Baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse, performing ablutions, i.e., cleansing with water.  In John v3 Jesus and his disciples were going through the land telling people about baptism.  John clearly knew the importance of baptism than the other disciples. He knew that a person should be immersed in water while being baptized.  John records: And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized (John 3:23, KJV). If it wasn’t important then he would have stayed where he was, but he needed more water to make sure that they would be immerse.

   What is the importance of baptism?  Well Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19, “ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  He also said if you’re not “born of the water and of the Spirit ye shall enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Romans further explains baptism by indicating we are “buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4, KJV)”  So to be buried with him into his death, you have to be fully immersed into water, symbolizing that one is going down dead and coming up as a new person with all one’s sins washed away.

   Returning to Matthew 28:19, let’s find out more what Jesus was talking about. As we’ve seen, Jesus commissioned us to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (not in the name of the father, the name of the son, and the name of the Holy Ghost).  What Jesus said in Matthew was language experts call a “participle phrase.”  Consequently, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost described the name He was talking about.

   What’s the importance in a name?  Acts 4:12 records that “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.”  Does Isaiah say He is “God manifest in flesh”?  Paul stated in Ephesians v4 that there is only One God and Father.                 

   In the 14^th chapter of the book of John, Jesus gives a revelation of who the Holy Ghost is.  He said in 14:16, “I will pray to the Father that he would give you a Comforter.  In v18 Jesus tells them,  “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.”  Then v26 goes on, “but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  Jesus gives us the answer to whom he was talking about in 16:22: “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”  So what’s the name he was talking about? JESUS!

   How should I be baptized then?  Well since we know who Jesus was talking about, then shouldn’t I be baptized in His name?  Jesus came unto his disciples in the coast of Caesarea Philippi and said “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”  And they said unto him some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and other Jeremias, or one of the prophets.  Then said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  Peter answered him and said Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).  After answering Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom  and said what ever thou bind in earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou loose shall be loosed in heaven  (Matthew 16:19).

   In Luke 24:45-47 Jesus opened the disciple’s understanding and said that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”  Peter was among those to whom Jesus had spoken and whose understanding had been opened. After having listened to these instructions, a few days later he was inspired by the Holy Ghost to preach on the Day of Pentecost. The hearts of the hearers were pierced and, feeling condemned, they cried out to Peter and the other apostles, saying “what shall we do?”  And without any hesitation, Peter replied:  “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2).

   All throughout the Book of Acts people were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  Galatians 3:27 says “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”  So the only way that we can be Christ-like is to put on Christ through baptism, because without the name we don’t have the blood, and without the blood we don’t have the name.

   God in the Old Testament gave a covenant with Abraham and told him that he would bless his seed and bless every seed after his, and also make Abraham a father of many nations.  God said the only way He would keep his covenant with Abraham is that he circumcised every male in his household.   “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.  That was an everlasting covenant that God made with Abraham” (Genesis 17:1-21).  God was very particular with his people and what he wanted from them. 

   “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands” (Ephesians 2:11).  Paul, in Colossians 2:11, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” And the writer of Hebrews adds, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8: 10). 

   God had made a New Covenant for Gentiles to be inherited into Abraham’s everlasting covenant that God had made with him.  So the way to be inherited into his covenant is to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, by the “circumcision made without hands” (Colossians 2:11)

   Paul, on his way to Ephesus, met believers who had not yet been baptized the proper way. “And he said unto them, ‘Unto what then were ye baptized?’ And they said ‘Unto John’s baptism.’ Then said Paul, ‘John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:2-5).

   As we know now that baptism is essential to God’s salvation plan he has for us, so we should follow the order and steps that have been place in front of us so that we will have eternal life.

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I have a shirt that reads “I am not… But I Know I AM.” A person lacking an understanding of God’s revelation as the “I AM” may put the emphasis on “know” and thereby interpret the statement to mean “I talk myself up to be more than I actually am.” The actual meaning of the statement, however, is completely opposite of such an interpretation, and can only be understood through an understanding of God, the “I AM.”

The implications of the statement itself are extensively applicable to many situations, as indicated by the ellipsis after the word “not”. By itself, “I am not…” can be quite disheartening: I am not special, I am not great, I am not intelligent, I am not capable, etc. There are thousands of words and phrases that can be placed after the words “I am not.” Furthermore, when we say we are not …, we imply that we cannot …, as illustrated by Moses’ dialogue with God in Exodus chapters 3 and 4. Moses makes no less than 4 (perhaps 5) arguments that he is not ready for the job. In his last argument that he could not do what God had called him to do, in verse 10 of chapter 4, he says “I am not eloquent … I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

The second, more important part of the statement, “But I know I AM,” is the answer to all of Moses’ misgivings about his own abilities, but it takes him a while to get it. After Moses’ second argument, “God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14), and when Moses made his case that he was not eloquent, God said “Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Exodus 4:11-12). In other words, “Moses, it’s not who you are that matters; it’s who I am that counts. I made your mouth and I will guide you to the right words.” Moses could say, “I am not eloquent, but I know I AM,” and when you know I AM, you don’t have to be eloquent. As we decrease, God increases; when we are not able, God does the work through us and thereby receives the glory due unto his name.

With God’s infinite knowledge and insight into the future, it would be foolhardy to rely on one’s own abilities or talents. David said in Psalm 139:6, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” David, made the same type of statement that Moses made back in Exodus, but judging by the contextual location of this verse (in the midst of sundry praises for God’s all-seeing providence), David’s acknowledgement of his inability to attain unto the wonderful knowledge of God shows his understanding that God would make up for what he lacked on a much higher scale. It’s not only acceptable to not be something, but based on God’s Power, it’s actually beneficial, because God can always do a better job than we can. I am thus happy to make the statement, “I am not… But I know I AM!”

What a privilege it is to be a Holy Ghost filled man in perhaps the greatest time in history.  It is truly  incomprehensible to  realize that this generation is designated  to witness the greatest  revival ever. In a world filled with so many voices, imagine the significance of proclaiming the voice of the apostolic doctrine. Luke 12:48 says to whom much is given much is required. It could be easy to look at this scripture and focus on all that is required and completely miss the promise of that which is given. God has entrusted the church with the answer to what this world needs.

Yes, I know, times are pretty shaky. Its easy for us men to get caught up in being what we are, providers. From dawn  until dusk, we lead fast paced lives, trying to fit it all in. Doing not necessarily what is always our desire, but somehow hoping it will point us towards what is truly important.

The Jews saw Jesus as a failure. Any Messiah who gets himself killed before establishing his kingdom surely failed. That’s why Paul called the cross a stumbling block to the Jews. Jesus was a failure to the Gentiles. Jesus never accomplished anything of significance according to their culture. Jesus didn’t build anything, and he didn’t win any great battles.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples,” If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
(Matthew 16:24-27)

Jesus is…

Jehovah-Elohim: the Creator, Adonai: Our sovereign Lord, Jehovah-Jireh: the Lord will provide, Jehovah-Nissi: the Lord our banner, Jehovah-Ropheka:  the Lord our healer, Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord our peace, Jehovah-Tsidkeenu: the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah-Shammah: the Lord is present, Jehovah-Elyun: the Lord Most High, Jehovah-Eloheenu: the Lord Our God, Jehovah-Eloheka: the Lord thy God, Jehovah-Elohay: the Lord my God, the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, the Way Maker, the Rose of Sharon, Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father, the Balm in Gilead, the Kinsman Redeemer, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, The Ancient of Days…

…the Answer

When Milton Bradley invented the game of LIFE in 1860-he almost had it right. Life has a definite start (at conception), and, unless you’re like Enoch or Elijah, it also has a certain end. There are other trite similarities between the game of and LIFE itself – like the fact that the cars we drive and even some people we know, are plastic (you can’t always blame elective surgery for that!).

I said Milton Bradley ‘almost’ had it right, because while his boardgame mimicks LIFE, life really isn’t a game-it is a serious journey.

The Apostle Paul practically penned his own epitaph in his second epistle (letter) to his son in the Gospel. After describing the condition of LIFE, issuing words of encouragement, challenging and instructing, Paul concluded with this:

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith’ (2 Tim. 4:6-7).

Paul summarized the journey of his LIFE in sixteen words-’I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.’

In the journey of LIFE, there will be ups and downs, hills and valleys, tragedies and surprises-there will be bouts, courses and season. At some point in life, every man will step into the ring, onto the track or into the course with only a God-given measure of faith. At the end of life, we end up at one of two inevitable, inescapable destinations. One would think that the knowledge of hell would be a deterrent enough, or that the hope of Heaven would serve as sufficient motivation, it is the sum total of the daily journey of LIFE that ultimately determines our destiny.

Obtaining the desired outcome is predicated by how we deal with the periodic elements of LIFE; the fight, the course, the faith.

Faith without action is paralyzed (James 2:26), so we ‘contend for the faith’ (Jude 1:3).

Paul didn’t say he ‘won’ every fight, he just said he ‘fought’- and put up a ‘good fight’ at that. He gave it his best. He stayed in the ring and went toe-to-toe on the canvas until the final round. Determining to fight is a prerequisite to triumph, and fighting for all you’ve got is imperative, because if you’re fight isn’t sustained and you fail to ‘finish’, then you’re effort was for not.

Paul said he ‘finished’ the course. He didn’t quit half-way, throw in the towel or tap out. He ran the race with patience. He learned to forget about his past, to bury it in the blood of the cross and continually press towards the mark Christ had set for him!

Life is but a vapor and at some point this journey will end; it may end prematurely or in the glory of old age. When we stand at attention before the great white throne on the other side of a trumpet sound, will we be able to say we have ‘finished’ the course? To fight is to be true, and to finish is essential-but what are we contending for? If we fight every round and cross the finish line-but fail to keep the faith, than we have fought for a lost cause!

Most importantly, Paul said ‘I have kept the faith.’

In the journey of LIFE there will be a fight, there will be a course- and you will have faith in Someone, someone or something. The challenge today, or tomorrow, or whenever you meet your adversary, confront temptation, or experience a trial- is to ‘fight’ (a good fight), ‘finish’ (your course), and ‘keep’ (the Faith).

Remember these equations: LIFE= Fight, Course + Faith. However: Fight, Course, the Faith+ Fight, Finish, Keep= LIFE (eternal) So fight on, run on, endure hardness as a good soldier-and most importantly, keep the faith, that is, in Christ Jesus!

Stay tuned for blog post written by young ministers, pastors and evangelists. Be patient with us as we gradually make the transition from our previous site. Thanks for dropping by, and come back soon!

The 2008 E Group gathering is now history! 52 young men gathered together to quest for Apostolic ministry! Each session was power packed! Each session concluded with a time of “Fervent Prayer”! This cemented the messages to our spirits as we strove to strength our desire to become Men Seeking God! The passion for God of the young men was refreshing and extremely uplifting!

Many thoughts came to my mind during this time but one thought of Bro. Nathan Urshan II has stayed with me! In fact, I have quoted it to others, to help them understand the importance of soul winning in the life of the child of God. Bro. Urshan started a church at the age of 22 in Ft. Myers, Florida. Ten years later the congregation numbers approximately 200! When I think of that I get excited thinking about the souls that have been saved through his step of faith! Yet he stated: When I was saving others I was saving myself! In other words when you are teaching someone else not only do they get the benefit of salvation but you have to dig to find out what you really believe! It forces you to seek God! When you do that, you save your own self! He had evangelized a number of years, his name opening doors to preach in large churches yet his spiritual growth rate would increase dramatically when he began teaching someone a Home Bible Study! We ended our time at E Group with a challenge to each other to start teaching one Bible Study by December 1st! Not only will we save others but each young man will begin to build a solid foundation of Apostolic Beliefs! This foundation will support his Apostolic Ministry!

This what has happened in the life of Bro. Jason Carr! He had expressed that he wanted to teach a Bible Study and see someone to receive the Holy Ghost! He started a study at his parents house in Beaumont to a High School friend. Dan and his wife Charisse, have been attending the study for a number of weeks! Sunday, October 5th was a great day for two people, Dan and Bro. Jason. It was a special day for Dan because he received the gift of the Spirit that is evidenced by speaking in tongues. It was special for Bro. Jason because he saw someone he taught become a Child of God! The experience is helping both of them to be saved! Dan gets the words of truth from a friend and Bro. Jason gets reminded of those truths as he teaches and sees his friend experience God! Faith in the Word of God grows in each of their hearts as they experience the work of the Spirit.

Why don’t you work on your salvation and join the E Group in a quest to teach a Bible Study! Try to start one before Dec 1st! That study will be the means to not only someone else’s salvation but also your own!