Baptismal Discourse

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Short Summary
The discourse centers on the spiritual journey and commitment of four young men dedicating their lives to God through consecration and baptism, emphasizing the importance of heart harmony with God as modeled by Jesus. It highlights the need to surrender earthly desires, embrace transformation into Christ’s likeness, and rely on God’s guidance and the support of the faith community to grow spiritually. The message encourages continual prayer, study, and zealous living to maintain this harmony and assures God’s help and victory for those who faithfully follow His will.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Consecration and Baptism

Introduction and Focus on Candidates:
– The discourse begins by highlighting four young men in the front row—Brother John Malinowski, Brother David Quiet, Brother Adam Falco, and Brother John Charles Raskovich—who are preparing for baptism.
– The topic centers on the biblical understanding of consecration and baptism as a commitment to God’s will and a symbol of spiritual transformation.

God’s Eternal Plan for a Family:
– God’s desire to form a spiritual family predates the foundation of the world.
– Psalm 132:13-14 is cited:
> “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation. This is my resting place forever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it.”
– God’s plan involves creating beings who share His character, principles, and divine nature, capable of teaching righteousness and eradicating sin.
– The family must be in “heart harmony” with God, an essential requirement for life on any plane of existence.

Invitation to Give God Your Heart:
– Proverbs 23:26 is quoted:
> “My son, give me thine heart.”
– God desires not just love or affection, but the full heart for molding into His likeness.

Role of the Logos (Jesus Christ):
– The Logos was offered the first opportunity to consecrate himself as a role model.
– Philippians 2:7-9 is referenced:
> “He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”
– Jesus had God’s law in his heart (Psalm 40:8) and lived perfectly under it.
– At age 30, Jesus’ baptism by John symbolized his immersion into God’s will as a ransom sacrifice for mankind.
– God’s approval was expressed in Matthew 3:17:
> “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
– Jesus exemplified heart harmony by obeying God’s will perfectly (John 5:30).
– Hebrews 5:9-10 describes Jesus as the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Call to the Spiritual Family:
– After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the call extended to all willing to follow his example.
– Romans 8:17 calls believers “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.”
– 1 John 3:1-2 (Weymouth translation) highlights the marvelous love of the Father in calling us His children.
– Believers start as probationary sons, working to be conformed to Christ’s image (Romans 8:29).

Heart Harmony Explained:
– Proverbs 3:1 and Proverbs 4:4 encourage keeping God’s commandments in the heart.
– Luke 10:27 outlines loving God with all heart, soul, strength, and mind.
– The discourse elaborates:
– Loving God with all heart means God comes first in affections.
– Loving God with all soul (breath) means God is priority in life itself (Joshua 22:5).
– Loving God with all strength means using all abilities in God’s service (1 Peter 4:11).
– Loving God with all mind means focusing thoughts on heavenly things (Colossians 3:2, Philippians 2:5).

Consecration and Baptism as Commitment:
– Consecration is a decision to give one’s life fully to God, acknowledging His mercy and love.
– Isaiah 49:16 is cited, showing God’s care and remembrance of His people.
– The four young brothers publicly express their spiritual journeys and reasons for consecration, emphasizing personal growth, trials, and the influence of family and brethren.

Biblical Foundation of Consecration:
– Romans 12:1-2 explains consecration as presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, not conforming to worldly patterns but being transformed by renewing the mind.
– It involves:
– Recognizing sin and the need for a Savior.
– Accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for forgiveness.
– Giving up earthly will and desires to follow God’s will.
– Offering time, energy, talents, and possessions to God’s service.
– Sanctification begins at consecration, where one is begotten by God’s Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17).
– Growth into Christlikeness is a continuous process (Ephesians 4).

Transformation and Fruit of the Spirit:
– The Christian life involves developing qualities such as compassion, humility, patience, forgiveness, and especially love (agape) as the bond of unity.
– Baptism is connected to this transformation (Romans 6:3-5) symbolizing death to the old life and resurrection as a new creature.

Practical Implications for the Baptized:
– The candidates commit to let God’s will guide their lives and to seek His will in all matters.
– Their talents and possessions are now stewarded by God to glorify Him through preaching, spiritual growth, and supporting brethren.
– They are assured of God’s continual help and presence (Hebrews 13:5), protection (Ephesians 6), and the support of a worldwide family of believers.

Encouragement to Others and Welcome into the Body of Christ:
– Others in attendance are invited to join in baptism.
– The candidates are asked three affirming questions regarding recognition of sin, acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice, and full consecration.
– On affirming, they are welcomed into the body of Christ with the right hand of fellowship.

Scripture Verses Given to Each Candidate:
– Brother John Malinowski: Colossians 3:1-4
> “Set your affection on things above… your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
– Brother David Quiet: Romans 8:17-18
> “If we are children, then heirs… the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory.”
– Brother Adam Falco: Psalm 37:39-40
> “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord… He helps them and delivers them.”
– Brother John Charles Raskovich: Psalm 119:33-35
> “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees… Give me understanding…”

Exhortation for the Journey Ahead:
– The new consecrates must nurture their new creature through study, prayer, fellowship, and submission to God’s Word.
– The writings of Brother Russell and other brethren are emphasized as valuable aids.
– They are reminded to claim God’s promises, relying on Philippians 2:13:
> “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
– Philippians 4:13 is cited for strength:
> “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
– Assurance is given from Philippians 1:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:57 of God’s ongoing work and ultimate victory through Jesus Christ.

Overcoming Challenges by Following Jesus’ Example:
– Jesus is the ultimate role model for heart harmony (Hebrews 12:2-3).
– Believers are encouraged to align their hearts fully with God and to treasure His Word.
– Prayer and reliance on God’s grace are vital to endure trials and temptations.
– Zeal for self and brethren’s spiritual growth, inspired by Psalm 69, should consume the believer.

Conclusion:
– The path of consecration and baptism is a God-designed journey to full heart harmony and eternal sonship.
– The congregation pledges support to the new brethren in their walk.
– A final invitation is extended to others to join this dedication to God.

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Key Bible Verses Quoted or Referenced:

– Psalm 132:13-14
– Proverbs 23:26
– Philippians 2:7-9
– Psalm 40:8
– Matthew 3:17
– John 5:30
– Hebrews 5:9-10
– Romans 8:17; 8:29
– 1 John 3:1-2
– Proverbs 3:1; 4:4
– Luke 10:27
– Joshua 22:5
– 1 Peter 4:11
– Colossians 3:2, 3:16
– Philippians 2:5; 2:13; 4:13; 1:6
– Romans 12:1-2; 5:1; 6:3-5
– 2 Corinthians 5:17
– Ephesians 4; 6
– Romans 6:3-5
– Isaiah 49:16
– Psalm 37:39-40
– Psalm 119:33-35
– Hebrews 13:5; 12:2-3
– 1 Corinthians 15:57
– Psalm 69 (zeal for God’s family)

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This summary captures the theological foundation, practical implications, scriptural basis, and encouragement given during the discourse on consecration and baptism, highlighting the spiritual journey and commitments of the four young brothers and inviting others to join this path.

Transcript

This morning our remarks are going to be focused on the four young gentlemen sitting in the front row. Brother John Malinowski. Brother David. Quiet. Brother Adam Falco.

Brother John Charles Raskovich.

But the rest of you are welcome to listen along. Foreign Brother David. Brother Adam. Brother John. The story of consecration and baptism began even before the foundation of the world, with our Heavenly Father’s desire to have a family, as David expressed in 132nd Psalm, verses 13 and 14.

For the Lord has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation. This is my resting place forever here will I dwell, for I have desired it.

God’s plan was not just to create a spiritual and terrestrial universe, but develop a family for himself. Those who would share his character, his principles and his divine nature, and by virtue of their oneness with him, they would become God’s instrument to teach righteousness, to eradicate sin, and to implement God’s will for all eternity, and and rather than create this group directly, God decided to form this group of those who would most fervently want to come into heart harmony or would come into heart harmony with Himself. God wanted a family so in tune with his heart that they could then mold the rest of the creation into the same heart harmony with Himself.

Because heart harmony with God is a requirement for life on any plane of existence. That is why God used the following invitation recorded in Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me thine heart. But God wants not just your love and your affection, he wants your heart so that he can mold it and shape it into a copy of his own.

Now God offered this opportunity first to his only begotten Son, the Logos, and he lifted the Logos up as a role model for the other members of his family. But to become this role model, he had to first be made flesh and humble himself unto the death, unto death, even the death of a cross. Philippians 2:7 through 9. The Logos delighted in the Father’s plan and willingly offered himself to be made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, that he should taste death for every man.

He delighted to do God’s will, because God’s law was within his heart. Psalms 40 and verse 8. His heart was already in harmony with Gods, and so he was born as a babe in Bethlehem. He grew up under God’s law covenant, still having God’s law in his heart.

Then, at the age of 30, he presented himself, add Jordan as a ransom sacrifice for Father Adam. His baptism by John not only began his earthly life of sacrifice, or his life of earthly sacrifice, but demonstrated his immersion into God’s will to become that seed of promise that would bless all the families of the earth begotten by God’s Holy Spirit. Our Lord’s spiritual life as a new creature began there.

And God expressed his approval of our Lord’s consecration and baptism with these words found in Matthew 3:17. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. For the next three and a half years our Lord proved his heart harmony with God. Through his obedience to God’s will, He completely submerged himself into the Father’s will. As he said in John 5:30, I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

Jesus kept the will of God perfectly, being holy, innocent, undefiled and separated from sinners, being faithful unto death, he was proved the perfect Son and became the source of eternal salvation to all who should obey him. Hebrews 5, verses 9 and 10 from the Phillips translation.

Following his resurrection, Jesus ascended to the Father so the next step of God’s plan could take place, and that would be to develop those members of the human family who were willing to follow Jesus example of sacrifice and obedience by coming into heart harmony with the Father, and so beginning at Pentecost, the call went out to all to those with an ear to hear, my son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Now the call which each of you has heard and responded to positively is to become a spiritual son, an heir of God, and joint heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:17. The apostle John explained it this way in First John 3:1 and 2, reading from Weymouth, and we quote, see what marvelous love the Father has bestowed upon us. Bestowed upon you that we should be called God’s children.

And that’s what we are. That’s what you are, dear friends. Now we are God’s children, but we are probationary sons until we are conformed to the image of God’s dear Son, and thus come into heart harmony with him. Romans 8:29, and we do this by following our Lord Jesus example and taking God’s law into our heart.

We find this expressed in Proverbs the third chapter. In verse one, My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, and again in Proverbs 4:4, Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live.

Jesus described heart harmony for us in the New Testament in Luke the 10th chapter and verse 27, and he used these words, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. So Jesus here describes four aspects of what it means to come into hard harmony with God. You are to love God with all your heart, which means God is to come first in all of your affections, even before your family, your spouse, your friends, your children, your earthly lives, and especially before your own life. You know, we find this expressed in 1 Kings verse 61, where it’s told that let your heart be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments.

Being wholly devoted to God leads really to the next step, to love the Lord with all our soul, which means that God has to come first in our lives.

You know, it’s interesting here that soul is translated from the Greek word which means breath, which really tells us that we are to love God with every breath of our life. You know, Joshua mentioned these two things when he was giving closing counsel to the nation of Israel. We find this in Joshua 22 and verse 5, and we quote only be very careful to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep all his commandments, to hold fast to him and serve him with all your heart or affection and with all your soul or breath.

We are to love. You are to love the Lord your God with all your strength. You know all of the strength and our all of our strength and abilities to be used in God’s service, as Peter describes in First Peter 4:11, where he says, whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies. God has supplied the ability and strength which we have, which you each have individually. We are to hold none of that back in using these things in our service to him and you to serve the Lord with all your mind.

You know God is to come first in your thinking. You know, Paul wrote in Colossians 3, verse 2, set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on this earth.

And we’re told then in Philippians 2, 5, have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. You are to be a copy of him. We are to think as Jesus thought. Now, accepting this invitation, as you have done, and consecrating your life to do God’s will is the best decision you could have made, for it seeks to return what we have, our love and our lives, to God in recognition of the great mercy and love that he has showered upon you, upon all of us. We love God because He first loved us.

This decision will bring you an eternity of joy and peace and contentment beyond anything that the natural man could imagine. It has brought you into a relationship with God as one of his spiritual sons, and God has engraved you on the palms of his hands, never to abandon you in any spirits in the face that comes to us from Isaiah 49, verse 16. Now, this morning we’re going to have the privilege of witnessing four of our young brothers here who have heard this invitation, who have given their heart to the Lord and desire to come into hard harmony with him. They have dedicated their life to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and they desire to symbolize this dedication by water immersion this morning.

And we would like to introduce each one of them to you. So we’re going to ask them to stand up and face the audience, face you as we introduce them. Brother John Mowski. If you get up and turn around, he is from the Grand Rapids Ecclesia. Thank you, Brother John.

As part of this introduction, we asked the brethren to give us maybe a short paragraph that sort of described their journey to this point, and so we’re going to share this with you. These are their words. Brother John was blessed to be raised in a consecrated home by Brother Tim and Sister Sarah Milanowski. While at college, John had some experiences that led him to make the truth his own.

Through the guidance of his parents, his grandmothers and many others, he felt the drawing of the Heavenly Father as he learned more about God’s plan and the wondrous love displayed in Christ Jesus. As these beautiful truths were revealed to both his heart and his mind. By the grace of God, he chose to give his little all to the Lord henceforth, forever.

Our next individual Brother David. Quiet if you. Brothers, this is brother David. Quiet. From the New Haven Ecclesiastical.

Thank you.

Brother David wrote. Brother David is from Connecticut and attends the New Haven Ecclesia. He was born into the Bible students and was taught the foundations of God’s plan for mankind. From a young age, David enjoyed attending meetings, Bible camps, seminars and conventions. Growing up while always understanding the importance of a true consecration to the Lord.

He did not truly begin counting the weight and the costs until several years ago. Study, fellowship, prayer and meeting led him to this decision. How great thou art, Lord.

Brother Adam. Our next candidate is brother Adam Balka of the West. Newton Ecclesia. Thank you.

Brother Adam wrote, I grew up in the truth. As a young man. I can remember. I attended Sunday school, general convention and other conventions, hearing and learning the truth in the foundations of God’s word. I’ve always desired the truth, not just because of my family, but because of the Spirit of God’s plan and the promise of a better or perfect future is so comforting.

More recently I went through a trial that I did not know how to handle. Through the tests I faced, I realized that the only true guidance through any trial, any hardship that any of this imperfect grace, myself included, needs comes from our dear Lord. I’ve seen firsthand that God does bless those who sincerely seek him from a humble true heart. I know in my heart that God’s gift of His Holy Spirit allows me comfort and understanding, and I know that my heart is dedicated to serving God, for His path is the only true path.

And only through the gift of His Son am I able to consecrate this life to zealously do his will.

Brother John this is Brother John Charles Praskovich of the West Newton Ecclesia. Thank you. Brother John wrote he’s from the West Newton Ecclesia where he has been a member since childhood. The guidance of his members has laid the foundation of truth in his heart to begin the next phase of his earthly journey in seeking the eternal peace and love found only in Christ Jesus, our our Lord and Savior. A Hope Filled Confession this is a hope filled confession signified by the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead on the third day.

May the Spirit of God be in John’s heart during his entire life in complete submission and humility. God willing. For it is written in Romans 11:36 for of him and through him, and unto him are all things to him be the glory forever. Amen.

We were so impressed by the spiritual maturity expressed in these words by these four young brothers.

Brother John, Brother David, Brother Adam, Brother John. You know Paul describes what consecration involves in Romans 12, chapter 1 and 2. Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies which you have done. A living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, and do not be conformed to this world.

Be transformed, be rena. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what is the will of God that perfect and acceptable and good.

Paul’s telling us that consecration involves two important works sacrificing our earthly lives, being transformed into the character likeness of Jesus.

And the first step which you’ve taken to become a spiritual son of God is to present your bodies a living sacrifice, and to do this we must first of all recognize that we are a sinner. We’re condemned to death as a member of a fallen race and we accept Jesus as our Redeemer, so that the merit of his sacrifice can be imputed to us, to cleanse us from all sin.

It also means that we give up our right to in earth through life, in Christ’s kingdom by accepting the merit of Christ’s sacrifice now, so that our imperfect flesh can be justified and be considered a living sacrifice, a sacrifice acceptable to God, and this means that we give up our earthly will, ambition and desires, and we accept God’s will as the directing force in our lives to mold us into a copy of His Son Jesus.

And this involves giving all that we possess, our time, our energy, our possessions, our influence, to the Lord to be used in the doing of his will.

Our earthly sacrifice is made holy by our faith in the merit of Christ’s sacrifices. Paul tells us in Romans the fifth chapter.

But to come in hard harmony with God, a second work must take place in our life. We must be transformed into the character likeness of Christ. This is the work of sanctification, of being made holy, and this is the will of God concerning you, even your sanctification. You know this transformation work began when your consecration was accepted by God and you were begotten by God’s Holy Spirit as a new creature.

So it’s already started. As Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things become new.

Next, our responsibility, your responsibility is to let this new creature take control of your lives and grow into a full character and likeness of Jesus. We must grow up into him in all things, even Christ, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians chapter 4.

We you must allow your hearts to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit so that you can come into heart harmony with God.

And this means that you are working together with God and His Holy Spirit to develop in you the fruit of God’s Spirit in your heart and in your minds, and this will transform your heart and character into the likeness of Jesus.

You know, Paul describes this transformation work as putting on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and the holiness of the truth. It involves putting on a heart of compassion and kindness, humility and gentleness and patience. It involves bearing with one another and forgiving each other, and beyond all these things, putting on love, agape love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Now, in Romans the sixth chapter, verses three to five, Paul connects this idea of consecration to baptism with these words. Know you not that as so many of us as were baptized in Jesus Christ were baptized into his death, therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death. That it like as that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should also walk in this of life. For if we’ve been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection.

Baptism is such a fitting illustration of accepting God’s invitation and consecrating one’s life to God. The sacrifice of the earthly life and being buried into Jesus death is is pictured as being laid back in the water by the immerser. This pictures our death as as an earthly individual with a will and a mind of our own.

Once under the water, we depend on the immerser to raise us back to life, and, and this pictures how Jesus raises up as a new creature so that we can walk in the midst of life.

He raises us up to the heavenlies where we dwell as a probationary member of God’s divine family. While during our Christian walk, Christ’s character is formed within our hearts and minds. During this Christian walk, baptism really shows the tremendous change in the direction and the focus of our life brought about by consecration, and baptism is such an appropriate way to demonstrate the surrender of our heart, our will and our life to the Lord. Which is what you have done.

Brother John, Brother David, Brother Adam, Brother John, you know you’ve agreed to give up your earthly will, ambition and desires and accepted God’s will to be the directing force in your life.

During the rest of their life. It will be your privilege to translate that commitment into action.

Like Jesus said, you will learn to do nothing on your own initiative, but to seek the will of God in all matters of life. Your goal is to become a copy of Christ, for that is what is pleasing to God and that is what he’s looking for. As Paul wrote in Colossians 3, beginning with verse 1, Keep seeking the things which are above, where Christ is sitted at the right hand of the throne of God. Set your minds on things above, not on the things of this earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

You are not your own, but you’ve been bought with the price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your life which belong to Him.

You know everything that you possess now, your time, your abilities, your talents, your energy, your resources now belong to the Heavenly Father. God doesn’t take these things away from you. He’s made you a Steward over them. He wants to see your heart harmony with him while you’re using faithfully all of these talents in his service to do his will, to glorify his name, just as any faithful son, just as every faithful son would do for an earthly father. He wants you to use them to preach his gospel messages of good tidings, to build yourself up spiritually and to help build your brethren up as well.

Using them to show your heart harmony with God will result in you hearing the words of victory. Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of thy word.

But you cannot do this alone. You’ll need God’s help. You’ll need our Lord’s help, and they will be there each and every day, day of your life from now on to help you do exactly that. They will never leave you nor forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5. You know God and our Lord Jesus will be there even in the difficult times, especially in the difficult times to. To guide you, to. To cheer you, to encourage you. Look for their leading and help.

Ask for it. Take advantage of God will overrule every experience to protect you spiritually.

He will make sure no evil overwhelms you.

His angel will surround you, and he will make all things work together for your spiritual good. Lean on God’s protection. Put on the whole armor of God that He will provide you so you will be able to ward off the attacks of the adversary. Ephesians 6.

Jesus will help you bear the weight of your cross or the yoke of sacrifice. Now Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light because he’s in the yoke with you, sharing that weight, helping you bear it. Allow him to help you bear the load.

And finally, God has provided a loving family of brethren to surround you. Not just your literal family, not just your ecclesia, not just the brethren in this room, but worldwide. To embrace you, to encourage you, to help you, to be role models for you.

You’ve already taken advantage of them. Continue to do that and grow close to them.

From God’s standpoint, you are now a new creature. The spiritual mind and will which God has created in you. It loved God. It desires to please Him. Above all, it wants to bring you more fully into the love of God.

Its presence in you is a pledge by the Heavenly Father of your spiritual inheritance to. To glory, honor and immortality. If you come into hard harmony with Him, God will help your new creature grow by giving you both his word to feed on and His Holy Spirit to understand it, and that process has already started. The heavens have been open to you, to your new mind by the allotting power of God’s Holy Spirit so that you can understand and apply the truths freely given to you of God.

Let the Holy Spirit fill your heart. Empty it empty of your heart of the old stuff so it has more room so you can understand God’s instructions and come into heart harmony with him just like Jesus did.

God is always has also provided help in understanding His Word through the pen of Brother Russell and many other brethren. Take advantage of their help as you study God’s word. Use them to gain a better understanding of God’s plan and his will for you. Their writings will give you a more complete knowledge of Jesus so you can grow more fully into his character likeness.

Help your new creature grow by continual study and meditation on the truth and by continually meeting the brethren to study and discuss it and then submit yourself to the leading of the truth in its spirit. Let the truth take control of your life. Let it direct you into the likeness of Christ and into a heart harmony with God. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 3 and verse 16 and then take the principles of God contained in His Word into your heart and mind.

Make them their own just like Jesus did and that way you can add to your faith the qualities of goodness, knowledge, self control, endurance, devotion to God, brotherly kindness and divine love all all the characteristics that make up our Lord’s character, and doing this will give you an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

And most importantly, study and claim the exceeding great precious promises of God so that you can lean on them in the times of trial. Remember Philippians 2:13 Is God who worketh in you to both will and to do of his good pleasure.

You know through your study in God’s Holy Spirit, he will stir up your new creature to both desire and then carry out his will in your lives. Look for that. Philippians 4:13 Remember this. I can do all things through Christ who strengthened me. God will give you the strength you need to carry out your consecration.

Ask for it. Philippians 1:16 Remember that be confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.

God will continue to work in you until you are molded into the likeness of Christ in heart harmony with Him. Allow God and work with God to complete this and First Corinthians 15:57 this one is very important. Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God has guaranteed you victory if you come into hard harmony with him and submit yourselves to his leading. Let these promises convince you of God’s great love and care and protection for you so that you’ll come to trust God in every experience and not hesitate to do his will. You know as we as you follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Satan will sift you as we the world will try to press you into its mold. The flesh will try to throw off the control of the new creature. But to overcome these challenges, God has given us Jesus.

He’s giving you Jesus as your role model as we’re told in Hebrews 2 because me, Hebrews 12, 2 and 3 look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners. Lest you be weary and faint in your minds being in heart harmony with God, Jesus was able to trans triumph over these challenges, and you will be able to because Jesus heart was in harmony with God, he had the same principles and values and priorities and loves that God had. Follow his example.

Align your heart with God. Seek God with your whole heart. Treasure His Word up in your heart because all of that is evidence of his love for you.

Heart Harmony Let Jesus words always reflect God’s will and spirit. Remember, we’re told his treat, his teaching dropped softly as the rain and his speech was as gentle as the dew. You know his words show that God’s Holy Spirit filled His heart and caused his heart and his words to always be in harmony with God.

Let your words always be guided by the Holy Spirit that’s dwelling in your heart. Let the words of your mouth, the meditation of your heart, be in harmony and acceptable in God’s S Jesus hard harmony with His Heavenly Father led him to constantly seek God’s counsel through prayer, especially before making decisions and face important experiences in his life. Follow Jesus example. Pray without ceasing so their heart and mind will be in harmony with God, and then watch and pray so that you don’t enter into temptation.

Go to the throne of heavenly grace continually for the mercy and the help and the grace you will need in every experience, and then pray for your brethren also, just as Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail, and finally, you know Jesus heart harmony with God led to his zeal for the development of God’s Divine family for the rest of the family, the church, and this zeal, we’re told in Psalm 69, consumed him. Let your zeal for the development of yourself and your brethren as members of this family, of this church consume you, be zealous in studying the truth, in speaking the truth, and especially in living the truth.

In summary, brethren, you’ve embarked upon a path designed individually for you by God to bring you into heart harmony with himself and to pray with you worthy of being an eternal part of God’s divine family. You know in all these experiences of both our prayer and our great desire for you that your faith would be proved genuine, that your heart will come in harmony with God, and thus you will receive the promised reward, praise, glory and honor as the Son of God, and all of us here desire to help you in any way that we can to help you gain the victory and win the crown of life.

At this time, we would like to encourage, if there’s any others in the audience who’ve been listening, who have given their hearts to the Lord and would like to come down and join these four brothers and symbolize your consecration to the Lord through water emotion. We invite you to come down now.

If there’s no others, we’ll come down and we’ll ask our candidates a few questions and we’ll extend to them the right hand, the fellowship.

We’re going to ask each of you, we’re going to ask the group, we’re going to ask you three questions. They’re not hard questions. The answers are to be easy. You’re able to say yes, nod your head, or no, but anyways. First question.

Do you recognize that you are a member of a fallen race, condemned to death, and as such you have need of a Savior?

Question number two. Have you repented of sin? Do you accept Jesus as your savior? And are you trusting the merit of Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins and your justification?

Number three. Have you made a full, unreserved consecration of your lives, lives and all that you possess to be buried into the sacrificial death of Jesus? And are you running for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus?

On the basis of these answers, it is our privilege to welcome you into the body of Christ, to extend to you the right hand of fellowship in the name of the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brother John, we welcome you to the body of Christ, and the scripture we give to you is Colossians 3, verses 1 through 4. Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your affection on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God and When Christ, who is the light, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.

Brother David, Roman welcome to the body of Christ.

The text we give you is Romans 8, 17 and 18. Now if we are children, then we are heirs. Heirs of God and co heirs with Christ. If we indeed share in his sufferings in order that we may also share his glory, I consider that the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed.

Brother Adam, welcome.

The scripture we we all give you is Psalms 37, verses 39 and 40.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord. He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and he saves them because they take refuge.

Brother John, Charles, we welcome you to the body of Christ, and the Scripture will give you is the 119th Psalm in verses 33 through 35. Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees. Then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the paths of your commands, or there I find the light.

The Lord bless each one of you in your walk and may we all in this congregation help you accept it.

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