Daily devotion for August 11th
A Great Work
I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?

Nehemiah 6:3b
These erstwhile enemies suddenly become Nehemiah's friends and invite him to a conference down on the plain of Ono. It is located down on the seacoast near the Gaza strip. But Nehemiah senses danger: they were scheming to harm me he says (Nehemiah 6:2). Some commentators suggest that they were trying to trick him into leaving Jerusalem, where he had armed support, to come to a conference where they could set upon him and perhaps kill him. Nehemiah evidently senses this. He firmly declines, saying, I am carrying on a great project, and I cannot go down.

That is a great answer. Note the reasons he gives. On the surface it seems a surly response to their invitation to meet together. It sounds brusque and blunt. But Nehemiah sees through their scheme and refuses to go along, even though they pressure him four different times.

You too may experience continuing pressure to change your mind and go along with something that is wrong. Many have fallen after a proper refusal simply because they gave in to repeated pressure. But Nehemiah persists in his refusal. Here is his reason: I am doing a great work, he says. I have a great calling. God has committed a tremendous project to me, and if I leave, it will be threatened.

One of the most helpful things that we can do to resist temptation is to remember that God has called us to a great task. This is true of every believer in Christ. I do not care how young or how old you are in the Lord, you are called to a tremendous work today. That task is to model a different lifestyle so that those who are being ruined by wrongful practices will see something that offers them hope and deliverance. If they see in you peace in the midst of confusion, an invisible support that keeps you steady and firm under pressure, they will learn that there is another way to live than the destructive way they have chosen. That is the great work that God has called us to. We ought never to give allegiance to anything less.

I read years ago of a missionary in China, a capable young man who did a great job as a linguist and diplomat in his work for the Lord. His abilities were so outstanding that one of the American companies in China tried to hire him. They offered him an attractive job with a salary to match, but he turned them down. He told them that God had sent him to China as a missionary and that was what he was going to do. He thought that would end the matter, but instead they came back with a better offer and an increase in salary. He turned that down too, but again they came back, doubling the salary that had originally been proposed. Finally he said, It's not your salary that is too little. It's the job that's too small!

This is what Nehemiah is saying here. He has a great work, and he is not going to forsake it for anything less. He is confronted with an offer that seems to promise peace and support and yet is filled with danger, which he successfully avoids by refusing to leave his calling.

Father, You have given me a great work to do. Help me to see through the seeming golden opportunities that come my way to divert me from that which You have called me to do.

Matthew 18:1-10

The Importance of the Child.

Many churches and believers have no clue how urgent and important this passage is. Jesus has just cast a demon from a child and that child is recovering from that possession. Is it possible that when Jesus says “this child” he is discussing the child from whom He had just cast the demon from because they are all still standing there when the disciples decide to bring up the subject of who the greatest in the Kingdom will be? Absolutely.

Jesus is warning them with the strongest type warning that exists. He tells them that unless they have the humility of a child, they won't even get close to God's kingdom. A change has to occur from within to make that possible because a child won't be having the pride and stubbornness to fight against God that a sinful adult would.

But one thing the progressive churches choose to fail to recognize is this: there is a very deliberate focused choice on the part of confessed Satanists to target children for sexual or sacrificial uses. And part of that use has been the inclusion of homosexuality into modern American life. It is seen as ‘evil’ to exclude gays from public discourse and discrimination to call it a sin.

Even now there are believers being arrested in the UK for even standing in prayer publicly, but for a parade of LGBTQ dancers to dance through the streets yelling “WE'RE HERE. WE'RE QUEER. AND WE'RE COMING FOR YOUR CHILDREN!” is perfectly acceptable.

If that doesn't show you that the source for all these political pro-gay pushes of the last 50 years were all from the same source, Satan, nothing will convince you. Satan's strategy has always been found in aiming for the youth, the future of a nation.

The elite power structure of our nation, our world, is predicated on a set of pagan demonic influences. To deny the immense power that a set of elite pedophiles clearly has in this country, in this world, is ignoring evidence that has been slapping us in the face since the days of the Clinton presidency.

The worship of Satan has not changed from the beginning. Infants are offered up and murdered in rituals that the leaders of our nation participate in. In ancient times it was a bronze statue that was heated white hot before an infant was placed upon it and burned alive. Today, Satan demands a sacrifice of the eldest child and many of the Baphomet worshipping elites offer that child in dedication to the service of Baphomet.

The child is either made a blood offering in ritual sacrifice at birth (as in ancient times) and is eaten alive or is made a servant of Baphomet, requiring the castration of the eldest son. Does the fervor behind the trans-ideology begin to make sense yet amongst the political and Hollywood elites?

It is Satanic. It is evil. And Jesus said the world would be a better place if those people would be launched into the deepest part of the sea with a ton-sized rock tied to their necks. These are the people who a generation ago said all they wanted was a cake and now are actively marching through the public streets chanting about being after the children.

It's always been about gaining access to the children. From the push to legalize gay adoptions to the increased efforts to dress in drag and read to children it has ALWAYS been about abusing kids. And Jesus tried to warn us. Our stance against homosexuality is for the express purpose of protecting the children because they have shown a consistent propensity of targeting our children.

It's time to stop attempting to avoid the subject in order to not offend people. Children are being raped, victimized and it's allowed to continue for fear of angering a trans-activist. The Hell that awaits for those who rape children, including former President's, movie stars etc is one that surely will cause eternal regret on their part. Jesus said it'd be better if the ones who are out to victimize children were being actively drowned In the sea.

If your church affirms trans-kids it's because someone at the church wants to rape them. Period. And Jesus says that God will give extra consideration toward their punishment because the angels watch them closely. So the cowards who refuse to stand on biblical teaching to appease will suffer the same fate as those who actively did abuse children. And the followers of that ‘church’ will endure the same Hell the rapists will.

Do you understand the warnings now? How important it is to adhere to scripture rather than cave to current political pressure in the interests of not offending pedophiles? Do you see that Satan is working overtime because he knows his time is short? Do you realize that evil doesn't even hide anymore?

If even just 10 years ago you had said that there would be a time when grown adult professionals would be too afraid to admit that a man couldn't get pregnant you would have been laughed out of the room. If 5 years ago a male high school student had dressed as a girl to enter the girls restroom, then raped a female student, and the high school had transferred him instead of arresting him where he then raped another female student all to avoid offending this “trans-student” and/or his litigious parents…oh wait, this did happen 5 years ago.

The reason that this society has degenerated so quickly into utter insanity is all because Satan is consolidating his efforts. He knows Jesus is on His Way and in a matter of seconds it will be over for him. The current idea of gays aligning their ideology to be so anti-god that they plan trips in support of Hamas or Gaza over Israel or God's chosen people betrays the truth.

Both Palestinian Muslims and Gay activists hate Israel, because Israel is the nation God chose to bless the world through. But Palestinian Muslims execute homosexuals regularly. So why do the gays align with a group who would murder them? Because the source of both is Satan, they are aligning against God. If you want to know if you are on the ungodly side of an argument consider who ELSE supports that view.

Join us today for our 24 hour prayer and fasting day at Lordsbook on the Porch Ministries page.




[1] At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” [2] And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, [3] and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5] And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me; [6] but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea. [7] “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes! [8] “And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. [9] And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell. [10] “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel … Whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would … encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel … they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites.

Judges 6:2–6 ɴᴋᴊᴠ

Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord, and He had delivered them into the hand of enemy peoples. While Midian is the main enemy here, we note that they are joined by Amalekites and the people of the East. Satan has many arrows in his quiver, as it were, and seldom uses only one of them against believers.

Notice too how thorough their attack was. They came from east of the Jordan River, even east of the land given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. They passed through the entire land to Gaza, a Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea still well-known today as the main city in the Gaza Strip.

What did these enemies do? They destroyed the produce of the earth leaving no sustenance for Israel. They entered the land to destroy it, greatly impoverishing Israel. God does not present these enemies as enjoying or even using Israel’s food supply for themselves, but rather as deliberately destroying it.

This is still the enemy’s tactic today: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (Jn. 10:10). He robs the Christian of the God-given food for his soul—Christ! He does not appreciate, enjoy, or want for himself what God gives the Christian for his daily food. How can he appreciate Christ? How can he appreciate the Bible which speaks of Christ in His loveliness and worth? Impossible! The forces of Satan will ever seek to deprive Christians of that which will strengthen them.

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.


https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-06

Acts 8:

"1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea."

When Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza in October 2023, lots a buzz erupted among prophecy enthusiasts that it might be the Gog-Magog Battle predicted by Ezekiel. The information I shared in a blogcast at the time still holds pertinent information some three years later:

https://templatesoftruth.podbean.com/e/middle-east-crisis-is-it-gog-magog/

VICTORY BEGINS WITH ONE ACT OF OBEDIENCE

Many believers spend years asking God to remove things He already gave them authority to drive out. Then they wonder why nothing changes.

Joshua told Judah to go and possess the land. Judah believed him. They didn't stop to explain why the enemies were difficult. They fought one city, then another, then another. Hebron. Debir. Zephath. Gaza. Ashkelon. Ekron. Victory after victory because they acted on what they had heard.

Victory produces more victory. Every time you obey God and overcome one battle, your confidence grows for the next one. But defeat works the same way. If you keep accepting defeat, it becomes easier to accept the next one.

Many people hear the Word every week. They agree while they are sitting in the meeting. Then they leave and continue listening to the same thoughts that defeated them before. They obey their fears instead of obeying God.

Faith is not just refusing to get knocked down. Faith is getting back up and obeying again.

When you fail, don't conclude that nothing works. Stand up. Correct what God told you to correct. Stop holding your sword the wrong way. Stop injuring yourself through disobedience. Turn the sword around and use it properly.

The promises of God are inherited through faith and perseverance. That means you keep obeying until the victory comes (Hebrews 6:12).

Don't let one defeat convince you to live with what God told you to overcome.
Just obey and see what happens next.

Shalom!

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

Genesis 10:1-32

Nations Descended from Noah

These are the descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; children were born to them after the flood. The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The descendants of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the descendants of Japheth in their lands, with their own language, by their families, in their nations. The descendants of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Egypt became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, from which the Philistines come. Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterwards the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These are the descendants of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. The descendants of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The descendants of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the descendants of Joktan. The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country of the east. These are the descendants of Shem, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. These are the families of Noah’s sons, according to their genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=6912617385068819777

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 1ST JULY 2026

TOPIC: DON’T LOSE YOUR SIGHT

MEMORIZE:
"Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;" Psalm 13:3 (KJV)

BIBLE READING: JUDGES 16:4-26
4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

MESSAGE:
In today’s Bible reading, Delilah manipulated Samson into revealing the secret of his strength, then she passed it on to the Philistines.

Armed with this information, the Philistines shaved off his hair while he was asleep on her knees, captured him, plucked out his eyes, and imprisoned him.

However, after a while, his hair began to grow again, but he never regained his sight.

The same man who killed a lion with his fists, killed a thousand people with the jawbone of an ass, and carried the heavy gates of a city up a hill, now needed a young boy to guide him so he wouldn’t trip and fall because of his involvement with a Philistine woman against God’s law.

Those who toy with sin are in grave danger of losing their sight like Samson.

The devil and his cohorts are referred to as the rulers of the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6.12), and they want everyone to live in darkness with them.

This is why they will stop at nothing to make believers lose their spiritual sight.

Christians who lose their spiritual sight often begin to call good ‘evil’ and evil ‘good and become slaves to the things they had once conquered.

This is why a man of God who had once preached against sin, for example, can turn around to say that adultery is not a sin.

Such a fellow might even misquote Scriptures to justify his blindness. The devil often causes believers to lose their spiritual sight by exploiting their weaknesses and causing them to fall into sin, as he did with Samson.

Before Samson fell, the Philistines studied him carefully to discover his weakness, and they noticed that he had a lustful desire for women, so they connived with Delilah to bring him down.

Likewise, the devil studies people to discover their weaknesses, so he can tempt them into committing sin, and then take their spiritual sight. Don’t fall into his trap!

Beloved, do you find yourself falling into some particular sins repeatedly? Are you living in sin while still trying to show up like a devoted Christian?

Don’t let satan succeed in removing your spiritual eyes so he can imprison you.

Approach God in humility and ask for His help. He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), and His grace will help you overcome sin (Romans 614).

May you never lose your sight, in Jesus’ name.

KEY POINT:
Don’t toy with sin so you don’t lose your spiritual sight.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: PROVERBS 4-7

AUTHOR PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMNAL 34: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION
1. Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

2. Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

Refrain:

3. To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through

Refrain:

Water Baptism NKJV
Meaning of Baptism
Romans 6:1-11 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
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.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Why Water Baptize?
1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,
who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
There is also an antitype which now saves us--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,
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
Be Serious
Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of ahnds, or resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgemnt.
Adn this we will do if God permits.
Hebrew 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Jews/ Jesus
Acts 2:36-39 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
"For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
Gentiles One
Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh of hands--
that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were afar off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Can You Be Water Baptized? story
Acts 8:26-40 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza," This is desert.
So he arose and went, And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
Then the spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
The place in the Scripture which he read was this; "He was lead as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?"
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water, What hinders me from being baptized?"
Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
But Philip was found at Azotus, And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Commission
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
"teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Commission Reaffirmed
Mark 16:14-18 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
And He said to them, "Go into all the world as preach the gospel to every creature.
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
"And these signs will follow those who believe; In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
"they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Commission Witness Israel
Acts 10:36-43 "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--
"that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached;
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
"And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
"Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
"not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
"To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remissions of sins."
Let's go do it
Acts 22:14-16 "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.
'For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

Juman Al Qawasmi was once married to a Hamas member in Gaza. She says her father was among the founders of the group. Raised in an environment that taught hatred toward Israel, Jews, and Christians, she later began questioning everything she had been taught.
In the midst of confusion and fear, Juman cried out:
"God, if You exist, I want to know You. I want to meet You, because deep inside I know there is a God."
She later said that she saw Jesus in a dream, and He spoke to her in Arabic:
"You are My daughter. Don't be afraid."
Through an Egyptian website, she learned more about Jesus and was amazed to discover that He taught His followers to love their enemies. She also learned that many Muslims around the world report seeing Jesus in dreams.
Juman declared:
"I am no longer the daughter of Hamas. I am a daughter of the Living God."
Her story is presented as a testimony of transformation, illustrating the belief that no ideology, hatred, or darkness is beyond the reach of Jesus Christ.