Aaron Proffitt

Well, yesterday was an incredible day at Aletheia church. Not only did we have probably our biggest summer crowd ever, but two people stepped up out of obedience to answer the call and get baptized. The band rocked out some songs by Life House, Delirious, Todd Agnew, and an original, and Pastor Dave pounded home a message from Matthew 24:42-51 which reminded us that “Expectation is the Key to Preparation,” and that we need to “Be Alert, Be Warned, and Be Active!” We were all reminded how nothing else matters when we are living our lives for Jesus, being devoted to Him and sacrificing for Him daily in expectation of His return. What is better than that? That has to be one of our challenges this week.

Before I post the blog for this week however, I really want to touch a little more on those who stepped up and got baptized yesterday. Their names are Everett and Rachel. Most of you don’t even know them and probably never will. They are very behind the scenes people but both share a love for God that embarrasses the rest of us. What they did yesterday represented obedience. They both knew that the act of baptism couldn’t save them, but they both understood that baptism is one of the last things that Jesus emphasized before He ascended to heaven and therefore it is important.

The topic of Baptism has sparked much debate within many Christian circles over the years. At Aletheia, we haven’t tried to come up with our own way of doing it; we have just read the Bible to see what it had to say. And seeing as though the Bible is God’s Word, I felt that it was okay to come to that conclusion. In order to keep this short I will give you a theological briefing on Baptism. It means to sink a ship. It doesn’t save you. It’s a symbol for Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and also the transformation that has taken place in a person’s life once they commit their life to Christ through repentance and faith. It’s a public or outward display of one’s devotion to Christ. It’s a part of the Great Commission. It always follows salvation meaning it does not precede nor does it attach itself to the salvation process. That’s it. Period.

Now, what does this have to do with you? Well, maybe you have not been obedient to God’s call for Your life in regards to Baptism. Maybe you have never been baptized, or maybe you were sprinkled as a baby. Maybe you accepted Christ at an early age and got dunked but just recently really started living for Christ. So all of this brings me to my conclusion. There is no better time than now to step up. If you are interested in getting baptized please contact me personally. My e-mail address is aaron.proffitt@gmail.com.

God bless. I pray that you will continue to answer the call that God has for your life.

ap

p.s. send me some comments or thoughts and also questions for Pastor Dave.