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Written by Beliza Kocev, Brazil Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries
All you need to say is simply “Yes” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
(Mt 5:37 NIV)
I was baptized in my late teens and was the only Christian in the family. I have a brother who is 12 years younger than me and I would take him to church on Sundays. At one worship service when my brother was four years old, he was having difficulty staying silent during the Lord’s supper and the offering... So I said, “If you don't stay quiet, we're going home!”
A dear brother, who helped me a lot in my Christian journey, turned to me and said quietly so my brother wouldn't hear, “Are you really going to go home if he doesn't keep quiet?” I replied no. He guided me on the importance of keeping my word, if I say I'm going to do something, I need to do what I committed to.
See, my intention wasn't bad; I was an inexperienced 16-year-old trying to get my brother to be respectful during the service. But I knew I wasn't going to do what I said.
One of the most amazing things about God is that He does what He says! “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Is 42:9). Prophecies give us confidence that just as He fulfilled what He promised the people of Israel, He will also fulfill what He promised us. Imagine experiencing the difficulties of being a Christian and striving to do God's will, denying yourself, without being sure that we can trust what He promised us!
God has integrity. Integrity is a moral principle. Having integrity means all your actions and decisions are consistent and honest. We can trust what He says, “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Ps 33:4).
Some characteristics of God that show us that His words are honest:
- God is True.
God is true; He is truth itself. God is absolutely trustworthy and true in everything He does.
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Nu 23:19)
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 Jn 5:20)
- God is Faithful.
God is absolutely trustworthy. His words don't fail. He shows His faithfulness by keeping His promises. He never breaks a contract between Himself and His creation.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Dt 7:9)
For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. (Ps 117:2)
- God is Unchanging.
God's attributes are unchangeable— He does not change— He is not uncertain or inconsistent. He is perfect. His consistency makes His promises firm, bringing us security and hope.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Jas 1:17)
I the LORD do not change. (Mal 3:6a)
- God is Infallible.
Infallible means that He does not fail— does not make mistakes. As God is perfect, He does not fail!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (Eph 3:20)
I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)
My desire is that you dedicate yourself to studying the Bible more and more to discover the wonderful words of God—words of love, guidance, encouragement, comfort, and blessings— but mainly the words that bring salvation, those that introduce Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and the only way to eternal life.
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Written by Amy Mathis, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in New Mexico
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I live in the flesh, I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20 ESV)
On May 21, 2006, I was baptized at a church in the place that I lived in at the time. My oldest daughter was also "dedicated" on the same day. My baptism happened in the local YMCA because the church did not have a baptistry. (The church met in an old storefront.) I was a part of a mass baptism. I was baptized with two other people. When they attempted to put me under the water, they had to kick my legs from under me to get me submerged. That day after I was baptized, I did not feel any different: I didn't feel happy, I didn't feel joy, I just felt the same as I did before. As I later realized, I did not die to self or put on Christ. After that, I went to the same church for a while, but I just got burned out by being there. They were using me as an event coordinator, their "errands girl." So, I left. After leaving the church I went to other churches in the area, but I didn't feel loved, accepted (I was a single mom at the time), or fulfilled in God's Word. So, in short, I stopped attending church altogether.
Fast forward a lot of years later; years filled with a marriage, a miscarriage, a rainbow baby, several moves, the loss of loved ones, and a lot of life's ups and downs. I landed in Mayhill, New Mexico, after my husband accepted a preaching job at the Mayhill Church of Christ. We felt at home in the little mountain church. A year after we started at Mayhill, Troy and I attended a Soul Winning Workshop, in a town near Mayhill. During the workshop, they had us conduct an activity on how to win souls for Christ. During the activity, we "role played" a situation in which we talked about baptism. We asked each other if we were and if so, how we were baptized. My husband explained his baptism and I went on to explain mine. That was when I started to question my life in Christ. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27 ESV). I did not feel like I had put on Christ back in 2006. After some prayer, getting more involved in the church, and soul searching, my baptism was heavy on my heart and in the back of my mind.
I was told about Higher Ground Ministries, and their upcoming spring retreat in March of this year. I thought about going, but first I had to do some research. After learning about them, I decided to go. It was one of the best decisions I have made. The ladies there made me feel loved, wanted, and accepted. They did not care that I was a preacher's wife. I was Amy, a child of God. During some of the talks on the first full day of the retreat, I was thinking about my baptism again.
After some prayer, I made the decision to be re-baptized. I did not tell anyone that night; I waited until the following day. First, I told my oldest daughter, Victoria, then I told my Heartfelt "mom" Ruth, my husband, Troy, and finally my Higher Ground "big sister," Andrea. Then it was announced to everyone at the retreat. At that moment, I could feel my Savior's arms around me. I told my husband that I wanted him to baptize me. We decided to do it during our afternoon service that Sunday. Once I got home from the retreat, we headed to the church. At 1:30 pm on Sunday, March 24, 2024, I died to self in the waters of baptism, and I put on the love of Christ! I felt so happy, loved, wanted and most of all, I now know that I am a true child of God, and I will never be the same again!
Statement from Iron Rose Sister Ministries: We rejoice with Amy in her decision to die to self, be united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and be clothed with Him. We respect her decision to commit her life more definitively to Christ. This blog post is insufficient for telling her whole story. And only God and Amy truly know all the details.
A blog post from last month details what it means to be Clothed with Christ in Baptism.
We are sharing Amy’s story and rejoicing with her being clothed with Christ. If you would like to discuss Amy’s testimony or any questions about baptism, we welcome the opportunity to talk and study with you.