Imagine living in a village on the side of a mountain—specifically, in the Himalayas. Every day you open your door, you can see virtually the entire village, and they can see you. People live a simple lifestyle. To be there, is like being in an IMAX movie, as you are surrounded by majestic mountains. Everything seems perfect to an outsider, except for one thing—you are the only Christian, and you are surrounded by hundreds of people who are not.
Today is a special day, because you will be baptized by a Christian Pastor who is traveling to your village. Why is that important? Because until you go down to the river where the entire village can see you get baptized, they still think you are a Buddhist, or a Hindu. The moment you are baptized, they will all see, and know, that you have denounced the local religion, and become a Christian—and then your life will change.
In Mark 16:16, Jesus says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Baptism is not required for entry into Heaven, but in most cultures, it marks a turning point in life. Many believers around the world are not baptized in the safety of the four walls of a church. They do it outside, where everyone can see them—and usually, those people will make their life more difficult because of that decision.
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| Global Infusion Team Nepal (Annapurna Base Camp, 14K feet) |
The Global Infusion medical mission team I just led to Nepal trekked 60 miles through the Himalayan mountains. We treated over 375 patients in multiple villages—with the exception of a handful of believers along the way, these villages are 100% Buddhist or Hindu. We shared the Gospel, we prayed for hundreds, we fed an entire village and our contact and his Pastor assigned to that region now have more influence. Believing and being baptized, as Jesus commanded, is not an easy or flippant decision in areas of the world like this. It could mean a person’s life—both the difficulty of having your entire village against you, or worse.
Pray for the people of Nepal. That the unreached will be reached, and the believers will be protected.
Jonathan Haward, President
Global Infusion
Watch this video from the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal:
Jonathan Haward, President
Global Infusion
Watch this video from the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal:
very inspiring. i was just attending church the other day and they baptised a new beliver by sprinkling water over his head from a small bowl. my friend asked me why they did so, and i tried to answer that it was a sign to show others about the decision made to follow Christ. true to what you said, it is no the physical act that has any powers, but its the baptism of the heart that makes the difference.
ReplyDeletebaptism in public is a wonderful event to be carried out as a proclamation to others, friends and family about the crucial decision made.
thank you for sharing! and keep up the good work for His Kingdom!
God bless!