living sacrifice

With the addition of Brother Sun, Gu Jian, Sister Zhao, and Brother Liu, our church is fully staffed.

I looked at this small church. Although there were only about [-] people, it gave me a warm and small family feeling.It is the first small spiritual home after I entered Christianity, although You Yan kept telling me that "it is impossible for everyone to accompany us to the end, because Jesus said 'many are called, but few are chosen'", But I didn't pay attention to her outlandish remarks.

When Brother Sun and Sister Zhao were there, Qian Junru would chat with them alone about another church, which seemed to be the predecessor of this church.But no one ever mentioned these things to me.I also asked a few times, You Yan always talked about him, and others didn't answer my question.

I knew they were hiding a lot of things from me, but at the time I didn't care.Because I trust them.

I also don't have the feeling of "unable to integrate with brothers and sisters" that Dong Yiyi said.I thought to myself: This is great, thank God, I can finally have a peaceful haven in the church amidst the storm.Although there is still an annoying wild goose here, I hope she can repent and stop being a "stab head" in the church.

That period of time was very busy, and the time passed quickly, as if it was the weekend again in the blink of an eye.

This time, because I have already met, I trust Sister Zhao more, and I asked her a question that has puzzled me for a long time: "Sister Zhao, how to distinguish heresy?"

I think this should be a very basic question.

Unexpectedly, Sister Zhao was stunned for a long time, and then she smiled and said, "Lin Xiao, what about heresy, in fact, is the denial of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the denial of the Trinity, and the denial of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead."

I waited for her to finish the sentence, but found that she had already shut up, and it turned out that she had finished speaking.

"Is it that simple?" I was surprised.

She said: "Of course, there are some others. The "Apostles' Creed" we read every time we gather is the standard used to distinguish heresies. You don't need to spend time studying heresies, just touch the real money to know what it looks like .”

I had doubts in my heart at that time, because I was in the bank before, and our side was the public window. For those large-value bills, in addition to touching the real banknotes, actually touching the banknotes is also a very important training.Every time there is a fake, we will always circulate it to the whole department to identify all kinds of drug production techniques and raise our vigilance.Otherwise, a note may be worth millions, who can afford it?

Sister Zhao answered my question, but I didn't believe her answer. I think that standard is not right at all.How can God's way be so simple when it is so troublesome to even recognize it?

In fact, I also looked for it on the Internet, because it was too messy, so I couldn't tell the difference. "Charismatics", "Pentecostals", "□□", "Evangelicals", "Reformed", what is the difference between them?

What kind of denomination is our church?

I bring this question to Sister Zhao.She replied like this: "Lin Xiao, you don't need to be too entangled with the question of what sect we are. Strictly speaking, we are a charismatic sect, and some people on the Internet say that charismatic sects are not good. Actually, I think , we are more inclined to spiritual gifts, they are only more inclined to theological theory. Traditional churches have the disadvantages of traditional churches, and charismatic churches have the advantages of charismatic churches. Compared with traditional churches, charismatic churches are more lively and less dull .”

I thought about it, and I agree with the second half of the sentence. My impression is that grandpa and his generation are rather dull, unlike here where everyone has a good relationship, like a family.

I thought for a while and asked, "What are spiritual gifts?"

"Spiritual gifts are the various gifts given by the Holy Spirit to people in order to complete God's work. There are gifts of preaching the gospel, gifts of prophecy, gifts of healing, gifts of casting out demons..."

"Prophet? Are there any prophets now?"

"Actually, there are different opinions in Christianity, but I think there is a gift of prophecy, and the Bible also says that one should earnestly aspire to be a prophet and preach. Lin Xiao, you will also have the gift."

That's when I became interested in gifts, especially "The Gift of the Prophet", which sounds awesome.Think about it, the prophet, the prophet of the unknown.What's it like to be a prophet?

Our communication with each other is very free. Except for listening carefully when preaching, the rest of the time is really like being at home.

Seeing that sister Zhao and I had finished communicating, You Yan ran to my side and said to me, "Lin Xiao, you should be baptized this afternoon."

"what?"

"Won't you be baptized?"

"Yes, but... is it too hasty?"

"It's okay, the bathtub in Qian Junru's home is newly renovated. You see, Heavenly Father and Father have prepared everything for you."

I was thinking about how to be baptized. I have listened to the basic course of Christianity before, which taught the difference between baptism and water baptism. I personally prefer baptism, but the problem is that I don’t have a change of clothes.And do you take off your clothes or put on your clothes for baptism?Wouldn't it be embarrassing if you had to take off your clothes and be baptized in the public?

Also, don't you need to take some courses before being baptized?Without checking your beliefs, can you wash it casually like this?

You Yan really likes to arrange things. After she finished talking to me, she went to talk to Brother Sun, and Brother Sun was also stunned by her.

I saw them discussing for a long time.

We had two gatherings at that time, the morning one was more formal, and the afternoon one was mainly to get together to talk about our ministry, training and other miscellaneous things.Sometimes there is a dinner party at night, which they call "□□".At that time, I thought that all churches were like this, but after I went to other places, I realized that it was not the case.

During lunch, You Yan discussed the baptism with several leaders. She said that her mother, my aunt, would also come in the afternoon, so she just let the two of us be baptized together.

I could see that Qian Junru was against it, but she and You Yan didn't deal with each other. Maybe it was for the sake of harmony, so she backed down.The other two leaders did not express their opinions, so You Yan casually advocated such a big event.

It was only later that I realized how important baptism was, but it was determined by You Yan in such a way that I almost wanted to be baptized a second time like Wang Mingdao.

In the afternoon, besides me, there was another person who was baptized at the same time as me. That person was You Yan's mother who went back to S City for the New Year, and that person was my aunt.Everyone was very happy to see Mother You, and they discussed how to be baptized together.

"Brother Sun, baptize Lin Xiao." You Yan said to Brother Sun.

My aunt said: "You wash first when you are young, otherwise the pool will be dirty when I finish washing when I am old."

What my aunt said made me think it was cute, so everyone decided to let me be baptized after repeated evasions.

I trust Big Brother Sun very much. He is old, and in the eyes of the people here, he is a prudent and steady elder.I think he is the most suitable person to baptize.

But Brother Sun's expression was very strange. He was a little panicked, and asked with wide eyes: "Can I really do it? But I have never baptized anyone."

You Yan insisted: "It doesn't matter, everyone has a first time. We all trust you, I believe Lin Xiao would also like you to baptize her, right?"

I nodded.

Brother Sun looked at me, was silent for a while, then nodded and said, "Okay then. I'll go inside and prepare."

Baptism is a very sacred thing in my heart. Of course, I don’t have the kind of true knowledge that I learned later. The “sacredness” I thought at the time was similar to the sacredness of weddings and communion in churches. It is a ceremony. Aspects.

I was also very nervous, after all, everyone was looking at me for a while.Taking advantage of You Yan's absence, I secretly asked Sister Zhao: "Sister Zhao, what am I going to do?"

Sister Zhao said with a smile: "You don't have to worry about anything, just follow Big Brother Sun. In fact, I think it's a little hasty, but Lin Xiao, you will always be baptized. Since You Yan said so, you can be baptized today as well." No problem."

I don't know, but I do always get baptized, morning or evening.It is better to hit the sun than to choose the day.

You Yan happily took out a set of pajamas from the inner room and handed them to me, saying: "Lin Xiao, go to the inner room later and change your clothes. You will wear this set when you are baptized, and then I will give you clean ones Towels. Don't worry, these are Qian Junru's washed and clean ones. When you go back, I'll wrap your clothes for you so they won't get wet. "

"Did you buy this on purpose?"

"I didn't buy it. It was Qian Junru who bought it. They are all new clothes. But it doesn't matter. The Lord gave it to you. Just thank the Lord."

"Thank you, Lord." To be honest, I think they are very natural when they say "Lord". The master, and in my concept, I don't quite know what the master is.In my memory, there are still many scenes where my grandfather was scolded by my whole family for calling Jesus the Lord. I always feel that people will laugh at saying the word Jesus.

Seeing Qian Junru, I said to her, "Thank you, Sister Qian."

She looked back at me, her expression seemed a little stiff, but she quickly returned to her smile and said, "You don't need to thank me, just thank the Lord."

"Thank you Lord."

Brother Sun went inside to pray, and when he came out after praying, he was very serious to me and said, "Lin Xiao, do you understand the meaning of being baptized?"

I shook my head.

"Baptism is your willingness to break away from your original sinful life and be baptized into Jesus Christ. Are you willing to confess your sins and repent?"

Actually, I don’t really know what it means to be free from sinful life, and how to get rid of it, but I am willing to get rid of it, and I am willing to have a brand new life. I really hate this old life.I nodded anxiously.

Brother Sun's expression relaxed, and then he asked again: "Are you willing to confess Jesus Christ as Lord?"

I was a little embarrassed, and I really didn't know what it means to confess Jesus Christ as Lord, but everyone looked at me, so I had no choice but to nod.

Brother Sun clapped his hands with a smile and said, "Great, great, your time is up."

I also feel that my time is up.I have listened to the gospel since I was so young, and after I have suffered so much as an adult, I have exhausted all my methods, but I still have no way to find the truth, but here, I clearly heard God speak to me, and I clearly know The Lord Jesus Christ willed to save me.Although I am so filthy, I have done stupid things that ordinary people dare not do, but Jesus Christ was crucified for my sins, He used His life to replace my life, He loved me and gave himself for me.

It was me who should have been crucified, and I did it myself, but now he not only forgives me, he suffers for me, and he gives me a new life.

I can't wait for this new life, I want to live again.

At that moment, I understood that God used my grandfather to preach the gospel to me when I was a child. After I experienced so much, God sent You Yan to make me repent, including Qian Junru’s special sermon. Everything is God. s arrangement.

God has God's time, and now, the time has come.

During the whole process of being baptized, I felt that my mind was blank. At that time, I only knew to say "I am willing" to Brother Sun, and then a person's hand held the back of my head and immersed me in the water.

My glasses were confiscated, and there were people taking videos nearby. I thought I must be ugly. I was a little worried about my figure, and worried that I would look bad if I didn’t wear glasses. I thought about this and that.

But when I was submerged in the water, I became serious, cleared away these messy thoughts, and then my whole body was stuffy in the water.

When I came out, the world suddenly became noisy, they were all clapping and singing.

I heard someone talking next to my ear, but I couldn't hear anything because of the noise and water in my ears.

I squinted my eyes and saw that it was Sister Zhao.

She said it to me again: "You died, were buried, and were raised with Jesus Christ."

I understood and nodded.

I don't know why I am laughing, I only know that from my birth to now, there has never been any time when I am as happy as I am now.It was like a burden that had been carried for a long time was suddenly thrown away. I felt that my whole body was floating, and I felt as if I was about to go to heaven with a slight kick.

You Yan's mother was also baptized, but she was crying, crying hard.

Looking at my aunt, Sister Zhao asked me strangely: "Why are you laughing?"

I thought for a while and said, "I don't know why, but I'm very happy."

"What are you happy about?"

"I do not know."

"You see why You Yan's mother is crying?"

"I don't know." I was asked inexplicably and didn't know how to answer.

Chen Xueyan handed us some food. She looked up at me and said with a little envy: "Heavenly Father is very kind to those who have just been baptized. You should enjoy this baby period. Heavenly Father will hold you in his arms." Li, I love you very much."

I think Chen Xueyan is someone who has experienced it. Since she said this, it proves that there will be a painful period after infancy.In fact, I can't imagine how much pain it is, because the Lord Jesus said, "If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."But no matter what kind of suffering it is, I have to grit my teeth and get through it, because there is no turning back, and I never want to turn back. I have already been to hell, and I never want to be near that place again.