"Baptism by Fire"...or by water, first?

I've often thought about the age-old expression, "baptism by fire".

People understand the idiomatic expression, whether they would EVER understand the importance of its origin, it seems.

It normally goes like this:

A person new to an environment, encounters a series of bombshells that, in the case of actual armed conflict, sees weapon-fire being brought down upon him. Saving Private Ryans' "baptism by fire" left many movie goers speechless, as the landing crafts unloaded their cargo of humanity under terrible weapons' assault from above.

 

In the case of what MOST of us experience, the "fire" may be a tough new client, a hard and bitter divorce, a deep division between and among friends on a new issue never yet discussed and explored.

None of these things take limb or life from us - though the exact circumstances may, at times, feel even worse than death or disfigurement. Losing my son, Nate, taught me that there is something worse than death that can come upon parents.

Yet, let me return to the importance of its root-word origin - baptism.

We are never truly "baptized" by things... like fire or pain or anything else.

Instead, the meaning of the word is to be immersed into something. Religiously, the "something" is water... and people choose it, rather than to have it happen to themselves.

"Baptism" is an action that WE choose to enter into; not something that passively comes our way.

Makes sense?

So, what about that "baptism of fire" that you may be facing right now? Have you chosen it? Is it something that you actively decided that you wanted in your life?

In most cases NONE of us would ever want to invite pain and hurt and deep distress into the sanctity of our own family's center. It just isn't natural. The men landing at Normandy chose to board the landing crafts to liberate Europe, beginning with France. It took a supernatural effort to choose their baptism by fire.

And so it is with faith. We choose to obey the Creator's call to us. Those who do so, then decide to follow Him via the symbolism of total water immersion - their old life into the water, their new life out of the water.

The only reason I could ever have withstood the choices and stands that I have made over the years in the public policy arena (and in the many campaigns I have either waged or managed) is because of my decision to follow Christ. Once that occurred, I chose something else... something that happened on this date, 32 years ago today at The Country Church in Ontario, California by Pastor Cass Schrieb.

I was baptized as a believer in the Messiah of Israel and became a subject of his kingdom, allowing me - these many decades later - to continue serving as a citizen of the Republic with each "baptism by fire" I choose to continue entering into.

Water, then fire. How about you?

 

What are you choosing to actively enter into and what are you simply letting happen to you?

Den

Comments

[Aaron Sperry]

Dennis, itis an honor and privilege to serve in the Kingdom of the heavens with you! Here's to many more years of actively proclaiming the name of the One who baptizes in fire and the spirit. May His presence be yours in increasing measure in the days, weeks, months and years to come.

I love you my friend and brother! God bless you!
Aaron