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B Baptism
Dying of cancer and using a wheelchair, Dorothy Bingaman didn't care what her doctors said she wanted to be baptized. Her doctors had flat-out prohibited her from getting baptized, according to Mark Best, her pastor at First Baptist Church of Ullin, Illinois. But she insisted that she wanted to be baptized. Bingaman and her husband had both accepted Christ at their homes a couple of weeks earlier. Because of her condition, the church's baptismal pool couldn't be used. So, a baptismal service was held in February at the swimming pool of the Best Western Cheekwood Inn. A lifelong resident, Bingaman had been afraid of water her entire life. But, "just before we baptized her," Best said," she smiled and said, 'I'm not afraid anymore.'" Bingaman was placed in a white lounge chair and lowered into the swimming pool as 35 people, including many members of her family along with many guests at the hotel, watched.
After she came out of the water, Bingaman smiled and said, "Thank you. Now I'm ready." Two days later she went into a coma from which she would not recover. She was buried exactly one week after
her baptismal service. The events literally sent Ullin FBC into revival. Soon afterward, four people became Christians, and one 50-year-old woman dedicated herself to mission work.
There are many obstacles that might prevent a person from coming to know Christ, or from truly living out their faith in him. As a church, are we committed to tearing down those obstacles and finding
ways around them? If not, then unfortunately, we ourselves have become an obstacle.
Source: Tim Ellsworth, Illinois Baptist; 3/97
Topics/Tags: Baptism; Perseverance
It is said that, whenever Martin Luther's faith would run up against a brick wall and he felt drained and empty, he would simply write on a blackboard these words: "I have been baptized" — a simple declaration of the Lord's permanent hold on his life.
Baptism is an important step in a new believer's life because it gives him or her something to look back upon as an inarguable reminder of the new life that dwells within him or her.
Source: James W. Crawford, in "The Minister's Manual for 1994," p. 79.
Topics/Tags: Baptism; New creature
Fact: About 11,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention alone report zero baptisms each year.
That's...
* 1,040,000 sermons preached, with no one saved...
* 4,160,000 hymns and songs sung, with no one saved...
* $156,000,000 given in offerings, with no one saved. [note: this figure is based on an average offering of $300 per church per week.]
Now, it is true that, on some occasions, God's people can be faithful and diligent yet see no results—like the fishermen in Luke 5:5 who fished "all night" yet "caught nothing."
However: Is it really feasible that God would permit this much "faithfulness" to happen without any results? It seems clear that, somewhere along the line, many of our churches and preachers are forgetting to keep evangelism and the gospel at the fore of their weekly work.
Source: Junior Hill, evangelist, 11/2/1998
Topics/Tags: Baptism; Evangelism; Salvation; Church
Meditation for Matthew 3.13-17
The Baptism of Jesus
Jesus walked without a word
toward the Jordan's promised grace.
By the water John looked up,
awed to see the promised face.
"Why," he said, "Lord, come to me?
Jesus answered, "Let it be."
Let it be: the Spirit falls,
consecrating common ground.
Let it be: the Word of God
whispers, thunders, soothes, resounds.
Come, be baptized, friends, with me
in the joy of letting be.
Let the broken ones be healed;
let the lost be found and fed;
let the grace of God roll on;
let the river rise and spread,
step into the stream with me:
Let God's gracious purpose be!
—Michael Hudson
Topics/Tags: Jesus, the christ, baptism of; Baptism; God, providence of
More than 330,000 people were baptized by Southern Baptist missionaries and their co-workers in 1998, the denomination reported. The International Mission Board said 330,738 were baptized around the world and 4,126 churches were started, a 22.5% increase over 1997, Baptist Press said. A total of 9,236 "preaching points," or potential churches, reportedly were established, a 41.5% increase. The number of Southern Baptist congregations worldwide increased 7.1%, to 46,557
Source: www.religiontoday.com, 2/19/1999.
Topics/Tags: Baptism; Missions; Missionary; Harvest
As part of the library renovation at our seminary, bar codes were added to all student IDs.
Different librarians in our library adopted different terminologies to describe the changes—leading to a humourous encounter.
When I checked out my first book, the librarian assigned me a code, en-tered information into the computer, and said I was "saved." Returning later, a different librarian asked if I'd been "converted." I told him I'd not only been converted, but I'd been assured I was saved.
Grabbing the fishbowl from the counter, he smiled as he asked, "Yes, but have you been baptized?"
Source: Cynthia Sever, Rochester, New York
Topics/Tags: Salvation; Baptism; Library; Technology
THE BAPTIST AND THE PRESBYTERIAN
A Presbyterian and a Baptist minister were discussing baptism. The Presbyterian asked the Baptist if he considered a person baptised if he was immersed in water up to his middle.
"No," said the Baptist.
"Do you consider him baptised if he is immersed in water up to his NECK?" asked the Presbyterian.
Again the Baptist's answer was: "No."
"Well now," said the Presbyterian, "suppose you immersed him up to his EYEBROWS? Would you consider him baptized THEN?"
"No," said the Baptist.
"Well then, there you have it!" said the Presbyterian. "It's only the little bit of water on the TOP OF THE HEAD that counts!"
Source: unknown
Topics/Tags: Baptism; Denominations; Doctrine; Immersion
ON BECOMING A BAPTIST
A party of Methodist ministers was attending an Annual Conference at a private countryside resort. Several of them set off to explore the area, and presently they came upon an old bridge that crossed a quiet pond.
Unfortunately, they didn't notice a sign declaring the bridge to be unsafe. As they crossed it, the caretaker came running after them. "Hey! You there! Get off that bridge!" he protested.
"It's all right," declared one of the ministers, "we are in this resort with permission. We're Methodists from the Conference."
"I'm not worried about THAT," replied the caretaker. "But if you don't get off that bridge, you'll all be BAPTISTS!"
Source: unknown
Topics/Tags: Baptism; Immersion; Denominations
A little boy was behaving perfectly at the christening of his little sister, until the pastor started to sprinkle water on the little girl's head. Then the lad leaned forward in his seat and whispered quite loudly: "Be sure to get behind her ears!"
Source: "Sermon Illustrations for Holidays and Special Occasions"
Browse By Topic B Baptism