Baptism

Can you believe it is only one month (31 days) before Easter?  Time goes by so quickly.  Between now and Easter Sunday, I'd like to look at the book of Matthew.  Specifically, I want to look at the ministry of Jesus leading up to his persecution, crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  We're going to start with the baptism of Jesus by John at the river Jordan.


John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness in Judea telling his followers that they needed to “repent”.  He wasn’t talking to merely feel sorry for their sins, but to change directions, to turn away from them.  He was also preaching a message that the “Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  The main message being that the Messiah is coming.  Charles Spurgeon said “Men’s hearts were like a wilderness, wherein there is no way; but as loyal subjects throw up roads for the approach of beloved princes, so were men to welcome the Lord, with their hearts made right and ready to receive him.”  We, too, need to prepare our hearts, to make our paths straight for the coming of the Messiah. 

Many were being baptized by John.  John would completely immerse those he baptized.  As John was baptizing those in Judea, Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized. 

Matthew 3:13-17 says,

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  14 John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?"  15 Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed him.  16 After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him.  17 And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

We often ask ourselves, why would Jesus need to be baptized.  Isn't He the Messiah?  If He never sinned, why would he need to be baptized?  John was even hesitant to baptize Jesus.  John recognized that Jesus was without sin and had no reason to repent.  But, Jesus wanted to be baptized to "fulfill righteousness".  He knew that this was part of the fulfillment of God's plan. 

There were three things that happened at the moment that Jesus came up out of the water:  the heavens opened up, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father's voice was heard from heaven.  Jesus' baptism became the anointing of Jesus as the Messiah.  

As believers, we too, must submit ourselves to baptism.  For a long time, I struggled with baptism.  I am of a firm belief that baptism is not what brings about your relationship with Christ, nor does it guarantee our entrance into heaven.  Our salvation does not rest on baptism, it our hearts and attitudes of submission, as well as repentance that brings about salvation.  Baptism is an outward symbol to others that you've submitted your life to Christ.  It's obedience to the will of the Father.

If you, like I did myself, are struggling with baptism, go ahead and do it.  You will not regret it.   

Lent

To my readers, I apologize for the absence.  Life just seems to get in the way.  Pray for me and my family that we can dedicate more time to the important things in life, and developing a life pleasing to Christ.  On to my next subject…

 

Lent is the forty days before Easter, excluding Sundays.  It begins with Ash Wednesday., which this year is February 18th, 2015. the seventh Wednesday before Easter.  Next week, we’ll talk about that.  But, Lent is a season in which Christians are to focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God.  Daily life, culture, society, school, work, too many outside activities often take us away from living a life with Christ.  So, Lent is a time when we focus on Jesus and get our lives more in line with His.  It’s a time of soul-searching and repentance, reflection, rededication and self-denial.

 

The word “LENT” is not in the Bible.  The word “lent” actually means “spring”, the season between winter and summer.  Lent, however, is set aside as a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter.  Some churches chose to use the color purple in their sanctuary.  Purple is the color of royalty and also an anticipation of the suffering and death of Christ and the hope of newness that the coming resurrection represents.  Jesus can give you the hope of a new life.

 

After Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit sent Him into the wilderness where Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying.  While He was in the wilderness he was tempted by Satan and resisted.  After His time in the wilderness, Jesus began his ministry.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  But he answered, “It is written,

 

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple  and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

 

and

 

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,

    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

 

 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God

    and him only shall you serve.’”

 

 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”  Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV)

 

Lent is a time of fasting, service and prayer. 

 

What is fasting?  Most of us think of giving up food.   You can give up food.  Some people opt to give up candy, sweets, soft drinks, cigarettes, or even meat. But giving up food isn’t the only way to fast.  You can fast by cutting out anything that distracts you from God.  How about staying off of Facebook or Instagram?  How about cutting off the television?  Why not, rather than spending time on the internet, go outside and enjoy God’s creation.  What clutters your life?  When you answer that question, you’ll know what you need to give up during Lent.

 

Serving is another practice for Lent.  You can volunteer at the local soup kitchen, collect food for the needy, or you can even collect food for the needy.

 

Finally, Lent is a time of intentional prayer.  Did you see that?  I said INTENTIONAL.  You need to set apart time to spend with God.  You can pray while you walk, exercise, driving down the road, or while you’re cooking dinner. 

 

Here are some things you could try this Lenten season:

 

 

1.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
2. Set apart 30 minutes of quiet time each day for silence and prayer.
3. Give up an addiction (cigarettes, alcohol, tv, internet, sugar).
4. Read a chapter in the Bible each day.

Lent begins next Wednesday.  Drop me a note and let me know what you plan on doing to prepare for the Easter season.  Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Recognition

Have you ever hoped something good would happen, but it didn't turn out how you expected it to? Have you ever done something good and worthy and never received recognition for it?  On the other hand, have you ever unexpectedly received recognition for something good you've done at the expense of someone else's feelings?  That where Esther 6 takes us today.

Now we all know that Haman despised Mordecai.  The king unknowingly set out to destroy the Jews because of one of Haman's devious plots.  The king requests the chronicles of memorable deeds be read.  He notices that Mordecai has not been honored for saving his life.  Haman just happens to be outside the door wanting to talk to the king about sending Mordecai to the gallows when the king decides to honor Mordecai.  He asks Haman's opinion about how to honor someone.  Haman thinks the king wants to honor him.  After Haman tells the king how he wants to be honored, the king tells him to go prepare all that he said for Mordecai.  After Haman does the things that the king requested, it tells us in Esther 6:12 that "Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered."  Now, isn't that funny!  Haman just got his comeuppance.

Can you imagine how Haman felt?  In some ways, I can imagine how Haman felt.  Sometimes we feel like we deserve recognition for the things that we do, but never receive it.  Do you ever feel that way?  Not to fear, when we do things for God and His kingdom, he will reward us.  It may not be in recognition here on earth, but God will reward us in heaven.  Matthew 6:19-21 says, 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Let us remember to not be like Haman, where our treasures are on this earth.  Let us seek our treasures in heaven.