6th Letter to My Brothers and Sisters

To my dear Brothers and Sisters,

            I am excited to write to you about the upcoming baptisms. I am cautiously excited. Not too long ago I sat in the foyer during youth one Sunday evening and counted all of the photos of the baptisms on the wall. I counted one after another of these happy photos of people on what seemed like the best moment in their life. You would think that all of these people would want to have this feeling forever. You would think that whatever drove them so close to the Lord, that they would stand up in a room full of hundreds of people and be completely submerged in water. These photos tell a story of hope that has been found. That hope being Christ. After I sat admiring those pictures… I then observed that there were a couple that I knew decided to walk away from Christ. Next thing I realize is, I am walking backwards form the wall and I am counting more and more that chose to walk away. I counted almost a couple dozen.

            I was recently sitting back in John 4. I had always read John 4:1-3, but this time I caught on to something new. Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees has heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, He left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

Jesus was walking away from strife. Is that what some do when they get in the tank. Are they only getting in the tank because they are walking away from strife? If all you are doing is walking away from strife, what are you walking towards? Was the baptism just an experience? One thing that concerns me more is those who have stayed but keep the same heart as those who have walking away. I have heard excuses from many. I buy none of them.  

             Jesus told the woman who showed up to the well, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will become  in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Now reading this, remember I said they walked away form Christ. They may still be with us at HC, they may not be. If this is you, I will petition the Lord for you. This whole post is not really for those people. This post is meant for those who will now choose to get  in the tank. If you soon find yourself wanting to get in that tank will you please do a few things. One. Do it out of obedience to the Lord and not to please man. Two. Know that the devil will be on his way to temp you. Three. Find someone to walk with you as you grow. Grace and peace.