Transforming lives, churches,
communities
What do we expect to see happen through Rooted in Jesus groups? Three
things. These are all testimonies which group leaders have shared with us:
1. Changed lives
Testimonies from the Dioceses of Mount
Kilimanjaro and Kiteto, Tanzania:
Simon Msonde
- “Before to receive my life to Jesus I had one big problem, my problem
was anger. Every day I was quarrel with others and my wives, but since I
started to learn the Word of God and to repent this sin I feel free. Now I
have peace and joy to all and my friends they wonder as well and my wives
trust that real Jesus has power and all of them are in a group”. Simon has
now completed Rooted in Jesus and is now training as a deacon,
along with 4 others from the first generation of groups.
·
Miriam Saramba - For long time I was disturbing in
diseases, but when I started to learn the Word of God I feel free from that
problems. I met with Jesus in our studying because every time we were
praying by one another in our group, [we were able to] thank Jesus for [his]
healing and deliverance. Luke 9: 1-2.
·
Katarina Lemburis - I learnt that Jesus is like ferry
and gate. If I can live in him … he will help me to pass in different
temptations. Through him I don't fear anything, Jesus is my bridge he will
carry me to God. John 10:9
·
Ester Ngau
- One day when I came back from the Church to study the Word of God
my son started to cry continuously; all the night he cried. Next day my
husband and brother in law told me that I am better to take the son to
witchdoctor because he want grandfather name. I refused completely to go
with my son to witchdoctor because I trust Jesus. After two days when my
husband make preparation to find a hen to go with it to the witchdoctor I
attended the lesson, and when the time of prayer started I told my group
members about my problem. They prayed for my son, from that time my son
stopped to cry. I told my husband that my son stopped to cry because we pray
for him in the Church. From that time my husband give me more time to attend
the lessons.
·
Elizabeth Hudati
- This lesson help me to understand the Word of God as well, because
we learn many things and we tried to define some difficult questions and we
got the real answers. In the beginning I don't understand the word of God as
well. Several time I was fall in sin with servants of God that have bad
character. One day the servants of God came to our Boma after praying in
night the servant of God told me to make sex with him I told him that this
is sin and every time you preached why you convince me to do it? He told me
that this is not sin because the Bible says that "Do not deny yourselves to
each other" 1 Corinth 7:5. I agreed to make sex because who was telling me
is the servant of God who knows, as well about Bible, but now I can't do
like that because I know that verse is special for people who married. When
she explained this she was crying continuously. James 4: 7.
·
Abraham Dani
- For long time ago I was fear as well about witchdoctor to destroy
my animals and my children and everything that I had, but when I started to
learn the Word of God I don't fear anything. I have power to invite my
friends who are the same age to come to Jesus, because I understand and I
trust in him that there is no name has power than Jesus Christ. Jesus is my
protector with all that he gave me. John 20: 28-29.
·
Leah Yakobo
- More than five years I live with my husband without to get a baby.
But when I started to learn the Word of God, I don't feel well because
always I was feeling about baby. One day I ask my group members to pray for
my problem. I remember very much the time of my group members were pray for
me, from that time I conceived and now I have a baby. I thank God and I
thank to all who made preparation of this lesson. John 16: 24.
·
Paulina Msonde
- In beginning before the group I was dreaming bad things always I
was met with bad snakes in my dreaming and the day light real I was meeting
with the snakes I had seen in the night. But when I started to learn the
lesson I began dreaming about heaven and I meet with angels, I don't see
again any kind of snakes, I can't leave this lesson forever I will learn the
word of God. 1 Corinth 10: 13.
·
Laurent Mahika
- I attend to
Church for long time I don't know about the nature of sin but through the
group I understood as well I fear very much to fall in sin because the sin
will separate me with God. Romans 6: 23.
·
Dorisia Chende
- Dorisia is an illiterate woman of advanced years. When her leader
prayed for the group to receive the Holy Spirit, Dorisia received the gift
of tongues. The next Sunday she stood up in church and said ‘I have to say
that there is a woman here with a problem in her abdomen. I want to pray for
her’. A woman stood – she’d been suffering from continuous bleeding, 14, 21
days each month. They prayed and she was instantly healed. Dorisia continues
to receive words of knowledge and to pray for people in her village.
·
Revd Michael Samuel (Group coordinator, Kiteto
deaneries) - 'The group members have long testimonies and many verses that
were memorized in their studies. I wrote in short their testimonies,
otherwise I can use many pages for their testimonies.'
·
Revd Jacob Lihhima (Group coordinator, Babati deanery)
- I cannot forget the testimony of one brother from a group in the parish of
Logoeti. His testimony is that he had bad habits, but now he really thanks
God. Before he started hearing the teachings of Rooted in Jesus he left his
wife to be with another woman. He really tormented his wife and gave her no
money and abandoned his children so that they were no longer able to go to
school. But after learning about the word of God he cried and decided to
return to them and to take back his wife and to totally leave the other
woman behind. Now they live with great joy because Jesus has turned their
lives around and he reigns and is the shepherd in their lives .
• Revd Isaiah Chambala (Group
coordinator, Arusha deanery) - From these and many stories I am made rich in
the Lord. And that's why to me this coordination has been a way of serving
the Lord through which I am myself getting blessed and encouraged, as my
spiritual life is challenged and made strong. I can say that through this I
am balanced between my theological education and my spiritual practical
life.
Testimonies from the Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique:
• “In Mocuba I felt and saw the action of the Holy
Spirit; many participants were touched and presented their
preoccupations in the midst of brothers, being delivered as Christ cut
all cords uniting them with Satan. Some had problems with their
neighbours, not speaking with each other but being catechists; many
brought themselves to Christ, renouncing drunkenness, smoking tobacco
and their involvement in black magic. We had cries and tears, but
finished by all being renewed and strengthened through the Holy Spirit.”
• “In Morrumbala, again we encountered miracles!
God is powerful! We had 30 participants. Even more remarkable things
happened: one catechist who had led a congregation for 3 years,
dedicated to Christ, revealed that he had been a witch doctor and
presented all his instruments of divination, superstitious healing and
black magic (3 tails of wild animals, 3 earthenware pots with drugs, 6
gourds and a kind of small cushion) and all this he brought to be burnt
and he remained liberated receiving Jesus Christ as his Saviour. Other
catechists brought their problems with drink, smoking, worship of
ancestors, involvement with magic ceremonies and other superstitious
things; these studies are a blessing and the Holy Spirit is working.” -
Revd Amorim Rocha
Testimonies from the Diocese of Southern Malawi:
·
"Rooted in Jesus
has helped me know the Bible and stand firm in my faith. I work for a
Muslim factory owner and the Muslims in my factory try and get the
Christians to convert. Before Rooted in Jesus I didn’t know how to
cope with this but now I can teach the other Christians in the factory the
memory verse and help them to stand firm in their faith”
·
"Rooted in Jesus
has helped me to develop my preaching so that I can explain the Bible better
and use the Bible better when I preach."
·
"Before Rooted in Jesus I wasn’t
interested in reading the Bible or prayer – now I read the Bible and trust
God every day."
·
"Before Rooted in Jesus group I
didn’t recognise Satan’s schemes against me. But now I know it is real and
I can overcome them through Jesus."
2. Changed churches
·
One group leader said
that on the 4th lesson, ‘Who is Jesus?’, he had taught them the memory
verse John 1.12, which says to all who received him he gave power to
become children of God. He said they hadn’t known that. They were just
churchgoers, and they’d not heard of the Holy Spirit or realised any act
of commitment was necessary. He had explained the verse and the whole
group was filled with the Holy Spirit.
·
“There has been an eruption of spiritual growth and
strong faith amongst many Christians in the parishes I visited which have
been practising the Rooted in Jesus course. I discovered that the
Bible has started to be sweet to some of the members of these groups. The
fear that it is a supernatural book that has to be dealt carefully by
those who are only skilled as to how to deal with such kind of
supernatural powers is now getting to be eliminated. They read the Bible
not only as a book but they have discovered that this book teaches them
the way of 'how to live' and the way of 'how to be right with God'. The
verses they have put in their hearts have started to speak to them, such
that now, "we hear the voice of God talking to us", one of them commented.
They say that the Bible has transformed their lives. They confess that the
word of God contains powers that give them confidence in the Holy Spirit
to share with others about their new experience in the Lord. They have the
courage to say verses from the Bible to prove what they believe. Church
growth in some parishes is a good sign that there have been fruits from
the course” - Revd Isaiah Chambala, RinJ coordinator
·
All leaders reported
increased confidence, greater understanding of the bible, greater
willingness to witness to others, greater church commitment and
involvement on the part of group members. Some were preaching, prayer was
now the first port of call in time of difficulty; the church was full;
power was present.
3. Changed communities
·
Leaders told us : in one Masai village the elders now
pray over their decisions. Prayer is becoming normal in the villages.
People are sharing their faith and others were coming to Christ. They
were speaking out against witchcraft. Illiterate people are teaching
others from the memory verses. One man used to do everything in the
church but now can’t get a word in edgeways.
·
People have stopped putting ‘medicines’
on the fields for crops
·
People are breaking the habit of going
to the witchdoctor; one woman had been bitten by a snake and instead of
going to the witchdoctor had come to the group for prayer – and been
healed