Baptism, Baptism, Baptism!

For the past few weeks, I have been on the gospel preaching spree with the saints in the church in Gurugram. To at least three groups of new believers, I have preached the gospel and led them to the Lord, and also expounded the significance of water baptism. With all my heart, I ministered to the new ones with a deep burden to help them through their newfound faith in Christ Jesus. I would not leave them halfway in their experiences of salvation. If I preached the gospel I must also preach the full gospel of believing and baptism together at the same time. I have become very confident in preaching the gospel and teaching the truth, no longer caring for human opinion and religious mixture. I must be straightforward and let the new ones know what they have done and what they should do. It was my responsibility to show to them the word of God.

Now if these three groups of people were to be baptized, there would be a dozen new ones brought into the kingdom of God. Though I told them what the Bible says, I left the final choice to them without any coercion from my side. As much as God respects man's free will I also respect man's free will too. Clarifying the biblical truth is my duty, and obeying the word of God is their duty. I must not shrink back just because they are new or because I must be careful in this line with laws passed which can be misused in relation to the faith in Christ. The truth is the truth and I must preach the truth. 

While preaching the gospel and teaching the truth faithfully to others, I and my wife also have been praying for the salvation of our own children. In fact, it has been about two years since we have been praying for the salvation and baptism of our own children. But we would not put pressure on our children concerning any matter of the word of God. We led them to the Lord, teach them the truth, and pray for their salvation daily as we would do to other new ones outside of our family circle. The Lord remembers us and hears our prayers.

For the last three days, there was a teenager training in New Delhi. This time four children from the church in Gurugram attended. In fact, last year and the year before, I was still hesitant to send our children as they were still too young then. But this time, it was perfectly alright now. They also were very excited about this training, for the Lord has been preparing them for such an encounter with them personally. 

Yesterday, my wife called me to let me know the good and surprising news that our eldest daughter wanted to be baptized. My first reaction was, if she initiated it on her own, praise the Lord! In fact, this is what I actually wanted. As a father, I have been praying for my children daily, preached and taught them the truth of the Bible at times, and prepared everything I felt necessary for their salvation and growth in the divine life. But I left the matter of the final decision to believe and baptize to my children. I wanted them to have their own realization and conviction that they themselves would take the step to decide for themselves. Since this was the case with my daughter, I was very joyful within. I thank and worship the Lord for answering our prayers. In fact, last night my only personal prayer burden and also with my wife was for the baptism of our daughter especially and also for the other teenagers.

Praise the Lord! When we take care of others, the Lord also remembers our own children, What I wish for others to do, I wish for my children too. The Lord in time accomplished everything we have been praying for, according to His will. Especially this most important decision in a person's life: to believe and be baptized, to be born of God to be a child of God.

My daughter has made her most important decision in life. I am very joyful about her decision. At age fourteen she believed and was baptized according to the Bible (Mark 16:16). May the Lord continue to grace all our children to grow in grace unto full maturity that they even be living overcomers to be pillars for the Lord's testimony, build up the church, the Body of Christ, prepare the Bride, and bring the Lord Jesus back! 

Today, we all went to witness the baptisms of the teenagers in New Delhi. Especially, our daughter's baptism and other saints too. I personally prayed for her at her baptism and took a video as a memory of her baptism.

Lord, thank You for saving the children You blessed us with!