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Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you

~Matthew 28:19

 

Good Hallelujah morning to you dear sister!

Wow, I am excited for this upcoming Sunday! The first day of a deeper, more fulfilling and exciting walk with our Lord Jesus Christ will begin for our brothers and sisters who are being baptized!

Do you remember the day of your baptism? I sure do! I was 23 years old and very young in the Lord. Although I had been baptized at birth (I was a problem child right from the start), I wanted to publicly declare my commitment to Christ; that I wanted to follow Him all the rest of my life, and look to Him as my Lord and Savior. I felt like I was getting married! 

I did not know the Groom so well yet, but I felt certain of His love and care for me because of all that from which He had already rescued me! Although I couldn’t always understand His Words, His faithful love just kept drawing me into a closer and deeper relationship with Him. I knew I was safe with Him.

So, I was baptised into the family of God! I remember rising from the water feeling soul clean, refreshed and joyful! But that was only the beginning of God’s wonderful gifts to His children! Later that day, the new family members were invited to the Pastor’s house for a time of prayer, a prayer to be baptised not only in water, but in the Holy Spirit! 

Jesus promises that “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

That’s who we are, dear sisters, a people unknown, living in an unimaginable time, on the other side of the earth! The Holy Spirit is still inhabiting God’s people, empowering them to walk in faith, to be making disciples in our present generation, still unto the ends of the earth!

To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the idea of the Holy Spirit of God living in me. I didn’t understand back then that I lacked the compassion, understanding and wisdom needed to make disciples…… I just wanted to follow Jesus! 

Well, I had just ‘married’ myself to Him, so I thought I should probably follow His first instruction to me. So off to the prayer meeting I went. I had read about the apostles speaking with other tongues and, honestly, although the idea of babbling out stuff I didn’t understand wasn’t entirely new to me, I didn’t want to offend God by trying and failing. I was a little nervous.

We came before the Lord with thanksgiving and praise. We prayed to be filled with His Spirit. We sang and rejoiced in all His goodness and blessings… and people started praising or praying in tongues known only to the Lord. I tried (I know you’re dying to know!), but all I could eke out was “Ahboo dobby”.* Abu Dhabi???? Isn’t that a city somewhere on the planet? I felt like I had failed. I felt like I cheated. I hated my weak flesh for not having more faith.

But, when I went home that night, I realized something had changed! As I was reading my big, old King James Bible, I realized that I was understanding what I was reading!! Every text that used to confound me was as clear as day! It was like someone was teaching me! Ah! The holy Light dawned like the rising sun in all his splendor, the Holy Spirit! Thank you God! Thank you Jesus! Thank you Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit has been teaching, guiding, correcting and directing me since that beautiful day. That’s why I’m so excited for my brothers and sisters being baptised! It is their first step on a beautiful, eternal journey! And we get to accompany them on their way!

That reminds me, let us remember that Jesus calls us to make disciples! He’s set these new members of the family right in our own house, so let’s remember to care for them, nurture them and help them along the path that God has ordained for them! 

Hallelujah, it makes my heart dance just to think about it! Please pray with me!

Father God, You are such a loving father, such an amazing God! You look on us with mercy and grace. You forgive us our sins and give us the means to be righteous before you through the blood of your Son and the power of your Holy Spirit! Bless those coming before You to be baptized into Your family. Cause them to flourish like green plants, nourished by your Word to bear good fruit for your kingdom all the rest of their lives! Fill them with Your Holy Spirit so they may spread Your Gospel wherever you send them, that all the world may hear of Your wonderful Name and come to You! For Jesus’ sake, who died for all. Amen.

Keep loving Jesus and moving forward, my sister!

With love, your sister, Celeste

*Only after this writing about my tongues speaking experience did it occur to me to look up what ‘Abu Dhabi’ translates to in English. It means ‘Father of the gazelle or deer.’ The lore goes that, in ancient days, hunters would follow deer because the gazelle or deer would lead them to fresh water. Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” My soul is continually satisfied with my Father’s living streams of water. God is even more good than we can think or imagine!