God our heavenly father, the creator of heaven and earth, created you and me to have a relationship with us. However sin came into the world and separated us from the love of God. But God so loved us that he sent his Son, Jesus. Who came to save us from our sin by dying on the cross.
When Jesus died on the cross his blood was shed to wash away our sin. Our sin is washed away and now we are pure, white, like snow and again are back in relationship with God our heavenly father.
Simple, powerful, and yet so easily told without any words.
My name is Josephine and I’ve had the privilege of sharing this story, with more than 1000 people. My ‘greatest’ story started when I first encountered the Wordless Bible through Pastor Stewart Moncrieff when he was Senior Pastor of COC Eastcoast Church “under” Robina Town Centre, nearly 12 years ago.
In 2012 I had completed my first short term mission trip with TTN Ministries and in 2013 I was getting excited planning my 2nd missions trip with TTN Ministries. My 2012 trip was fabulously rewarding and life changing, but through my daily devotions, I told God of my desire to be prepared for my 2014 trip in a tangible, meaningful way.
God answered this desire of my heart, sparking in me a memory, a picture of the Wordless bible I had been given 12 years earlier. I have always kept my wordless bible, I was a young Christian when I got it and I liked its symbolism and simplicity. Whenever I ‘found’ it again the clarity of its message always immediately came to mind. I had found my tangible, meaningful way to be prepared for my trip and I began by writing my vision as a plan and continued to seek God in how to fulfil His purpose.
My prayer was that God would bless me with time, finance and resource to construct 500 wordless bibles. In 2012 I had made connections with three schools and together there were approximately 500 students. So my plans were to travel with enough wordless bibles to share one with every student. This was my ‘base’ plan but in my heart I was aiming for 1000, I wanted more than this 500 I knew I’d need. Suffice to say my work with scissors, material and the sewing machine started in earnest.
I shared my plan to be accountable and by the end of January (my 500 target date) I had achieved success. However, I really wanted to reach that 1000 mark! Each month the women of my church, Cityhope (Ipswich) meet as Soul Sisters. Through my daily devotions I really felt that God had spoken to me about being really good at doing things by myself however it was time for me to involve others, extend and initiate friendships and to share the “greatest story ever told” without words.
So I shared my Wordless bibles with Soul Sisters and my desire to make another 500 so that I could have 1000 wordless bibles to distribute during my time on mission with TTN Ministries.
Ladies volunteered, some made a “date” of getting together to do some sewing in fellowship, others we eager to get started and we shared different ‘wordless bibles’ construction methods.
Others professed a complete absence of any sewing ability but would check in with encouragement and before I had even left the country I had been blessed with an extension of my fellowship network and many words of encouragement and, praise God, 1200 wordless bibles!
My ‘greatest’ story began 12 years ago with 6 pieces of fabric sewn together.
Through a short term missions trip with TTN Ministries I have been able to share the “Greatest Story Ever Told” with over 1000 people. Children at Kangomba and Chankosa community schools all have their own wordless bible, women from Kangomba, Chankosa, Kabwe Chapel and Kalonga District all have their own wordless bible. Speaking at churches at Kangomba and Kapiri again I could share the greatest story ever told. Even photocopying my notes on the wordless bible in Kabwe I met the Police Chaplain for Kabwe Central so 200 new police recruits will have their own wordless bible.
In sharing this story I reinforced two purposes for this small, tangible object. Firstly its purpose as a reminder of God’s love for us (John 3:16) and for some it may be the only “word of God” they have direct, daily access to. Secondly, how easy it can be to share the love of God with other people. You don’t need a bible or a pulpit, a miraculous recovery or escape from the clutches of death, a neatly set out, researched sermon reserved for Sunday service.
All you need is the story God has put into your hand.
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