Year: October 194
Jonathan Goforth-45 years old
Jonathan Goforth's Journal
Every so often we came back to our base city, Changte to see how they were doing, if they needed help, or had questions. My family and the other missionaries stayed in Changte for about a month before visiting the other ten villages again.
The Apostle Paul did his work for Christ the same way. He went from one place to another telling everyone who would listen about the living God who loved them. He also made it a priority to revisit those new churches, to write them when he was away, and to help them in anyway they needed.
I set up a meeting to preach to anyone interested in Changte. A huge crowd came filling the seats, but one man caught my attention. He was young, about twenty or so. He appeared a well dressed, educated man. At the end of the service I asked if anyone had questions about believing in God, they could go to a side room that we had set up earlier.
Among the people who went was this young man. I squeezed through the crowd to get into the room to speak with him. I saw him sitting in a corner and joined him. "My name is Jonathan Goforth."
He bowed. "My name is Chang-san."
"You look like an educated young man," I said. "What drew you to this meeting."
Chang-san smiled just a little. "The music. I heard the music and wanted to see what was going on."
"That is wonderful. So, would you like me to tell you more about the living God?"
"Yes, please."
He sat there and listened to me talk about Jesus, God's Son who left heaven to live here with us for a time. He taught us what God expects while He was here. When He finished His work, Jesus paid the price for all our sins by giving up his life in a terrible death on a cross. As the only perfect one who has never sinned, Jesus was the only one who could take our punishment. I answered all his question and waited for him to ask more. When he didn't have any more questions, I asked if he wanted to place his faith in Jesus, the son of God, the One who loved every person so much that He gave his life to pay for our sins then rose from death and went to heaven. All of this was done so that we could live forever in heaven.
Chang-san said yes then asked me to help him pray.
I did.
And he asked Jesus to be his Savior.
But this is not the end of his story. Life was not easy for the Chinese who believed in God. There is more to Chang-san's story.
Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.
Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.
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