Archive for baptism

Believe… A Phil Kulis Series

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Phil Kulis with tags , , , , , , on April 1, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to Part 8 and the final installment of Phil’s series.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋, 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌

The Christian life is to believe “in” the Gospel which is “Immanuel” – God with us.

Romans 10:9-10 …if you 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬 with your mouth the Lord Jesus and 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Jesus accomplished perfect obedience to God in the Law and performed miracles. He remained obedient unto death and exited the Old Covenant. He was the only person able to say, “It is finished”. Because of His righteous act, death has no legal claim on Him. Ever.

This is why God resurrected Him. It is proof that the Old Covenant of Sin and Death is finished.

An open Bible in the foreground with a wedding ring on top, featuring a glowing cross in the background against a sunset sky and flying doves.

When we believe “in” Him, He who is the New Covenant Representative we are betrothed, engaged. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we are being prepared for the Wedding.

We know we have the Holy Spirit when we exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Just as Jesus is the 2nd Adam, He remained faithful and finished the covenant. We the Church are the 2nd Eve. Even though we’ve sinned we are protected by His perfect, permanent, irrevocable, eternal grace of Him doing everything right.

Even though the Church has sinned, our sins don’t fall to us. Because of His obedience we are protected by the New and Everlasting Covenant between Jesus and God that can’t be broken because by His grace “it is finished”.

John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

That’s the Good News.

As someone betrothed, engaged to be married, our duty is to remain faithful until the wedding.

He is waiting for us on the other side.

Believe

Leave a comment »

Baptism… A Phil Kulis Series

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Phil Kulis with tags , , , , , , , on March 25, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to Part 7 of Phil’s series.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋, 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌

𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦

What many people call “getting saved” is actually accepting a marriage proposal from God. We state a willingness to be in covenant with God (the one between the Father and Jesus). At the point we accept that proposal we are engaged, betrothed. The “promissory ring” of the engagement is the gift of the Holy Spirit who teaches us about Jesus. But we aren’t married until the Wedding. The wedding is not in this body, and it’s not on this earth. It’s in Heaven in Revelation 19.

In this body on this earth we’re still in the broken covenant we were born into from Adam. We have to exit that old covenant. That means dying. “Till death do we part.”

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,…

Death and the afterlife is something we will all face. So it’s a good idea to prepare for it by rehearsing your mindset before it happens.

What then is baptism? Is it just a rinse in water to remove some dirt from your body? No, it’s much more than that.

𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 to prepare you for your death, which is the exit from the covenant that Adam broke, and then to resurrection, being “born again” into eternal life in Christ Jesus. It consists of a few simple elements:

* Your declaration of faith

* Your simulated death and burial

* Your simulated resurrection

Depending on your circumstances, declaring your faith moments before you die might not be possible. It may occur suddenly or while you’re unconscious. So it’s a good idea to “bank” your statement of faith. Make it known to yourself so you’re confident. And make it known to others so they can have peace when you’re gone.

The Apostle Peter explains that baptism is so you may be at peace, having a good conscience toward God before you die.

1 Peter 3:21 “…baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”

Jesus Himself referred to His death as a “baptism”.

Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Jesus wasn’t talking about us wearing a piece of jewelry, He was talking about following Him to our baptism through death and resurrection into eternal life. Not the rehearsal, the real thing. This is why the rehearsal is so important. Because when death comes it will be the ultimate test.

The question of whether or not “the thief on the cross” next to Jesus had to be baptized is simply answered by recognizing that he wasn’t rehearsing.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3-5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

It’s not just dying and resurrecting that we rehearse with baptism, from that point on it is a rehearsal of our “walk in the newness of life” for eternity. So that when we cross over into eternity we will be familiar with it because we have rehearsed the walk. Our previous sinful lifestyle simply isn’t appropriate there. We should start getting rid of it now.

Our physical death is the exit from this covenant of sin and death that we are born into from Adam. Our bodies have already been corrupted by sin. We have to shed this mortal existence to be free of it. We wouldn’t want eternal life in a body that continually sins and decays!

1 Corinthians 15:53-54 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Through our true baptism of death and resurrection we are “born again” into eternal life.

John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Leave a comment »

Straight Talk… The Trinity, Baptism and Resurrection, Featuring Rodna Epley

Posted in Gospel, Rodna Epley with tags , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2018 by paulthepoke

Rodna LightIn Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ baptism something amazing happened when Jesus was submerged into the water. Scripture tells that He “came up immediately from the water” as if what they saw was miraculous. It should have taken the normal time to come up after being dunked with the baptizer helping, but in Jesus’ case something supernatural raised Him up, making people take note of it and make record of it. It wasn’t normal. In fact, the heavens opened at the same time, the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove and the voice of the Father spoke. Have you ever been curious as to what raised Jesus up out of the water so quickly that people wanted to record it? Scripture tells us. Here’s the story as recorded in Matthew 3:13-17…

JesusBaptism

Matthew 3:13-14 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

Matthew 3:15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

Matthew 3:16-17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The baptism was more than symbolic of His death because everything Jesus did was prophetic. In fact, the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit the Prophecy.

Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

His baptism was not only a “fulfillment of all righteousness” but it set the prophetic timer on His own death and resurrection. His own words were to later set the alarm clock to be raised from the dead 3 days after He was crucified when He declared…

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

resurrection-2

But, at His baptism in the Jordan River, 3 years prior to His death, the One’s who were present at His baptism were the same One’s present at Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Scripture tells us who and what that was…

  1. The glory of the Father raised Jesus from the dead. “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
  2. The Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)
  3. The Power of God raised Jesus from the dead. “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1:19-20)
  4. Jesus’ own prophetic words raised Jesus from the dead. “Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) and “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18)

So that which raised Christ from the dead is that which raised Him up out of the water: The glory of the Father, the Spirit of God, the Power of God, and Jesus’ own prophetic words. In the case of His baptism, those words were most likely “Let it be so for now, for it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

But don’t miss the fact that the baptism and death and resurrection were all initiated by the Father of glory. Through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we as Sons of the Kingdom are restored to our Father and restored to His glory.

I just think it’s so interesting how all of the Trinity was present and participated at both events, and that the Father bestowed all glory and honor upon His Son. It’s also extremely important to understand and know that Jesus gave us the same glory the Father gave Him before the world was so that we could all become one as the Bride of Christ (John 17:5,22,23) following in His pattern. Just wow! Consider the implications of all that…

God is a Genius isn’t He?! Have a blessed day saints! <3

Leave a comment »