Baptism March 24th 2024

March 24th 2024 Bethel Royston Community Church roystonbethel.com/

Baptism for me felt so important, so personal and a step into complete faith and surrender.

Some of you will be familiar with my journey and I spoke about it before being baptised.

I started by saying that I wanted to speak about how patient God is, that my whole life has been a series of journeys. I saved the story of my younger years for another occasion but spoke of when I was 20 and had an encounter with God (you can read about this in my journey on this site), mentioning this was very emotional for me and with my emotions already pulled in all directions it took a little time to re-compose myself. I went on to describe how since that encounter God had walked alongside me, guiding me, advising me, mentoring me....sometimes I listened and sometimes I didn't but never the less he remained.

So from that moment I began my spiritual journey which I described as a long and winding path with many windows into different places. Through every window I looked and every place I visited I was seeking one thing...a presence I knew I would find. But in all those places (of which there have been many, in many countries) I found nothing. I even climbed a mountain but still found nothing.

So Christmas eve 2023 I walked into Bethel Royston community Church, and on entering the main Church I found what I was seeking...the presence I knew I would find was there and I knew I was in the right place....God took me there.

(My declaration)

Jesus came to show the way

He demonstrated how we should be

What better example could I follow than that of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So as I endeavour to be the highest version of myself...that is humanly possible.

I ask for forgiveness for any of me that is not aligned with him.

He was sacrificed so we could be free, he gave himself for us.

Today I surrender myself to Christ.

I give myself to him, so I may be made new in him.

So just to follow on from this as we are emerging from Easter time. I have seen much discussion about Jesus' sacrifice, but what many omit is that his sacrifice beat death! It broke the curse, created a new covernant and brought eternal life. Jesus rose after 3 days and 3 nights as prophesied then following a 40 day period where he proved he was risen/ alive he ascended.

Through baptism we die and are reborn in Christ. This is the body of Christ, the church and his bride. 

There are no words within this plane of existence to describe the experience of being reborn. My reality has shifted, I have moved house, I was on the outside looking in.

My long and winding path has become straight and narrow.

To summarise I would describe the experience as metamorphosis. By the time I got to the stage I had been taken somewhere else. My heart was pounding, I was shaking, the microphone felt like it was 3ft long! Words fell out of my mouth and somehow landed in order and I concluded with my declaration.

Once in the pool all I recall is being under water, eyes open seeing light through air bubbles around me and when I came from the water it was like being awoken from anesthetic...like I'd been somewhere else for a while that I can't quite recall and now I was back but in a different place. A very surreal and the most amazing experience!!

I'm in a whole new place....in the body, no longer on the edge of it looking in.