Sometimes there’s something you can’t wait to write down. This is one of those times.
Just rejoice in the long-suffering of God. He IS long-suffering, not willing that any should perish! Jesse Partridge and his son, Jesse Neal, were baptized into Jesus last night. Jesse has been coming to West Huntsville for many, many years. If you know the people at West Huntsville, you know that many have encouraged him through those years to become a New Testament Christian. Now Jesse is 93 and pretty ill. He is in remission from cancer. Remission from cancer, for Him, was a chance for the other, better remission— of sins. The second kind of remission is infinitely more valuable than even the first. But it took the first kind of remission to give him another chance for the most important second kind. We are so very joyful. Our new younger brother is 93
Jesse’s son, Neal, is suffering with stage four lung cancer. He’s been watching the livestream with his parents, now, for some time and he has been a great, great influencer of his dad. He determined that they both needed to become Christians and he did not stop discussing this with his father. Jesse, Sr.’s family had been very instrumental many years ago in beginning a congregation of a denomination, donating the land and the cemetery to this group in the state of Mississippi. It was very hard for Jesse, though he could see truth, to step away from that family involvement. He waited. And he kept hearing gospel preaching. God was waiting, too. I’m so thankful for his mercy.
Finally, last night, around 8:15, we all met at the building, along with Paul and Tami Owen, the Barber family, Tony Anderson, and a few relatives of the Partridges. Paul and Tami worked hard boiling huge pans of water (because our baptistry water was frigid. Got to get that fixed post haste!) while Glenn discussed the power of the burial in that increasingly warm (but still cold water. Within a few minutes, father and son became brothers. These baptisms were labored. There was a wheelchair at the top of the steps and a chair placed in the water. Three men were in the water with both of these men. It took more than one attempt to fully immerse them, but they were determined to be saved and God was providing a way. Ali’i Barber led our little crew in some songs beginning with “I have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Their decisions were firm and their lives have been changed. I have never seen anyone any happier standing beside the waters of baptism than Jeanette Partridge It was a relatively quiet little singing, but we could hear with faith the rejoicing angels. On nights like this one, I always come home with renewed zeal and deep gratitude to our God, who is “long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.” In the days of Jesse, God waited.
Every now and then, I receive word that someone has decided to become a part of the kingdom of Christ, having been baptized to wash away her sins, as a result of having been a part of a Digging Deep group and learning the gospel there. If I only had heard this once in all my years of Digging, it would be a hundred-fold worth every bit of time and effort that all diggers have expended in Digging Deep…and so much more. One soul is worth more than the whole world (Mark 8:36).
And God made sure she watched the first person she had personally taught on that field be immersed into Christ before we came home. Her name was Princess and she became one that day, She was one of those living at the top of a “rabbit trail” with those eight people in a tiny space. Princess’ grandmother was out in the yard grinding spices to sell for their meager existence. We will never forget.
Family Bible Week at West Huntsville is this week! The Gospel Railroad. It’s at 6:30 through Wednesday night. Dr. Bible is there and there’s a candy bandit. (Right now, the candy jar has been stolen and we have NO idea where that bandit has stashed it!) The kids made FBW photos last night and frames for the fridge. They watched lively re-enactments of conversion examples. They sang their hearts out and they learned songs about what it takes to be saved. They entered contests and they rode a real train through the halls of the building. I heard the conductor asking them questions about the Bible as they rode along and waved at spectators in the hall. They watched a puppet show about forgiveness. This is what spiritually focused memories are made of.
On Sundays, for FBW month, the pulpit has been focused on these four examples of conversion that are the focus of this week. The children fill out sheets during the lessons in our worship that help them listen, too. The examples of obedience to the gospel that are the focus this month are the Ethiopian, the Philippian jailer, Cornelius and Saul. Did you know they all did exactly the same thing to get into Christ? There was a recognizable moment in each of these accounts from Acts when sins were washed away. The moment is described for Saul in Acts 22:16. The jailer went out, at the risk of his life in Acts 16, in the middle of the night, to accomplish this washing. The Ethiopian saw water and said “Why are we waiting? Here is water.” And Cornelius was a good man—a really good man—but still had to have the washing before he could be saved. (Notice verses 1-3 of Acts 10 and then look at verse 14 of chapter 11). While the whole world says baptism has nothing to do with salvation, we have to keep telling the whole world what Jesus said “Go into all the world and teach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.”
I don’t know about you, but it’s a temptation for me to fail to count the blessings when the schedule is overrun with things I’d rather not be doing. But, when I go to God in the hard times, it becomes obvious to me that there are no fewer blessings in the hard times than there were in the good times. God’s still present. He is still doing what He has always done for me–sustaining and making me lie down in the green pastures…restoring my soul. Sometimes, it’s even obvious to me that He grabs my most arrested view of His mercies when I am drowning in conflicts and commitments.