New Life And What It Means To Me, John C. Mac Iver

This Sunday November 22, 2009 something inside me changed and I am going to try to explain it. If you are of a Catholic, Lutheran, etc. and you baptise babies you may not understand. If you are Baptist, Pentecostal, or most Non-Denominational you will understand as we believe that baptism is an outward sign of an inward change of heart. Therefore it can only be done to adults or a child who understands it's symbolism; Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
I was baptised shortly after I was saved at 13 years old but I didn't do it because I understood all it's implications, I did it because I wanted to be a member of Manahawkin Baptist Church. So as an adult I came to understanding of what baptism really meant. So all of my adult life I have wanted to be re-baptised or in my case baptised with understanding. The only problem for me was that it never felt right until this past Sunday.
I was visiting with my wife her church called Liquid Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I knew before I went that they were doing a baptism and I was curious about how they were going to do it in a hotel. I did not expect however that they would offer an open baptism, which would be offered to anyone who wanted to take that step of faith.
Well my dear Hearts, I was finally ready and after 26 years of wanting to and not feeling that I was in the right place, everything changed, and I lined up for spontaneous baptism.
The church was great they had like an assembly set up to take me through the process. First they lead me to two women volunteers; one interviewed me and the other recorded and edited it. That became my testimony that some Australian guy read before i was immersed. They had everything and to my surprise they had it in my size! They gave me swim trunks, a Liquid tee shirt and flip flops. They took me to a room to change and gave me instructions. They took great detail to make sure that I knew what I was doing and why.
My testimony included how my sin eventually lead me into prison and I felt like I was being cleansed from my dark secret. I truly believed, and still believe that when I came out of that water I was a new person. I also felt it was a wake-up call to those who would judge me based on my past. And now they can do what they like because God has forgiven me and has made me new despite what my critics might say.
So that's it I feel clean, excited and free, for the first time in many years maybe for the first time ever. God bless you all for reading this long testimony!