Amazing Progress
Access to the Word of God is radically changing communities.
Paul* of Ecclesia Ministries shares an update following a recent trip to share the gospel and encourage leaders:
“It has been three months since I came back from JM* after distributing 3,000 copies of the Bible and many other evangelical materials including SD cards that contain the Jesus Film, biblical stories and teachings, messengers, radios, and projectors. All these materials and the great efforts that leaders on the ground are making have had a great impact as we hear stories and testimonies.”
Here are just a few of those stories:
M* said, “It is critical for people to live with the word of God in their hand because we saw that after a few people got the Bibles they continued to read and hear God’s words. We recorded 1,500 people verbally announcing their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There was no easy way for such a huge number of people to hear the gospel and understand their lostness without having the Word of God in their hands. We thank God for everyone standing with us to provide God’s Word for our community.”
A* the leader said, “It was the presence of the Bible in my room that helped to convert my father who was hating me because of my faith. My father knew that I was a Christian and he hated me and didn’t want to even eat with me or sit where I was sitting. He told me several times to leave his home and go out because I am a Christian.
One day, when I was not at home, my father came and entered my room. God directed him to the Bible I was using for myself. When he saw the Bible even being hesitant, he felt encouraged to take the Bible and read it for himself. As he opened the Bible God directed him to Psalm 1. He read through the whole chapter. He sat down and again read through the whole chapter. My father started crying as he realized his lostness and the way he was hating me. He took the Bible to his room and began sharing the same passage with my mother. Both of them waited until I came back home. Usually, when I come home I don’t make any alarms because I know my father is not happy with me. But this time when I came back home, I found the situation very different.
My father came to me and he was trying to hug me. I wanted to jump because I was worried that he might harm me. But he said, ‘Come to me, my son. Please forgive me for my ignorance of God and His words. Today I learned that you have not gone astray but you followed the true God that we all need to follow.’ When he said that, I was very happy but didn’t believe this was my father. I asked him what had happened. And he said, ‘God took me to your room today and I found your Bible and I read it. I found that the Bible tells us not to sit in the council of the wicked.’
I thank God for providing for me the Bible, which changed my father and my mother. My father has changed our entire family! Since we received the Bibles, we have recorded 713 people accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 80% of these are from my family!”
L*, who is now leading a church said, “Our region could have been completely changed if the Word of God was available in the hands of all people. In three months since the Bibles were distributed significant change is taking place. With the few Bibles we received, 227 people accepted Jesus Christ, over 2,000 people heard the word of God, and more than 5,000 people just saw the Bible itself for the very first time in their lives. I am so grateful for the gift of Bibles that we got. We need Bibles to change our country!”
Simply known as “Teacher Film” because of his use of the projector to show the Jesus Film said, “It always takes 2 hours for me to share the entire gospel with above 100 people and the children of the village. I have seen not only people seeing the Jesus Film but also people memorizing the whole story of salvation. My projector has been a driving force that takes away the darkness in the villages when I visit and show the Film. I am so glad and appreciate people who help us with what we need to share God’s Word with our people on the ground.”
Z* is an older woman who has never gone to school. She only heard the Word of God through an audio Bible. One day she was sick and admitted to the local hospital. When she was there in the hospital she could always put her audio Bible on and listen. She said, “Whenever my Bible is on reading for us the word of God it silences the doom completely. Sick people, nurses, and even medical personnel who were attending to us all listened so attentively.
One woman came up to me and asked me what was the thing I was using. I told her it is called an audio Bible but it’s like a teacher to me who is teaching me God’s Word. She pleaded with me for one. I told her it was given to me, but I will ask the people who gave me one.
The woman shared, ‘Since you came here, you found me staying here for three months and I never had peace like the day you came here and put for us this radio to recite God’s sweet words for us. It has been the reason for my relief. Please give me one for I am sure it will help people in my village.’
I saw that this was true with almost everyone in that room. I realized the reason the people in our country are ignorant of God is because his words have never reached the people. Please pray more and support us with more.”
“So many encouraging stories showing me that our Lord is using the materials there but we need to pray for more materials. People in our country need access to the Word of God,” pleads Paul*.
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*Names altered to protect the identity of those working in areas of increased persecution.