The baptism of John was not a Christian baptism, but its purpose was to return the Jews of his day back to the original faith of their fathers from which they have strayed, and thus prepare them for the coming of the Messiah, which the scribes and pharisees rejected. The Christian baptism is being baptised into the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – part of the salvation process.
It is easy to trust God when everything is going well. Although we all want a bed of roses and cloudless, sunny skies, that is not what we always get. It is in the bad times that we have to discover God’s character and him as our anchor, firm foundation, shield, and buckler. Every individual has days of evil which are tailor-made for them, and we must learn to handle the uncertainty that comes with these times without fear. Keys to handle these times are – always revert to the Word of God (his thoughts, which are higher than our thoughts, anxieties, fears, and plans) and keep standing on his promises, pressing into the fulfilment of these with even more determination. God’s Word does not change, his character does not change, and this fact gives us endurance to keep believing. Once you have stood on his promises and waged war with his word, clinging to it tenaciously in confessing the truth of the word instead of the problem, you will obtain the promise and it shall cause you to prosper. Call upon the Lord in the times when He is near. Deal with- and quieten your conscience, setting your heart at rest, because Jesus is our redeemer. Choose faith instead of fear, learn to be at peace. Get back to the testimonies of your faith, the testimonies of God’s faithfulness in your life. Look at the examples of others. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Learn to accept that at times you are not in control and wait and trust God for his deliverance. Having done all, let go and let God… Lastly, keep your focus while you are actively waiting with eager expectation on God, stay on track with your purpose, do not get distracted by the storm.
