Comments on: My Baptism Testimony http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/ for friends of University Bible Fellowship Wed, 21 Oct 2015 04:34:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1 By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14930 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 19:31:40 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14930 Yea, you got that right :) I heard someone ordered my books and they spontaneously combusted upon arrival….

]]> By: David W http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14929 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 16:39:27 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14929 Whoa, Brian I wouldn’t go touting the Raven Narratives in public like that, you know young impressionable people read this blog :) My wife and I have begun to realize that some of the secular movies we watch contain themes which resonate with the very real, funny and distressing aspects of every day life. We recently saw Five Year Engagement. It was so hilarious and at the same time so relatable. Some of the relationships contained gospel themes of unconditional love and perseverance.

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14928 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 16:00:11 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14928 Would love to read that David!

I find that the gospel can be found in some odd places. For example I’ve found the following:

1. The official Church of Satan espouses a few beliefs that match what I see Jesus and the Apostles condoning in regard to social justice.

2. Some Ozzy Osbourne songs, namely “Crazy Train” contain the gospel message about love overcoming hate.

3. Some Eminem lyrics speak hope to the soul in a way that must have been similar to Jesus, namely “I’m not afraid”.

And if you REALLY want to be shocking… quote something from that book “Rest Unleashed: The Raven Narratives” :)

]]> By: David W http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14927 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:50:50 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14927 I concur, Brian, we needn’t shun everything outside of Christian thought, deeming it as evil and dangerous. We actually have much to learn from other world views. As it turns out, I’m preaching on Acts 17 this Friday. Hopefully I’m going to shock everyone and be labeled as a heretic by showing that Paul actually affirmed some of the beliefs and tenets of “wicked and godless philosophers” (the Epicureans and Stoics). Maybe afterward, I’ll post it here on ubfriends for a friendly critique :)

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14926 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:42:41 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14926 2 Corinthians 3:18 is another gem to ask a ubf director… Do you want glory? Then remove your veil. Publicly.

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14925 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:40:37 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14925 And just to ensure my heretic label :)

I’ve read parts of the Quran, and the gospel of Jesus can be found there. You can find the gospel in many places, even in the bible.

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14924 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:34:59 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14924 That’s a great passage David, thanks for sharing. To claim that God can be found and that God lives inside me may sound “new age-ish” and indeed I see a difference between “god is in everything; Star Wars force” type ideologies and the cross of Jesus.

But there are some similarities and Luke doesn’t hesitate to record that in verse 28: “‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'”

So instead of fighting the culture wars I think Christians would be far better off affirming things that are indeed good and correct in the world. Does it really matter if a new age poet says something that is correct and matches the Christian gospel? If it is the gospel, it is the gospel.

]]> By: David W http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14922 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:19:47 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14922 I agree with both of your sentiments here. One of my favorite Bible passages is Acts 17 where Paul explains how God orchestrates our search for him:

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14920 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:11:32 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14920 Brian, I love this!: “Some lean toward the bad and need to primarily realize that at the cross of Jesus the bad things they did do not count against them. Others lean toward the good and need to primarily realize that at the cross of Jesus the good things they did do not count for them.” – See more at: http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14917

I definitely resonate with the latter (Isa 64:6), since there is Pharisee blood flowing through my veins every morning when I wake up!

The former is “harder” to realize, because when (not if) we sin, Satan simply launches into the “wretched sinner that we are” and never lets up. As you implied, beholding the cross is literally and virtually everything and the only thing needed (2 Cor 3:18).

]]> By: David W http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14919 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:05:07 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14919 Very inspiring, Nianzu. Thanks for sharing your journey of faith. Perhaps we can fellowship some time together at UIC :)

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14917 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:49:44 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14917 So all people are a mixture of both good and bad. Some lean toward the bad and need to primarily realize that at the cross of Jesus the bad things they did do not count against them. Others lean toward the good and need to primarily realize that at the cross of Jesus the good things they did do not count for them. Eventually all human beings will have much more joy and hope from realizing both realities.

God is not a god of “hide and seek”. Can God be found? I say yes. Once God is found, the transformation continues.

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14916 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:37:15 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14916 Two things I’ve learned from a deeper look at Scripture:

1. It is not necessary or healthy to constantly view myself as a wretch.

2. God is found on a much more profound level when I stop “earnestly seeking Him” and surrender to grace.

]]> By: forestsfailyou http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14915 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:28:51 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14915 Thanks for the inspiring message. I know God will be with you in all your days if you earnestly seek him.

]]> By: BrianK http://www.ubfriends.org/2014/08/25/my-baptism-testimony/#comment-14914 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 22:49:41 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=8268#comment-14914 Thank you for sharing Nianzu! I’m really happy and rather excited to learn that the Christian rite of baptism is being expressed, respected and honored. God bless your continued journey of life.

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