“What does my baptism mean to me? It means that I am born again into Christ Jesus & the Forever Family! And that I will have a new and better life with Jesus our Lord and Savior, Amen. And the Angels are going to sign my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. My life by faith will be blessed by God.”
– C.D.M 2/2020
BEHOLD!
Death! I was born in death.
Cursed! Sin lived and thrived inside me. “Hell raiser”!
Behold! Light! Marvelous Light!
Behold Birth! A quickening of the Spirit, if you will!
Death! Behold the “Hell raiser” buried.
Behold!! Resurrection! I have been resurrected!
Behold a new man!
Risen! Behold a new man!
A New Man Risen in Christ!
Behold!!
C.H.
Holliday Unit Baptism
09-30-2018
I’ve never been baptized.
I’ve never truly found God until I gave it all to Him.
I’ve sold drugs, had everything that money can buy,
but was empty on the inside.
Me being baptized means I’m giving everything to God.
The ups and downs of my life is no more!
I will walk by faith, not by sight.
Being baptized to me is more than just going under water.
It’s a way of life! Meaning no more half-stepping and letting
God be in the back seat.
Once I get out, it’s letting God take over my life completely,
whatever His will is I’m willing to do.
I will follow His Word, so if I fall,
I can go back on what He says and know God forgives me.
– T.D.
I would like to give thanks first and foremost to the Lord, my Lord Jesus Christ. My name is B.W. and I am an inmate in TDCJ. Although I am arrested, the Spirit of God cannot be limited by any man made barriers or obstacles. I have used this time of focus to draw closer to God and get a better relationship with him through obedience, fellowship and prayer.
PS I was attending our church service, they announced that we would have the wonderful opportunity to get baptized. I did not think anything of it at first until I heard a preacher come out and speak about what baptism means. I had already had a strong love for God and what his son did for me at Calvary. Me and Jesus already had a growing relationship. Just like when a couple gets married and walks down the aisle and commits the love one another publicly, it was time for me and Jesus to get married. Just like a married couple that was in our first time meeting or our first in brace or our first talk or our first walk together. It was a declaration that he is mine and I am his till forever. So I want to thank everyone who made this possible. I want to thank Chaplain’s office for Pastor Carl Etchison, the 40 other brothers who made that decision with me and whoever else made this possible. Most importantly I want to thank God for touching everyone’s heart to move forward with one cause and that’s Jesus!
Peace, love and blessings to you all.
– B.W., Taken By God
First off I want to say thank God for my baptism. My baptism represents a new beginning in my life, where I had become a new creation cleansed from all unrighteousness. It also means I have made a new commitment to the father. This is now more than ever a time to pick up my cross and do the will of God! I am refreshed and excited about this new proclamation I have made.
I also have been raised in his likeness with the authority that he has promised me. I know I can do all things due to the power of God and his word and be a light to the world. My baptism not only reminds me of this, but empowers me to do this as well. Thank you for the opportunity to be baptized. Know that I have taking it seriously and it has changed me from the inside out.
– M.S.
My baptism
My baptism meant to me a new beginning. A fresh start to a new life. A new me. I can’t forget about my pass and be a new man in Jesus Christ. Thank you.
– R.M.
What it means to me
The great day has come for me and my brothers to repent for our sins, burdens flow from us like the river of life cleansing are mind, heart for a new beginning.
As the sins are washed away like the rain that falls from the heavens obedience and being strong in the word forms a closer relationship with the father.
Since I’ve been incarcerated I begin a new era of thinking in my baptism and giving my life to Jesus. God Bless, C.V.
Dear Church, Thank you for coming to the Holiday unit so I could be baptized. I really appreciate you. Chaplain Jasper presented me with a really nice certificate I proud of.
God Bless You. Sincerely, J.R.
What’s being baptized means to me.
To me it means the start of a new life, clearing me from all my sins and shortcomings, making my walk with God stronger and opening my eyes letting me know there’s more better life long choices with God than being stuck in the same rut I was in because my way wasn’t working and I know his way will work all the time, so I’m blessed to say thank you and Mr. Carl cause this God-fearing man will be spreading the work of God for a long time. Amen
P.S. Always keep God first
Thank you, and God Bless, K.F.
“As many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death.” (Roman 6:3)
Baptism Notes
The baptismal ordinance is tied to the cross. The baptism is a reenactment of what happened at Calvary. When we stand in the water our bodies Stephen just like in death. Our eyes close just like in death, and we stop breathing just like in death. Then like a burial we are buried by the power of someone else’s arms in need of their strengths. We are completely covered up just like a burial.
Then we are raised up by the power of another just like a resurrection. Our eyes open just like a resurrection, and we begin to walk in a newness of life just like it will be in the day of resurrection. Immersion provides a perfect picture of what happened at Calvary. You cannot understand baptism without understanding what happened at Calvary.
– W.W.
I am sitting in prison on a 15 year sentence.
O on the night of January 20, 2019, I was helping men as they got in and out of the baptistry. As I was doing that, I was praying for each of the men and also for my family. You see, I was going to wait until when I got out of prison and then be baptized together with my wife; (but as of this time I haven’t heard from my wife in eight months). So I thought, what would it hurt to go ahead and do what I needed to do for Christ?
I went to see if there was a change of clothes that would fit me, and there was not. So I walked over to Carl and told him that I wanted to do this, too, but they didn’t have dry clothes in my size. Carl said: “If your heart’s right, that shouldn’t matter. Surrender is all about Jesus and what you do for him.”
And I thought, he is right. No matter how cold it was that night (40 degrees); I’m going to humiliate myself for Jesus and do this for him, and that is all that kept going through my mind. Jesus gave his life for me and humiliated himself for us, so why can’t I do it for him? So I just walked away not telling anyone. Carl went over to the mic and was talking, while I was getting ready to give my whole life to God.
I was praying to God: “I’m ready to lay my life down for you because I love you and I want nothing more in my life than you.” So I got into the water (after 45 other men) and did what I had to do, for Jesus. I surrendered my life to God.
I thank Carl for pushing me to do what I did that night and showing me about the importance of life, and how Jesus will lead us through our problems if we will just lay our life down to him.