Baptism

Last weekend, I had the honor and privilege to baptize my good friend Greg Olmstead. I was able to share the gospel with him several months ago and through the witness of many good Christian friends in his life, he was born again and is being completely transformed. Completely!

His testimony was super cool. He wrote a poem which I have included below with his permission.

If anyone is in Christ, the old has gone...

And the new has come! Congrats Greg!
"I was brought into this world of sin,
Struggling to be cool as a youngster.
I'm not really sure where to begin,
No wonder I became a thugster.
Maybe it was when I was just small,
You see father used to drink a lot.
I guess beating me made him feel tall,

So I ain't believing what God got.
So start doing what I think to win,
Lying and stealing to get farther.
In this game of being Satan's twin,
More sex, more drugs, respect gets larger.
Living life high on top of it all,
You could imagine the stuff I bought.
I was tossed when my daughter first crawled.
One day, drove drunk messed up, and got caught.
So many times I tried to live right.
And he found the one, I got married.

Good and evil, evil won the fight.
No grace, still sin, is what I carried.
Now I'm steady struggling to live.
Many homies have gone on their own.
Money tight, more fights, no love to give.
Selfishness and greed, the seeds I've sown.
When I got angry, better watch out,
Had none of that stuff called self-control.
Corner of my eyes, see my kids put.
It seemed tied to a pole was my goal.

Separated from my family,
I believe it was rock bottom.
They say keep faith smiling happily.
I had none, wondered where you got some.
They said prayer and church what I need.
Know I was never one for advice.
But what could hurt the start of a seed,
Or feel the Holy Spirit through Christ.

So I start to go, won't hurt, who knows?
Filled with people who want to help me.
I start praying and then my guilt grows.
Realizing this world is not about me.
And my guilt comes from what I have learned.
Listening, learning the Word of God,
And how Jesus died so I won't burn.

Then one night, I just break down and sob,
I take what I have learned and confess.
I want my soul a shiny engine.
I'm amazed at the way I've been blessed,
That was the making of this Christian.

So now I walk with him in my life,
Looking to him to help all I do.
And getting closer I have less strife,
Feels great everyday that I'm brand new.
So no longer my will, will I force.
I'm going to stand up, never stop.
For now on God will plot my course.
And that seed, now it produces crops.
I'm going to rejoice in his name,
Of His great works and my purity.
Be true to him, my life is no game.
Tell the world of our security,
It is eternal and never ends.
Through Him only, will I get pleasure.
And I will strive to be more like Him,
Cause his love it cannot be measured!"
- Greg Olmstead