Jesus Revolution, Asbury University & Books to Read During The Christmas Season

Many of the reported 4,500 who were baptized at Harvest Christian Fellowship’s “Jesus Revolution” baptism back on July 8 climbed rocky terrain and were subject to state fees to enter Pirate’s Cove Beach.

The baptism number Senior Pastor Greg Laurie reported surpasses the estimated 4,166 who were baptized at Pirates Cove in the Baptize SoCal event May 28, sponsored by Oceans Church. Pirate’s Cove is memorialized as the site of thousands of baptisms during the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s-1970s. Laurie was himself baptized during the 20th century movement, telling his story in his 2018 book “Jesus Revolution,”. That book was made into a movie in 2023 that surprised the film industry and helped spark a spiritual renewal.
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Speaking of spiritual renewal, 2023 will also be remembered as a time when God visited Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. A weeks long meeting broke out this spring in the small Wesley school in rural Kentucky. Thousands of people from around the world joined students as they spent time praying, confessing sin, hearing sermons and worshipping through singing.

The campus was the scene of a similar awakening in the 1970s.
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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Maybe you have some extra time to devote to reading during the Christmas season. A Baptist Press Toolbox piece suggests five good books to read. Here are two of them.

During Christmas, we talk a lot about gifts—who we are going to buy gifts for and what gifts we wish to receive. But we would be amiss if we did not take time to focus on the gifts God has given us. Gregg Allison—a theologian, teacher, and professor who has spent much of his life studying the Holy Spirit—recently published a concise and extremely practical book on the Holy Spirit. In this book, Allison argues that “the greatest gift that God the Father gives to those who follow His Son is the Holy Spirit.”

Another great read is This Homeward Ache by Amy Baik Lee. The book helps us understand those feelings of longing we sometimes sense when we are attending a loved one’s funeral or looking at a beautiful piece of art. Amy walks us through how we can understand and experience those feelings of longing in light of the hope of the world to come.
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