Catching Up Before the Big Day

Tomorrow is going to be a REALLY big day. It's the day I get SAVED! :oD Saved by God's Grace!

The past couple of months have been so jam-packed, what with the Eastern Baptist Association's Annual Assembly in Romford, which I attended with my friend, my reading 'Cover to Cover: Reading the Bible in 365 Days', and me completing my Discipleship Course on Thursday! And of course, there have also been lots of happenings in my daily life, with Seren and Adrian's birthday, the kids' Sports Days, completing Seren's DLA re-application, having house guests twice in a month (the second of which arrive tomorrow, and I really should be cleaning now!) and the kids' Annual Reviews at the hospital.

Everything has been happening at once, and although things should calm down by the middle of next week, I wanted to take the time today to catch up before tomorrow's life-changing event.

So ... first is my going to the Eastern Baptist Association's Annual Assembly on 12th June. I travelled down to the Romford area the night before, and stayed with my friend W, and then went with her to her church, Romford Baptist. It was a fantastic day, and I was made to feel very welcome to W and the members of her church.

First of all, we had a time of worship, and then the EBA held their AGM, followed by the first of the two seminars for the day. I'd put myself down for 'Living the Life as a Disciple of Christ', and it was fantastic! It was delivered by Jonathan Edwards, the Secretary General of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and it was uplifting, inspiring and challenging. It focused on Luke Chapter 9, verses 57 to 62, and he showed us that being a true disciple of Christ involves living the life 24/7, not just on a Sunday morning at church.

He also said that the best ways to become a better disciple, and to encourage others to become better disciples were: 1) Encouraging the core disciplines of prayer, reading the Bible and attending church, in order to strengthen your faith, and that tithing is also a blessing, as it reminds us that everything belongs to the Lord, and everything comes from the Lord.

2) Encouraging church activities, and using the concept of 'This Time Tomorrow', where you ask a church member on a Sunday what they'll be doing this time tomorrow, and you pray together about it, bringing church into daily life. He also said that church shouldn't be in a bubble, that we should worship through the week as well.

3) Encouraging service, by encouraging the youth of the church to attend groups such as Junior Christian Endeavour, and getting young people to take a bigger part in services with responsibilities and trust.

4) By monitoring and mentoring ministers, so that they can constantly strengthen themselves and have someone to talk issues over with.

After the seminar, we had a lunch break, and I had a chance to ask at the book stall about whether they could recommend a book for me to help me when reading the Bible. At this point, I had read the first 5 books of the Bible, and then, as recommended by the Alpha Course leaders, I moved on to the New Testament and read that, but struggled with understanding some parts, particularly the book of Revelation. So I wanted a book which could help me get the right meaning from what I was reading, and apply what I was learning to my own life, and so they recommended this:



So I took their advice and bought it!

After lunch, we had the second of our two seminars, which was 'Living the Life Through Personal Spirituality'. This was delivered by David Adams from Witard Road Baptist Church, and it was another amazing seminar.

David told us that over the years, he has travelled the globe and experienced a vast number of different types of spiritual worship, ranging from Catholic to Charismatic! He spoke about his experiences of many different types of worship, which was fascinating, and he taught that no matter how we choose to worship, as long as we allow God to invade us, and our worship is totally focused on God, they are all equally valid before God. We need to remember that worshipping God isn't meant to be about what we're getting out of it, but about what we're giving to God at the time. That really spoke to me!

He concluded by saying "Worship cannot and must not be confined to any specific liturgy or format and particularly to any past, present, or indeed future musical style. The awareness of God’s presence is determined more by a real honesty in each persons heart that is not specifically focused or bound by what is being said or sung. To focus on the hymn or song is not to fully engage with God and in that sense it fails unless we are lifted above it to connect with God out of the reality of our own expressions of who He is. This is beyond a feeling, mood orientated, over-emotional response to a beautiful song or a stirring hymn which I would suggest can keep us earth bound rather than heaven aware."

And "God made us with individual tastes and set us in communities or cultures with their own characteristics. Reflecting on my experiences I observe that some Christians appeared stuck or bored in a ‘worship rut’. It certainly was the case that for a good number, they were caught in a worship style that did not fit the way God had uniquely made them. None of the styles is better or more acceptable to God. The only condition is the deep sincerity and obedience of the heart."

And "There can be no true experience of worship unless it flows from a lifestyle of worship seen through obedience. The common factor that draws together those experiences where worshippers have been aware of the awesome presence of God, is that for the majority it has been the continuation of a daily lifestyle of surrender and obedience to God. The concept of ‘going to worship’ defined as a place and time, was not the reality. The reality was a daily commitment to walk God’s way which joyfully brought you to opportunities, sometimes with other believers where you could freely express, in a way natural to yourself, the overflow of love, joy, and thankfulness that you felt in your heart. This is ‘worship in the spirit’, when your spirit is responding to God’s Spirit."

He closed the seminar by quoting Matt Redman's classic worship song:

‘Heart of Worship’

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart.

We then went back into the main church for another fantastic worship session, which rounded the day off beautifully. I went home that day feeling incredibly inspired and uplifted, and eager to learn more about the Lord, and to continue my journey back into His fold!

Shortly after I got back, I started reading my 'Cover to Cover' book, along with the relevant parts of the Bible, and I'm loving it. I'm on Day 39 at the moment, and I just love my Bible Study time each day. The book is brilliant, giving me the verses to read each day, and taking me through the Bible chronologically, and splitting it up into more easily digestable chunks, and, the best bit of all for me, at the end of each day, there is something to think about, a way of making what I've read that day applicable to me, and a Bible verse for contemplation.

I just love that it makes God's Word so very relevant to me and my daily life and my situation, and I am loving reading the Bible in this way. I've found that the little Bible stories I already knew off by heart, like how God made the world, or the story of Joseph, the ones I could tell you without having to read them, they're suddenly fresh and new, and applicable in my life. I think that by learning them as a child, they'd become relevant only to my childhood, but through my 'Cover to Cover' book, I'm seeing how they are just as relevant to me now, as well.

I've also now completed my Discipleship Course. I was so glad that it happened so soon after the Alpha Course, because I so very much missed seeing all the friends I made on the course, and it was so good to be back with them again! I feel so very close to them all, because they know so very much about me, and they have supported me through some tough times and strong emotions lately, and they are just such good, good people.

I am so glad that four of us will be getting Baptised together tomorrow! We've come so far, and certainly I have changed so much, and I am just so unbelievably chuffed to be sharing this incredibly special day with them!

So our Discipleship Course was split into four sections, firstly, Foundation in Faith, in which we learned about what Grace truly means, and about how we are in no way saved by anything we do, and could not possibly be saved by anything we do ourselves, but only by God's Grace, which we receive through Faith in Lord Jesus.

Week Two was a Foundation in Baptism, in which we learned, through Bible texts about the spiritual cleansing of full immersion Baptism; about it being a covenant, the new symbol for Christians (with circumcision being the old covenant in the Old Testament); about it being a conversion, being born again and having a new start in life; about it being a new commitment, committing ourselves to the Lord; and about the commission to be Baptised, for Christ's disciples to go out and baptise people.

Week Three focused on a Foundation in the Church, learning about how when we are baptised, we will instantly become members of the worldwide Church of God, and that we will then be able to apply for membership in our local church. We also learned about the responsibilities of being a member of our local church, which we have to consider before we decide whether to apply for membership. Personally, I can't wait to apply, and to take on those responsibilities and do my bit for the church which has literally saved my life!

And then on Thursday, for Week Four, we focused on the practicalities of Baptism, on the order of service, the worship songs we wanted to sing, the order we get Baptised in, and even things like what we should wear, and what time we should arrive on the day.

And of course, at each meeting, we shared in a wonderful meal, fantastic fellowship, and we would always stand and hold hands to pray and worship together at the end of the evening, which is an incredibly special time. Sometimes we pray one at a time, sometimes we all pray at once, lifting our voices to the Lord together, and sometimes we sing spontaneous verses of worship songs. Officially it's called Praying in the Spirit, and our minister is thinking of having us pray in this way after our baptisms tomorrow night, so that the whole congregation can share in our prayers!

And so, pretty much, in a nutshell, that brings us up to today! I've been busy working on my Testimony, and although it's probably slightly too long at the moment, I've been praying that God will help me when I'm delivering my Testimony tomorrow night, and that I'll only say those bits which will bring the most glory to Him, and that He will use my words to bring more people to Christ.

I've also pretty much decided on what I'm wearing, (most importantly, a swim suit underneath my clothes, as recommended by the lady who helps the ladies with their baptisms!), I've seen the changing rooms we'll use afterwards, the order of service is pretty much set, and I've invited several friends to the service as well, to share in our day.

Sadly, my Dad is still too early in his post-high dose chemo recovery process for my parents to travel to see me get Baptised, and my Uncle and Aunt can't make it either; but Adrian and the children will be there, as will my friend W and her children, two of my lovely local friends, and hopefully, two ladies from my Slimming World class who have become friends over the past three years. I've also invited my mother-in-law, and I hope she will attend.

I've been feeling so nervous about it for a while now, but now, the night before my baptism, I'm just excited!!! I can't wait to worship the Lord in church in the morning, come home and welcome W and her children into our home, and then go back to church in the evening, see my three Alpha friends get baptised, and then get baptised myself! I can't wait!

Oooh, I just thought ...

Once I am SAVED tomorrow night, once I get baptised, I will well and truly be back in Jesus' fold! I may have to re-name this blog! :oD

Love in Christ!