water

So you're walking around with some buddies, just kicking rocks, picking some up and tossing em in the water, occasionally stopping to get some of the rocks out of your sandals. The day is hot and the murmurs continue, the rumors, the conversations, the questions, could it be? who is he? why is he doing this? not quite sure if this has anything at all to do with you…quite honestly you have ignored this topic for quite some time, as you have grown bored with it.

as you are walking you start to see a crowd, crowd of folks that are quite diverse, young, old, those with, those without, the lame, the athletic, numbers of people that are walking, some easing into the water and as you get closer you notice that there is this man that is lowering them under the water and he is screaming out something, but you can't quite make it out…and you are drawn, not quite sure what you are drawn to. Is it him? the water, the curiosity…why can I not stop myself from going…your buddies are not following…they start to holler out insults, call you things that you never thought would come out of their mouths AT you…but you keep walking and as you are walking some men dressed in clothes with colors that you have never really seen before, oh you've heard about these guys but there brushing, almost pushing you aside. Dang rude! these men and their flowing robes are heading straight to this man that is in the water, what do they want with him, he's not doing anything wrong, heck all you notice from your distance is that when people come up out of the water, there are these HUGE smiles on their face, it's like something has been lifted off of them……but you have drawn closer and you can hear more clearly the words that he is speaking, so you are drawn even closer.

And you hear this man that now others are referring to as John yea someone said that's jOhn the baptist, and your thinker are you serious? I kinda thought he was make believe…..no way……so you inch even closer, and you hear him tell these men, these men who quite honestly don't appear to be very pleased with the situation, you can almost sense that through clinched jaws, and maybe clinched fists under their robes, that they want this stopped immediately….but this man who is still in the water tells them "I am not the Christ" (John 1:20) WHAT? What did he just say? are you kidding me and you now notice the top of your feet are in the water and you freeze as you hear with the energy that parents use to scold their child for talking to a "stranger" Then who are you? What do you say about yourself?(John 1:22)you ask yourself why are these men so upset as you wait for this man's response and this man whose confidence is just dripping off him, more so than the water off his forearms as he is baptizing those that are coming and he you hear him "I am the voice of the one calling in the desert, Make straight the way for the Lord" IT IS him, you have heard of this guy, he eats locusts and dresses in camel hair OMG I'm going to go……but wait is he pointing at me….your stomach is rolling like thunder as you see who you now know to be John the Baptist look your direction and point. As he points, he SCREAMS out in the direction of another man who brushes by your side, yet this time not in a push like those others, but with the caress of a brother saying let me get in front of you, almost like someone trying to protect you, I've got this covered and now your in the water to your shins……words now come across your ears that you will NEVER forget….

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD who takes away the sin of the world (john 1:29)whistling over your head! NO wAY the Messiah!, my grandaddy would tell me to be waiting and that we didn't know the day but to ALWAYS be ready, this is HIM…this is HIM you are wishing your buddies were with you but you desire to go get them but you are frozen ….and you hear a conversation between John and Jesus. Jesus is wanting to be baptized, are you kidding? and john is not wanting to do this he tells Jesus (Matthew 3:14)"I need to be baptized by you and you come to me?" and you hear Jesus as now you are in the water to your thighs, tell JOhn (matthew 3:15)"Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Wait a minute that word righteousness, I've heard that word, come on memory and you search your memory for that word, righteousness and it's starting to come back, yea that's the filing cabinet and the words you heard from your mama and daddy describe to you how you are acceptable to God…that there was a day coming that Jesus would fulfill the law and through our faith, belief in HIM we are made acceptable (righteous) and you now have this overwhelming desire to throw yourself onto these men BUT before you can move…. you hear the SPLASH of the water as John immerses your SAVIOR under the water and come up out of the water and as the heavens are opening up, with the water dripping off our Saviors hair and beard you hear this BOOMING melodic voice declare" "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."(Matthew 3:17)

you are now waist deep and there is no turning back; for as the old hymn states

I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
no turning back
no turning back

Saturday will be an amazing day for all of us as we participate in following Jesus in His example of fulfilling God's promise to me and you. Have you followed in showing the world your faith and belief in CHRIST through baptism? if you have questions will you give me or someone you are safe with a call? you will great….look forward to talking with anyone who has questions on what this means and why we decide to follow Jesus in this manner. (615)604-1760

love em up!