Baptized In the Name Of Jesus Christ

Baptized In the Name Of Jesus Christ
A testimony by Daniel Pivano

Growing up as a catholic I knew about Jesus Christ but did not KNOW Jesus Christ and what He did for me and the whole world! I did not know that all I had to do was to put my trust in Him and follow Him to gain eternal life. We were taught that Jesus died on a cross but I thought that He had received a bad brake. I was not aware that Jesus was both God Himself and man Who was begotten of the Father, came to earth to die on that cross and be raised from the dead to take the penalty of my sins away, wash me clean and seal me with His Holy Spirit.

As I grew my teenage years through my early 20's were centered on drinking etc until the following happened to me.

At the age of 22 I watched a change of a fellow worker at Grumman Aerospace Corp where we built the F-14 fighter jet for the US Navy. His name was Tony and was a real tough hippie sort of a guy, long hair past his waist, drugs, girls and so on. One day I saw this same Tony reading a Bible while working on his milling machine. His hair was cut and he seemed different. I worked a few feet away from him with other guys. After a week or so the guys I worked with started to make fun of Tony and amongst themselves would call him a Jesus freak. I became curious about this change in him and went to talk with him one day. I said something like " Tony are you reading a Bible? He said yes and got down from the milling machine and began to explain that he had gone to a church and received Jesus as his savior. I really did not know what it meant but I was impressed with this different Tony. As time went on and a few more talks with Tony I remember working one day and asking God this, "Holy Spirit change me like you changed Tony". That's all I knew how to pray at the time. Little by little after that prayer I started to read the Bible and attend church. As time went on I asked Jesus into my heart and later on was water baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but not in the Name of JESUS!

Believe me there is a difference!

About 5 or 6 years later after some really rough times I backslid. I fell back into my old ways and lived that way for a number of years until I was brought back to my spiritual senses by God. He mercifully brought me to a church where I was baptized in the Name of Jesus.

Immediately as I came up out of the water I knew something that I never experienced before had happened.

 

From that moment, drinking, cursing, lying, etc was gone! I mean gone! My whole attitude was rearranged and changed where I now wanted to serve God and hungered after Him like never before!

 

Coming out of the water all I could do was lift up my arms towards the sky praising and thanking God!

This change has not left me but increased! Since then doors have opened up for me that were closed where I can serve God. 

No I did not speak in tongues, they will come, but first I needed cleaning up spiritually. The Lord Jesus Christ took all the stumbling blocks out of my way. I was going down the tubes and most likely headed for hell. Thank the Almighty God for His mercy, kindness forgiveness and rescue from my folly!

 

Like I said years ago I was water baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost but not in the Name of Jesus!!!.  No change like this ever took place in me before in my life!

Now I walk with Jesus in newness of life, I walk now after the Spirit, not after the flesh, Praise God!!! This dramatic change that God has so graciously done in me will last till He calls me home.

 

Daniel Pivano

Dpivano@msn.com

 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 

John 14:6
NKJV