Baptism in Water - My Personal Story - Don't Wait on an Appointment to Be Baptized - Tomorrow is not Promised.

 Baptism in Water – My Personal Story – Don’t Wait on an Appointment to be Baptized, Tomorrow is not Promised.

Preface

The primary objective of this blog message is to share a greater concern relating to the many churches that put on hold the baptism in water for the members of their congregation and/ or potential newcomers to their church.

John 3:3-7 New International Version (NIV)

 ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]” ⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’

Rewind

I was raised as a catholic, and as a result and requirement I was baptized but more like a “Christening”, I was never fully immersed in water.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary; Christening is defined as: the ceremony of baptizing and naming a child.

And too, as a part of the Christening ceremony the infant is also assigned god-parents; a godfather and a godmother.

Around first grade, I went through the ceremony of my first communion and around the age of 14 was the ceremony having to recite “an act of contrition” prayer.

Fast Forward

Sometime after the death of my mother, December 2008, I developed the desire to know my Creator, to know God the Trinity. In March of 2014 I made the decision to read the bible cover-to-cover. Prior to this there were a number of instances where scripture would be quoted to me and/ or the occasional encounter of supposedly God-fearing people who just did not measure up to what they preached, I am speaking of everyday normal people, namely: relatives and friends. I see them now as the double-minded individuals.

Nonetheless, at a point in my desiring to know God, I became fascinated with the Holy Spirit, on the premise my now husband, Michael, would always share with me matters of which the Holy Spirit was speaking to him about. This was almost on a daily basis, and I became intrigued, I wanted to experience that relationship too. However, as a Catholic, I knew very little about the Holy Spirit except for the fact that when I would say the Our Father Prayer, thus making the sign of the cross the Holy Spirit was mentioned. Quote: “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And, that was the extent of the Holy Spirit for me as a Catholic. Note: He (the Holy Spirit) is smiling with me right now, J!

Baptism in Water

In my quest to be baptized in water, I was also seeking a church home and I made the decision to make Glad Tidings my church home; however, I was disturbed by the fact: (1) first I needed to make an appointment, and (2) attend a 101 Class referencing to the Church doctrines, (3) then a scheduled date for the actual baptism in water.

Meanwhile, I spoke to God and I ask Him why one should have to wait to be baptized in water. I was alarmed by this waiting period on the premise; what if one should perish, die, during this time of waiting. This made absolutely no sense to me!

I made an appointment to speak with the pastor of the church, an assistant pastor, according to the “gate keeper” would be the one whom I could talk to, but that appointment got canceled. My best recollection was that something came up and the pastor, according to the “gate keeper”/ receptionist, he needed to reschedule. But, that meeting never took place.

Meanwhile, iron sharpens iron, Michael (my husband) and I discussed the matter and we arrived at the decision and agreement that he would baptize me in water. Michael did some research in the bible, some checking in with the Holy Spirit and found scriptures that satisfied us both to the fact that he had the authority, rendered to us by Jesus Christ to baptize me.

Matthew 28: 16-20

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In the Interim

Meanwhile, there were two incidents that Michael and I found alarming.

1. Was the fact that on one occasion an announcement was made prior to services that the baptism scheduled for that day would be canceled due to their decision to acknowledge a ceremony that ultimately was centered on honoring the dead, memory escapes me on the actual event, but the fact that the water baptism was canceled to honor death, again made no sense. Another means of putting off one's water baptism.
2. Was the fact that I was a designated pick-up person for a great niece of mine who was attending the childcare after school program at Glad Tidings. This was during the fall season, and I was taken aback to learn that Halloween was an event celebrated in this after school program in the Glad Tidings Church. Halloween centers on glorifying Satan, It is a twisted, deceptive Holiday of “trick or treat” enticing kids, but evident by all accounts designed to glorify Satan, there is nothing God fearing or glorifying God, about this day, period.

Junk in- Junk out! We reap what we sow.

 Noteworthy: A few months later, I learned that the Church had suffered a flooding, stemming from the bursting of pipes is my best recollection. They showed up for church one Sunday morning and was inundated with water. I remember thinking about the number of people who could have been baptized with all that water.

Michael (my husband) baptized me on Father’s Day 2015 in a creek, similar to how Jesus himself was baptized; and too, the same creek where Michael had been baptized as a child in Carlyss, LA.

Luke 3:16 New International Version (NIV)

 
¹⁶ John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with^[b] the Holy Spirit and fire.

Up Close and Personal

One month to the date of my baptism in water, Jesus Christ, supernaturally, baptized me in the Holy Spirit. I was in my bed, in prayer, my usual prayer time and desired place of praying. Michael and I had just finished fellowshipping; and too, he had inquired as to whether or not I had tried to speak in tongues. I really did not know what to expect.

However, Michael left the bedroom and as I opened my mouth the Holy Spirit entered into me. It was an absolute glorious moment! My tongue was whipping up and down inside my mouth and my body was jerking, convulsing! I remember just wanting to run into the living room to share with Michael, but I got a glimpse of him in my peripheral vision looking in on me because the sound that was coming out of my mouth was loud, the Holy Spirit and I are smiling right now. J

I was so elated, when I thought He was done, things quieted down a bit, I ran into the living room to share the experience with Michael and the Holy Spirit took over me yet again! The Holy Spirit and I are still smiling, as I write this. J

Looking back, I can describe it as if the Holy Spirit had been simply waiting for Lord Jesus Christ to say, GO! It was intense, but so joyful and loving and a moment I will cherish forever.

I spent many days and hours of praying and worshiping, every day I was drawing nigh to Him and He was drawing nigh to me. I recall looking at my iTunes Library on my playlist of Christian music and I had put in hundreds of hours and hundreds of replays on my praise and worship playlist, I had no idea of how much time I was spending with Him on a daily basis until I just happened to see the number of replays in my iTunes Library Playlist of Christian music.

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

 My prayer: Dear God, I pray that all those who read this message will be brave enough to share and exercise sublime audacity in taking his or her own destiny to be baptized in water into their own hands thus enabling Lord Jesus Christ to baptize them in the Holy Spirit. The authority for the baptizing in water has already been given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Messiah. Your Word over-power man’s word.

On a Personal Note

Sublime Audacity is about claiming the unclaimable! Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear, we must pick up our cross and follow Jesus Christ. We are living in times where everything we do and every decision we make is of the utmost importance, evident of the signs and wonders, end time prophecies are being fulfilled throughout the world. We are a generation witnessing and for some living the supernatural power and acts of God the Holy Spirit.

Signed
God’s Dunamis Warrior Princess