November 29. Titus Coan. In the early 1830s, in the United States, Titus went in to a revival led by his cousin Asahel Nettleton and came out believing in Jesus. After his early training, Titus arrived in Hawaii, where he partnered with missionaries Sarah and David Lyman. The Lymans manned the outpost in Hilo, and Titus became a traveling evangelist. On this date in 1836, Titus made his first evangelical tour of Hawaii.
He journaled: “[There were] no roads, no bridges, and no horses in Hilo, and all my tours were made on foot.” So Titus learned the language and planned traveling/preaching tours, and he told everyone with breath that Jesus is Lord, and He’s here now, and He wants a life with you. Thousands of people poured into the Kingdom of God.
“Now they rallied in masses,” Titus wrote, “[they] were eager to hear the word.” And “The word fell with power, and sometimes as the feeling deepened, the vast audience was moved and swayed like a forest in a mighty wind. The word became like the ‘fire and the hammer’ of the Almighty.… Hopeful converts were multiplied, and there was great joy in the city.”
In 1836, the local church had had only 23 members. Soon, they had to build a second church that would hold 2,000, and that was packed almost to the point of suffocation. But there was tragedy too. A tsunami hit—with all its atrocity.
Titus wrote: “This event, falling as it did like a bolt of thunder from a clear sky, greatly impressed the people. It was as the voice of God speaking to them out of heaven, ‘Be ye also ready.’”
This revival made such an impact that within a single generation, the Hawaiian ruler Kamehameha III declared his kingdom to be a Christian nation. In today’s story, Titus is on an early evangelical tour.
No obstacle can block God’s plan for God’s man.
As Titus headed for his next preaching stop, the Hawaiian sky was blue, and the peaceful stream gurgled gently near where Titus stood. But a thunderous rumbling broke the stillness. And he jumped.
“Awiwi! Awiwi!” running natives called out. “O pea oe ika wai!” Quick! Quick or the waters will stop you!
His native companions ran downstream and leaped nimbly from boulder to boulder. Heart pounding, Titus grabbed his pole. He followed the natives and used the eight-foot-long stick for balance. Upstream, a column of turbulent water—maybe six feet tall—pounded toward him. Stunned, he stopped.
“Awiwi! Awiwi!” The cries broke through the haze of fear. And Titus splashed to the other side. He reached the bank right before the wall of water crashed down and swept past. His companions slapped him on the back, wide grins stretching across their faces. “When you hear the sound of many waters, you must move quickly, or you will be late to preach,” one said.
Or dead, Titus thought, and he nodded, too shaken to speak.
His companions picked up the calabash—a large gourd that stored their provisions, and Titus signaled he was ready. He wouldn’t miss a single appointment on this sixty-mile preaching tour. Everyone in his district needed the Gospel.
At the next village, men, women, and children gathered. Titus prayed silently. His Hawaiian had improved, but he didn’t want language mistakes to create barriers. Titus told the story of Jesus. And the Hawaiians peppered him with questions. Eventually, a nod from his guide indicated it was time to move on.
They hadn’t traveled far when Titus heard the now-familiar sound—rushing water. He glanced toward his guide.
“Don’t worry. The people of the next village expect you.”
When they reached the river, Titus stared at the churning current. Downstream, a mini-Niagara splashed over a drop of several hundred feet. Across the raging river, Hawaiians waved. But how could he reach them?
On the opposite bank, several strong, nearly-naked men locked hands, made a line, and entered the water. The human chain moved carefully across until the lead person gained a foothold near Titus. His guide explained the plan. Titus grabbed hold of the first strong shoulder and stepped into the swift current.
Titus slipped, but the sturdy native held strong. Titus grasped the next shoulder and the next, crossing on a “chain of bones, sinews, and muscles.”
Once on shore, Titus greeted the natives. As they walked, he talked about Jesus. They had reached the edge of the village when a regal man, nearly six-feet-tall, stepped into the path. Whispers erupted. This was the high priest of the volcano. A drunkard, adulterer, and murderer.
Titus breathed a quick prayer. A language barrier had not halted God’s plan. A raging river couldn’t stop it. Neither would a cultic leader. The priest squared his shoulders. Titus met his gaze and kept moving toward him.
The high priest stepped aside.
The village swarmed with people. Adults. Children. Invalids on the backs of their friends. Blind people led by family members. Titus told them about Jesus’ love. Their need for new life. That God would help them. Tears flowed. And many became Christians—including the volcano priest.
It was like that in nearly every village. When Titus returned home, scores of people came to town to hear more. Within a few months, its population of 1,000 swelled to 10,000. One Sunday, as Titus prepared to preach to a crowded room of two-thousand people, he thought of the obstacles of his 60-mile evangelistic tour. The roaring rivers. Cultic leaders. His own inadequacy. Weariness.
Not once did an obstacle block God’s plan.
“Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes” (Psalm 112:1, 7, 8 NIV).
What obstacle do you treat like a barrier? No obstacle can block God’s plan for God’s man.
Coan, Titus. Life in Hawaii. St. Helens, OR: Helps Communications, 2014.
Coan, Titus. Adventures in Patagonia: A Missionary’s Exploring Trip. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1880.
Story read by: Chuck Stecker