Baptizo

Mark 1:8
"I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"(NLT)

Acts 8:12
"But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."(NIV)

In greek, the word baptizo means to make overwhelmed. It is a derivative of the word bapto (to overwhelm) which in the New Testament is used in the specific sense of being covered wholly with a fluid. (This is all from Strong's Concordance) I was baptized February 12th at Buckhead church, and as an outward symbol of accepting Christ's gift of grace as my Savior and being a new creature through Him there could be no more perfect way to experience this. Standing in the water (which by the way, was HOT) and reliving my testimony, I was overwhelmed. As I heard the story, that I knew so well, of how Christ had been present in my life, even when I didn't care, and how He had been faithful, sovereign, and loving and I was reminded of how He had blessed me to the point that I was standing in a church where I am growing and surrounded by believers that are moving, with a couple rows of dear friends there to witness this event and the prayers of parents and friends that couldn't be there but were in spirit. Every person who played integral parts in my walk flashed though my mind's eye...my parents, my grandparents, praying with Robin Rosebrough on the floor of the Georgia Dome at the Billy Graham conference to accept Christ, Pastor Jim, Sage, Liz, Lindsay, Katie, Shannon, Anne...I am an emotional person (this is no secret) I didn't know if I would burst out in tears or laugh with joy...I managed not to cry, thought it was a close call, and the next thing I know I'm under the water. What I have been most surprised by is the emotion of those around me, and it speaks to what a powerful symbol baptism is to us personally and among believers.

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