CELEBRATING - A TALKING BIBLE SUNDAY

It is time to celebrate on a Talking Bible Sunday.

On this special Sunday, we celebrate the fact that each of us has a Bible in his or her own language. We celebrate that our pastor has a Bible and bases his Sunday sermons on what the Bible says.

On this special Sunday we celebrate that we can now give Bibles in audio, Talking Bibles, to people who have never learned to read.
We celebrate that God is using us who are blessed with printed Bibles to give audio Bibles to non-readers.

On this special Sunday we celebrate that we are learning more and more both as to the need and as to the new possibilities Talking Bibles now give us.

On this special Sunday. we celebrate what God has given us and what he enables us to do for others.

A Talking Bible Sunday is a celebration as we thank God for our Bibles, His Word, and that we have this special Sunday to help us become more aware as to why Talking Bibles are such a tremendous blessing to non-literate Christians, especially, believers who want to and need to learn more and more about Jesus so they can become strong in their faith and able to share their testimony with others.

We, indeed, celebrate God's goodness on a Talking Bible Sunday.

Let us pray for a mighty moving of God's Spirit in our churches leading additional thousands to celebrate a Talking Bible Sunday.

Because they need to hear,

Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org
My blog: http://audiobibles2.blogspot.com/

Talking Bibles International
419 East Grand Ave.
Escondido, CA 92025 USA

http://www.talkingbibles.org/ "Free Bible Listening" "Resources" -- Enjoy - "Honey, We're Going to Africa!" (captivating audio book) info@talkingbibles.org

Goal: A Talking Bible Sunday in thousands of additional churches this summer


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the personal views of Harvey Hoekstra

WHEN THEY HEARD IT IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE

I was listening to parts from my book from the website. I was sharing my enthusiasm for the cassette. This was back when digital listening devices were still undreamed of.

Back then, we were excited as we saw people listening to the message about Jesus from the cassette player. Here is how I wrote about that trek day when we camped for the night on the edge of the town of Teppi in SW Ethiopia.

"Before long, we had quite a crowd and invited them to sit with us and listen to the 'box that talks'. I wish you could have seen the expressions on their faces and heard their barely audible comments. I shall never forget one old woman sitting there -- legs extended and feet crossed, listening intently. I saw her turn to a woman behind her and say, 'Why haven't we heard this before? I wish' (and she mentioned someone's name) 'was here with me to hear what we are hearing.'

"I never ceased to marvel at the Mesengos' positive response to the good news about Jesus when they heard it in their own language on cassettes. I was then, and remain now, convinced that the cassette was no accident of history, but that the cassette is part of God's provision to be utilized to proclaim in every language the good news of His beloved Son."

When writing my book back then, we never envisaged the revolutionary tiny microchip and digital technology giving us listening devices with no moving parts. I was excited when we saw the possibilities God had given us with cassettes. Today, I am even more excited with the new digital listening devices like our Talking Bible.

I am convinced that it is God's call to His people that we record in audio every authentic translation of the New Testament in these different languages. Every translated NT must be recorded in audio and made available in listening devices like our specially designed Talking Bible.

Please, you who read this, pray with me for churches everywhere to be informed and realize what is possible and that each church can be used of God for this task. Each church should be informed, pray for and provide funding for this marvelous unfinished task.

I'm praying that folks reading this blog will take a moment and go to www.talkingbibles.org and donate on-line. Every additional contribution will give someone a Talking Bible with God's precious saving Word about Jesus Christ. How blessed we are to do this with thanks and praise to God.

Because they need to hear,

Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org
My blog: http://audiobibles2.blogspot.com

Talking Bibles International
419 East Grand Ave.
Escondido, CA 92025 USA

www.talkingbibles.org "Free Bible Listening" - Enjoy - "Honey, We're Going to Africa!" (captivating audio book)

Goal: A Talking Bible Sunday in thousands of additional churches this summer


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the personal views of Harvey Hoekstra

MY MEMORY BANK AND THIS NEW INFORMATION ERA

When you reach 88 plus years, the memory bank has a lot of "good stuff" in it.

I've been enjoying listening to my book, "Honey, We're Going to Africa!," in audio on the website: http:www.talkingbibles.org
I can hardly imagine our having lived some of those experiences. Just listen to Chapter 26. God was surely with us.

I've noticed how my interest in oral recordings is of long standing. When we traveled to the Sudan the very first time, we carried with us a reel to reel recorder. It was heavy to carry and the size of a suitcase.

I recall how I'd crank up the diesel generator to power it and then go out to the clinic houses and play the messages about Christ in their language. I noted then how intensely they listened with understanding.

It was years later when we opening a new work among the Majang in the rainforest in SW Ethiopia, that the tiny cassette recorder appeared on the market. What a miracle it proved to be. Easy to record, easy to duplicate the message and lightweight cassette players for local people to take these cassette messages to villages far and near.

A new day had dawned. But the best was yet to come -- the miracle, microchip digital technology and our specially designed digital Talking Bible. This is the "information era" giving us possibilities never before dreamed of.

Think of this new opportunity and challenge in relation to Bible Translation and Illiteracy. Carefully translated entire New Testaments already done and printed in over 1200 languages -- Literacy programs but a realization that millions of people of oral cultures simply will not become readers.

These are people who learn by hearing. They are intelligent and have phenomenal memories to retain what they hear. And we've seen how when they have Talking Bibles of these translated New Testaments in their languages, they spontaneously carry their Talking Bibles with them to share the message about Christ with people in other villages.

The Talking Bible enables non-reading Christians to learn by hearing God's Word in their language, and these new, otherwise ordinary believers, become effective witnesses for Christ resulting in new church groups springing up far and wide.

The Talking Bible website has inspiring testimonials from people being changed by their Talking Bibles as they hear God speaking to them from His Word in audio.

How I wish I could inspire every blog reader to pray for and to give a donation so that another person can have a Talking Bible. An, easy to make, on-line donation can make an eternal difference. With God all things are possible.

Because they need to hear,

Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org
My blog: http://audiobibles2.blogspot.com/

Talking Bibles International
419 East Grand Ave.
Escondido, CA 92025 USA

http://www.talkingbibles.org/ "Blog," "Listen," -- Enjoy - "Honey, We're Going to Africa!" (captivating audio book) , etc. info@talkingbibles.org

Goal: A Talking Bible Sunday in thousands of additional churches this summer


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the personal views of Harvey Hoekstra

IN THIS REVOLUTIONARY INFORMATION AGE

My family and I were missionaries in the Sudan and Ethiopia for thirty years. I was a Bible translator in the Sudan and we opened a post in the rain forest among an unreached people in SW Ethiopia. When that door closed, the Lord led us to identify people and establish recording and distribution centers in Africa, India and several other countries to provide the translated Scriptures on cassettes. This was during the cassette era prior to this fantastic, revolutionary, information age and its digital, microchip technology possibilities.

My vision and burden is that every authentic translation of the New Testament and where possible entire Bibles by made available as audio Bibles for the blind and print impaired people, especially those living in oral cultures. It seems unthinkable that we would not do this relatively easy, far less costly thing when we consider the rightful extraordinarily sacrificial, costly foundational work, requiring years of effort, done by the Bible translators.

Testimonials, some of which appear on our website, tell the story of how people are blessed to dance with joy when they receive and hear a Talking Bible speaking God’s Word to them in their own language.

To learn much more peruse the website, www.talkingbibles.org

Let God be praised for all who pray and financially support the Talking Bible ministry.

Because they need to hear,

Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org

Goal: A Talking Bible Sunday in every church to enlist the support of God's people to provide Talking Bibles for the blind and non-readers

GOD'S SPECIAL PEOPLE WHO BLESS FAITH MINISTRIES

Yesterday I participated in a special service at Gillespie Airport near Sand Diego, CA. The new, specially designed Kodiak airplane was the center of attraction. It was there. We saw it close up -- just what I wish we had had during our years in the Sudan and Ethiopia.

When I inquired who first had the idea for this marvelous plane, I learned that it began when a missionary and another person who, apparently, had a special interest in airplanes were eating together in a restaurant. The man who, I believe, knew something about designing planes, sketched on a napkin a rough sketch of the kind of plane these two men were talking about.

God was in that conversation. They dared to dream and trust God to make their dream into reality. That restaurant conversation took place more than ten years ago.

Reflecting on the stories of how Faith ministries begin and keep on growing, has made me aware of the key role that special individuals play in it all. Probably many, if not most, donor supported ministries have one or more individuals with financial means who step forward at critical junctures to make those needed large donor gifts to meet a critical need not covered by normal donor contributions.

As I gave thanks to God for this beautiful, specially designed airplane for MAF's ministry in Papua, Indonesia, I gave thanks for those financially blessed people who make large contributions to MAF for their new Kodiaks -- twenty in the pipeline. Without those special people that God has blessed financially, the money for MAF to place the order with the manufacturer to put them in line to receive a Kodiak would not have happened.

I'm reflecting on this with thanks to God to encourage my own heart. Right now Talking Bibles has a great financial need. Thousands of manufactured Talking Bibles need to be paid for before June 30th. We're asking God to raise up special people of means to whom He will give the vision and who He will use to enable us to make the scheduled payment on time. It is an urgent need.


Let me invite you who read this blog to explore the website and be open to what the Lord may want you to do. Call the office and learn more details. Be one of those special people that God has blessed with financial means whom He wants to use to meet this special challenge. Envisage people in Africa or India dancing for joy with thanks to God as they receive the manufactured Talking Bible your gift made possible.

God blesses and calls certain special people to meet special needs that require funds beyond normal donor support for the ministry as a whole.

Perhaps someone reading this blog may be a special person the Lord wants to use to help meet this special need to pay for the manufacturing costs of the Talking Bible.

Please join me in fervent prayer that the Lord will raise up special individuals to help meet this critical manufacturing cost.

Because they need to hear,

Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org
My blog: http://audiobibles2.blogspot.com/

Talking Bibles International
419 East Grand Ave.
Escondido, CA 92025 USA

http://www.talkingbibles.org/ "Free Bible Listening" "Resources" -- Enjoy - "Honey, We're Going to Africa!" (captivating audio book) info@talkingbibles.org

Goal: A Talking Bible Sunday in thousands of additional churches this summer


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the personal views of Harvey Hoekstra

MAKING THAT IMPORTANT ON-LINE DONATION

An on-line donation means someone gets a Talking Bible who will otherwise not get one. That person will most likely be someone who is blind or print impaired.

The specially designed listening device, the digital Talking Bible is a marvelous way to give this precious gift of access to God's Word to all who cannot read.

Not only that, but the Talking Bible can be made available in the listener's own language.

It is so easy and convenient to give someone a Talking Bible by making an on-line donation. Just go to www.talkingbibles.org website to do it.

Why not do it right now? No need to wait. Envisage the joy your gift brings when your gift of a Talking Bible is received by a blind person or someone living in an oral culture and does not read.

Every on-line donation, small or large, is the difference between it happening or not happening.

Let the Lord lead and He will enable you to bring joy and blessing to someone whom you bless with your gift of a Talking Bible in a language you cannot speak. Fantastic! Let God be thanked and praised.

Because they need to hear,

Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org
My blog is posted on www.talkingbibles.org

Talking Bibles International
419 East Grand Ave.
Escondido, CA 92025 USA

http://www.talkingbibles.org/ "Free Bible Listening" "Resources" -- Enjoy - "Honey, We're Going to Africa!" (captivating audio book) info@talkingbibles.org

Goal: A TALKING BIBLE SUNDAY THIS SUMMER -- A SUNDAY WITH A SPECIAL OFFERING IN THOUSANDS OF CHURCHES FOR TALKING BIBLES

MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IN AUDIO ON THE NET

I am motivated to post this blog because of an email I received today.

Here is what this person wrote me:

"As I checked the informative TB website, I was surprised to learn how many different languages are available in audio on the Net. Do you think most people realize what is available in this regard? My guess is that they don't."

I suspect this friend is right. There are many more different languages on the www.talkingbibles.org site than many people realize.

While that is likely the case, we are thrilled with the significant number of people in other countries who use computers who tell us how much they enjoy and are blessed by their listening to the Bible in their language for free from our website.

Eternity alone will reveal how many listening in countries where freedom of religion is restricted have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by having been led by the Holy Spirit to discover the Talking Bible website with its many languages with God's Word in audio.

So, please join me in giving thanks to God and pray that God will enable us to increase the number of languages with God's Word in audio on the net, and let us pray fervently that God will lead people of His choice to discover the www.talkingbibles.org site and be blessed by listening, each in his or her own language. Thanks be to God for His leading and blessing.

Because they need to hear,
Harvey Hoekstra - harvey@talkingbibles.org

Goal: An annual Talking Bible Sunday in thousands of additional churches