Author: Geoff

A student witness to the extraordinary revival at Asbury University

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A service at a college chapel in Kentucky has ballooned into a nonstop prayer and worship session that some are calling a ‘revival’. People are traveling thousands of miles to take part in it after seeing viral videos on social media.

Asbury Theological Seminary professor Tom McCall writes about what happened on Wednesday, February 8, and continues:

Most Wednesday mornings at Asbury University are like any other. A few minutes before 10, students begin to gather in Hughes Auditorium for chapel. Students are required to attend a certain number of chapels each semester, so they tend to show up as a matter of routine.

But this past Wednesday was different. After the benediction, the gospel choir began to sing a final chorus – and then something began to happen that defies easy description. Students did not leave. They were struck by what seemed to be a quiet but powerful sense of transcendence, and they did not want to go. They stayed and continued to worship. They are still there.

I teach theology across the street at Asbury Theological Seminary, and when I heard of what was happening, I immediately decided to go to the chapel to see for myself. When I arrived, I saw hundreds of students singing quietly. They were praising and praying earnestly for themselves and their neighbors and our world – expressing repentance and contrition for sin and interceding for healing, wholeness, peace, and justice.

‘Some were praying, others were lying prostrate’

Some were reading and reciting Scripture. Others were standing with arms raised. Several were clustered in small groups praying together. A few were kneeling at the altar rail in the front of the auditorium. Some were lying prostrate, while others were talking to one another, their faces bright with joy.

They were still worshiping when I left in the late afternoon and when I came back in the evening. They were still worshiping when I arrived early Thursday morning – and by midmorning hundreds were filling the auditorium again. I have seen multiple students running toward the chapel each day. By Thursday evening, there was standing room only. Students had begun to arrive from other universities.

The worship continued throughout the day on Friday and indeed all through the night. On Saturday morning, I had a hard time finding a seat; by evening the building was packed beyond capacity. Every night, some students and others have stayed in the chapel to pray through the night. And the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

‘Asbury has an extensive history with revivals’

My colleague Steve Seamands, a retired theologian from the seminary, told me that what is happening resembles the famous Asbury Revival of 1970 he experienced when he was a student. That revival shut down classes for a week, then went on for two more weeks with nightly services. Hundreds of students went out to share what happened with other schools. But what many don’t realize is that Asbury has an even more extensive history with revivals – including one that took place as early as 1905 and another as recent as 2006, when a student chapel led to four days of continuous worship, prayer and praise.

Many people say that in the chapel they hardly even realize how much time has elapsed. It is almost as though time and eternity blur together as heaven and earth meet. Anyone who has witnessed it can agree that something unusual and unscripted is happening.

As an analytic theologian, I am weary of hype and very wary of manipulation. I come from a background (in a particularly revivalist segment of the Methodist-holiness tradition) where I’ve seen efforts to manufacture ‘revivals’ and ‘movements of the Spirit’ that were sometimes not only hollow but also harmful. I do not want anything to do with that.

And truth be told, this is nothing like that. There is no pressure or hype. There is no manipulation. There is no high-pitched emotional fervor. To the contrary, it has so far been mostly calm and serene. The mix of hope and joy and peace is indescribably strong and indeed almost palpable – a vivid and incredibly powerful sense of shalom. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is undeniably powerful but also so gentle.

‘There is an inexpressible sweetness to it’

The holy love of the triune God is apparent, and there is an inexpressible sweetness and innate attractiveness to it. It is immediately obvious why no one wants to leave and why those who must leave want to come back as soon as they can.

I know that God moves in mysterious ways; Jesus tells us that the Spirit blows where it wills (John 3:8). And sometimes God does what Jonathan Edwards called “surprising work” and what John Wesley referred to as “extraordinary” ministry. I know that these are no replacement for the long road of discipleship. But our Lord promises that those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” will be filled. Hopefully this encounter will have real-life implications in society too, in the same way the Second Great Awakening was pivotal to bringing about the end of slavery in our country.

Source: Tom McCall, CT

Move of God moves off campus

After a weekend of massive crowds at Asbury University, a big change takes the revival off campus. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000+ people attended services over the weekend, February 18-19, at Asbury with 5 overflow buildings and a grass lawn filled. There was a 2.5-mile backup of cars going into Wilmore Kentucky which normally has a population of 6,000. The number of people wanting to participate in the meeting caused the university to expand its worship services to five overflow buildings. Wilmore City officials decided to reroute traffic due to the flood of people descending on the small town to experience the move of God. But the staying power of the Asbury outpouring is about to be tested in a big way. The university has announced that public worship services in the school’s Hughes Auditorium will end.

Beginning Tuesday, February 21, services available to the public are being held at another location in the central Kentucky area. “As part of Asbury’s intention of encouraging and commissioning others to ‘go out’ and share what they have experienced, all services will be hosted at other locations and no longer held at Asbury University. We encourage guests to utilize these other designated facilities for worship and gathering. More information will be shared,” the school posted on its website. Asbury President Kevin J. Brown, Ph.D. also posted a four-minute video update posted to Twitter calling these last few weeks at the Christian school, “unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life.” “Whether you call this a revival, a renewal, an awakening or an outpouring, what we have experienced on our campus these last few weeks is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life,” Brown said.

Brown said he believes Asbury is not the keeper or source of this movement, saying it has already gone to other campuses across the U.S. “People are hungry for something more,” he said, quoting Jesus in the New Testament’s Matthew 5:6. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” “We look to other schools, other churches or ministry communities as co-commissioners in this movement that’s taking shape for us,” Brown said. “Whatever happens from here, our deep desire is to see a life-transforming renewal of our younger generation to faithfully serve their communities, their schools, their churches, and their professions. To see them go into the difficult and dark places in the world and to be light.” In closing, Brown thanked people for praying and asked them to continue to pray that what is happening at Asbury would continue to move across states, countries, and continents so that all may see Christ” he said.

How It Started: The Asbury Collegian reported that it began during a call to confession on Wednesday, February 8, when at least 100 people fell to their knees and bowed at the altar. Since then it has turned into a Holy Spirit outpouring that has only grown larger and larger each day with visitors pouring in from around the U.S. and the world. It is being compared to the culture-changing revival at the same college in 1970, but there’s something different this time. The new non-stop prayer and worship awakening has had social media as a powerful ally that wasn’t available in previous historic campus renewals. The impact has been so powerful that this ongoing Spirit-led event has even drawn the attention of major media outlets. But it’s also drawing a wider worldwide audience, particularly of young people, to witness what is happening through firsthand accounts, photographs, and videos with many of these posts going viral.

Numerous reports reveal the Holy Spirit has ignited several other flames that are now burning brightly at other universities and colleges around the country, bypassing denominational boundaries. It first spread to Lee University, a school with Pentecostal roots in Tennessee. But students at Baptist schools like Cedarville and Samford Universities have also been experiencing the power of God. Over the weekend, there were reports the Holy Spirit-led meetings were still going strong at Samford, a private Christian school located on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama. Students are in Reid Chapel (Samford University) in complete awe of God. Praying, worshipping, reading Scripture, according to eyewitnesses. Meanwhile, early reports are coming in that students at Baylor University are also seeking God for a move of His Spirit.

A moving documentary about the 1970 Asbury College Revival

Joel News International Edition # 1291, February 16, 2023

Dutch Sheets describes his open vision about revival: Video
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=flashpoint+dutch+sheets+revival&view=detail&mid=65AAD5E962FC76EB8A9D65AAD5E962FC76EB8A9D&FORM=VIRE

Report by Baptist pastor Rev Bill Elliff

The quiet, precious movement of God continues in Wilmore, Kentucky, on the campus of Asbury University. This is not the first time an extended movement has occurred here. Similar movements happened in the 30s when a prayer meeting led by E. Stanly Jones lasted for many days. In the ’50s, two other activities occurred, and in 1970, a chapel service extended for seven days and nights.
I’ve had the privilege of sitting in Hughes Auditorium, where this is happening, watching and experiencing this extraordinary movement. I have been a pastor for 54 years serving in the Baptist stream. This is what I’ve observed.

VIBRANT, POWERFUL WORSHIP.
Worship is being led by various student teams. Some are more proficient than others, but all are humble. We do not know their names. There are no fog machines nor lights—just piano and guitar by unnamed students worshiping God. We are singing songs that would be familiar to most of us, often just acapella, with no instruments. Contemporary songs are sung, often interspersed by the
hymns of the church. There are no words on the screen, and they do not seem to be needed.

INTENSE AND INTENTIONAL HUMILITY
The wise pastors on Asbury’s staff who are gently shepherding this movement keep reminding us that there are no superstars and that no one is to be exalted except Jesus. They have encouraged us to get lower and lower and lower under Him, exalting Him higher and higher. I have personally watched them stop a person or two who may have tried to hijack the meeting. They realize that God’s manifest presence is precious and desperately needed. They want no one or no thing to
quench or grieve His Spirit.

LIFE-CHANGING TESTIMONIES
The leaders, at times, will open the microphones for a season of testimonies of what God has done. They instruct the crowd to observe these ABC’s:
– All glory to God alone
– Brief
– Current
They stand with microphone in hand and wisely shepherd these moments. They will close the lines when they sense it’s time to move forward.
Often during these testimonies, when they sense God repeating a theme, they have paused and called for those with the same issues to stand, and for people to gather around them and pray.

GUIDED PRAYER
At various times, they have led us into corporate prayer. Instructions are given, and then we’ve turned in small groups and cried out to God.
At the altar, they have a continuous team of prayer counselors, identified by lanyards around their necks, who are helping those in need and praying with them. They have gently invited the people to come to these trained counselors for prayer.

UNASHAMED WITNESS
Everywhere, people are sharing with others in need outside the auditorium. God is opening people’s lips and giving them the Acts 4 courage to “speak the word of God with boldness.” The result is what you would expect—the gospel is spreading rapidly, and many are coming to faith in Christ.

SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, AND EVEN PHYSICAL HEALING
Many are giving testimony of how God is instantly releasing them from years of bondage to addictions. Release from past hurts, bitterness, fear, is happening quickly for the humble ones who admit their need and cry to the Savior. Some are testifying of physical healings, just as occurred in the Book of Acts, but this is not at all the dominant theme of the meetings. The theme is Jesus—exalting Him, surrendering to Him, and testifying of Him to others.

PREACHING
One prognosticator on social media proclaimed that this was not of God because there was no preaching. I smiled, because there have been moments of preaching throughout and a “regular” sermon every single night, delivered humbly by godly pastors.

WISE LEADERSHIP
I cannot say enough about this. I have been in many moments of intense revival. I have led in a number of these moments. I stood at a microphone for five weeks, shepherding a movement of God for 3-4 hours a night.
I’m overwhelmed by the wise, quiet, strong, loving leadership of those in charge. It is not dominating and not restrictive. They are discerning God’s movement and cooperating. They are giving instruction and direction when needed.

CONSISTENCY WITH THE WAYS OF GOD
The Jesus movement was characterized by vibrant, simple worship and constant witness to the gospel. I was there. The church, by and large, reacted to the “hippies” who were being saved and the more current expressions of worship. Many churches ridiculed this and quenched the Spirit, unwilling to accept new wineskins. Most of these churches have plateaued and died. The churches
that humbly opened the door to lost people and wisely shepherded God’s activity, exploded.
Calvary Chapel, a small California church, kept responding to God and, in the Jesus movements wake, have started 1400 churches.
Two things characterized the 1857 revival: First, fervent noon-day prayer meetings that grew from six people (with Jeremiah Lanphier) to 50,000 people every day in New York City alone and, secondly, unashamed testimony and witnessing. There were simple “rules” that they used to guide the prayer meetings. They lasted from 12-1 each day. It spread across the country. Prayer requests came from around the world. I’ve read many of those actual requests—most are for the salvation of
a loved one. In revival, our hearts return to beat with the heart of God whose great desire is for people of every tongue, tribe, and nation to come to Him.
When the church begins to pray, that IS revival, for we are usually prayerless. When that reviving turns to fervent, unashamed witnessing and the rapid acceleration of the gospel, we term that “spiritual awakening,” for that is exactly what God is doing among the lost.

GIVING GOD TIME AND WAITING
The revival here is not hurried or rushed. There are long periods of stillness and waiting. If you want to rush in, get a big dose of God and rush out, don’t come. God works on His timetable. We give God little time and almost no silence. What is happening here is occurring because thirsty people are waiting before God. In time, He speaks to one, then another, bringing them back to intimacy with Him. I’ve always thought that we don’t experience God because we put Him on our timetable.
Waiting is a lost art, and it is turning our full attention to Him until He makes Himself known that we need.

SPREADING
As of the fifth day of the movement, 22 colleges have sent groups of students here, hoping to see the same outbreak on their campuses. It would not surprise me if that was how this exploded nationwide, for students are most tender and willing. It is also no coincidence that a very carefully made movie about the Jesus Revolution is coming out by our friend, Jon Erwin, February 22nd, and that the Collegiate National Day of Prayer broadcast has been scheduled for over a year to be
broadcast from Asbury on February 23rd. We should pray that these will further accelerate God’s work.

OVERWHELMING LOVE
One of the leaders spoke to us last night about the beginning of the revival when a pastor spoke of hypocritical, self-seeking love. He remarked that what these days have done has reversed that.
Asbury has become a sanctuary of the love of God. That is the essence of God (He IS love) and has been the hallmark of every moment when He is placed again on His rightful throne in our hearts, homes, and churches. “Heaven a World of Love” was preached by Jonathan Edwards. And revival is heaven coming down.

SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?
I talked with a friend who reminded me of this beautiful truth from a missionary involved in the great revival in Shantung, China, in the late 20s.
“We heard of the revival in Korea, which began in 1907. It was a mighty movement and had been born through a prayer-revival among missionaries. Oh, to be able to go there and bring back some glowing coals to our own field! But the journey was long and expensive and I had not the money. As I prayed for money and looked for an answer, a definite word was sent instead: “What you want through that journey you may be given here, where you are, in answer to prayer.” The words were a
tremendous challenge. I gave my solemn promise: ‘Then I will pray until I receive. Having pledged myself … the first conscious thought was: Then prayer means as much as that, and that my promise should be kept means as much as that.’ That experience helped me to endure through the almost twenty years which were to pass before the first small beginnings of revival were visible. Truly, God
works unhurriedly.” (Marie Monsen, missionary nurse to north China, describing how she came to pray for the revival that burned there from 1927-1932).
You don’t have to come to Kentucky to experience revival and awakening. “The kingdom of God is here,” Jesus said, and He has gladly chosen to give us the Kingdom.

AND FINALLY …
Coming out of Hughes auditorium, with its love and grace and humility, and reading the words of some critics on social media was revealing. If you are tempted to criticize this movement flippantly, it might be wise to heed the counsel of
Gamaliel when his religious colleagues criticized the early disciples.
“So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

See 1970 report – Asbury Revival

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A ‘surprising work of God’ in Asbury chapel

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Fresh Outpouring at Asbury University

by Geoff 10 February 2023 No Comments

Fresh Outpouring at Asbury University

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A ‘surprising work of God’ in Asbury chapel

A student witness to the extraordinary revival at Asbury University

Renewal Journal – a chronicle of renewal and revival: www.renewaljournal.com

Dutch Sheets describes his open vision about revival: Video
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=flashpoint+dutch+sheets+revival&view=detail&mid=65AAD5E962FC76EB8A9D65AAD5E962FC76EB8A9D&FORM=VIRE

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Revival reported at Asbury University in Kentucky 50 years to the month after the previous outpouring.

Kim Roberts : Feb 10, 2023 Ministry Watch

“I just received word that what started yesterday at Asbury University has now also spread to Ohio Christian University! Students started praying and worshipping in chapel yesterday at 11 am and it’s continued! Asbury cancelled classes today and there are still dozens of students in the chapel leading non-stop prayer and worship! Those who remember will tell of the revival that broke out there in 1970 exactly to the week of what is happening now! There is a hunger in America for the move of the Holy Ghost with a tangible manifest presence of God!”

(Kentucky) — [MinistryWatch.com] Reports from Asbury University say that a revival has broken out in the chapel of the small Christian college campus in Kentucky. (Image: Facebook-Matt Barnes)

On the morning of February 8, a seemingly normal chapel service took place at the campus’ Hughes Auditorium. It included a message about confession and repentance, according to reports. After the service was over, a group of students stayed behind to continue worshiping. Then more joined them.

According to reports being shared on social media, students have been in the chapel for over 24 hours reading Scripture, praying, singing, and sharing personal testimonies.

“God began pouring out his love among the students in a profound way. The students continued praying and worshiping even though chapel had concluded,” Asbury Theological Seminary Vice President of Formation Matt Barnes wrote on Facebook. (Screengrab image: Facebook-Matt Barnes)

Asbury December graduate Elle Hooper told the Asbury Collegian, “I am one of many who have been praying for this since my freshman year. To be here and witness to this is life-giving.”

Senior Ashley Schumacher told the college paper she felt “the weight of the Holy Spirit” when she re-entered the Hughes Auditorium after the chapel service was dismissed.

Pizza, snacks, water, and coffee were provided at dinner time on February 8 for those who wanted to stay and continue participating in the revival.

Asbury’s Facebook page didn’t have any accounts of the chapel service or revival posted. Asbury did not reply to a request for comment before time of publication.

Well-known author and pastor John Piper describes revival as “a fresh outpouring of God’s live-giving Spirit on His people.” He added that historically it has referred to “many Christians [being] lifted out of spiritual indifference and worldliness into conviction of sin, earnest desires for more of Christ and His Word, boldness in witness, purity of life, lots of conversions, joyful worship, [and] renewed commitment to missions.”

Some are reminded of a revival that took place over 50 years ago at the college.

The Asbury Revival of 1970 also occurred in February that year after Dean Custer B. Reynolds invited students to share personal testimonies during the chapel service. What started was a revival that lasted for 144 hours. The chapel was filled with rejoicing people. Classes were canceled for a week. Even after classes resumed on February 10, Hughes Auditorium was left open for prayer and testimony.

It is also reported that 2,000 witnessing teams were sent out from Asbury to churches and colleges across the country.

Many pray similar results will follow this week’s Asbury revival. (Image: Facebook-Matt Barnes)

“Praying this spark of revival at Asbury will ignite a flame on campuses across the globe,” wrote Byron Paulus, founder and executive director of OneCry, a group calling for a nationwide revival and spiritual awakening.

“I have prayed all my adult life that God would let me see one more great awakening before I leave this world. I am praying harder than ever that this is the beginning. Join me in praying, ‘Do it again, Lord. Do it again!'” wrote Rick McKinney, a former pastor who lives in Kentucky.

Asbury is a Christian university with about 1,600 students located about 20 minutes southwest of Lexington in Wilmore, Kentucky.

On its website describing the spiritual vitality on campus, it reads “Asbury University stands in the Wesleyan theological tradition—believing that an act of God’s grace upon which one receives the offer of salvation through the sacrificial life of Jesus Christ can indeed transform a human heart in such a way that through His mercy they can experience holiness of life, have a heart that exhibits His love, and become an agent of His grace for the advancement of God’s Kingdom on earth.

See 1970 report – Asbury Revival

Move of God moves off campus

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The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi

by Geoff 6 February 2023 2 Comments

The Life of Jesus – in Pakistani Punjabi

History’s Great Love Story

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Nabeel Sharoon in Pakistan has translated my book The Life of Jesus into 5 languages:
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See The Life of Jesus – in 6 languages for more information about Nabeel Sharoon

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The Amazing Life of Jesus:

* This is a very informative, amazing, and powerful book. Thanks to the author for investing hours of research, expressed with his masterful command of language. ~ Alex Johnson (5-stars)
* Be enriched. A most helpful telling of the life of Jesus using the biblical text and adding some background and charts. Anyone using this book will be enriched. ~ Rev Dr John Olley (Amazon 5-stars)
* Geoff Waugh has written a very helpful devotional book about the Saviour of the world who is also the loving presence in believers. Having known Geoff for over sixty years I can testify that every word written proceeds from his own heart of love for Jesus and for all God’s children. Geoff has avoided trying to manufacture some theory or new twist to make the book more colourful. He has used Scripture as his main source and has been faithful to both the divinity and humanity of Jesus as expressed in the Gospels. His use of chronology for headings and the many sub-headings makes the book simpler to absorb, even for an enquirer or new believer. It reminds me a little of Leon Morris’s beautiful book The Lord from Heaven. I warmly commend this book. ~ Rev Dr Tony Cupit, Former Director of the Baptist World Alliance.
* The book is beautifully written and I have learned and understood a lot. I am recommending this book. ~ Kattie Mayson (Amazon 5-stars)
* I read your book last night. This is a great book. Thanks for writing this for all of us. ~ Nabeel Sharoon (Pakistan)

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The Life of Jesus provides a brief overview of history’s great love story. It gives a summary of the birth and boyhood of Jesus and describes his ministry through three Passover Festivals.
The book includes a detailed chart of a chronology of Jesus’ life and ministry and examines why such a popular, loving, and compassionate young leader would encounter intense hostility and opposition causing his crucifixion.
The mystery and wonder deepen because his resurrection transformed his followers and millions of lives. We date our diaries and calendars from the time of his birth.

Preface [see below]
Introduction [see below]
1 Birth and Boyhood
2 Ministry Begins
3 First to Second Passover
4 Second to Third Passover
5 Passover to Pentecost
Conclusion
Discussion Questions [see below]
Appendix 1: Chronology Chart
Appendix 2: The Feast Days
Appendix 3: The Gospels
Appendix 4: Alternative Chronology
Appendix 5: The Shroud of Turin
Appendix 6: Publications

Model of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time

Preface

Why would such a good man who loved so profoundly and helped so many people be killed? Why did he provoke opposition?

If God walked among us in the person of his Son, why would people want to kill him? Why did so many vehemently oppose him?

That puzzled me as a boy. It still does.

The greatest love story the world has ever seen led to the excruciating death of crucifixion.

Many people have given their lives for other people as soldiers do in war. They die for others, defending home and country. But Jesus’ death was different. God’s Son chose to die for us because of his immense love for us. He took our place. His death gives us life. He is the perfect, sinless, eternal sacrifice for us. His blood cleanses us from all our sin as we trust in him. We are forgiven.

But why did so many good people, good religious people, hate him? That puzzled and fascinated me, so I explore that mystery in this book. I wanted to write a summary overview that people of all ages could read.

I always believed in Jesus. Even as a small boy I loved to hear and then read stories about him. He was so unique, so different. I believed his story as a boy and trusted in him. I still do and I hope you do too.

Jesus did what was good. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, set people free from addictions and evil, performed miracles, and even raised dead people. Huge crowds followed him and wanted him to be their king.

Now billions follow him, captivated by his love, the greatest love story of all. You can do that also. I invite you to simply pray something like this: Thank you Lord for all you’ve done. Forgive me for any wrong in my life. I trust in you and give my life to you.

Introduction

The year on our calendar or diary reminds us of when Jesus was born, approximately. We count the years from his arrival. So when you look at your diary or calendar you can be reminded again of Jesus.

They called him Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) of Nazareth, the same name as Moses’ famous general who led God’s people into their Promised Land. Yeshua means God saves, or God is salvation.

That name comes to us in English through many translations from Yeshua or Y’shua in Hebrew and Aramaic, then translated into Iesous in Greek, then to IESVS in Latin and later as IESUS as printed in the first edition of the King James Bible in 1611. Later that century ‘J’ replaced the ‘I’ so the English name became Jesu (vocative) and Jesus (nominative) but eventually just Jesus in English. Other languages have translations such as Jesu, Yesu, and Isa.

English translations of the Bible used the name Jesus for Joshua/Jesus of Nazareth, and the name Joshua for others with that same name.[1] So in English, the name Jesus became unique and sacred for Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. The angel Gabriel announced his name before his birth to both Mary his mother and to Joseph who married Mary.[2] Gabriel explained that Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) had that name because he would save his people from their sins.

The great love story had begun. Jesus came to save us and give us eternal life.

His followers recorded the story of his life and his love in the good news of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The rest of the New Testament explores the mystery and wonder of that amazing life and love.

Scholars have a bewildering array of theories about the Bible and about who wrote what, and when, and where, and why. I’m content to run with traditional explanations that have been used throughout most of history.

Jesus’ unique and wonderful life, his brutal death for us, and his powerful resurrection, all reveal his and God’s eternal love for us all. You could pause and thank him right now even as you read this.

John’s Gospel emphasizes God’s eternal love revealed in Jesus. It includes the most famous passage in the Bible:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, NKJV).

That love, powerfully shown on the cross, has transformed billions of lives, restoring believers to an intimate and eternal relationship with God and with others.

Three physical metaphors help me to be constantly aware of, and grateful for, God’s presence with us always:

(1) Light surrounds you. By it you can read this. The sun always shines, even when it’s hidden from us. Light shines around us though we may be unaware of it. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. We can live in his light.

(2) Blood pumps through your body right now, cleansing and healing. We may be unaware of it until reactions like alarm alert us to our beating heart. Jesus’ blood cleanses from all sin, always. We can trust him for he is with us.

(3) We may breathe without being aware of it, or we can be aware and take deep breaths, as you may have done just now! Breath purifies our lungs and body. God is Spirit and like breath or fresh breeze, he can purify us.

May the light of God’s love breathe life into you right now.

We’ve been made in God’s image to have an eternal, loving relationship with him that even transcends death. We can know and experience God’s unconditional love no matter how far we stray from him. Those who stray most are often the most grateful for his forgiveness and love. We all stray in many ways and we all need forgiveness and we can and should be truly grateful.

God knows and loves us as we are. That makes praying or talking to him easy because he already knows our failures and struggles and welcomes us just as we are. The more honestly we come to him the more he can transform us.

If we have trouble believing we can at least say, “God, if you’re there, help me.”

Some thoughts may get in the way when we pray or want to talk to God. Just give him those thoughts. He already knows all about it and loves us as we are.

If we reject God’s love and mercy by ignoring him and going our own way, we condemn ourselves to eternal darkness away from his light and love.

If we accept his love and forgiveness by believing in him, by trusting him, he gives us life, his eternal life. That makes us new. We are transformed.

Vast numbers of people worldwide of all faiths, and of none, have prayed the prayer in the popular hymn by Charlotte Elliot, ‘Just as I am’ which includes these adapted verses:

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Your blood was shed for me
And that You bid me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

God welcomes us and we can all pray that prayer. A title for Jesus, as in that song, is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away our sin.

The Life of Jesus is a vast topic with millions of books written about it. I hope my small contribution gives you a helpful overview. I quote from the New Revised Standard Version unless indicated otherwise, and include many footnotes that you can explore to discover more.

Best of all, of course, are the inspired Gospels now in over 700 different languages in Bible translations and a further 3,500 languages have Bible portions, especially the Gospels. Read and respond to those Gospels.

[1] Iesous (Yeshua) is translated as Joshua in these verses: Luke 3:29; Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8.

[2] Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:21.

Start of Chapter 1

It began at the beginning, this great love story, for “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”[1]

Why did he do that? For us.

He did it for you. He loved you so much he created you to know and enjoy him now as you read this, and forever. He offers you intimate, infinite love. He created you through the wondrous union of your parents’ ecstasy.

He made the earth for us to inhabit and care for and rule. He made the heavens (plural) for us to inherit, the physical firmament and also the realms of vast, eternal glory prepared especially for us.[2]

He created us free to accept or reject his astounding love. Sadly we went our own way. We all, like sheep, went astray. We all turned to our own way. So God laid on his Servant, his Son, all our iniquity.[3] God saves us through his Son in their great love for us all. You could pause and thank him now as you read this.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed intimate, unashamed relationship with God and each other. Then, like us, they believed lies and went their own way, losing Paradise. But God still blessed and sustained them and their descendants who chose to love him and live for him. Sadly only a few did.

Noah and his family loved and obeyed God and he rescued them from the great flood. People ridiculed him for obeying God and building a huge boat on dry ground – not even in a dry dock. The rainbow became the sign of God’s covenant to Noah and his descendants including us.

Abram, a wealthy sheik from the wide fertile Tigris and Euphrates valleys in western Asia, north-west of the Arabian Peninsula (now Iraq), loved and obeyed God. Renamed Abraham (God’s friend) he journeyed to the Promised Land, now called Israel, from the name given to his grandson who wrestled with an angel or with the Lord.[4] Circumcision became the covenant sign for them and for their descendants through whom God would provide his salvation for us all.

Abraham and his descendants walked that verdant Promised Land, as did Jesus and his followers. So did our family for a month in December-January, 1981-82.[5]

[1] Genesis 1:1.

[2] John 14:1-6; 1 Corinthians 2:9.

[3] Isaiah 53:6. See Isaiah 52:13-53:12, the fourth Servant Song, along with Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-7.

[4] Genesis 17:5; 32:28; 35:9-10.

[5] See Exploring Israel in General Books and Biography on renewaljournal.com

Conclusion

The life of Jesus is history’s great love story. The overview in this brief book points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. That story is told best in the Bible, God’s inspired word.

I hope this brief commentary points you again to that God-breathed living word. It gave me fresh insights as I researched the harmonized story of these gospels.

Many writers discuss the popular five love languages: affirmation, service, gifts, time, and touch. Jesus demonstrated all these in various ways.

He affirmed and admired faith, especially faith in him for healing and help.
He served daily and showed it dramatically by washing his disciples’ feet.
He gave his life for us and ultimately he gives eternal life to all who believe.
His three years of quality time with his followers prepared them to serve.
His touch brought physical and spiritual healing and freedom to multitudes.

I love the way John summed up the reason for writing his Gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

That is my prayer for you, my reader. Here is my echoing sonnet, penned over fifty years ago.

Sin stalks the soul, and permeates the whole
Of life lived here where we, while bound by fear,
Hunt far and near for freedom to appear
From pole to pole with our minds in control.
That worthy goal seems mockery. Sin stole
Our freedom dear, left pain and woe to sear
Each life, a mere heartache, or sob, or tear,
Like a lost mole, blind, dirty in its hole.
God’s love stepped in to fight and conquer sin
Through Christ who bled and died and rose as Head
Supreme of all who claim Him Lord. Our fall,
Clamour and din may end in Him. We win
Release from dread, freedom, life from the dead,
Unbound from gall, in answer to His call.

Discussion Questions (for use in groups)

Chapter 1: Birth and Boyhood
1. What is one of your favourite Christmas carols and why?
2. What surprises you most about the Christmas story?
3. What challenges you about the boyhood and youth of Jesus?
What would you like people to pray about for you?

Chapter 2: Ministry Begins
1. Why do you think Jesus’ public ministry began after his baptism?
2. What puzzles you most about Jesus’ ministry? (eg casting out spirits)
3. What challenges you about being a disciple of Jesus?
What prayer would you appreciate receiving?

Chapter 3: First to Second Passovers
1. Why do you think John 3:16 is so popular and well known?
2. Who can you identify with in Jesus’ early ministry (eg Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, disciples, religious leaders)
3. What do you think challenged Jesus’ disciples?
What prayer would encourage you just now?

Chapter 4: Second to Third Passovers
1. What impresses you most about Jesus?
2. What challenges you most about Jesus?
3. What surprises you most about Jesus?
What prayer would help you just now?

Chapter 5: Passover to Pentecost
1. What shocks you most about the crucifixion?
2. What helps or challenges you about Jesus’ death and resurrection?
3. What interests you most about the Holy Spirit?
What prayer support would you like now?

Map in the book

Christians transforming ecology

by Geoff 2 February 2023 No Comments

Christians transforming ecology

“God revealed that actually everything that we need is already there. As humans we just have to learn to work with nature, rather than hitting it on the head all the time.”

– Tony Rinaudo

Australia: The Christian who regenerated 240 million trees

“God revealed that actually everything that we need is already there. As humans we just have to learn to work with nature, rather than hitting it on the head all the time.” – Tony Rinaudo

Promising new technologies can make this world a better place. Take Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), a reforestation technique developed by Australian Christian agronomist Tony Rinaudo.

We first published about Rinaudo five years ago, in JNI 922, a special edition on ‘turning the deserts into forests’, but his story is so valuable that it deserves more attention.

Rinaudo, who now works as Principal Advisor for Natural Resources Management at Christian charity World Vision Australia, is known as the Forest Maker or Tree Whisperer. He is one of the very few people on earth whose achievements can be seen on satellite images. This man is responsible for regenerating no less than 240 million trees in the last 30 years.

In 1983, after two years of doing reforestation ‘the old way’ in Niger, namely by planting trees, Rinaudo despaired: “I was in charge of a reforestation project that was failing miserably, it wasn’t that I was particularly dumb, it was the same story all over West Africa. And I remember the frustration that just hit me: north, south, east, west, was a barren landscape, and I knew perfectly well that 80 or 90% of the trees I was carrying in my car for planting would die.”

But then Rinaudo took a closer look at the few bushes scattered around the land. He knew these bushes were in fact trees that had been hacked down. Suddenly he wondered: what if we would prune these left-over trees and allow them to grow? In that moment, which he describes as an ‘answer to prayer’, everything changed. “We didn’t need to plant trees, it wasn’t a question of having a multi-million dollar budget and years to do it, everything we needed was already in the ground.”

Rinaudo had found an ‘embarrassingly simple solution’ to a seemingly insurmountable problem. The root system of the chopped down trees remained alive under the ground; a whole ‘underground forest’ was still available, as Rinaudo would describe it. The only thing needed was some human care and protection, allowing the trees to grow and heal themselves. In Rinaudo’s words: “The only thing needed was some humans working with nature rather than hitting it on the head all the time.”

After his discovery, Rinaudo had to overturn generations of accepted wisdom, as well as a resistance to giving some land back to nature. “When you’ve got people who are on the edge of starvation every year, not just in famine years, you’ve got this perception that you need every square inch of farmland to grow food crops. And here’s this nut telling people they should sacrifice some of their land for trees.”

But as soon as farmers started to see the results of Rinaudo’s method (called Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration, or FMNR), the new technique took off. And here we are: 3 decades later and 240 million trees richer. At the UN’s global climate talks in Katowice (December 2018), Rinaudo explained the profound impact of these trees. They:

improve farming yields;
reduce ground temperatures;
hold water in the soil;
provide firewood;
make farming in hot places more comfortable;
and last but not least: all these trees act as a powerful carbon sink, with the potential to draw in billions more tonnes of carbon.

A satellite image of the Humbo region of Ethiopia, showing tree cover in 2005 (left) and in 2017 (right). The images below show the situation on the ground before and after. (Courtesy of World Vision)

Working with World Vision since 1999, Rinaudo has taken his technique across the world, from arid Somaliland to tropical East Timor. His big dream: to see FMNR introduced into at least 100 countries by 2030, as a powerful way of improving people’s lives and pursuing Sustainable Development Goal #15.

In September 2018, Rinaudo received the Right Livelihood Award, often described as the Alternative Nobel Price. Rinaudo received the award “for demonstrating on a large scale how drylands can be greened at minimal cost, improving the livelihoods of millions of people. Rinaudo’s reforestation method has the potential to restore currently degraded drylands with an area the combined size of India.”

FOR FURTHER READING

For further reading you might want to download the free short e-book ‘Tony Rinaudo: The Forest Maker’ (pdf). Or read this transcript of an interview with Rinaudo for ISCAST (Christians in Science and Technology) on theology and agriculture, the challenges of cross-cultural development, the sins of an affluent West, and of angrily wrestling with God in prayer. More information on Rinaudo’s method can be found on the FMNR website.

Source: Evert-Jan Ouweneel, World Vision Australia

Joel News # 1125, May 19, 2019

Global: Turning the deserts into forests

The prophet Isaiah once spoke about new things God is doing: a way in the wilderness, springs in the desert, streams in the wasteland, a new season of blossoming and fertility. But is this really feasible in dry places like North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia? Luc Gnacadja believes so. “Drylands are a mission field, an opportunity for transformational business models and prosperity,” he says.

Gnacadja is the former Minister of the Environment for Benin. He brings his Christian faith to his campaign against land degradation, promoting global sustainability through care for land and soil. For the past seven years, he was the executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. He is a passionate advocate of Zero Net Land Degradation by 2030 for the sake of healthy and productive land for future generations.

Gnacadja believes desertification is the main cause of the surge in migration into Europe. Already this year 110,000 illegal migrants have been caught trying to cross the Mediterranean on boats, compared to 20,000 in all of 2012. Most of these refugees are coming from North Africa and the Sahel, the Middle East and Central Asia. They are trying to flee from the effects of decades of environmental degradation which have been compounded by escalating climatic shocks such as droughts. These regions are today’s most human-insecure and conflict-prone globally, but also the majority of the world’s unreached peoples live here.

‘Christians should be prophetic. Drylands are a mission field.’

Perhaps it’s a responsibility for Europe to address the ‘push-factors’ of forced-migration, Gnacadja suggests. “Drylands are not marginal regions, they represent one third of the world’s land mass and population, nearly half of the world’s food production, half the world’s livestock and are home to the largest diversity of mammals.”

Driving his point further still, Gnacadja unpacks the concept of ‘land footprint’, the area needed for any region’s food production. ‘Virtual land’ describes the foreign land needed for the region’s imports and exports. In the case of the 28 European Union member states that is over a quarter of the globe, creating a huge virtual land trade imbalance. Asia, Africa and Latin America are Europe’s main ‘virtual land‘ suppliers. Yet another related concept is that of ‘water footprint’, and again Europe’s footprint, and therefore ecological responsibilities, extend far beyond her geographical boundaries. Africa’s problems are therefore also Europe’s problems, and Europeans should seriously consider how best to invest in renewable energy, education, health, water, woodland and re-forestation projects in that continent.

There might be a role for Christian professionals and entrepreneurs here, says Gnacadja. “Drylands are a mission field, an opportunity for transformational business models, a new frontier to engage in co-prosperity. Christians should be prophetic. Jeremiah chapter 12 talks of wasteland and parched ground mourning God. We have a mission to restore the people and their land, and thus mitigate the push-factors of forced-migration.”

‘One of the world’s most successful approaches to restore the land came as an answer to prayer.’

Mission agencies in Niger are already experiencing remarkable results in making man-made barren land to thrive. “When you understand desertification,” Gnacadja says quoting Australian Tony Rinaudo, “you can restore the land.” Rinaudo, also a Christian, developed ‘farmer-managed natural regeneration’ (FMNR) literally as an answer to prayer. This approach has been recognised as one of the most successful and cost-effective regenerative agro-forestry schemes in the world.

Tony Rinaudo with a farmers’ family in East Timor.

Rinaudo realised that beneath what seemed to be arid desert were hundreds of tree stumps buried in an ‘underground forest’. Instead of destroying the growth from these stumps as was standard farming practice, this indigenous growth needed to be nurtured. Seemingly treeless fields could contain seeds, living tree stumps and roots with the ability to sprout new stems and regenerate trees. Biodiversity could be increased, soil structure and fertility improved, wind and water erosion reversed and dried up springs coaxed to reappear.

Already five million hectares of land in Niger had been regenerated in this way, feeding 2.5 million people with 500,000 tonnes of new cereal production. In this video and this interview Rinaudo, who currently works as a natural resource management advisor for World Vision, explains the approach. Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) is explained in detail here.

Source: Luc Gnacadja, Jeff Fountain

Sri Lanka: Turning salt water into sweet water

Promising new technologies can make this world a better place. Christian relief organization World Vision has a keen interest in turning salt water into sweet water.

Today, 2.1 billion people lack safe drinking water at home, a figure that is expected to increase as our water use is growing twice as fast as our population growth. For this reason, 193 countries committed in 2015 to Sustainable Development Goal #6: (see https://templatelab.com/sustainable-development-goals/) access to safe water and sanitation for all by 2030. Not an easy goal to pursue. The world is facing severe water challenges: more droughts, melting ice caps, pollution, lack of water infrastructure, growing bio-energy demands, growing meat demands, and endangered ecosystems.

But here is an intriguing fact: most countries have a coast line and therefore direct access to plenty of salt water. So desalination (turning salt water into sweet water) might be one of the most obvious solutions to the scarcity issue. But as desalination plants cost a lot of money, there is a need to find more affordable, small-scale and distributed solutions.

Take this World Vision project in Sri Lanka, where they make pure water using solar desalination, a sustainable drinking water supply from all types of contaminated water.

Source: World Vision

Click on the image to play the video

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American revival reports – 2023

by Geoff 2 February 2023 1 Comment

American revival reports – 2023

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American revival reports – 2023

Whole Native American Communities touched by “Fire of the Holy Spirit” experience powerful revival

Mark Martin : Jan 31, 2023 CBN News

One southeast Montana tribe passed a 2013 legislative resolution “to honor God for His great blessings upon the Crow Tribe and to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord of the Crow Indian Reservation.” They also fly the flag of Israel next to the sign.

[CBN News] – In some respects, the plight of Native Americans hasn’t changed. They face troubling circumstances with issues ranging from substance abuse to a massive COVID-19 impact, to an alarming number of missing and murdered women. (screengrab Image)

“There’s a lot of broken areas, broken communities, and our communities are rampant with drugs,” Crow Tribe member Donna Stands-Over-Bull told CBN News.

God is Moving

Yet, in the midst of the suffering, Stands-Over-Bull and her husband Russell say God is on the move.

“We can feel and sense the rumblings of revival, and when I say revival I mean people’s hearts turning back to God,” she shared.

“We’ve been having healing revivals over the online Church. God’s been healing people through social media. People are giving their hearts to the Lord,” explained Russell Stands-Over-Bull.

The senior pastors of Arrow Creek TV e-church said God called them to start the online fellowship in 2018.

“We couldn’t even comprehend what that would look like, but God put it on our hearts, and we began to establish Arrow Creek TV,” Russell told CBN News. “And Millennials started coming to the church, and I’m so proud of my congregation. We’ve got the best. We’ve got five continents represented.”

“We probably represent the biggest church in the Indian community throughout the U.S.,” he continued.

Deep Revival Roots

Russell said the Pentecostal roots of revival run deep in his family and the Crow Nation. His mother, Sharon Stands-Over-Bull, is also a pastor and Crow elder. She recalled how in 1906, her grandmother attended the Azusa Street Revival in California.

“While they were there, they were privileged to receive the Holy Spirit, and they came back to the Crow Reservation, proclaiming that God is Lord over the Crow Reservation,” Sharon told CBN News.

“Whole communities were touched by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the Crows eventually became known throughout Indian Country as the center for Pentecost,” explained Russell. “This was the capital for Pentecost, and still is considered that by many neighboring tribes.”

‘Jesus Christ is Lord’

Leaders of the Crow Tribe have even put up a sign which boldly proclaims that “Jesus Christ is Lord on the Crow Nation”. It also has a Scripture that reads, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.” – Psalm 33:12 KJV

In addition, the southeast Montana tribe passed a 2013 legislative resolution “to honor God for His great blessings upon the Crow Tribe and to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord of the Crow Indian Reservation.” They also fly the flag of Israel next to the sign.

“The Scripture says that as we stand with Israel, we are a blessed nation, so we held that,” Sharon Stands-Over-Bull said. “And so today, there are ministries throughout the reservation, and people have been saved and healed and shouting the victory.”

“So, I’m just so glad that in my lifetime, I got to be a part of it, and it’s still ongoing,” she added.

‘Please Save Me’

On Montana’s Blackfeet Reservation, Windy Cross Guns shared how God delivered her of meth addiction.

“I had a little granddaughter born. One day my house got busted. It was surrounded by cops, and I stood by, and I watched,” she said. “I didn’t care about anything except for the drugs in my hands.”

“And just once, I turned around and looked and remembered that little baby was in there, and that was the beginning of me thinking of my future, my family, my community, and what I wanted to do,” she continued.

“And basically, I just looked to the sky and asked God to help me – if He was real, please save me,” Windy shared.

Cross Guns said she, too, and her family is experiencing a revival.

“Them, and friends and fellow addicts in this community have seen my recovery, and they believe what I believe in now. I mean they saw it,” she explained. “My whole family converted; they’re now Pentecostal Christians, too.”

Sustaining Revival

Patrick Matt, Jr., is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. A preacher’s kid, he calls himself a product of a 20th-century Pentecostal Christian movement.

“If I can shine as a light to my people, to say God is doing something with me. God is changing me. God is doing mighty things in my life, in my family’s life, He can do it for you!” he exclaimed. “Then, amen! Amen and amen.”

Russell Stands-Over-Bull said the goal now is teaching his Church to “sustain revival” through fasting and prayer.

“So, when we host the Presence of God, Heaven comes down, and there’s no sickness in Heaven. There’s no poverty in Heaven. There’s no lack in Heaven,” he explained. “So, when we invite the Kingdom of God, that’s how we sustain revival, and that’s our quest, is to keep this revival fire going.” Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

https://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=36849

Revival fire continues at rural Kentucky church

January 27, 2023

By Mark Ellis –

Revival at Kentucky Church photo: S. Phipps

For over 88 nights in a row, a small country church in Kentucky has been the site of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as many are being saved, baptized and set free from addictions and bondages.

The North Main Community Church in Heidrick has been packed with roughly 300 hungry people every night, which has left Pastor Scott Phipps searching for ways to expand their facility. The town of Heidrick has a population of about one thousand, according to Pastor Phipps.

“The aisles are full every night,” Pastor Phipps told God Reports. “It was the end of the 54th night when I really realized things had changed. Last night you could also feel a shift come in the church. A man was praying for healing. We were praying for him, and I went numb all over. You could feel the power of God in such a way and even the lead evangelist looked at me at the same time.”

Pastor Scott Phipps and his wife, Tammie photo: Facebook

Pastor Phipps and his wife, Tammie, were saved out of drug addiction 29 years ago. “I was deep in drug addiction and trafficking in drugs and had a store with a 24-hour game room and a lot of other illegal activities going on,” he recalled.

“A backslidden preacher come in one night and lost all his money in one of the poker machines,” he says. Somehow, Scott and Tammie ended up with the preacher’s rusting Chrysler LeBaron convertible, leaking through the roof. They found a rain-soaked Bible in the back of the car.

“My wife was drying the Bible out and she started reading it,” he reports. The power of the Word and the Spirit grabbed Tammie’s heart and she visited a church nearby. “She went one night and God delivered her of almost seven years of opiate addiction and saved her.”

Phipps was shocked when Tammie returned from the church and said, “Honey, God saved me. I don’t want to do drugs anymore, and I love you now.”

He didn’t like the change. “I got upset over it. She wouldn’t get high on drugs. I mean, that was our life and I thought, Well, I’ve always been the leader in her life; she’d been with me since she was 13.”

After a few sleepless nights, Phipps made his way to a church, fell to his knees at the altar, and was born again. “I realized I was blind. Looking back now, I didn’t know how miserable I was. You’ve got to realize that me and my wife had no experience in church. We wasn’t raised in Christian homes. Her dad was shot and killed when she was three in a bar that got robbed. I was introduced to drugs by my own father. And so, we were the opposite of being raised in a Christian home.”

They left their old life behind and went to Lexington, temporarily homeless, living in a Super Eight motel with their twin, one-year-old boys.

After he found work, they lived in Lexington for two years, then returned home and felt called by God to plant a church. “It had one his and hers outhouse, a potbelly stove in it for heat, and held about 40.”

“We planted the church in 1998, which wasn’t long after we found the Lord. I knew nothing…I had flashcards many times, with a story you hold up and you read them off the back. I knew nothing about preaching.”

After several years, they moved into their present location. They also run one of the area’s largest addiction recovery centers, Hope City and Redemption Road Recovery,

“It’s a dark hour and a lot of people are just lost,” he observes. The area is inundated with drugs, mainly cheap Methamphetamine and heroin. “Now an ounce of meth is $200. People are trading their lives for it.”

Many filling the church are escaping the emptiness of drugs. “Eighty percent of our church is people coming out of addiction like us and then other people that just didn’t know a lot about church, and others who lost that first love,” he says.

“I’ve been blessed with a group of people that truly love much because they’ve been forgiven much. They love much, and they feel they owe their life to Christ. The world says there’s no hope for people like this, there’s nothing for them. People are just coming from everywhere. A lot of them say they’ve been waiting for this.

“Only God can take the ashes of a life and make something beautiful out of it. Only God can do that.”

https://www.godreports.com/2023/01/revival-fire-continues-at-rural-kentucky-church/

Fresh Outpouring at Asbury University

Livestream from Asbury University – February 2023

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A ‘surprising work of God’ in Asbury chapel

Livestream – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF_YFhdzeFU

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Revival reported at Asbury University in Kentucky 50 years to the month after the previous outpouring.

Kim Roberts : Feb 10, 2023 Ministry Watch

(Kentucky) — [MinistryWatch.com] Reports from Asbury University say that a revival has broken out in the chapel of the small Christian college campus in Kentucky. (Image: Facebook-Matt Barnes)

According to reports being shared on social media, students have been in the chapel for over 24 hours reading Scripture, praying, singing, and sharing personal testimonies.

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