It is the most difficult thing even for most Christians to do – wait on God’s timing for getting things done in their lives. We live in a world that is so fast paced in everything, that we expect the same from God Himself. All we do is use an email to send a message in an instant and receive results. God has a much slower way of doing things. His time frame is slower and wider. When we try to force ourselves away from God’s timing, we risk the chance of living His divine destiny for us. All of us have a definite calling even if we are not Christians. When we go against His timing, we will lose ourselves sometimes for all time. Following are a few illustrations of what happens when we side step God’s timing... • How often have we got married to the wrong person just because we could not wait for the time God has chosen a particular life partner for us? He is an all knowing God. He sets and manipulates people to their destinies depending on their obedience to His Word. Maybe He was setting a woman for us. We in our haste and ignorance chose to disregard His timing and landed ourselves in a mess. This is the reason for most unhappy marriages. When we go by God’s timing to wed, half our work is already over. The rest just follows as cause and effect to our obedience to Him and His Word. • A friend of mine could not wait on God’s timing to promote him in his company. Instead he rebelled and left the company in a hurry. Till date he has never been happy anywhere in his occupation. As we can see His timing is everything to work perfectly right. Here are a few scriptures from God’s Word in the Bible that reminds us about God’s timing. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9) “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5: 6-7) “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the … [Read more...]
Take part in water baptism and be completely free!
Long before I began my walk with everything in the Bible, I was confronted with the idea of this water baptism. I too wondered as to what it signified. I saw that everyone who wanted to practice Christianity as a religion was lining up to be baptized. Right outside my house was the familiar sight of people from other religions (Hindus) standing in que to be baptized. I saw people being sprinkled with water, some even fully immersed in it. Water baptism seemed to be important for every Christian who wanted to abide in God’s Word. When I researched more, I found out that the word ‘baptize’ came from the Greek verb ‘baptidzo’ which only meant to be immersed. The ritual of being immersed involved dipping, submersion and arising from water. This is what happened in John’s baptism. When a person is baptized in water, his body is completely immersed in water and then emerged again. Years later I learnt that water baptism identified us in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as lord of our lives, we thank and praise Him for what happened to Him. Water baptism seals our minds with the fact that we too are united with Christ’s body (Romans 6:4-6). We walk in the newness of the life we have now received. I also found that water baptism gave me the opportunity to let everyone know that I was born again. It signalled a noticeable sign to everyone I knew. I too was crucified with Christ, was buried with Him and finally raised to walk in the new life (Galatians 2:20). Take a look at what Jesus said in Mathew 28:19.... “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of our Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. So really when we are baptized we are only obeying the scriptures. But I should point something else here. There is a difference. Water baptism should not to be confused with the baptism of receiving Christ when we are saved. When we confess that Jesus died for our sin, we receive His Spirit. This is not water baptism. Water baptism cannot save. Only the precious blood that Jesus shed can cleanse us from our sin. Not just plain … [Read more...]
