Baptized in a Lightening Storm, Now That Takes Faith

I was baptized at the Church of the Cross in Coral Springs, Florida.  To say the least I was very nervous, being that I was rather timid and shy.  Baptism was a huge event for me.  All eyes were on me as I stood before the church.  I remember being afraid that I would have to give a speech or something like that.  I really had serious fear issues back then, so for me to go before the church and be baptized was certainly a God thing I assure you. In-spite of my fear, I knew that my new life in Christ was so significant that I was willing to go beyond my comfort zone to make sure others knew that Jesus Christ was Lord of my life.  I was not going to be ashamed so going public was the way to prove it.

Right before my baptism, I remember my heart was racing, my breath was short, and I just knew I was going to die.  You may be thinking, that sounds just a little dramatic.  Well maybe it was.  On top of all the other fears I had about being a public spectacle, there was a fierce lightening storm going on as well.  Storms should not be a problem unless you were going to be baptized at the Church of the Cross.  Their Baptismal was outside.  The entire congregation gets to sit in the safety of the indoors, while the guy getting baptized has to go outside.  

Behind the pulpit was a large set of sliding glass doors leading to the outdoor baptismal. As the pastor was preparing me for what to expect, all I could hear was loud earth shaking rumbles of thunder and see intense flashes of light.  You would have thought the battle of Armageddon had started.  Yes, I was shy timid and hardly ever spoke much, but this was insane my life was at stake.  You do not ever; I repeat ever stand in a body of water when lightning is striking the ground all around you.  God granted me the strength and courage to speak.  With a cracked up voice that was fluttering because of the pounding inside my chest I asked the pastor, "Is this a good idea since the lighting is so close and intense?"  Without hesitation he replied, "Son, If God kills you, He can't use you anymore.  I don't think He is finished with you yet, let's go."  

Before I knew it we were in the baptismal, and the skies had parted.  I am serious the storm broke up like there was some kind of planned intermission going on.  I was submerged symbolically as a dead man in sin and then I was raised out of the water as a new life in Christ cleansed and redeemed by my spiritual birth.

I shared this story for two reasons.  One baptism is a command from God.  Matthew 28:19 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.  If we have truly given our lives to Christ, Then we need to be obedient to Him.  Baptism in itself is nothing magical and it does not save you.  It is a celebration and testimony of your new found faith in Christ.  If you have accepted God's gift of eternal life through His son, then you will want to be baptized.  The second reason I shared this story was for what my pastor said to me, "Son, If God kills you, He can't use you anymore.  I don't think He is finished with you yet, let's go."  That statement has always stuck in my head.  Although I had a lot of fear, I always hoped it was true.  I had no idea of the magnitude of what God was going to do through a nobody like me.  God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. 

In accepting God's gifts of being Lord and savior, redemption of sin, and eternal life I was given a second life.  I can honestly say for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

I Corinthians 1:26-31 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 
    

This is a picture of my cousin
being baptized recently

My plan is to continue sharing how God has not just changed my life, but how He has brought me to where He has me today.  God was certainly not through with me then.  It gets sweeter and sweeter as I have learned to surrender even more and more. 

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

Part 1 -I Finally Found God!

If you read any of my posts, you must read this one, and the next. These are the posts that may make it all click for you in finding Hope in your hopelessness; these are the ones that will show you who God is. It is in this Hope, in truly knowing God, and who He is that has turned my world upside down. It was this hope that brought healing into my heart, brought meaning to my soul, and purpose into my life. I found peace that surpassed all understanding. My soul was brought to life.

It is this very Hope that has sustained me in spite of any and all sufferings I have and still face. It is this very Hope that has brought my life face to face with the one true living God through Jesus Christ Gods sinless, crucified and resurrected son.

Larry and I began our discipleship during the spring of 1993. I must say, it was not what I thought it would be. It had nothing to do with joining a cult or any other bizarre ritualistic behaviors. Larry simply began sharing with me what the Holy Bible was, how it was arranged, how to find scripture, spiritual truths, attributes of God, the Holy trinity, the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection.

God got my attention, and now for the first time I was about to discover who God was. Not just discover who God was, but literally experience permanently the presence of the Lord in my life every moment of every day that day forward. There were many other things that Larry taught me, but one particular lesson made it all click. Jesus Christ truly is the way, the truth and the life. Just as He says in John 14:6.

I am just going to cut to the chase with this. Larry shared three very important and critical spiritual truths. Here is what they were: First, we are all sinners. Second, we deserve punishment for our sin. Third, God wants to give us the gift of eternal life instead of death.

All this time before I thought I would find God in a church, through an idol, and maybe even through my own spiritual focus. I allowed man to define who God was; I allowed life circumstances to prove if God was love, and simply I tried to define God by my terms. God was not in my definition, God was not in a makeshift cross that I could wear, God was not in a Saint Luke pendant, God was not in the walls of a church, God was not in a wax Buddha, He was not in Scientology, He was not in transcendental meditation, and God was not even found in religious rituals. He was not anywhere that I was expecting.

I had always expected God to do something to prove himself to me. The simple fact He already had. Two thousand years before, He already proved himself. He did it by dying on a cross in my place and rising from the dead 3 days later. He did by suffering brutal beatings, horrendous persecution, a terrifying death surrounded by people cursing Him, spitting on him, and mocking Him all while He was completely innocent. And what did He do? He willingly surrendered His life in order to forgive those who have persecuted him unto His death. Then He shreds open the curtain separating us from His Holiness and says "come follow me, welcome in." Immediately the holy people whom had died were all raised to life in and through Jesus Christ. And it gets even better, Sunday is coming! What more could I ask for?

Prior to this point what my heart was really saying was this: "God what you did on Calvary was not good enough, I expect more." In my next post I will share how God spoke to me revealing Himself and changing my life forever more.

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

The picture is of children from Niquenohomo, Nicaragua. It reminds me of the child like faith it takes to truly discover God.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!