Blessed Assurance

After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).

Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." John answered,"A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease."

-John 3:23-30

April 11, 2010, I will be baptized.

God has been working in my heart to understand what it truly means when I say that Christ is my husband.

Yes, baptism is a symbolic representation of the cleansing and redeeming powers of my Father and is symbolic of being born again in Him. But, there are other aspects of baptism that seem to be left out.

I look at my baptism as more or less than a ceremony of my commitment.

My love for Christ goes above and beyond. My baptism will ultimately be a ceremony of how much I love and adore Christ. He is the Husband of my soul, and it will be wonderful to share that moment with my church home. It's almost as if my baptism will be symbolic of my marriage/wedding ceremony with Christ.

This is a picture of my school ring from Loudonville Christian,

LCS being the place where I first fell in love with my Husband.

Unfailing Love

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

-John 21:7

In context, Jesus has been resurrected and is appearing to His apostles. The apostles weren't able to catch any fish until they followed Christ's suggestion of casting their net to the right of the boat. Once this was done they caught 153 fish.

Now, in the midst of this miracle, Peter saw that a man was standing at the shore, shouting these orders to the apostles. Once another apostle acknowledged that it was Jesus standing before them, Peter jumped ship to swim and greet Him.

When I read this passage, my heart becomes filled with such joy. Peter, a man not unlike the rest of us, is so excited to see His Savior that he couldn't even wait until the boat reached the shore, he had to jump out and swim as fast as he could towards his Best Friend.

In my mind, the image of the bride, who just caught glimpse of her Beautiful Bridgegroom takes precedence. Overjoyed and overwhelmed with His Majesty and Presence, the bride jumps ship to get closer to Him as fast as she possibly can. What Love!

Do you jump ship at the very sight of your Husband, Father, Lord--just to be in His presence and His arms that much sooner?

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

-John 21:15