Revival Highlights from ‘Journey into Mission’

 

0 0 Jurney M2

Journey into Mission – PDF

Amazon and Kindle – Basic Edition

These Revival Highlights are also included in the longer autobiography:

Journey into Ministry and Mission

Amazon/Kindle customer:

I have read many similar stories, but this one exceeds them all. 

I read the online edition and was blown away by the response of the Solomon Islanders to the power of the Holy Spirit. It was amazing, or should I say God-planned. Geoff and Don have done well to not only be in so many places and seeing God at work but also writing a book about it all.  It’s as if it has all happened in a world apart, but the events in Brisbane show that it could happen in Australia also.  ~ Barbara Vickridge (Perth, Australia)

FREE SUBSCRIPTION: FOR NEW BLOGS & FREE OFFERS

Journey into MissionBasic Edition & Gift Edition (colour)

See Contents page on this link.

Journey into Mission – Amazon link

Geoff Waugh and Don Hill report on mission.

Link to Amazon and Kindle – Basic Edition

Link to Amazon and Kindle – Gift Editon

 

Revival Highlights

These Highlights from Journey into Mission bring some of the key biographical revival passages together.

From Chapter 5 – Australia: Elcho Island (1994)

By Djiniyini Gondarra:

 

Djiniyini Gondarra
Djiniyini Gondarra

In that same evening, the word just spread like the flames of fire and reached the whole community in Galiwin’ku.  Gelung [his wife] and I couldn’t sleep at all that night because people were just coming for the ministry, bringing the sick to be prayed for, for healing. Others came to bring their problems.  Even a husband and wife came to bring their marriage problem, so the Lord touched them and healed their marriage.   

Next morning the Galiwin’ku Community once again became the new community.  The love of Jesus was being shared and many expressions of forgiveness were taking place in the families and in the tribes.  Wherever I went I could hear people singing and humming Christian choruses and hymns!  Before then I would have expected to hear only fighting and swearing and many other troublesome things that would hurt your feelings and make you feel sad.   

Many unplanned and unexpected things happened every time we went from camp to camp to meet with the people.  The fellowship was held every night and more and more people gave their lives to Christ, and it went on and on until sometimes the fellowship meeting would end around about midnight.  There was more singing, testimony, and ministry going on.  People did not feel tired in the morning and still went to work.   

By Geoff:  I invited a team from Elcho Island to Brisbane for Pentecost weekend in 1993 and two dozen flew down!  We held their meetings at Christian Outreach Centre. They told me it was the first time they had been invited to speak in a white fellas’ church! They sat around on the platform and talked and prayed with anyone who came for prayer.

They invited a team from our Renewal Fellowship to go to Elcho Island in March 1994 for their annual celebration of the start of the revival. Their speakers were on fire!  I was humbled and honoured to speak at an evening outdoor rally there, and also to visit a small community of 30 people, 50 kilometres by dirt track to the north end of the island. That whole community there prays together at the start and finish of every day.

From Chapter 8 – Philippines (1995)

philippines-jeepney
Philippines jeepney

During the class seminars, my students reported on various signs and wonders that they had experienced in their churches.  Many of them expected God to do the same things now as he did in the New Testament, but not all! “We don’t seem to have miracles in our church,” said one student, a part-time Baptist pastor and police inspector. “You could interview a pastor from a church that does,” I suggested. So he interviewed a Pentecostal pastor about miraculous answers to prayer in their church.  That student reported to the class how the Pentecostal church sent a team of young people to the local mental hospital for monthly meetings where they sang and witnessed and prayed for people.  Over 40 patients attended their first meeting there, and they prayed for 26 personally, laying hands on them.  A month later, when they returned for their next meeting, all those 26 patients had been discharged and sent home.

From Chapter 9 – Ghana, West Africa (1995)

0 Ghana E771 CoverA
Leaders and evangelists in Ghana

When we arrived in the mountain town of Suhum, it was dark. The monsoon torrential rain had cut off the electricity supply. The rain eased off a bit, so we gathered in the market square and prayed to God to guide us and to take over. Soon the rain ceased. The electricity came on. The host team began excitedly shouting that it was a miracle. “We will talk about this for years” they exclaimed with gleaming eyes.

My interpreter that night didn’t know a lot of English. I think he preached his own sermon based on some phrases of mine he understood or guessed, and apparently he did well. When we invited people to respond and give their lives to Christ, they came from the surrounding darkness into the light. Some wandered over from the pub, smelling of beer. They kept the ministry team busy praying and arranging follow up with the local churches.

At that point, I left the work to the locals who understood one another. I just moved around laying hands on people’s heads and praying for them, as did many others. People reported various touches of God in their lives. Some were healed. Later in the week an elderly man excitedly told how he had come to the meeting almost blind but now he could see.

Each day we held morning worship and teaching sessions for Christians in a church, hot under an iron roof on those clear, tropical sunny days.  During the second morning I vividly ‘saw’ golden light fill the church and swallow up or remove blackness.  At that point the African Christians became very noisy, vigorously celebrating and shouting praises to God.  A fresh anointing seemed to fall on them just then.

From Chapter 9 – Toronto, Canada (1995)

johnandcarolarnott
John and Carol Arnott

Both of us appreciated the gracious, caring way people prayed for us and others.  No rush.  No hype.  No pressure.  Whether we stood, or sat in a chair, or rested on the carpeted floor, those praying for us did so quietly with prayers prompted by the Holy Spirit.  Those praying laid a hand on us gently, as led, and trusted the Lord to touch us.  He did.  Warmth and love permeated us.  We returned to our hotel after the meetings aware of increased peace and deeper assurance of the Lord’s love and grace. The senior pastors, John and Carol Arnott, led the sensitive ministry team.

After returning to Brisbane I noticed that people I prayed for received strong touches from the Lord, most resting in the Spirit on the floor.  We needed people to be ready to catch those who fell, to avoid them getting hurt (then needing extra healing prayer!).  Some of them had visions of the Lord blessing them and others.

 

From Chapter 13 – Nepal (2000)

By Raju:

 

After praying on the bridge we approached the Chinese officials to get a permission to enter Tibet.  The first official refused but the second one nodded approvingly, taking the four Australian passports from my hand as security, and let us go free of charge!  This could happen only by the supernatural intervention of our Almighty God, Hallelujah!  We had good prayer inside Tibet, especially on those individual shopkeepers whom I would grab and pray on without any resistance from them!

RICOH
Pastors and leaders in West Nepal

On 21 April all the eight of Australians and I had a trip to Gochadda in west Nepal and held a three days conference over there at Easter.  While driving toward the destination I shared the Word with the driver of the private bus and during the inauguration of the conference he approached the altar and accepted Christ as his personal Saviour.  On the same day a Christian brother whose hand was partially crippled for six years was touched by the Holy Spirit and healed absolutely.  He was shaking in his whole body and raising his hands, even the crippled one already healed, praising the Lord with all his strength, he glorified the Lord for his greatness, Hallelujah!

Out of about 200 participants in the conference by the grace of God 100 of them were baptized in the Holy Spirit praising the Lord, singing, falling, crying, and many other actions as the Holy Spirit would prompt them to act.  About ten of them testified that they had never experienced such a presence of the power and love of God.  Some others testified being lifted to heavenly realms by the power of the Holy Spirit, being surrounded by the angels of the Lord in a great peace, joy, and love toward each other and being melted in the power of his presence.  Many re-committed their lives to the Lord for ministry by any means through his revelation.

On the second day of the conference the trend continued as the people seemingly would fall down, repent, minister to each other in the love of Christ, enjoy the mighty touch of the Holy Spirit, singing, prophesying, weeping, laughing, hugging, and all the beauty of the Holy Spirit was manifested throughout the congregation by his grace and love.  One woman of age 65 testified that she never had danced in her life in any occasion even in secret, but the Lord had told her that she should now dance to him and she was dancing praising him with all her strength.  For hours this outpouring continued and the pastors of the churches were one by one testifying that they had never experienced such a presence and power of God in their whole Christian life and ministry.

Some 60 evangelists from Gorkha, Dhanding, Chitwan, Butwal declared that they were renewed in their spirits by the refreshing of the Holy Spirit and they are now going to serve the Lord in the field wherever the Holy Spirit will lead them to be fully fledged in His service.  In the last day of the conference, while praying together with the congregation and committing them in his hands, many prophesied that the Lord was assuring them of great changes in their ministry, life and in the area.  While the power of God was at work in our midst three children of 6-7 years old fell down weeping, screaming and testifying about a huge hand coming on them and touching their stomachs and healing them instantly.  After the prayer all the participants got into the joy of the Holy Spirit and started dancing to the Lord, singing and praising Him for His goodness.

Before leaving Gochadda while we were having snacks in the pastor’s house a woman of high Brahmin caste came by the direction of the Lord to the place, claiming that she was prompted by a voice in her ear to go to the Christians and ask for prayer for healing of her chronic stomach pain and problems, and that is why she was there.  We prayed for her and she was instantly healed and we shared the Gospel, but she stopped us saying, “I need to accept Christ as my Saviour so don’t waste time!” She accepted Jesus as her personal Saviour being lifted in spirit, and even the body as she said she didn’t feel anymore burden in her body, and spirit, Hallelujah!

From Chapter 14 – USA: Pensacola

Brownsville AOG
John Kilpatrick and Lindell Cooley at Pensacola

I liked the spontaneous bits best.  Before Friday night’s revival service some people in the singing group of over 50 people on stage began singing free harmonies without music while they waited for the sound system to work, and we all joined in.  It sounded like angels harmonizing in continual worship.  Wonderful.  No need for words!

Later, during the service Lindel Cooley, their worship leader, led spontaneously from the keyboard without other instruments, singing the chorus of an old hymn from his youth (and mine) – ‘Love lifted me’.  All the oldies joined in, and then it went on to a verse sung from memory.  It moved me deeply, from my own boyhood memories, especially as I had just then been asking the Lord for a personal touch from him.

A visitor preached, calling for faith and action.  Their prayer team prayed for many hundreds at the ‘altar call’ – short and sharp, but relevant and challenging. The man who prayed briefly for me spoke about national and international ministries the Lord would open for me.

From Chapter 15 – Vanuatu (2002)

By Romulo [about outreach at university in Vanuatu]:

romulo--large-msg-1116763821-2[1]
Romulo leading the Law School Christian Fellowship
“The speaker was the Upper Room Church pastor, Jotham Napat who is also the Director of Meteorology in Vanuatu. The night was filled with the awesome power of the Lord and we had the Upper Room church ministry who provided music with their instruments. With our typical Pacific Island setting of bush and nature all around us, we had dances, drama, testified in an open environment, letting the wind carry the message of salvation to the bushes and the darkened areas. That worked because most of those that came to the altar call were people hiding or listening in those areas. The Lord was on the road of destiny with many people that night.” 

Unusual lightning hovered around the sky and as soon as the prayer teams had finished praying with those who rushed forward at the altar call, the tropical rain pelted down on that open field.

God poured out his Spirit on many lives that night, including Jerry Waqainabete and Simon Kofe. Both of them played rugby in the popular university teams and enjoyed drinking and the nightclub scene. Both changed dramatically. Many of their friends said it would not last. It did last and led them into ministry and mission.

Romulo continues [about mission team to Australia]:

0 0 Amazon 5 Katoobma
Mission team in Australia, now lawyers and leaders

The concert organized was in obedience to a prompting for me to take a University mission team to Australia. Pastor Geoff then told me that as I shared the purpose of the concert and our plans to go for a mission trip to Australia, he felt a conviction in his spirit to do two things: firstly, to give our team all the money in his wallet as a seed into our mission trip and secondly to offer to host our mission team if we are to visit his city of Brisbane. This first experience was the beginning of my witnessing practical Christianity where faith was complemented by works.

The idea of being missionaries in Australia was certainly an exciting one. We planned to go to Sydney for our mission opportunity, or so we thought. In God-ordained fashion, we ended up going to Brisbane and the encounter and mentoring I received during that month felt like a lifetime of teaching and depositing of the practical Word.

My limited Pentecostal background boxed my understanding of where I could operate spiritually. I was taught, by observing that the altar was only for the ministering of the pastor or elders with the special occasions where the altar was opened for others such as children’s Sunday. …

I get the reasoning and the sacredness of the altar, but I also accept that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10: 34) and He will use willing and obedient vessels to advance His Kingdom. Moreover, by practical application of the Word of God, we discovered that God was more than willing to use us in ministering to those that came to the services throughout our mission trip.

The best part was, we did not need to have theology degrees or titles for God to use us in ministry. We simply had to be available.

Through our availability, we saw lives being surrendered to Christ in brokenness as healing, deliverance and restoration followed. I learnt to trust and rely on the Holy Spirit to lead me into His purpose whether it be in the laying of hands, ministering through prayer or in releasing a word of wisdom and knowledge.

Pastor Geoff guided us through these firsts of spiritual encounters and experiences and we were empowered to step into ministry. These were intimidating moments for us, but as Pastor Geoff mentored and encouraged us into ministry, we felt empowered and supported to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as we ministered. There was a spiritual hunger in our team, and yearning to learn, be discipled, and attuned to the convictions and leading of the Holy Spirit. …

In one of our ministry times, we were invited to lead an afternoon service in a suburb within the city. The word had gone out that a group of Pacific student missionaries were ministering that day. As the ministry took place, I looked up and saw a packed altar as people drawn by the power of the Holy Spirit kept making their way to the front of the church.

There was a tangible presence of the Lord as tears flowed and people were making themselves right with God. I was praying for the senior pastor and his wife and the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them causing them to be slain. I was taken back by this experience. Little me, a student missionary praying for a senior pastor and his wife and seeing them get slain by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I was bemused, but Pastor Geoff reminded us that it was all about the Holy Spirit and we were the vessels that He is using. He also reminded us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and flow in the anointing.

See Book: South Pacific Revivals

See Book: Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

See Blog: Mission on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

See Blog: 21st Century revivals in the South Pacific

See Blog: Bouganville Revival, South Pacific

 From Chapter 16 – Vanuatu (2003)

RICOH
Pentecost Island, site of martyrdom in hills behind Bible School near beach

Significant events associated with the coming of the Gospel to South Pentecost included a martyr killed and a paramount chief’s wife returning from death.

Thomas Tumtum had been an indentured worker on cane farms in Queensland, Australia. Converted there, he returned around 1901 to his village on South Pentecost with a new young disciple from a neighbouring island. They arrived when the village was tabu (taboo) because a baby had died a few days earlier, so no one was allowed into the village. Ancient tradition dictated that anyone breaking tabu must be killed, so they were going to kill Thomas, but his friend Lulkon asked Thomas to tell them to kill him instead so that Thomas could evangelize his own people. Just before he was clubbed to death at a sacred Mele palm tree, he read John 3:16, then closed his eyes and prayed for them. Thomas became a pioneer of the church in South Pentecost, establishing Churches of Christ there.

Paramount Chief Morris Bule died at 111 on 1st July, 2016, the son of the highest rank paramount chief on Pentecost Island. After a wife of Chief Morris’s father died and was prepared for burial, the calico cloths around her began to move. She had returned from death and they took the grave cloths of her. She sat up and told them all to leave their pagan ways and follow the Christian way. Then she lay down and died.

Chief Morris’s son, Paramount Chief Peter, had an uncle who returned from Queensland as a Christian in the early 1900s. When he was old, after many years telling them about the Gospel, one day he called all his relatives to him, shook hands in farewell with everyone, and lay down and died immediately.

 

From Chapter 16 – Solomon Islands (2003)

RICOH

Solomon Islands youth conference

Revival began with the Spirit moving on youth and children in village churches. They had extended worship in revival songs, many visions and revelations and lives being changed with strong love for the Lord. Children and youth began meeting daily from 5pm for hours of praise, worship and testimonies. A police officer reported reduced crimes and said former rebels were attending daily worship and prayer meetings.

Revival continued to spread throughout the region. Revival movements brought moral change and built stronger communities in villages in the Solomon Islands including these lasting developments:

1. Higher moral standards. People involved in the revival quit crime and drunkenness and promoted good behaviour and co-operation.

2. Christians who once kept their Christianity inside churches and meetings talked more freely about their lifestyle in the community and amongst friends.

3. Revival groups, especially youth, enjoyed working together in unity and community, including a stronger emphasis on helping others in the community.

4. Families were strengthened in the revival. Parents spent more time with their youth and children to encourage and help them, often leading them in Bible reading and family prayers.

5. Many new gifts and ministries were used by more people than before, including revelations and healing. Even children received revelations or words of knowledge about hidden magic artifacts or ginger plants related to spirit power and removed them.

6. Churches grew. Many church buildings in the Marovo Lagoon were pulled down and replaced with much large buildings to fit in the crowds. Offerings and community support increased.

7. Unity. Increasingly Christians united in reconciliation for revival meetings, prayer and service to the community. 

Children received revelations about their parent’s secret sins or the location of hidden magic artifacts or stolen property. Many children had visions of Jesus during the revival meetings.  Often he would be smiling when they were worshipping and loving him, or he would show sadness when they were naughty or unkind. …

At Seghe the children and youth loved to meet every afternoon in the church near the Bible College there.  The man leading these meetings had been a rascal involved in the ethnic tensions but was converted in the revival. A policeman from Seghe told me that since the revival began crime has dropped.  Many former young criminals were converted and joined the youth, worshipping God each afternoon.  Revival continued to spread throughout the region. …  

We taught in morning sessions about revival and answered questions. One mother, for example, asked about the meaning of her young son’s vision of Jesus standing with one foot in heaven and one foot on the earth. What a beautiful, powerful picture of Jesus with all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew28:8), seen in a child’s vision.

See Book: South Pacific Revivals

See Book: Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

See Blog: Mission on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

See Blog: 21st Century revivals in the South Pacific

See Blog: Bouganville Revival, South Pacific

From Chapter 17 – Vanuatu: Pentecost (2004)

By Matthias:

0 0 Rr Mat lead
Mathias leading worship

The deliverance ministry group left the college by boat and when they arrived at the Bungalows they prayed together.  After they prayed together they divided into two groups.

There is one person in each of these two groups that has a gift from the Lord that the Holy Spirit reveals where the witchcraft powers are, such as bones from dead babies or stones.  These witchcraft powers are always found in the ground outside the houses or sometimes in the houses.  So when the Holy Spirit reveals to that person the right spot where the witchcraft power is, then they have to dig it up with a spade.

When they dug it out from the soil they prayed over it and bound the power of that witchcraft in the name of Jesus.  Then they claimed the blood of Jesus in that place.

Something very important when joining the deliverance group is that everyone in the group must be fully committed to the Lord and must be strong in their faith because sometimes the witchcraft power can affect the ones that are not really committed and do not have faith.

After they finished the deliverance ministry they came together again and just gave praise to the Lord in singing and prayer.  Then they closed with a Benediction.

From Chapter 19 – Vanuatu Pentecost (2004)

By Don Hill:

 

RICOH
High School worship with Principal (now MP) Silas

The night’s worship led by the law students started off as usual with singing, then spontaneously turned into a joyful party. Then Joanna Kenilorea gave a testimony about a very sad event in her family that brought the Keniloreas back to God. She was especially eloquent in her address and when finished, Geoff found that it had been so powerful that he had no more to add that night and made an immediate altar call for prayer. Almost as one, 300 high school students, teachers and others present rose from their seats and moved out into the aisle to the front of the hall. There were a couple of slow starters, but when it became apparent that Geoff could not possibly pray for each individually, even these moved up to the back of the crowd until everybody in that room had come forward. Geoff in all his years of ministry and association with renewal ministries and revival (and that was the subject of his doctorate) had never experienced anything like it. The most remarkable thing for Helen and me was we were there and part of it in such a remote and previously unknown part of our world! It was surely a night to remember.

 

From Chapter 21 – Vanuatu: Pentecost (2005)

RICOH
Pentecost Island Bible School chapel

Many of the older people attending these intensive teaching sessions had been involved in local revivals through many years. They understood the principles involved such as repentance, reconciliation, unity, personal and group prayer that was earnest and full of faith, and using various gifts of the Spirit. They were most familiar with words of wisdom and knowledge, discerning spirits (especially from local witchcraft), revelations, healings and deliverance.

I learned much from them, especially about the spirit world and humbly seeking God for revelation and direction. We westerners tend to jump in and organize things without really waiting patiently on God for his revelation and direction. Many westerners, including missionaries, find waiting frustrating or annoying, but local people find it normal and natural. Wait on God and move when he shows you the way. For example, you can seek the Lord about who will speak, what to say, and how to respond. We westerners often use schedules and programs instead.

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

See Book: South Pacific Revivals

See Book: Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

See Blog: Mission on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

See Blog: 21st Century revivals in the South Pacific

See Blog: Bouganville Revival, South Pacific

 

From Chapter 22 – Kenya, East Africa (2005)

RICOH
Part of Kiberra slum, Nairobi, Kenya

Before the Kibera slum church moved into their corrugated iron shed they met in a community hall.  I taught leaders there, and spoke at their Sunday service with about 30 people.  We gave them real bread for communion, not just symbolic cubes.  The Spirit led me to give them all the bread we had, just t loaves (not five barley buns as the boy had in Scripture).

“Can I take some home to my family?” asked one young man.  That’s a hard question to answer in front of 30 hungry people.

“It’s yours. You can take some of your own communion bread home if you want to,” I answered.

Everyone then took a large handful of communion bread, and most put some in their pockets to take home later.  We shared real glasses of grape juice in plastic glasses, thanking the Lord for his body and blood given for us. After my return to Australia I heard that the bread apparently multiplied, as those who took some home had enough for their families to eat. Some of them were still eating it two weeks later.

From Chapter 22 – Fiji (2005)

By Jerry:

 

Jerry at Mele Palm
Pastor Jerry (then a student) at Mele Palm, site of the martyrdom

While we were praying and worshipping, the Lord told me for the first ever time to take the salt water and the land and give it back to God. And I told this brother that when we offered it to God the rain is going to fall just to confirm that God hears and accepts it according to His leading. 

I told him in advance while the Lord was putting it in my heart to do it… this is the first ever time and I always heard about it when people are being led… now it has happened to me… I could not even believe it. 

As soon as he brought the water and I brought the soil to signify the sacrifice, I felt the mighty presence of God with us and was like numb… and the sun was really shining up in the sky with very little clouds.  This rain fell slowly upon us…. I still could not believe… my cousin was astonished and could not believe it… it happened according to the way the Lord told me and I told him.  It was like a made up story. 

It was the blessings of God and I told the Lord that I am waiting for His own time to rebuild the walls of my village… but the Lord already told me that He wants and has chosen me to rebuild the wall of my village like Nehemiah.

[Jerry also visited the martyrdom site on Pentecost Island, where light warm rain also fell from a cloudless sky when a worshipping group dedicated themselves and the land to God.]

From Chapter 23 – Fiji (2006) re Tanna Island in Vanuatu

Tanna_Island Team Yassur

The Director of the Department of Meteorology in Vanuatu was in Fiji for a conference and I met him there again.  He is also a pastor (Pastor Jotham) at Upper Room church in Port Vila where many of the law students attended. 

In May 2006 he had been on mission in Tanna Island where the Lord moved strongly on young people, especially in worship and prayer.  Children and youth were anointed to write and sing new songs in the local dialects.  Some children asked the pastors to ordain them as missionaries – which was new for everyone.  After prayer about it, they did. 

Those children are strong evangelists already, telling Bible stories in pagan villages.  One 9 year old boy did that, and people began giving their lives to God in his pagan village, so he became their ‘pastor’, assisted by older Christians from other villages. 

See Book: South Pacific Revivals

See Book: Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

See Blog: Mission on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

See Blog: 21st Century revivals in the South Pacific

See Blog: Bouganville Revival, South Pacific

From Chapter 24 – Vanuatu (2006)

Port Vila
Grant Shaw with nurse Leah Waqa

At sharing time in the Upper Room service, a nurse, Leah Waqa, told how she had been recently on duty when parents brought in their young daughter who had been badly hit in a car accident, and showed no signs of life – the heart monitor registered zero.

Leah was in the dispensary giving out medicines when she heard about the girl and she suddenly felt unusual boldness, so went to the girl and prayed for her, commanding her to live, in Jesus’ name.  She prayed for almost an hour, mostly in tongues, and after an hour the monitor started beeping and the girl recovered. 

The revival team, including the two of us from Australia, trekked for a week into mountain villages.  We literally obeyed Luke 10 – most going with no extra shirt, no sandals, and no money.  The trek began with a five-hour climb across the island to the village of Ranwas on ridges by the sea on the eastern side.  Mathias led worship, and strong moves of the Spirit touched everyone.  We prayed for people many times in each meeting.  At one point I spat on the dirt floor, making mud to show what Jesus did once.  Merilyn Wari, wife of the President of the Churches of Christ, then jumped up asking for prayer for her eyes, using the mud.  Later she testified that the Lord told her to do that, and then she found she could read her small pocket Bible without glasses.  So she read to us all.  Meetings continued like that each night. …

Revival meetings erupted at Ponra.  The Spirit just took over.  Visions.  Revelations.  Reconciliations.  Healings.  People drunk in the Spirit.  Many resting on the floor getting blessed in various ways.  When they heard about healing through ‘mud in the eye’ at Ranwas some wanted mud packs also at Ponra!

One of the girls in the team had a vision of the village children there paddling in a pure sea, crystal clear. They were like that – so pure.  Not polluted at all by TV, DVDs, videos, movies, magazines, and worldliness.  Their lives were so clean and holy.  Just pure love for the Lord, especially among the young.  Youth often lead in revival.

The sound of angels singing filled the air about 3am.  It sounded as though the village church was packed.  The harmonies in high descant declared “For You are great and You do wondrous things.  You are God alone” and then harmonies, without words until words again for “I will praise You O Lord my God with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name for evermore” with long, long harmonies on “forever more”.  Just worship.  Pure, awesome and majestic. 

From Chapter 24 – Solomon Islands (2006)

Revival in the Guadalcanal Mountains had begun at the Bubunuhu Christian Community High School on Monday, July 10, 2006, on their first night back from holidays.  They were filled with the Spirit and began using many spiritual gifts they had not had before.  Then they took teams of students to the villages to sing, testify, and pray for people, especially youth.  Many gifts of the Spirit were new to them – prophecies, healings, tongues, and revelations (such as knowing where adults hid magic artefacts). 

The National Christian Youth Convention (NCYC) in the north-west of the Solomon Islands at Choiseul Island, two hours flight from Honiara, brought over 1,000 youth together from all over the Solomon Islands. 

By Grant: 

0611 Sol Is youth (4) revival team“Most of a thousand youth came forward.  Some ran to the altar, some crying!  There was an amazing outpouring of the Spirit and because there were so many people Geoff and I split up and started laying hands on as many people as we could.  People were falling under the power everywhere (some testified later to having visions).  There were bodies all over the field (some people landing on top of each other).  Then I did a general healing prayer and asked them to put their hand on the place where they had pain.  After we prayed people began to come forward sharing testimonies of how the pain had left their bodies and they were completely healed!  The meeting stretched on late into the night with more healing and many more people getting deep touches. 

“It was one of the most amazing nights.  I was deeply touched and feel like I have left a part of myself in Choiseul.  God did an amazing thing that night with the young people and I really believe that he is raising up some of them to be mighty leaders in revival.”

A young man who was healed that night returned to his nearby village and prayed for his sick mother and brother.  Both were healed immediately.  He told the whole convention about that the next morning at the meeting, adding that he had never done that before.

The delegation from Kariki islands further west, returned home the following Monday. 

The next night they led a meeting where the Spirit of God moved in revival.  Many were filled with the Spirit, had visions, were healed, and discovered many spiritual gifts including discerning spirits and tongues.  That revival has continued and spread.

 

From Chapter 25 – Solomon Islands (2007)

Morovo new church
New church building for revival crowds in Morovo Lagoon

We held revival meetings at the Theological Seminary at Seghe in the fantastic Marovo Lagoon – 70 kilometres with hundreds of tropical bush laden islands north and west of New Georgia Island.  Morning teaching sessions, personal prayers in the afternoons and night revival meetings, with worship led by the students, filled an eventful week in September 2007.  That was the first time the seminary held such a week, and again we prayed for so many at each meeting, students and village people.  Meetings included two village revival services in the lagoon. At the first, an afternoon meeting in the framework of a large new church building, everyone came for prayer, all 100, and 30 reported on pain leaving as we prayed for healings. Then we had a long evening meeting at Patutiva village, where revival started in Easter 2003 across the Lagoon from Seghe. That meeting went from 7pm to 1.30am with about 1,000 people!  We prayed personally for hundreds after the meeting ‘closed’ at 11pm. Students told me they could hear the worship and preaching on the PA across the lagoon 1k away in the still night air, so those in bed listened that way! 

The week at Taro island was the fullest of the whole trip, the most tiring, and also the most powerful so far.  Worship was amazing.  They brought all the United Church ministers together for the week from all surrounding islands where revival is spreading and was accelerated after the youth convention near here in Choiseul the previous December, where the tsunami hit in April. Many lay people also filled the church each morning – about 200. 

Night rallies at the soccer field included the amplifiers reaching people in their houses as well.   Each night I spoke and Mathias also spoke, especially challenging the youth.  We prayed for hundreds, while the youth lead worship at the end of each meeting. The ministers helped but they preferred to just assist us, and people seemed to want us to pray for them.  I involved the ministers in praying for people also. There was a lot of conviction and reconciliation going on. 

It’s fascinating that we so often see powerful moves of God’s Spirit when all the churches and Christians unite together in worship and ministry.  God blesses unity of heart and action, especially among God’s people.  It always involves repentance and reconciliation. 

In all these places people made strong commitments to the Lord, and healings were quick and deep.  Both in Vanuatu and in the Solomon Islands the people said that they could all understand my English, even those who did not speak English, so they did not need an interpreter.  Another miracle. …

Saturday night was billed as a big meeting at Patuvita across the channel. This is where the revival started with children of the lagoon at Easter 2003. Geoff had previously visited this church in September 2003. The old church building has been pulled down and the foundations were being pegged out on an open ridge high above the lagoon for the new one, which will probably hold up to 1000 as the revival swells the numbers.

Again students led the worship. Most of the adults were traditional, but there were forty or so in revival ministry teams who pray for the sick, cast out spirits and evangelize. We joined the meeting by 8pm and finished at 1.30am!

Very lively stuff. Only tiny kids went to sleep – 50 of them on pandanus leaf mats at the front. Then we prayed for people – and prayed, and prayed, and prayed and prayed, on and on and on and on! I involved the ministers (after praying for them and leaders first), and the students – and still people came for prayer – by the hundreds.

We prayed for leaders who wanted prayer first, then for their ministry teams, then for youth leaders and the youth, and then for anyone else who wanted prayer, and at about midnight Mark called all the children for prayer, so the parents woke them up and carried the babies. I guess I prayed for 30 sleeping kids in mother’s arms and for their mothers and fathers as well.

Then after midnight when the meeting “finished” about 200 remained for personal prayer, one by one. So I involved 4 students with me, and that was great on-the-job training as well as praying. We prayed about everything imaginable, including many barren wives, men whose wives were un-cooperative, women whose husbands weren’t interested, and healings galore – certainly many more than 100 healings. In every case, those with whom we prayed said that the pain was totally gone.

I doubt if I’ve ever seen so many healings, happening so quickly. At 1.30am there were still 30 people waiting for prayer, so I got desperate, and prayed for them all at once. I told them just to put their hands on the parts of their body needing healings, and I prayed for them all at once, while the students and some ministers still there laid hands on them, and I also moved quickly around to lay hands on each one.

They were all happy, and again reported healings. I wish I’d thought of that at midnight! But at least a few hundred had a chance to talk with us and be specific about their needs.

See Book: South Pacific Revivals

See Book: Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

See Blog: Mission on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

See Blog: 21st Century revivals in the South Pacific

See Blog: Bouganville Revival, South Pacific

From Chapter 27 – China (2007)

Burma

I loved it there among such humble, hungry, receptive, grateful, gentle, and faith-filled believers. I was often in tears just being there, appreciating their heartfelt zeal in everything. I have rarely been so impressed anywhere. No concerts. No acting. No hype. Just bare essentials. What a big and wonderful family we belong to, and our Father is so proud of his family there, I’m sure.

I had the great honour of speaking at a house church. People arrived in ones or twos over an hour or so, and stayed for many hours. Then they left quietly in ones or twos again, just personal visitors to that host family. Food on the small kitchen table welcomed everyone, some of it brought by the visitors.

About 30 of us crowded into a simple room with very few chairs. Most sat on the thin mat coverings. They sang their own heartfelt worship songs in their own language and style, pouring out love to the Lord, sometimes with tears. The leader played a very basic guitar in a very basic way.

Everyone listened intently to the message, and gladly asked questions, all of it interpreted. There was no need for an altar call or invitation to receive prayer. Everyone wanted personal prayer. Our prayer team of three or four people prayed with each person for specific needs such as healing and with personal prophecies. That flowed strongly. I knew none of that group, but received ‘pictures’ or words of encouragement for each one, as did the others.

While prayer continued, some began slipping quietly away. Others had supper. Others stayed to worship quietly. It was a quiet night because they did not want to disturb neighbours or attract attention.

Most people in that group were new believers with no Christian background at all. They identified easily with the house churches of the New Testament, the persecution, and the miracles, because they experienced all that as well. Many unbelievers become Christians because someone prayed for their healing and the Lord healed them.

From Chapter 28 – Fiji (2008, 2009)

By Romulo and Roneil (2008):

 

0907 Worship4
Youth worshipping in Jerry’s village, Kiuva, Fiji

“Inter-tertiary went very well at Suva Grammar School that was hosted by Fiji School of Medicine Christian Fellowship (CF).  It was an awesome two nights of fellowship with God and with one another.  The Pacific Students for Christ combined worship was a huge blessings for those that attended the two nights of worship.  Pastor Geoff spoke on Obedience to the Holy Spirit – this being a spark to revival and power.

“Students came in droves for prayers and the worship lit up the Grammar School skies with tears, repentance, anointing and empowerment.  The worship by Fiji School of Medicine students brought us closer to intimate worship with the King.  It was a Pacific gathering and each and every person there was truly blessed as young people sought a closer intimate relationship with the King. We were blessed beyond words.  Thank you all for the prayers, the thoughts and the giving.”

Roneil, a Fijian Indian, added, “It was all so amazing, so amazing that words can’t describe it.  For me, it was obvious that the glory of God just descended upon the people during the Inter-tertiary CF.  I’ve never seen an altar call that lasted for way more than an hour.  I myself just couldn’t get enough of it.  It was and still is so amazing.  God’s anointing is just so powerful.  Hallelujah to Him Who Was, Who Is and Who is to Come.”

By Romulo (2009): 

Two of the memorable highlights were the washing of leaders’ feet at RCCG Samabula and the worship service on Wednesday at RCCG Kiuva village.  In fact I remember picking up the pastors on Sunday morning and seeing Pastor Geoff carrying towels. I said to myself, ‘This is going to be fun.’  And fun it was.

God was teaching the church the principles of servanthood, demonstrated not just by words but by actions.  It was a moving experience as Pastor Geoff on his knees started washing feet, drying them with a towel and speaking into the lives of leaders.  Powerful also was the fact that Pastor Geoff’s leading was to wash the feet of leaders.

That Sunday former PM Rabuka, who heard of the Pastor’s visit, came to church for prayer.  Of course, the leading for Pastor Geoff to pray for leaders meant Rabuka would get his feet washed too.  One of the acts that will be embedded forever in my mind was seeing Rabuka sit on the floor, remove his coat and wash the feet of Pastor Geoff and KY Tan.  He then dried their feet with his ‘favourite’ Fiji rugby coat (he played in their national rugby team).  I was blown away by this act of humility, as demonstrated by Christ on his final night with the disciples before his arrest and execution.

On Wednesday night, (their last night in Suva), we were at Kiuva village in Tailevu.  The powerful and angelic worship of young people and kids in Tailevu made the atmosphere one of power with a tangible presence of the Lord in the place.  We saw a glimpse of revival and the power of God at work in such a simple setting.  I was blessed to witness for myself the prevalent hunger in the body as lives connected with God.  In all, it is purely refreshing being in the presence of God and being touched and filled by the Holy Spirit.

*

From Chapter 34 – Vanuatu: Pentecost Island (2012, 2017-18)

 

One Sunday there we shared in a combined churches service in the packed village church.  Before the service Andrew had words of knowledge about pain in a man’s shoulders and the right side of a woman’s face.  Both came for prayer while people were gathering in the church.  We then discovered that the man was the leader of the service and the woman preached that day!  Many times, the words of knowledge Andrew received were for pastors and leaders first, and then later we prayed for others.

At that Sunday service I was strongly led to call people out for prayer during communion.  That was a first for them.  It never happened in communion.  A large number came for prayer and the healings were fast and strong.

1One night Andrew felt led to wash everyone’s feet.  That took the whole service!  We put a bucket of water near the door (regularly refilled) and Andrew washed everyone’s feet as they arrived while we worshipped, prayed, spoke and called people out for healing and empowering prayer.  I was led to wash the leaders’ feet that night also [Photo: Andrew washes the chief’s feet].

Our adventures included another outboard motor canoe trip an hour north for a combined churches youth rally on the beach with a large campfire at the end of the meeting.  We joined forces with another Australian mission team from Gladstone staying there.  That night we also prayed for many people after the service.  Healings were the fastest and strongest we had seen till then.  We realized that people’s faith was rising and God was especially blessing unity.  …

People were even more welcoming this time at Bunlap [custom village].  We prayed for dozens of people, and their pain left.  We talked about the kingdom of God and how Jesus saves and heals.  Some of the people told us they believed that, and when the chief allowed it they would be part of a church there. 

The paramount chief once burned a Bible given to him by a revival team from the Christian villages.  Now he is willing for a church to be built on the ground where he burned the Bible.   Hallelujah – what a testimony to God’s grace and glory.  For the first time ever that paramount chief asked for prayer.  He wanted healing from head pain.  Andrew placed his hands on the sides of the chief’s head and we prayed for him in Jesus’ name.  The pain left.

Then another chief there prepared lunch for us so the pastors in the team and Andrew and I ate in his house – again the first time ever for white people on mission there.

Like Jesus’ disciples, we returned to Ranwas Christian village church rejoicing that afflicting spirits were cast out, people were healed in Jesus’ name, some believed in Jesus, and they now plan to have a church there.  Our Bunlap host chief told Pastor Rolanson he can bring his guitar and have meetings in the chief’s house anytime.

2017-2018  Update

I returned with Dante and others in June-July, 2017. The Riverlife Baptist Church people sent a keyboard, a guitar, and a large box of reading glasses with us. We often take used and discarded spectacles with us on these trips, and pray for healings too!

This time we had meetings at Ranwadi High School again and once again prayed with large numbers there. Then we returned to Pangi and Panlimsi villages for more meetings and visitation with Pastor Rolanson. At a Sunday service, Elder Jackson gave his testimony that his blood readings were normal at the clinic following prayer for diabetes.

We continue to encourage Christians to pray for one another in faith and obedience. I also participated when their new MP Silas Bule, formerly principal at Ranwadi, distributed Gideon’s New Testaments to the local school.

Then in 2018 I had a team of seven of us. The six young men with me included Dante and Ben again with Ben’s friends Scott (Andrew Chee’s brother), Blake, Sergie, and Dylan.  We stayed in Rolanson and Doneth’s village at Panlimsi, up the ridge from Pangi on the coast.

Again we prayed with large numbers at their village meetings and during the day. Pain left immediately with healing prayers, people were filled with the Spirit, using spiritual gifts, and we saw rising faith and obedience among them.

We encourage and support revival leaders on Pentecost Island regularly. That includes providing revival books and resources, Bibles, and helping pastors with high school fees for their children. I usually take donated spectacles to give away to help people read their Bibles. We have invested into establishing a Revival Training Centre as a revival base to help equip local revival team ministries.

If you would like to help contact me at geoffwaugh2@gmail.com .

See Book: South Pacific Revivals

See Book: Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

See Blog: Mission on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

See Blog: 21st Century revivals in the South Pacific

See Blog: Bouganville Revival, South Pacific

Some videos added to this Blog:

See Blogs Index 7: Images

Baptism ChandiCHANDI BAPTIZED ON PENTECOST ISLAND

Andrew and pastors conduct creek baptisms

Near Pangi village, July 2016

*

20160703_122056SUNDAY SERVICE AT PANLIMSI VILLAGE NEAR PANGI

Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

*

20160626_195237YOUTH SING AT SERVICE NEAR PANGI, PENTECOST ISLAND.

I ask for the nations” (Psalm 2:8)

*

DylanDYLAN AND BOYS

Team visit in 2018

Over 2,000 views!

Local bathroom near Panlimsi Village!

*

0 0 0 map SthBLOG OF THE AMAZING STORY OF PENTECOST ISLAND

Wife of highest ranking chief returns from death – girl revived from death after an hour of prayer – a whole mountain ‘on fire’ (with nothing burned) during revival meetings – witchcraft items revealed then removed and destroyed by prayer teams – everyone prayed for in ‘custom’ villages healed – angels filling a village church with songs in the night – everyone prayed for in the village was healed and all unbelievers repented during the worship and many were baptized.

See also:

0 A Pentecost on Pentecost Gift

Pentecost on Pentecost – Blog

Pentecost on Pentecost – PDF

 

Journey into Mission includes

the 15 chapters of this book

Pentecost on Pentecost

plus more stories from

Australia, Africa, Nepal, India,

Sri Lanka, Myanmar/Burma,

Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines

and China.

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

 

 

Iran: Two Women brought Hope in Tehran’s brutal Evin Prison

Two women brought hope in Tehran’s brutal Evin Prison

May 22, 2013

* 20,000 New Testaments given
* House church for prostitutes
* 259 days in the notorious prison

Iran: How two women brought hope in Tehran’s brutal Evin Prison

Podcast:
Nicky Gumble with Maryam and Marziyeh at Holy Trinity Brompton church, London – a personal interview – 40 min.

Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh knew they were putting their lives on the line. Born and raised as Muslims, both women grew unsatisfied with the teachings of the Koran and converted to Christianity after personal encounters with Jesus. Though Islamic laws in Iran forbade them from sharing their Christian beliefs, in three years they’d covertly put New Testaments into the hands of twenty thousand of their countrymen. They’d started two secret house churches, including one for prostitutes – many of them women who had been abandoned by their husbands and had no other way to support themselves and their children.

“We both had the same vision from God for evangelizing Iranian people by distributing Bibles. God showed me how Iran is like a land that needs seed. He told me, ‘I will raise and grow this.’ Maryam also had a dream about this, so we became sure it was God’s will,” explains Marziyeh. “We decided to cover all parts of Tehran. We usually went at night and distributed Bibles into mailboxes. Every day we went shopping or to restaurants and talked to people, often handing them a New Testament. We also started a house church for young people and another for prostitutes. All of this is illegal and dangerous because no one is allowed to talk about any religion except Islam. During this time, we could see God’s miracles every day. We have many stories of how God protected us.”

But finally – perhaps inevitably – in 2009, the two young women were arrested. For some reason in the months before that, they were unable to hand out Bibles, as the Holy Spirit took away their desire to evangelize. “We knew something would happen, that there would be a change in our lives. Only after we got released we heard from one of the security police that they were watching us for two months before arresting us. But they couldn’t prove we were handing people Bibles. We believed it was God’s protection for us.”

“After hours of praying and singing, we felt God’s peace in our hearts.”

The two women were held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, a place where inmates are routinely tortured, and executions are swift and sudden. 

“Our first night in prison, we both were so scared,” recalls Maryam. “We had no power to speak. The first thing the security police tried was physical torture. They put us in a dark, cold cell and said they would come to torture us. We just hugged each other and said goodbye, thinking it was the last day for us. We began to pray for each other. After hours of praying and singing, we could feel God’s peace in our hearts. But it was not easy. Every day was mental torture. In interrogation they threatened our families, which was even worse than hearing about execution.”

“One day they invited a university professor in to convince us to deny our faith. He told me that if I was one of his family members he wouldn’t wait for the court’s decision – he would have killed me himself,” says Maryam. “We went to something like 10 courts, and in each court the judges would threaten us with execution,” says Marziyeh. “But the hardest part was the execution of other prisoners. I never experienced such a difficult thing. After the execution, there was this spirit of sorrow and death everywhere, and sometimes we couldn’t say anything. Everyone was under pressure.”

But in the face of chilling interrogations and intimidation, something remarkable happened: instead of succumbing to fear, they chose to take the radical – and dangerous – step of sharing their faith inside the very walls of the government stronghold that was meant to silence them. They found the prison being fertile ground for the gospel.

“Prison was like a church every day. We gathered and prayed.”

“Prison is the place where most people are hopeless,” Marziyeh says. “They all need someone to save them. The prisoners were open to hear about Jesus and many were asking us to pray for them. Before we were imprisoned, we would ask God to show us whoever he chose, and that we would be able to talk to those people. But detention and prison increased those opportunities, since it was like a church every day. We gathered and prayed. It was easier to evangelize because we were already in prison.” “We just tried to love them,” Maryam says. “This had a great affect on most prisoners and even the guards.”

“Prayer was the only thing that helped us, strengthened us,” says Marziyeh. “Sometimes we couldn’t even pray in Farsi, our language. We didn’t even know how. Many times we were praying in tongues. We witnessed power in prayers, especially in difficulties. We could see the miracles of God every day and it made our faith stronger. We didn’t have a Bible with us in prison, but every day we could touch God. We could touch Bible verses inside the prison because we were living them. We learned how to forgive our enemies. We remembered how Jesus forgives our sins and how he suffered for us.”

After international pressure from the United Nations, Amnesty International, and other human rights groups, the women were released. They left Iran to continue ministry through writing and speaking in the United States. In their book ‘Captive in Iran’, Maryam and Marziyeh recount how God used their 259 days in Evin Prison to bring about a miraculous reversal: shining light into one of the world’s darkest places, giving hope to those who had lost everything, and showing love to those in despair.

Source: Joel News International 861, May 22, 2013

Leadership Conversations by Nicky Gumbel:
Nicky Gumble with Maryam and Marziyeh at Holy Trinity Brompton church, London – a personal interview – 40 min.

In 2009 in Iran, Maryam and Marziyeh were imprisoned and sentenced to death because of their Christian faith. Maryam and Marziyeh were born into Muslim families but converted to Christianity and began to share the Gospel with those around them. They were arrested in March 2009 after being accused of evangelism and apostasy. After 259 days in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison they were released. This is their story.

https://www.alpha.org/blog/leadership-conversations-with-nicky-gumbel-podcast-maryam-marziyeh/


Their book of their story. You can read the first 19 pages on Look inside.

There is an ongoing underground revival in the Muslim world. Over the past 20 years more Muslims have found Isa (Jesus) then in all the previous centuries together.
See links:
Iran: where Christianity is growing fastest
Iran – fastest-growing evangelical population
Many Muslims are turning to Christ
Jesus and Muslims: Life in the desert
18,000 Muslim leaders led to Christ in West Africa
Jesus appears to Middle Eastern Muslim for a month
Iman hated Christians until Jesus raised him from the dead
Muslim woman returns from the dead to tell about Jesus

See also

Argentina: The amazing transformation at Los Olmos prison

Prison Revival in Argentina

Christian missionary tortured in prison led 40 to Christ

Iran: How two women brought hope in Tehran’s brutal Evin Prison

Remember those in prison

Barnabas Fund www.barnabasfund.org
Voice of the Martyrs www.persecution.com.au
The Open Doors www.opendoors.org.au

Revival PDF books on the Main Page

**********************************************

Blogs Index 5: Church

Blogs Index 5: CHURCH

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)

Free PDF books on the Main Page

Share good news  –  Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Renewal Journals – Blogs Index 5: Church:
https://renewaljournal.com/2017/12/05/blogs-index-5-church/

Christianity in action

worship, fellowship and service

Body MinistryBody Ministry  The Body of Christ Alive in His Spirit 

 

Body Ministry – Alive in His Spirit – PDF

READ SAMPLE

 

 

BOOK TRAILERS

RECENT BLOGS


Australian PM speaks to church leaders, 2021


Trialblazing the online church


How the web changes the church


Virtual Choirs & Orchestras


Geoff WaughBlogs & Books

1967 Queen1
The Queen’s Christmas & Easter Messages
Reflections on the significance of Christmas & Easter from The Queen’s Broadcasts


EnCOURAGE: Love One Another

Bridge of Hope Bridges of Hope

*Garden Christian Food Movement
 
Food Dinner Churches

GENERAL BLOGS

Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key evangelized through Sunday Schools

01 eternity1 ETERNITY the Arthur Stace story

Mama Luka“Before they call I will answer”
Dr Helen Roseveare in Africa
*
*
*
*
*
Carl Lawrence & David WangThe Spirit told us what to do – 2 teenage girls plant 30 churches
 
02 St ValentineSt Valentine
 
*
Alopen Alopen: Christians who changed their world
*
  Dawkins RobbyGangsters in the Doorway
*
Also:
Interrupted by God
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mitch1 prayYoung Christianssharing Good News
on the streets in Brisbane
*
*
*
*
*
*
 
National Prayer StrategyThe 10 Domains
for prayer and service
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
 

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

Share good news  –  Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Renewal Journals – Blogs Index 5: Church:
https://renewaljournal.com/2017/12/05/blogs-index-5-church/

The true story behind the song ‘I have decided to follow Jesus’

The true story behind the song
‘I have decided to follow Jesus’

Share good news  –  Share this page freely
Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
The True Story behind the song ‘I have decided to follow Jesus’ 

FREE PDF books on the Main Page

Permissions: You have permission to reproduce any Renewal Jornal resources and books including in print, eg uploading to your Amazon Kindle, etc.

 ‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus’ is a Christian hymn originating from India. The lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Garo, Assam. 

About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales. As a result of this, many missionaries came to north-east India to spread the Gospel. The region known as Assam was comprised of hundreds of tribes who were primitive and aggressive head-hunters

Into these hostile and aggressive communities, came a group of missionaries from the American Baptist Missions spreading the message of love, peace and hope in Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. 

Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man said:

“I have decided to follow Jesus.”

Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”

But the man replied:

“Though no one joins me, still I will follow.”

The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”  In the face of death the man said the final memorable lines:

“The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.”

He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, “Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some remarkable power behind the family’s faith, and I too want to taste that faith.”

In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The song is based on the last words of Nokseng, a man from Garo tribe of Assam (now Meghalaya and some in Assam), India. It is today the song of the Garo people.

Source: Dr. P.P. Job in ‘Why God Why’

Further research into this song

The formation of these words into a hymn is attributed to the Indian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh. The melody is also Indian and with the title “Assam” after the region where the text originated. An American hymn editor, William Jensen Reynolds, composed an arrangement that was included in the 1959 Assembly Songbook.

An alternative tradition attributes the hymn to Simon Marak, from Jorhat, Assam.

The hymn comes from the last words of the Garo martyr Nokseng as his family and then he himself died.

I have decided to follow Jesus (x3)
No turning back, no turning back.

Though no one joins me, still I will follow (x3)
No turning back, no turning back.

The cross before me, the world behind me (x3)
No turning back, no turning back.

Video 1 – The Story behind the song

 

Video 2 – the song in English and Tamil

In this video the hymn “I have decided to follow Jesus” is sung in English and Tamil as a tribute to the many men and women, particularly in the Middle East, who did not flinch in the face of death but counted all things loss for Christ’s sake, who fought the good fight and kept the faith.

Share good news  –  Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
The True Story behind the song ‘I have decided to follow Jesus’: https://renewaljournal.com/2017/11/29/the-true-story-behind-the-song-i-have-decided-to-follow-jesus/

 

Joel NewsJoel News International # 1061 | November 28, 2017

The true story behind the song ‘I have decided to follow Jesus’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mLC2XAXKac

This story is included in BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

See also Blogs Index 1: REVIVALS (and REVIVALS INDEX)

See also Blogs Index 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

Free Resources

The Life of Jesus – Blog
WestBow Press version – The Life of Jesus
The Life of Jesus – WestBow Press – PDF

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

Translated by Nabeel Sharon. Contact Nabeel if you can help him.
His home is severely damaged in recent floods.

beel.sharoon@gmail.com

You can freely reproduce, translate, 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

Free PDF eBooks books on the Main Page

Free Resources

Free eBook
Biography

The Amazing Life of Jesus – Blog

Free PDF eBook: The Amazing Life of Jesus

Renewal Journal Store $11.99  

Amazon $12.99 
because his love changes lives forever

Also as The Life of Jesus



Religious Non-fiction (Christian)
Maincrest Media Award Winner

WestBow Press version – The Life of Jesus
The Life of Jesus – WestBow Press – free PDF eBook

Softcover, Hardcover, & Kindle eBook

 


Revival Fires – Blog
Revival Fires – free PDF eBook
Stories of over 50 powerful revivals
These brief reports include:
1905 – June: Mukti, India (Pandita Ramabai)
1905 – October: Dohnavur, South India (Amy Carmichael)
1906 – March: Assam, North East India (Nokseng)

 


New Christian’s Guide – Blog
New Christian’s Guide – free PDF eBook

 


100 Bible Quotes: Bible Verses to Memorize – Blog
100 Bible Quotes – free PDF eBook

 


Bible Story Pictures & Models – Blog
Children’s pictures activity book
Bible Story Pictures & Models – free PDF eBook

 


EnCOURAGE: Love One Another – Blog
EnCOURAGE: Love One Another – free PDF eBook
Hundreds of ideas for Christian groups

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS(BRIEFER THANREVIVALS 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

 

Why Culture won’t Change without Radical Revival

WHY CULTURE WON’T CHANGE WITHOUT RADICAL REVIVAL

By Steve Strang founder of Charisma News and CEO of Charisma Media.

repent-Holy-Ghost-party

Genuine revival is the only way we can change the spiritual temperature of our society. Rioting. Racial unrest. Drug abuse ruining a generation. War in the Middle East. Christians under siege from rampant secularism. Does this sound familiar? I’m not describing 2017, although all these exist in today’s culture. I’m describing the 1960s, with Americans divided over the Vietnam War, Israel attacked by its Arab neighbours, a youth culture that celebrated drugs and free sex, and racial unrest, including riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Things were so bad, Time magazine’s April 8, 1966, cover story asked, “Is God Dead?” Yet amid this terrible time, the Lord stepped in. Fifty years ago, He launched two massive, under-the-radar revivals that I believe changed the course of the world.

In 1967, a group of Duquesne University nuns and college students received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, igniting the widespread Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The other revival, now known as the Jesus Movement, touched hundreds of thousands of hippie-type young people, whose fervour moved from radical rebellion to radical obedience to Christ. Many of today’s Christian leaders came to Christ during this period, and the movement also impacted me. During this same era, Israel won the West Bank and, in 1967, reunited Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. I once heard the late Derek Prince explain the parallels between God’s activity in Israel and the fresh outpouring of His Spirit on the church. These massive revivals produced a cultural shift. The country became more politically conservative, and the hippie movement disappeared.

Today, we need another genuine revival. Without it, culture will continue its downward spiral. Many Christians recognize this, but many don’t. One segment of the evangelical church, alarmed by the marginalization of Christians and increasing public immorality, focuses on electing politicians who seem to share our values. But politics won’t change things. A powerful evangelical leader recently visited my office to discuss how we must move our culture, where only a small percentage views the world through a biblical lens, toward a Christian worldview. He wanted my help in motivating apathetic Christians. Of course, I said we’d cooperate. But I also said change toward a Christian worldview won’t happen until our country experiences true revival. He looked at me with a blank stare.

My friend seems to think logic and arguments can change minds and attitudes. We must never withdraw from the marketplace of ideas, but we must also remember this: Nonbelievers develop a Christian worldview only through a powerful encounter with the risen Christ via the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider the Pentecostal movement. After the fervour of the early-20th-century charismatic outpouring, Latter Rain Revival died down, Pentecostalism moved into malaise. I remember the older generation praying constantly for revival.

Logic persuaded almost no one to embrace the gifts. But when people received the Holy Spirit in a powerful way during a prayer meeting, their theology changed. They saw the Bible with fresh eyes. God answered those prayers for revival in unexpected ways.

Beginning around 1960, the Holy Spirit poured out on more denominations like Episcopalians, Methodists and Catholics. Long-haired, sandal-wearing hippies began showing up in our services, often carrying huge Bibles and sitting cross-legged on the floor at the front of the church. At the same time, God was doing something in Israel and awakening among Spirit-filled Christians an enduring love for this nation. Jews for Jesus sprang up, and Messianic congregations developed. Some Pentecostals remained in their ruts, but most embraced all this as a move of God. Today, Pentecostalism continues to grow. Yet once again, a sense of malaise has arisen. But let’s remember: God is still God.

So I challenge my fellow believers to pray as never before. Publicly and in our prayer closets, let’s ask God to pour out a mighty revival that sweeps millions into His kingdom. It’s the only way culture will be changed – by changing the hearts of a huge segment of the population here and around the world. Our problems will not be solved until people’s hearts and lives change.

Source: Charisma Magazine

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 SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Free PDF Books on the Main Page

Share any Blog to inform and bless others

 

Blogs Index 3: Miracles

Blogs Index 3: MIRACLES

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

Logo Square - PNGClick images to see Blogs

 Q  Search – at end of blogs on phones

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 Journals – Blogs Index 3: Miracles:
https://renewaljournal.com/2017/10/03/blogs-index-3-miracles/  

PDF books on the Main Page

A Jesus the Model Globe
Jesus the Model for Short Term 
Supernatural Mission

Jesus the Model – PDF

READ SAMPLE

*

Recent Miracle Blogs

All Renewal Journal Blogs are amazing accounts of God’s actions, but these are very surprising.


God used a package sent 5 months earlier


“Before they call I will answer”
Helen Roseveare in Africa


Prayer and Miracles


Answered Prayer


God led Christian doctor to Covid cure


When my tumour disappeared

J
Jesus appeared to 72 – men in white appeared – foiled terror


Supernatural Signs & Wonders break out among 1,000 Jews


Miracle in Israel 


X-ray shows brain tumour healed after prayer

nepal
Nepal: deaf-mute boy healed by Jesus

Alec-Rex-350x251
Adelaide man’s near-death miracle

woman 
Muslim woman returns from the dead to tell about Jesus

*

AIDS
God saves and heals including HIV

Dimuth
Miracle Baby

1

Dreams Amid Persecution

He woke to find a blanket on him – there had been none in the cell

*

I

Imam hated Christians

until Jesus raised him from the dead

*
*
Sol IsSolomon Islands:

Hostile tribe’s chief died and met Jesus

by Dick Eastman

Ch 2: Mountains of Mystery

 
*

More Miracle Blogs



West Africa: A seed planted by radio – miraculous deliverance:

Last Reformation The Last Reformation – movies

 
4Modern Day Daniel

Baby China: Life-changing Miracle

duststormGod protects new believers

 

A Jesus the Model Globe 

The Disciples’ Mission and Ministry

Chapter 2 of Jesus the Model for

Short Term Supernatural Mission

*

Healing Blogs

*
cfan1He woke up totally healed

in Ghana

*

*

*

*

AIDSGod saves and heals including HIV

Revival Pioneers

Beginnings of Christian Outreach Centre

Beginnings of Christian Outreach Centre

Now International Network of Christian Churches

Chapters 8 and 9 of Anointed for Revival

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

Beginnings of Christian Outreach Centre
:
https://renewaljournal.com/2019/02/01/revivals-across-the-south-of-usa/
Authors of articles

FREE RENEWAL JOURNAL SUBSCRIPTION: for updates, new Blogs & free offers
FREE PDF books on the Main Page
Permission: All Renewal Journal resources, including books, may be freely reproduced, including in print.

Anointed for Revival PDF ebook

 

a-anointed-all1

Chapter 8:  The Birth of Christian Outreach Centre
by Anne Taylor

This article describes the life of Clark Taylor and his influence through Christian Outreach Centre. 

Clark Taylor was born in Queensland, Australia in 1937.  He was a farmer with little formal education.  As a result of being born again in 1959 in a Billy Graham Crusade in Brisbane, he began training for the Methodist ministry in 1961.  This was interrupted in 1963 when he suffered from cerebral malaria and frequently lapsed into unconsciousness. 

In 1967, God miraculously healed him.  During the Sunday morning service at the Oxley Methodist Church, he believed God was telling him to obey James 5 as it was time for him to be healed.  That is exactly what happened on the following Tuesday night when the Rev.  Godfrey Williams prayed for him.  It was in that same year that he first heard about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which he received after being prayed for by Frank Fullwood, an Assembly of God pastor. 

In January 1968, he became an assistant minister in the Holland Park Methodist Circuit in Brisbane.  He was responsible for St.  Paul’s Church at Upper Mt Gravatt.  After a Bible Study on the Holy Spirit, some people remained behind for prayer.  One young man who was prayed for that night spoke in tongues until 2am  Another lady received holy laughter which lasted for three days.  People who had a hunger for God began praying together three times a week. 

Sovereign move of God

In July, God moved sovereignly at St.  Paul’s.  In a prayer meeting at the manse on 17 July, a lady had a vision of Jesus standing before her, telling her that there was going to be a special service on Sunday night, and that he would bring people from the highways and the byways.  Normally there was only a small congregation. 

True to His word, God drew the people from as far away as Toowoomba and the Gold Coast with the result that the church was absolutely packed, despite the fact that there had been no advertising.  As an example of God’s ability to draw people, a man came from the Darling Downs after reading Haggai 2:1 about the 21st day of the 7th month.  There were manifestations of the Holy Spirit during the entire meeting which came to an abrupt end with the appearance of the Senior Minister who had not received the same Holy Ghost revelation. 

In 1969 the Methodist Church placed Clark Taylor in King’s College, their Theological College.  Because there were people who had been filled with the Holy Spirit but were not being pastored, Taylor began a house meeting at Corinda in May 1969.  Fifty people attended the first meeting from Brisbane and the surrounding area.  Over the next two years, the numbers grew to approximately two hundred, with ministers, priests, nuns and other people being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Clark Taylor led a group of young people in the streets of Brisbane, who saw many other young people saved as they witnessed to them about Jesus.  Some of the young people came from the Wavell Heights Presbyterian Church where the Spirit-filled ministers were Alex Wylie and Ian Barlow.  Others were involved with Charles Ringma, who later commenced Teen Challenge in Brisbane. 

Early in 1970, Taylor resigned from the Methodist Church.  Later in the year he received a prophetic word.  Part of it says “….The College which I have spoken about to you and have called you to is the College whereby you live in prayer and intimacy with the Spirit and where I speak to you Spirit to spirit.  …  I would have you to learn the fear of God; I would have you to seek the fear of God, for the fear of God will keep you stable.  If you do not have a fear of me, then inevitably you will raise yourself up and the devil will snare you.  …”

Late in 1970, Clark Taylor joined with Pastor Trevor Chandler to Pastor the Windsor Full Gospel Church.  Later they both left to begin Christian Life Centre. 

At the end of 1972, Taylor resigned from Christian Life Centre to spend eighteen months in travelling ministry. 

Early in 1974 he wrote, “For a long time now the Lord has been impressing upon me to commence another Centre in Brisbane.  It is a city of nearly one million people and God has given me a vision to reach many of the country areas round about”. 

That vision found its fulfilment in Christian Outreach Centre, the major vehicle through which Taylor influenced Australia and other nations. 

Christian Outreach Centre

Clark home-pastorsChristian Outreach Centre began with twenty-five adults meeting in the Taylors’ home on 16 June, 1974.  On the following Sunday, one hundred and twenty-six people took Communion in a rented building owned by the Teachers’ Union. 

The Church grew rapidly.  It had started with no money or resources, but by October was able to purchase a Salvation Army property in Woolloongabba.  The Church kept expanding, particularly by unchurched people being saved.  It was also a place where Christians, both Protestant and Roman Catholic could be baptised in the Holy Spirit. 

Clark Taylor had a big vision for evangelising and teaching children.  In 1974, Pastor Neil Miers was employed as the Children’s Pastor.  Old double-decker buses were purchased from Sydney to transport unchurched children from the suburbs.  The Woolloongabba property was bursting at the seams, but children and adults were crammed into every nook and cranny.  Joy Time Clubs began for children in the suburbs after school.  Saturdays found children’s workers dressed up in animal costumes, outreaching with the gospel.  Before Pastor Miers left Brisbane in 1977, the Children’s Church numbered seven hundred. 

Finding space was always a problem, but Taylor never allowed such problems to stand in the way of his vision of Australia For Christ.  He believed that there was always a solution for each problem.  He was not limited by traditional church thinking.  In January 1975, a large property was purchased at Mt. Tuchekoi for a conference centre.  Many a child’s life was changed at a Children’s Camp there. 

Televison

Television was another medium that Taylor used very successfully throughout Australia.  By 1976, Taylor was starting to talk about using television in Australia in a radical way.  By that time the Church had outgrown the Woolloongabba property and had moved into a West End warehouse. 

The bold television scheme could not have worked without Brian Millis, a TV journalist.  Once again, Taylor’s vision was not hindered by lack of money or equipment.  Under great difficulties, the Sunday evening services were filmed, then edited down to a half-hour programme called A New Way Of Living“.  The first programme was shown on Channel 9 in Brisbane on 17 July, 1977. 

During the next four years it was being shown on sixteen stations in Queensland as well as in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.  A New Way Of Living was radical in Christian Television.  The average Australian who never went to church saw large crowds of Christians with smiling faces enjoying God.  They saw people responding to an altar call to be born again.  They also saw miracles taking place.  Large numbers of people were saved. 

Country Centres

Clark Taylor’s influence was also spreading throughout South-east Queensland by the establishment of other Christian Outreach Centres in such places as Nambour, Ipswich and Redcliffe.  Centres continued to radiate out from Brisbane. 

One of the most powerful ways in which his influence was felt was in the lives of Christian Outreach Centre pastors.  His Methodist background influenced the way in which he structured Christian Outreach Centre.  It is a connectional system.  There is an annual conference, but pastors gather together in local regions more frequently for fellowship and training, which was vital in the early years because most of the pastors lacked formal or theological education. 

Clark Taylor built faith into his pastors.  No conference would pass without a sermon on Mark 11:22-24.  He took God at His word concerning mountains of sickness, demon possession, spiritual apathy, attitudes to religion in Australia, bureaucratic red tape, financial need, unbelief and impossibilities in general. 

To him, Australia For Christ were not empty words.  He believed that unchurched Australians would be saved.  He believed that unlearned men who had been with Jesus could turn Australia upside down.  He believed that there would be a Christian Outreach Centre in every city and town in Australia. 

Christian Outreach Centres such as Nambour are an example of that faith.  In less than twenty years, the younger generation that was nurtured there has continued to carry the banner of Australia For Christ.  The Holy Spirit is being poured out through the anointed music of such people as Tracy Ham, Andrew Ironside and Ian Beresford. 

People worldwide are influenced by the magazine, A New Way Of Living, edited by Darren Trinder.  Mark Ramsey, who went out from Nambour to begin Noosa Christian Outreach Centre, continues to run with the vision of “The Sunshine Coast For Christ”. 

Inter-state Centres

Clark Taylor’s influence spread to New South Wales.  John Gear, a Spirit-filled Methodist who commenced Gloucester Christian Fellowship, listened to tapes of Taylor’s preaching.  He persisted in inviting Taylor to conduct a tent crusade in Gloucester. 

That was the initial step in small groups of Spirit-filled Christians becoming part of Christian Outreach Centre. 

A number of the movement’s leaders, including the vice president David MacDonald, have come from that area, birthing new Christian Outreach Centres throughout New South Wales and beyond. 

Overseas Centres

Christian Outreach Centre was beginning to flow out to other nations.  One example of this is the establishment of the movement in the Solomon Islands.  Pastor Kevin Dales had been a student in the one-year Bible College at Mt. Tuchekoi.  He went out from there to pioneer Christian Outreach Centre in Innisfail. 

One of his members, Lafai Ituaso, had a great desire that Kevin would go to his people in Tuvalu, a Pacific island.  Over the next few years teams from Innisfail ministered in the Pacific Islands.  Hundreds of people were saved and healed. 

Late in 1989, a Bible College building was completed at Balasuna in the Solomon Islands, due largely to the hard work and sacrifice of the Innisfail people.  Since then, students from the Pacific have been trained there and gone out to establish Christian Outreach Centres. 

Education Centres

After seeing a Christian school in New Zealand, Taylor began to set the wheels in motion to have a Christian school in Brisbane.  In May 1978, Christian Outreach College began with 136 children in primary and secondary school to grade 10.  It was established in crowded conditions in the West End complex using the Accelerated Christian Education programme.  Subsequently, other Christian Outreach Colleges have been established using the Education Department Curriculum. 

Clark Taylor also had a vision for a Christian University.  In 1986, Christian Heritage College began, with the vision of bringing reformation to the nation in many areas, beginning with the field of education.  In 1988 Christian Heritage College was given accreditation with the Queensland State Government so that Christian-trained teachers would be accepted to teach in State Schools.  Graduates are now teaching with a standard of excellence in both Christian and State Schools. 

Bible College and School of Ministries

From the first week of the inception of Christian Outreach Centre, Clark Taylor began Bible teaching.  Bible Colleges of one year’s duration were held at Mt. Tuchekoi, West End and Mansfield.  He also established a Video Bible College.  The year 1988 saw the commencement of the two-year Bible College course for the Associate Diploma leading into the Bachelor of Ministries course at Mansfield.  Each January there is a Ministry Training School of intensified training for people going out to pastor Christian Outreach Centres. 

Clark Taylor resigned from Christian Outreach Centre in 1989.  He was involved in itinerant evangelistic ministry, and in November 2000 began Worship Centre in Brisbane. 

The movement he founded, Christian Outreach Centre, continues and the vision of Australia For Christ continues to burn brightly in other nations of the world as well.  The gospel has been committed to faithful people who are teaching others also. 

coc_logo

Chapter 9:  The Beginnings of Christian Outreach Centre
by John Thorburn

Part I: Clark Taylor’s Life and Ministry. 

Clark Taylor was a name that was well known in Australia, especially in Queensland, in the late seventies and the early eighties. 

Every person who came across this man, either in person or through the medium of television could not avoid being touched and impacted by this dynamic and unconventional minister. 

Taylor’s outgoing personality and his total dedication to the preaching of the Gospel were used by God to touch many lives.  The result of this man’s God-given vision and his obedience to see that vision fulfilled is known today as Christian Outreach Centre. 

Clark Taylor was born in Queensland in 1937 to Joe and Rita Taylor.  His mother had always prayed, “Lord, make him a minister”, and like most mothers had always felt that her son was special. 

In his early years, Clark had a great dislike for things academic.  He was even known to have eaten green fruit in an attempt to avoid having to go to school. 

Taylor was never afraid of hard physical work, having spent many hours working on the family property at Palen Creek, near Rathdowney, 70 miles south of Brisbane. 

At the age of 14 his family moved to the Northern Territory, where they leased a property and raised beef cattle.  At the age of 16 he was running a mustering camp, where he had authority over some of the roughest and toughest men in the Territory. 

One sad event that took place during this period of his life was the death of his father who was killed in a tractor accident.  It was after this tragedy that Clark moved back down south where he was to encounter something that would change his life forever. 

Conversion

The year was 1959 and at the urging of his Aunt Alexandra, Clark Taylor found himself at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds where American evangelist, Billy Graham was holding a series of crusade meetings. 

The following is an extract from the magazine A New Way of Living where the journalist describes what happened that night. 

The choir, hundreds strong, led by Crusade Songleader Cliff Barrows, sang fervently.  Tonight was the final night of the Crusade.  The bright moonlight revealed a scene typical of Billy’s crusades.  Thousands had gathered – many from outback Queensland, to join in what had already been described as an historic event in Australian church life. 

The words of the hymn meant nothing, Clark told himself.  Sitting on the grass in the arena, looking up at the thousands in the grandstands, he cursed their churchiness and their assurance.  Had there been a group of vocal hecklers, he might have joined them …  but here, he was alone – as alone as he had been on other moonlit nights, far, far away from crowds …  and from Christianity.  The crowd fell silent, drawing Clark’s gaze to the stage in the centre of the arena.  The boyish-looking Cliff Barrows had stepped back, giving place to a tall wavy-haired man whose craggy face and penetrating eyes commanded Clark’s attention: Billy Graham. 

So this was Billy Graham.  A dark-suited, fortyish, tall figure whose right hand held a New Testament, whose left-hand index finger stabbed skyward, and whose voice carried clearly to every part of the arena.  After praying, Billy began to preach.  He would preach for around forty minutes on this night.  He would question, answer, anticipate, explain.  He would speak of Heaven, and warn of Hell; he would even object, on his listeners’ behalf, to his own statements.  “But Billy, you say …” would be repeated often …  followed soon after by, “The Bible says …” By the close of his sermon he would have answered every objection, closed every exit, leaving only Jesus, The Way.  He would have spoken thousands of words …  and Clark would not have heard one of them. 

“CLARK”.  The voice, unlike any Clark had ever heard, somehow entered into the very centre of his being.  There in front of him, and slightly above the heads of those seated a few feet away, stood Jesus.  During the next forty or so minutes something took place that was unknown …  even to Clark Taylor.  Somehow the spirit of a man which life had battered and embittered received an awakening, in a communion that would defy explanation. 

Then He was gone … and Clark, aware once again of his surroundings, was amazed to find that Billy Graham had finished speaking.  The choir was again singing …  this time softly, invitingly … “Just as I am”.  The evangelist was standing, head bowed, chin propped, silently praying …  In the moonlight, people were streaming forward … from the grandstand, from the open-air seats, and from the grassed oval where Clark sat, stirred in his heart as never before. 

Still within him, the battle raged, as reason fought revelation and pent-up anger, the love of Jesus Christ.  Verse after verse was sung.  Still they came — people from all walks of life; men and women of all ages …. coming to Christ.  It was time.  Fighting feelings of foolishness, Clark rose to his feet and joined the throngs. 

What a beautiful description of a night that would change one man forever, but also see the beginnings of a ministry that would see worldwide effect. 

Spirit-filled Ministry

In 1961, Clark began training for the Methodist ministry.  It was during this time that he met and married his wife, Anne.  This union was to produce three children, Linda, Philip and Robin. 

In 1963, Clark contracted cerebral malaria, which would cause him to lapse into periods of unconsciousness.  In 1967, he received healing from this disease.  This was the same year that he was baptised in the Holy Spirit. 

Clark and Anne then spent time as Assistant Ministers in the Holland Park Methodist Circuit where they were responsible for St.  Paul’s Church at Upper Mount Gravatt.  It was during this time that Clark began to have difficulties with his denomination over the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit which were happening under his ministry. 

Clark was then to spend some time at Kings College, but he eventually resigned from the Methodist Church in 1970.  He then joined himself with Trevor Chandler at the Windsor Full Gospel and then they started the Christian Life Centre. 

This partnership lasted until 1972 when Clark resigned and spent the next eighteen months in travelling ministry.  After receiving a prophetic word, Clark returned to Brisbane where he commenced Christian Outreach Centre. 

From very small beginnings of 25 adults meeting in his home, C.O.C.  has grown through many different stages to what it is today.  The vision began as Australia for Christ but this later grew to Reaching Our World for Christ

Clark was known for his radical and unusual approach to ministry but there was no denying the anointing that was on his life. 

Another outstanding aspect was his ability to impart the ministry gifts to the pastors of C.O.C.  Even though there was no formal theological training, he equipped these pastors in such a way that they were sent into towns and they established strong and vibrant churches.  Even though this method had its limitations, it was instrumental in establishing churches in cities where there was very little Christian influence. 

There were many other aspects of his ministry, such as television, outreaches, establishing Christian schools, and in the latter stages, a Christian Teachers College and School of Ministry. 

Clark Taylor resigned from Christian Outreach Centre in 1989, and was involved in itinerant evangelistic ministry.  He should primarily be remembered as a man who ministered powerfully in the anointing of God and as the pioneer of a movement that has not only touched Australia, a country that he loved, but a movement that has impacted the world. 

Clark location

Part II: Christian Outreach Centre, Mansfield

At the end of Wecker Road in the Brisbane suburb of Mansfield stands a complex which is the hub of what is now a worldwide movement.  From a small beginning of 25 people in the lounge room of Clark and Anne Taylor’s home on 16 June, 1974, this local church has grown to a current membership of approximately 2500 people, while the movement that was birthed from its vision has grown to a worldwide membership of about 1600 churches. 

After that first meeting the numbers grew so rapidly that the church saw the need to move to larger premises.  They spent the next nine months meeting in the Teachers Union Building in Spring Hill until further growth forced another move. 

By God’s miraculous provision the old Salvation Army Hall in Trafalga Street, Wooloongabba was purchased.  This building was soon bursting at the seams and after knocking out walls and even joining up to the house next door it had finally outgrown its usefulness. 

West End

Premises at 100 Victoria Street, West End were then purchased and the church was to have its home here for the next six and a half years.  It was during this time that the Centre saw tremendous growth through the use of the medium of television. 

A program called A New Way Of Living was produced and was shown on Sunday mornings.  God had placed a powerful anointing for healing miracles and salvation over the church and as people saw these things happening in their lounge rooms they were drawn to the Centre to see for themselves. 

Even though many had come out of curiosity and to have a look at this madman who seemed to break all the rules of what a preacher should be, many were saved as they sat under the anointing of God and saw the miracles that were taking place. 

Another ministry that saw growth was with the children.  It was during this time that Neil Meirs came on staff to head up the children’s work.  Every Saturday Neil would take his eager team out into the streets and to the shopping centres.  There they would be dressed up as clowns and would put on shows and invite the kids to come to Sunday School.  As the children came, so did the parents. 

The church continued this steady growth until once again the building was too small.  Even though it seemed humanly impossible and too big a task, the people of Christian Outreach Centre once again put their trust in God. 

Mansfield

Land was purchased at 322 Wecker and work was begun on the current Auditorium.  Even though the cost was great, once again God supplied every need and the building was officially opened in May, 1983. 

Even though the founder’s personal battle with immorality led to his dismissal from the ministry in 1989, the movement which he founded is still growing strongly today.  This proves beyond doubt that if God wants to build and use something to touch people, he will do so.  And he will do it despite the weakness and the imperfections of the people that he chooses. 

Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of Christian Outreach Centre has been its desire to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry”, and to see that work carried out throughout the nations of the world. 

In its early years there was great emphasis placed on the vision to see Australia for Christ.  There were many pastors sent out from the Centre and even though they had only very basic training they were having a great impact wherever they went.  This is because of the emphasis that was placed on relying on the Spirit of God to see you through. 

Many ministries

While this was a good principle to live by, over the years it was realised that more was needed.  This led to the establishment of another important part of the ongoing ministry of the Church.  This is education. 

The Church now has the facilities in place to educate and train people from Primary through Secondary and on to Christian Heritage College.  Every day there are over 2000 men, women and children either training or being trained within the grounds of the church. 

Another important part of the ethos of the church is its Sunday services.  These are a time of great joy and celebration of what God has done and is continuing to do in and through His people.  There is always a time of praise and worship where people are free to express their love for God. 

Another strength is found in the variety and quality of the messages which are preached from the pulpit.  Because of the size and reputation of the church it is able to attract world-renowned ministries to supplement the quality of the ‘in-house’ preachers.

 This provides the members with a very well-balanced diet of spiritual food. 

One of the challenges which a church of this size faces is found in the size itself.  Because of the large numbers of people who gather together in one place every Sunday it is very difficult to maintain a family atmosphere.  People can come along and not even be noticed. 

In fact, it was not uncommon to find two people who had been attending the Church for a period of time and had never met each other. 

This problem has been overcome by the introduction of the Home Cell principle.  It has taken about 12 months to get people away from reliance on the Pastor to meet their needs and to look to each other for support.  This has totally changed the atmosphere in the church and has formed a much friendlier and closer relationship among the people. 

In summing up it is perhaps important to look at the vision statement of the Church: “Our vision is to lead people to Christ making disciples in our neighbourhood, city, nation, and overseas.”

The church was founded with the vision of outreach and it has seen success in this area.  As a church and as individuals, we need to continue to be open to allow the Holy Spirit to mould us, change us, train us and use us. 

If we continue to do this and remain faithful to God, we will continue to see our God-given vision fulfilled. 

Clark facilities_0

Christian Outreach Centre in 2011

Beginning with a home group in 1974, they moved their headquarters to the present location in 1982 when C.O.C. built their new auditorium to seat 5,000 people.  Their school expanded from Preparatory to Grade 12 and has over 1,600 students.  Their tertiary college, Christian Heritage College (CHC) commenced in 1986 grew from offering one course in education with an initial enrolment of nine students, to around 40 courses and a student community exceeding 800.  The college offers a range of accredited degrees in Business, Education and Humanities, Ministries and Social Sciences.

By the end of 1988 there were 136 churches in the movement including churches in New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands.  During 1989, churches were established in Papua-New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia.  The movement experienced rapid growth with 44 new churches opening in 1990, the year Pastor Neil Miers became president of Christian Outreach Centre International.

By 2010 C.O.C. had around 1600 churches in 30 countries including Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Malaysia, Malta, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, PNG, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Thailand, Tonga, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vanuatu and Zambia.

The Movement is strongly involved in helping people in need especially through Global Care.  This relief agency poured millions of dollars into worldwide relief.

This movement is one example of exploding movements of church growth across the world today.  Most of their churches began as a home group, and then grew.

**********

After Clark Taylor resigned from Christian Outreach Centre he travelled and ministered in America and then in 2000 founded the Worship and Ministry Centre, now the Worship Centre Christian Church, in Brisbane, and from 2012 handed the leadership of the church to Pastors Paul ‘Skip’ and Leah Smith.

Anointed for Revival
Link to Anointed for Revival

Revivals Index: Clark Taylor

Also by Geoff Waugh


The Life of Jesus – Blog
The Life of Jesus – free PDF eBook
Amazon link – paperback, hardcover, Kindle

 

Logo Square - PNG Click here to be notified of new Blogs

FREE PDF Books on the Main Page

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

See also Topics Index

 FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

Free PDF books on the Main Page

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

Beginnings of Christian Outreach Centre
:
https://renewaljournal.com/2019/02/01/revivals-across-the-south-of-usa/

Chapters 8 and 9 of Anointed for Revival

a-anointed-all1

Team visit to Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, July 2017.

 village-church-1

Service at Panlimsi village, near Pangi, Pentecost Island, with the overflow crowd

2020 update after the April cyclone


2-minute video prayer for Vanuatu after category-5 cyclone flattened villages at Easter 2020 – recorded by grandson DanteIf you would like to help you can give via my PayPal:
Geoffrey Waugh, PayPal – geoffwaugh2@gmail.com

A Pentecost on Pentecost GiftPaperback and eBook –
Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

FREE eBook now and this weekend – Amazon Link
FREE eBook – Amazon Australia

We encourage and support revival leaders on Pentecost Island regularly. That includes providing revival books and resources, Bibles, and helping pastors with high school fees for their children.

Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Team Visit, July 2017

We returned with another small team of Stan and Daphne Beattie (my sister & Judith’s parents), Emily Staples from Riverlife (formerly Kenmore) Baptist Church, and my grandson Dante, in the photo here with Morrison, a school prefect, and son of hosts Jackson & Annette.

20170716_091009

Riverlife church people gave generously to help with a guitar, a keyboard, and about 50 spectacles (helping older people read Bibles), and gifts of Bibles as well. Miraculously we were not charged excess baggage on any flight!

20170723_120926
Dante and Morrison join the musicians at Panlimsi village church, near Pangi

Emily, a nurse, spent hours helping in the local clinic, talking and praying with many people daily, and sharing in meetings, including her first ‘words of knowledge’ about healings needed. Everyone we prayed for reported that pain had gone (for some of them after a bit more prayer, and for some even before we started praying for them).

Stan and Daphne reunited with friends there, especially Jackson and Annette (who cared for their daughter Judith’s family with the 4 grandchildren) and Rolanson and Doneth and Grant who also visited their home near Rockhampton this year. Stan explored more possibilities for village water supplies and hydro power, and they both shared in meetings and prayed often with people.

Dante [former captain Kenmore High School, twice sportsman of the year, captain of Qld & Australian schoolboys volleyball teams competing in NZ, Singapore & Malaysia, Middle School Science & Senior School Physics awards, etc., Uni Power to Change worship leader] was a hit again with the youth and with his guitar in the meetings and in the high school at Ranwadi. We’re so blessed to see him growing in anointed leading of worship in churches and at university in Australia, and on mission in Vanuatu and in Maynamar/Burma.

Again our evenings were busy with meetings in three village churches and at Ranwadi College, their high school. Again we prayed with many people in each meeting, for many needs and empowering. Again they reported pain gone quickly – sometimes even before we prayed for them! See photos with brief comments on my Facebook album – with links to videos, such as in the evening service at the high school on https://youtu.be/acQjF125SR8.

20170717_074143
Ranwadi College high school chapel, Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

See more photos on my Facebook album

Many people prayed for Jackson this year and on Sunday he testified to the miracle that his blood count tested normal after a long period of high levels of diabetes.  One lady suffering severe asthma was flown to hospital in Port Vila where she died three times but was revived.

We ‘happened’ to be there when the new MP (Member of Parliament) Silas Bule (formerly the principal of Ranwadi College) came to give Gideon New Testaments to all the primary and high school students, so we were involved in challenging them to read their new gifts regularly.

A moving time for us was as we prayed for local mission team leaders who will be going with Pastor Rolanson to other areas on Spirit-led and Spirit-filled evangelism and healing. God continues to open more doors for them into other areas. And so the Word of the Lord continues to spread in authority and power.

20170723_120346
Praying with the local mission team leaders at Panlimsi village church, near Pangi

On our return, via Espiritu Santo island, we visited healing waters there. That was the island where Ferdinand de Quiros named the southern islands the Great Southlands of the Holy Spirit – Terra Australis del Espiritu Santo.  That island retains its name of Espiritu Santo [Holy Spirit], and Australia the southern continent name.

Earlier in 2017, as a lady there with cancer prayed, God led her to dig in the sand near rocks on the southern beach by the airport road. Fresh spring waters began flowing there from among the rocks and brought healing, for her and many others who keep coming from many places – a reminder of healing waters in Jordan (for Naaman the Syrian general), and at Bethesda and the Pool of Siloam and of Moses with water flowing from the rock. People are warned that if they bring witchcraft there or sell the spring water they may die – some did that and died.

We are grateful that we have been able to assist and encourage the people of Vanuatu and see God touching and blessing so many.

We have invested into establishing a Revival Training Centre as a revival base to help equip revival team ministries.

If you would like to help financially my Australian mission account is: Geoffrey Waugh, BSB 014249, Ac. 5647 11123.

ANZ Swift Code is ANZBAU3M

Links to Pentecost on Pentecost Island:

Blog – Pentecost on Pentecost

Facebook Album – Mission Team 2017

Paperback and eBook – Pentecost on Pentecost and in the South Pacific

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: Images (photos from Books & Facebook)

See also Topics Index

Back to Main Page

Save

Times of Refreshing

Tim Tebow

John 3:16 was the highest-ranked Google search term over the next 24 hours, generating over 92 million searches, after Tim Tebow wore it.

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call (Acts 2:38-39).

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Brief examples and illustrations:

In every revival, God’s people repent and pray, & trust and obey
1. Repent  –  means turn  –  turn to God
2. Pray  –  anytime, anywhere  –  thinking, responding
3. Trust  –  just believe  –  knowing God hears & knowing God acts
4. Obey  –  falling in love  –  “If you love me you will obey”

Links to a few accounts of Times of Refreshing:

Eternity

Arthur Stace could barely write his own name, but wrote Eternity on the pavements of Sydney, commemorated on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 1 January 2000.

1979 – March: Elcho Island, Australia (Djiniyini Gondarra)

Djiniyini Gondarra
Djiniyini Gondarra

The Lord poured out the Holy Spirit on Elcho Island in northern Australia on Thursday, 14 March, 1979. Djiniyini Gondarra was then the Uniting Church minister in the town of Galiwin’ku at the south of the island. He had been away on holidays to Sydney and Brisbane, returning on the late afternoon Missionary Aviation Fellowship flight.

He was travel weary and just wanted to unpack and get to bed early. Many of the people, however, had been praying for months, and especially every day while he had been away, so they wanted to have prayer and Bible study with him in his home. This is his account of that Pentecost among Australian Aborigines in the Arnhem Land churches across the north of Australia:

After the evening dinner, we called our friends to come and join us in the Bible Class meeting. We just sang some hymns and choruses translated into Gupapuynu and into Djambarrpuynu. There were only seven or eight people who were involved or came to the Bible Class meeting, and many of our friends didn’t turn up. We didn’t get worried about it.

I began to talk to them that this was God’s will for us to get together this evening because God had planned this meeting through them so that we will see something of his great love which will be poured out on each one of them. I said a word of thanks to those few faithful Christians who had been praying for renewal in our church, and I shared with them that I too had been praying for the revival or the renewal for this church and for the whole of Arnhem Land churches, because to our heavenly Father everything is possible. He can do mighty things in our churches throughout our great land.

I then asked the group to hold each other’s hands and I began to pray for the people and for the church, that God would pour out his Holy Spirit to bring healing and renewal to the hearts of men and women, and to the children.

Suddenly we began to feel God’s Spirit moving in our hearts and the whole form of our prayer suddenly changed and everybody began to pray in the Spirit and in harmony. And there was a great noise going on in the room and we began to ask one another what was going on.

Some of us said that God had now visited us and once again established his kingdom among his people who have been bound for so long by the power of evil. Now the Lord is setting his church free and bringing us into the freedom of happiness and into reconciliation and to restoration.

There was a great revival that swept further west. I would describe these experiences like a wild bush fire burning from one side of Australia to the other side of our great land. The experience of revival in Arnhem Land is still active in many of our Aboriginal parishes and the churches.

We would like to share these experiences in many white churches where doors are closed to the power of the Holy Spirit. It has always been my humble prayer that the whole of Australian Christians, both black and white, will one day be touched by this great and mighty power of the living God.

1965 – September: Soe, Timor (Nahor Leo, Mel Tari)

Mel Tari

On Sunday night, September 26, 1965, in Soe, Timor, people heard the sound of a tornado wind and saw flames on the church building which prompted police to set off the fire alarm to summon the volunteer fire fighters. Many people were converted that night, many filled with the Spirit including speaking in tongues, some in English who did not know English. By midnight teams of lay people had been organized to begin spreading the gospel the next day. Eventually, about 90 evangelistic teams were formed which functioned powerfully with spiritual gifts.

Nahor Leo, the young man who testified that night in the Reformed Church, chose 23 young people who formed an evangelistic group, Team 1. They gave themselves full time to visiting churches and villages and saw thousands converted with multitudes healed and delivered. In one town alone they saw 9,000 people converted in two weeks.

Another young man, Mel Tari witnessed this visitation of God and later became part of Team 42. He reported on this revival in two widely read books, Like a Mighty Wind and The Gentle Breeze of Jesus. Healings and evangelism increased dramatically. Specific directions from the Lord led the teams into powerful ministry with thousands becoming Christians. They saw many healings, miracles such as water being turned to wine for communion, some instantaneous healings, deliverance from witchcraft and demonic powers, and some people raised from death through prayer.

The teams were often guided supernaturally including provision of light at night on jungle trails, angelic guides and protection, meager supplies of food multiplied in pastors’ homes when a team ate together there during famines, and witch-doctors being converted after they saw power encounters when the teams’ prayers banished demons, rendering the witch-doctors powerless.

1989 – Henan and Anhul, China

Dennis Balcombe

Dennis Balcombe, pastor of the Revival Christian Church in Hong Kong, regularly visits China. He has reported on revival there.

In 1989 Henan preachers visited North Anhul province and found several thousand believers in the care of an older pastor from Shanghai. At their first night meeting with 1,000 present 30 were baptized in the icy winter. The first baptized was a lady who had convulsions if she went into water. She was healed of that and other ills, and found the water warm. A 12 year old boy deaf and dumb was baptized and spoke, “Mother, Father, the water is not cold the water is not cold.” An aged lady nearly 90, disabled after an accident in her 20s, was completely healed in the water. By the third and fourth nights over 1,000 were baptized.

A young evangelist, Enchuan, 20 years old in 1990, had been leading evangelistic teams since he was 17. He said, “When the church first sent us out to preach the Gospel, after two to three months of ministering we usually saw 20-30 converts. But now it is not 20. It is 200, 300, and often 600 or more will be converted.”

1951 – June: City Bell, Argentina (Edward Miller)

Ed Miller

Edward Miller tells of revival breaking out in Argentina after God told him to call his small church to pray every night from 8 pm to midnight beginning on a Monday. Their little group prayed for three nights, mostly silently except for their missionary Ed Miller. No one seemed to have any leading, except one lady felt she was told to hit the table, but she wouldn’t do anything so strange. On the fourth night, Ed Miller led the group in singing around the table, and hit it as they sang. Eventually others did the same. Then the lady did. Immediately the Spirit of God fell. They were baptized powerfully in the Spirit. They heard the sound of strong wind. Their little church filled. People were convicted, weeping, and praying.

By Saturday teams were going out in powerful evangelism. A young man, Alexander and his band of rebels sat in the front row of a revival meeting aiming to disrupt it. God convicted him and he repented. His gang began to leave but fell under the Spirit on the way out. All were converted. Two of them went to the Bible School.

Ed Miller taught at the Bible Training Institute in 1951 in the little town of City Bell, near Buenos Aires. In June he was led to cancel lectures so the whole Bible School could pray every day. He announced this on the first Sunday in June. That night Alexander, the former rebel leader, a teenager of Polish descent, was praying long after midnight out in the fields when he sensed something pressing down on him, an intense light surrounding him and a heavenly being enfolding him. Terrified he ran back to the Institute.

The heavenly visitor entered the Institute with him, and in a few moments all the students were awake with the fear of God upon them. They began to cry out in repentance as God by his Spirit dealt with them. The next day the Spirit of God came again upon Alexander as he was given prophecies of God’s moving in far off countries. The following day Alexander again saw the Lord in the Spirit, but this time he began to speak slowly and distinctly the words he heard from the angel of God. No one could understand what he was saying, however, until another lad named Celsio (with even less education than Alexander), overcome with the Spirit of God markedly upon him, began to interpret… These communications (written because he choked up when he tried to talk) were a challenge from God to pray and indeed the Institute became a centre of prayer till the vacation time, when teams went out to preach the kingdom. It was the beginning of new stirrings of the Spirit across the land.

Prophecies given to the Bible School told of God filling the largest auditoriums and stadiums in Argentina and in other countries.

Tommy_Hicks

In 1952 Tommy Hicks was conducting a series of meetings in California when God showed him a vision. While he was praying he saw a map of South America covered with a vast field of golden wheat ripe for harvesting. The wheat turned into human beings calling him to come and help them.

He wrote a prophecy in his Bible about going by air to that land before two summers would pass. Three months later, after an evangelistic crusade, a pastor’s wife in California gave that same prophecy to him that he had written down. He was invited to Argentina in 1954 and had enough money to buy a one way air ticket to Buenos Aires.

Hicks with Peron

On his way there after meetings in Chile, the word Peron came to his mind. He asked the air stewardess if she knew what it meant. She told him Peron was the President of Argentina. When he went to make an appointment with Juan Peron, the dictator President, he prayed for a guard who was healed and so the guard arranged an appointment with Peron.  Through prayer the President was healed of an ugly eczema and gave Hicks the use of a stadium and free access to the state radio and press.

The revival campaign shifted into the Argentina’s largest arena, the Hurricane Football Stadium, seating 110,000 which overflowed. During nightly meetings over two months 300,000 people registered decisions for Christ and many were healed at every meeting.

2003-2017 Pentecost on Pentecost Island

Some of the signs of revival we saw there included a whole mountain ‘on fire’ (with nothing burned) during revival meetings at their Bible College, witchcraft items revealed then removed and destroyed by prayer teams, everyone prayed for in ‘custom’ villages healed, and angels filling a village church with songs in the night in a small village where the worship had been strong, lasting for many hours.  Everyone prayed for in that village was healed and all unbelievers repented during the worship and many were baptized.

Photo Report – Mission teams in Vanuatu 2003-2010
Photo Report – Grant Shaw on Mission in Vanuatu 2006
Photo Report – Joel Shaw and team on Mission in Vanuatu 2013
Photo Report – Andrew and others on Mission in Vanuatu 2012-2015
Photo Report – Pentecost on Pentecost Island 2003-2016

This 60 kilometre long, narrow island, sighted and named on the Day of Pentecost, 1764, by French explorer Bougainville, was also seen by Captain Cook in 1774.

A Pacific1Part of this account is background information from my book South Pacific Revivals (in paperback and ebook).

Martyr for the Gospel

Tomas Tumtum had been an indentured worker on cane farms in Queensland, Australia. He was converted there and returned around 1901 to his village on South Pentecost Island. He came with his friend, Lulkon, a new young disciple from a neighbouring island. They arrived when the village was taboo because a baby had died a few days earlier, so no one was allowed near the village. Ancient tradition dictated that anyone breaking taboo must be killed, so they were going to kill Tomas, but his friend Lulkon asked Tomas to tell them to kill him instead, so that Tomas could live and evangelize his own people. Just before he was clubbed to death at a sacred Mele palm tree, Lulkon read John 3:16, then closed his eyes and prayed for them.

Tomas became the pioneer of the church in South Pentecost, establishing many Churches of Christ in the villages there. Revival movements have increased there since the 1980s, continuing to now.

Banmatmat beach

We had revival teaching at their Bible College and every weekend revival teams led meetings in village churches. Many of these village revival meetings went late as the Spirit moved on the people with deep repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, and prayer for healing and empowering.

The Bible College buildings in the bay (photo) are surrounded by mountains. We saw those mountains filled with supernatural fire one night.

Ranwadi High School on Pentecost Island

A law student team from Port Vila, led by Seini Puamau, Vice President of the Christian Fellowship, had a strong impact at the High School on South Pentecost Island with big responses at all meetings. Almost the whole residential school of 300 responded for prayer at the final service on Sunday night October 17, 2004, after a powerful testimony from Joanna Kenilorea. The High School principal, Silas Buli, has prayed with some of his staff for many years from 4 a.m. each morning, praying for the school and nation. Silas became a Member of Parliament for South Pentecost in 2016.

Ranwadi--large-1116132677-msg-32141-3

Bible College Chapel on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Mathias, a young man who repented deeply with over 15 minutes of tearful sobbing, became a main worship leader in revival meetings. When he was leading and speaking at a revival meeting at the national Bible College, a huge supernatural fire blazed in the hills directly opposite the Bible College chapel in 2005, but no bush was burned. They told us it was supernatural fire, with no smoke and nothing physical being consumed by the fire.

More details and many more accounts are given in Flashpoints of Revival and Revival Fires.
Amazon and Kindle Links for

Flashpoints of Revival
Revival Fires

Revivals Index

 

Students ignite charismatic movement

1

Global: How God used Catholic students to ignite a charismatic movement

Fifty years ago, Catholic Charismatics as a group didn’t exist. Today, there are around 120 million of them. Their emergence began when the Holy Spirit came to a dozen Catholic students in a Pennsylvania forest in February 1967.

They were from Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University, out to enjoy a spiritual weekend retreat at a place called The Ark & The Dove. The theme of the retreat was the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. Retreat leaders had assigned each of the students coming to first read David Wilkerson’s The Cross and the Switchblade – a miracle-filled story of a young Pentecostal pastor leading violent New York City gang members to the Lord.

As she read it, Patti Mansfield (then Gallagher) found herself asking, “Why isn’t the Holy Spirit doing these dramatic things in my life?” That led her to pray, “Lord, as a Catholic, I believe I’ve already received Your Spirit in baptism and confirmation. But if it’s possible for Your Spirit to do more in my life than He’s done till now, I want it.”

‘My spiritual life felt powerless and pedestrian. It was like I was pushing a car uphill.’

It first hit David Mangan, though, after he listened to a teaching that weekend that the Holy Spirit could still bring tongues and power like dynamite. Mangan wanted both – the tongues and the dynamite – and asked the Lord for it because his Christianity felt powerless and pedestrian. “My spiritual life could not be described as dynamite,” he said. “It was limping along. The way I describe it, it was like I was pushing a car uphill.” As for what he was hearing about the gift of tongues, he was so intrigued, “I wrote in my notebook, ‘I want to hear someone speak in tongues – me.’ I realized I did that because I don’t know how much I would’ve believed it if it was someone else.”
 
Mangan received a powerful answer as he sought the Lord alone that weekend in a chapel located on the upper floor of The Ark & The Dove, a location that’s become known now as the Upper Room. That’s the same name used for the place where the Holy Spirit fell in the Book of Acts on the disciples after Jesus had ascended to heaven. 

‘I lost all sense of time. I was lost in Christ and happy to be so.’

“The presence of God was so thick, so powerful, you could cut it with a knife,” Mangan said of the atmosphere in that room. “It’s the most intense experience I’ve ever had in my life. Time meant nothing to me. I had no idea if it was two minutes or two hours; it made no difference. I was lost in Christ, and happy to be so.”
 
And he got his dynamite. “There were all these electrical explosions going on in my body,” Mangan described. Then he began to speak in tongues. The overwhelming feeling caused him to run and ask the retreat leaders if it was really possible. They said it is a valid experience which happened throughout history to a lot of saints. The experience infused him with a new dynamism and power in his spiritual life – or as he puts it, “It was like somebody told me that the car I’d been pushing uphill had a motor and now I had the key.”

2

Shortly thereafter, Patty Mansfield had her own Holy Spirit encounter as she was in the same chapel and His Presence came upon her. “As I knelt in that chapel, I actually began to tremble with this sense of, ‘My gosh, this is God and He’s holy!’” she said. Mansfield soon found herself prostrate, flat on her face. “And as I was lying there, I felt immersed in the love of God. I realized that if I could experience the love, the goodness, the sweetness, the mercy of God like that, anyone could.”

‘What happened to you? You look different! Your face is glowing!’

When right after her experience Mansfield encountered two young ladies, they said: “What happened to you? You look different! Your face is glowing!” She was so excited by what was happening, that she dragged the young ladies right up to the Upper Room so they, too, could experience what she just had. About a dozen ended up with her and David Mangan in the chapel.

As Mansfield describes it in her book As By a New Pentecost, like before, a heavenly Presence filled the Upper Room. “As we were kneeling, some were weeping, others were laughing for joy. Again others, like myself, felt like our bodies were on fire. My hands and my arms were tingling. Others, like David, knew that they wanted to praise God, but it wasn’t going to come out in English.”

‘He said: You’re praying in Arabic! I was astounded. I had no idea.’

At a prayer meeting soon after, a student of French was sitting next to Mangan when he started to pray in tongues. “David, I didn’t know you spoke French,” she said. He said: “Oh, I don’t speak French. I only studied Latin and German.” She told him he was praising God for streams of living water and thanking the Lord for the Divine Child who had come. Later, seeking confirmation, Mangan visited a linguist, who asked the young man to pray. After a few minutes, he jumped up with a look of shock on his face. “You are speaking Middle French!” The linguist asked Mangan to pray for him some more. “When we finished, he turned around and said, ‘Now you’re praying in Arabic!’ And I was astounded. I had no idea.”

In the months and years that followed, by word of mouth, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal spread from the The Ark & The Dove and Duquesne University across the world. Holy Spirit-baptized Catholics and non-Catholics gathered in interdenominational gatherings where their differences and conflicts melted away, and all that mattered was that they were one in the Spirit.

‘The charismatic movement is a current of grace.’
 
“Now we share this new alive faith in the Spirit and a personal relationship with Christ, I’ve seen many walls come down,” Mark Nehrbas, a Catholic Charismatic who frequently worships with non-Catholics said. Another one, Deacon Darrell Wentworth, points out how Jesus preached in John 17 that such unity is essential for the world to believe. “We need to love one another and be a bold witness for God, so that the world can see that the Father loves everybody.”
 
Pope Francis has encouraged the Charismatic Renewal, calling it ‘a current of grace’, and urged the Charismatics to bless the entire Church with what they have.

Source: Patti Mansfield and David Mangan, interviewed by Paul Strand, summarized by Joel News International, # 1031 | April 5, 2017

Back to Revivals Index

Save