Then Sings My Soul Saturday - 11/8

Participating in the meme at Signs, Miracles & Wonders called Then Sings My Soul Saturday, where we share what song is touching our soul this week.

Since I was baptized by immersion on Monday, the song that is on my mind is Dive, by Steven Curtis Chapman.

The chorus:
I’m diving in, I’m going deep, in over my head I want to be. Caught in the rush, lost in the flow, in over my head I want to go. The river’s deep, the river’s wide, the river’s water is alive. So sink or swim, I’m diving in.

My friends, I did dive in, and the water is just fine. :-)

(if the comments don't load, refresh the page and wait. Blogger is slow today and the comment section doesn't seem to want to load.)

Advocate

Advocate: (1) a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually fol. by of): an advocate of peace. (2) a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor.

In life, we often are in need of an advocate, or must even be our own advocate to authority.

My husband had rotator cuff surgery in May. He healed well and didn't need any physical therapy (PT), and retained full mobility. However, several month after surgery he began experiencing pain again. The surgeon suggested it was just inflammation, and urged icing and anti-inflammatory meds. My husband, a former Army ranger and not one to be wimpy, was certain something was amiss.

Advocating for himself, he head back to the doctor again. The doctor this time scheduled my husband for PT. My husband endured a couple of grueling therapy sessions and insisted the pain level was too much. He headed back to the dr again, this time advocating for a MRI which showed the surgery had in fact failed, and the muscle was completed severed from the shoulder joint. He had surgery to repair this yesterday.

Had my husband not been his own advocate, the doctor would have written it off as general pain and not have done the MRI. My husband had to advocate for himself to the authority (the dr) to be proven not guilty of being a wimp, but in fact having an injury.

Often times, we need an advocate in court...this one we hire (an attorney). This advocate presents our case to the authorities (the judge or jury) in hopes that we are found non-guilty.

We, too, need an advocate in our spiritual life. If we were to stand before God on our own and present our life to him, he would in fact say "GUILTY" of sin, and we would be sentenced to life...a life in hell. But we have an advocate. This advocate is Jesus, who stands in our place and presents his life to God, and God proclaims "NOT GUILTY" and we are set free from our sins.

On Earth we have another advocate. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, his advocate to us. The Amplified Bible calls the Holy Spirit our intercessor, advocate, and strengthener. This is that little voice that says STOP when we are about to sin, or urges and encourages us to do the right thing.

Too many times in life we must be our own advocate, fighting for what is right with little or no support. I am thankful that I have a heavenly advocate who intercedes for me, so that even though guilty, I may be pardoned of my sins, to be free in Christ.


1 John 2:1 -- My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. (NLT)

Job 16:19 -- Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. (NIV)

John 14:16 -- And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever. (Amplified Bible)

Born Again...Again

On Monday of this week I was baptized. Now, some of you may be saying "Kelly, what? Surely you have been baptized before, devout Christian gal that you are!" Well, that is a gray area evidently.

I was raised in the Lutheran Church. So at the ripe old age of 2 months old, I was "baptized" (sprinkled, christened). Then in the 8th grade I was confirmed into the church by making my own statement of faith and began taking communion. As I have always attended churches that accepted my sprinkling as baptism, I've always considered myself baptized.

However, my new church does not accept sprinkling. They teach that the Greek word ‘baptizo’ means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water. They believe that the baptism, (full immersion into the water and rising out of the water) is symbolic of Jesus being buried and rising again. Romans 6:3-5 says "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

My ministry at my former Church included leading the MOPS group, leading a Bible study, serving on the Christian school board, and being asked to serve as an elder of the church. I could not be a ministry leader at my new church with out joining, and could not join with out being immersed.

I've been thinking. Let's say the Pastor was wrong. Well, being baptized "again" wouldn't hurt anything. As my sister, ADHD, said there isn't a verse in the Bible that says "Woe to he who try-eth too hard to do-eth the right thing in God's name." BUT...what if the Pastor is right. What if my baptism (sprinkling) before was an example of man corrupting what God meant. How could I go wrong by being immersed? It just seems right to me, either way.

In all of this an ironic thing happened. I told my dad I was going to be immersed. He has already been sprinkled twice. Once as a infant in the Episcopalian church, and again as an adult in the Lutheran Church (who also sprinkle, but wouldn't accept his sprinkling with the wrong water!) He is now considering being immersed in the Baptist church he attends with his wife. My husband was also immersed with me, so we could join the church together as a couple.

What if my pastor is right? What if because I am born again by being immersed, two more are born again because of me? I get chills just thinking about. And it's not just because I'm all wet.

John 3:3 -- In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Luke 3:21, 22 -- When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Acts 2:38 -- Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Hide & Go Seek

"Ready or not, here I come!" This is the customary shout out after you've finished counting to let all those hiding know you are on your way to find them in the game of Hide & Seek. Then you must seek out - go in search of - those who you are playing with.

The bible tells us we must seek God - go in search of - as well. Often times, like in the game of Hide & Go Seek, we throw up our hands in exasperation and yell "I give up!" "It's too hard!" "I can't find you." Often we just don't know where to look. We need a map.

Like a treasure map with a giant X on it, the bible provides the way to find God. We must seek him with our whole heart, and not give up. We must seek him first, before other things in our life.

For me, sometimes it is easy to find God. When I have put forth the effort, studying his word and praying I have felt the presence of God. Other times, I'm lazy and don't put the effort in seeking...I fail to find him. I want to blame him "It's too hard." But truthfully I haven't put the effort forth. If I'd just seek, I'd find.

What is keeping you from finding God today? I urge you to seek him with your whole heart. Because a time is coming when he will shout out "Ready or not, here I come!" Are you ready?

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7,8)



*This post was inspired by the Random Question at Edie's Rich Gifts.