, Canada,

February 16. Jonathan Goforth. Goforth was the first missionary from Canada to go to with his wife. He became the most well-known missionary revivalist in the early twentieth century and changed the way missionary work was accomplished in China.

In 1900, the broke out. A group called the “Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists” comprised huge numbers of violent villagers who turned on foreign Christian and diplomats. They slaughtered 32,000 Chinese Christians and 188 missionaries and their families. Goforth was struck with a sword, but he and Rosalind were able to flee to safety.

They finally made it back to Canada. Sadly, once there, Goforth found that love of the world had invaded many churches, and few people there cared much about unsaved people in China.

But when he returned to China, he met daily with other missionaries to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. He said, “Normal Christianity, as is planned by our Lord, was not supposed to begin in the Spirit and continue in the flesh. In the building of His temple it never was by might nor by power, but always by His Spirit.” On this date in 1910, Goforth led 900 people to seek God in prayer.

Sometimes, the message transforms the messenger.

In the late 1880s, Goforth and his missionary party traveled through the Chinese mountains to share the message of Jesus with every Chinese person they came across—many of whom had never heard the name of Jesus.

But the road ahead of the missionaries was more than 200 miles long and dangerous. wrote to Goforth that where he was headed was “one of the most antiforeign provinces in China … Brother, if you would enter that province, you must go forward on your knees.”

Goforth did need help—a guide and animals to carry their belongings across the mountains. So they stopped off in a rundown village.

In that village, Goforth hired Mr. Doong—an aging, uneducated farmer—and his yaks to guide the missionary party across the mountains. Doong had been part of a travelling theatrical company, “lived a low life,” and was addicted to opium. But he was happy to take on the work, as he had to feed: “five sons and their wives and children and some of their grandsons’ wives and their children.” Every day, Goforth and his party stopped at noon and at evening to preach to anyone they could find. Doong didn’t understand much of what these strange foreigners said, except for one thing: Goforth claimed that Doong’s gods were not gods at all.

Doong was terrified. He began counting down the days until his goddess struck down the whole party for Goforth’s blasphemy.

As soon as Doong saw Goforth and his team safely to their destination, he fled their company.

But a few weeks later, when Doong visited another city, he happened to meet Goforth again, still preaching against the local gods. Nothing had happened to Goforth. Doong started to wonder if Goforth were telling the truth. What if Goforth’s God were the real God?

After that, Doong took every opportunity to hear what Goforth had to say about Jesus and the Bible. For the first time, Doong felt peace and joy. Fear was gone. Love poured in.

When Doong got back to his village, he destroyed his family’s idols. His family and neighbors were horrified, and they expected their gods to deliver a painful death to Doong.

But it never came. Next, Doong prayed for freedom from opium, and Doong’s new God set him free, without the use of medicine.

Hungry to know more about his new God, Doong went to the mission. Goforth doubted whether he could teach the very old, illiterate farmer how to read, but Doong was so eager to learn that, with God’s help, he read through the entire Chinese New Testament in just a few weeks and understood its meaning. A few months later, Doong had mastered all the characters in the Chinese New Testament.

Three years later, Doong had profoundly impacted many missionaries and Chinese Christians with his love for Jesus. Although he lacked the education others possessed, “his beautiful spirit, so gentle, and so full of love to all with whom he came in contact” won over everyone he met. Goforth didn’t hesitate to appoint Doong as an evangelist in his organization, the Canadian Presbyterian Mission. For wherever Doong went, many believed in Jesus. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NIV).

Are you asking God to bring you divine appointments today? Sometimes, the message transforms the messenger.

Bach, Thomas John. “Jonathan Goforth, Radiant Soul-Winner of North China.” Missionary Biographies. Accessed October 1, 2020. Wholesome Words Home. https://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/bgoforth4. html. Goforth, Rosalind. Goforth of China. London & Edinburgh: Marshall, Morgan and Scott, Ltd., 1937. Goforth, Rosalind. Chinese Diamonds for the King of Kings. : Evangelical Publishers Incorporated, 1920. Goforth, Jonathon. “By My Spirit.” Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, June 7, 2015.

Story read by Nathan Walker