Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world, on this the second day of 2021. May I ask… How has your new year begun? Anything already significant or dramatic in your life or in the part of the world where you live?
I’d like to use this Saturday edition of “Walking with Jesus” to cast some vision for 2021 and give you a glimpse into what God has done with this humble ministry, this past year of 2020. I think you’ll be encouraged and excited as you consider how you are part of something that’s impacting the world with the power of God’s Word! Are you ready…
1. As of today, “Walking with Jesus” is being received in 83 countries and 1809 cities by thousands of people! Especially outside the USA, most are gaining access to “WWJ” through our APP’s on their cell phones, especially for people who do not own or have access to personal computers!
While we produce “Walking with Jesus” in English, some people are using “Google Translate” or other software, to listen or read it in other languages around the world.
2. In many parts of the world governments track computer activity and web site access, thus our “Walking with Jesus” APP’s, especially for Android cell phones, provide some anonymity and security for our friends living in certain places who want to study God’s Word without government censorship.
I’m sure you know our world political systems well enough that you can guess where some of those nations are.
3. While English is the common global language for business, health care, travel, government and military dialogue, English is not the primary language for Billions of people, yet they hunger to learn English well.
“Walking with Jesus” is providing a remarkable, daily experience for people to learn English, both written and spoken, while at the same time leading them into the Bible and an encounter with Jesus!
4. In 2020 my “Walking with Jesus” partners developed a SECOND web site, featuring our VIDEO messages and teachings from God’s Word. We call it “Globally Walking with Jesus” and it is being used around the world in small group Bible studies and even some ministry training centers in places where formal Bible Schools or Seminaries are not available or not permitted.
We believe you may find resources here helpful. Here’s the web site link:
Globally Walking with Jesus YouTube
5. This past Summer God opened a new door of partnership with an African Pastor in Liberia and his rural Bible school for training African Pastors.
Through ZOOM, and in English, we’ve been engaging in some long distance training with this group of dear Christ followers, and my “Walking with Jesus” partners have established yet another web site specifically for these training sessions. More teachings will be added in 2021: Click to view the link —
PREPARING FOR THE MINISTRY
6. Daily I receive emails from people who are on the “Walking with Jesus” journey with us, often asking really deep spiritual questions, especially in places where churches are few.
Also, almost everyday, we have new people joining our journey! In this past year of such widespread COVID restrictions, God has used “Walking with Jesus” as a daily, friendly visit of encouragement, reflection and worship, for many people who have not been permitted to attend a church service for many months. Especially for many older folks who have been in various forms of ‘quarantine’, our daily visit together via “Walking with Jesus” has given them hope in their isolation.
So as you can see my friends, what began as a simple response to the request of a few friends to help them understand God’s Word, has been expanded by Jesus Himself, through His leading of several gifted people, to become a world wide reach of the Holy Spirit of God, to people of all ages, in over 80 countries! Only Jesus knows what He has planned for “Walking with Jesus” in 2021. Do you see how this is a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise: “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will NOT prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18)
We are excited and carefully listening to see what God will do next. We invite you to pray with us. Think about all the different places and different types of real life situations that God can reach into with “Walking with Jesus”… even into hospitals or nursing homes or college dorms or prison cells, despite COVID! Reaching to people in desperation in the middle of the night, people thinking of ending their lives, or leaving their spouse or abandoning their children. Reaching to people who have never believed in God, or people who have been devout at one time but have walked away from God, disappointed.
Only God knows what He has planned for “Walking with Jesus” in 2021 and we wait upon Him with expectation and excitement. Thank you for being on the journey with us, my friends, and I hope this has been encouraging to you today!
In closing today, let’s embrace this from God’s Word… Ephesians 3:14-21 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches God may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Jesus Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the LORD’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:14-21)
