lord I need you, everyday I need you.” In the morning, in the evening. With every thought I can’t contain, with every moment of pain, Lord, I need you. If the enemy is going to attack us, let us not give him any ammunition, any opportunity. So if I am fasting, I shouldn't be eating. I should be doing what He has called me to do, at all times, in every way. Without exception, without excuse. Lord, I need you.

Content to be who He made me to be, at this time in my life

I think I am between the ages of 16-19, still believing that all things are possible, which in part is good, except when it's not The Lord speaking. Romans 12 just came to me literally after I started this! Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; When we operate in the Spirit anything is possible, because it's Him at work in us, and not us! (Philippians 2:13) So yesterday I go out to play kickball with the kids, and some neighborhood kids. I am not 16. I am not 17, 18 or 19. This year I will turn 48. That's almost 50, almost. Wisdom at some point should take over, but sometimes my desire wins out. I was rounding 3rd headed for home when it happened. She, the cutie with the sheepskin on, got in the way, it was either cream her, at 59 lbs, verses 250 pounds, or take a fall. I took the fall. Today I can feel the cracked, broken or bruised rib, not sure which, and I am REALLY sore. Moving is an issue! As the above verse states, I need to learn my place. I need to keep in that gifting and calling that God has put me in. Not me has put me in, but God has put me in. "Lord, let me learn my place in You. It's a good place, and I need to be content to stay right where you put me. Cause it's the right place. In Jesus Name, amen."

With God all things are possible.

155 days ago I was ousted from an organization I helped start. Not that I'm keeping track...(I actually had to do the math) My wife had cancer, no pay check this whole time, but in all of that, I have still felt the Lord holding my heart. It has been an amazing ride. A combination of Joseph, being betrayed by his brothers, visions and dreams, and Job, losing all that he did. But yet I can see how even in a prison cell, Jesus is still there, in charge, just like He was before prison. Instead of waking Jesus during the midst of the storm, to save the boat and our lives, I decided, through the grace of God, that I'd just walk with Him on the water through the storm instead. As we approach actually starting the new org we've been working on since March 1st, (The 155 days ago!) I don't want to lose track of all He did, and is doing, and all that He said He would do in the future. Angels at our house, prophecies, miracles of provisions, healing. There have been so many signs, that if I had not written them down, there would be no way for me to remember them all. Our God is so good, so faithful, so true to His word. I am looking forward to seeing what He will do. There's not much I can do, but wait, then there's a promise attached to that, Isaiah 40:31 "Yet those who wait for the LORD,Will gain new strength;They will mount up with wings like eagles,They will run and not get tired,They will walk and not become weary." All those are things that are impossible, but what is impossible with man, all things are possible with God. (Matthew 19:26)

Why date? Is it our choose?

When God saw that man was alone He said it is not good, and made a helper suitable for him. (Genesis 2:18) This is our first picture of what God's plan is for relationships between a man and a woman. Before you were known to the world God had a plan for you, and even shaped and formed you for that purpose. (Jeremiah 1:5) We have choices, but "We are His workmanship created in Him to do good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) Good works. God said after His creation, that it was good, so the fact that He created Eve, not just any woman, but Eve as the suitable helper, I believe this is a pattern that God wants to continue, by making those "suitable helpers" for us all. I believe we can't choose wisely enough to supersede God's wisdom, in any matter. Some believe it's their choice in life to do whatever they want. Even Christians have been tricked by the deceiver, for he is the father of lies, (John 8:44) to think we have any rights at all to make any choices. Galatians 2:20 states, " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." So it's not me at work in me, but, Philippians 2 " 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." So that takes the pressure off of us to pick and choose a mate, it's Him at work, not us. Also, Christ wants to, "equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."(Hebrews 13:21) Notice it says doing His will, not our own, "for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:20) Then one of His promises, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) I love it that God prepares His work in us, that He prepares it beforehand that we should walk in it, again, it takes all the pressure off us to perform, or to choose rightly. It's His choice, let's let Him choose our mates for life.

Shine like the stars in heaven

There were two disciples of Jesus, who in Mark 10 asked to be seated by Jesus in Heaven, one on His right, one on His left. In Mark 16 Jesus is taken up and is seated at the right hand of God. The disciples had asked for God's seat...In our pride and arrogance we assume God's seat of authority, taking what we deem as our rightful place. This morning as I walked while it was dark, the stars were very bright. One of my favorite things to see is a "moving star," a satellite zooming across the sky, at over 18,000 miles per hour! You can actually se them, and they very much appear like stars. If we take the place of God, and do not humbly receive our rightful place, at His feet in worship, we are in trouble of assuming the very wrong place of receiving worship ourselves. We were never meant to be worshiped. "Forgive us Lord for assuming the place of worship, instead of assuming a place to worship, to worship You. Let us bow even now in adoration of who You are, wonderful, counselor, mighty God....let our praise go on, and on, forever in worship." God placed us in place, to receive His light, and shine like the stars. Not hurtle through space at 18,000 miles per hour. But that's how this life can feel, like we're a projectile, who only has so long to live, then we burn up in the atmosphere. NO, we are made to be like the stars in heaven to shine for His glory, not our own! Philippians 2:15 so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky