This one stopped me. Last weekend more than 3,000 people lined up on a beach in Maputo, Mozambique, to be baptized. Pictures shared by Brazilian pastor Ney Viana of Missões Pastores de Rua show crowds in white robes at the water’s edge, waiting their turn to go down into the sea.
Local Christians helped baptize and kept the worship and Bible reading going the whole time. No stage, no giant screen. Just water, sand, and people deciding they weren’t going to keep Jesus a secret.
Of course my mind went straight to Acts 2:41: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Same Holy Spirit, same hunger, two thousand years later on another shore.
I also liked that the team didn’t treat the number as the point. They called it a historic day before God, but the trip kept going after the beach. They handed out toys, candy and evangelism books to 600 kids at an orphanage. Preaching and serving go together.
Pray for these new believers to get planted in local churches, filled with the Spirit, and grounded in the Word. And if you’ve been nervous to share your faith where you are, look at that line on the beach. You don’t need a crowd. Just take the next step.
Have a blessed day!