I got Baptized today....

Today was such a special day!! I've been anticipating this day for over a year.

     It was a beautiful church function with over 300 wonderful people, many of them that I recognized from my 5 months of attending Faith Community Bible Church. My sister Jessica and her family were there, including a bunch of my friends (Joyce, Katie & Kyle, Aaron (Hailey was caught in Idaho City), Dave/Annette/Jackie).

    At 5pm, Pastor Jason brought us all together. There were 16 of us getting baptized. One of them with me was a dear friend from my youth, Kira, who I reconnected with earlier in the year! She's become a great friend as we've attended church and bible studies together. We met under the gazebo at Municipal Park before all of us began sharing our testimony.

I promised I wasn't going to cry but sure enough, as soon as I said I was a mother to Zeplin and Arrowlyn, I lost it. Matt recorded what I said. I tried to keep it to just a couple minutes. (I will post my entire testimony soon)

“Hi, I'm Dessa Clark. I'm a wife to Matt and mother to Zeplin and Arrowlyn  for the past decade I was completely lost to a beautiful life. 

Our turning point came 9 months ago, we experienced a tremendous loss that almost took my life too. 

Once I was physically healed, I wanted to heal spiritually and jumped into the Bible. I wanted to know who God was and why He was keeping me. So, I read. I studied. I asked questions. I joined groups of people who could lead me to the Bible to test my questions in search of the truth.

Then, I read the gospel of John. I focused on the words of Jesus.  John 8:31, Jesus says that if we abide in his word, we will know the truth and the truth will set you free!!  In reading His word, I found freedom from our heart ache and so much more! 

He turned me from a Human “doing” - who believed I needed to earn a spot in His kingdom into a Human "Being", as I can finally rest and just be in Him and the work He did on the cross. Because it's not about what I can do, it's about what He's DONE! And it's not about who I can become, It's about who He IS! 

He is living! He's in control. He is faithful!  He said Himself in John 3:16 that His sacrifice is enough that if we believe in Him, we will not perish! We will have ever lasting life. I know this to be true! 
This baptism is important to me because it's an outward expression of an inward change that He did in me that I couldn't have done for myself."

After we shared our testimonies, we were led down to the river, passed the MK Nature Center. I was so nervous but so excited! I kept reminding myself all of the reasons why I was getting baptized.

- Baptism is important but doesn't save me - my belief, faith and trust in Jesus does! 

- Baptism is an act of showing obedience to God. 

- Baptism identifies us with Christ and the church body.  

- Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. - a New Life (Romans 6:4)

Those of us being baptized all crossed the river and met on the other side. One by one we were called down to be baptized. Jason, our pastor, and his wife Lisa were the ones to baptize me.

And it really was everything I had dreamed, prayed and hoped it would be. I was so happy and relieved. I'd been anticipating this day for so long. Jesus knows my heart and knew that I gave it to Him long ago. I also wanted it out there that I solely a Christian Believer.
Jesus is the creator of all. He was already fully God when He came down to save us! And we must trust Him!!

 

 

There were hundreds of people gathered around the water, on the greenbelt and some even in the water to watch as we all went through our new experience of professing Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. Everything felt connected, right and obedient.

After we were all baptized, Jason prayed for everyone and we went back to the park for the Potluck. All the hugs from the Church family and my own family took the jitters completely away. Even my husband felt like we had found a home within this wonderful church body.

All of our friends/family stayed for the dinner and we enjoyed each others company but because we all had children starting school the next day, most everyone had to head home before 8pm.


I'm so grateful to have found a season in my life where my soul can rest in Jesus forever. My identity is no longer my own - I am forgiven. I am grateful to have been called to repentance and love.

So here's a question for you.... HOW DO YOU REJOICE IN THE TRUTH THAT CONDEMNS YOU?
I ask myself this question every day..... and today was an answer.