Baptism was an important step for me as a Christian. It is something that I wanted to do even though it was somewhat nerve racking on many levels. It meant going public with my decision to become a Christian and live for Christ for the rest of my days. In the church that I attended with my parents and family, there were some steps that were followed in the process of preparing for the day of baptism. So the first thing I had to do was to ask my Dad to be my first witness and that he give my name to the clergy as a candidate. I also needed to get a second person to stand as a witness for me in my decision and so I asked Mr Wieler to do that for me. My church required that we study the Catechism to get a general picture of living as a person of faith. The church I attended with my family was very small so I decided to proceed with the process of preparing for baptism in a church of the same denomination as ours but was about an hour's drive away from our home church, where there were some thirty other persons also preparing to be baptized. So for several Sundays prior to Baptism Sunday we would go forward together as a group during the morning worship service and the preacher lead us through a study of the Catechism. The Catechism is a book of questions and answers based on the Bible. Finally the day of baptism arrived and it was June 1, 1980.
There were a few questions that were asked, basically allowing us to proclaim faith in Jesus as individuals there. One question that was asked that I remember in a significant way was from the story of Lazarus getting raised from the dead, based on John 11: 19 -28 ... 19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
The Bishop quoted Jesus' question to Martha from verses 25 and 26 where it says .. 25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? .......and he specifically asked the question -" Do you also believe this? and to which I was able to answer -Yes. And so I was baptized on the confession of my faith ( that Jesus died for me and is my Savior ) with Bishop John A Friesen pouring water on me in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
There were a few questions that were asked, basically allowing us to proclaim faith in Jesus as individuals there. One question that was asked that I remember in a significant way was from the story of Lazarus getting raised from the dead, based on John 11: 19 -28 ... 19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
The Bishop quoted Jesus' question to Martha from verses 25 and 26 where it says .. 25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? .......and he specifically asked the question -" Do you also believe this? and to which I was able to answer -Yes. And so I was baptized on the confession of my faith ( that Jesus died for me and is my Savior ) with Bishop John A Friesen pouring water on me in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
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