Participants:
Series Code: AFDB
Program Code: AFDB000187S
|
00:02 - [Announcer] This presentation is brought to you
00:03 by the friends of the Amazing Facts ministry. 00:10 - Did you know that when a human baby is born, 00:13 about 78% of its body is made up of water? 00:17 Our water ratio drops somewhat as we age, 00:20 but water remains an essential part of our survival. 00:24 In fact, a mere 2% drop in body water 00:28 can cause fuzzy short-term memory, 00:30 difficulty with basic math, 00:32 and trouble focusing on a computer or a printed page. 00:36 If the water in your body drops 5%, 00:39 you'll no longer be able to see. 00:42 A 10% drop takes away your ability to hear. 00:46 Water plays a crucial role in almost every body function. 00:51 But some researchers estimate that 75% of Americans 00:55 are chronically dehydrated. 00:57 Insufficient water increases the risk for obesity, 01:01 fatigue, and a host of common diseases. 01:04 Water is essential not only to our physical bodies, 01:07 but our spiritual survival as well. 01:10 As the Living Water, Jesus is the ultimate thirst quencher 01:14 for our souls, and we receive him in a special way 01:18 when we enter the waters of baptism. 01:21 So join me now, friends, for today's program 01:23 as we take a closer look at this very important subject, 01:26 how we can be born of the Spirit and the water. 01:34 Our lesson today is a very important subject. 01:37 It may be one of the most important. 01:39 And some of you're gonna think, Pastor Doug, 01:41 are you pulling a fast one? 01:43 Why are you dropping this subject into a prophecy seminar? 01:47 As we move on, I think you'll understand 01:49 why it belongs and why it's so important. 01:52 The lesson title is "The River of Life." 01:56 And I would like to direct your attention to a story 01:58 that you find in the second book of Kings, 02:01 II Kings chapter five. 02:03 It tells us about a character. 02:05 He's an Assyrian by the name of Naaman. 02:10 And it says Naaman was a mighty man with his master. 02:14 He was a valiant man. 02:16 He's well-known. 02:17 He was successful. 02:18 And by him, the Lord had given deliverance to Syria. 02:22 Wealthy man, courageous. 02:24 He was the general for the king. 02:27 But at the end of that first verse, 02:28 it's got five words it says, "But he was a leper." 02:33 Everything changes. 02:35 I mean, what profit is it if you gain the whole world 02:38 and you're dying of a deadly, contagious disease 02:41 for which there is no cure? 02:43 He was wealthy, he was strong, had a great reputation. 02:47 It says he was an honorable man. 02:50 But one day, he came down with this terrible, 02:53 dreaded contagious disease of leprosy. 02:56 The Bible often compares leprosy to sin, you may know. 03:01 Well, the story goes on to tell that Naaman 03:06 bought a slave girl that worked in his household, 03:09 he's a wealthy man, and she had been captured from Israel. 03:14 This little girl, she had probably heard 03:16 the story of Joseph, how Joseph found himself a slave 03:18 in a foreign land and said, 03:20 Well, if I'm gonna be a good slave, 03:21 God's got a reason for me to be here. 03:24 I'm gonna trust the Lord. 03:25 If God was able to use Joseph in that capacity, 03:28 then perhaps he can use me. 03:31 And when she found out that her master had leprosy, 03:33 she said to her mistress, she said, 03:36 "For if he, Naaman, would go to Israel, the prophet there, 03:42 "Elisha, would heal him of his leprosy." 03:45 So Naaman goes down to Israel. 03:47 And they'd often been enemies, 03:49 so it's kind of an odd request. 03:51 I mean, here Naaman has been the general 03:54 who has attacked Israel. 03:55 And there's this brief period of truce. 03:58 So he goes down there and gives a message 04:00 to the king of Israel that says, 04:03 King of Syria sent a message to the king of Israel, 04:06 I've sent Naaman my servant unto you 04:08 so you can heal him of his leprosy. 04:10 King of Israel said, What? 04:12 What am I now? Some faith healer? 04:15 Well, word came to Elisha, what had happened. 04:17 He sent a message to the king of Israel. 04:19 He said, "Send him to me that you may know 04:23 "that there is a prophet in Israel." 04:26 And so Naaman comes to the house of Elisha, the prophet, 04:29 but Elisha doesn't even come out. 04:31 He sends out his servant, Gehazi, 04:34 and he is got a very short, simple message. 04:36 "Go and wash in the Jordan River seven times 04:39 "and your flesh shall be restored to you again 04:42 "and you'll be clean." 04:44 Evidently, his leprosy had advanced, when it says, 04:46 "Your flesh shall be restored." 04:47 He may have already gotten to the stage in his leprosy 04:49 where sometimes you can lose digits or piece of them 04:53 through injury, and it was pretty far advanced. 04:58 And Naaman says, "Wash in the Jordan River?" 05:01 Well, the Jordan River was not the best river in the world. 05:06 Matter of fact, in the summertime, 05:07 the Jordan is like a series of stagnating pools. 05:11 But what does it mean if someone tells you to take 05:13 seven baths in a dirty river? 05:16 The Jordan River, it's either green or brown. 05:18 It's very rarely clear. 05:21 And when Naaman heard that, 05:23 I mean, he was expecting the prophet to come out 05:25 and go through some incantations and say, you know, 05:29 magic words and he'd be healed. 05:31 Or ask him to do something like climb a mountain, 05:34 go kill some other enemies. 05:36 And he says, "Go wash." 05:38 And it offended his pride. 05:40 Here he is. 05:41 Brought millions of dollars in gold, and silver, 05:43 and clothing to pay for his healing. 05:45 I think someone once calculated it was over $52 million 05:50 in gold and silver had been sent by the king 05:52 to heal Naaman of his leprosy. 05:56 And he says, "Go wash." 05:58 Well, he had just ridden by the Jordan River 06:00 on his way to Israel. 06:02 Now see, he's so mad, he turns his horse around. 06:05 He begins to gallop off and he said, 06:07 the Bible says he left in a rage. 06:10 He said, "Are not the rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar, 06:13 cleaner than all the waters in Israel? 06:17 And he thought his problem was leprosy 06:19 and God knew his problem was pride. 06:20 Good man, but he was proud. 06:24 Pride is the mother of all sins. 06:27 And on his way down to Damascus, 06:30 he had to ride by the Jordan River. 06:33 And the soldiers came to him and they said, 06:35 "Master," they drew near 'cause they had been 06:37 keeping their distance, he's contagious. 06:40 They said, "If he had asked you to do some hard thing, 06:42 "wouldn't you have done it? 06:43 "If he had said go conquer a thousand Philistines, 06:46 "you would've done it. 06:48 "But he's saying wash." 06:51 Naaman thought, Well, you know, I'm going home to die. 06:54 What have I got to lose? 06:56 And he gets off his horse 06:58 and he steps on down into the river. 07:00 Has to take off his clothes and his armor 07:02 with his men watching. 07:03 It's sort of a humbling experience. 07:06 And the water's brown. 07:07 And he gets off there and you see little clouds of mud 07:10 coming up underneath his feet. 07:11 And he thought, How can this possibly help? 07:15 They said, "Master, do it." 07:18 So he goes and he dunks himself the first time 07:20 and it comes up and all he knows is it stings. 07:24 And he's still got his leprosy. 07:26 And he thinks, Well, you know, why am I going through this? 07:29 They said, "No, he didn't say one time, Master. 07:31 "Seven times." 07:34 He dunks himself again and again. 07:36 And he thought every time he dunked himself 07:38 that it was washing aways leprosy. 07:40 It was washing away his pride. 07:43 Finally, after six times, he thought, Oh, enough's enough, 07:46 and he's gonna get out. 07:47 And they said, "No, no, Master, 07:48 "he said seven times." 07:50 Now, let me ask you a question. 07:53 Does God mean what he says? 07:55 Do numbers matter to God? 07:58 When God told Joshua to march around Jericho seven times 08:01 on the seventh day and you'll gain the victory, 08:03 did they get the victory before? 08:06 The Lord means what He says. 08:09 So Naaman obeyed and he went down the seventh time. 08:12 And something happened. 08:15 He felt it. He had to feel it. 08:17 He came up out of the water, leprosy was gone. 08:19 Any missing digits popped back into place. 08:22 He was completely and totally healed. 08:26 Well, this was one of the first times we see 08:29 something connected with washing 08:31 in the Jordan River and cleansing. 08:34 Now, there were several miracles that happened 08:36 in the Jordan River, and one of the greatest miracles was 08:39 this is where Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit, 08:42 because this is where John the Baptist began baptizing. 08:46 And that is our subject for tonight. 08:49 We're gonna be talking about the subject of baptism. 08:51 It is a prophecy subject. 08:53 And so people who are coming to a prophecy seminar 08:55 and saying, Well Doug, I don't wanna know about salvation. 08:57 I'm not interested in my salvation. 08:59 I'm interested in the details. 09:01 Do you realize that the heavy subjects that are coming now, 09:03 if you're not born again, you're not gonna understand? 09:06 Jesus said, "Seeing, they will not see. 09:08 "Hearing, they will not hear. 09:10 "But to those who consecrate themselves, 09:13 "he will give them ears to hear what the Spirit says 09:16 "to the church." 09:17 That's in Revelation chapter two. 09:18 And so, this is a subject where you say, 09:21 All right, Lord, we're getting into deep water now 09:24 and I need to follow you and choose to say, 09:27 Lord, you're my Savior. 09:29 And so we're presenting this Bible subject 09:31 because it really is a symbol of how God saves people 09:36 from their sins. 09:38 The children of Israel, Paul tells us 09:40 in I Corinthians chapter 10, 09:42 they went through the Red Sea. 09:45 This is way back in the Old Testament. 09:47 And Paul says they were baptized in the sea. 09:50 They didn't walk on the water, they went down. 09:54 And God wants us to go down. 09:55 Baptism is a symbol of death, burial, and resurrection. 09:59 We're gonna talk about that tonight 10:00 and maybe speaking to you or you who are watching now. 10:04 As we move on into the future, we want you cleansed. 10:07 We want your robes made white in the blood of the Lamb. 10:10 First question in our lesson. 10:12 What New Testament prophet used the Jordan River 10:15 for baptizing or cleansing? 10:18 You can read here in Matthew chapter three, verse one. 10:21 "In those days, John the Baptist came 10:24 "preaching in the wilderness of Judea." 10:27 And the people came from everywhere and it says, 10:30 "Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, 10:31 "and all the region round about the Jordan 10:34 "went to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River." 10:39 Jordan in the Bible is a symbol of death. 10:42 It is the lowest river in the world and it represents 10:45 like a humbling of ourself. 10:46 It also represents a burial. 10:48 Then you come up out of the water, 10:50 it represents a cleansing and a new birth. 10:52 What glorious Bible ceremony symbolizes a washing 10:56 from the leprosy of sin? 10:59 Acts 22:16, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, 11:05 "calling on the name of the Lord." 11:07 Baptism is this ceremony. 11:09 And John the Baptist, of course was baptizing. 11:11 Someone was asking, is this the first time 11:16 baptism is mentioned in the Bible? 11:18 Well, you got the children of Israel going 11:20 through the Red Sea, you've got Naaman, 11:21 you've got the children of Israel walking 11:24 across the Jordan, or through the Jordan River 11:26 when they came into the Promised Land, 11:27 and it's like baptism. 11:29 According to the Bible, 11:31 how many different kinds of baptism are acceptable? 11:35 Well, the Bible says in Ephesians 4:5, there is, 11:38 you see it on your screen there? 11:40 How many? 11:41 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." 11:45 Is the Lord important? 11:47 Is faith important in the gospel? 11:50 Is baptism important? 11:52 According to the Bible writers, 11:53 they gave it a priority. 11:55 One baptism. 11:56 Not only does that mean there's one truth 11:58 that we are baptized into, 12:00 there's really one method of baptism in the Bible. 12:03 Question number four: What's the word baptize mean? 12:07 The word baptism, it comes from the Greek word baptizo, 12:11 and that simply means to dip, to immerse, to plunge. 12:15 You can find it in Greek literature 12:17 where when they were dying cloth, 12:19 they would take these big vats of purple or red dye 12:21 and they would plunge the cloth under so that the dye 12:26 would sink into all the fibers and saturate things 12:28 and it would be adequately baptize or submerged. 12:32 And so the Bible's pretty clear the method of baptism 12:36 that Jesus experienced, that John the Baptist practiced, 12:40 that Naaman experienced was where they were immersed. 12:44 The Lord wants us to be immersed in him. 12:47 He wants us to be completely cleansed. 12:50 It's not just, you know, washing your hands. 12:53 It's a total consecration and baptism represents that. 12:57 That's why you read in Colossians 2:12, 12:59 "Buried with him in baptism, in which you are also raised 13:03 "with him through faith in the working of God 13:06 "who raised him from the dead." 13:08 Baptism is compared to a death, a burial, 13:12 and a resurrection. 13:14 Jesus is our example. 13:16 How was he baptized? 13:18 If you are a Christian, you follow Jesus. 13:21 What does the Bible say about him? 13:23 "Jesus came and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 13:26 "And immediately coming up from the water, 13:29 "he saw the heavens open." 13:31 Is it pretty clear? 13:32 He goes down in the water, he comes up from the water. 13:35 John baptized in the Jordan. 13:36 It's a river. 13:38 You can also read where the Bible says 13:39 that he baptized in Salim 13:41 because there was much water there. 13:43 What other truths are symbolized in baptism? 13:48 "Therefore, we are buried with Him through baptism, 13:51 "that just as Christ was raised from the dead 13:54 "by the glory of the Father, 13:55 "even so we should walk in a newness of life. 14:00 "For if we have been united together in the likeness 14:03 "of His death, certainly shall we be in the likeness 14:06 "of His resurrection." 14:08 Baptism is a symbol of a death, 14:11 but it's not only just a death, 14:12 it's a burial, and then it's a resurrection. 14:15 (upbeat music) 14:16 Don't go anywhere, friends. 14:17 In just a moment, we're going to return 14:19 for the rest of today's presentation. 14:22 Baptism, how important is this Christian rite? 14:25 Is it essential to go to heaven? 14:27 And if so, is there a right way and a wrong way to do it? 14:31 Can you get baptized on behalf of another person? 14:34 The answers may surprise you. 14:37 We have a wonderful free resource we'd like to share 14:39 with you called "Baptism, Is It Really Necessary?" 14:43 In this book, you're gonna find all of the balanced 14:45 and biblical answers you need about the purpose and meaning 14:48 of baptism in the life of every Christian, 14:50 straight from God's Word. 14:53 To get your free copy, call the phone number on your screen 14:56 and ask for offer number 165, or visit the web address. 15:00 And after you read this incredible resource, 15:03 make sure to share it with a friend. 15:05 Well, let's get back now to today's presentation 15:08 and learn some more amazing facts from the Word of God. 15:12 I remember hearing about this baptism 15:14 here in northern California. 15:16 There was this Spanish gentleman 15:19 and he told the pastor, he said, 15:21 You know, I've lived a pretty wild life. 15:24 And he said, when you baptize me, 15:26 and he said, I wanna get baptized in the lake. 15:28 And he said, when you baptize me, I'm a good swimmer. 15:35 He said, I wanna have a prayer while I'm under water. 15:39 Pastor said, All right. 15:41 Usually, when they baptize a person, 15:42 they just immerse 'em and you bring them right up again. 15:45 You just, you know, important you don't hold 'em under. 15:48 So the pastor said, I baptize you in the name of the Father, 15:50 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 15:52 And he put him down and he hold him there. 15:57 And people on the shore are shifting back and forth 15:59 and they're wondering if they're gonna charge 16:00 out in the lake and attack the pastor. 16:01 What are you trying to do? Drown him? 16:04 And then he squeezed his hand, he brought him back up again. 16:06 Then he explained everybody, 16:07 I wanted to just have a prayer while I was under water. 16:11 But usually, one of the ways you tell a person is dead, 16:14 they stop breathing. 16:16 And so at least for that moment that you hold your breath 16:19 while you're under water, 16:21 it's like I'm dying to my old ways. 16:22 When a baby's born, it comes out of an envelope of water 16:25 and it takes its breath. 16:26 And we all worry when it doesn't 16:28 take that first breath, right? 16:30 That first cry is symbolic of a new birth. 16:34 How important is baptism? 16:37 The Bible tells us, Mark 16:16, Pastor Doug, 16:40 why are you talking about this subject? 16:43 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." 16:47 Does that sound important? 16:48 "But he who does not believe will be condemned." 16:51 You notice the emphasis is on belief. 16:54 Will there be some people in heaven who were not baptized? 16:59 Well sure. 17:00 You've got all these characters in the Old Testament 17:01 who will be saved and it doesn't tell us 17:03 that they practice baptism as a a rite back then. 17:07 What about the thief on the cross who died next to Jesus? 17:11 Will he be saved? 17:13 Why was Jesus baptized? 17:16 Was Jesus baptized for his sin? 17:20 No. 17:21 Jesus is baptized as an example for you and me. 17:25 Another reason that I believe Jesus was baptized, 17:28 Jesus did not die for his sin; he died for mine. 17:31 I get credit for his death. 17:32 I think there are gonna be people like that thief 17:34 on the cross who turn to Jesus 17:36 in the closing hours of their life 17:38 and they cannot practically accommodate a baptism 17:41 and the Lord gives them credit for his baptism. 17:44 'Cause he certainly wasn't baptized to wash away his sin. 17:48 There's some times I'll visit someone in the hospital 17:52 and they're in the closing days or hours of their life 17:55 and they're hooked up to apparatus and they say, 17:58 "Pastor Doug, I wanna accept the Lord." 18:02 Well, they can't be baptized, 18:04 but can they accept the Lord and have their sins forgiven? 18:06 Yes. 18:07 Third reason Jesus was baptized is to show you and me 18:11 what to expect when we are baptized. 18:15 But I'll elaborate on that a little more in a few moments. 18:19 Is it important? 18:20 Listen to what Jesus said to Nicodemus. 18:22 "Unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, 18:26 "he cannot enter," that's pretty absolute, 18:29 "he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 18:33 You and I cannot pick the time when God's gonna baptize us 18:35 with the Holy Spirit. 18:37 We can ask, but he does it. 18:40 Sometimes he does it suddenly. 18:41 At Pentecost, it says suddenly. 18:44 You and I can choose when we are baptized by water. 18:48 And so it's basically saying, 18:49 unless you're born of the water, your choice, 18:51 and born of the Spirit, my choice, 18:53 you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. 18:55 When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, 18:59 the Bible says they went through the Red Sea, 19:01 baptized in water, and God sent a pillar of fire, 19:04 baptized in fire. 19:06 Water baptism, fire baptism, new person, new nation. 19:11 When they came out of that water and they were baptized 19:13 in the cloud of fire, they became a new nation. 19:15 You know, even our world is getting both baptisms. 19:18 The days of Noah, the world was washed with water. 19:23 Peter says this next time it's not gonna be water, 19:24 but the heavens will dissolve with a great noise 19:27 and the elements will melt with fervent heat. 19:29 The earth and the works in it will be burned up. 19:32 Next time, he said, it's gonna be baptized in fire 19:34 and then God will make a new earth. 19:36 So even our world is gonna go through both baptisms 19:39 before it's made new. 19:40 You need both baptisms as well. 19:44 What blessed ceremony can be compared to baptism? 19:47 I already give you a little peek into it. 19:48 It's a symbol of like marriage. 19:51 And you can read in Galatians 3:27, 19:54 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ," 19:57 have put on Christ, it's like putting on 20:00 the wedding garment. 20:02 Now, baptism is as important to a Christian 20:08 as a wedding is to a marriage. 20:10 Typically, though there's exceptions, baptisms are public. 20:14 Most people want others to know about their wedding. 20:18 Love must be involved. 20:19 Faith must be involved. 20:22 It's a consecration. It's a commitment. 20:25 What command did Jesus give to his people 20:27 just before his ascension? 20:29 He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 20:33 "baptizing them in the name of the Father 20:36 "and the Son and the Holy Spirit." 20:40 So the Lord wants us to go everywhere and to teach 20:43 and to baptize. 20:45 And he said, "Baptize in the name of the Father, 20:46 "Son and Holy Spirit." 20:48 Now when you get to the New Testament, 20:49 you get to the Book of Acts, it says go baptize 20:51 in the name of the Lord, 20:52 baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus. 20:55 So what are the criteria? 20:56 This is where it gets really important. 20:58 Before a person's baptized, what do they need to know? 21:01 Well, it says, for one thing, 21:03 they need to understand the teachings of Jesus. 21:05 Matthew 28:19, he said, "Go therefore teach all nations, 21:09 "baptizing them in the name of the Father, 21:11 "Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things 21:14 "whatsoever I've commanded you. 21:16 "Lo, I'm with you to the end of the world." 21:18 So you must be taught the fundamental teachings 21:21 of the Bible and accept them. 21:23 And that's the next point. 21:24 Believe all of the teachings of Jesus. 21:26 So yes, I embrace them. 21:28 I believe the teachings of Jesus. 21:30 Be willing to repent of your past sins. 21:35 Now, that means a sorrow for sin 21:37 and a turning away from sin. 21:40 Let me ask the ladies, if a man came to you and said, 21:43 I love you, I'd like to get married, 21:45 and we've been dating for a little while. 21:48 And I think if we got married I could stop 21:51 dating the other girls. 21:54 What would you say to a proposal like that? 21:58 Crazy. 21:59 But there are people who say, 22:00 Pastor Doug, if you baptize me, 22:01 I think I can stop these major addictions and sins 22:04 in my life. 22:06 No, John the Baptist said, "Bring forth fruits 22:09 "meat of repentance in advance." 22:10 In other words, repent of your sins, 22:12 turn from your sins, and make that covenant. 22:16 You don't get baptized in order to love the Lord. 22:18 Some people have said, I think if you just baptize me, 22:20 then I'll love the Lord. 22:21 No, you wanna consecrate yourself to the Lord, 22:24 be converted, and be baptized. 22:28 Repent of your past sins. 22:29 Repent and turn. 22:31 And that's the next verse. 22:32 Romans 6:5-6 and Luke 3:7-8, 22:35 agree to turn from your life of sin. 22:38 Be willing to say, Lord, I wanna follow you. 22:40 Jesus gives you the power to change before your baptism. 22:45 He gives you the power to change before your baptism. 22:48 And so don't worry that I don't get the power 22:51 until I get baptized. 22:52 Baptism's a ceremony like a marriage. 22:54 The love must come first. 22:55 The commitment must come first. 22:56 You don't say, If I got married, 22:58 then I think I can be committed. 23:01 Don't marry that person. 23:03 Accept Christ as a personal Savior 23:06 and experience the new birth, II Corinthians 5:17 23:10 and John three verses three and five. 23:13 But doesn't baptism of the Holy Spirit 23:16 replace baptism by immersion? 23:19 No, need both. 23:21 You can read where in Acts chapter two 23:23 the apostles were baptized by John the Baptist, 23:26 but then at Pentecost they're baptized in the Holy Spirit. 23:30 And then Peter told them, after the Holy Spirit 23:32 had been poured out, he says in Acts 2:38, 23:36 "Repent and be baptized every one of you." 23:39 He says, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized," 23:42 and so repentance and baptism, 23:44 they made it clear all through. 23:46 Even Paul when he was converted, 23:49 Ananias came to Paul and he said 23:51 I've been sent by the Lord to baptize you. 23:55 Paul had been converted. 23:56 And so connected with your decision to say 23:58 I wanna be a Christian, I want my sins washed away, 24:01 I wanna follow the Lord, is this sacred rite 24:04 that encompasses that commitment, 24:06 that covenant that you're making. 24:09 Now, I told you, you may not know everything about a person 24:12 before you get married. 24:13 You need to know the basics. 24:15 There needs to be a commitment. 24:16 But don't wait until you feel like you're perfect. 24:19 Because if you wait until you feel like you're perfect 24:21 before you get baptized, nobody will ever get baptized. 24:25 Even after Peter, James, and John were baptized, 24:29 you see that they weren't quite perfect yet. 24:32 In fact, Peter said, "Lord Jesus, depart for me. 24:35 "I'm a sinful man." 24:36 That's in Luke chapter five. 24:39 Jesus said, "When you're converted, Peter." 24:41 That's long after his baptism. 24:42 So you wanna make your commitment, but don't say 24:44 I've gotta make sure that I'm perfect, 24:46 or you'll never get there. 24:49 And furthermore, Acts 2:38, 24:51 "Baptize in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission 24:54 "of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 24:58 So you got water baptism, spirit baptism. 25:00 Now you'll notice biblically those baptisms 25:04 might happen at different times. 25:05 In Acts chapter 10, 25:08 Cornelius as Roman centurion and his household, 25:11 they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. 25:14 And Peter said, Wow, they got baptized with the Holy Spirit 25:16 and they haven't been baptized with water yet. 25:18 Who can forbid that we baptize one with water? 25:21 So he said let's do both baptisms. 25:23 He baptizes them with water. 25:25 Then you've got where Jesus is baptized, 25:26 the Holy Spirit and the water baptism happened 25:28 at the same time. 25:30 When Jesus was baptized, what did His Father say? 25:35 You can look here in Mark 1:9. 25:38 "It came to pass in those days that Jesus came 25:41 "from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John 25:44 "in the Jordan. 25:45 "And then a voice came from heaven saying, 25:48 "You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." 25:53 When we are baptized, God adopts us. 25:55 He says we are his beloved son or daughter 25:57 and he is well pleased. 25:59 How many of us want to know that God 26:00 is well pleased with us? 26:02 He looks upon us as though we have never sinned 26:04 and all of our sins washed away. 26:05 (bright music) 26:10 - [Narrator] Don't forget to request today's 26:11 life-changing free resource. 26:13 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 26:16 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 26:18 or mobile device. 26:19 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 26:22 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544, 26:26 or visit the web address shown on your screen, 26:29 and be sure to select the digital download option 26:31 on the request page. 26:33 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 26:36 with Amazing Facts, wherever and whenever you want, 26:39 and most important, to share it with others. 26:44 - [Announcer] Let's face it, 26:45 it's not always easy to understand 26:47 everything you read in the Bible. 26:49 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 26:53 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 26:55 To get biblical, straightforward answers, 26:57 call in to Bible Answers Live, 26:59 a live nationwide calling radio program 27:02 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 27:04 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 27:07 For times and stations in your area 27:09 or to listen to answers online, 27:11 visit bal.amazingfacts.org. 27:16 - [Narrator] You can become a Bible expert 27:18 with the Amazing Facts' Storacles of Prophecy 27:20 Bible study experience, now available in 18 languages. 27:24 These 24 easy-to-read lessons will give you confidence 27:28 about what the Bible actually says about the second coming, 27:31 the rapture, the antichrist, and the mark of the beast. 27:35 You'll also get the truth about hell and the afterlife, 27:38 and practical insight about grace, salvation, 27:41 and how to truly live like Jesus. 27:44 Even better, it's absolutely free at storacles.com. 27:49 So don't miss out. 27:50 Get started on your Bible study adventure today 27:53 at storacles.com. 28:00 (bright music) 28:05 - [Announcer] Don't forget to request today's free offer. 28:07 It's sure to be a blessing. 28:09 And thank you for your continued support 28:11 as we take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. 28:14 We hope you'll join us next week as we delve deep 28:17 into the Word of God. 28:24 This presentation was brought to you by the friends 28:26 of the Amazing Facts ministry. |
Revised 2023-01-25