By:
Shepherd Philip Pizzuco
If you were to ask anyone in the congregation what they are the answer I
would always get would be the same. I am a BAPTIST!
Sadly no one jumps up and down proclaiming I am a CHRISTIAN!
There was a time when "Baptist people" were persecuted, run out of town
and thrown in jail. Those difficult times brought on a need for us to stand
our ground and take pride in a religious belief that was mocked and made a
criminal offense to practice. That pride has since been handed down to us,
who did not experience the effects of persecution but who experience the
looks and mockings of a different kind.
For me it was a family who was forever Catholic, who thought that being
Pentecostal was enough to be put in a sanatarium, much less a religion that
had such strong cult overtones.
Many of us come into contact with other religious people on a daily basis
and the question is always the same: What is a Spiritual Baptist?
It brings out a need to become defensive and fight for what we believe
in, not bowing down to the norm brought about by mainstream Christian
denominations. My religion is the best religion there is!
Every church seems to have it’s own idea of what the religion should be.
It can vary from one pastor to another.
What cannot be up for debate is who we REALLY are. We are Christians
first and Baptists second!
There is no point in arguing the finer points of spirituality and forget
what brought us here to begin with.
Many of us have become caught up in the drama of being Baptists. We seek
knowledge of powers, magic, scrolls, angels, spirits, saints and ignore the
Holy Bible in it’s entirety.
Sure anyone of us can quote psalms, and even some choice verses from the
book of Isaiah, we would rather focus on those things that we think will
give us power to be bigger, better and stronger than the person sitting next
to us.
We speak of walking a road but have no clue what roads Jesus walked.
We manifest spirits in prayer but don’t seek the Holy Spirit in our
lives.
We put on robes and gowns, pretty dresses and oh such wonderful head ties
but scorn the homeless saying that they should get jobs.
We speak ill words of the "least" amongst us and demand respect from all.
The Baptist religion is not based on random spirituality so much as the
Holy Spirit which manifests itself in ways that we can never fully
understand but can only hope to see with it’s help.
What profit is there in stepping over one another to climb the heights of
heaven only to be cast done once you arrive at your destination?
But many of us have become blind to the scripture which warns us of such
things. We skip over the parts that speak of love and forgiveness and look
for the power verses that we feel will help us get what we want and get a
great reaction from the assembly when comes time to preach.
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit is impossible to fully understand.
What we know and see marvels us. With that knowledge we must come to
appreciate that through no labor of our own can begin to achieve what is
even remotely close to understanding it’s mysteries.
I firmly believe that through the worship of the Son of God and by
following the still voice of the Spirit that guides us that more things will
be revealed to us than if we go at it in the pursuit of power and might. For
this reason if asked my answer will be the same: I am a Christian first and
a Baptist second. Mark 8:36
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
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