JFP Net Casters Newsletter

Stories and Testimonies from Global Partners JESUS Film Teams


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January 18, 2012

Dear Net Caster,

Happy New Year to you! The Apostle John in 3 John 1:2 (NIV) says, “I pray that you may enjoy good health, and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” He is praying that the recipient’s soul strength will be reflected in both health and prosperity. Because I know of your faithfulness, I would pray this prayer for you who support the JESUS Film Partnership of Global Partners and for our faithful teams in the field who, under adverse circumstance, carry the gospel message to the ends of the earth. I believe that the next three years are going to be the best ever, beginning with 2012.

Year-end reports for 2011 are beginning to come in. The next Net Caster should have the basic stats for 2011. But from what I’ve seen so far, this was a wonderful year! Most importantly, literally thousands of people who were lost and headed for eternity without Christ on January 1, 2011, have been saved and are one with the family of Christ. They celebrated Christmas 2011 knowing the full meaning. While Christ did the salvation work on the cross, you by your faithful support as a part of the team made it possible for the evangelism message to be heard. The Apostle Paul declared that “we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Thank you for pulling your weight and taking your place on this great drag net, fishing for the souls of men.

When Christians think of other religious systems, we often envision them as neat and tidy systems of belief. However, none are. As you will see in the following testimonies, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are often mixed with all kinds of traditional and cultural beliefs, sometimes very different within a single country, as well as the wide variety within the world. We call this “syncretism,” and any religion, even Christianity, can be syncretistic. The pull of a syncretistic belief is that it mixes cultural philosophy and cultural norm with religious theology and makes the individual feel that this belief is right because it is culturally sound. Think of your own culture as an example. In Western culture there is even a belief that if you are against abortion or judge unmarried couples living together as sinners, that you are “non-Christian.” This is the power of syncretism. Keep that in mind as you read of people in the following testimonies who were incased in false religious hope, balanced on syncretistic cultural traps, who find truth and break free.

May your health and prosperity mirror your soul strength in the coming year.

Your Fellow Servant,

Dr. John H. Connor
Director of the JESUS Film Partnership of Global Partners

Reports from the Field

Sierra Leone

A woman from a Muslim family in a predominantly Muslim region watched the JESUS film a few months ago, and then she gave her life to the Lord. Her newfound faith exposed her to many challenges from her family. However, she did not give up. She faithfully attended all baptismal classes. She was full of joy and happiness when she was baptized, along with 13 others who were also saved at the JESUS film showing. She testified at the baptism, “I have new life, and I am now a new person in Jesus Christ. As I watched the film, I saw Jesus being baptized. I did the same so that I would be fulfilled and gain happiness. I am now fulfilled and happy.”

Faith for New Birth: A woman who comes from a Muslim background had suffered three tragic miscarriages. Through her Muslim faith, she had explored many traditional beliefs and practices for healthy childbearing, but all had failed. She was looking for a solution to her problem, even as she watched the JESUS film. She was moved by the healings and miracles of Jesus. She gave her life silently to the Lord, and she believed God to solve her problem as the general prayer was said for people with sickness and other problems. Afterwards, she went through a nine months of pregnancy successfully and has given birth to a baby girl. Her faith continues to grow every day in Jesus Christ.

Trading Sorcery for Security: A 45-year-old woman, who comes from an ardent Muslim background in which juju and sorcery are common practice, was invited by a friend to watch the JESUS film in her native dialect. She gave her life to the Lord after watching the film. During the altar call, the pastor in charge further challenged viewers on the true peace that Jesus Christ gives. She testified, “I am giving my life to Jesus Christ because I believe He died for me. His true peace and security is all I need. The juju and sorcery cannot give me true peace and security.” Let us continue to pray for her.

Nails to the Hands Pierce the Heart: A resident in the Cold Water area, which is a hilly suburb of Freetown, watched the JESUS film on two consecutive days [Note: We often show half the first day and then show the whole film on the second day to increased crowds]. He was an ardent Muslim from childhood. Occultism and sorcery were part of his normal life. He felt very remorseful when he saw the enemies of Jesus Christ piercing big nails into His hands. He realized that Jesus Christ was completely innocent. The statement of forgiveness and restoration by Jesus to the penitent thief also deeply touched him. He silently gave his life to the Lord at the end of the film show. He went to the home cell the following day and openly testified to his new faith. He is currently waiting to join the baptismal class. He is very happy in the Lord.

Cold Water, a suburb of Freetown, is predominantly a Muslim area. The inhabitants are notorious for sorcery and occultism. It has a very large population of mainly adults and youths. A great number of the youth are dropouts who find pleasure smoking, drugs and gambling. It has two mosques but no church. Many church attempts could not succeed because of the strong demonic nature of the place.

The JESUS film team experienced some stiff resistance the first day of the film show. The new projector and DVD player went up in smoke just when the showing was ready to take place. No technical failure could be detected. This unpleasant situation had not happened with the team for a long time. A second DVD was tested but would not turn on. After much prayer by the team, the supplementary projector (an old one), with DVD was used. The show eventually took place, even though quite late. The Holy Spirit touched many lives. Around three hundred people watched the film on the first day. The second day was also successful, even though lit candles and stones were thrown on the field by rough youths. The perseverance of the team saw us through. There is presently ONE preaching point in this area, and it belongs to The Wesleyan Church. God is good.

More Than a Dream: For two years a woman pretended to have received Jesus Christ into her life. She even served in the church. However, she secretly served as a witchdoctor in the spiritual underworld from the time she was young. After watching the JESUS film in her native language, she had a dream. In the dream she testified seeing a man dressed in white, pleading and warning her to desist and repent from her wicked ways. In the morning she vomited evil and bad things. She was sick for a day. After much prayer by team members, she openly testified to her ordeal in the dream she had. She gave her life to the Lord and asked the church to continue to pray for her.

Ghana

Morning Call for Help: The JESUS film was shown in a village in the Upper Manya Krobo area. After the film, a city council member gave us [the JESUS film team] permission to sleep in the local school’s classroom. Around 12:30 A.M., four armed robbers came to attack us. We shouted for help. By God’s grace they ran away without touching our equipment or harming us. We thank God for His protection. We know that it was not by our power or strength but by the power of God that saves us from the hands of the enemy.

Heart Touched: In area dominated by Muslims, we showed the JESUS film to over 150 people. A woman came out from the crowd shouting and thanking God. We gave the microphone to this woman; she explained that she was sick (heart problem) for eight years. She went to the hospital but nothing good happened. She prayed to the Prophet Mohammed to heal her; that too proved futile. She said that during the film showing, she focused on the woman with an infirmity for eighteen years. She therefore put her hand on her heart and said, “Jesus heal me.” Before the show ended she was healed. She has given her life to Jesus and has become a member of a Wesleyan church in Ghana. Glory be to God!

Indonesia

Unstable Christian: I am Martin and I was born to a Christian family that was not very faithful. Eventually I migrated to the east side of the island and lived for a while with a family who claimed to be Christians, but who were not truly Christians. They were heavy drinkers and brought misery into my life. Because of that, I moved again to find better work. I began to live and work for someone who was Muslim, so I converted to Islam to keep my job. But my heart was not at ease to leave Jesus. Finally I decided to go home. I met with the pastor of a Wesleyan church, and I accepted Jesus back as my Lord and Savior. I am grateful; I have started to grow in the Lord through worship, Bible study, and prayer meeting carried out in a Wesleyan church congregation. I now have a house of my own. I am pleased to be a member of The Wesleyan Church.

Martin’s Wife: I grew up in a Catholic family, but we were not experiencing the growth of faith because I had not accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I had worked for a Muslim, and I converted to Islam because of the work. I did not have peace and decided to leave the job. I am married to Martin. I was happy to meet with the pastor of the Wesleyan church who led me to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Now my husband and I have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. We feel peace and experience spiritual growth through church activities. Now we have a home of our own. We are happy that the Lord Jesus blesses and protects us.

School Possession: I was born in a Christian family that was not always faithful to their religion. I live with my aunt and go to high school. One day in school 30 students, including myself, became demon possessed. We had a large prayer time at the school, but the demons were not cast out. A decision was made to go to the Merapu priests to perform a ritual of exorcism. My aunt took the decision to bring me home to be prayed for by the Wesleyan church because she did not want us to be involved with Merapu. When I got home, five people, including the pastor of the Wesleyan church, prayed for me. I was delivered. I repented and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. For me there has been no relapse. I am now cured and serve faithfully in the Wesleyan church, although many people talk about us because we worship in the Wesleyan Church with our family. We are thankful the Lord opened His peace for us.

Mozambique

Darkness Gets Light: 52-year-old Bernaldo received Christ after walking in darkness all of his life. He realized this as he was watching Jesus heal the blind. On the following day, an old man came to us while we were putting up our screen for the evening service. He wanted to know where we came from and why we were spending our time preaching this Word. He said he was a traditional healer and had never heard these things. Finally he confessed that he had felt deeply convicted and wanted to know this salvation we had been talking about.

Demon Possessed Teens: At one of the showings, two teen girls received Christ as their Savior. They had come together to the JESUS film out of curiosity but became convicted when they saw the power of God delivering from demonic spirits. The girls were demon possessed and had even started a fight at the showing. They were both delivered, and they are now growing in their faith while attending a cell group.

Nepal

No Breaks from the Work: In the area where we went, the houses are built very close to each other. This is a place where people depend heavily on witchdoctors and diviners for illnesses. The truth is, however, that by going to these “healers” they come out with more trouble than they went in with. At this place we took a break in the middle of the showing, and a woman came to us with a question. She had seen the film before and was at a place where her question was, “Can I come to your God now for deliverance from evil spirits?” We told her that first she needed to accept Jesus as her Savior, and then she could be delivered. She did accept Jesus as her Savior and asked us to stay the night at her house. We were sleeping in an outside open shelter at her house when we were awakened by her cries. We were summoned to come help. We found her unconscious so we began to pray for full deliverance for her. She woke up completely lucid. The next day we visited all the people in the area immediately around her house. She testified to all of them about her deliverance, and many people came to believe in Jesus. Now we have a small church group in that place.

People Movement: In one area where we went, the village was not very large, only about 15 houses. These were very poor people who were bound by their culture and traditional beliefs. We showed the JESUS film, and we also spent time preaching and teaching in the area. We left the area for a couple of weeks and then returned. They told us that they had decided as a village that they wanted to become Christians. We started a church there. When they were established, another nearby village, which is about the same size, saw what was happening and also declared that they wanted to follow in the same way. We praise the Lord for this great movement of the gospel!

JF Not Shown Once: It took us two days to walk into a village which we had heard about. When we got there we realized that almost no one had ever heard about Jesus. There was one man who had lived outside of the village for some time who had heard about Jesus. He said, “I heard that Jesus is a powerful God. I know something about him, but I don’t know you. I am afraid of you.” We showed the JESUS film twice in that village so that people would have a better chance to hear and understand. Then we spent time teaching the people and finally showed the film again. Many people came to accept Jesus, and we have baptized a number and started a preaching point in that village.

A Road Too Far: We had previously visited one village so there were some people there who knew about Jesus. But there was a Hindu priest who was very much against us and stirred up the people against us. He told them that if they accepted Jesus they would no longer be a part of the village and could no longer expect the cooperation of the village because they would be outsiders. But many of the people wanted to embrace Jesus and many did, declaring that the curse of sin had been taken and that they were saved and testified to knowing that they had eternal lift. We have started a church in that place, but the road is long and the village remote so it is hard to reach. However we are going to continue to try to establish a church there.

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November 30, 2011

Dear Net Caster,

The holiday season is upon us. This is a great time for Christians all over the world. Foods are different. Children’s productions and church gatherings are different with similarities. Even the extent of family who will be included in family gatherings may vary from culture to culture. But the Spirit is the same. It is a time of supreme celebration of the incarnation.

I often think of a Christmas program we attended in Suriname some years ago. As the children were going to the mike to say their pieces to the packed out service, one boy of about 12 (who happened to be the pastor’s son) came to the platform with a bright twinkle in his eye, looked at his friends crowded into the front row, took hold of the mike and belched a reverberating and amplified sound that filled the church and surprised everyone, especially his mother who was sitting behind me. I doubt if he ever did that again. He survived and is a fine young man today. On that day I laughed until my sides hurt.

The JESUS Film Partnership of Global Partners continues to grow and expand. We expect teams to peak out in about three years, but some of our older teams have operated for seven to eight years without let up. Team members have changed, their plans of operation have evolved, and they have found new areas to evangelize where they continue to draw large crowds and to plant churches. Sierra Leone and Mozambique are two of those places, both of which are included in this Net Caster.

Some time ago Marge and I had an assignment in Sri Lanka. Because of jet lag, I was up long before dawn, and as the hotel was near a beach, I went for an early morning walk. A small crew of fishermen had taken a large net out into the deep water with two rowboats and had dropped it and were pulling it toward shore. As they came onto the land to pull the ends in, with the catch of fish and the heft of the net they were unable to make progress. They began to call everyone in sight to come and help. I took my place as well and with combined effort the catch was hauled in.

We are embarking on a net cast that is so big that it cannot be done without everyone in sight helping with the net. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” We are going to need your help with this net. We believe the Lord has given us a vision to plant 300 churches in the next three years. We also believe that the Lord would have us expand our teams from 18 to 30 and from the present 10 countries to 20 countries. Those of you who are longtime followers of this ministry can recognize, based on our record, that this is not a mystical leap of faith, but it is a net bigger than we’ve ever pulled before and will take all our combined effort to complete our part of this task. We especially need North Americans who will pray and people who will pull through financial help. We will need national churches with vision and personnel who are willing pull their end of the net as well. We will be making the details and progress more public after the first of the year. Begin to pray and allow the Lord to speak to you about where He would have you to grab the net.

Continue to read from the reports of teams working now in this great “fishers of men” net cast.

Your Fellow servant,

Dr. John H. Connor
Director of the JESUS Film Partnership of Global Partners

Reports from the Field

Sierra Leone: reported by Rev. Warren Fornah

Double Dose of Healing: Seventeen-year-old Sorie watched the JESUS film in his home village. Sorie had severe and continuous headaches that he believed came from eating cassava leaves, which are a part of the common diet of his area. His Muslim parents consulted many traditional doctors and herbalists, and they prayed at the local mosque for Sorie’s healing but to no avail. When Sorie watched the JESUS film, he was so moved and touched by the healings of Jesus Christ. He silently trusted Christ for his healing and salvation during the short preaching. He was healed spiritually and physically. He could now eat cassava leaves, with no effect on him. He testified in the church about his healing and also to the team leader during his follow-up. However, Sorie has faced opposition from his Muslim parents and siblings. He needs our continued prayers.

The Prayer Difference: Duba watched the JESUS film and was under deep conviction, but she was reluctant to give her life to the Lord. However, in a three-day revival that was a part of the follow-up in her village, she gave her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. The village is very notorious for demonic influence and occultism so a strong part of the revival emphasis was on prayer. She testified, “I can hardly believe what I am experiencing. It’s because the Christians prayed for me fervently.” She is growing in the Lord!

Never Too Old nor Too Set: As a part of the follow-up of the JESUS film showing, the local pastor organized an open air service in which the team leader of the JESUS film team was to speak. Pa Sima was an ardent Muslim elder in the community who had watched the film. The one sticking point he had with Jesus was his understanding of what “the Son of God” meant. The idea that God would somehow have sexual relations with a woman offended Him. However, he was very impressed with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had brought conviction to his heart. While he was very vocal in his criticism of Christians, secretly he admired their lifestyle and faith. He went to the open air meetings seeking clarity. The preacher was very clear in his message in explaining who Jesus is, and since he knew his community, he clearly explained all the areas that are often misunderstood by Muslims. Pa Sima listened carefully and accepted cheerfully this message of grace and truth. He received Jesus Christ as his Savior during this session and testified of experiencing God’s love and peace, which he had never experienced in Islam. He said, “I am happy that I found the right Savior, even at the age of 75.” Praise God!

Nepal

Plain Folks: One area where we went was a large plain. There are many small villages in the area that have 15–20 houses in each village. Most of the people are from the lowest of all Hindu castes, the untouchable people. We were in an area where about 3,000 people live. The people of the area are known as drunkards and for their moonshine alcohol. Many of these people are fisherman, salt driers, or day laborers on road projects. Most of their children do not go to school. They have a lot of festival times, as well. They are not the normal kind of Hindu worshiper. For instance, they do not have idols, like most Hindus. Every night after drinking, they start fighting. This is like a system, a duty, or a regulation. Every night they fight.

When our team visited there to show the JESUS film, all the people were happy because they were getting the chance to see a movie. Our team had a look at the environment and felt that one of these people’s greatest needs was to have a church because they do not know about human discipline or how to live and how to be a part of human society. We now have one fellowship in the area where our members do not drink, smoke, or spend time fighting each other. Because of their hard lives and continued efforts to make a living, they cannot worship in the daytime and must worship at night. The area is so open for the gospel that we are now looking for three evangelists who can come and spend time in the area. Our team stayed in the area longer than we usually do because the people were so accepting of the gospel message.

We Know Coca Cola, but Who Is Jesus: We walked into an area that took us seven days to reach. Some of our relatives knew about this place and had encouraged us to take this trip. The mountain trail was very rocky, steep, and rough. When we got there, we discovered that these people had never heard about the name Jesus. They knew about coca cola, but they didn’t know about Jesus! Their food was not our normal fare, it was difficult to sleep at night, and it was very cold.

We preached the whole first day about Jesus, about Christ, the meaning of life, sin, salvation, and redemption from our sin. We preached clearly during the day, and at night we showed the JESUS film. This was a very sad place for a Christian because nobody knew anything about Jesus. But it was also a wonderful place to take the gospel, a fresh place, a new place where they did not know about God! It was a wonderful opportunity to bring light into a dark community that only knew about the traditions and rituals of men. We were able to stay there and preach the gospel for three days, and there were many who accepted Christ as their Savior. Now we are praying to establish a church there.

Little Knowledge, Know Faith: In one of the villages that we visited, there was a man who knew a little about the gospel of Jesus, but he did not understand clearly and some things were mixed up. One of the things on which he was mixed up was the crucifixion. He came to see the JESUS film, and it was like a light was turned on in his mind. Then when we preached at the end of the film that we cannot go to heaven without salvation, he suddenly realized the real meaning of the crucifixion to his own life. He came to us and said he wanted to be the first Christian in his village, and he accepted Christ as his Savior. He confessed that his life and mind had been changed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Mozambique: reported by Rev. Graca Nhtelo

Veronica was a 36-year-old woman. She was often drunk, a heavy smoker, and in general a sinful person. She came to see the JESUS film and was drawn to the story of the prostitute who was touched and cleansed by Jesus. She said she could see herself in that woman, and when she saw the change, she asked God right there to help her also find cleansing and purity, which He did.

Herd of Faith: We went to a certain area for multiple showings of the JESUS film in a cluster of villages. On the first day of the showings, God showed Himself in a mighty way. There were two women present who were known to be demon possessed. They were both convicted and brought to a place of faith by the story of the man of Gerasenes who was delivered of many demons that went into the herd of pigs.

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October 27, 2011

Dear Net Caster,

Did you ever attempt do anything so big that it scared you? Marriage is like that. For most of us we only plan to do it once, and it is such a big step that you want to make sure it is right. We are looking at an expansion of the JESUS film ministry that is so big that it is frankly a little scary. Unless the Lord builds this house, it will not be built. It is also very exciting because we really believe it is of the Lord. This will be a primary focus of Global Partners, as well, for the next three years. We will be filling you in on the details as we get the program in better focus and begin to get pillars driven on which we can build.

Since the last Net Caster I have had the opportunity to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of The Wesleyan Church in Papua New Guinea. This was a great time of remembrance and praise as we look at the way the church in PNG has grown. I also attended the national conference in Bougainville where the church is beginning to show maturity and to grow. At Global Partners’ headquarters in Indianapolis, we had a conference which included district superintendents and district mission directors. It was a very profitable time of sharing information and envisioning new direction. We are all looking down the road this coming year at new things that will be happening at the International Conference of The Wesleyan Church in January 2012 and then the General Conference in June 2012. We thank the Lord for the past and pray for the future.

Since the Net Caster has not come out for a while, this one will be a little longer than usual, but the majority will be online at www.wesleyan.org/gp/netcasters with more pictures and testimonies. God is still at work in our world, and we need to know it. Read and be blessed.

Your Fellow Servant,

Dr. John H. Connor
Director of the JESUS Film Partnership of Global Partners

TESTIMONIES FROM THE FIELD

Philippines: reported by Rev. Amos Anteg, Evangelism and Church Growth director

New Churches: There are four new churches in Tabuk area that were opened through the JESUS Film Partnership ministry. I was there a month ago, and the district superintendent reported that these are promising local churches not only geographically but spiritually and numerically as well. Funds from the JFP ministry were allotted for each of them, and additional assistance will be given as the local church continues to flourish.

Pagan Tribal Group Sees Film: Pastor Techap reports: “At first I was hesitant to show the JESUS film to my fellow tribesmen (Kalanguya) because of their pagan beliefs. But I was amazed to see the people stay until the end of the showing. There were 157 viewers, and 50 Kalanguya people responded to the gospel message and prayed to accept Jesus into their lives.”

Rev. Techap mobilized JFP in the Kalanguya and Iballoi zone for the months of August and September 2011 and witnessed how his people responded to the message about Jesus Christ through the film. The local churches that sponsored the showing were very much encouraged as the local pastors are now doing their part to follow up with the respondents. Numerous times the ministry was hindered by heavy rain and at one point a strong typhoon, but nevertheless the ministry went even stronger as 346 tribal souls are added to the kingdom of God.

New Area of Evangelism: For the month of October, JFP will transfer again in Oriental Mindoro. Rev. Randy Gervacio planned to open three church planting areas for one month. Let us pray that they will have good weather during their set schedules. After Oriental Mindoro, JFP will transfer in Rosales Wesleyan Bible College on the months of November and December 2011. The church growth class under Rev. John Ray Valdez will also mobilize the ministry to open new works or perhaps reopen the preaching points that were closed when students are out for summer vacation. Let us remember these schedules in our prayers.

Northeast India: reported by the national superintendent

Special Showings during Spiritual Emphasis Week: The Lord has blessed the JESUS Film Partnership ministry in many places. The gospel of Jesus Christ is being presented to many people. And many people are being blessed. September is a very important month for the church here in East India. We had special meetings that we call "BEIRUOL." This is where every member meets at the church every night. So the JFP has taken this as an advantageous event and carried out its follow-up program with the theme "Thy Kingdom Come." Many people were blessed through this follow-up program of JFP. Praise be to God! Please continue praying for the JESUS Film Partnership Ministry here in East India. God bless you!

Nepal

Hidden Cost, Hidden Blessing: All of the prices for things in Nepal are going up, especially transportation. But we still have a large task to take the gospel. Last week it was cheaper to stay in a hotel than to return home and then come back for a follow-up. We found a reasonably priced hotel and stayed the night. I had the opportunity to ask the proprietor if he knew Jesus. He thought for about two minutes and then said “I have been the owner of this hotel for 18 years and I think I know everyone in the village, but I have never heard this name before.” So I had the opportunity to tell him about Jesus. This is the condition of Nepal where many have never heard the name of Jesus.

Touching the Untouchables: We went to show the film in an area of very poor and uneducated people, but they just could not understand. We preached to them and taught them about Jesus. They were used to worshiping many gods, but not one God. It seemed that their society, culture, and education were all blocks to the gospel. These people are called the untouchables. We told them that the Lord Jesus made us and that no one is untouchable. There are about 100 huts in that place, and we will go back again and again until more people understand and accept Christ into their lives. There were a few who prayed, but we believe the Lord had a good work He wants to do in that place, so we will return.

Crooked Priest: A certain Hindu priest was known to be a cheat and a swindler. He was suffering from a skin disease that he had paid much money in which to find a cure, but to no avail. After showing the film, we shared the gospel message with him one-on-one. He admitted that he was troubled by his sin. He had a horse that had died the month before, which he believed was on account of his sinfulness. This caused a deep conviction from which he could not escape. We preached the gospel to him and told him that the Lord can forgive his sins. He was not ready at that time, but after some time he returned and accepted Christ as his Savior. Although the Lord did not choose to heal him while we were there, his family called us a week later to tell us that the Lord had touched him and his disease was clearing up. Praise the Lord for what He does in His own time!

Buddhists Shake Up the Meeting: Two Buddhist women began to shake violently as we began to show the JESUS film. One of the men got up and began to denounce us and the film because of this incident. A number of people became angry so we started to pray for them. This resulted in other people being afraid and running away. We tried to assure them and continued to pray. After about 15 minutes they calmed down, and we began to preach to them about how Jesus cast out the demon in Mark 1:26. As we were preaching, one of the women declared that she was now feeling better, and this spirit had attacked her from time to time in the past. Her husband declared that his wife had told him that our prayer is what was bringing peace to her. We told them that if they would receive Jesus as their Savior, He would give them peace from this evil spirit forever. After about ten minutes, both women and the husband accepted Jesus as their Savior. We thank the Lord for this outcome.

Queen of Demons: In one area we spent a few days visiting and sharing before showing the film. By the time we came to show the film, excitement had built, and many people where happy to show up to see it. But two demon-possessed women began to shout and carry on. “Don’t come here. We do not want Jesus here. Who is Jesus? We do not want to see him here.” We realized it was demonic when they cried out we want to stay here, indicating that if Jesus was there, they would have to leave.

Many people were telling us that these were evil spirits who were trying to give us trouble. So we surrounded these women and began to pray fervently for them for about a half hour. One woman immediately dropped into a deep sleep, but the other woman began to say, “We are the queen of demons, and this whole area is ours. We have control of both men and animals. Without sacrifices of animals, we will not give the people peace.” Then she said, “Let us go now! Let us go now!” Over and over and over she said it, and then dropped into a deep sleep.

After about ten minutes, they both woke up, and we began to question them with the authority of the Lord. Then they began to back away from us, which brought amazement to the people watching. They saw that the spirits had no power over us and could not confront us. The next day the people came to us and asked us to show the JESUS film. Many accepted Jesus as Savior. We have now started a fellowship in that place. Praise be to Jesus!

Muslim Led by the Spirit: There was a Muslim fellow at one of the showings. We preached the gospel during the film showing and said that Jesus saves us because He is our Creator. We are his property as well as the recipients of His mercy. This Muslim man was listening and thinking. The next day he left to go to another city by bus, and in the midst of the journey, when the bus stopped, he went to the restroom. But the bus had left by the time he got back. Although he was not happy, he was able to get another bus after few minutes. As they traveled less than a half mile from the stop, he saw the first bus involved in a terrible accident and realized that he had been a recipient of mercy. It was through this incident that he remembered the teaching and believed in Jesus.

Ill and Down Cast:Two brothers who live together came to see the JESUS film. When Jesus was shown healing people, they began to cry out, “Oh please God, heal us; heal all the people!” They caused such a disturbance that it was not easy to listen to the film. But we realized that it was just as if Jesus was really there before them; they were just expressing the desires of their hearts. Still it was necessary to ask them to be silent. At the end of the time we talked with them and learned that they both had AIDS. There was also a person with leprosy who came to join in the conversation. We talked and prayed with them for about two hours, and many others with illnesses joined us. Many of them came to believe in Jesus, and now we have a small group fellowship which has been started there.

Mozambique: report from Rev. Graca Nhathelo, national superintendent

Lost Father Returns: At a showing one of the persons who attended was a backslider who had been a member in the past. He had a son who had become ill and was on the verge of death when the Lord miraculously healed him. This brought conviction to the father who realized how far he had fallen, and he came back to the Lord in that meeting.

Jesus Only Within: At Mascarenha there was a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the meeting. An evidence of that was the many people who were healed. One man who came to Christ in that meeting said that the old man in his heart must give way to Jesus, so that only Jesus should live in his heart. Amen! The old man should be moved out and Christ alone dwell within.

A Neighbor Hears: Mrs. Laurinda was a non-believer who lived near the church. Many of her neighbors were church members, and one of them invited her to a showing of the JESUS film. As she watched the film, she said it was like a great fever came over her whole body. She began to fan herself and told her neighbor what was happening. The neighbor called the pastor who prayed with her, and she gave her life to Christ. Since that time she has been praying and growing in her new faith.

Zambia:

Aflame with Passion: Although the JESUS team had gotten permission from the headman to show the JESUS film in Kamthebu, they felt uneasy about the place. As they began to set up for the showing, Berena, the headman’s sister, confronted them. “What do you people think you are doing?” Thinking that she was just protecting the integity of the village, the team respectfully explained to her that they had followed proper protocol for what they were doing. Her blunt retort was, “I don’t care who gave you permission, there shall be no showing of your JESUS film in this village. So just pack your things and go somewhere else.” The team couldn’t believe what they were hearing because by this time a good number of people had already gathered, and some were even helping them hoist the screen. As the discussion progressed, someone went and called the headman who came and encouraged the team to go ahead and not mind his sister. She responsed, “Okay, we shall see who is in authority here.” Then she left in a huff without another word.

That evening the film had shown for about thirty minutes when something strange happened. It was as if a strange force besieged the grounds. The team literally felt some power lay seige of the grounds. An eerie silence came over the place. Right before their eyes they watched the table on which they had placed their projector and sound board lift off the ground about a foot. Then it overturned, and the equipment crashed to the ground! There was commotion as people scampered in every direction. The team was both embarrassed and indignant. They picked up everthing, and the leader announced to the remaining crowd that they would check the equipment and be back the following day. Before the team left they offered a prayer and declared, “Lord, the earth and its fullness belong to You. This ground is Yours, and we cover it in the blood of Jesus. We declare in the name of Jesus Christ that this ground shall witness the salvation and deliverance of many in this community, even tomorrow!”

The following day the team checked their equipment and found that nothing was broken or dysfunctional. However, by this time the event was big news throughout the whole region. They went to the headman again to inform him that they were not giving up but would show the film that night. As they were talking with him, his sister came and without greeting the team said, “So now you know who is powerful in this village, I suppose?” The team responded that they only know God as the almighty power over all, including those of that village. She responded with an indignant scorn, “Okay, we shall see. But what I know is that your God was made into a public spectacle, and He did nothing about it!”

That evening the team showed the film again, and 605 attended the showing, far more than the night before. They had heard about the “show” the night before and came to see the showdown. Berena also made her presence very visible and probably came to exercise her powers again. All but five of those present came to pray the sinner’s prayer at the end of the showing. The team was overwhelmed by this response, although dissappointed that Berena was not one of those who came because they had prayed for her specifically, so that God would show her His power.

A few days later, while still showing the film in the surrounding areas, the team had a surprise visit one morning. Berena came to visit them. Since the showing at her village, she had been having a reoccuring nightmare. In it she was being pushed into a pit of flames of fire by some strange beast while across the pit were the three crosses she saw in the JESUS film. A soft voice was compellingly telling her, “ You are losing your soul to these flames because you are scorning your opportunity for salvation.” She went on to tell the team how she had kept putting off seeing them because she was embarrassed by the way she had treated them. But the dream had persisted, and the conviction had grown stronger than her pride. She said she could not go beyond this day. The team was overjoyed that God had heard their prayers after all, and so that morning they had the joy of leading her to Jesus. Today she is one of the strong members of our church plant in the area. Her testimony is encouraging other elderly people to come to Christ.

Court of Appeal: Musale was a very depressed woman when the JESUS film team came to Chimbwemba in Sinda. Her husband had died five months earlier. This loss and the ensuing events had left her so devastated and depressed that she was contemplating suicide. Her husband had collapsed and died suddenly while visiting his sister within the village. Sudden death in rural Zambia is almost always thought to be linked to witchcraft and is often thought to be caused by a spouse. So instead of allowing her to mourn her husband, she was subjected to a lot of torturous rituals to prove her innocence. Then after the burial of her husband, a very long and painful judicial process was instituted in which she eventually had to pay a hefty fine to her husband’s family as an official separation. During this time her in-laws grabbed all the property that she and her husband had acquired during their marrage, including the iron sheets on her house. She appealed to the legal processes at hand, but it only ended up costing more money. She lost everything to her in-laws. She was so devastated that she had decided she would hang herself on the night that the JESUS film was to be shown.

The area where the team was to show the JESUS film was just about fifty meters from her house. Although she didn’t come, she could see and hear the film from her house. At the conclusion of the showing, Musale heard the team say, “You may feel rejected and unloved, the way Simon the pharisee treated the sinful woman who came to Jesus. Jesus is here tonight to make you feel accepted and loved and cared for. If you give your life to Him tonight, He will meet you at your point of need.” Musale came from her home to join those who were coming for prayer and gave her life to Christ that night. The team arranged to visit with her the following day for further follow-up.

It was during the follow-up the next day that Musale filled them in on her experiences and how she felt stigmatised and an innocent victim to the point of losing hope for life. The team encouraged her from the Word, and they further told her that her case was one that could be pursued at a higher level because she was protected by the laws of the land. They gave her information on appeal procedures to higher courts and even made a small donation to help her with travels. Musale won her appeal at a higher local court that mandated her in-laws to not only return the property they grabbed from her but also compensate her for traumatising her when she should be mourning her husband. Musale is now a happy woman and is a strong member of our church plant in Chimbwemba.

Sticks and Stones: Josephine responded to the altar call at the JESUS film showing in Gwembe. She was very specific as to why she had come to pray. She wanted the team to pray for her so that her marriage could be restored. Her husband was cheating on her, and there was a rumour that he was planning to divorce her. The team told her they would pray with her, but they felt the best place for her to start was to put things right with God herself. They shared God’s plan for salvation with her, and she gave her life to the Lord. Then they counseled her that the best way to win her marriage back was to pray for her husband and leave the rest to God.

Josephine’s marriage problems seemed to go from bad to worse. The woman with whom her husband was having an affair came to her house prepared for a fight. Apparently, before coming to church for counseling, Josephine had met a friend of her rival and had said that were they ever to meet, she would give the woman a beating she would never forget. Her rival, upon hearing this, decided to take her up on the offer. Fortunately Josephine arrived at her house in the company of one of the deaconess, who was also her neighbour and had been given the responsibility of further followup with her. They found this rival ready to fight, and when she saw Josephine, she began to spew unprintable language at her, challenging her to fight. Josephine was ready to go into the fray, but the deaconess pulled her aside and reminded her a few things that the team had shared in the counseling session. She further reminded her of one of Christ’s teaching in the film in which He encouraged believers to give the other cheek if one is struck. Josephine took this advice and decided to ignore the other woman and just went into her house. Her rival continued shouting and berating her from outside the house. Someone called Josephine’s husband, so he rushed home only to find his mistress trotting and jumping around while insulting his wife. Embarrassed by the whole show, he decided to end it in style. So he asked the woman what she was doing at his home and what wrong his wife had done since she was not engaging her in like conduct, although she had every right to defend her territory. He was so incensed that he physically drove off the intruder while beating her and told her that this was the last he was seing her. When he returned home, he went to his wife and thanked her for not helping the other lady in the riotous behaviour and appreciated the respect she had accorded him by so doing. He further went on to promise that he would never see the woman again.

Since that time, he has yielded his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, he and his wife are members of our church in Gwembe, and they were recently baptized. Their marriage was saved because Josephine turned the other cheek.

Ghana

New Birth: During the film show at Obenyami, a thirty-three-year-old lady who had a long overdue pregnancy joined the other viewers to watch the film. After the film the team prayed for the lady after she had presented her problem. She delivered a healthy baby girl that night. According to her husband, they both visited the hospital a day before the JESUS film showing, and she would have gone for an operation the following day to remove the baby. He said he was praying to God to intervene so the operation would be cancelled. The merciful God has answered his prayer and now his wife was free from the operation. Hallelujah! Thanks be to God!

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