My Baptism

This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in Him. Today (27 July) is the day I got baptised a year ago. So I am effectively 1 year old in my new Spirit today. I was prompted by the Holy Spirit in at the start 2008 to be baptised. At that stage I did not belong to any church and did not quite understand how and where God intended for me to be baptised. All I knew is that I must be baptised just like John the Baptist has done with Jesus Christ. I also knew that I had to obey the instruction of God, so I trusted Him to open up doors for me.
My walk with the Lord was by grace and His love for me. God was forever faithful and my nature was a nature of sinful ways and I could even justify my sinful life as it was clear that God loves me. However, the Holy Spirit wanted me to become Christ like. For that I had to turn to God and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour. I had to repent of my sins and turn to God to be forgiven (Mark 1:4).

Let me tell you how it happened that I got baptised.
Incidentally on this day is also my sister’s (Chantal) birthday and she was scheduled to be baptised on her birthday last year – and her and her husband invited me to witness her baptism. I was so excited for my sister and in their church (Ocean View - Baptist) I worshiped God with abandon that morning. It is not my regular church even though I knew 80% of the congregation in one way or the other. The Holy Spirit was present and there was no denying that as I sang along with my hands up in the air in surrender to my Heavenly King.

“Now it is time to baptise our baptismal candidates”: announced the pastor. Oh how my heart was filled with joy for my sister as she gave her testimony of how she came the decision to be baptised this morning. The others too gave their testimonies and pastor led his flock to the pool. This was such a profound moment and I truly felt honoured to witness my sister dying her old self and emerging a new creation. Glory, Praise and Honour be to God. Sanna (Chantal) is my pillar of strength and her ways in life brings me great joy. She was the first to do many things in my family. She is the tip of a moral life in our family and I love her deeply. Happy (double) Birthday today my sis!

Anyway – as the last one was baptised and left the baptismal pool, the Pastor (Jeremy Koeries aka JK) said: “while I’m still in here, is there anyone else that wants to get baptised?” Say what? My heart started racing a hundred and plenty beats per second. He repeated himself and I am led to a twilight state of mind. My body goes numb as the Holy Spirit starts to work in me. Yes you guess correctly! It was my turn. Involuntarily I raise my hand (I remember this as if it just happened a moment ago) and he (JK) looks me straight in the eye and asks me if I am sure. I remember thinking NO! But I shook my head and a faint yes came out my mouth as my whole body trembled. The church (congregation of whom 80% know me in some way or the other) went loud in shouts of encouragement for me. I was overcome with so much joy and disbelief and went off to change in my baptism attire (which they happen to have there) so I too can get into the pool to be made a new man. Right there and then I gave my testimony as to how it came about and I made a declaration of faith and my confession of sin. Now I am a new man, united with Christ, dressed in Christ just like the word says in Galatians 3:27. I am now a part of the promise God made to Abraham. I am redeemed. I am saved. My salvation is guaranteed. Thank you Lord!

I can still here the applause and the shouts of joy and encouragement of the faithful saints the morning of 27 July 2008. As the sermon continued, I sat in the pews with an eternal grin on my face and Pastor called up one of the visiting Elders of the Baptist Church. She was the Widow of JK’s senior Pastor and a mentor of his wife and him. The elder was clearly a charismatic leader by the way she spoke. She said something (regarding the spontaneous and unscheduled baptism of myself and the others that followed suit) that will always ring aloud in my head. She said: “What happened here today may be seen as out of order by some, but it is done by God’s order.”

I remember thinking – thank you Lord for your order. Thank you Jeremy (as I truly know Pastor Koeries) for being obedient to the Lord as Paul instructs us to be in Romans 16:17-20. If JK did not do his Pastoral duty and obey the call of the Holy Spirit that morning, my life may not have changed as radical is it did this day. Thank you Pastor for Baptising me, thank you Sanna and Wayne for inviting me to what was meant to be your special day. Happy Birthday sis. I love you and I pray for you and your husband daily and I trust and believe faithfully that God has great things in store for you.

Happy Birthday to me! I am celebrating a year of amazing Grace! Thank you Aba Father for saving my Soul. Praise be to Jehova Maccaddeshem!