Understanding Matthew 28:19 and Acts 8:1 is best taught using a present-day example and seeing how it lines up with the Bible. The example that I am going to use is a man who lives and breathes for the truth to be taught and practiced. His name is Wafula Colls. He is 27 years old and lives in Namayingo, Uganda. He attends the Pentecostal Church of Uganda in Syanyonja and his pastor is Mangeni Dickson.
Brother Wafula Colls and Pastor
Mangeni Dickson at the Pentecostal Church of Uganda in
Syanyonja
I met Brother Wafula when he contacted me through the www.LovingGospel.com website on January 14, 2023. After introducing the Loving Gospel to him, I offered to teach him a Bible Study about Obeying the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He accepted the offer, read the verses that I had given him, and bought the necessary bundles to take the study on Messenger. I taught him the study on January 20.
Brother Wafula had already been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ before I gave him the study. Previously he worked in Busia and went to an Apostolic Pentecostal conference in
Entebbe. During that conference, he and the other attendees were baptized in Jesus' name. Previous to that, he had baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as are most members of the Pentecostal Church of Uganda, and had spoken in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, again like most members.
But he did not fully understand why he had been baptized in Jesus' name until he took the study that I had given him, where he got the revelation that Jesus is God, that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but His name is Jesus, and that is why he had been re-baptized.
Shortly after taking the study, he
requested another study for other church members, including his pastor,
and I taught it on January 25, with Brother Wafula interpreting English to
Luganda. He then requested a third study, with other church members, and
I taught that one on January 30, and again he translated from English
to Luganda. He was working in his "Jerusalem" (Acts 1:8).
Having the full understanding of Matthew 28:19, that Jesus's commandment was to "go teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name of Jesus", Brother Wafula organized a baptismal service at Lake Victoria for his church congregation, glory to God. He raised the funds for transportation to Lake Victoria, where on February 8, thirty-two people were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38), including his Pastor, Mangeni Dickson. Up to that point in time only three in his church had been baptized in Jesus' precious name.
Thirty-two people from the
Syanyonja
church were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins.
After that, Brother Wafula started teaching in his community, his "Judea" (Acts 1:8); the truth about obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so he organized another Baptismal service at Lake Victoria where ninety people were baptized, in Jesus' name.
Ninety people baptized on the second trip to Lake Victoria.
Under the unction of the Holy Ghost, Brother Wafula kept on his Acts 1:8 journey. Still in his "Judea", he organized a crusade at the Syanyonia Trading Center on February 23, where he taught the Bible truth. He then organized a baptismal service on March 9 where one hundred and seventeen people were born again, born of water and Spirit (John 3:3-5).
Brother Wafula preaching in English at the Syanyonja Trading Centre in Namayingo District, with a sister from his church translating to Luganda
Bus transporting people to Lake Victoria from the Namayingo crusade
117 people were baptized in the name of Jesus
from the Namayingo crusade.
After the Namayingo crusade, Brother Wafula was anointed with the concept of taking the teaching to communities near Lake Victoria so it would not be necessary to transport the souls to the lake to get baptized. And simultaneously God directed his path to take teaching materials, so he produced copies of two Bible studies from the Loving Gospel website (with permission from Loving Gospel). On three separate occasions he has taught at lakeside villages, Matiko,
Lugala, and Majanji - his "Samaria" (Acts 1:8) under the power of the Holy Ghost.. From the three teaching services, 117 souls (yes, the same number in the previous crusade) were baptized in Jesus' name for the forgiveness of their sins and received the gift of the Holy Ghost after repentance.
Souls being taught obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the training center in Lugala
Souls with teaching materials supplied by Brother Wafula
Teaching at Majanji Training Centre
More teaching at Lake Victoria just before being baptized.
Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ in Lake Victoria, Uganda.
Some of those baptized in Jesus' name in Lake Victoria on April 23, 2023 from the villages of
Matiko,
Lugala, and Majanji
So it is clear that Brother Wafula clearly understands the true meaning of Matthew 28:19 and Acts 8:1, and moving forward on his journey, he already has plans for other crusades at Lake Victoria. He is doing what God is blessing today in these end times. Giving all the glory to Jesus Christ, the One and Only God, the God that is One.
Hopefully and prayerfully, this will encourage others to move forward to obey Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8 where they will have their own personal journey, under the power of the Holy Ghost, preaching obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) by obeying the Apostolic message of Acts 2:38, and where the Pentecostal experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and baptizing the lost in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, happens in every crusade. Hallelujah!