Zack has been asking to get baptized for several weeks, and we were waiting for the "upcoming baptism weekend" announcement. We thought it might be next weekend, so on our "to do" list was contact the kid's ministry peeps and find out what we needed to do.
Then last night as we pulled up to church, we saw the baptism counseling tents. Zack about climbed out of his skin. At first Jimmy spoke to the kid's ministry coordinator and she gave us directions for next week. But during the sermon, JD talked about baptism being a step of obedience. Zack prayed to receive Christ when he was younger, but we delayed the baptism until we were certain he knew what it meant. It had been weighing on his heart that he hadn't been baptized. We had been praying the Lord would show us when the time was right.
During the service, I wrote Jimmy a note and asked it he thought Zack could be baptized tonight. He whispered to Zack, "Bud, do you want to see if you can be baptized tonight instead of next week." I thought the boy would leap out of his seat. He wrote in the little notebook he carries to church: "Baptism date: April 7, 2012."
The Lord has been working in his heart recently. Some of the things he's said have blown us away. He takes notes on the sermons and then comes home and talks about them in ways that leave us astounded. Wow again. Just WOW! That's not us, y'all. That's the Holy Spirit working in his life, by the grace of God.
I got just the main part of his baptism on video with my cell phone, but it was incredible.
The song we were singing was "It is Finished," one of our family favorites.
The line we were singing when Zack went under was, "Jesus went down in the cold of the grave."
The line we were singing when he came up: "Defeated the darkness when He overcame."
The lines we were singing as Zack climbed out of the water... "The keys of the Kingdom were placed into hands/ Of children and priests and of fishers of men."
[You can see the whole "It is Finished" video here.]
Wow. Just WOW!
Wow. Just WOW!
Happy Easter, everybody! We love you all!
Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.
Revelation 5:12
