This May Be The Most Moving Video You'll See In 2024

The Blessing of Meeting Believers in Travel

Welcome to the program, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Justin Peters. I hope that this finds you and your family doing well today. I want to thank you so much for joining me for this program. Many of you have heard me say before that one of the greatest blessings that has been mine over the years of being an evangelist is that in my travels across the United States, around the world, preaching the gospel, I've had the wonderful opportunity to meet so, so many precious brothers and sisters in Christ, get to meet them, get to know them a little bit and fellowship with them and hear their testimonies.

I had one such opportunity just a couple of weeks ago as of this recording in Sherman, Texas, north of the DFW area there. I was preaching at Sherman Bible Church. The conference began on Friday night and went all day Saturday.

At the end of the conference on Saturday, I got to meet folks. One person I met is a young man by the name of Brandon Maya. I want you to meet Brandon and I want you to see his testimony, hear his testimony.

I've got a video of his baptism that was, I think, eight or nine months ago, within the last year anyway. He is being baptized by the pastor, Steve LeBlanc, who is also a great, great guy. Great church, by the way, if you're looking for a good church and you live in that neck of the woods.

I don't want to say much about this. I just want you to see his baptism and hear his testimony. Just as a little heads up, you might want to have a Kleenex or two within arm's reach. Without any further delay, here is Brandon Maya.

Baptism as an Act of Obedience, Not Salvation

Well, good morning, family. We have the privilege of witnessing a true believer obey the Lord Jesus into the waters of baptism. This is Brandon Maya. As you can see, Brandon has decided to take extenuating circumstances all the way into opportunity and to say, instead of, I have a reason to not be baptized, he's insisted he wants to obey Jesus Christ into the waters of baptism.

Just for clarity, when we see a baptism, we need to remember a couple of things. Number one, this is not salvation. Brandon is saved because Jesus saved him. He heard the gospel and he believed. That was the work of the Holy Spirit that raised him from the dead, seated him in heavenly places with Christ, the Bible says, and gave him eternal life.

His sins are already washed away. What this is, is an outward symbol, an act of obedience that he's doing right here. This is really, in the Bible, the first act of obedience that every Christian is commanded to take, is to follow the Lord in his command for them to be baptized.

If you're not yet baptized, I encourage you church family, listen, that is obedience to Jesus. Once you obey this, everything else becomes easier to obey in the end. If you've not been baptized, you need to do that.

There are no excuses. My brother right here is actually proof of that. This is a symbol of being buried with Christ in death and being raised again to walk in newness of life. The water is a picture of going into the grave, just as Jesus did.

We were crucified with Christ and nevertheless we live. Yet not us, but Christ lives in us. The life that we now live, the life Brandon now lives, Galatians 2 says, he lives by faith in the Son of God who loved him and gave himself up for him.

Brandon Maya’s Testimony of Sin, Suffering, and Grace

Based on that, what I want to do is I want to ask Brandon. He's going to read, as it were, his testimony. What he did was he recorded this earlier. He speaks through an iPad, through some technology, and we've recorded that.

This is Brandon's testimony, brother. We'd love to hear it.

I grew up in a loving Christian home with parents who taught me about Jesus from an early age. However, throughout my young life I battled with sins of the flesh. I kept them secret for many years. For I knew all the verses, I knew Jesus had said in Matthew 5, 27 through 28.

You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. One day on November 4 of 2008 my life was changed.

While a senior in high school, I suffered a massive brain hemorrhage, a colossal blood clot and various many strokes. This affected my entire body and created a whole new set of physical and emotional challenges.

It was during this time through the faithful teaching of the Gospel that I gained a deeper understanding of my sin and my deserved judgment for my sin against God. My hope is in Jesus Christ who came and lived a perfect life and died on the cross and took my judgment on himself.

For I know Jesus had compassion on my life and I also know He has only saved me for His own glory, so that I would be a trophy of His grace. For it is written in Ephesians 2, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God has grown me away from my earlier fleshly desires and now although I continue to battle my current trial, I am living proof that God redeems sinners from their sin and also when there are seemingly impossible circumstances God will give you the strength to press on if you put your trust and hope in Jesus.

A Modified Baptism and a Prayer for Brandon

Well Brandon, this is a little bit different baptism because of medical concerns there's not going to be a full immersion, we have to protect his trachea, but we're going to baptize him over his body and a sponge on his head and guess what?

That's enough for Jesus, He's obeying. Is that right? Brandon brother, based upon your profession of faith, I now baptize you, my brother, in the name of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit, buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life.

Would you agree with me and let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your servant Brandon, thank you for the days that you've given him, thank you Lord for the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus and Lord that he's been obedient in following you into the waters of baptism.

Lord bless him, we pray, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, we look to the day when we dance with him in heaven before your throne. Thank you for your life, death and resurrection, in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen. Let's give the Lord one last hand.

The Grace of God Displayed in a Testimony of Perseverance

That is a beautiful picture of the grace of God and the power of the gospel. Lord willing I will have more to say about Brandon in the relatively near future, but I wanted you to see that. Thank you so much for joining me, dear ones.

Until our next time together, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of his Holy Spirit be with you all.