Christian renewal, church growth, prayer, revival Christian, Christian revival, church, evangelism, prayer, revival

Europe: 5 signs of Christian revival

by Geoff 8 December 2022 No Comments

Europe: 5 signs of Christian revival

Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 100,000 blog views annually.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
Europe: 5 signs of Christian revival

Free PDF books on the Main Page

Post-Christian. Secular. A prodigal continent. These are some of the words often used to describe Christianity in Europe. Yet, a growing number of voices believe God is not done with Europe.

“Renewed spiritual hunger, new stirring of prayer, fresh expressions of the church, and migrant churches restoring faith” are signs of hope in our continent today, writes former YWAM Europe director Jeff Fountain.

It would certainly not be the first time that God changes the narrative of a continent. Only decades ago, Protestants described Latin America as a mission field. Today, it’s become a mission force, and the Brazilian church sends the second most missionaries in the world. In 1900, Africa was home to about nine million Christians. Who could ever have imagined that by the 2020s there would be half a billion Christians on the continent?

But the missional challenges for Christians in Europe are overwhelming. The old continent has a complex and unique history with the Christian faith. “No other continent has been exposed to Christianity for such a prolonged period and in such an extensive way,” wrote Jim Memory, the Lausanne Europe co-regional director, in the Europe 2021 Missiological Report. “Yet just as Europe was the first continent to be Christianised, it was also the first to be de-Christianised.”

Even so, in our day, an extraordinary re-evangelisation of Europe is taking place. Here are five ways we are seeing God move throughout the continent:

1. Diaspora churches
Latin-American migrants have planted thousands of churches in Spain, Portugal and beyond over the last thirty years. It is difficult to find a major European city that does not have a large Spanish speaking and/or Brazilian congregation. Similarly, Chinese churches can be found almost everywhere. African-initiated Pentecostal churches number in the thousands in Britain alone.

2. Church planting
Church planting has been also accelerating in Europe through various networks, denominations, and mission agencies. In France, for example, the National Council of French Evangelicals (CNEF) has set a goal of establishing an evangelical church for every 10,000 people. The church planting movement in France saw, on average, one church be planted every seven days over the last few years. “We want to move the church in Europe from decline and plateauing into growth,” said Øystein Gjerme, leader of M4 Europe, a movement with a vision to see one church planted every day in Europe.3. The prayer movement
The late revival historian J. Edwin Orr wrote that “whenever God is ready to do something new with his people, he always sets them to praying.” For the last two decades, the 24/7 prayer movement has seen the birth of 22,000 prayer rooms in 78 nations, the majority of them in Europe. One house of prayer in Augsburg, Germany, has had continuous prayer, day and night, for 11 years, or 110,000 hours.4. Increased Christian unity
The war in Ukraine has fostered unprecedented collaboration between mission agencies. Networks like the European Leadership Forum, the European Evangelical Alliance, and the Lausanne Movement have strengthened unity and collaboration. In charismatic circles, a historic coalition of 29 denominations and mission agencies in Norway brought together 9,000 young people, the largest Christian cross-denominational gathering in over 20 years, for The Send Norway.

5. The next generation
This May, 13,000 teens and young adults from all over Germany came together for Christival, a conference organized by a nondenominational network with historical roots in the Jesus Movement. Revive Europe brought together 3,000 university students from 68 nations to pray for a revival among their peers. God is raising a new generation of Europeans longing for authentic encounters with Jesus. They are increasingly open to spiritual conversations, prayer, and especially looking for a community to belong to.

Source: Sarah Breuel, Revive Europe

Jowl News # 1283, December 8, 2022

Added to BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

Blogs Index 1: Revivals (briefer than Revivals Index)
Blogs Index 2: Mission (international stories)
Blogs Index 3: Miracles (supernatural events)
Blogs Index 4: Devotional (including Testimonies)
Blogs index 5: Church (Christianity in action)
Blogs Index 6: Chapters (Blogs from Books)
Blogs Index 7: Images (Photos & Videos)

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

Click here to be notified of new Blogs

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Europe: 5 signs of Christian revival

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

Africa, Christian mission, Holy Spirit Christian mission, Holy Spirit, miracles

Language God gave a missionary

by Geoff 3 December 2022 2 Comments

What language did God supply to keep missionary from being eaten by cannibals?

November 9, 2022

Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 100,000 blog views annually.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
Language God gave a missionary

Free PDF books on the Main Page

By John Sherrill —

The most amazing story in my collection took place in the heart of Africa in the year 1922.

In that year, the Reverend H. B. Garlock and his wife, of Toms River, New Jersey, volunteered for a dangerous assignment: they were to go to Africa as missionaries to the Pahns, a small tribe in the interior of Liberia. No missionaries had ever before worked with the Pahns. The reason was simple. The Pahns were cannibals.

The Garlocks arrived in Liberia and set up camp with a group of African Christians whose tribal boundary touched that of the Pahns. Almost immediately Mrs. Garlock came down with malaria. Their meager medical chest was soon emptied and still her fever rose. Garlock had a difficult time persuading the natives to take a short route to the coast for more medicine because the way led through Pahn country.

At last, however, Garlock convinced the chief that it was possible to skirt the danger areas, and that if medicine didn’t arrive soon, Mrs. Garlock might well die. One morning at dawn a group of men left the compound and headed out, filled with misgivings, to bring back supplies.

About noon the head carrier suddenly appeared in the doorway of the mud hut where Mrs. Garlock lay. He was out of breath. In gasps he blurted out what had happened. One of his men had been captured by the cannibals. The African assured the two missionaries that unless the man could be rescued, he would be eaten.

Garlock realized that it was his fault. Providentially, his wife’s fever had begun to go down that very morning, within an hour after the supply party had left. Without hesitation Garlock himself set out into Pahn territory, taking along a few hand-picked warriors: he was going to try to get the man out.

Just before dark, the little group arrived at the village where the carrier was being held. A wooden fence ran around the cluster of huts, but no one stood guard. Garlock peeked cautiously through and saw that one of the huts had sentries posted before it. Two men carrying spears squatted outside in the dust. Their hair was braided in long pigtails; their front teeth were filed to a point.

That would be the prison, Garlock decided. He turned to his men. ‘I’m going in,’ he whispered. ‘If there’s trouble make as much noise as you can. I’ll try to get away in the confusion’.

Garlock was counting on two facts to help him. One was the probability that the Pahns had never seen a white man: he hoped that this would give him the advantage of surprise. The other was that he believed the miracle stories of the Bible, telling of supernatural help coming when it was needed most. Garlock was praying as he stepped into the cannibals’ compound. He was praying that God would show him step by step what he should do.

Walking as straight and as tall as he could, he strode directly toward the prison hut. The guards were too astonished to stop him. He walked between them and ducked inside the hut. Outside, he heard the guard begin to shout: he heard feet slap against the packed earth as others ran to join them. In the dark interior Garlock crawled forward until his hands touched a figure tied to the center pole of the hut.

Garlock slipped a knife out of his pocket and cut the bonds. The carrier spoke to him. But seemed incapable of making any effort in his own behalf. Garlock dragged the terrified man out through the door. But that’s as far as he got. There in the courtyard was a yelling, threatening crowd of Africans armed with knives, spears and hatchets.

Garlock listened for his own men to start a distraction. But outside the compound all was silence. Garlock knew that he had been abandoned.

There was nothing for it except to try a bluff. With great deliberation he settled the prisoner up against the hut, and then he himself sat down on the skull of an elephant that stood beside the door. All the while he was praying. The crowd kept its distance, still yelling and milling, but not coming close.

A full moon rose. Garlock sat quietly on his elephant’s skull. Finally the people squatted down in a great semicircle facing the hut. In the center of this ring, Garlock thought he spotted the chief and beside him the village witch doctor.

Suddenly this man stood up. He ran a few steps toward Garlock, then stopped. He held out a reed wand, shook it at Garlock, then started to stalk back and forth between the missionary and the chief, talking loudly and gesturing occasionally toward the prisoner. Garlock could not understand a word he said, but it was clear to him that he was on trial.

The witch doctor harangued Garlock for an hour, and then quite abruptly he stopped. He came, for the first time, directly up to Garlock and peered into his face. The witch doctor thrust his neck forward, then drew it back amid the cheers of the onlookers. Then, with great ostentation, he laid the wand on the ground at Garlock’s feet. He stepped back, waiting.

Silence fell over the tribe. Garlock gathered that it was now time for him to speak in his own defense.

But how! Garlock did not know one word of the Pahn language. The crowd began to grow restless. Stalling for time Garlock stood up and picked up the wand. Instantly the natives fell silent. And while they waited, Garlock prayed.

‘Lord, show me what to do. Send your Spirit to help me’.

Suddenly Garlock began to shake violently. This frightened him as he did not want the others to see that he was afraid. But with the trembling came a sense of the nearness of the Holy Spirit. Words of Jesus came to him: ‘Take no thought what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given to you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost” (Mark 13:11).

Garlock felt a strange boldness. He took a deep breath and began to speak. From his lips came a flow of words which he did not understand.

Garlock saw the natives lean forward, enthralled. He saw that the words – whatever they were – had a stirring effect on those who listened. He knew beyond a doubt that he was speaking to the Pahns in their own language.

For twenty minutes Garlock talked to the Pahns. Then, as suddenly as the speech-power came, it vanished, and Garlock knew that he had come to the end of his discourse. He sat down.

There was a moment of waiting while the chief and the witch doctor put their heads together. Then, straightening, the witch doctor gave an order and a white rooster was brought forward. With a snap, the witch doctor wrung the rooster’s neck. He sprinkled some of the blood on the foreheads of Garlock and the prisoner. Later Garlock interpreted this as meaning that the rooster had taken his place: blood had to be shed, but something he had said while speaking in the Spirit had convinced these people that he and the prisoner should go free.

A few minutes later, Garlock and the captured man were walking through the jungle back toward the mission station. The chief had even supplied two of his own men to guide them the first part of the journey. In time, the Pahns gave up their cannibal life and were converted to Christianity. Garlock is certain that the beginnings of the conversion came with the seed sown while he stood in a flood of moonlight and gave a speech, not one word of which did he understand.

Excerpt from: John L. Sherrill, They speak with other tongues, published by Fleming H. Revell Company, 1968. (Sherrill also co-authored God’s Smuggler and The Cross and the Switchblade. He passed to his reward in 2017 at age 94.)

H.B. Garlock and his wife, Ruthanne, published their own missionary account, Before We Kill And Eat You: Tales of Faith in the Face of Certain Death, published by Regal, 1974

Added to BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

Blogs Index 1: Revivals (briefer than Revivals Index)
Blogs Index 2: Mission (international stories)
Blogs Index 3: Miracles (supernatural events)
Blogs Index 4: Devotional (including Testimonies)
Blogs index 5: Church (Christianity in action)
Blogs Index 6: Chapters (Blogs from Books)
Blogs Index 7: Images (Photos & Videos)

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

Click here to be notified of new Blogs

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
The best Christmas of my life

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

Christmas Christmas

The best Christmas of my life

by Geoff 29 November 2022 1 Comment

The best Christmas of my life

Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 100,000 blog views annually.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
The best Christmas of my life

Free PDF books on the Main Page

It was Christmas Eve 1942. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn’t been enough money to buy me the rifle that I’d wanted for Christmas.

We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Daddy wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Daddy to get down the old Bible.

I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn’t in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Daddy didn’t get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn’t figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn’t worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon he came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. “Come on, Matt,” he said. “Bundle up good, it’s cold out tonight.” I was really upset then. Not only wasn’t I getting the rifle for Christmas, now he was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We’d already done all the chores, and I couldn’t think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew he was not very patient at one dragging one’s feet when he’d told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my coat. Mommy gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn’t know what.

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn’t going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Daddy was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn’t happy. When I was on, Daddy pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed.

“I think we’ll put on the high sideboards,” he said. “Here, help me.” The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards on.

Then Daddy went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood – the wood I’d spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. I asked, “What are you doing?”

“You been by the Widow Jensen’s lately?” he asked. Mrs.Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I’d been by, but so what?

“Yeah,” I said, “Why?”

“I rode by just today,” he said. “Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They’re out of wood, Matt.” That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, he called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smokehouse and he took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand.

“What’s in the little sack?” I asked. “Shoes, they’re out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a little candy.”

We rode the two miles to Mrs.Jensen’s, pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Daddy was doing. We didn’t have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn’t have any money, so why was he buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn’t have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, “Who is it?” “Lucas Miles, Ma’am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?”

Mrs.Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Mrs.Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

“We brought you a few things, Ma’am,” Daddy said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then he handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children – sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at my Daddy like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn’t come out.

“We brought a load of wood too, Ma’am,” he said. Then turned to me and said, “Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let’s get that fire up to size and heat this place up.” I wasn’t the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn’t speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I’d never known before filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone’s spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Daddy handed them each a piece of candy and Mrs.Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn’t crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. “God bless you,” she said. “I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us.”

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I’d never thought of my Daddy in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Daddy had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Mommy and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Daddy insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen’s face again when we stood up to leave. My Daddy took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn’t want us to go. I could see that they missed their Daddy and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door he turned to Widow Jensen and said, “The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We’ll be by to get you about eleven. It’ll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn’t been little for quite a spell.” I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.

Mrs.Jensen nodded and said, “Thank you, Brother Miles. I don’t have to say, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will.”

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn’t even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Daddy turned to me and said, “Matt, I want you to know something. Your Mother and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn’t have quite enough.

“Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your Mom and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand.”

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Daddy had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. He had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Mrs. Jensen’s face and the radiant smiles of her three children.

For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside my Daddy that night. He had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

Reproduced from Vision Christian Radio

https://www.facebook.com/visionradio

Some Christmas Blogs

The Queen’s Christmas & Easter Messages

The best Christmas of my life

A Christmas story by a Russian orphan

How December 25 became Christmas

The Christmas tree

Christmas ~ Emmanuel: God with us
Christmas images to share widely

Added to BLOGS INDEX 3: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

Blogs Index 1: Revivals(briefer than Revivals Index)
Blogs Index 2: Mission (international stories)
Blogs Index 3: Miracles (supernatural events)
Blogs Index 4: Devotional (including Testimonies)
Blogs index 5: Church (Christianity in action)
Blogs Index 6: Chapters(Blogs from Books)
Blogs Index 7: Images (Photos & Videos)

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

Click here to be notified of new Blogs

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
The best Christmas of my life

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

Christian mission, church, evangelism, revivals Christian revival, church, evangelism, mission, revival, revival movements

Uzbekistan: An ancient city experiences revival

by Geoff 17 November 2022 2 Comments

Uzbekistan: An ancient city experiences revival

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Uzbekistan: An ancient city experiences revival

Free PDF books on the main page: www.renewaljournal.com
Permissions: You can reproduce any Renewal Journal resource freely, including in print.

Bukhara in Uzbekistan, one of the oldest cities in the world, is experiencing a revival. This is reported by German missiologist Johannes Reimer.

Bukhara was first mentioned in 500 BC. Located on the famous Silk Road, it became a center for trade, culture, science, and religion. Ancient authors called Bukhara “a city full of knowledge.” It was Buddhist under Mongolian rulership until in the 7th century the Nestorians introduced Christianity. The many coins with Christian symbols suggest that Christianity might have been a dominant religion in Bukhara during the 7th and 8th centuries. However, Bukhara’s people gradually converted to Islam in the late 9th century, and in the 14th century Christians were forced out of the country.

Photo: The historic centre of Bukhara is a UNESCO heritage site

Christianity came back to Bukhara in the 20th century. Under Russian and Soviet rule Russian, German, Korean, Armenian and Polish Christians settled in the area, often by force. Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Lutheran, Mennonite, Baptist and Pentecostal churches established branches in the country and also in Bukhara. First these churches mainly served the immigrants, but from 1985 onwards members of ethnic native Uzbek and Tadzhik groups also came to know Jesus and join the church.

‘The Evangelicals are experiencing extraordinary growth’

In 1991, Uzbekistan became an independent state. Christians experienced heavy state persecution and many Russian and almost all German-speaking Christians left the country. Under the current president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the relationship between the government and the churches has improved, leading to more and more converts from Islam coming in. Today the Evangelicals are experiencing extraordinary growth in Uzbekistan, including Bukhara, where five Evangelical churches attract hundreds of mostly Uzbek and Tadzhik believers for worship each Sunday. The churches actively spread the gospel in the region.

“We went from an ingrown, self-centered Pentecostal church to a congregation serving our community,” says one of the pastors. His growing congregation counts hundreds of people throughout the region. Among them are many deaf people. “Today you will barely find one village in our region without a house church for the deaf,” the pastor says. “People consider the deaf, blind and other people with inborn disabilities as cursed; we instead serve them, teach them to write and to read, teach sign language to them and offer them an integral part in our Sunday worship service. Our teams visit the places, care for them socially and conduct Bible studies. Hundreds have been baptised so far. Through our intensive care for those outcasts, their families have started to open up as well.”

‘You will barely find a village without a house church for the deaf’

Visiting the people in their home areas can turn out to be a very difficult venture. Roads are bad, buses are rare, and many places can be reached only by walking or biking. The Evangelicals in Bukhara seem to use every opportunity. During the pandemic the church organised mask production, compiled basic food packages and, most of all, delivered clean water to the people. The church has its own water purification plant that produces 500 liters of clean water per hour. The water is distributed among the people in the neighbourhood, sold for a modest profit. Where poor people can’t pay, the water is given for free. And everyone is served, Christians, Muslims and atheists. The Christians dream of having such purification plants in every village of the region. The generally available water is bitter and often dangerous. “Clean water is good news to the people, and when it is brought by us Christians, we become good news to them,” one pastor says.

Photo: a deaf community in Uzbekistan

“Caring for the well-being of people in the community always includes prayer for the sick,” another pastor says. “We intentionally go to the Covid-infected people, comfort them and their families, and lay our hands on them in prayer for healing. Many were instantly healed. This too brought people closer to Jesus. Experiencing God’s divine healing also strengthened our young first-generation believers. Today they know what Jesus can do because they have seen Him doing miracles.”

‘Women are the backbone of the movement in Uzbekistan’

One extraordinary development in Bukhara is the role of women in evangelising in the area. In fact, the vast majority of evangelists and small group leaders among the new believers are women. Similar to the deaf people, they are considered in some tribal settings as second-class humans and are excluded from many strata of religious and tribal life. At the same time, many of them have received a high-level education in Soviet times and after the independence. Searching for meaning in life, many of them find answers in Christianity and turn to Jesus. The fact that their husbands are often far away in foreign lands (mostly in Russia) for years as guest workers puts the bulk of the responsibility to care for the family on them. Christian women, as well as the church itself, offer them support and care.

Finding their way to Jesus releases an enormous energy in their lives. As a result, they are testifying about Jesus to other women in their neighbourhood and organising them in Bible studies or even in small businesses to help them survive economically. “Today women are the backbone of the evangelical movement in Uzbekistan,” says the pastor. Most of those women are relatively young – as are the Uzbek and Tadzhik Christians generally. Many 18 to 25 years olds are already leading ministries, and are experienced in evangelism and church planting.

Source: Johannes Reimer

Joel News International # 1280, November 15, 2022

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6 Worship,   7 Blessing,   8 Awakening,   9 Mission,   10 Evangelism,
11 Discipleship,   12 Harvest,   13 Ministry,   14 Anointing,   15 Wineskins,
16 Vision,   17 Unity,   18 Servant Leadership,   19 Church,   20 Life

Revival Blogs Links:

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX
BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)
***BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION* (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)
BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)
BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)
BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)
BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)
BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)
BACK TO MAIN PAGE**

Free PDF books on the Main Page

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Uzbekistan: An ancient city experiences revival

Bible guidance, Christian renewal, devotional, faith, prayer, revival Christian revival, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, revival

Treasures New & Old – by Geoff Waugh

by Geoff 31 October 2022 No Comments

Treasures New & Old

Message by Geoff Waugh – 40 minutes
Sunday, October 30, 2022, at Riverlife Baptist Church in Brisbane, Australia

Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 100,000 blog views annually.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
Treasures New & Old

Free PDF books on the Main Page

Message – 40 minutes:

Link: A one-minute clip from the message
Link: Message: 40 minutes

These notes are a resource accompanying the message rather than a sermon outline.
That allowed me to hoist a sail to try and catch the wind/breath/Spirit of God.

Introduction: Discovering treasures new and old as we all obey our Lord’s command to love one another, e.g. across all ages, grandparents to children and grandchildren.

love one another – John 13:34; 15:12, 17; Romans 12:10; 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 5
serve one another – Galatians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5
accept one another – Romans 15:7
strengthen one another – Romans 14:19
help one another – Hebrews 3:13; 10:24
encourage one another – Hebrews 10:25
forgive one another – Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
submit to one another – Ephesians 5:21
carry one another’s burdens – Galatians 6:2
be tolerant with one another – Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13
be concerned for one another – Hebrews 10:24
be kind and tender-hearted to one another – Ephesians 4:32

From the Introduction to the free PDF book EnCOURAGE: https://renewaljournal.com/2020/08/03/encourage-love-one-another/

Two quick, simple ways to do that, e.g. in a home group, or any group.
(1) In pairs or threes, say what you appreciate or admire about the other person.
(2) Pray a blessing for the other person (many of you will get an inspired word).

Treasures New & Old

He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’ (Matthew 13:52 NIV)

The Amplified Version calls those treasures the fresh as well as the familiar.

Jesus is the best example of revealing both new and old treasures, as shown in the rest of the passage from Matthew 13:53-58.

Here are some examples of the new transforming the old.

The old transformed

Jesus knew the old and familiar better than anyone, and constantly demonstrated the new fresh treasures of the kingdom, fulfilling and completing the old in himself.

Prayer. The Old Testament is full of examples and commands to pray (e.g. 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 33:3). Jesus taught us to pray from the heart, not just lots of words (e.g. Matthew 6:5-15) because God already knows all we need. He taught us to pray, “Our Father …” Intimate and personal, as he prayed.

The Ten Commandments were familiar but Jesus gave them fresh new meaning and fulfilled them, as in the Sermon on the Mount (e.g. Matthew 6:17-48). Jesus loved the rich young ruler who had obeyed all the commandments from his youth, but challenged him to forsake everything and take up his cross and follow Jesus (Mark 10:17-22).

The familiar Palm 23 has fresh meaning when we see it fulfilled in Jesus: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Jesus fulfilled the Servant Songs in Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1–4; Isaiah 49:1–6; Isaiah 50:4–11; and Isaiah 52:13–53:12) giving them dramatic new meaning. The Ethiopian officer in charge of the Queen’s treasury found Jesus in Isaiah 53 and was baptized (Acts 8:26-40).

Jesus gave new meaning to the familiar passage in Isaiah 61:1-2 in his home village in the synagogue at Nazareth after his baptism in water and in the Spirit. He declared and demonstrated it.

‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ (Lk 4:18-19 NIV)

Jesus declared and demonstrated God’s kingdom. He still does, including in and through us. That’s in the Riverlife mission statement: “We are a family embracing the Father’s presence, releasing empowered people who declare and demonstrate Christ’s kingdom.”

The new transforming us

Faith in Jesus, and faith in God, transform us. God’s Spirit is with us and within us to enable us to demonstrate Christ’s Kingdom. Even Jesus said, “By myself I can do nothing” (John 5:30).

People in Nazareth found it hard to believe in God’s power in Jesus. They saw him as the local carpenter, not as God’s Son.

Matthew and Mark tell how amazed Jesus was at their unbelief. Luke tells us how furious the people were (Mt 13:54-58; Mk 6:1-6; Lk 4:16-30).

The Gospels record two times when Jesus was amazed. This was one. He was amazed at their lack of faith, their unbelief. Their unbelief prevented him from doing mighty miracles (Mt 13:58; Mark 6:6).

In contrast, Jesus was amazed by the faith he saw in a Gentile centurion who understood authority: “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:10; Lk 7:9).

We live in a time when millions of believers are discovering the new treasures of God’s kingdom. I want to give you examples. This can build faith for us to believe for more of God’s kingdom to come among us all.

Some biblical & current examples

(1) Jerusalem – Acts 2. Filled with the Spirit in a prayer meeting.
Example: Prayer meeting on Elcho Island led to revival in Australian communities.
https://renewaljournal.com/2016/02/27/pentecost-in-arnhem-land-bydjiniyini-gondarra/

(2) Samaria – Acts 8. Leaders prayed for believers to receive God’s Spirit.
Example: Solomon Island pastors prayed for Enga Baptist pastors and revival spread.
https://renewaljournal.com/2014/04/28/mid-twentieth-century-revivals-healing-evangelism-revivals/#1973E

(3) Damascus – Acts 9. A believer prayed for a new convert to be filled with the Spirit and healed.
Example: South Pacific Law students were prayed for and became involved in revival missions.
https://renewaljournal.com/2013/05/13/21st-century-revivals-in-the-south-pacific-by-geoff-waugh/

(4) Caesarea – Acts 10. Filled with the Spirit in a meeting during preaching.
Example: Solomon Islands youth filled and empowered in a national conference.
https://renewaljournal.com/2013/05/13/21st-century-revivals-in-the-south-pacific-by-geoff-waugh/

(5) Ephesus – Acts 19. 12 people were baptized and prayed for and filled with God’s Spirit.
Example: I baptized a friend in a creek at a church camp and he was also Spirit-filled and drunk or overwhelmed in the Spirit.

Those current examples, and more, are described in the Revivals Index of renewaljournal.com: https://renewaljournal.com/revivals-index/.

We can, and need to respond in faith and glad obedience (e.g. expectant, obedient dog wagging its tail).

We too can pray, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). That’s our way into blessing, and to bless others in the power of God’s Spirit.

Here’s a comment from the Introduction to The Life of Jesus (with a free PDF). A trinity of three physical metaphors helps 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 alerts 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.

A prayer, from the Preface to The Life of Jesus (free on renewaljournal.com):
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.

Discussion Questions

For personal reflection or to select some for a small group discussion and prayer.

What Old Testament treasures especially inspire or encourage you?
Examples: Psalm 23; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 33:3.
What Old Testament treasures really challenge you?
Examples: Exodus 20; Psalm 51.
What New Testament treasures especially inspire or encourage you?
Examples: John 3:16-18; Luke 11:9-13.
What New Testament treasures really challenge you?
Examples: 1 John 3:16-18; John 7:37-39.
What old or familiar traditions do you still appreciate?
Examples: Psalms; hymns.
What new or fresh traditions to you really appreciate?
Examples: Scripture in Song; using spiritual gifts.
What does being filled with the Spirit mean for you?
Examples: Luke 4:14-30; Ephesians 5:18-20.

FREE SUBSCRIPTION for new Blogs and free offers

Popular Books – by Geoff Waugh

Revival Books

***Renewal* *Books***

General Books

Devotional Books

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 4: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

Click here to be notified of new Blogs

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Treasures Old and New

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

evangelism, revival, revivals, Thailand evangelism, revival, revival movements, revivals

Thailand: Revival continues with 1588 people baptised

by Geoff 5 October 2022 3 Comments

Thailand: Revival continues with 1588 people baptised

Share good news – Share this and any page freely.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
Thailand: Revival continues
Renewal Journal – a chronicle of renewal and revival
Free PDF books on the Main Page
Permissions: You can reproduce any Renewal Journal resource freely, including in print.

“The revival in Thailand continues. This is what it looks like when 1,588 people wait to be baptised,” reports Marten Visser, director of missions organisation GlobalRize.

Visser, a former missionary to Thailand, has been sharing regular updates about a spiritual revival in the Asian country in recent years.

Another missionary, Dwight Martin, also baptised many converted Thai. “We now have about 6,000 churches in Thailand,” he said in an interview. “We don’t force anyone to give up their idols or stop going to the temples. We disciple them and then one day the Holy Spirit convicts them that they no longer need those idols and they no longer need to go to the temple.”

Martin explains: “It is a movement of God without outside influence, without interference from the West. There was simply a man who was touched by God’s Spirit with a vision for Thailand. The Lord put me in touch with him and he wanted to plant Thai churches. His movement was just beginning and when I told him about all the villages in Thailand that had not yet been reached with the gospel, it clicked right away. From then on, many new churches were started.”

‘We don’t bring religion, but Jesus’

“When we go to villages we don’t bring religion but Jesus. We simply say: ‘Do you have a problem in your life? Then Jesus can help you.’ We ask them to bring two or three problems to Jesus and believe in Him. They already believe in all kinds of gods, so that makes it easier. For example, there was a well-to-do woman who wanted a new television set. She prayed for it but was freed from her alcohol addiction instead. She told everyone that she was now no longer buying booze and could buy a TV from the remaining money!”

“We bring them Jesus and within 48 hours we begin to disciple them. We revisit them and teach them how to pray. Simple prayers before meals and children’s prayers. Then a week later we come back and tell them who Jesus is, that He is the Creator of heaven and earth. Another week later we tell about the problem of the Fall. But very slowly, step by step. Within six months they are able to tell others about the gospel in this way. It gives them a good foundation. This takes place within house churches, a safe place to raise newborn Christians.”

“One of our church planters, believe it or not, still leads prayers in a Buddhist temple. He himself is not a Buddhist but a church planter! The church planters go to new villages every day to tell people of God’s love. When you do that every day many come to faith. We now have 500 people doing this. The goal is to plant 800 new churches this year.”

Source: Marten Visser, Dwight Martin

A mass baptism in Thailand with missionary Dwight Martin and his team of church planters. As many as 1,435 people were baptised. Click to watch.

Joel News Edition # 1275, October 05, 2022

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 4: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

Click here to be notified of new Blogs

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:

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

Bible Stories, devotional, Jesus, Jesus Christ Bible, Jesus Christ, Son of God

The Story of Jesus

by Geoff 23 September 2022 10 Comments

The Story of Jesus

History’s Great Love Story

Share good news – Share this and any page freely.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
The Story of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story
Renewal Journal – a chronicle of renewal and revival
Free PDF books on the Main Page

Permission: you can freely reproduce and share these resources and books, including printing (just include the source). You can print, distribute, and market your edition of any of my books – “by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22)

An expanded version of The Life of Jesus

The Story of Jesus – free PDF eBook
An expanded version of The Life of Jesus

The Story of Jesus is an expanded version of The Life of Jesus with extra Bible passages added.
Renewal Journal version – The Life of Jesus – Blog

The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story – PDF

Permissions: You can reproduce these books and any Renewal Journal resource, including in print, eg., uploading to your Amazon Kindle, etc.

The Story of Jesus is an expanded version of The Life of Jesus with extra Bible passages included.
The same Contents and Chapters with more detail added.
Page 4 of the PDF lists the additional passages.

The Story of Jesus PDF eBook

This is an expanded version of The Life of Jesus

WestBow Press version – The Life of Jesus – Blog
The Life of Jesus – WestBow Press – PDF
WestBow Press link – The Life of Jesus
Amazon – paperback, hardcover, Kindle

The Life of Jesus is also available as The Amazing Life of Jesus

The Amazing Life of Jesus:
because his love changes lives forever

Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 100,000 blog views annually.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
The Story of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story

Renewal Journal – a chronicle of renewal and revival: www.renewaljournal.com
Free PDF books on the Main Page

Review Comments

* Our team recently came across your book entitled “The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story”, and we were captivated from start to finish. Your writing style is not only engaging but also remarkably insightful, and the storyline/topic you’ve crafted is nothing short of compelling. Its unique qualities and the emotions it evokes have the power to resonate with readers on a profound level. ~ James Mendez (Skylark)

* Impressive! This book is truly outstanding! Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment. Keep up the exceptional work! ~ Rachael Diaz * 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)

* This is a wonderful book and can be read over and over. Thank you. ~ Kerry Rawson

* 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.

* I keep this book with my Bible. It is especially helpful when reading through the Gospels. ~ Cathy Hartwig

* 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 from Pakistan who translated it into Urdu, Hindi and more

Spotlight TV interview on The Life of Jesus

Other Translations of The Life of Jesus

Hindi

The Life of Jesus in English and Hindi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Hindi & English Headings – free PDF

Indian Punjabi

The Life of Jesus in English & Indian Punjabi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Indian Punjabi & English Headings – PDF

Urdu

The Life of Jesus in English and Urdu – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Urdu & English Headings – PDF

Sindhi

The Life of Jesus in English & Sindhi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Sindhi & English Headings – PDF

Pakistani Punjabi

The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi & English Headings– PDF

The Life of Jesus in Hindi, Indian Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, & Pakistani Punjabi.

The Story of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story – Blog in English
The Life of Jesus in English and Hindi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Hindi & English Headings – PDF
The Life of Jesus in Indian Punjabi – Blog
The Life Of Jesus in Indian Punjabi & English Headings – PDF
The Life of Jesus in English and Urdu – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Urdu & English Headings – PDF
The Life of Jesus in English & Sindhi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Sindhi & English Headings – PDF
The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi & English Headings– PDF
You can freely reproduce and print these PDF books

Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 100,000 blog views annually.
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails
Renewal Journal – a chronicle of renewal and revival: www.renewaljournal.com
Geoff Waugh – founding editor of the Renewal Journal

Video

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: Prophecies Fulfilled
Appendix 7: 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:

(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.

May the light of God’s love breathe life in 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

Popular Books – by Geoff Waugh

Revival Books – gift ideas

***Renewal* *Books – gift ideas***

General Books – gift ideas

Devotional Books – gift ideas

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

Blogs Index 1: Revivals (briefer than Revivals Index)
Blogs Index 2: Mission (international stories)
Blogs Index 3: Miracles (supernatural events)
Blogs Index 4: Devotional (including Testimonies)
Blogs index 5: Church (Christianity in action)
Blogs Index 6: Chapters (Blogs from Books)
Blogs Index 7: Images (Photos & Videos)

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

Click here to be notified of new Blogs

Share good news – Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
The Story of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story
The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story expanded
Renewal Journal – a chronicle of renewal and revival:
www.renewaljournal.com

Bible translations, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life of Jesus Jesus Christ, Life of Jesus, Punjabi

The Life of Jesus in English and Indian Punjabi

by Geoff 17 September 2022 6 Comments

The Life of Jesus – in English and Indian Punjabi

History’s Great Love Story

The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story – PDF – English

The Life Of Jesus in Indian Punjabi with English – free PDF

The Life Of Jesus in Indian Punjabi – free PDF

Permissions: You can reproduce any Renewal Journal resource freely, including in print.
‘Two-page view’ from the PDF top right corner

Translator: Nabeel Sharoon

Nabeel Sharoon in Pakistan has translated my book The Life of Jesus into 5 languages:
Hindi, Indian Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, & Pakistani Punjabi. Free PDFs are on this page, including links to the English versions and PDFs.

See The Life of Jesus – in 6 languages for more information about Nabeel Sharoon

Other Translations

Hindi

The Life of Jesus in English and Hindi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Hindi & English Headings – free PDF

Indian Punjabi

The Life of Jesus in English & Indian Punjabi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Indian Punjabi & English Headings – PDF

Urdu

The Life of Jesus in English and Urdu – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Urdu & English Headings – PDF

Sindhi

The Life of Jesus in English & Sindhi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Sindhi & English Headings – PDF

Pakistani Punjabi

The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi – Blog
The Life of Jesus in Pakistani Punjabi & English Headings– PDF

The Life of Jesus in Hindi, Indian Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, & Pakistani Punjabi.

The Life of Jesus in 6 languages – Blog

You can freely reproduce, translate, and print these PDF books

This book is available in from WestBow Press, a division of Zondervan with this cover:

The Life of Jesus – Blog
WestBow Press version – The Life of Jesus
The Life of Jesus – WestBow Press – PDF
Amazon link – paperback, hardcover, Kindle

Also available as:

PDF eBook: The Amazing Life of Jesus

The Amazing Life of Jesus:

Renewal Journal and WestBow Press versions

Blog: The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story – English
The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story – PDF – English
Now available from the Renewal Journal and from WestBow Press (a division of Zondervan and Thoms Nelson)

* 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)

Facebook Links:
https://www.facebook.com/LifeofJesus.GeoffWaugh
https://www.facebook.com/HistorysGreatLoveStory

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.

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.

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

His followers recorded that 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.