A Buried Believer In Baptism

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/23hdre

On the surface it doesn’t make much sense. That one would have to die first in order to live. But to the Christian it makes perfect sense. We die to our old man of sins in order to live in a new life in Christ.

The apostle Paul says it this way in Colossians 3:1-3. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

The concept of being raised with Christ is in connection with also being buried with Him. Having lived and died, we now live again. Once a new creature, a Christian, we should seek after the heavenly things instead of the things of the earth.

We have been changed, transformed. We have been buried and raised.

Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” And Paul tells of his conversion experience three times in the Book of Acts. In Acts 22:16 he tells of how Ananias said to him, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Baptism is a burial. From the Greek word it means to immerse. Some in the Roman church had been having trouble with the concept of laying aside their sins. Instead of following after Christ, some had evidently sinned even more in order to receive more forgiveness or grace. Notice how Paul addresses this issue and also explains how the burial that is baptism is important to the Christian. This passage is from Romans 6:1-11.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you see that parallel thought? Christ died for our sins and was buried. But He didn’t stay buried. His resurrection proves who He is and gives the world hope for eternity though obedience to Him.

Likewise, we are to die to our sins. They are crucified with Jesus. That means that we stop sinning in our lives and leave that lifestyle. But being dead, we also are in need of burial. We are buried then into the likeness of the death of Jesus in promise of a new life. Buried with Him in death, we are also raised with Him in a new life as a Christian.

To many it still doesn’t make sense—to die in order to live. But to those who understand dying to sin and living with Jesus it makes perfect sense. As Paul said, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is.”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take the time today to thank God for sending Jesus to the earth and may we thank Jesus for dying for our sins. If not already may we seek today to die to our sins, be buried and live with Jesus in a new life.

Our thought for the day: “I believe the promises of God enough to venture an eternity on them.” Isaac Watts

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

A Buried Body In The Garden

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2z8or5

It might be an uncomfortable question, but do you know where you will be buried when you die? Some people do. In fact, they already have the grave marker in place. Other people would rather not think about such morbid things.

But all of us are going to die one day. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

Most of us have a reasonable expectation that once we are buried, our bodies will lie in the same plot until the return of Jesus. However, some bodies end up moving more than once.

Abraham Lincoln, for example, was buried a number of times. After his untimely death in 1865 he was buried in Springfield, MO. By 1874 a 177 foot tall granite tomb was finally completed and Lincoln’s remains were moved there. But two years later a group of men failed in an attempt to steal the body of the former president and hold it for a ransom.

Plans were then made to make the site more secure. In 1900 Lincoln’s son decided that a more elaborate plan was necessary. The tomb was reconstructed and once again Lincoln’s body was interred in another location until the construction was complete.

When all the preparations were complete, the body was once again taken up and prepared for a permanent burial. This time the coffin would be encased with several feet of concrete, surrounded by a cage and capped off with a large rock.

Before the final burial, some speculated that perhaps something had happened to the body of Lincoln. After all, if a switch had been made previously, it would be foolish to bury the wrong person now.

So they decided to open the coffin and confirm that Lincoln was still there. 23 people each took a turn and viewed the preserved remains of the President. Indeed it was his remains. These people continued to give their eyewitness testimony to others that they knew for certain that Lincoln was buried in that tomb under that concrete, cage and rock.

There was another burial that came under great scrutiny as well. It was the burial of Jesus. In Matthew 16:21 Jesus foretold of not only His death but also of His resurrection.

After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus claim the body of Jesus from Pilate. They take the body and hastily prepare it for a burial in a new tomb in a nearby garden. Then on the next day several of the Jews become concerned that someone will steal the body and claim that Jesus had been resurrected. They remembered that Jesus said after three days He would rise.

So Pilate tells them to make the tomb as secure as possible. The guards go and do so by sealing the tomb and setting a guard at the entrance. They were taking every precaution to ensure that no one stole the body.

But Jesus was not to be buried for long. Paul states the following in 1 Corinthians 15:3-6.

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

Jesus died, but He didn’t remain dead. He was buried, but He didn’t stay in the tomb. He arose and because He did we have hope of eternal life.

The Jews worried that someone would steal the body. After the resurrection, they even bribed the guards to say that the body was stolen instead of resurrected. But over 500 people saw Jesus at once, and most of them were still telling that story when 1 Corinthians was written.

A body was buried in the garden one day. But three days later it was no longer there. Praise God!

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never grow tired of hearing the good news that Jesus is alive. May we help others to weigh the evidence, accept the facts and obey that good news in faith.

Our thought for the day: “Belief in the resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith.” John S. Whale

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

A Buried Talent In The Ground

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2zgcv5

A few years ago I was watching a group of teenage boys deep in discussion. The topic was sports and the discussion was about how the coach and players could have done differently so as to have won the previous night’s game. From the conversation it was evident that these boys not only knew about the game, but they were also very adamant about their own personal views.

A little while later I approached one of the boys and asked him if he would be willing to talk to his friends about coming to church. He responded, “No, I don’t think so. I’m not very good talking with others.”

To me he seemed to be very good in speaking to others. He was able to present his views, listen to others, reason, judge and make conclusions. He clearly had an ability to do so, but was reluctant with my request.

I suspect that he felt less at ease in speaking about Jesus and the church than he did in speaking about the ballgame. Many people fall into that category.

Jesus tells the parable of three men who each had abilities, but at differing levels. This story is found in Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus said in verses 14-19:

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.

Now the boss in this situation recognized that these three men had differing abilities, yet he gave each of them a responsibility that was on the level with their own ability. The one with five talents was able to double his investment and returned ten talents to the master. The one with two talents did the same and returned four talents to the master. The first one did far more than the second, but each did according to what was expected of them.

With responsibility comes accountability. Sadly, the one talent man for fear of the master decided to hide his money instead of using it as was expected. After praising the other two for their fine work, the master turns to the one talent man in verses 24-30.

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

What a disappointment that man must have been to the master. Although he was not as talented as the other two, he clearly had an ability to be trusted with a great sum of money. His ability, if properly used, could have resulted in an increase in his stewardship and praise from his master.

Instead, he allowed fear to overcome his actions and he was left in worse shape than when he began. He may as well have buried his abilities in the ground along with that money. Neither was put to good use.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we understand that God looks to use us for His service in our lives. May we understand that God has confidence that we can accomplish these things for Him. May we be emboldened by His command and set about to do all that we are able to do.

Our thought for the day: “When opportunity knocks, you still have to get up and answer the door.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

A Buried Treasure In A Field

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/27zmpa

Have you ever uncovered a treasure in your own back yard? Have you ever walked outside after a hard rain and reached down to pick up a gold nugget that suddenly appeared? Most people have not had such experiences and likely never will. But there are treasures to be found and sometimes they are right under our own noses.

Russell Cromwell’s famous book, Acres of Diamonds, describes the journeys of a man who was determined to find diamonds. He sold his farm and set out to find his fortune. All he had to do was just find some diamonds and then he would be wealthy.

But he didn’t find any diamonds on his journey. And the irony is that the person who purchased his farm was watering an animal one day and looked down to see something shiny. You guessed it. It was a diamond. And there were more and more to be found—acres of diamonds just beneath the surface of this man’s farm. This man sold his land in order to search for what was under his feet all the time.

Similar stories can be found about people who didn’t realize the value of a treasure all around them. In 1799 a man in North Carolina found a large rock and used it as a door stop for three years. Then one day a jeweler recognized it and told the man that what he had was actually a 17 pound nugget of gold! Other large nuggets, some as large as 28 pounds, were found on that one farm. Millions of dollars worth of the precious metal was just underneath the surface of that farm.

Unrealized value is all too common. We often can see the value in others that we can not see in ourselves.

Jesus speaks of a hidden treasure in a one verse parable in Matthew 13:44. He says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

This parable shows the joy that one should have in finding the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. When a person discovers the love of God and the salvation that He extends, he is overcome with joy and rushes to enter into that good relationship.

There are certainly times when others will not appreciate the value that we see. At estate auctions we sometimes watch as something of great value is sold for a small sum. The one who purchased the item is the only one who really saw the value. Had the others seen the same value they would not have let it be sold without giving higher competing bids.

I’ve sat with people who had difficulty seeing the value in their own lives. In some cases they had done some pretty bad things in their past. Others had not done anything horrible, but had wasted the opportunities to do the right thing. In both cases their perceived value of their own life was lower than it should have been.

Do you know how valuable you really are? God set a standard for the value of your soul by sending His Son to die for your sins. Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We didn’t deserve His great gift, but God still said we were worth dying for. Paul adds to this in Romans 5:8 where he says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Still, some will never recognize the great value that they have in their own souls! If only they would realize that they possess a unique spirit, that is God given and that will live for eternity! If only they would awaken to the buried treasure in that field which is the salvation extended from God! Then they would leap for joy and exchange all that they have now for the hope of what God has promised.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never forget that we are made in the image of God and that a great price was paid so that we might enjoy eternal life.

Our thought for the day: “Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I will give you a man who will make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk.” J. C. Penney

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

A Buried Book In The Temple

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2zxyo7

I owned a chess set years before I ever learned how to play. From time to time I’d take out the pieces and move them around, but really had no idea what I was doing. Then one night at a family game night at church a friend took some time to teach me a few of the rules about chess. After that I went back and found a rule book about the game and finally learned how to play the game I’d owned for years.

Sometimes it is very frustrating to have something and not know how to use it. I’ve been told that some people still have VCRs that flash “12:00” on the display because no one ever set the time on them.

Truth is, many times we may bypass or blatantly ignore the instructions and just do what we want to do. Our two sons are electronic wizards. They can operate their games and devices with great precision. From an onlooker’s perspective it sometimes appears as if they are born with that ability. But in reality they have consulted many instructions to learn the rules and parameters of what they are using.

The Old Testament records the life of a very young boy who became a king at the age of 8. Josiah was able to reign for 31 years and he was a good king. That is significant because many kings were not good.

In fact, his grandfather, Manasseh, was only 12 when he became king and he ruled for 55 years. He was an evil king, but he did repent shortly before his death.

Josiah’s father, Amon, was only 22 when he became king. Like his father, he was evil and only reigned 2 years before his own people killed him.

It is not clear how Josiah decided to do good instead of evil. Certainly his father and grandfather were not good role models. Perhaps he just instinctively knew to treat people well and to do good in other things.

In the 8^th year of his reign, when he was just 16, Josiah decided to seek the God of his father David. By the time his 12^th year of reign began he was ready to clean up the religious mess of Judah and purge Judah and Jerusalem of the idols and pagan worship that had taken over. These are all commendable actions and show that this young ruler was focused knowing the difference in right and wrong.

Then in his 18^th year as king, Josiah set about to repair the house of the Lord his God. During that time a priest by the name of Hilkiah found a special book that had long since been lost. That book was the Book of the Law.

When that book was read before Josiah he tore his clothes and said, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.” 2 Chronicles 34:21.

Josiah recognized the significance of that book. It didn’t matter that he was already far superior to the examples of his father and grandfather as kings. It didn’t matter that he was doing the “best he could” in trying to do what was right.

When Josiah realized that there was a written instruction from the Lord, he quickly took action to make sure that everyone heard it and followed what it said.

In 2 Chronicles 34:31-33, we read,

Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers.

Josiah had the heart of one who desired to follow God. And even though he knew he was doing good, he did not hesitate to submit himself to the written word of God. What a great testimony to his conviction that the people stayed faithful to God so long as this good king was alive!

On Our Daily Walk today, may we ever be ready to compare our lives and actions with the commands and directions of God’s word. May we, like Josiah, be ready to submit to His word instead of resting on our own goodness.

Our thought for the day: “It is good to mark your Bible, but it is better to let your Bible mark you.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

Buried Treasure

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.
Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/ysee8j

The story is told of a man who was looking for a lost set of keys. It was night and the man was crawling around on his hands and knees looking for his keys under a streetlight. A stranger comes along and joins in the search. After a few minutes he asks, “Where did you last have your keys before you lost them?” To which the man replies, “I lost them over there by my car, but the light is much better over here.”

Perhaps we can all relate to such an experience. It really was futile for that man to search under that light. But perhaps it made him feel better to be doing something even though it was unlikely to produce any results.

When I was younger I was fascinated with metal detectors. I never did purchase one, but I would see them advertised on TV. There I would watch as a man would effortlessly uncover rings, coins and other valuable items just by walking over them with that device.

The thought of buried treasure conjures up all kinds of images in our minds. The thrill of uncovering something that was hidden and perhaps forgotten stirs our imaginations.

In my early teens, I remember going to visit my great-aunt. Florence lived on a farm in the country and it was always fun to visit there. One day I took off to investigate an old farm house that had long since been abandoned. While in that frame house, which was overgrown with vines and weeds, I explored each room as if I had just made a great discovery.

I wondered if any treasures or valuables had been overlooked and forgotten. Unfortunately there were no coins or valuables to be found. However, I did find several antique books from grammar school, several of which I still have.

Treasures have a way of drawing us to them. The key is to make sure that we are attracted to the right kinds of treasures.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

A passion for our treasure must be present. Mel Fisher began searching for the wreck of the ship, Atocha, in 1969. Within two years he found a few coins, then two years later he found a few silver bars. Each day he was filled with optimism that this was “the day” that he would find the valuable wreck.

Other discoveries were made that confirmed that he was finding portions of the treasure, but the main wreck always seemed just out of his grasp. Instead of giving up or being satisfied with what he had found, Mel pushed on and actually invented many of the devices that were later used in exploring for the wreck.

His heart was set on finding that treasure. It was what motivated him each day.

Then on July 20, 1985, Mel finally realized his dream. The wreck of the Atocha was discovered and the excavation of the famous wreck was finally underway.

Not many people believed in Mel’s dream of finding that ship and its treasure. I’m sure he encountered many people who mocked him and tried to convince him to call it quits. He even encountered great grief as his son and daughter-in-law were killed at sea helping him pursue his dream. Through all of this, Mel pushed on. He knew that his treasure was out there just waiting for him to find it.

Friends, we have a far more valuable treasure that awaits us. Have you found it yet? Jesus has promised us rest from our labors and a home in Heaven for all of eternity. Many people have already discovered this great treasure. They are motivated by it each day and they live their lives so as to never lose sight of it. They know that where their treasure is, their heart will be also.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never be fooled into exchanging hope of eternal life for anything in this life. May we focus our minds on the only treasure that matters—the treasure of eternal life with God.

Our thought for the day: “Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.