today i obeyed

today i was Baptized.

oh, where do i start?!?

i was Baptized as an infant by my wonderful parents. they always provided a Christian home. they went without, so i could go to a private school. they sacraficed so that i (and my brothers) would learn and appreciate and really HAVE a family. as opposed to a mom and dad, who were more often at work than home, and when they were home, they weren't really there. - it was never like that at our house! i am SO GRATEFUL for that. i am grateful for the upbringing and the values. my life would truly, not be recognizable if i weren't taught from very early on that i belong to Jesus.

why then be Baptized now?? didn't the first one "count?".

why now - because God commanded that after one commits to living for Jesus and accepts that He died on the cross to forgive our sins - then he/she should be Baptized. Acts 2:38 says, “"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." Baptism is a public act after a personal choice is made.

"what, now you are going to heavan, b/c you were Baptized?" NO! that would be like saying, that it is a new year, that january first comes B/C a ball drops in new york city. my Batism was a public showing of the fact that i know i am going to heavan.

"What makes you so sure?" "are you better than me?!?"

i am sure, b/c the Bible tells me that i can be sure. not, better. definitely not better than anyone. i am a sinner - have been since the day i was born, will be until the day i die. if you are reading this, you probably have seen first hand several several 'occassions of imperfection'!!! (some more than others!!). if you haven't seen it - stick around - i am bound to show you soon.

i know that i am a sinner. i know that nothing i do is good enough to earn my way to heavan. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

there is a promise in Romans 10:9 - "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." You will go to heavan, that is what it is saying - when you die, you WILL go to heavan. that is it. no questioning, no wondering, no purgatory - if you admit you are a sinner - if you recognize that Jesus died to forgive your sins - if you accept His gift of forgiveness and place your faith in Him - you WILL go to heavan! no matter what you have done or wanted to do or anything else. no matter if you call yourself a Catholic, or a Lutheran, or non-denominational, or . . .

Romans 10:13 says, "For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." God doesn't break His promises! that is what it comes down to. if you never have prayed and admitted your sin, and accepted God's gift of foregiveness through Jesus's death, and His promise of life eternal in heavan - why not do it now? you don't need fancy words or any kind of set structure, just talk to Him, He already knows what you are thinking anyway.

That is how i know i am going to heavan. i have known for several years. i didn't get baptized until now out of pure disobedience. (see, i told you there would be more sin!) i didn't know how to tell my parents i wanted to be baptized 'again'. i didn't want people to think i was new to the faith or that i didn't know what i was talking about. i was worried that . . . oh - just pure silly excuses! that was it. i finally set them all aside - and today - i obeyed.

(ps there are more mistakes to come. please help me and pray for me when they do.)