Dr. Ahmed Joktan, who was beaten and scarred, had a gun put to his head, for converting to Christianity, hides his identity still because the danger is still there.
In Mecca – the crown jewel of Islam — immediately after he read the Koran and prayed to Allah during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Ahmed Joktan, the son of a grand mufti, was visited by Jesus in a dream.
“In my dream, the balcony opened up, there was this light, and I heard a voice saying, ‘Come to me,’” Ahmed says on a Gateways Christian Fellowship video.
Ahmed converted to Christ in New Zealand where he was studying English. He now lives in the West. Hundreds of thousands of other Saudis who converted remain in Saudi Arabia, boldly serving the Lord at the risk of being hanged.
Saudi Arabia is iron-clad closed to the gospel. Evangelizing is illegal. Bibles are outlawed. Apostasy is punishable by death. Non-Muslims are not even allowed in Mecca, where Muslims believe Mohammad received his visions and Abraham once lived.(1)
Oswaldo Magdangal led a church in Saudi Arabia for 11 years.
Despite the risks, Christianity is burgeoning, even approaching 10%2 of the population, says Oswaldo Magdangal, who pastored an underground church for 11 years as a Filipino worker. He was caught and almost hanged in 1992.
“Saudi Arabia has the largest secret congregation in the world, and it’s mainly Saudi citizens,” Oswaldo told God Reports. The younger generation is especially open to the Gospel. “Christianity is all over, in Mecca, Riyadh, but the biggest growth is in Jeddah.”
Is revival happening in the underground church?
“Saudi Arabia’s rate of Christian growth is about 65% greater than the global average,” says Bruce Allen, with Forgotten Missionaries International, using statistics from Joshua Project. “Just because we hear that a government is closed to the gospel doesn’t mean the hearts of the people are.” (2)
Until the new Crown Prince took over in 2017, Saudi Arabia was the home of one of the most extremist brands of Islam, Wahhabism. Of the 19 hijackers involved in 9/11, 15 were Saudi nationals and most of them followed the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. Osama bin Ladin was Saudi and influenced by several extremist ideologies, including Wahhabism. School children have been taught in Saudi schools to fight the West.
But when Mohammad bin Salman took over, he liberalized the kingdom significantly. Fanatical clerics were jailed, preachers were told to tone down their messages, women were allowed to drive, schoolbooks were re-written to encourage moderate faith.
Most importantly, the religious police were stripped of their authority.
Wally Magdangal
Negotiations are ongoing to build churches on the peninsula; if neighboring United Arab Emirates has allowed compounds to open for churches, why not Saudi Arabia? There are now Bible printing houses (printing in Tagalog and in English), Oswaldo says.
But on the downside, congregations still can’t rent hotel conference rooms or public buildings, he adds.
“There is a major increase in church attendance, particularly among the younger generation,” Oswaldo says. “There are now Saudi pastors.”
From the Philippines, Oswaldo worked as a guest worker in charge of civilian employees for the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia. His wife worked in the Armed Forces Hospital. They had good connections.
But their connections were not good enough to save him from the religious police. When he was holding services in the desert (to avoid being discovered by the religious police), an AWAC plane during the Gulf War detected his meeting. The religious police caught him in Riyadh, the capital, he says.
He was imprisoned, interrogated and flogged on every part of his body, even the bottom of his feet. He wasn’t told the charges against him until his trial: blasphemy.
Oswaldo despaired. Interrogators demanded the names of his converts and associates in spreading the Gospel.
“Eventually I was so weak, they placed the pad of paper in my lap, and they forced the pencil into my hand,” Oswaldo said in Christianity Today. “I was weeping, and I said, ‘Lord, you’ve got to help me here,’ and I began to write the names of Billy Graham, Charles Spurgeon, and others. After a few days, they were so mad, because they’d been all over Saudi Arabia looking for those people.”
He was to be hung on Christmas Day, a date selected to mock his faith. Not only the Philippines appealed to King Fahd, but also the US, the UN, Amnesty International, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and the Pope.
The church was praying, both outside and inside Saudi Arabia. His Saudi converts did a biblical Jericho-like march around the Kaaba.
Pastor Wally’s supporters did a Jericho march — around the Kaaba.
Muslims march around the Kaaba as part of their religion. It is the most holy site in Islam. But when the Christian Saudis did it, under cover, they were signifying that Islam could not withstand the God of the Bible.
It worked. With only hours before the execution, King Fahd ordered Oswaldo’s release at midnight. Military personnel came to rescue him and escort him out. He and his wife had to leave the country within 24 hours.
Oswaldo – who goes by Wally – has not been back since. He tried to visit in 2022, but was denied an entry visa. Oswaldo and his wife hope to get into the country eventually and start telephoning their old contacts. Oswaldo believes he can get a meeting with MBS, at which he wants to present the gospel.
Saudi Arabia has opened to tourism in recent years. Christians have been the first to rush in.
Ever since it discovered oil and became flush with cash, Saudi Arabia has used foreign labor for a full range of menial jobs. Some of those workers are Christian tent makers, like Paul, using their worldly skills to advance the Gospel where traditional missionaries are shut out.
Recently the tent makers have been joined by tourists. In an attempt to pivot away from an all-oil economy, Saudi Arabia is now wooing tourists. Who would have guessed that Christians would be among the first to come?
They visit the site where some believe Moses received the 10 commandments, Jebel al-Lawz, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, near the Gulf of Aqaba — and they pray.
(1) According to the Quran and Islamic historical sources, Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail) traveled to the site where Mecca now stands, built the Kaaba, and established monotheistic worship there. However, this narrative does not appear in the Hebrew Bible or other Jewish or Christian sources.
(2) According to Joshua Project, the percentage of Christian adherents in Saudi Arabia is 4.02% and the percentage of Evangelicals is 0.53%. The Evangelical annual growth rate is 4.3%, higher than the global growth rate of 2.6%.
If you want to know more about a personal relationship with God, go here
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“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:20
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The United Nations is a centre of political influence. Chris Rice, the Mennonite Central Committee’s representative at the UN, sees it as a unique mission field, a space where Christians can bear witness to Christ’s love, compassion, and justice.
“I’ve witnessed the power of Christian presence in these halls,” Rice says. “The UN is home to more than 8,000 employees and 5,000 diplomatic staff – many of whom may never have heard the gospel or engaged with Christian values. What if Christians saw this community as an unreached people group, ripe for the influence of God’s love and truth? A few evangelical organisations maintain a permanent presence here and use the significant opportunity to engage the people shaping international policies and make a lasting difference.”
MCC operates in 45 countries, often in places where political power blocks the efforts of Christian ministries. “The 2021 military coup in Myanmar, for instance, sent many of our partners fleeing for their lives. Gangs in Haiti have seized control, making it nearly impossible to carry out our health and agricultural programs. The war in Syria has devastated the country, scattering refugees and upending the lives of our church partners. In these challenging environments, our local partners on the ground possess vital knowledge that becomes invaluable when shared with the UN. After Myanmar’s coup, we worked with a UN body to document and report on chemical weapon attacks on civilians, giving a voice to those suffering under oppressive regimes,” according to Rice.
Christian organisations have credibility
Christian organisations, like MCC, have a unique role at the UN. “As a Christian diplomat told me, ‘Information is the currency of the UN,’ and the trust and connections that Christian groups have with local communities give them credibility that even elite diplomats often lack.”
Engaging with political power doesn’t mean controlling it. Rather, Christians are called to bear witness to the values of God’s kingdom – compassion, justice, and truth – while navigating the political complexities of the UN. “It’s a space where we must learn to listen, build relationships, and speak the truth in love,” Rice says.
“At the UN, there’s no obligation for diplomats to listen to Christian organisations. But this can teach us how to be persuasive through quiet influence and respectful dialogue. Over lunch with a US diplomat, I expressed concerns about US policies affecting Gaza and North Korea. The diplomat listened thoughtfully, and through that respectful conversation, we began to build trust – a crucial foundation for future engagement.”
The patience needed for peacemaking
The UN is far from perfect. It’s often slow to act, and its bureaucracy can be frustrating. But it’s one of the few places where representatives from countries like Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and the US and Iran can sit at the same table and try to find common ground. “In a world where people increasingly avoid those they disagree with, the UN forces us to engage with diverse viewpoints and learn the patience necessary for peacemaking,” Rice says.
“Every day, as I pass the 193 flags outside the UN and head into the Church Center where I work, I’m reminded that the world gathers here. Our Christian presence at the UN allows us to influence global conversations, carry the values of God’s kingdom into the halls of power, and be witnesses to His justice and mercy. As Jesus called His disciples to go to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), today, those ends of the earth gather at the UN. Through our presence here, we have the opportunity to touch the lives of people from every nation – and that is a mission field we cannot ignore.”
His story is told in the world’s best seller, outranking all other stories annually, translated into more than 1400 different languages,with new versions constantly added.
The Amazing Life of Jesusprovides a brief overview of history’s great love story. It gives a summary of the birth and boyhood of Jesus and describes his ministry through three Passover Festivals.
The book includes a detailed chronology of Jesus’ life and ministry and examines why such a popular, loving, and compassionate young leader would encounter intense hostility and opposition causing his crucifixion.
The mystery and wonder deepen because his resurrection transformed his followers and millions of lives. We date our diaries and calendars from the time of his birth. His story is now by far the world’s best seller annually, translated into over 1400 different languages.
* Our team recently came across your book entitled “The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story”, and we were captivated from start to finish. Your writing style is not only engaging but also remarkably insightful, and the storyline/topic you’ve crafted is nothing short of compelling. Its unique qualities and the emotions it evokes have the power to resonate with readers on a profound level. ~ James Mendez (Skylark)
* Impressive! This book is truly outstanding! Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment. Keep up the exceptional work! ~ Rachael Diaz * This is a very informative, amazing, and powerful book. Thanks to the author for investing hours of research, expressed with his masterful command of language. ~ Alex Johnson (5-stars)
* This is a wonderful book and can be read over and over. Thank you. ~ Kerry Rawson
* Offering fresh insights, The Life of Jesus points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. ~ Back cover
* Be enriched. A most helpful telling of the life of Jesus using the biblical text and adding some background and charts. Anyone using this book will be enriched. ~ Rev Dr John Olley (Amazon 5-stars)
* This is a great read. Simple and easy language that even my children can read as a guide, and have a better understanding of the Life Journey of Christ, as they read it in the Gospels. Thank You. ~ Florence
* Good clear language for a seeker to read and understand the life of Jesus. ~ Duncan Gibb
* Geoff Waugh has written a very helpful devotional book about the Saviour of the world who is also the loving presence in believers. Having known Geoff for over sixty years I can testify that every word written proceeds from his own heart of love for Jesus and for all God’s children. Geoff has avoided trying to manufacture some theory or new twist to make the book more colourful. He has used Scripture as his main source and has been faithful to both the divinity and humanity of Jesus as expressed in the Gospels. His use of chronology for headings and the many sub-headings makes the book simpler to absorb, even for an enquirer or new believer. It reminds me a little of Leon Morris’s beautiful book The Lord from Heaven. I warmly commend this book. ~ Rev Dr Tony Cupit, Former Director of the Baptist World Alliance.
* I keep this book with my Bible. It is especially helpful when reading through the Gospels. ~ Cathy Hartwig
* This book is for those who question Jesus’ reality as the Son of God, and for those who search for the details of His amazing life on this earth. ~ Judith Abrey
* The book is beautifully written and I have learned and understood a lot. I am recommending this book. ~ Kattie Mayson (Amazon 5-stars)
* I had the pleasure of reading your book last night. It is truly exceptional, providing fresh insights. The Life of Jesus effectively directs readers to the profound and uplifting news about who Jesus is and the significance of his actions. Thanks you so much for this blog site about Jesus’ Life. ~ Christiana Michael.
* I experience enrichment through this profound portrayal of Jesus’s life. A compelling read with straightforward and accessible language. This remarkable book is a true gem, deserving to be revisited time and again. ~ Henry
* I read your book last night. This is a great book. Thanks for writing this for all of us. ~ Nabeel Sharoon from Pakistan (He translated it into 5 languages).
* Offering fresh insights, The Life of Jesus points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. ~ Back cover
* What a captivating cover! There’s such an art to capturing a story visually, and this one does it so well. Wishing you all the best with the release! ~ Habeeb Ayomide
* Beautiful cover art and a captivating title! Already hooked. Your book is fantastic! Sending you best wishes for its success. ~ Enny Precious * I’m blown away by your book cover – it’s stunning! And the title is pure genius, it’s got me intrigued from the very start! ~ Jennifer Mary
* The concept sounds absolutely fascinating, and the cover art is stunning—it really draws you in! ~ Chamberlain Payne
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* This is amazing. Your books are educational and captivating. It brings true memories and happiness. You’re such a brilliant book author, you truly have extensive knowledge of how to catch attention and engage the audience. ~ Patricia Donald
* The passion and dedication you’ve invested in every page are truly inspiring! Now that this exceptional book has come to fruition, what’s your vision for its next great milestone? ~ Ayo J. Olaniyi
Preface
Why would such a good man who loved so profoundly and helped so many people be killed? Why did he provoke opposition?
If God walked among us in the person of his Son, why would people want to kill him? Why did so many vehemently oppose him?
That puzzled me as a boy. It still does.
The greatest love story the world has ever seen led to the excruciating death of crucifixion.
Many people have given their lives for other people as soldiers do in war. They die for others, defending home and country. But Jesus’ death was different. God’s Son chose to die for us because of his immense love for us. He took our place. His death gives us life. He is the perfect, sinless, eternal sacrifice for us. His blood cleanses us from all our sin as we trust in him. We are forgiven.
But why did so many good people, good religious people, hate him? That puzzled and fascinated me, so I explore that mystery in this book. I wanted to write a summary overview that people of all ages could read.
I always believed in Jesus. Even as a small boy I loved to hear and then read stories about him. He was so unique, so different. I believed his story as a boy and trusted in him. I still do and I hope you do too.
Jesus did what was good. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, set people free from addictions and evil, performed miracles, and even raised dead people. Huge crowds followed him and wanted him to be their king.
Now billions follow him, captivated by his love, the greatest love story of all. You can do that also. I invite you to simply pray something like this: Thank you Lord for all you’ve done. Forgive me for any wrong in my life. I trust in you and give my life to you.
Introduction
The year on our calendar or diary reminds us of when Jesus was born, approximately. We count the years from his arrival. So when you look at your diary or calendar you can be reminded again of Jesus.
They called him Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) of Nazareth, the same name as Moses’ famous general who led God’s people into their Promised Land. Yeshua means God saves, or God is salvation.
That name comes to us in English through many translations from Yeshua or Y’shua in Hebrew and Aramaic, then translated into Iesous in Greek, then to IESVS in Latin and later as IESUS as printed in the first edition of the King James Bible in 1611. Later that century ‘J’ replaced the ‘I’ so the English name became Jesu (vocative) and Jesus (nominative) but eventually just Jesus in English. Other languages have translations such as Jesu, Yesu, and Isa.
English translations of the Bible used the name Jesus for Joshua/Jesus of Nazareth, and the name Joshua for others with that same name.[1] So in English, the name Jesus became unique and sacred for Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. The angel Gabriel announced his name before his birth to both Mary his mother and to Joseph who married Mary.[2] Gabriel explained that Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) had that name because he would save his people from their sins.
The great love story had begun. Jesus came to save us and give us eternal life.
His followers recorded that story of his life and his love in the good news of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The rest of the New Testament explores the mystery and wonder of that amazing life and love.
Scholars have a bewildering array of theories about the Bible and about who wrote what, and when, and where, and why. I’m content to run with traditional explanations that have been used throughout most of history.
Jesus’ unique and wonderful life, his brutal death for us, and his powerful resurrection, all reveal his and God’s eternal love for us all. You could pause and thank him right now even as you read this.
John’s Gospel emphasizes God’s eternal love revealed in Jesus. It includes the most famous passage in the Bible:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, NKJV).
That love, powerfully shown on the cross, has transformed billions of lives, restoring believers to an intimate and eternal relationship with God and with others.
Three physical metaphors help me to be constantly aware of, and grateful for, God’s presence with us always:
(1) Light surrounds you. By it you can read this. The sun always shines, even when it’s hidden from us. Light shines around us though we may be unaware of it. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. We can live in his light.
(2) Blood pumps through your body right now, cleansing and healing. We may be unaware of it until reactions like alarm alert us to our beating heart. Jesus’ blood cleanses from all sin, always. We can trust him for he is with us.
(3) We may breathe without being aware of it, or we can be aware and take deep breaths, as you may have done just now! Breath purifies our lungs and body. God is Spirit and like breath or fresh breeze, he can purify us.
May the light of God’s love breathe life in you right now.
We’ve been made in God’s image to have an eternal, loving relationship with him that even transcends death. We can know and experience God’s unconditional love no matter how far we stray from him. Those who stray most are often the most grateful for his forgiveness and love. We all stray in many ways and we all need forgiveness and we can and should be truly grateful.
God knows and loves us as we are. That makes praying or talking to him easy because he already knows our failures and struggles and welcomes us just as we are. The more honestly we come to him the more he can transform us.
If we have trouble believing we can at least say, “God, if you’re there, help me.”
Some thoughts may get in the way when we pray or want to talk to God. Just give him those thoughts. He already knows all about it and loves us as we are.
If we reject God’s love and mercy by ignoring him and going our own way, we condemn ourselves to eternal darkness away from his light and love.
If we accept his love and forgiveness by believing in him, by trusting him, he gives us life, his eternal life. That makes us new. We are transformed.
Vast numbers of people worldwide of all faiths, and of none, have prayed the prayer in the popular hymn by Charlotte Elliot, ‘Just as I am’ which includes these adapted verses:
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Your blood was shed for me
And that You bid me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
God welcomes us and we can all pray that prayer. A title for Jesus, as in that song, is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away our sin.
The Life of Jesus is a vast topic with millions of books written about it. I hope my small contribution gives you a helpful overview. I quote from the New Revised Standard Version unless indicated otherwise, and include many footnotes that you can explore to discover more.
Best of all, of course, are the inspired Gospels now in over 700 different languages in Bible translations and a further 3,500 languages have Bible portions, especially the Gospels. Read and respond to those Gospels.
[1]Iesous (Yeshua) is translated as Joshua in these verses: Luke 3:29; Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8.
It began at the beginning, this great love story, for “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”[1]
Why did he do that? For us.
He did it for you. He loved you so much he created you to know and enjoy him now as you read this, and forever. He offers you intimate, infinite love. He created you through the wondrous union of your parents’ ecstasy.
He made the earth for us to inhabit and care for and rule. He made the heavens (plural) for us to inherit, the physical firmament and also the realms of vast, eternal glory prepared especially for us.[2]
He created us free to accept or reject his astounding love. Sadly we went our own way. We all, like sheep, went astray. We all turned to our own way. So God laid on his Servant, his Son, all our iniquity.[3] God saves us through his Son in their great love for us all. You could pause and thank him now as you read this.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed intimate, unashamed relationship with God and each other. Then, like us, they believed lies and went their own way, losing Paradise. But God still blessed and sustained them and their descendants who chose to love him and live for him. Sadly only a few did.
Noah and his family loved and obeyed God and he rescued them from the great flood. People ridiculed him for obeying God and building a huge boat on dry ground – not even in a dry dock. The rainbow became the sign of God’s covenant to Noah and his descendants including us.
Abram, a wealthy sheik from the wide fertile Tigris and Euphrates valleys in western Asia, north-west of the Arabian Peninsula (now Iraq), loved and obeyed God. Renamed Abraham (God’s friend) he journeyed to the Promised Land, now called Israel, from the name given to his grandson who wrestled with an angel or with the Lord.[4] Circumcision became the covenant sign for them and for their descendants through whom God would provide his salvation for us all.
Abraham and his descendants walked that verdant Promised Land, as did Jesus and his followers. So did our family for a month in December-January, 1981-82.[5]
King David reigned there for 40 years from around 1000 BC, described as a man after God’s own heart who would do what God wanted.[6] That’s an amazing picture of God’s love and grace for flawed people like David. His descendants ruled from his capital, Jerusalem, till the fall of their kingdom to Babylon. The human Jesus was descended from David through Mary, as was Mary’s husband Joseph, also a descendant of the royal line of David.
God blessed his people through history when they remained faithful to him but sadly, like us, they often went their own way, not God’s way. The northern kingdom of Israel fell captive to Assyria by 722 BC, as did the southern kingdom of Judah to Babylon from 597 BC. Then Cyrus of Persia allowed the exiles in captivity to return from 538 BC. Babylonian armies took captives in waves of exiles, and the exiles returned in various groups, then speaking Aramaic, a Semitic language similar to their Hebrew Scriptures. Their temple in Jerusalem lay in ruins for 70 years, from 586 BC to 516 BC. The returning exiles became known as Jews, a term derived from the former kingdom of Judah.
Alexander the Great’s conquests established Greek culture and language in Israel from around 333 BC, eventually sparking the Maccabean revolt from 165 BC with the Jews gaining independence from 134 BC.
Their independence lasted less than a century till 63 BC when warring brothers appealed to Rome, and Roman armies then invaded and killed 12,000 people, including temple priests, in the siege of Jerusalem. Rome then ruled its province of Judea, also named from the previous kingdom of Judah.
Those searing memories simmered strong in the Israel of Jesus’ day when Jews longed for their Messiah to deliver them. Radicals often attacked the Roman occupying armies. Rome retaliated swiftly and brutally. Their armies slaughtered thousands, with hundreds nailed to crosses as in a rebellion led by Judas the Galilean in AD 6 when Jesus was a boy.[7]
Jesus’ elderly relatives the old priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth lived near Jerusalem, and Zechariah had been literally dumfounded while offering incense in the temple during his roster when the angel Gabriel told him they would have a son to be named John. Zechariah spoke again nine months later at his son’s birth when he announced that the boy’s name was John.[8]
Six months after that temple encounter, Gabriel appeared again, this time to Mary in the northern hills of Nazareth. He announced that Mary would conceive by the Holy Spirit and her son would be called Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus), meaning ‘God saves’ or ‘God is salvation.’
Mary’s pregnancy created a problem for her espoused husband-to-be Joseph. Being a good man he decided to separate or divorce quietly and not make a fuss now Mary was pregnant. An angel intervened in a dream and explained about the miraculous pregnancy and that Mary’s son would be named Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) because he would save his people from their sins. Matthew wrote that it fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’
which means, ‘God is with us.’ (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 9:6)
The great love story burst into history through that holy, miraculous conception. Excited at her news, Mary journeyed about 100km (64 miles) south to visit her relatives Elizabeth and Zechariah near Jerusalem. Old Elizabeth declared that her baby John leaped in her womb when she heard Mary’s news.[9] Mary stayed with Elizabeth and her dumb husband for three months till John was born (when Zechariah spoke again). They believed Gabriel’s word that John would, in the spirit of Elijah, announce the coming of the Lord. Those two women, supernaturally blessed, carried the wonder of God’s loving purposes in their wombs.
This came in the fullness of time.[10] Previous history pointed to Jesus’ coming as the Messiah, the Christ, God’s Son. We now date history from that birth.
The life of Jesus is history’s great love story. The overview in this brief book points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. That story is told best in the Bible, God’s inspired word.
I hope this brief commentary points you again to that God-breathed living word. It gave me fresh insights as I researched the harmonized story of these gospels.
Many writers discuss the popular five love languages: affirmation, service, gifts, time, and touch. Jesus demonstrated all these in various ways.
He affirmed and admired faith, especially faith in him for healing and help.
He served daily and showed it dramatically by washing his disciples’ feet.
He gave his life for us and ultimately he gives eternal life to all who believe.
His three years of quality time with his followers prepared them to serve.
His touch brought physical and spiritual healing and freedom to multitudes.
I love the way John summed up the reason for writing his Gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
That is my prayer for you, my reader. Here is my echoing sonnet, penned over fifty years ago.
Sin stalks the soul, and permeates the whole Of life lived here where we, while bound by fear, Hunt far and near for freedom to appear From pole to pole with our minds in control. That worthy goal seems mockery. Sin stole Our freedom dear, left pain and woe to sear Each life, a mere heartache, or sob, or tear, Like a lost mole, blind, dirty in its hole. God’s love stepped in to fight and conquer sin Through Christ who bled and died and rose as Head Supreme of all who claim Him Lord. Our fall, Clamour and din may end in Him. We win Release from dread, freedom, life from the dead, Unbound from gall, in answer to His call.
This PDF is an expanded version of The Life of Jesus with extra Bible passages included.
The same Contents and Chapters with more detail added.
Page 4 of the PDF lists some of the additional passages
An expanded version of The Life of Jesus with extra biographical Bible passages added
Permission: you can freely reproduce and share these resources and books, including printing (just include the source). You can print, distribute, and market your edition of any of my books – “by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22)
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* Our team recently came across your book entitled The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story, and we were captivated from start to finish. Your writing style is not only engaging but also remarkably insightful, and the story-line/topic you’ve crafted is nothing short of compelling. Its unique qualities and the emotions it evokes have the power to resonate with readers on a profound level. ~ James Mendez (Skylark)
* This is a very informative, amazing, and powerful book. Thanks to the author for investing hours of research, expressed with his masterful command of language. ~ Alex Johnson (5-stars)
* Be enriched. A most helpful telling of the life of Jesus using the biblical text and adding some background and charts. Anyone using this book will be enriched. ~ Rev Dr John Olley (Amazon 5-stars)
* This is a wonderful book and can be read over and over. Thank you. ~ Kerry Rawson
* This is a great read. Simple and easy language that even my children can read as a guide, and have a better understanding of the Life Journey of Christ, as they read it in the Gospels. Thank You. ~ Florence * Good clear language for a seeker to read and understand the life of Jesus. ~ Duncan Gibb
* Geoff Waugh has written a very helpful devotional book about the Saviour of the world who is also the loving presence in believers. Having known Geoff for over sixty years I can testify that every word written proceeds from his own heart of love for Jesus and for all God’s children. Geoff has avoided trying to manufacture some theory or new twist to make the book more colourful. He has used Scripture as his main source and has been faithful to both the divinity and humanity of Jesus as expressed in the Gospels. His use of chronology for headings and the many sub-headings makes the book simpler to absorb, even for an enquirer or new believer. It reminds me a little of Leon Morris’s beautiful book The Lord from Heaven. I warmly commend this book. ~ Rev Dr Tony Cupit, Former Director of the Baptist World Alliance. * I keep this book with my Bible. It is especially helpful when reading through the Gospels. ~ Cathy Hartwig * This book is for those who question Jesus’ reality as the Son of God, and for those who search for the details of His amazing life on this earth. ~ Judith Abrey * The book is beautifully written and I have learned and understood a lot. I am recommending this book. ~ Kattie Mayson (Amazon 5-stars)
* I had the pleasure of reading your book last night. It is truly exceptional, providing fresh insights. The Life of Jesus effectively directs readers to the profound and uplifting news about who Jesus is and the significance of his actions. Thanks you so much for this blog site about Jesus Life. ~ Christiana Michael. * I experience enrichment through this profound portrayal of Jesus’s life. A compelling read with straightforward and accessible language. This remarkable book is a true gem, deserving to be revisited time and again. ~ Henry
* Impressive! This book is truly outstanding! Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment. Keep up the exceptional work! ~ Rachael Diaz * Your book cover looks fantastic! Your writing style is exceptional, and I loved how the story unfolded, keeping me captivated. ~ Solomon Emordi
* Offering fresh insights, The Life of Jesus points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. ~ Back cover
* I read your book last night. This is a great book. Thanks for writing this for all of us. ~ Nabeel Sharoon from Pakistan who translated it into 5 languages..
The Amazing Life of Jesusprovides a brief overview of history’s great love story. It gives a summary of the birth and boyhood of Jesus and describes his ministry through three Passover Festivals.
The book includes a detailed chronology of Jesus’ life and ministry and examines why such a popular, loving, and compassionate young leader would encounter intense hostility and opposition causing his crucifixion.
The mystery and wonder deepen because his resurrection transformed his followers and millions of lives. We date our diaries and calendars from the time of his birth. His story is now the world’s best seller annually, translated into over 1400 different languages.
This PDF is an expanded version of The Life of Jesus with extra Bible passages included.
The same Contents and Chapters with more detail added.
Page 4 of the PDF lists some of the additional passages
An expanded version of The Life of Jesus with extra biographical Bible passages added
Permission: you can freely reproduce and share these resources and books, including printing (just include the source). You can print, distribute, and market your edition of any of my books – “by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22)
Share good news – Share this and any page freely. Over 150,000 blog views annually. Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, and Emails:
* Our team recently came across your book entitled The Life of Jesus: History’s Great Love Story, and we were captivated from start to finish. Your writing style is not only engaging but also remarkably insightful, and the story-line/topic you’ve crafted is nothing short of compelling. Its unique qualities and the emotions it evokes have the power to resonate with readers on a profound level. ~ James Mendez (Skylark)
* This is a very informative, amazing, and powerful book. Thanks to the author for investing hours of research, expressed with his masterful command of language. ~ Alex Johnson (5-stars)
* Be enriched. A most helpful telling of the life of Jesus using the biblical text and adding some background and charts. Anyone using this book will be enriched. ~ Rev Dr John Olley (Amazon 5-stars)
* This is a wonderful book and can be read over and over. Thank you. ~ Kerry Rawson
* This is a great read. Simple and easy language that even my children can read as a guide, and have a better understanding of the Life Journey of Christ, as they read it in the Gospels. Thank You. ~ Florence * Good clear language for a seeker to read and understand the life of Jesus. ~ Duncan Gibb
* Geoff Waugh has written a very helpful devotional book about the Saviour of the world who is also the loving presence in believers. Having known Geoff for over sixty years I can testify that every word written proceeds from his own heart of love for Jesus and for all God’s children. Geoff has avoided trying to manufacture some theory or new twist to make the book more colourful. He has used Scripture as his main source and has been faithful to both the divinity and humanity of Jesus as expressed in the Gospels. His use of chronology for headings and the many sub-headings makes the book simpler to absorb, even for an enquirer or new believer. It reminds me a little of Leon Morris’s beautiful book The Lord from Heaven. I warmly commend this book. ~ Rev Dr Tony Cupit, Former Director of the Baptist World Alliance. * I keep this book with my Bible. It is especially helpful when reading through the Gospels. ~ Cathy Hartwig * This book is for those who question Jesus’ reality as the Son of God, and for those who search for the details of His amazing life on this earth. ~ Judith Abrey * The book is beautifully written and I have learned and understood a lot. I am recommending this book. ~ Kattie Mayson (Amazon 5-stars)
* I had the pleasure of reading your book last night. It is truly exceptional, providing fresh insights. The Life of Jesus effectively directs readers to the profound and uplifting news about who Jesus is and the significance of his actions. Thanks you so much for this blog site about Jesus Life. ~ Christiana Michael. * I experience enrichment through this profound portrayal of Jesus’s life. A compelling read with straightforward and accessible language. This remarkable book is a true gem, deserving to be revisited time and again. ~ Henry
* Impressive! This book is truly outstanding! Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment. Keep up the exceptional work! ~ Rachael Diaz * Your book cover looks fantastic! Your writing style is exceptional, and I loved how the story unfolded, keeping me captivated. ~ Solomon Emordi
* Offering fresh insights, The Life of Jesus points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. ~ Back cover
* I read your book last night. This is a great book. Thanks for writing this for all of us. ~ Nabeel Sharoon from Pakistan who translated it into 5 languages..
* What a captivating cover! There’s such an art to capturing a story visually, and this one does it so well. Wishing you all the best with the release! ~ Habeeb Ayomide
* Beautiful cover art and a captivating title! Already hooked. Your book is fantastic! Sending you best wishes for its success. ~ Enny Precious * I’m blown away by your book cover – it’s stunning! And the title is pure genius, it’s got me intrigued from the very start! ~ Jennifer Mary
* The concept sounds absolutely fascinating, and the cover art is stunning—it really draws you in! ~ Chamberlain Payne
* Your book looks amazing! Its potential to captivate readers is truly inspiring. ~ Shavon Thompson
* This is amazing. Your books are educational and captivating. It brings true memories and happiness. You’re such a brilliant book author, you truly have extensive knowledge of how to catch attention and engage the audience. ~ Patricia Donald
* The passion and dedication you’ve invested in every page are truly inspiring! Now that this exceptional book has come to fruition, what’s your vision for its next great milestone? ~ Ayo J. Olaniyi
Why would such a good man who loved so profoundly and helped so many people be killed? Why did he provoke opposition?
If God walked among us in the person of his Son, why would people want to kill him? Why did so many vehemently oppose him?
That puzzled me as a boy. It still does.
The greatest love story the world has ever seen led to the excruciating death of crucifixion.
Many people have given their lives for other people as soldiers do in war. They die for others, defending home and country. But Jesus’ death was different. God’s Son chose to die for us because of his immense love for us. He took our place. His death gives us life. He is the perfect, sinless, eternal sacrifice for us. His blood cleanses us from all our sin as we trust in him. We are forgiven.
But why did so many good people, good religious people, hate him? That puzzled and fascinated me, so I explore that mystery in this book. I wanted to write a summary overview that people of all ages could read.
I always believed in Jesus. Even as a small boy I loved to hear and then read stories about him. He was so unique, so different. I believed his story as a boy and trusted in him. I still do and I hope you do too.
Jesus did what was good. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, set people free from addictions and evil, performed miracles, and even raised dead people. Huge crowds followed him and wanted him to be their king.
Now billions follow him, captivated by his love, the greatest love story of all. You can do that also. I invite you to simply pray something like this: Thank you Lord for all you’ve done. Forgive me for any wrong in my life. I trust in you and give my life to you.
Introduction
The year on our calendar or diary reminds us of when Jesus was born, approximately. We count the years from his arrival. So when you look at your diary or calendar you can be reminded again of Jesus.
They called him Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) of Nazareth, the same name as Moses’ famous general who led God’s people into their Promised Land. Yeshua means God saves, or God is salvation.
That name comes to us in English through many translations from Yeshua or Y’shua in Hebrew and Aramaic, then translated into Iesous in Greek, then to IESVS in Latin and later as IESUS as printed in the first edition of the King James Bible in 1611. Later that century ‘J’ replaced the ‘I’ so the English name became Jesu (vocative) and Jesus (nominative) but eventually just Jesus in English. Other languages have translations such as Jesu, Yesu, and Isa.
English translations of the Bible used the name Jesus for Joshua/Jesus of Nazareth, and the name Joshua for others with that same name.[1] So in English, the name Jesus became unique and sacred for Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. The angel Gabriel announced his name before his birth to both Mary his mother and to Joseph who married Mary.[2] Gabriel explained that Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) had that name because he would save his people from their sins.
The great love story had begun. Jesus came to save us and give us eternal life.
His followers recorded that story of his life and his love in the good news of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The rest of the New Testament explores the mystery and wonder of that amazing life and love.
Scholars have a bewildering array of theories about the Bible and about who wrote what, and when, and where, and why. I’m content to run with traditional explanations that have been used throughout most of history.
Jesus’ unique and wonderful life, his brutal death for us, and his powerful resurrection, all reveal his and God’s eternal love for us all. You could pause and thank him right now even as you read this.
John’s Gospel emphasizes God’s eternal love revealed in Jesus. It includes the most famous passage in the Bible:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, NKJV).
That love, powerfully shown on the cross, has transformed billions of lives, restoring believers to an intimate and eternal relationship with God and with others.
Three physical metaphors help me to be constantly aware of, and grateful for, God’s presence with us always:
(1) Light surrounds you. By it you can read this. The sun always shines, even when it’s hidden from us. Light shines around us though we may be unaware of it. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. We can live in his light.
(2) Blood pumps through your body right now, cleansing and healing. We may be unaware of it until reactions like alarm alert us to our beating heart. Jesus’ blood cleanses from all sin, always. We can trust him for he is with us.
(3) We may breathe without being aware of it, or we can be aware and take deep breaths, as you may have done just now! Breath purifies our lungs and body. God is Spirit and like breath or fresh breeze, he can purify us.
May the light of God’s love breathe life in you right now.
We’ve been made in God’s image to have an eternal, loving relationship with him that even transcends death. We can know and experience God’s unconditional love no matter how far we stray from him. Those who stray most are often the most grateful for his forgiveness and love. We all stray in many ways and we all need forgiveness and we can and should be truly grateful.
God knows and loves us as we are. That makes praying or talking to him easy because he already knows our failures and struggles and welcomes us just as we are. The more honestly we come to him the more he can transform us.
If we have trouble believing we can at least say, “God, if you’re there, help me.”
Some thoughts may get in the way when we pray or want to talk to God. Just give him those thoughts. He already knows all about it and loves us as we are.
If we reject God’s love and mercy by ignoring him and going our own way, we condemn ourselves to eternal darkness away from his light and love.
If we accept his love and forgiveness by believing in him, by trusting him, he gives us life, his eternal life. That makes us new. We are transformed.
Vast numbers of people worldwide of all faiths, and of none, have prayed the prayer in the popular hymn by Charlotte Elliot, ‘Just as I am’ which includes these adapted verses:
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Your blood was shed for me
And that You bid me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
God welcomes us and we can all pray that prayer. A title for Jesus, as in that song, is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away our sin.
The Life of Jesus is a vast topic with millions of books written about it. I hope my small contribution gives you a helpful overview. I quote from the New Revised Standard Version unless indicated otherwise, and include many footnotes that you can explore to discover more.
Best of all, of course, are the inspired Gospels now in over 700 different languages in Bible translations and a further 3,500 languages have Bible portions, especially the Gospels. Read and respond to those Gospels.
[1]Iesous (Yeshua) is translated as Joshua in these verses: Luke 3:29; Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8.
It began at the beginning, this great love story, for “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”[1]
Why did he do that? For us.
He did it for you. He loved you so much he created you to know and enjoy him now as you read this, and forever. He offers you intimate, infinite love. He created you through the wondrous union of your parents’ ecstasy.
He made the earth for us to inhabit and care for and rule. He made the heavens (plural) for us to inherit, the physical firmament and also the realms of vast, eternal glory prepared especially for us.[2]
He created us free to accept or reject his astounding love. Sadly we went our own way. We all, like sheep, went astray. We all turned to our own way. So God laid on his Servant, his Son, all our iniquity.[3] God saves us through his Son in their great love for us all. You could pause and thank him now as you read this.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed intimate, unashamed relationship with God and each other. Then, like us, they believed lies and went their own way, losing Paradise. But God still blessed and sustained them and their descendants who chose to love him and live for him. Sadly only a few did.
Noah and his family loved and obeyed God and he rescued them from the great flood. People ridiculed him for obeying God and building a huge boat on dry ground – not even in a dry dock. The rainbow became the sign of God’s covenant to Noah and his descendants including us.
Abram, a wealthy sheik from the wide fertile Tigris and Euphrates valleys in western Asia, north-west of the Arabian Peninsula (now Iraq), loved and obeyed God. Renamed Abraham (God’s friend) he journeyed to the Promised Land, now called Israel, from the name given to his grandson who wrestled with an angel or with the Lord.[4] Circumcision became the covenant sign for them and for their descendants through whom God would provide his salvation for us all.
Abraham and his descendants walked that verdant Promised Land, as did Jesus and his followers. So did our family for a month in December-January, 1981-82.[5]
King David reigned there for 40 years from around 1000 BC, described as a man after God’s own heart who would do what God wanted.[6] That’s an amazing picture of God’s love and grace for flawed people like David. His descendants ruled from his capital, Jerusalem, till the fall of their kingdom to Babylon. The human Jesus was descended from David through Mary, as was Mary’s husband Joseph, also a descendant of the royal line of David.
God blessed his people through history when they remained faithful to him but sadly, like us, they often went their own way, not God’s way. The northern kingdom of Israel fell captive to Assyria by 722 BC, as did the southern kingdom of Judah to Babylon from 597 BC. Then Cyrus of Persia allowed the exiles in captivity to return from 538 BC. Babylonian armies took captives in waves of exiles, and the exiles returned in various groups, then speaking Aramaic, a Semitic language similar to their Hebrew Scriptures. Their temple in Jerusalem lay in ruins for 70 years, from 586 BC to 516 BC. The returning exiles became known as Jews, a term derived from the former kingdom of Judah.
Alexander the Great’s conquests established Greek culture and language in Israel from around 333 BC, eventually sparking the Maccabean revolt from 165 BC with the Jews gaining independence from 134 BC.
Their independence lasted less than a century till 63 BC when warring brothers appealed to Rome, and Roman armies then invaded and killed 12,000 people, including temple priests, in the siege of Jerusalem. Rome then ruled its province of Judea, also named from the previous kingdom of Judah.
Those searing memories simmered strong in the Israel of Jesus’ day when Jews longed for their Messiah to deliver them. Radicals often attacked the Roman occupying armies. Rome retaliated swiftly and brutally. Their armies slaughtered thousands, with hundreds nailed to crosses as in a rebellion led by Judas the Galilean in AD 6 when Jesus was a boy.[7]
Jesus’ elderly relatives the old priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth lived near Jerusalem, and Zechariah had been literally dumfounded while offering incense in the temple during his roster when the angel Gabriel told him they would have a son to be named John. Zechariah spoke again nine months later at his son’s birth when he announced that the boy’s name was John.[8]
Six months after that temple encounter, Gabriel appeared again, this time to Mary in the northern hills of Nazareth. He announced that Mary would conceive by the Holy Spirit and her son would be called Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus), meaning ‘God saves’ or ‘God is salvation.’
Mary’s pregnancy created a problem for her espoused husband-to-be Joseph. Being a good man he decided to separate or divorce quietly and not make a fuss now Mary was pregnant. An angel intervened in a dream and explained about the miraculous pregnancy and that Mary’s son would be named Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) because he would save his people from their sins. Matthew wrote that it fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’
which means, ‘God is with us.’ (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 9:6)
The great love story burst into history through that holy, miraculous conception. Excited at her news, Mary journeyed about 100km (64 miles) south to visit her relatives Elizabeth and Zechariah near Jerusalem. Old Elizabeth declared that her baby John leaped in her womb when she heard Mary’s news.[9] Mary stayed with Elizabeth and her dumb husband for three months till John was born (when Zechariah spoke again). They believed Gabriel’s word that John would, in the spirit of Elijah, announce the coming of the Lord. Those two women, supernaturally blessed, carried the wonder of God’s loving purposes in their wombs.
This came in the fullness of time.[10] Previous history pointed to Jesus’ coming as the Messiah, the Christ, God’s Son. We now date history from that birth.
The life of Jesus is history’s great love story. The overview in this brief book points you to the great good news of who Jesus is and what he did. That story is told best in the Bible, God’s inspired word.
I hope this brief commentary points you again to that God-breathed living word. It gave me fresh insights as I researched the harmonized story of these gospels.
Many writers discuss the popular five love languages: affirmation, service, gifts, time, and touch. Jesus demonstrated all these in various ways.
He affirmed and admired faith, especially faith in him for healing and help.
He served daily and showed it dramatically by washing his disciples’ feet.
He gave his life for us and ultimately he gives eternal life to all who believe.
His three years of quality time with his followers prepared them to serve.
His touch brought physical and spiritual healing and freedom to multitudes.
I love the way John summed up the reason for writing his Gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
That is my prayer for you, my reader. Here is my echoing sonnet, penned over fifty years ago.
Sin stalks the soul, and permeates the whole Of life lived here where we, while bound by fear, Hunt far and near for freedom to appear From pole to pole with our minds in control. That worthy goal seems mockery. Sin stole Our freedom dear, left pain and woe to sear Each life, a mere heartache, or sob, or tear, Like a lost mole, blind, dirty in its hole. God’s love stepped in to fight and conquer sin Through Christ who bled and died and rose as Head Supreme of all who claim Him Lord. Our fall, Clamour and din may end in Him. We win Release from dread, freedom, life from the dead, Unbound from gall, in answer to His call.
Discussion Questions (for use in groups)
Chapter 1: Birth and Boyhood
1. What is one of your favourite Christmas carols and why?
2. What surprises you most about the Christmas story?
3. What challenges you about the boyhood and youth of Jesus?
What would you like people to pray about for you?
Chapter 2: Ministry Begins 1. Why do you think Jesus’ public ministry began after his baptism?
2. What puzzles you most about Jesus’ ministry? (eg casting out spirits)
3. What challenges you about being a disciple of Jesus?
What prayer would you appreciate receiving?
Chapter 3: First to Second Passovers
1. Why do you think John 3:16 is so popular and well known?
2. Who can you identify with in Jesus’ early ministry (eg Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, disciples, religious leaders)
3. What do you think challenged Jesus’ disciples?
What prayer would encourage you just now?
Chapter 4: Second to Third Passovers 1. What impresses you most about Jesus?
2. What challenges you most about Jesus?
3. What surprises you most about Jesus?
What prayer would help you just now?
Chapter 5: Passover to Pentecost 1. What shocks you most about the crucifixion?
2. What helps or challenges you about Jesus’ death and resurrection?
3. What interests you most about the Holy Spirit?
What prayer support would you like now?
(7) The Lion of Judah – Blog The Lion of Judah – PDF 6 books in one volume * Looking for a great book to help you meditate on the wonder of Jesus in all his richness and grandeur and love? Geoff Waugh has helpfully and thoughtfully brought together wide-ranging biblical passages… Read this book prayerfully and you will not be the same! ~ John Olley.
* This book is full of information, biblical information. I have learned so much from it … If you want to learn more from the Bible, this is the book to read. ~ A. Aldridge
Pastor Francis Okiwa reaches rural areas in Kenya with the Gospel and resources.
Here’s his story.
A MUSLIM FAMILY GAVE THEIR LIVES TO CHRIST AFTER THEIR FATHER WAS HEALED BY JESUS AFTER PRAYER
We were taught and trained that once you are born a Muslim, you are always a Muslim. I used to follow my father to the mosque five times a day. I never seriously questioned the rituals of my family’s faith until a friend at school showed me a Bible.
I never wanted to read the Bible because if I’m caught, it will be another story. It’s the highest degree of crime to convert from Islam to Christianity. My friend told me that God is love. It’s not about what you do, but it’s about having faith in him through Jesus Christ.
That’s when my friend invited me to a Christian healing service.
I was very curious to go. Those who came with their crutches started abandoning their crutches, and they were screaming and shouting, “I am healed! I am healed!” That shook my idea about Jesus Christ—that he’s just one of the prophets. The healing power of Jesus Christ is real! And that day I accepted him as my Lord and my personal Saviour.
From that day I stopped going to the mosque with my family and began sneaking off to church. One day my father confronted me.
When I looked at his face, the rage, the anger, he was a monster saying, “Come here, boy. Tell me where are you going.” I said, ‘church.’
“What? You’re going to church?” He pulled out a sword, and he ran after me. He started yelling, cursing me, “I deny you as a son, you are a traitor, you have denied our faith, and you are not my son anymore.”
I used to hide in my friend’s home. After three weeks of hiding, I heard that my father had become paralysed and was dying of an illness that doctors couldn’t diagnose.
When I heard that, I told my friend, “Let’s go and pray for my father.”
My friend said, “No, you cannot do it. This is very dangerous. They are looking for you—they want to kill you!” He said, “You don’t understand.” I said, “You don’t understand! When Jesus heals my father, they will know that Jesus is real.”
I went to see my father.
He was looking at me, I remember. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t do anything, but he could hear. And I said, “Dad, I’m here to pray for you.”
I said, “Lord Jesus, I know you are a healer. Heal my father right now, so that the Muslims here and the whole world will know that you are a healer.”
Before my prayer ended, I saw my father moving his body. He got up from his bed and he sat. He started talking, “Your Jesus prayer has healed me. Your Jesus is real. I can talk, I can move my body. All the pain is gone.”
He said, “Come back home, you are my son and there’s no more persecution,” in front of everybody.
Many family members saw what happened and also gave their lives to Christ.
That healing miracle led to the conversion of my mother from Islam to Christianity. My younger sister gave her life to Christ. My younger brother gave his life to Christ. Even my half-sisters and brothers who were very devout and they were all mad at me, insulting me, looking for me to kill me, they all gave their lives to Christ as a result and they started going to church with me.
I left my town of Kitale, Kenya, and came to settle In Eldoret to attend Bible Seminary. I now travel around Kenya speaking and praying for others.
Since I gave my life to Christ, my life has never been the same, I’ve been changed into a new person and his love has brought me joy, peace, and happiness. We don’t have to do anything to earn his love. We just have to embrace him into our lives.
by Pastor Francis Okida, New Vision Gospel Ministry
Francis with the books The Life of Jesus and Living in the Spirit
Here are more comments from Francis:
I’m a full-time pastor and a very serious soul-winner evangelist, mainly in far rural areas, and for many years I have been walking a long distance on foot, like 50 km, to go and preach the gospel in far rural areas to distribute gospel tracts, scripture booklets, and books. By the time I reach there, it’s too late in the evening, and I normally get tired on the way, so I cannot preach on that same day, so do it the next day.
With donations we helped him buy two bicycles for his work.
Pastor Francis & Co-pastor evangelize by bike.
He wrote:
We print and distribute your wonderful books locally by using what we call ‘Perfect Book Printing’ here In Eldoret Town, Kenya. By doing that we reach poor Pastors, Church Leaders, Evangelists and many other Preachers in far rural areas with no access to the Internet.
We have several printing machines here In Eldoret, Kenya, so we shall distribute to over 700 rural Pastors in Kenya.I will be distributing these books free of charge as the Lord provides.
If you would like to help Francis you can email me at geoffwaugh2@gmail.com.
Renewal Journal Resources
All the Renewal Journal resources – www.renewaljournal.com – are freely available, and may be shared, reproduced and distributed freely. Some examples:
Kenya
Francis saw them online and now prints some of those books and distributes them in Kenya, as with Flashpoints of Revival and God’s Surprises (both on the main page with links).
Pakistan & India
Nabeel Sharoon saw The Life of Jesus online and translated it into Urdu and Hindi and other main languages of that sub-continent. They’re available free online and some mission groups print some of them. See his work on The Life of Jesus
Dr Randy Clark heads Global Awakening from America, often leading teams to minister in many countries. He printed Revival Fires, an updated version of Flashpoints of Revival.
General
Every day people explore Renewal Journal papers and books on Academia, and they are referenced in various academic papers and reports.
The Renewal Journal began as 20 printed journals mailed to subscribers. Many universities and Christian colleges subscribed for their libraries. Now those journals, books, and hundreds of blogs are available online. Around 400-500 view the blogs daily. You have permission to freely reproduce any of these resources and books. Some are available in Christian bookstores and on Amazon.
You are welcome to share or reproduce any Renewal Journal resource and book.
Now it is cheapest to print it yourself and distribute or sell it yourself.
Sydney, Australia, celebrated the beginning of 2000 by displaying on the Harbour Bridge the word Eternity in the iconic copperplate handwriting of Arthur Stace.
It was just after midnight on January 1, 2000, when the word ‘Eternity’ appeared in copperplate writing on the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The New Millennium was ushered in with the biggest fireworks display ever over the harbour city.
An estimated two million people gathered around and on Sydney Harbour and two billion people watched on television.
They were outstanding!
Sydney’s fireworks display is one of the first to be seen worldwide.
What did this ‘Eternity’ mean?
Those in the gathering who knew the story of Arthur Stace and Eternity, although surprised, knew the meaning of the ‘sermon in a word.’
To grasp the true meaning of the word we need to understand the story behind it and to do so, we need to travel back in time to Sydney over 120 years ago.
Arthur Stace was born in Balmain in 1884. His father was an alcoholic, his mother ran a brothel, two brothers died early and his two sisters later also ran brothels.
Domestic violence in the home was so bad the children often slept on hessian bags under the house to escape the drunken wrath of their father.
Arthur stole to eat and at the age of 12, was made a Ward of the State. He had no education.
In gaol by 15
At 14 he went to work in the Balmain coal mine and at 15, served his first jail sentence. He was already a heavy drinker.
In his early 20s, he moved to Surry Hills and occupied himself running ‘sly grog’ for pubs and acting as a ‘cockatoo’ (lookout) for illegal gambling houses and brothels. He was arrested several times and sentenced to gaol.
The Great War
World War I intervened in Arthur’s life; he enlisted in the AIF and went to France as a stretcher bearer. He witnessed all the horrors of war in the trenches, the heavy artillery bombardments, thousands of dead and wounded along with the mud and freezing conditions.
He was wounded and the injuries impaired the sight in one eye. He returned to Australia in 1919 where he was discharged, still suffering what was then known as ‘shell shock’ and the effects of mustard gas poisoning.
Arthur found it easy to renew old acquaintances and soon slipped into a life of alcohol, gambling and crime. He became homeless and methylated spirits became a cheap escape.
By 1930 the world was in the grip of the Great Depression, there was no work, no income and Arthur wandered the streets stealing food or begging for handouts.
A cuppa and a rock cake
One port of call was St Barnabas Anglican Church in Broadway which conducted a ‘Meeting for Needy Men’ where afterwards, a cup of tea and a rock cake was given to all who attended.
Arthur wandered into the meeting on August 6, 1930 where he found 300 men seated. He saw some well-dressed men standing near the door and asked the man next to him – one of Sydney’s best-known criminals – who they were.
“I’d reckon they’d be Christians,’ was the reply.
Arthur said, “Well look at them and look at us. I’m havin’ a go at what they’ve got.”
The Rock of Ages
After the meeting Arthur walked across the road into Sydney University Park and under a big Morton Bay fig tree, fell to his knees with tears streaming down his face and cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”
He was a genuine conversion to Christ. Arthur later testified:
“I went in to get a cup of tea and a rock cake but I met the Rock of Ages.”
Eternity, where will you spend eternity?
In November 1932 Arthur was listening to evangelist John Ridley MC in the Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle in Darlinghurst when he heard the words from Isaiah 57:15, “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.”
Stressing the word, Ridley cried out, “Eternity, eternity. I wish I could sound or shout that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney. Eternity! You have to meet it. Where will you spend eternity?”
In his testimony, Arthur Stace recalled the meeting.
“Eternity was ringing through my brain and suddenly I began to cry and felt a powerful call from the Lord to write ‘Eternity.’ I had a piece of chalk in my pocket and outside the church I bent down right there and wrote it ….. The funny thing is, before I wrote it I could barely write my own name. I had no schooling and couldn’t have spelled ‘Eternity’ for a hundred quid ($200) but it came out smoothly in a beautiful copperplate script. I couldn’t understand it and I still can’t”
Over the next 33 years, the word Eternity was repeated more than 500,000 times all over the city, in country towns and in Melbourne.
“The sermon in a word.”
Do you know the AMAZING Story Behind Sydney’s ‘Eternity’ Graffiti?
For over twenty five years, from 1930 to 1956, the people of Sydney woke up each day to a one-word sermon—”Eternity”—handwritten in yellow crayon on footpaths, train station platforms, and perimeter walls lining the city’s many walkways and streets.
The “Eternity” graffiti illuminated on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of new year’s eve celebration in 2000. Photo credit: National Geographic.
Each day a fresh batch of graffiti rendered in beautiful copperplate lettering style would appear at places where there weren’t any the previous night. Somehow, for twenty-five years, a mysterious figure had managed to sneak into the city every night and leave his presence on the city’s walls and sidewalks.
It attracted the ire of Sydney City Council at first, but as the weeks became months, and the months became years, the “Eternity”graffiti became an iconic symbol of the city. Pedestrians stepped around and over the words, and street sweepers and cleaners left the elegant writings untouched.
The mysterious figure behind the phenomenon, who was to become the most famous graffiti artist in Australia’s history, managed to keep his identity a secret until one morning in June 1956, when he was caught in the act. That morning, Reverend Lisle M. Thompson, who preached at the Burton Street Baptist Church, saw a church cleaner sneak out a piece of chalk from his pocket and write the word on the footpath.
Rev. Thompson approached the cleaner and asked, “Are you Mr. Eternity?”, to which the cleaner replied, “Guilty, your honour.”
Soon after that encounter, the Sunday Telegraph published an interview with the artist and the mystery that had baffled Sydney for over 25 years was finally revealed. The cleaner’s name was Arthur Malcolm Stace.
Born in 1885 in Redfern, Stace’s childhood and much of his adulthood was marked by abject poverty. His parents were alcoholics, and his sisters ran a brothel. To survive, he resorted to stealing bread and milk and searching for scraps of food in bins. At the age of 12, Stace became a ward of the state and for worked briefly in a coal mine.
As a teenager, he became an alcoholic and was subsequently sent to jail at 15 for drunkenness. His twenties were spent running liquor between pubs and brothels, and working as a lookout for gambling dens. During the First World War, Stace found work as a laborer with the Australian Imperial Force, but his recurring bouts of bronchitis and pleurisy led him to be discharged.
It was the Great Depression years, and a ragged alcoholic like Stace had no chance of finding a job. One day in 1930, together with three hundred other homeless people, he attended an evangelical church to get tea and a muffin. Although his intention was finding food for his body, he ended up finding food for his soul, too. He received Christ in his heart and everything changed for him.
Two years later, Stace finally found his calling when he went to listen to a Baptist preacher named John Ridley give a sermon based on a fragment from the Gospel of Isaiah 57:15 titled “Echoes of Eternity”, Ridley declared: “Eternity, Eternity, I wish that I could sound or shout that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney. You’ve got to meet it, where will you spend Eternity?”. The words so captivated Stace that at that very moment, Stace pulled a piece of chalk he had in his pocket, bent down and wrote the word “ETERNITY” on the church floor.
Even though he was illiterate and could hardly write his name Arthur, legibly, the word ‘Eternity’ came out smoothly, in a beautiful copperplate script. “I couldn’t understand it, and I still can’t,” he later told in an interview.
For the next 35 years of his life, until he died in 1967, the reformed alcoholic woke up at the crack of dawn to scrawl “Eternity” in yellow chalk all over the city. Stace narrowly escaped arrest for defacing public property on some two dozens occasions, but each time he was caught, he had a well-rehearsed defense for the police: “I had permission from a higher source”. Stace estimates he wrote his single-word message an estimated half a million times over three-and-a-half decades.
Stace’s word wound its way into Sydney’s heart. Many contemporary artists incorporated the word into their artworks, and ‘Eternity’ became a common motif in the Sydney street art scene. At the turn of the century New Year’s Eve celebration, it was proudly emblazoned across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Later, that same year, it was part of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Only two original Eternity inscriptions survive today. One is on a piece of cardboard Stace gave to a fellow parishioner, and is now at Eternity Gallery of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. The other, and the only remaining inscription in situ, is inside the bell of the Sydney General Post Office clock tower.
This beautiful memorial to Sydney’s ‘Mr Eternity’ Arthur Stace is located in the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park in Matraville in Sydney.
Although Christians still face persecution in Vietnam, churches thrive because of leaders who endured suffering to spread the gospel in the communist country.
They include 95-year-old Pastor Duong Thi, also known as Mrs. Ly, who helped start Vietnam’s house church movement. Her favorite verse is Romans 12:21 which says: ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’
She endured many hardships, such as being imprisoned five times. When asked how she felt during the ordeal, she answered: “I was not afraid because God was with me.” Bibles were not allowed in the prison but Mrs. Ly was able to have access to some of its pages which her church members used to wrap the sticky rice they sent her. Even inside the prison, she boldly shared the gospel.
Mrs. Ly’s father served as a pastor of the Christian Missionary Alliance, the only traditional Christian church in Vietnam at the time. She followed in his footsteps, becoming a pastor of that church. In 1982, however, she became the first member to step out after she experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She went around the different provinces in Vietnam to share about the Holy Spirit baptism and set up the first charismatic house church.
Mrs. Ly mentored many of Vietnam’s current Christian leaders, including Pastor Pham Duc Trung, who went from being dependent on drugs to running several rehabilitation centers which is the main ministry of his church, The Blessing Church. “When I became a Christian, it was her church that I first attended and where I really felt loved. She recommended the rehabilitation center where I was delivered from drug addiction,” Pastor Pham said. Mrs. Ly’s legacy also lives on in her children and grandchildren who have become pastors and church workers.
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Over 100,000 views of these blogs annually. Share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails 2023: A year of revival on college campuses
This year we witnessed a powerful move of the Holy Spirit across college campuses, beaches, prisons, and churches – so much so that 2023 could be dubbed a “Year of Revival.” It could even point to the beginning of what many have called a spiritual awakening in America.
Faith leaders have testified that “revival is happening” in pockets across the U.S. spanning different age groups, denominations, and backgrounds.
‘The Asbury Awakening’
Many would say that the biggest “firestarter” of them all was a simple worship service at Asbury University in Kentucky where 100 people fell to their knees and bowed at the altar in Hughes Auditorium, just to worship God.
“On Wednesday, February 8, a very small but very faithful group of Asbury students listened to the nudging of the Holy Spirit and stayed in Chapel a little longer, and then a little longer, and then way longer,” shared a student speaker. “And we had no idea that the world was about to know God better.”
That small act eventually inspired thousands to flock to the college campus where they sought God’s presence for more than two weeks, leading to repentance, healing, and salvation.
“Peers, professors, local church leaders, and seminary students surround me—all of them praying, worshipping, and praising God together. Voices are ringing out. People are bowing at the altar, arms stretched wide,” wrote Alexandra Presta, the editor of the student-run website The Asbury Collegian. “A pair of friends cling to each other in a hug, one with tears in her eyes. A diverse group of individuals crowd the piano and flawlessly switch from song to song. Some even sit like me, with laptops open. No one wants to leave.”
What took place garnered national attention and began to spring up across other campuses.
“THE FIRE IS SPREADING. Reports say students from more than 21 colleges have now arrived at Asbury University in Kentucky for revival services. Just imagine what will happen if this spreads nationwide,” wrote missionary Lee Grady in February.
Lee University: ‘Awakening the Deep Wells of Revival’
Lee University, a private Christian college in Cleveland, Tennessee is 250 miles away from Asbury University, but students from this small school felt compelled to take part in what was taking place and it began a movement of revival on their campus.
Lee University Campus Pastor Rob Fultz noted on X, “What’s happening at Asbury is not and will not remain confined. It will, and already is awakening the deep wells of revival on campuses across the nation. They have been churning, pressing against the seals that have kept them hidden, and they are about to burst with new life.”
Fultz reported the revival had reached the Lee campus, writing: “A mighty move of God started this morning at Lee and it has been building throughout the day. We are approaching the 10th hour, nothing but voices in prayer, worship, and repentance.”
He also included a video taken of the worship in the campus’s Stone Chapel. Students were coming to the chapel, crying out to God, praying, and repenting.
The revival continued to spread to schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.
“I think there’s a move of God that’s happening; there’s a revival that’s happening, and I wanted to be in the Presence of God,” Regent University student Shameka White told CBN News. “I wanted to just be among believers. And we need it in the climate of the world today.”
Cedarville University
Cedarville University President Thomas White shared five short video clips of the revival at his school – just 10 days after the start of the Asbury revival.
“Tonight a large number of students gathered again to pray, read Scripture, testimonies, and to worship Jesus for about two hours! We had 2 more students saved tonight. Tomorrow night we are sending our students out to other Universities to share the Gospel,” he wrote. “Keep praying for wisdom and a genuine movement of the Lord! The last video is from students who stayed around to keep worshipping. They were still there when I left about 11 pm!”
In an email to the Cedarville faculty and staff, White wrote, “We are so thankful for how God is working on our campus in recent days.”
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Some of the evidence that God was moving on college campuses did not involve massive worship services in an auditorium, but rather, outdoor prayer gatherings and spontaneous baptisms wherever there was water.
In February, Michael Fehlauer, the lead pastor of the New Life Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, posted videos to social media that showed baptisms being performed in a public fountain at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Auburn University
An impromptu baptism at Auburn University in Alabama started with one student wanting to be baptized but grew to roughly 200 people who decided to give their lives to Christ.
In September, Hundreds of students made a public declaration of their new life in Christ by dipping in a lake near Red Barn as spectators watched in awe.
“I’ve seen Auburn basketball beat Kentucky. I’ve seen Auburn football beat Alabama, but I have never seen something like I did Tuesday night,” Auburn University senior Michael Floyd told WFSA12 News.
More than 5,000 people showed up to Unite Auburn’s “Night of Worship”. The campus ministry’s outreach was created to bring the Alabama school’s Christian community together for a night of worship. It featured guest speakers New York Times Best-Selling Author Jennie Allen and Pastor Jonathan Pokluda, and worship was led by Passion Music.
“It was such a move of God,” Allen told CBN News. “There is something very special happening right now. I believe in their hearts I think they are, they are hungry for God and, and they want God in a very real way, this is not manufactured.”
A Move of God at HBCUs
One organization reported in March that God was also moving powerfully among the country’s historically black colleges and universities, also known as HBCUs.
The Black Voices Movement, a ministry of Circuit Riders, is on a mission to reach the next generation with the good news of Jesus Christ by empowering young black men and women across America to be evangelists and preachers of the gospel.
It is an important work because statistics show only 1% of American missionaries are black.
Yasmin Pierce, the director of the Black Voices Movement, told CBN News they had tours to 20-30 HBCU campuses this year and have seen many salvations.
“We are all about the gospel. We’re evangelists. We love Jesus. We’re so grateful for the cross,” Pierce explained.
‘Radically Transformed’ College Students
Healings on college campuses were also reported this year. One report from Texas A&M in College Station revealed that an A&M student who couldn’t previously walk unaided, walked 20 steps after Aggies students prayed over him. One young man shared what he saw in a video posted to Facebook.
Tarik Whitmore, the young adult pastor at New Life Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, told CBN News he is seeing a movement among college students who are getting saved and then boldly proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ with the student body.
The result is campuses are being transformed for Jesus – and it is happening quickly.
“We are seeing these people repent from compromise and make a decision to make a public declaration of, ‘No, I want to give my whole life to Jesus starting today.’ And then we see them radically transformed before our eyes where their lifestyle is radically different [and they have] boldness to preach the Gospel to their friends like never before,” said Whitmore.
Kentucky
This spiritual awakening was not just limited to college campuses but spread throughout towns in America.
As CBN News reported, in a small community in southeastern Kentucky, hundreds of people were changed by a move of God’s Spirit.
Pastor Scott Phipps told CBN News that for 77 nights God moved “in a mighty way” as people were delivered, healed, and set free from addiction.
“People are really pouring their hearts out to the Lord and the altars are full,” Phipps said in January. “There’s no room at the altars and people are just pouring in.”
Nearly 300 people showed up to North Main Community Church in Barbourville, Kentucky to have an encounter with God.
“Addicts have been delivered every night. And one thing about the people coming is that most of them do not have any background in any Christianity whatsoever,” Phipps added. “The Lord says those who have been forgiven much, loveth much, and many of these people were at death’s door.”
He shared that the light of Jesus Christ is shining brightly in a dark season.
Phipps explained, “As far as the world is concerned it looks like it’s not going to get better, but at the same time the Bible says we would shine as light in the midst of a dark world in a crooked and perverse generation and nation. It is a great time for [revival].”
Louisiana
In Hammond, Louisiana, a four-day church worship service turned into an eight-month-long revival at an old Baptist church.
Old Zion Baptist Church held its first service on Oct.16, 2022 by June 2023 thousands had decided to put their faith in Jesus. People from 17 states and two countries traveled to the church to see what God was doing.
“The Awakening in Louisiana has truly been life-changing. When God sent me there on October 17, I never would have dreamed we would still be there! It has been the most supernatural event I’ve ever seen,” Evangelist David R. Harrison of Voice of Hope Ministries told CBN News in June.
“Thousands of decisions have been made for Christ! Salvations, restorations deliverance, and healings,” Harrison reported.
“Has there been many battles along the way? Yes! But, it truly has been worth it all just to see the thousands of lives who have been changed! I’m so thankful and humbled that God would allow me and my family to experience such an amazing move of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory, great things HE hath done,” he added.
Massive Beach Baptisms
One beach in California, once the site of spiritual outpouring among young people during the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, became a historic location where thousands gathered to be baptized.
Inspired by the movie “Jesus Revolution”, thousands of people came from all across America and the world to take part in the “Jesus Revolution Baptism” in July at the now-famous Pirates Cove in Newport Beach, California.
Harvest Christian Fellowship Sr. Pastor Greg Laurie held the massive baptism event where 32,500 people gathered and 6,794 made decisions to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.
Laurie, whose salvation story is featured in the “Jesus Revolution” film and who was also baptized at this location 50 years ago, couldn’t believe the size of the crowd.
“We have around 4,000 people signed up to be baptized today, can you believe that!” Pastor Laurie exclaimed. But then the number grew even larger.
Just a week earlier, more than 4,000 people were baptized on that same beach on Pentecost Sunday to celebrate not only the gift of eternal life but to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Jesus Movement.
Oceans Church organized Baptize SoCal – an event advertised as “the biggest water baptism in history.”
More than 280 churches and 8,000 attendees watched as 4,166 people flocked to the shore of Pirates Cove to declare their new life in Christ.
“What an amazing and historic day,” said musician and pastor at West Coast Life Church, Ray Gene Wilson. “Thousands baptized at Pirates Cove, God is moving in California!”
“A moment I’ll never forget,” one attendee commented on Instagram.
God Behind Bars
God Behind Bars, a national prison ministry, has baptized 599 prison inmates and seen 126,000 salvations this year.
The organization strategically works to reach the more than 2.3 million people in the prison system and bring the hope found in the Gospel.
The ministry’s goal to win souls for the Kingdom of God is exploding into an outreach that is providing hope to thousands in a dark place.
“In prison, it’s very easy to be a bitter, cold person,” one inmate recently shared. “But because of my relationship with Jesus Christ and because of who I’ve become while being in prison, I’ve learned (to be) a joyful person. Having a life sentence plus 30 (years), and people not understanding where this joy is coming from or not understanding how you can maintain a smile while going through adverse moments…and I know that it only came from God.”
Over the years, worship leaders like Brandon Lake, Naomi Raine, and Kirk Franklin as well as speakers like Sadie Robertson and Russell Wilson have prayed and sung alongside inmates. It could be described as a glimpse into a small facet of what we will likely see in Heaven – people from all walks of life worshipping Jesus Christ.
The ministry once shared that what is happening in the prisons is a “new thing” and it is evident in the joy that is felt and the lives that are changed.
“God is bringing revival to prisons! Jesus is doing a NEW THING,” they wrote.
Spontaneous Baptisms at Churches
Many churches across the country have experienced record-breaking water baptisms – some spontaneous.
More than 2,000 baptisms took place across Life.Church’s 40-plus campuses in August.
The Oklahoma megachurch celebrated as people took that step of faith at a large facility pool used by the church, while others got baptized at satellite campuses. Some even got baptized in their bathtubs, previously recorded video showed.
“We’re not praying for revival. We’re in the middle of one. I thank God for what he’s doing,” Life.Church founder and pastor Craig Groeschel said. “God is doing a big thing.”
In Houston, Texas, 755 publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ at Champion Forest.
Nearly 300 people were baptized one Sunday morning at The Biltmore Church in Arden, North Carolina. And in one service at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, TN, 136 people were spontaneously baptized.
But the numbers represent far more than mere statistics, it is a representation of lives transformed and citizenship established in Heaven.
“This is something to celebrate, people being raised from death to life,” remarked one Long Hollow leader. “And how good is it that we don’t have to earn the victory? We don’t have to earn salvation. We get to rest in the victory Christ already won on our behalf.”
Gen Z
As revival and mass baptisms have hit every generation this year, in many ways Gen Z has been leading the way. This year served as a spotlight on the increasing hunger among young people for God.
A recent Pew Research study claims that Gen Z is losing their religion, but in reality, there is a spiritual awakening that is happening among that generation.
Thousands are hearing the gospel message, making professions of faith in Jesus Christ, and answering the call to ministry.
“This I believe is for Generation Z, for this generation coming up now,” shared Dr. Corne Bekker, dean and professor of the Regent University School of Divinity. “This is their moment where God is getting a hold of their hearts.”
“Their eyes are opening, and they are surrendering their lives to Christ,” he continued.
The move of God is not just happening in the U.S. Bekker references revivals overseas and believes that what’s taking place on a global scale is the beginning of the next Great Awakening.
“From my perspective, I believe it is here,” Bekker said. “The time is now; the kingdom of God is here. What should be our response? Repent and believe in the Good News.”
Bekker believes this could be the last great move of God to usher in the second coming of Jesus Christ. — CBN
Loren Cunningham, the impactful global evangelist who founded Youth With A Mission (YWAM), passed away at age 88 in Kona, Hawaii on October 6, 2023.
“Loren was the first person in history to travel to every sovereign nation on earth, all dependent countries, and more than 100 territories and islands for the sake of Christ and the Great Commission (Mark 16:15). Now he has added one more ‘stamp’ to his well-worn passport: HEAVEN!” the official announcement on the YWAM website states.
Cunningham has been described as a “de-regulator of missions” because he enlisted young people to serve short-term, globally, raising their own support. This resulted in millions of young people deployed around the world to proclaim the Good News. The ministry he launched in 1960 now has tens of thousands of full-time staff in 200+ countries serving at over 2,000 YWAM locations.
Cunningham answered the call to missions at a revival meeting in 1948 at the age of 13. God spoke to him through Mark 16:15: ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’
He received a remarkable vision from the Lord in the Bahamas in 1956. He was staying in a missionary’s home, kneeling beside the bed, praying in preparation to speak that night. He recorded the experience as follows:
“Suddenly, I was looking at a map of the world, only the map was alive and moving! I could see all the continents, and waves were crashing onto their shores. Each wave went onto a continent, then receded, then came up further until it covered the continent completely. The waves became young people – kids my age and even younger – covering all the continents of the globe. They were talking to people on street corners and outside bars. They were going from house to house and preaching the Gospel. They came from everywhere and went everywhere, caring for people. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the scene was gone.”
– Excerpt from Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham with Janice Rogers, YWAM Publishing
Global initiatives launched under Cunningham’s leadership include YWAM Olympic Outreaches, the University of the Nations, YWAM Ships (28 vessels currently serve the most isolated islands and coastlands), and myriads of other ministries birthed by leaders he inspired, according to YWAM.
Cunningham believed that every Christian is a missionary and that there needs to be a ‘deregulation’ of missions. In other words, the global Church needs to change the way we view and conduct missions. Missions can be done anywhere one is, even in the marketplace. When Christians do that then we will be able to finish the Great Commission.
Cunningham is survived by his wife, Darlene, two children and three grandchildren.
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Introduction
This revival occurred mainly among the Aboriginal people living in the north and west areas of Australia. The revival continued into the 1990s and beyond as Aboriginal teams would travel from place to place throughout the nation conducting meetings.
Pastor Djiniyini Gondarra of Galiwini’ku Church
Challenges Among the Aboriginals
The Galiwin’ku church on Elcho Island in 1979 was experiencing many challenges.
► There was persecution.
► Many people left the church and were speaking against it, wanting to shut it down.
► The government was bringing money and other things into the community, causing material possessions to capture the people’s attention (cars, televisions, boats, nicer homes, etc.).
► Alcohol was a major problem, leading to many fights, domestic violence, and deaths.
► Vandalism was common.
► Polygamy was part of the culture.
► Young people were sniffing fuel and drinking a mixture of acetone and methylated spirits.
► Entire communities were in confusion and had no direction.
► Satan had his hand on everything.
With this news, missionaries on Elcho Island and beyond began to experience this reviving influence, and the experiences transferred to Aboriginal people in the Galiwin’ku church.
► Miracles began to occur in the local clinic as the workers prayed for healing.
► Demonic powers were broken as the people came into contact with teachings from Derek Prince and others like him.
Beginning in the Uniting Church (denomination), the revival spread throughout Australia among the Aboriginal peoples. With its Pentecostal features, it caused much concern among the conservative missionaries that were associated with the Uniting Church.
Northern part of Australia
Planning of Special Meetings
To help the Galiwin’ku church take steps forward, after August of 1978 the leaders of the church asked the Pentecostal evangelist Dan Armstrong, of Sydney, Australia, to come and conduct a series of meetings, which were to be held in May the following year.
Extraordinary Prayer Two Decades of Revival Praying: A small Aboriginal community of about 30 adults with their children, living in the far northern end of Elcho Island, for 20 years had been praying daily for revival in Australia and the world. They met for prayer every morning, during the day, and again each evening.
Prayer in Preparation for the Dan Armstrong Meetings: About six months prior to the meetings that Dan Armstrong was scheduled to hold at the Galiwin’ku church in 1979, prayer groups of 4 people or less were set up throughout the community in preparation for the meetings. Some of them met 3 times per week, some of them met every day at lunch, as well as after church services on Sundays.
Prayer Meeting
Immediate Changes Were Witnessed
The enhanced time commitment to prayer was immediately responded to by the Lord, as He placed in His people a hunger for the Word of God.
The desire to fellowship also grew, so much so, that the church could no longer contain the people, so they began to meet on the basketball court.
A “spirit of love” began to flow between the members of the church.
Services had to be held outside the church building
Offensively Confronting Demonic Powers
Demonic powers recognized what was occurring and they began immediately attacking the leaders with various types of sicknesses. As concentrated prayers were made, praying in homes where demonic manifestations were occurring, the powers of Satan were broken, and things really began to change.
Dream
On March 13, 1979, an aboriginal man named Wirriyi, had a dream of a fire on Elcho Island. In the dream he saw a fire coming down from the northern end of the island and traveling along its length, burning up everything on the island.
He saw the fire coming towards himself and he wanted to run away and jump into the ocean to escape the flames, but he heard a voice speaking to him from out of the fire:
That fire is the life of Yolngu [Aborigines]. That is for the end, for the future. If the Yolngu live like that fire – if your life is like the fire, burnt up – then, after it grows new life, it will be really good.
In the dream the fire burned the entire body of Wirriyi so completely that he became nothing but ashes. After the fire passed, the ashes of everything that was burned turned into new plants that were fully grown with fruit on them. At one moment Wirriyi was burned up, and then the next he was fully alive. The fire was the word of God.
The Revival Starts
Following that dream, the very next day, March 14, 1979, which many say was the start of the Elcho Island Revival, the fire in Wirriyi’s dream was ignited.
Pastor Djiniyini Gondarra, of the Elcho Church in the town of Galiwin’ku, had been on vacation for 4 weeks, and when he came back, having had a long day traveling, with three connecting flights, he was ready for rest.
Upon his arrival at the airstrip there was a large welcoming party that wanted to greet him. Because God had been doing so many things while he had been away, they wanted to tell him about them with a meeting at his home that night.
After the evening dinner, they held hands and began to pray.
Suddenly, we began to feel God’s Spirit moving in our hearts and the whole form of prayer life suddenly changed and everybody began to pray in the Spirit and in harmony.
One elder said:
That was the first time I felt like I was floating.
Some of the people said that God was visiting them to establish His kingdom on earth, breaking free those who had been for so long in bondage to Satan.
On that same evening the word of what God was doing spread like flames of fire and reached the whole community. Djiniyini explained what happened beginning on the next morning:
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.
Open-air meeting
Singing on the Beach
Toward the end of March 1979, Djiniyini assembled the choir on the beach to practice for the Sunday service. With 15 people present, it turned into a very powerful time of worship which they had never experienced before, and it continued from 7 p.m. till midnight.
From that night on, this worship on the beach was held every night, and the numbers grew so rapidly, that by the end of April there were 150 to 200 people meeting every night of the week for 4-5 hours.
As people would pray for lost family members or others, the people prayed for would frequently turn to Christ within a few days.
Visions
Many had visions during this time.
► Some saw fireballs coming down from the sky.
► Some saw the church on fire.
► Some saw flames of fire resting on the heads of the people (Acts 2:3).
Dan Armstrong, Gelung & Djiniyini Gondarra
The Crow and the Dove
It was around April 1979, that the pastor of the Galiwin’ku church (Djiniyini) had his Bible attacked by a crow, tearing it to pieces. This was very meaningful for them, because the crow was associated with the totem for their clan. That night and the following day, Djiniyini and his wife, Gelung, were very disturbed. It led to prayer with a group of others, cleansing their home and property of all unclean spirits.
During the following days the crow would come to their home and would peck on their door. When they would open the door, the crow would fly away, and as it flew away another bird came, a white dove, chasing it and fighting with it as they were flying away together.
Dan Armstrong
Dan & Sue Armstrong Meetings
On Saturday evening, May 1, 1979, the small aircraft carrying Dan Armstrong and his team landed at the Galiwin’ku airstrip, where they were greeted by a group of young men running alongside the plane as it taxied to a stop. There was tremendous anticipation among the people, as they had been praying for this event for 6 months.
The night of their arrival was to be a time for the main leaders and those involved in the preparation for the meetings to meet and become acquainted with the Armstrong team. A feast was planned to be held on the beach for this fellowship time.
As they were sitting on the beach singing songs, people began coming out of the dark, and one by one they came close to the group, kneeling and weeping. Hands were laid on these people, and following prayer, many were slain in the Holy Spirit. For several hours this praising and prayer continued.
Following the first night, word spread throughout Elcho Island and hundreds began coming to the meetings. Never having been exposed to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they were amazed when the manifestations of the Spirit of God began to occur.
► Conviction of sin was very pronounced, as one of the most sin-hardened men in the community came forward, kneeled, and cried like a baby. This man was born again and became a health worker.
► Repentance of some of the most prideful and hardened people
► Deliverance from demonization
► Speaking in tongues
► Joy of the Lord: with laughter and giggling
► Prostrations (slain in the Spirit)
► Crying
► Overwhelming peace
► Healings
Open-air meeting
The News Spread
As word of what God was doing spread, and reached neighboring islands and towns, people began coming from those distant locations, and the numbers grew every night.
Daily Bible Studies
Not willing to leave the people to experience emotions without grounding them in the Word of God, they had Bible studies every day to ensure the revival had biblical roots. As the days went on, these daily Bible studies also grew in the number of attendees.
Baptisms
Ministry of Deliverance
As historic revivals are read and studied, it is often found that they were preceded by offensive attacks against the powers of darkness—specifically using the ministry of deliverance. Many of these revival accounts have been rewritten, intentionally omitting those occurrences. But if one looks deeply enough, it will be found that demonic manifestations were often seen and dealt with, prior to or during the revival itself. And this wasn’t only in jungles or among the “heathen”; it also occurred in revivals taking place in Europe and North America in the 1990s and later.
The ministry of deliverance was utilized during this revival as well, and it was what turned the page and opened the door for the power of God to flow.
Discerning of Spirits
The Holy Spirit identified several strong spirits affecting the area and He directed the people to renounce those spirits as they prayed. The main spirits were pride and unbelief. After those spirits were renounced, there was a tangible change in the atmosphere.
► The gift of discernment became profound, enabling believers to recognize what spirit was at work. When these spirits were called out and commanded to leave, there were immediate changes that were recognized in the people of the community.
► The aboriginal ancestral belief in god was shown in reality to be an antichrist spirit. When that spirit was exposed and rebuked, the fire of the Gospel spread even more intensely.
Demonization
During the Dan Armstrong meetings, the manifestations of demonic powers were pronounced:
► As people were set free from demonization, the shackles holding back revival were no longer in place.
► Demonic manifestations came whenever the services started.
► Dogs throughout the town would begin howling and fighting. The dogs would even come into the center of the open-air meeting area and begin fighting among themselves.
► Demons would begin to manifest through people (like in the Bible).
► Those with serious mental illnesses became much worse and would throw stones at the people during services, giving evidence that the mental illnesses were misdiagnosed, and these were really cases of demonization.
Meeting at the Ceremonial Grounds
The church scheduled a special meeting with Dan Armstrong to be conducted at the ceremonial grounds, where demonic activity was known to be very strong.
Before they got there, the entire team began to experience severe stomach cramps. Even though they were feeling sick, they went anyways, walking into that area singing the song, “In the Name of Jesus.”
Many strange manifestations began occurring with those who were demonized at this time (plus the howling, barking, and fighting of the dogs). But the Holy Spirit came and cleansed the area. Following this, many lukewarm Christians were revived, and many others came to Christ. Some of the locations where the revival spread
Vision During Men’s Gathering
There was a special prayer gathering of about 50 men, and during their time together, a passage from the Bible was read—1 Corinthians 1:26-29. Following that, the men began to cheer, shout, leap, and run around, saying:
God choose us!
Some heard angels singing.
A unifying feature of the Holy Spirit manifested itself, as the men began singing in tongues, uniting them all together as one.
An older man then shared a vision:
I saw all of us have a stick in our hand. We put the stick in the fire and the end of the stick was ignited. We all then began running, and wherever we ran, we were able to start fires.
Following the Dan Armstrong meetings, these men formed teams, and wherever these teams went, the revival fires would spread to all of those locations.
Though this church numbered about 200, filled with relatively poor people, they paid their own ways and travelled by boat, plane, or bus, to the entire region, and throughout Australia, spreading the revival’s fire.
Open-air meeting
The Revival Continued
By the end of 1979 the Elcho Islanders received numerous invitations from many parts of Australia to come and conduct or participate in meetings. Beginning in mid-1979, those ministry trips began, and they continued into the 1990s and beyond, igniting revival fires wherever they went. That ongoing story can be read in John Blacket’s book: Fire in the Outback.
Results of the Revival
► During the 6 weeks prior to Dan Armstrong’s arrival at Elcho Island, 200 adults had committed their lives to Christ.
► During the Armstrong meetings, another 200 made that commitment.
► During a short period of time after Armstrong left, another 50 converted to Christ.
► It wasn’t only Aboriginals that were being saved; it was also whites who made commitments to Christ.
► This was a total of at least 450 new Christians out of a total of around 1,200 living on the island, and this was in only 4 months.
► Marriages were restored.
► There was a love for everyone, and not just for those within their own tribes.
► The community was clean, as people disposed of their trash appropriately and began planting gardens.
► Alcohol use dropped.
► Gambling became almost non-existent.
► Relationships were healed.
► Marriages were reconciled and healed.
► Divisions in the culture began to be healed.
► People were happy.
► People in the community were singing, not just at night, but also during the day in their homes and along the streets.
► Just hearing the stories of what was happening in one place sparked the revival in the location where it was told.
► The health center reported far fewer than normal sicknesses. This was caused by • Elders praying for the sick, resulting in healings. • Reduction in substance abuse. • Inner healing of the mind by the Holy Spirit producing physical healing to the bodies.
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