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“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”   --Matthew 28:19 Baptism should be important to followers of the Lord Jesus Christ because it was important to Him, plain and simple! Not only was Jesus baptized at the outset of His ministry, He concluded His ministry with baptism. So don’t you think we should make it a priority too? I think so! If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and you have never been baptized, then I want to challenge you today to do so. Let me share with you why… First, baptism is a sign of your commitment to Jesus Christ. If you are truly committed to Jesus, then you need to make a public statement of that commitment, much like a wedding ring is a public expression of a commitment of a husband or wife.  Second, baptism is a symbol of your salvation. You need to publicly symbolize the sacrifice of Christ on your behalf and your submission to Him in your life. Third, baptism is a sign of obedience. While there are many things you and I cannot do like Jesus Christ did, baptism is one thing that we can do exactly like He did! And when you are baptized, you are publicly declaring your obedience to Him. Finally, baptism is a statement of your faith. When you’re baptized, you’re declaring to the world that you believe and belong to Jesus Christ. You are saying to everyone that you love Christ and want to follow Him with your whole heart. Now, understand that being baptized doesn’t save you. But I would encourage you today… if you’re a believer and you’ve never been baptized… to prayerfully consider following Christ in this step of obedience. Through it, you will give a beautiful testimony of your faith in Him. Jesus made baptism a priority… and so should we!

The Priority of Prayer

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Luke 19:45–46
It took Solomon seven long years of labor to complete the beautiful temple that would be the permanent home for the Ark of the Covenant. At the dedication for this magnificent building, Solomon led the people in a great service of sacrifice, praise, and worship. The Spirit of God filled the entire building in such a powerful way that the priests were unable to continue in His presence. At the conclusion of the service, Solomon prayed this prayer of dedication over the temple: “That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place” (2 Chronicles 6:20).
Today, each Christian is indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and our bodies are referred to as the temple of God. And just as the Old Testament temple was meant to be a house of prayer, so too should our lives be characterized by constant, diligent, effective, passionate praying. A. C. Dixon said, “When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.” As the temple of the Holy Spirit, it is our responsibility to see to it that our lives are clean both inside and out, and that our days are filled with prayer.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Nothing meaningful and lasting for God is ever accomplished apart from prayer.