2023 Summer Sower by Bible Society Australia

Sower.

SUMMER 2023 BIBLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA

ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

Dear reader, In the lead up to Christmas, the stories in this edition of Sower all point to how important it is to ‘Illuminate God’s Word’ for our neighbours living in Oceania. This is particularly relevant as we get ready to celebrate Jesus, the ultimate Light of the World! Our brothers and sisters in the South Pacific and Papua New Guinea are hungry for God’s word yet are living with much greater daily challenges than you and I, such as the lack of reliable electricity, dated and slow computers and IT equipment, and limited connectivity online. They literally need our support to ‘turn on the lights’, as they work to translate and distribute God’s word. As you read the story of these Bible translators in this edition, I hope you are encouraged by the impact you are already having in their lives, through your support of Bible Society, and the Oceania Alliance. Elder Yama, the 73-yearold translator working on the Futuna Bible in Vanuatu, received a new laptop computer, and wants us to know that “This has not only provided us with the means to translate the Bible, but it has also instilled hope and inspiration within our community. It serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our efforts to preserve God’s holy word. Your support has encouraged us to continue our work with renewed determination and enthusiasm.” Praise God! Or as Elder Yama says, Preisem Masta!

New Guinea, who longs for her people to be transformed as God’s word is illuminated in their lives. Kata knows that when the teachings of Jesus are put into practice, lives are changed. Friends, this is what is happening already in her village! Bible Society is helping to distribute audio Bibles to Kata’s people, along with vital health messages. Read all about the impact this is having and be encouraged. Also in this edition of Sower is a snapshot of our Annual Impact Report for 2022-2023, which we’ve recently released. I hope that as you take a quick look at the global reach of Bible Society’s mission, you’ll be even more encouraged by the impact in individuals’ lives. Friends, I pray that you will be as encouraged as I am by the opportunity to Open The Bible — to illuminate God’s word — for our brothers and sisters living in the Oceania region. They are longing for God’s word: in their language, in their hands, and in their hearts. I find this verse from the Psalms so encouraging and relevant for the work we are doing in Oceania, trusting in God’s sustaining love for us, and his power to act in our lives. I hope you draw encouragement from it too: "You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light" Psalm 18:28 (NIV).

You’ll also hear from Kata, a faithful Chrisitan woman living in a remote village of Papua

IN GOD'S SERVICE,

Grant Thomson

CEO, BIBLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA

BIBLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA

“THIS HAS NOT ONLY PROVIDED US WITH THE MEANS TO TRANSLATE THE BIBLE, BUT IT HAS ALSO INSTILLED HOPE AND INSPIRATION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.”

Sower – Summer Edition 2023 Published by Bible Society Australia.

GPO Box 4161 Sydney NSW 2001

biblesociety.org.au 1300 BIBLES (1300 242 537) ISSN: 1839-7425

ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28 (NIV)

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ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

Futuna Bible translator, Elder Yama with his new laptop from BSA

Bible translators receive support, hope and inspiration

or those living in Vanuatu, and other South Pacific Island nations, God’s word is a treasure, and is acknowledged as a valuable source of wisdom and life. People show an amazing commitment and enthusiasm for translating God’s word into their own languages, yet need a lot of support. "These Bible translations aren’t about evangelism in the way we often think about it,” says Dr Sam Freney, Bible Translation Consultant, who recently returned from a visit to Vanuatu where the churches are strong, the culture is Christian, and people have access to the Bible in English

and in Bislama. Sam explains, “These projects

aren’t for an unreached people who need the Bible translated so they can hear about the Gospel. Rather, they're about providing God’s word for Christians in their own contexts and communities so they can understand more deeply — it’s an exercise of discipleship, of encouraging Christian people in the language of their people.” In this region there are hundreds of languages without the Bible, and more which are crying out for contemporary revisions. Geoffry Miller, General Secretary of the Bible Society of the

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South Pacific (BSSP) reports, “This year we have looked at expanding our translation work and that resulted in the addition of a few possible translation projects. The team is still working around the clock looking into other island countries with remaining languages that still do not have a Bible. We are going to target them by translating portions, that is, certain books of the Bible.” In response to requests from community leaders, BSSP currently have translation projects underway in Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, in multiple languages. Similarly, Bible Society Papua New Guinea (BSPNG) have a project revising the popular Tok Pisin Bible, and another supporting Bible translators in other languages which currently have no Bible. In each case it is the speakers of these languages who desperately want the Bible in their language. So, Bible Society is working to support the translation efforts, providing consultant checking of draft translations, as well as helping to resource translation efforts, with pens, paper, computers, laptops, electricity and connectivity. Geoffry reports that, “We had to work with infrastructure; there are a lot of needs around the Pacific, and they had to be taken care of. One was the computers. We are so blessed through the Bible Society Oceania Alliance. Through it, computers were delivered to translators in the South Pacific.”

Translation visit to Vanuatu During the recent trip to Vanuatu, Dr Sam Freney and staff from the Bible Society of the South Pacific travelled between communities who are actively working on translating or revising the Bible in their languages. Each of these language groups value God’s word so much that they have committed their time and energy into ensuring their people can access it in their heart languages. Lelepa is a small island on the north-west of Efate, where a group of elders in the church are working on a Bible translation. During Sam’s visit

with the BSSP team, the Lelepa translators were gathered in a room with pens and exercise books, drafting and editing translations of Matthew, James, Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians. “The team would love to be able to share a laptop between them with multiple accounts,” Sam says, “So they can collaborate with reviewing, checking and sharing their work.” Currently the only computer is that of the lead translator, which is often not available for the work because of his other responsibilities. “I might be able to include my daughter in the translation work, as a typist,” one of the older women working on the translation said, “if we had a computer.” This is an appealing thought for the team, as it would both involve the next generation in the work of Bible translation, as well as ensure the translation drafts can be shared and backed up electronically. The Futuna Bible translation is another project in Vanuatu being supported by Bible Society. The lead translator in the project is 73-year-old Elder Yama, who has already drafted the four Gospels in the last four years. “After I retired, I was interested in doing Bible translation work. I bought a copy of the Futuna Scriptures translated by the early missionaries and presented it to the Bible Society for scanning.” Once the Futuna Scriptures were scanned, Elder Yama began his translation work. “Rev Apenisa came to Vanuatu and ran a Paratext [Bible translation software] workshop. I had my old laptop with me during that training — about five years ago — and had the Paratext program installed in it for translation work. But lately it started giving me lots of problems.” Rev Apenisa, Translation Advisor for BSSP, continues to work regularly with Elder Yama, mostly over Zoom during their translation checking sessions. “I found that Elder Yama’s computer was very slow, and it can be really frustrating for him. We prayed often that he could get a replacement laptop, as soon as possible.” This prayer was answered by the support of the Oceania Alliance, which provided much needed IT supplies and assistance for Bible translation work in the South Pacific. cont pg. 8

ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

Rev Apenisa recalls, “After handing over the new laptop to Elder Yama at the airport, we met up again at the bookshop in town to set it up ready for work.” Elder Yama was overjoyed with the new laptop, saying, “I am so grateful for the new laptop computer. Preisem Masta [Praise God]!” “The provision of the laptop computer to assist in the written record of translation of the Bible from English into the Futuna language is very much appreciated,” Elder Yama wrote in a letter of thanks.

“This has not only provided us with the means to translate the Bible, but it has also instilled hope and inspiration within our community. It serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our efforts to preserve God’s holy word. Your support has encouraged us to continue our work with renewed determination and enthusiasm.” Another one of the remote villages Sam and Pastor Daniel from BSSP visited was Tasiriki, on the island of Santo, where the language of Akei is fairly widely spoken in the region. The visit was to investigate the possibility of a new translation project which Bible Society could support. “It’s a four-hour trip on rough roads in a Landcruiser,” Sam relates, “and you hope it doesn’t rain so you can get across the river crossings.” When the Bible Society team arrived, they discovered that the local elders had already started translation work by themselves, revising the Bible in their language. “They worked on some old translations — from 1904 and 1908 — of a few Gospels and Genesis. They got together, wrote a verse up on a blackboard, looked at the Good News Version and the Revised Standard Version to work out the meaning, and then worked at revising the language to be more modern,” Sam explains. “They made up the process themselves, but it’s exactly what we would have advised them to do. They worked their way through a couple of Gospels, and

then got to the point where they realised there’s no way a little remote village church could fund the printing of their work, so they stopped, waiting and hoping for outside assistance.” Sam and the BSSP team talked with the elders about translation, the process, and the need to check the translation with other communities and different parts of the same community (defined by age, gender, church, etc.). “They were very keen to get going on translation, both at Tasiriki and also at another village about 30 minutes walk away,” Sam recalls. “We said that we’d go away and talk to the Bible Society about starting a translation project there, and they needed to go and form a translation committee, work out who would be translators, who would be reviewers, and various other roles.” Thinking they had set a future plan — with quite a bit of work — into motion, Sam and the team were surprised again by the commitment and passion of this group of elders. “They came back ten minutes later with two lists of committees, one for the Akei language in Tasiriki, the other for a related dialect in the neighbouring village. So … the next day we started some translation training!” As with many of these translation projects, this one poses many logistical difficulties. Sam explains, “Phone service is solar powered. No-one has laptops. Getting there is difficult, and not feasible in poor weather. But the people are incredibly keen.” If you would like to support translation projects in Oceania like these, please visit biblesociety.org. au/sow to give the means, hope and inspiration to these dedicated local translators.

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WILL YOU HELP ILLUMINATE GOD’S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA? EVERY $45 COULD SUPPORT CHURCH LEADERS IN TONGA

EVERY $80 COULD HELP TO LITERALLY KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

for Bible translators in Papua New Guinea by ensuring reliable as they unite to work on the new

electricity supply through solar

Tongan Bible translation that

power or generators…

they pray will help transform their communities…

EVERY $130 COULD GROW BIBLE SOCIETY TEAMS ACROSS 17 NATIONS with technical support, greater skills and practical resources to reach more than 2.8 million people with the Gospel…

Donate today at: biblesociety.org.au/sow

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Audio Bibles growing faith and renewing lives in PNG

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ata, who lives in a village in remote Papua New Guinea (PNG), carries with her a very old and worn-out Bible, with tattered edges and dirt from fingering the pages. A Bible like Kata’s is very valuable to people in the villages. “Bibles are expensive in PNG, and they can only get them from the town, which is three to five hours drive away,” Sara from Living Child Inc. explains. Bible Society Australia and MegaVoice Australia are working in partnership with Living Child, serving communities in remote areas of East Sepik Province with healthcare for maternal and newborn baby care and God’s word. Because of the low levels of education in these remote villages, MegaVoice’s audio Bible devices are uniquely suitable to Open The Bible with those desperate for God’s life-changing message. This project initially aims to reach the 40,000 people living in the Keram area, across 50 villages. Kata shared with Sara, “I feel that the church in my village is not strong, families are not attending.” In March this year, other women from Kata’s village also shared many stories of problems with drunkenness, gambling and violence. Yet Kata is convinced that if people began to attend church, if they started to read their Bible and put into practice the teachings of Jesus, this would make a difference. Sara explains, “Having an audio Bible helps the people

have access to the word, in their language. I’m excited to see the impact of having an audio Bible in every household.” When speaking to Sara, Kata said,

“Audio Bibles will help people get back to the word of God.” Living Child is working with the Melanesian Evangelical Churches of Christ (MECOC) with local Sepik-based women to develop culturally appropriate health information. They’re providing essential equipment for mothers and childbirth to support frontline maternity health workers, as well as a boat and motor for transport. “When I first went to one village eleven years ago,” Sara recalls, “the older women came to me at the end of my stay there and told me that God had sent me to their village and that they had been praying and asking him to help them.” Sara recalls that one of the women gave her a big hug, and held her close, which is unusual in Melanesian culture. “She spoke in her local tongue, thanking God for sending a midwife to help them.” Through the work of Living Child, in 2023 people in five villages are receiving God’s word in their language. This goal has been to give each of the 1,000 households in these villages access to the audio Bible in Tok Pisin, along with the health training material. The Church of Christ has 125

cont pg. 12

ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

churches in the Ramu and Keram river areas. Their leader, Pastor Yabru Jerry has opened the door for the work, and the project works closely with the church leadership, who are the starting point of work in any village. Since the program started in the villages, church leaders have observed that the mothers are getting together every week to pray together and that they are attending church. As a result, the men of the villages are following the mothers to church.

“The church is growing because of the project,” Sara says, “as the people have access to the audio players with the Bible in Tok Pisin.”

This growth can be seen at the individual level too. In December 2020 a village man named John was baptised by the Church of Christ pastors in the Yame. At his baptism he acknowledged, “I am now surrendering my life to Jesus, and being reborn.” John’s faith and new life were soon tested with a violent incident in the village. The flower fence lines — part of the project — were vandalised by a local man and his family members. John was understandably very upset by this. “My old self would have got 'my boys’ and gone over to this man and killed him and fought with the other men,” John admitted. “But since I am now a follower of Jesus, I prayed.” John and the others came up with a peaceful solution; there was no violence.

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When Sara visited Yamen in March, she says, “The offending man came up to me and offered his sincere apologies. He said it will never happen again and that he has surrendered himself to Jesus now too.” A pastor from Australia who is also involved in the work, Pastor Mike Bullard, commented, “There is something different in this man and his wife now. We could see that he was transformed through faith.” John also continues to grow in his faith. “He is a man of incredible wisdom and gentle leadership. I always seek his wisdom and insights into how to proceed with the projects,” says Sara. The needs of these people are great, and so is the impact this project is having. Sara says,

“The people in the remote villages are hungry for education and for the word of God.” These people in remote PNG know what they need: they want to learn to read and write, they want to learn how to care for their families well, they want to learn new skills so that they can find a way to earn an income to support their children to go to school. To donate to the work of distributing audio Bibles in Tok Pisin, along with much needed health messages, please visit biblesociety.org.au/sow.

ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

Desperate hands receive Bibles in the Solomon Islands

cross the Oceania region, the opportunity to lighten lives with God’s word is immense. The Bible already has a place in so many of these cultures, and people are crying out for God’s word: in their language, in their hands, in their hearts, and in their lives.

At the pub, at the prisons, at the hospitals, the schools, in out of the way hard to reach places, at the top of mountains and everywhere else, people desperately and gratefully receive a Bible ... and need a Bible.”

“Multitudes of people need the Bible. Multitudes desire a Bible. There are desperate hands reaching out everywhere for a Bible,”

Bible Society Oceania is working to meet the need for Bibles in the region. For two years, due to the global pandemic, the supply of printed Bibles was brought to a standstill. Shelves were empty of Bibles, and with shipping affected so badly, no new Bibles were able to make it through.

says Canadian ‘Bibles for the Poor’ missionary Dave Dever, who, together with Bible Society, has distributed Bibles in the Solomon Islands for over 20 years. “The Solomon Islands is the most needy country for Bibles that I know of,” Dave says. “In all my years of giving Bibles out, only one lady in a shop has ever said ‘no’ to a Bible.

However, from 2019, Bible Society South Pacific faithfully kept stock of Bibles ready for the ‘Bibles for the Poor’ ministry. When the ‘Bibles for the Poor’ team were able to visit this July, there were 960 Bibles in Pijin and 1,200 Good News Bibles subsidised and ready for the distribution work. They were so gratefully received, by so many.

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“So many have faith and almost everyone is open to the Gospel, even the Devil Priests on Malaita island and the cult on Rendova island,” says Dave, describing the great desire for Bibles.

“I can see the desperate faces, and the gratitude on their faces, as they receive their Bibles.” Dave and his team spent two weeks in the Solomon Islands. “We gave out Bibles, and Jesus films, and church history books almost every day,” he says. “A patient advocate team accompanied us around the hospital, handing Bibles out to patients. At a Bible camp, all the students got Bibles, as did graduates at a school. We also gave some Bibles out on the street in Honiara.” Dave was given a special edition of the Jesus film with sign language, “So I asked God to send a deaf person.” In God's perfect timing, Dave recalls, “This deaf woman just showed up; those around us had never seen her before. She wrote out her name, and as I sometimes do — because the people love it — I said, ‘Here is another name for you as well’, and I wrote out the name ‘Beautiful’. She had this big smile; she really lit up. It was an amazing moment.” This large distribution effort, and the Bibles kept in reserve for it, meant that Bible Society in the Solomon Islands were in need of more Bibles. Thanks to the capacity building work of the Oceania Alliance, Bible Society of the South Pacific in Suva received more Bibles into stock and were able to supply a bookshop in Honiara with 1,500 copies of the Good News Bible and 500 copies for the mission work of Bible Society Solomon Islands, to keep the operations going. After Dave returned home from the Solomon Islands, he said, “I envisioned thousands of Solomon Islanders receiving a Bible. I do not know how this will happen, but I do know God wants it to happen.”

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Pray With Us Please join us in praying for our Bible Society mission partners in the South Pacific and Papua New Guinea. Pray for them as they seek to illuminate God’s word across Oceania through their Bible distribution and Bible engagement work as well as efforts to translate the Bible into heart languages across this region.

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Vanuatu

Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Pray for all Bible translators and consultants as they progress the Bible translation work in Vanuatu. Pray for the team's wisdom, strength, passion and commitment as they translate God's word accurately in their heart languages. Pray also for the work to relocate Bible Society South Pacific's (BSSP) headquarters to Vanuatu. Thank God for the national collaboration and regional cooperation that supports this work to expand BSSP reach around this region.

Please pray for the work BSA and MegaVoice Australia are doing in partnership in remote PNG villages, distributing the Bible in Tok Pisin on audio players. Pray that the partnership with Living Child, and the unified message of mother and child healthcare along with the word of God, would continue to have a lasting impact in the lives of villagers.

Tonga Please pray for the successful completion of the new Tongan Contemporary Bible which will include the deuterocanonical books for the benefit of the Catholic congregations, and for the revision work being done on the old translation, the Tongan Bible West. Pray for members of the project; for their translation advisor who is battling illness, the translation team, and the church representatives in Tonga, that the project will receive its much needed support.

New Caledonia Please pray for the work of Bible translation in New Caledonia, on new translations and revisions of the Bible which will also be published electronically to reach a greater audience. Please pray for the communities and churches in New Caledonia, pray for Bible engagement programs to encourage a daily reading of God's word.

Thank God for the work Bible Society PNG is doing to support Bible translation into the Magi, Gogoadala, Vulaa, Yuna, Pa, Aekom and Motu languages. Pray for a translation consultant for this project and that the dedicated members of this project remain strong in their faith and energy.

Samoa Pray for unity during the review of 12 Old Testament books in the Samoan contemporary Bible translation project. Pray that this meaningbased translation would transform lives in Samoa and equip the Church for the new Samoan generation.

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Millions of Christians across the Oceania are passionate about following Jesus, but they need support and resources to grow spiritually. Your donation will help our Oceania mission partners distribute Bibles, advance Bible translation work, and spread the Gospel to remote areas in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific.

Donate today at biblesociety.org.au/sow

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Annual Impact Report FY 2022-23 At Bible Society Australia, we translate the Bible into the world's languages, help Open The Bible to all people, promote the beauty and power of God’s word and provide Bibles to those who want one.

In FY 2022-23, we internationally partnered with: •

8 Bible Societies to support 15 Bible translation projects.

•

27 Bible Societies and mission organisations to support 19 literacy projects, 4 trauma healing projects and 10 specialised Bible engagement projects.

•

9 Bible Societies in 6 Advocacy and Capacity Building projects, 5 emergency response projects, and with the United Bible Societies (UBS) in 3 projects building the capacity of literacy work around the UBS world.

•

10 Bible Societies and Christian mission organisations in 11 Bible Distribution projects around the world.

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Language - we translate the Bible into the world's languages

Advocacy - we promote the beauty and power of God’s word

In Papua New Guinea, a Bible translation project to renew the Tok Pisin Bible already has 15% of the Old Testament books revised and 100% of the book of Romans reviewed.

In China, 9,442 Christian leaders have been equipped with Scripture resources, through which 1.5 million Christians will be impacted.

Engagement - we help people Open The Bible

Distribution - we provide Bibles to those who want one

In a Mozambique Bible-based literacy project, 1,109 students learnt to read and write, and 72% now read their Bible more than once a week.

In Kenya, 48,897 children in 112 schools were impacted as they received Scripture (Bibles, New Testaments, and Scripture portions).

To learn more, visit biblesociety.org.au

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Meeting a hunger for God’s word in remote Arnhem Land

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First Nations Christians are receiving and engaging with Scripture in a way that is meaningful and transformative through Bible Society’s Indigenous Scripture Grants Program. •

11,177 Bibles and Scripture portions were distributed to Indigenous communities between July 2022 and June 2023.

•

Approximately 1,400 people live in Milingimbi, an island community just off the North-East coast of Arnhem Land.

“We need Bibles and Scripture resources for the whole Indigenous Community,” says Sally Hawkins who, together with her husband Ed, are missionaries with Pioneers Australia and live in the remote community of Milingimbi. Sally is incredibly thankful for the Bible resources sent through BSA’s Scripture Grant. “The resources have been devoured by people here,” she says. The resources were a great blessing to the Yolŋu pastors, Peter and Melissa (pictured above), as well as to the children and youth and Elizabeth (a Wangurri speaker), who received the Gospel of Mark in Wangurri, and her own copy of the Djambarrpuyŋu New Testament. To find out more, visit biblesociety.org.au/blog

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Expressing God’s love, compassion and healing power

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Bible Society Syria continues to provide a platform for individuals to process their emotions, find support, and develop an ability simply to cope with the challenges of war through trauma healing workshops. • • •

6.9 million people are internally displaced in Syria after 12 years of war. 300 children and 133 parents were reached in the last six months of 2022. 6 workshops were run following the earthquake in February for churches and school shelter workers on self-care, first aid psychological response, and psychological and spiritual security.

“... we are seeking to express the very essence of God’s love, compassion, and healing power. Participants found comfort in the words of Psalm 34:17, ‘The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles’,” explained a Bible Society Syria staff member. At the beginning of each workshop Bible Society in Syria presented each participant with a personal copy of the Bible, praying that the word of God will foster spiritual support alongside the psychological guidance offered. To find out more, visit biblesociety.org.au/blog

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THE ORDINARY WONDERS THAT GIVE ME BELIEF, LIKE THE DAWN OF EACH DAY

Emma Wilkins is a Tasmanian journalist and freelance writer, and a Fellow of the Centre for Public Christianity.

I often wonder how things would appear if I first encountered them in adulthood.

It also happens when I struggle to tell identical twins apart. It wouldn’t make much sense if I’d never seen or heard of this phenomenon.

It happens every time I witness fireworks. If I heard monstrous booms and cracks one night, saw massive bursts of colour exploding in the sky, what would I think? Maybe that the world had ended or aliens were invading.

This article first appeared in The Age on 12 September, 2022.

Or what if I encountered a machine that moves through sky, not knowing what it was. Climbing aboard, not realising I was about to fly, then takeoff – it’s hard to know if I would faint with fear or feel delight.

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If I knew nothing about pregnancy, it would take some convincing to assure me that an entire separate person can begin to live and grow in a woman’s body. I can’t remember the first time I discovered fireworks, a twin, an aeroplane or a pregnant mum. My forgetfulness amazes me as well. It speaks of how easily memories can be lost, and how accepting kids can be – how accustomed to absorbing information that is strange, that seems to make no sense.

But what if evidence abounds? If the problem is we’re just so used to it? Some marvels are easier to take for granted, accept and overlook, than others. There’s something about the dawn of a day and its closing that, however ‘normal’, moves me still. Years ago I memorised some verses from an ancient psalm. Now almost every time I watch the sun spilling paint across the sky, they come to mind.

Another thing I wonder: precisely when did I first realise I would die? My loved ones, strangers, too. It’s a moment I’m surprised I would forget.

Psalm 19 says that the heavens declare the glory of God; that the skies proclaim the work of his hands; that day after day and night after night, they pour forth speech and knowledge.

I suppose the truth dawned gradually. Perhaps I didn’t understand at first, and then was sceptical, then came around. What a thing that death seems normal now. Or believable, at least.

Sometimes the sky is just so beautiful I can’t imagine anyone, anywhere, could see it and not feel a sense of awe. Colours spread and glow, they pulse and change, I drink them in and drink them up.

I’ve heard that when atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell was asked what he would say if he encountered God after dying, he famously replied: “You didn’t give us enough evidence!”

Find out more about CPX at: publicchristianity.org

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Faith Stories Edgar’s story is part of Eternity’s Faith Stories series, compiled by Naomi Reed.

‘GOD WILL MAKE HIS LOVE AND GOSPEL SHINE, IN THE RIGHT TIME’

I became a Christian when I was at university in Mexico. At the time, I was studying mechatronic engineering, and I was living with my older brother in a shared house in Ciudad del Carmen. It was a good time. We were partying, hanging out with friends, like uni students do. Then, my brother actually became a Christian. It was a really sudden change in him. He started reading the Bible, listening to sermons, going to church. It really intrigued me. Before that, I hadn’t been thinking about religion. I had no questions about life or faith, nothing. I didn’t ever think about it. Then my brother invited me to his church a couple of times. I went with him, and I heard the Gospel. I heard

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about Jesus. But I didn’t understand it. I told my brother I didn’t get it. But he was persistent. He kept inviting me to church. I kept telling him that I wasn’t interested, and I wasn’t getting anything out of it. It was as if my eyes were closed. That went on for months. Anyway, one day, we were alone at home. My brother approached me with almost tears in his eyes. He looked very troubled. He said, “Edgar, I really need you to listen to me.” He wanted to tell me about Jesus again. I said, “But I just don’t get it. I don’t feel what you feel. I don’t see what you see.” Then he said, “Just let me pray for you.” I said, “Ok, you can pray for me.” My brother laid his hand on my shoulder, and he prayed for me. As he prayed, it was like a switch turned on. I felt a warm feeling in my heart. I had this awareness of God, of the Lord Jesus. From that day on, I was able to feel what my brother was feeling. I could see what he could see. We began to go to church together. We read the Bible together. There was a hunger in me to learn more about Jesus. I had that hunger so vividly from that time on. I was 23.

Jesus didn’t do any miracles in Nazareth, because the people didn’t believe he could do it. It really challenged me. It was God speaking to me. I knew I had to step out in faith and believe that God would open the door. I applied for Bible College … and I got a scholarship! I was able to study at Bible College and I got my Bachelor of Theology. It made a big impact on my life and faith. I also got to be part of an international small group, doing discipleship with Christians from around the world which really encouraged me. I also met my wife at Bible College, who was from Kenya! We got married five months ago. Our plan is to go back to Mexico with a mission agency. But I have to tell you one more thing. It happened on Sunday. My younger brother (in Mexico) has always been uninterested in Christianity. My older brother and I have been praying for him for 8 years now. It has been a really long time of praying. But just last week, my younger brother actually went to church with my older brother, for the first time! It made me feel very encouraged. I know it’s hard to pray for family members for a long time. But God will make his love and Gospel shine, in the right time.

Three years later, I came to Australia to do a Mechanic course in Melbourne. When I finished, I felt that God was leading me to go to Bible College, to go deeper in the Bible. I went to the open day at college, and I made inquiries, but then I found out about the price. It was a lot of money to study at Bible College! I was discouraged. I knew I couldn’t afford it. I was only working part time because I was studying. But then I went to church that Sunday and I heard a short message from Matthew 13:58. “Jesus did not do many miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith.”

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ILLUMINATE GOD'S WORD ACROSS OCEANIA

The Unchanging, Living Word of God Join with us for this devotion series written by Bible Society South Pacific (BSSP) staff on “The Unchanging, Living Word of God”. BSSP General Secretary, Geoffry Miller, reminds us that God’s word is the light and life of mankind. Rev. Apenisa reminds us that whatever season of life we’re in, God’s word can speak into it.

Day 1 John 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Geoffry: The Word was in the beginning and preceded all creation. Before anything was ever created or made, the Word was. The Word was with God and was actively and directly involved when God created the heavens, the earth, and all living things. The Word was God, and God was the Word, they are one. A believer can and will always find God when he or she believes, obeys, and lives by the Word. God can be known and revealed through the Word. Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank you for the Living, Creating, and Sustaining Word. The Word that was before creation, and the Revealer of God to mankind. Help me Lord, to know you and draw closer to you through your Word.

Day 2 Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Geoffry: The Bible in Ephesians 6 tells us that every Christian is engaged in a spiritual battle and therefore needs the proper armour or attire to be able to stay in the fight and win. Out of the six pieces of armour a Christian must wear to be safe against the enemy’s attack, the Sword of the Spirit may appear to be the only armour that can be used as a weapon. Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit in the desert when Satan tempted him (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus quoted the exact words of Scripture, and the Word of God is active and alive (Hebrews 4:12). Refrain from attempting to deal with spiritual attacks in a human way. Just speak out loud the Word of God to the unseen world. It will put the enemy to flight and help you overcome. Today, start using this powerful weapon that God has given you. Prayer: Dear Lord, help me today to wear the full armour of God — by walking closely in fellowship with Christ as his disciple. Thank you for the Sword of the Spirit, your living Word, and for challenging me afresh today on how I should make good use of it in my everyday spiritual battles. Amen!

BIBLE SOCIETY AUSTRALIA

Day 3

Day 4

1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) Like new-born infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation."

Proverbs 30:5 (ESV) Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Rev. Apenisa: Do you have a deep desire for the Word of God? Is it part of your goal in this season to deal with certain issues in life which frequently draw you away from having this desire for God?

Rev. Apenisa: Our Bible verse today reminds us afresh that every Word of God is tried. Yes! Every promise of God proves true, and he does protect everyone who run to him for help.

Milk is an essential need for growth in every new-born infant, and so is spiritual milk, the Word of God, an essential need for new believers. God’s purpose is for every believer to grow up healthy and strong in the Lord, and the Bible is his provision to make this possible. Our attitude must be right, hence if we are like new-born infants, we are so dependent on milk, and that is how I think this passage of Scripture wants us to be — with an attitude of full dependence on God’s Word. When we do that and allow his Spirit to transform our lives, those issues that may have been side-tracking us (deceit, malice, hypocrisy, envy, etc.) will slowly ebb away. Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to feed regularly on God’s Word today. I honestly don’t want to be called a ‘turtle Christian’ — as someone who lives for many days without spiritual food. I pray that you grant me the desire for the spiritual milk of your Word, that by it I may grow healthy and strong. Amen!

In John 6, when many people were leaving Jesus, Peter’s response to Jesus’ question was, “Of whom shall we go, for you O Lord have the Words of eternal life” (v 68). Peter later denied Jesus three times during Jesus’ arrest (Luke 22:54-62) where it appears that Peter failed badly. It seemed that Peter’s self-confidence had melted away. But was that the end of Peter’s spiritual journey? No! The Lord Jesus finally found Peter and brought him back again (John 21:9-19). He repented, came back strongly and became a pillar of the Church. Have you failed too? There is a way back again as God is always true to his Word and is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Prayer: I thank you O Lord for your love, grace and mercy. ‘Of whom shall I go, for you O Lord Jesus have the words of eternal life’. Help me to remind myself and to remind others that failure is never the end but can be just the beginning of a very fruitful ministry that brings praise to your name. Amen!