Baptism And Blessings

Oh! What a joy!

Sunday after church, we had 11 that got baptized!

Let me set the scene in your mind so you will understand why I want to run around and shout every time I think about it.

Our pastor has been struggling health-wise so he was advised NOT to go in the water. And, this was not an indoor baptism with warm water either; this was in Cherokee Lake.  It was raining, windy, and about 40-some degrees out. (It has been in the 70's and 80's so it felt really cold!)

Since the pastor couldn't go in, he asked me to help with the baptism!
What an honor!
What a privilege!
What a blessing!
This was my first time ever doing this.

On the van ride there, I asked everybody to pray real hard for some sunshine. I know God heard our prayer, but we got rain instead of sunshine.

As we stood on the bank singing, it rained and the wind blew. I was shivering.

Next brothers Chuckie and Ernest head out into the water.

Pastor asked us all to join hands and I led them out into the water

At first, the water felt cold, then a warmth started to take over from my feet to my head. I continued to shout praises to GOD. I told everyone that the devil wasn't going to take my joy! And if he tried, there was enough of us there to beat him up and take it back! (1Samuel 30:7-8)

I'm in the far right of the next picture

This is my dear brother (in the LORD) Scott.  A few months ago, he repented and rededicated his life to CHRIST.

This is his girlfriend Kristy.  She had been praying for Scott for a long time.
Ain't GOD good?!
(ALL the time!!!)

These next ones are very special. In the red shirt is Kenny. The young lady next in line is Trish.
One of the ministries at the church put me in a position to minister to Trish. Trish started regularly attending our church and immediately began witnessing for CHRIST. She let nothing hinder her when she witnessed to Kenny. Kenny, at that time was in bondage to alcohol. While she was witnessing to Kenny, Billy (in the grey shirt with maroon sleeves) overheard the conversation. Amazed at what he heard he followed Trish to church and rededicated his life to CHRIST. We all got to see Kenny come forward and pray. Kenny later came forward and asked for prayer as alcohol continued to afflict him. He asked my wife to pray with him that he would throw up if alcohol ever touched his lips again.

Are any of us that dedicated to the cause of CHRIST to pray a prayer like that?

So, ministry led me to Trish,
Trish witnesses to Kenny,
Billy is converted from Trish witnessing to Kenny,
Trish and Billy witness to Kenny,
Kenny gets saved,
and I get to help baptize them all!
OH! What joy the LORD affords us!

Kenny was so excited! And he probably still is!

Bobby and Charlotte were acting on
Revelation 2:5 "...and do the first works..."
In these next pictures I'm not sure if I was shouting or laughing or both, but I did a whole lot of both that day!

Sister Charlotte testified last night. She said she had a terrible cough BEFORE she was baptized, but afterward she felt great!

Ain't GOD good?!
(ALL the time!!!)

Oh! I just want to thank GOD for this wonderful blessing!
I thank GOD for my wife- she has spent a lot of time witnessing to Kenny, and ministering to others!
I thank GOD for my children and their testimony!
I thank GOD for Full Gospel Christian Fellowship Church!
I thank GOD for brothers Tony, Chuckie, and Ernest for letting me help baptize!
I thank GOD for all the faithful believers who were obedient that day and got baptized!

Oh! That the joy will never end!

Cleaning Bathrooms For Christ?

We make GOD out to be some big Meanie. Don't we?

I've always said I just do whatever the LORD puts before me, whether it be running the sound room, praying, cleaning the bathroom...

Well, yesterday I cleaned a bathroom for a brother at the church. He's been laid up in the VA hospital for weeks. He needed his place scrubbed down so he had a "semi-sterile" environment to change his bandages in. My wife and kids took the kitchen and living room, and I took the bedroom and bathroom.

It would be easy to say, "You've always said you'd scrub toilets if GOD put it before you. Now HE called you on that one."

???

Is GOD some BIG MEANIE, or BULLY that pokes, prods, provokes HIS children to anger?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Remember, it is the enemy that provokes.

In Matthew 4, the enemy is called "the tempter". Chapter 4 verse 3 he accuses, "IF you are..."

Ya, if you are the Christian that you think you are, you'll scrub that toilet. Ya, GOD called you on that one! Ya, open your mouth again and see what GOD does! Ha! That'll teach you, huh?!

GOD does NOT treat HIS children that way. Luke 11:11-12 shows us this. If earthly fathers can take care of the needs of their children, how much more will our HEAVENLY FATHER provide what is needful?

I considered it a privilege to help out my brother in the LORD.

I mean, who else was available? who else was willing?

I'm not special, don't get me wrong.

I'm called.

That doesn't make me special either.

Many people are called of GOD, but it would seem most are too busy to answer the call.

That's one call you want to take!

Romans 11:29 KJV
(29)  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Ya, that's what I was trying to say.

Matthew 9:37-38 KJV
(37)  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
(38)  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.


Ya, that too.


That was something the LORD is still showing me.  No matter how busy I get during a given day, what am I doing that I can take with me? What am I doing that has "eternal" value?


Oh! But I have to get "this" or "that" done...


Do you?



Are you sure?



Is that what you said, or is that what GOD said?




Did you ask HIM?


Don't worry, there is no "Judgement Seat of 2guntom". You do NOT have to answer to me.

 - -

Prison, Church, News Headlines...

59 total came forward during the revival in Morgan Co prison.  The revival ran Sunday thru Thursday.

Now that I've been back to the reality of my world, I'm finding myself asking a lot of questions.
Actually, 2 questions:
WHY?
and
HOW COME?

The LORD had shown me that I was supposed to be going to the hospitals every week. HE also showed me that I was supposed to be going with somebody (or he with me). That somebody moved to another state a week ago.

The LORD showed me I am supposed to be helping the pastor. He's so weak right now...
...that really bothers me.

The pastor is not the only one that's suffering from an ailment of some sort. All the elders are being afflicted somehow or another. That really bugs me!

I understand this is indeed spiritual WARFARE! In war, you knock out all the ranking leaders and the underlings will scatter. I understand that.

Now the attacks are coming in different forms and to everybody.

So, WHY and HOW COME?

We have prayed, and prayed, and prayed...
and prayed some more.

Here is the scripture that I can't shake-

Matthew 17:14-21 KJV
(14)  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
(15)  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
(16)  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
(17)  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
(18)  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
(19)  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
(20)  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
(21)   Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Unbelief, Prayer, Fasting.

It's like I'm right back at the beginning again.

Prayer and fasting- the cure for unbelief.

I'll get to that news article in a minute.

Testimony Of Joseph Rojas