On Sunday evening two of my favorite movies aired – “The Sound of Music” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” In the first movie, a woman preparing to be a nun, instead became a wife; in the second, a woman who was a preacher’s wife prepared to be a preacher’s wife. The beautiful music in The Sound of Music lifts your spirits and in The Preacher’s Wife, you see a glimpse behind the scenes of what it is like for a pastor’s family. Though fiction, it is something familiar to me, and something that for years I looked forward to experiencing for myself, and once it didn’t happen as I thought, I grieved for years of what might have been.
In my opinion, there are no greater manifestations of God’s love than the ministry of marriage and the ministry of the church. Interestingly enough both ministries were designed by God to bring man into fellowship with one another, and fellowship with Him. Since the beginning of time, man (and woman) have been trying to decide how to make these God-given institutions work – their way! From the time of Adam and Eve (we saw that the fruit was good…) to our generation today who daily decide what part of God’s laws we will follow!
When I was twelve years old I got baptized – only there was no pool, they sprinkled those who came to faith in Christ. When I got saved – there was no pool at the church to baptize me – two years later I got baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues – signs and wonders followed… Over the years, when there were baptisms in a pool, there were various reasons why I was unable to get submerged into those waters. Some of those times, I figured, why get baptized again, I believed when I went through my first baptism, and God certainly baptized me in the Holy Ghost, what more could going under water do?
On this Resurrection Sunday, I made a decision to get submerged into the waters of baptism. After being saved forty years with over 38 years of living a spirit filled life, what made me get baptized for the remission of sins? The following scripture begins to explain why:
“When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.”John 7:29-30 (NLT)
I did not want to be guilty of having the opportunity to do something that God decreed, and deciding in my intellect that it wasn’t necessary. God has set forth steps to building our life that if we follow them, we will reap the benefits of seeing them unfold, without our having to figure out the “how!”
I’ve made some mistakes by trying to figure things out – and I’ve tried to figure things out when things happened that I didn’t understand – I went to the waters of baptism, because I’m through figuring it out – I’m ready to just obey.
God Bless You,
Maria
Great article! I loved it and was so thankful to be there to see it.
Love you Ma!
Shanna
That’s awesome, Maria….and what an example you set for all those who come behind you. I applaud your willful obedience and rejoice over your experience yesterday!
Congratulations Maria on your baptism. God will honor your obedience. God bless you. Love never fails. Praise God.
Congratulations! I already know you to be a woman of great faith: evidenced by the fruit produced in your life (and the life of your children). Your baptism is even more confirmation of your great faith through obedience. Now, bask in the glow of an open heaven…Thank you for sharing.
Mama Maria you bless me over and over! With your stories you share sacred parts of your life, your heart and wisdom. Thanks for your obedience in baptism and this site. Babies in Jesus like me need your example. Congratulations!
Hi, cool post. I have been wondering about this topic,so thanks for writing. I will certainly be subscribing to your posts. Keep up the good posts