On Sunday 24 April our small Inspire house church in Wilmore headed down to a local creek to baptise two of our ‘family’. It was a precious moment in the history of Inspire because for both baptismal candidates the Inspire fellowship has been significant in their decision to take to the waters of baptism.
And it was a remarkable occasion as we got to baptise people in living, running water. It was very cold water after heavy rains storms the day before, but somehow even that was a mark of the magnitude of the act of baptism that both the baptismal candidates and the people baptising them were willing to brave the cold to follow Jesus into the flowing waters.
Gathering
Worship
The baptismal candidates each chose a song.
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I am surrounded
By the arms of the Father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance
We’ve been liberated
From our bondage
We’re the sons and the daughters
Let us sing our freedomYou split the sea
© Jonathan David Helser, Joel Case, Brian Mark Johnson, Bethel Music 2015
So I could walk right through it
My fears are drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am a child of God
Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never failsI know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercy for me everyday
Your love never failsYou stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morningAnd when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that You love meYour love never fails
©Jesus Culture, writers: Martin H Frederiksen, Dallas Hendry Smith, Daniel William Craig, David Charles Benedict, Jeremy Hora
Testimony
“My God is at work in me. Always has been. But it takes eyes to see and ears to hear to recognize His Spirit who is on the move. As I was reading one morning, my heart felt so convicted of the half hearted life I’ve been living. My heart came under great conviction and tears came. As I read the words Jesus was saying to his Son “My Son, my beloved in whom I’m well pleased.” It’s just been in this past year through the Inspire fellowships that I was even able to receive that I was “His beloved.” I could never see myself as that. I’ve been raised my whole life in church and had many emotional highs but never fully accepted His love for me. I have always been wrestling and trying to figure it out.
That morning when I read the words, “In whom I’m well pleased,” shame fell over me feeling like my Lord could not say the same of me. My held head down. Rightfully so! A lot I’m not proud of. BUT the Lord kept illuminating the words in what I was reading. It was like the Lord’s deep, deep love just came and met me on those pages. The Lord reminded me of truth of how much He loves me. He reminded me that I was no longer to live under the condemnation of the law but in His Grace, made possible through his Son without blemish who by his wounds “I AM HEALED!” Isaiah 53:5.
I’m NO LONGER TO LIVE AS SOMEONE WHO HAS NO HOPE. I have lived more hopeless and broken in my 40 years of life. I have always had much compassion to tell others Jesus loved them, but not fully realizing how much HE LOVED ME! I’ve chased after this deep longing for love. but searched for it among people, when the whole time everything I’ve desired is what he offers in FULL! His people do offer it “in part,” but everyone I meet is but a mere taste of who Jesus is!
On that morning I was truly experiencing “my chains ARE GONE, I’ve been set free!” I recalled the hymnal song, “I have decided to follow Jesus , no turning back, no turning back!” I’m not broken anymore! Yes under the flesh and law I am, but under Gods great love, I’m FREE!! My past does not define me. My sin does not define me. It is because of His stripes, I’ve been healed! He told me yesterday to “live loved.” Today he whispered “never live unloved again.” He proudly calls me his daughter! As Paul said, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Phil 3:8
All this is to say, I feel I’ve encountered my Jesus. I couldn’t say ‘yes’ to baptism before because I felt that I needed to “get right first” and I’ve not been in right relationship with Jesus. I’ve not used my life and my days in an honoring way because I have lived more from my flesh, burdened by yokes of slavery and my woundedness. BUT as of today He told me “my mercies are new each morning.” I was reminded that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for me!” It’s not about getting it right and then I will help you. No, He says, ‘Come in the chains that bind you and I will set you free.” Today HE DID! I’m walking NEW TODAY!”
Baptism in Water
Baptism in the Spirit – Prayer
Celebrating!
