Ubatizo wetu wa kwanza katika eklesia yetu mpya kabisa

Ndugu na dada katika Kristo

Miezi michache iliyopita tulianza safari na baadhi ya watu jasiri ambao walipaswa kutuongoza kwenye mabonde yenye kina kirefu, vinamasi, malisho yenye kinamasi, lakini pia kando ya mabonde mazuri ya maua na milima mizuri inayoinuka.

Wakati wa safari, hasira nyingi zilizuka na ndugu Chris, Tim, Steve na Marcus walijaribu kujibu maswali na kuweka msingi mzuri ambapo kulikuwa na shaka. Dada Miriam alipewa heshima hiyo wiki kadhaa zilizopita ili kuangalia kama watahiniwa wa ubatizo walikuwa tayari kukamilisha tendo lao la ajabu la kujisalimisha.

Leo ni siku. Ndugu Steve aliondoka mapema asubuhi ya leo kumchukua Ndugu Marcus ili aendeshe gari hadi Anderlecht pamoja. Siku ya Jumamosi, Ndugu Methode alikuwa tayari ametarajia kwamba bwawa la kuogelea lilikuwa limenunuliwa kwa ajili ya tukio hilo. Leo tunatarajia kuikuta imejaa maji ndani ya nyumba yake.

Leo, Mei 5, ni siku kuu. Eklesia yetu mpya kabisa itaweza kusalimia ubatizo wake wa kwanza baada ya saa chache. Ndugu na dada wenzetu watafuata ibada kutoka Newbury. Wanaweza kutumia Jumapili na ibada yao ya kawaida ya Jumapili saa 10 asubuhi kwa saa za Kiingereza (11 asubuhi hapa Ubelgiji.)

Saa 12 jioni, Ndugu Marko ataanza ibada ya ubatizo, kwanza akiangalia safari ya maswali na majibu mengi. Kisha tunashuhudia kwamba tunasadiki kwamba tunaweza kupata uzio katika Nyumba ya Mungu.

Wakati wa safari kila mtu alitambulishwa kwa mchungaji mwema ambaye alimtuma Mchungaji Mkuu kwenye ulimwengu huu na ambaye lango lake la kondoo wapya pia lilifunguliwa.

Baada ya kusomwa kutoka katika Maandiko kuhusu kile kilichotokea katika nyumba ya Kornelio, Ndugu Marko ataendelea na ubatizo wa Pascal, Michango na Méthode, ambaye atakubaliwa katika jumuiya yetu kama ndugu. Kwa mara ya kwanza katika maisha yao wataruhusiwa kuketi mezani kula mkate na divai kama ishara ya mwili wa Kristo.

Na kisha sherehe kubwa ya familia inaweza kuanza! Kuanzia wakati huo na kuendelea, ndugu hawa wapya wataruhusiwa kupata tendo la mfano katika siku zijazo na pia watatangaza Habari Njema kwa wengine ili kuwaalika kwenye meza ya Yesu Kristo.

Looking at our shepherd and leader

 

 

Dear God,

The shepherd sent by You was welcomed with song and shouts like a king.
Afterwards, however, he was betrayed, extradited, tortured and killed.

We want to look beyond all of this and say:

this is the Son of God,

our shepherd and guide;

This is our Saviour in whom we hope and trust!

We want to imitate him as proud and loving Christians.

We ask You, the Almighty Supreme Shepherd,
to count us as the sheep of the Good Shepherd sent by You.

Through Jesus Christ,
Your Son and our teacher,
who lives with You forever.
Amen.

 

 

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Preceding article

A Chief Shepherd Who gave us a shepherd who laid down his life for us.

A Chief Shepherd Who gave us a shepherd who laid down his life for us.

We as sheep in the world keep looking around. On the green pastures where we may graze, if we look closely we can see a sent helper sent by the Chief Shepherd to the fields to ensure that the sheep would all be driven together and brought to the stable.

The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognise his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.

Also for those who were in the dark and have seen the star lighting up, they won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.

They heard the Voice of God, Who gave them this shepherd to follow. That sent one from God said to his disciples

“Verily, verily, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7 Darby)

In the darkness were enough other shepherds, but they are not the good ones.

“All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:8 Darby)

Good to notice the good sheep didn’t listen to the sheep stealers. They saw the lightening star, the Gate to go through.

“I am the door: if any one enter in by me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and shall go out and shall find pasture.” (John 10:9 Darby)

We want to be cared for, willing to freely go in and out, and find pasture.

After long grazing, we sheep should no longer doubt who that good shepherd can be. It is the sent one from the Chief Shepherd who came so the sheep can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. He is the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd who puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep:” (John 10:11 Darby)

Today we are together as sheep who matter to him. All gathered in our ecclesia look up to him who is sent by the Chief Shepherd. This sent one is the Good Shepherd who knows his own sheep and his own sheep know him. It is in the same way that the Father knows him, and that this good shepherd knows the Father.

“15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep which are not of this fold: those also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:15-16 Darby)

We know that the good shepherd has other sheep in addition to those in this pen. We look forward to the days that he shall be able to bring them also to the Chief Shepherd’s House. Therefore as helpers to the good shepherd shall his brothers and sisters go out into the world to call the sheep.

Those who shall hear the Good Message shall also recognise the shepherd’s voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. That shepherd even going so far that he freely lay down his life, free to take it up again.

“On this account the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again.” (John 10:17 Darby)

Those who stepped out with the pilgrims now follow the sent shepherd from whom no one can take anything away. In him we trust that he received this authority personally from his Father. By him we can see how much God loved the world.

No one needs to be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.” (John 3:16 Darby)