Who Have You Imitated?

Mark 1:5 - And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River,...   NASB

• John Was Baptizing

On January 31, 2023 or literally yesterday, I left Orlando, FL flying to Tel Aviv, Israel. I am the Host for this group and there are 32 of us on this trip. Our Biblical interpreter is Dr. Mark Ziese. His website is http://www.markziese.com and if you are interested seeing or hearing what we are doing you can go to his website or you can find him on Facebook simply type in his name Mark Ziese aka Bible Land Explorer.
 
As I was reading this morning's verse about John the Baptist baptizing in the Jordan River it occurred to me that I will be doing this same thing or at least that is the plan. I have had numerous people ask me to baptize them while we are there in the Jordan River.
 
Some people want to imitate the people John baptized over 2000 years ago in the Jordan River. This will allow me to imitate John the Baptist. He baptized in the Jordan so will I get to baptize people in the Jordan. Although, he didn't get to baptize for the remission of their sins and for the person to receive the Holy Spirit as I will be doing.
 
I will be immersing people like John, but today's baptism has greater significance. I immerse people today according to what was said in Acts 2:38. The people I baptize will receive the promise of their sins being forgiven and the Holy Spirit coming to dwell with in them. 

• Why Did Baptism Change? 

When you read about why John baptized and why I baptize you will notice there is a difference. What brought about this difference? The answer is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is what brought about the change.
 
Jesus wasn't dead when John was baptizing. Jesus and John both lived in what is known as the Old Testament or Old Covenant, but Jesus has been dead for close to 2,000 years. Once He died His New Will or New Covenant came into existence.
 
It is like your will (assuming you have one) when does it become active? The answer is when you die. If you want to change your will as long as you are a live and of a sound mind you may change it. Once you die your will can not be changed. Jesus has died and now His will has become unchangeable. 

• Who Have You Imitated? 

This Pump Up's title is "Who Have You Imitated?" In life we sometimes imitate someone purposefully and some times accidentally. I am hopefully going to get to imitate John the Baptist on this trip to Israel by baptizing in the Jordan River. I have already imitated him by immersing people in water.

In this life it is always good to be ourselves. Be who we are. When you read the Bible we are told to imitate some and not to imitate others.
 
Heb 13:7 - Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
 
We are to imitate the faithful lives of those who lead us to Christ. On the other hand we are not to imitate people who are evil according to the apostle John. 

3 John 11 -  Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
 
As you walk through life today, this week and this year if you are going to imitate anyone let's imitate those who are imitating Jesus Christ.

Here is how the apostle Paul said it in I Corin. 11:1 - Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
 
As we read God's Word and learn how Jesus lived while He was here on earth. We can imitate no one greater than to imitate Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Think About These:

People seldom improve when they have no model to follow except themselves.
 
The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word