Spiritual Baptism
Joshua 3:7, “Now the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you.”
For forty years the Israelites followed Moses through the wilderness, and they saw him perform many miracles. Now they were beginning a new chapter in their life without Moses, and I know they were scared. Who was going to take Moses’ place as the instrument God used? Was Joshua really the person that God had called to lead them into the Promised Land? I’m sure these questions were in their minds as they began their new journey.
I think it’s interesting that God chose to give them the answer in a way that they would undoubtedly recognize as coming from Him. As the Israelites were fleeing the Egyptians God split open the Red Sea and allowed them to cross on dry land to escape the charging Egyptians, and now as they stood at the banks of the Jordan river God again chose that method to affirm to them that Joshua was the man God had chosen. I’m sure they could have found a place to wade through the Jordan, but before any doubts could form in their minds God opened the Jordan to remind the Israelites that they had not been delivered by Moses, but by His power!
When John the Baptist came baptizing people in these waters I’m sure all the Jews recognized it as a sign from God that this was the way that God had chosen to enter into the fullness of His deliverance. The Israelites had crossed through the waters of Jordan to get to the Promised Land, and later when Jesus came to be baptized in the Jordan God delivered a message to all people when a voice came out of Heaven affirming that Jesus was the Son of God, and the only way that you or I can find our way into the Promised Land is by being baptized with the same Spirit that affirmed Moses, Joshua and Jesus as the deliverance chosen by God!
Jesus Christ is the Son of God filled with the Spirit of God, and you can have that same Spirit living in you when you are baptized by God! We are reminded in Galatians that if we are baptized into Christ then we have the very same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female ; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
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Father God, I thank You for allowing me to be baptized into the same Spirit that raised, and I ask that You remind me that I have access to that power when Demonic forces come against me. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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Yes, You Can Ministry 