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“Savior's Truth Accept Now Daily! (S.T.A.N.D)”
By Ramesh
C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard
August 30,
2008
Editors Note: The devotional has a background song which can be heard if you use Internet
Explorer.
“And this was his message:
‘After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose
sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with
water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” (Mark 1:7-8, NIV)
“At
that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John
in the Jordan.” (Mark 1:9, NIV)
Observations:
I asked myself what do I learn about Jesus in verse 1:9?
I learned 2 things concerning Jesus in verse 1:9:
1. Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee.
2. Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself what was
the significance of Jesus coming from Nazareth in Galilee to the Jordan
River?
Points
1&2: Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee to be baptized in the Jordan by
John.
It is interesting that the Bible mentions that
Jesus came all the way from Nazareth to the Jordan to be baptized by
John, the Baptist as
John prepared the way for Him. Nazareth was at least 70 miles or 3 days
walking distance from the Jordan River. This showed me Jesus’ commitment
to be baptized.
Not only that but 3 days stuck in my mind. In
retrospect, when we look back, Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days before
coming back to life. It took Jesus approximately 3 days to journey from
his hometown to the Jordan River to be baptized. You have to wonder
about the significance of that!
It becomes that much more interesting that John
baptizes Jesus when John specifically told the people
“And this was his message: ‘After me will come one
more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to
stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit.’” (Mark 1:7-8)
If anything, people may have expected John to be
baptized by Jesus. It did not happen that way.
I asked myself what was
the significance of Jesus’ baptism?
Mark 1:9 did not really give me the details so I
looked to other Gospels to see if they gave me reasons. The Gospel of
Jesus Christ according to Matthew gave a reason.
“Then Jesus came into
Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to
prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming
to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now,
for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he
allowed Him.” (Matthew 3:13-15, NIV)
Jesus did not have to be baptized because He was
already perfect but took the long trip and allowed John to baptize Him
to set an example to the people of the importance of baptism. Not only
that, but Jesus was identifying with humanity and setting an example.
It was so cool to read about Jesus’ commitment.
Three days is a long trek to take to be baptized and yet Jesus took that
trek. He did not allow obstacles to come in the way nor did Jesus have
the attitude that He is in control and should be baptizing others rather
than being baptized. This also shows Jesus' humility and the stand Jesus
takes.
Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life.
Baptism is important and should be followed because Jesus Himself
was baptized and was setting an example. But, it is important for us to
realize what does it really mean to be baptized before we get baptized.
Our church Oakland International Fellowship has baptism classes for
those who seek to be baptized so they understand what they are doing.
Being baptized as a ritual has no meaning to it. Being baptized because
others are being baptized has no meaning to it too. The reason has to be
genuine before the Lord. Romans 6 explains the purpose of baptism now.
Romans 1 - 5 sets the groundwork of why we all need Jesus in our
lives culminating in Romans 6 especially Romans 6:23 which states,
'The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is
Eternal Life in Jesus Christ our Lord'
Another implication is that if I need to
get something done, I should not let obstacles stand in the way. It
could have been easy to reason that Galilee was right in Nazareth to be
baptized in the Sea of Galilee but instead Jesus does not do that but
goes all the way to the Jordan instead of asking John to come to
Galilee!
I should not rationalize to myself that being baptized as an infant
means that I am already baptized and need not be baptized again. Jesus
was baptized as an adult when He was 30 years old to set an example.
Baptism is an acknowledgement that we are not our own but belong to
Jesus Christ. Baptism is symbolic of dying to our old self being buried
and raised up from the water to have new life in Christ.
For me that starts with taking a stand for the things of the Lord
whether it be regarding baptism, faith, politics, etc.
I ask you now dear friend, what do you stand for in life?
Dear friend, Jesus set a wonderful example for
us not only regarding baptism but about commitment. Jesus did not let
obstacles come in the way. We too should take a stand for doing right
and not let obstacles come in our way.
It will not be easy to take a stand many times
for issues you believe in that are biblical but taking a stand for Jesus
and the Bible is the best thing we can do. Taking a stand for doing
right is the best way to go.
Trust in the Lord and allow Him to help you
through the situations. Many people throughout history have taken a
stand on many issues but it was not always peachy. I am not going to say
that it is going to be easy but the Lord will strengthen you through the
situations.
As the Fall 2008 is already underway, your faith could be
tested and put through the fire. Satan will try to burn you out and make
you charred so you cannot stand up for your faith. He could bring all kinds of obstacles into your presence whether it is
through professors who speak out against what is biblical, through
doubts that creep in, through peer pressure to do things that go against
biblical morality, through family life of those that are not followers
of Christ, etc. But, you don't have to give in!
Yet friend, you can take a stand! Yes, you
can! Jesus loves you so much and paid the ransom for your sins so you
can be set free when you turn to Him. Jesus did that by dying on the
cross, shedding His precious cleansing blood, being buried, and coming
back to life on the 3rd day to save.
We all need Jesus in our lives because sin has marred our
relationship with God separating us from Him. Now because of this deadly
virus known as sin, it will prevent us from taking a stand for
righteousness because it is a slave master keeping us in its bondage but
thanks be to God that we can be freed through what Jesus did for us.
Yes, Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit when we yield our
life over to Him.
"No one is righteous, not one! All have sinned
and fallen short of the glory of God."
"While we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us."
It is to save us when we turn our lives over to Jesus and take a
stand for what Jesus stands for. We can know what Jesus stands for by
reading His Word, meditating on it, and following it.
This Fall of 2008 we also have the crucial presidential elections. We
should take a stand on issues such as sanctity of life, sanctity of
marriage, etc no matter what opposition we get around us. There will be
other issues that can be tempting for us to vote for a candidate that is
for the continued legalization of abortion and the legalization of gay
marriage throughout the United States but let us not give into those
issues remembering from Genesis 1 alone the issues of sanctity of
marriage and sanctity of life for the unborn are mentioned.
Let us take a stand for the unborn and a stand for marriage as the
Lord meant it to be and VOTE THE BIBLE.
Friend, there will be those that tell you that this is the 21st
century and the Bible is outdated but it is not friend. The Word of God
stands the test of time and is the same when God gave it to His people
to share with all those that would be born later such as you and me.
It will be easier to take a stand when we believe 'The Bible is the
Word of God', instead of believing 'Bible becomes the Word of God' or
'Bible contains the Word of God'.
Believing in the other two statements will allow us to pick us choose
what parts of the Bible we want to follow. We cannot choose which
instructions to follow and which instructions to skip when we want to
assemble something. No, all the instructions have to be followed in its
context.
In the same way, God the Author of Life has given us an instruction
manual here on earth to follow for our well being. It is the Word of God
from Genesis to Revelation for us to follow.
We cannot follow the Bible or take a stand on our own without the
help of the Holy Spirit. Allow the Lord Jesus to help you to take a stand for Him, for He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, guiding and leading you! Yes, He
will!
I want to share with you what I think is a true story that occurred
on one of the campuses in the United States that I shared with every
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student in the past and with so many
others regarding taking a stand.
There was a professor in a philosophy department who was an atheist
and angry towards anyone who believed in God that he would make fun of
them. The first day of philosophy class with 300 students, he had dared
anyone who believed in God to raise their hands. Not one single student
raised their hand except one student in the back.
When the student raised his hand to take a stand for God, the
professor mocked him and told him, 'if your God really exists, let's see
if he can stop this chalk from breaking and threw it on the ground. The
chalk did not break when thrown on the ground but rolled away. The class
of 300 was just amazed.
Friend, you maybe just one person but you can make a difference. Yes,
you can friend. This one person had taken a stand for the Lord and he
became a witness to the entire class. He did not let ridicule stop him
or what he saw as obstacles because he wanted to take a stand.
Now, Jesus knew the importance of baptism so he did not let obstacles
stand in the way of getting baptized. In the same way, as you are in
school, at home, or at work this Fall of 2008, taking a stand for your faith becomes very important
and worth it friend. Yes, friend it is!
I tell students whether they are
followers of Christ or not really shows when they come to college.
Before college, a lot of students take on their parents faith. In
college, they become more independent and are bombarded with
choices and situations they may have not experienced before which will
determine whether they will continue to be followers of Christ or decide
to go their own way.
You can let obstacles control you or let the
Lord of Heaven and earth help you through the obstacles. It starts with
taking a stand for your faith regardless of how tough the journey will
be. Friend, the Lord will get you through so don't give up regardless of
the days that go by!
When you have to take a stand for a particular
issue or reason and it glorifies the Lord, may you be given the strength
and endurance to come through in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Amen!
Ask the Lord Jesus to reign in your life and He will! Make the
background song by Vineyard Music called 'Lord Reign In Me' your prayer
too. You need Internet Explorer.
"Savior’s Truth Accept Now
Daily!" (S.T.A.N.D)/”What do you S.T.A.N.D for in life?”
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I thank you so much
for being my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for setting an example
for us to follow. I thank you for the commitment you have shown and I
pray that we will be committed to you. Help us to testify to you and
point others to you, taking a stand on issues that you want us to be
bold and faithful. We cannot on our own and need your help so we seek
you Lord with our whole heart. Help us Jesus please. Thank you Lord.
Thank you for being baptized to identify with humanity even though you
did not have to. I love you Jesus and I turn my life over to you. Please
Lord help each student and non-student to take a stand for you. Guide
them and strengthen them through their experiences on campus, at work,
at home, or wherever they are placed. I thank
you Lord Jesus for hearing our prayer and answering us. We depend on you
for your help and thank you for loving us, dying for us, and coming back
to life choosing to save us as we turn to you! In Your Name I Pray
Jesus!!! Amen!
If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a
daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be
alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them
come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to
wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as
you pray the prayer below, meaning it in your heart.
Prayer:
God I am a sinner. I am invaded by this deadliest virus. Many times I
feel so guilty and yucky inside. I need forgiveness. I am so sorry for
my sins. I have not obeyed you with my whole heart! I have gone my own
way and done my own things. I still struggle with sin. I need you Jesus
in my life so I can receive forgiveness and a new beginning. In the
process, I can forgive others as you help me to. Thank you so much
Jesus. I accept the antidote you have sent me. I believe Jesus you died
for me and your cleansing blood will cleanse me from all my sins. You
came back to life to save me. Thank you God I am set free, free from the
bondage of sin. Hear my cry Oh Lord. I accept you Jesus into my heart. I
make you my Lord and Personal Savior of my life. Thank you Father God
for giving me Salvation. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and
making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will
live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you
for being my Lord and personal Savior! I can live a life of peace with
you on my side. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me!
In your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
No matter what you feel in your heart,
know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To
make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him
as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the
Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into
prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel
of John or Gospel of
Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord
show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to
help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches
the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our
crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help! But
beware of churches who do believe in the Word of God completely but
there is no freedom in Christ but legalism involved.
As a student, it is not too late to join a fellowship on campus too
this blessed FALL of 2008! May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His
love now and forever! Amen!
Friend, if you have prayed this
prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and
all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may
feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your
new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave
you nor forsake you! Amen!
Spend time in His word and let the Lord
speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out
the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through.
Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church
fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be
part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the
Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in
Bible Live Eternally!
Feel free to email me at
reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible,
pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My
number is 412-720-4579
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)
Love in Christ,
Ramesh
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