From Death to Life: A Baptism Story
This past Sunday we celebrated baptisms. These are some of my favorite moments in the life of our church. Celebrating new life with believers and seeing fathers baptize their kids, all of it is so beautiful. On Sunday, one of the folks, Trase, shared his testimony, and it was so rich and powerful that I wanted to share it with you:
I grew up in churches. However, though I believed in God, I never had a clear understanding of the Gospel and who Jesus really is. Jesus felt more like a distant tale than the Truth and Savior of the broken. I fell away from the Christian faith in early adulthood, teetering between agnostic views of God, borderline atheism, and New Age spiritualism. When I left home to pursue my career as a traveling professional trail builder, my faith in a higher power began to grow, though it was growing in many of the wrong directions. Looking back, I see that Christ was using my longing for a higher power to steer me back to Him and His loving grace.
Between ages 26 and 27, I became deeply involved in many forms of New Age spiritualism, most of which I didn't know has its roots in ancient pagan practices that our Lord refers to as an abomination. I learned this the hard way, and I praise the Lord for opening my eyes when He did. Worldly things and every spirit were my "god" for a time. I studied the power of the mind, the laws of manifestation, the "god" within, and the laws of nature, with the "universe" as god. I even tried to connect with so-called "spirit guides" who would teach me how to be successful in this life. Strangely, they did respond to me and did show me ways within myself to be successful, and it worked. However, I didn't have the biblical knowledge to understand that the very things I was practicing are what the Lord refers to as witchcraft. The Lord showed me this by turning me over to my own devices and the unknown spirits I was straying after.
I was sent into a demonically tortured state of psychosis at age 27. For almost four months, my mind and spirit were overcome by the spiritual forces I had pursued and trusted for the previous year. I can't begin, nor do I want to try, to describe the torment I went through at the time. In the hospital, doctors tested me on six different medications, and every one I tried sent me further into torment. However, a disciple in the hospital gave me a Gideons New Testament. This was the first time I fully read through the Gospels for myself, and the first time Jesus felt like more than a distant tale. What stood out to me immediately was the power Jesus has over demonic forces and the authority He has given us to cast them out by His name. This is when I fully gave my life to Christ, and this is when I first showed signs of recovery from psychosis.
By the grace and love of Jesus, I fully recovered, rebuilt my life that had been destroyed by mental illness, and have found more blessings, grace, and truth in Jesus than any false god could ever offer me. I promised my life to the King of Kings, who brought me back from dark places that no one, including myself, thought I would return from. I turn 30 this month (November). It has been nearly three years of living for Christ, and nothing compares to the love, grace, and truth He offers and what He can do with a stubborn sinner like myself. Though it feels long overdue to be baptized with Him in His death, I know His timing is perfect, and I'm so looking forward to being resurrected into newness of life!
Is there anything more amazing than Jesus? No! What a gift to celebrate that moment you, Mission Church. I pray that we see many more enter the waters of baptism. That we continue to life high the name of Jesus
For Christ’s Kingdom,
Pastor Billy