(bright music)
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- Hello and welcome
to "Jesus for Asia Now."
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I'm Natalie Wood, and today
my husband John is here with me
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in the studio,
and we'll be talking
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about working in
sensitive countries.
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Hello, love.
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- Hi, darling. How are you?
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- I'm doing all right.
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You know, sometimes
the most inspiring stories
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are the ones you can't tell.
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- Yes.
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- Because people
would be endangered.
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The people who are witnessing,
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or the people who are being
witnessed to would be in danger.
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- That's correct.
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- And so it's
with a lot of prayer
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that we're sharing the stories
that we're sharing today.
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- Yes.
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- And trying to keep
them as anonymous as possible.
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- [Jon] Uh-huh.
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- So we're talking about
sensitive countries today.
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- Yes, and this is our newest
category of Bible workers.
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- Okay.
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- In sensitive countries.
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But it's our
fastest growing segment
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because there's
several countries
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that we're involved
in that we cannot say
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which country they are
or which area they are.
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- [Natalie] Right.
- Except for the fact
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that they're in Asia.
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- Right.
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- But Asia has 50 countries.
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- Yeah, and some of the
countries that we work in,
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there's areas where it's
more sensitive than other areas.
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- Correct.
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- So while they might
be in the same country
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that we've already listed
on our list, as, you know,
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available for
Bible worker sponsorship.
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- [Jon] Correct.
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- We're keeping this
one in sensitive countries.
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Just because, you
know, the stories are,
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it's a sensitive area.
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- Right. - [Natalie] Let's just
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put it that way.
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- And lives are at stake.
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- Yeah.
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- There's a real incident
where there was a breakthrough
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in one country into
a specific religion.
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Some of the leader,
one of the leaders of the,
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that religion was converted
to Christianity, to Adventism.
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And so somebody published that
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- [Natalie] Mhm.
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- in a magazine
with a wide distribution
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- Mm. - And others, you know,
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that were not
friendly, found out and saw,
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and that person that was
converted lost their life.
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- Mm.
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- [Jon] And so this
is, this is a real thing.
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- It's real, yeah.
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- And the thing is
though, that these stories
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are some of the most inspiring
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because there's, there is
that opposition and we know
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what's coming in prophecy.
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- Right.
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- That
persecution is coming to us
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so we can learn from
them and be inspired by them.
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- Right.
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- In their, in their work.
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So we get to tell their stories,
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but unfortunately we
have to blur their faces.
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- Yeah, so we
don't see their faces,
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but we also don't
hear their languages.
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- [Jon] Right. - You know,
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we don't know their names.
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- Right. -
[Natalie] None of that.
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- Yeah.
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- Recently, our
foreign correspondent team
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was able to go to this area
and interview some Bible workers
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in one of these
sensitive countries.
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- [Jon] Correct.
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- So, let's watch
the first video now.
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- Okay.
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(piano music)
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(bell rings)
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- [Narrator] In countries
where challenges abound,
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God's work continues to advance,
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even in the most
trying circumstances.
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Recently, we had the wonderful
opportunity to visit a group
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of Muslims who have
now embraced Christ.
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And at the end of the weekend,
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we bore witness to a
powerful testament of faith.
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47 precious souls
moved by the Holy Spirit,
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chose to dedicate their
lives to Christ in baptism.
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But this journey is
not without its trials.
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The Bible workers who
are leading these people
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to Jesus face opposition
and many difficulties.
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Though their identities
remain hidden for their safety,
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this is their story.
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(piano music)
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- I was born
into a Muslim family.
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My father, grandfather, and
grandmother were all Muslims.
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I lost my sight in 1998.
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I met another
blind person who lived
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about 15
kilometers from my house.
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He invited me to his
home and offered me some food.
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During our
conversation, he told me
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that if I believed in Jesus,
my life would become peaceful.
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I told him I would
consider his proposal.
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Over time, we
continued to communicate
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through our mobile phones,
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and he gave me another
brother's contact number.
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I started
communicating with him also.
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After about two years,
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he expressed
interest in visiting my family
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even though his
district was far from mine.
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I told him he was
welcome to come visit us.
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And so he came to our home.
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(piano music)
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He spent three days with us,
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reciting the
Bible to me and my wife.
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Later, six months
after his first visit,
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he returned and emphasized
that if I accepted Jesus
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as my savior, my
life would be peaceful,
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and Jesus would
shoulder my burdens.
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So I decided to be baptized.
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Despite being blind, I
felt that God had granted me
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good health and a favorable
situation after my baptism.
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I couldn't read, but
others read the Bible to me.
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I also composed songs
and tried to sing them
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as a method of
preaching the good news.
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My songs were based on the
miracles performed by Jesus,
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such as healing the sick
and giving life to the dead.
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I also wrote songs about
his sacrifice for our sins.
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(upbeat music)
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I have established three
house churches in my area
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with about 17 people attending.
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I share the knowledge
God has blessed me with.
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Although I am physically
challenged, I live peacefully
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because Jesus Christ
has given me a chance
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to survive in this world.
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However, I faced adversity
when some individuals learned
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that I was an evangelist,
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preaching the
good news about Christ.
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They attacked
me, punched my mouth,
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and broke many of my teeth.
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Despite these challenges, I
feel at peace in Jesus Christ.
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Today, I have brought
three people who were baptized.
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Let me briefly tell
you about one of them
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who is a young man.
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He used to visit our
home, and I gave him a book.
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I asked him to memorize the
Lord's prayer, which he did.
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And that increased
his interest in learning
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about Jesus Christ.
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I did my best to help him
understand the word of God,
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and encouraged him to
be baptized in the name
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of Jesus Christ
for eternal life.
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Today he was baptized.
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(piano music)
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Currently, I live at
home with no other job,
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dedicating my time to evangelism
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and writing songs
based on the Bible.
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I have a group that enjoys
singing, and we meet at my home.
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Four people have shown
interest in learning more
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about Christ, and one
of them was baptized today.
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I hope and believe
that the other three
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will also accept Jesus soon.
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Despite my
blindness, I am thankful
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for the peaceful
and good life I have,
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and that God has opened my
heart so I can see my Lord.
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Please pray for me as I
continue to work for our Lord,
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stand firm in my faith, and
dedicate the rest of my life
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and time to
evangelism for the glory of God.
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Thank you so much.
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(piano music)
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- I love how
his friend described
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his relationship with Jesus.
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Like, you will have peace,
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and he will
shoulder your burdens.
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- Mm.
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- Doesn't mean he'll
take away the burdens,
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but he will shoulder them.
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And it's just,
it's so beautiful.
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I mean, he has so many
challenges besides being blind.
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He's been
persecuted and it's just,
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it's just beautiful to hear.
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- Yeah.
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- That he's gonna do it.
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He's gonna go forward and share.
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- Yeah.
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A blind man
leading people to Christ.
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- Yeah.
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- Even though he's
lost a bunch of teeth.
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- Yeah.
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- Because of his witness.
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- [Natalie] Right.
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- If he had just stayed
home, he wouldn't get beat up.
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He wouldn't get persecuted.
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- Right.
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- Just keep his
faith to himself.
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- Right.
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But he doesn't seem
to be able to do that.
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- [Jon] No.
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- That's the thing about Christ.
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Christ came into his life
and he found a difference.
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- [Jon] Yes. -
He found that peace.
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- Yeah.
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- He found the one who
can shoulder his burdens
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and he's, he wants
to tell other people.
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- [Jon] Yeah.
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- I mean, that's
what it boils down to.
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He doesn't wanna
keep it to himself.
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- Yeah, it's an internal piece,
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not a piece in his
surroundings or situation.
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- Yeah, that's beautiful.
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- Yeah, that's inspiring.
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- Yeah.
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All right, well,
we have another video.
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- [Jon] Okay.
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- More testimony.
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So let's go to that now.
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- Excellent.
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(piano music)
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- I was born in a Muslim family.
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I learned the prayers in
the Quran from my childhood.
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I used to read the
Quran in Arabic every day,
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but I had no idea
what I was reading.
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I felt sad because I couldn't
understand what I was reading.
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Then one of my
friends gave me a translation
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of the Quran in my language.
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After that, when
I read the Quran,
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I could understand the meaning.
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I found that in the
Quran, it says that the birth
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of Jesus Christ in
his life is excellent
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and different from
the other prophets.
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Then I heard the message
about Jesus from another man,
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and he taught me from the Bible.
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He quoted John 14:6 to me.
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" I am the way, the
truth, and the life.
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No man cometh unto
the Father, but by me."
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That really touched my heart
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and I received
Jesus as my savior.
00:10:03.23\00:10:05.60
(piano music)
00:10:05.60\00:10:08.17
After my conversion, I
have faced a lot of problems.
00:10:09.87\00:10:13.14
My son is in sixth grade.
00:10:13.14\00:10:14.98
His classmates said to
him, your father is a Christian.
00:10:14.98\00:10:18.51
You are not our friend.
00:10:18.51\00:10:20.15
Even my society hates me.
00:10:20.15\00:10:22.85
They don't like us
because I became a Christian.
00:10:22.85\00:10:25.42
I'm a village doctor,
but because of my conversion,
00:10:27.52\00:10:30.49
many people don't want
to buy medicine from me.
00:10:30.49\00:10:33.23
Many people will just take
medicine from my shop on credit.
00:10:33.23\00:10:36.67
But then they
say, no need to pay him
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because he is a Christian,
00:10:38.63\00:10:40.17
and he got a lot of money
from the Christian society.
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Because of all this,
I'm slowly losing business.
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My wife is a teacher at
a non-government school,
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and the parents don't
wanna send their children
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to that school
because of my wife.
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The people think that
if they send their children
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to that school, then
they will become Christian
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because of the teacher.
00:11:00.69\00:11:02.62
So we are facing
a lot of problems,
00:11:02.62\00:11:04.93
but we are
preaching the good news
00:11:04.93\00:11:06.39
according to
Matthew 28:18 through 20.
00:11:06.39\00:11:09.76
I believe that as Jesus said,
00:11:09.76\00:11:12.73
whoever follows
me, he will suffer.
00:11:12.73\00:11:15.97
So I accept whatever suffering
00:11:15.97\00:11:17.81
and persecution we face.
00:11:17.81\00:11:19.91
Now I'm working for God.
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I share with people
the truth about Jesus.
00:11:24.55\00:11:27.28
I believe in scripture.
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As Jesus said,
"Behold the fouls of the air,
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for they so not, neither do
they reap nor gather into barns,
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yet your heavenly
Father feedeth them.
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Are you not much
better than they?"
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I believe that and
teach the simple truth
00:11:40.36\00:11:43.03
to our fellow
believers in the house churches.
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They really love this teaching.
00:11:45.30\00:11:48.00
They are not
worried about the future
00:11:48.00\00:11:49.67
or what will happen tomorrow.
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They believe that
Jesus is always with us.
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They are living, following
the scripture like this.
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One of our brothers
from the house church
00:11:58.58\00:12:00.25
was suffering from a disease.
00:12:00.25\00:12:02.75
He was taking
medicine but did not get well.
00:12:02.75\00:12:05.39
Then our small
group gathered around him
00:12:05.39\00:12:07.22
and laid hands on
him as we prayed for him.
00:12:07.22\00:12:09.72
The next day he started
feeling that he is getting well.
00:12:09.72\00:12:13.29
Now he's completely healed.
00:12:13.29\00:12:15.46
(piano music)
00:12:15.46\00:12:18.73
Please pray for me.
00:12:18.73\00:12:20.07
Though many people do
not like to meet with me,
00:12:20.07\00:12:21.94
but yet people are
joining with our small group.
00:12:21.94\00:12:24.47
I have been
sharing Christ since 2019,
00:12:24.47\00:12:26.78
and I have planted six house
churches in these three years,
00:12:26.78\00:12:30.41
and now I'm preaching
to more than 200 people.
00:12:30.41\00:12:33.21
And within the next three years,
00:12:33.21\00:12:34.55
I have a plan to plant
more than 15 small groups.
00:12:34.55\00:12:37.79
My plan and my prayer
is to preach the good news
00:12:37.79\00:12:41.39
to at least 400 people.
00:12:41.39\00:12:43.16
So I ask for your prayer so
that I can provide the medicine
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.66
for the physical health
00:12:46.66\00:12:47.96
and also the
spiritual life for the people.
00:12:47.96\00:12:51.20
(piano music)
00:12:51.20\00:12:53.67
- Wow, your eyes are tearing up.
00:13:01.84\00:13:04.15
- Yeah.
00:13:04.95\00:13:06.05
It's just beautiful
to think about people
00:13:06.05\00:13:08.08
who are sacrificing.
00:13:08.08\00:13:09.95
You know, it's
like his whole business.
00:13:09.95\00:13:11.55
He's a doctor and his
whole doctoral ministry,
00:13:11.55\00:13:14.66
whatever you wanna call it,
00:13:14.66\00:13:16.16
as a physician is
people are not wanting
00:13:16.16\00:13:20.13
to come to him anymore.
00:13:20.13\00:13:21.43
And he's losing his business
00:13:21.43\00:13:22.73
and his wife's,
you know, teaching,
00:13:22.73\00:13:25.33
the school she's
teaching at is suffering
00:13:25.33\00:13:27.27
and all these things.
00:13:27.27\00:13:28.74
But yet it's like
he's got so much joy
00:13:28.74\00:13:30.77
in sharing Jesus
with these people.
00:13:30.77\00:13:32.47
- [Jon] Right.
00:13:32.47\00:13:33.61
- And he's praying to
be able to share with more
00:13:33.61\00:13:34.28
and it just, yeah.
00:13:34.28\00:13:37.28
It's beautiful.
00:13:37.28\00:13:39.68
- [Jon] Yeah,
it is. - I love it.
00:13:39.68\00:13:40.78
- [Jon] It is, it is.
00:13:40.78\00:13:41.85
- I keep saying
that, but it's just
00:13:41.85\00:13:43.08
really, really, totally God.
00:13:43.08\00:13:47.36
- [Jon] Yeah. -
That can give people
00:13:47.36\00:13:48.46
that kind of heart
to share with others
00:13:48.46\00:13:52.39
- [Jon] Yeah. - about him.
00:13:52.39\00:13:53.66
- [Jon] Yeah. - It's really.
00:13:53.66\00:13:54.76
It's really neat.
00:13:54.76\00:13:56.40
- Yeah, it's really inspiring.
00:13:56.40\00:13:57.97
He could have a
very good life, you know,
00:13:57.97\00:14:00.57
as a doctor and
his wife as a teacher,
00:14:00.57\00:14:02.94
and yet, they
choose to share Jesus.
00:14:02.94\00:14:06.17
- Mhm.
00:14:06.17\00:14:07.28
- If they just
kept it to themselves,
00:14:07.28\00:14:08.41
they'd probably be okay.
00:14:08.41\00:14:09.84
- Yeah.
00:14:09.84\00:14:11.21
- I mean, he's raising
up all these church plants
00:14:11.21\00:14:13.55
and plans to raise up so
many more house churches,
00:14:13.55\00:14:16.25
and what can we say?
00:14:16.25\00:14:18.52
I mean.
00:14:18.52\00:14:19.59
- Yeah.
00:14:19.59\00:14:20.66
Yeah.
00:14:20.66\00:14:21.79
- When we struggle to
get up in the morning,
00:14:21.79\00:14:23.56
it's on a Sabbath
morning and go to church.
00:14:23.56\00:14:25.76
Oh, it's raining outside.
00:14:25.76\00:14:26.93
Maybe we'll stay home today.
00:14:26.93\00:14:27.96
- Yeah.
00:14:27.96\00:14:29.00
- And you know,
these guys go out there
00:14:29.00\00:14:31.53
and do this kind of
work. - They risk their lives
00:14:31.53\00:14:33.40
on a daily basis.
00:14:33.40\00:14:34.27
- [Jon] Yeah. - In reality.
00:14:34.27\00:14:35.84
- Right, it's such a
privilege to be able to have
00:14:35.84\00:14:38.27
a small part in helping
them to be able to follow
00:14:38.27\00:14:43.08
what they feel the
Lord is calling them to do.
00:14:43.08\00:14:45.71
- Yeah, we keep
saying that, but it's real.
00:14:45.71\00:14:47.95
I mean, that's the way we feel.
00:14:47.95\00:14:49.82
It's a huge blessing
to be of service to them.
00:14:49.82\00:14:52.29
- Yeah.
00:14:52.29\00:14:53.09
And it doesn't take much.
00:14:53.09\00:14:54.19
- Well, we do have
more testimony here,
00:14:54.19\00:14:56.99
so we wanna go ahead and
go on with the next video.
00:14:56.99\00:14:59.66
- Okay.
00:14:59.66\00:15:00.56
(piano music)
00:15:00.56\00:15:03.06
- I was born
into a Muslim family.
00:15:06.00\00:15:08.64
My father and mother used
to read the Quran every day.
00:15:08.64\00:15:12.47
The first time I heard
about Jesus was from my parents.
00:15:12.47\00:15:16.24
They told me that in the Quran,
00:15:16.24\00:15:18.91
it says that
Jesus will come again
00:15:18.91\00:15:20.85
before the day of judgment.
00:15:20.85\00:15:22.55
My parents shared with
me that in the third surah,
00:15:24.09\00:15:27.39
it is written that
Jesus is the Word of God
00:15:27.39\00:15:30.06
and a sign of
the day of judgment.
00:15:30.06\00:15:32.23
I was inspired by this
verse, and it touched my heart.
00:15:33.86\00:15:37.73
I started to search for
how I could receive Jesus.
00:15:37.73\00:15:40.77
I tried to find someone
who knew more about Jesus.
00:15:40.77\00:15:45.07
One day I met an evangelist
00:15:45.87\00:15:48.34
distributing tracks
in our small market.
00:15:48.34\00:15:50.78
I found a track that stated
00:15:52.01\00:15:53.52
Jesus is the
savior of the world.
00:15:53.52\00:15:56.69
It included an address
for a Catholic mission.
00:15:56.69\00:15:59.92
I asked my maternal uncle
to go with me to the mission
00:15:59.92\00:16:02.36
because I
believed that going there
00:16:02.36\00:16:04.49
could help me find Jesus.
00:16:04.49\00:16:06.66
When we arrived at the
mission, I requested some books
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.37
because I knew that I
could find Jesus there.
00:16:11.37\00:16:14.90
However, the priest told me
00:16:14.90\00:16:17.14
that he could not make me a
Christian since I was Muslim.
00:16:17.14\00:16:20.68
He directed me to another man.
00:16:20.68\00:16:22.78
But this man was also hesitant
to share about Jesus with me
00:16:22.78\00:16:26.31
because I was a Muslim.
00:16:26.31\00:16:28.12
He only taught me about
sin, explaining that all humans,
00:16:28.12\00:16:31.39
as children of
Adam, are sinners.
00:16:31.39\00:16:34.66
I asked how I
could be saved from sin,
00:16:34.66\00:16:37.16
and he said that I needed
to receive Jesus as my savior
00:16:37.16\00:16:40.80
and be baptized in his name.
00:16:40.80\00:16:42.66
(piano music)
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.53
We invited him
to visit our home,
00:16:45.53\00:16:47.64
and he spent 10
days teaching us.
00:16:47.64\00:16:50.07
We came to believe that
we needed to accept Jesus
00:16:50.07\00:16:53.48
in order to be saved.
00:16:53.48\00:16:55.64
After some time, we made
the decision to be baptized
00:16:55.64\00:16:59.08
along with 20 other people.
00:16:59.08\00:17:02.02
We formed a group and
committed to meeting once a week
00:17:02.02\00:17:04.75
to learn more about
Jesus from the Bible.
00:17:04.75\00:17:07.72
(piano music)
00:17:07.72\00:17:10.29
Word spread among the villagers
00:17:15.23\00:17:16.73
that we had become Christians.
00:17:16.73\00:17:18.80
The villagers
united to form a committee
00:17:18.80\00:17:20.77
to expel
Christians from the village.
00:17:20.77\00:17:23.97
They destroyed our house,
seized our cows and belongings,
00:17:23.97\00:17:27.34
and caused significant damage.
00:17:27.34\00:17:29.58
I wasn't at home
during this incident,
00:17:29.58\00:17:31.98
so I fled and stayed
away for several days.
00:17:31.98\00:17:35.78
I tried to talk to
the local authorities,
00:17:35.78\00:17:38.29
but they gathered
around 10,000 people
00:17:38.29\00:17:40.82
to take action against us.
00:17:40.82\00:17:42.89
They declared that
from this day forward,
00:17:42.89\00:17:45.53
Christians were
isolated from society
00:17:45.53\00:17:47.96
and would have no further
relations with the community.
00:17:47.96\00:17:51.80
However, the chairman of the
committee opposed persecution
00:17:51.80\00:17:55.44
and suggested talking to us
00:17:55.44\00:17:57.37
to understand why we had
converted to Christianity.
00:17:57.37\00:18:01.24
But the committee ultimately
expelled us from society
00:18:01.24\00:18:05.25
and filed a false court
case against me and my family.
00:18:05.25\00:18:09.15
The court later
dismissed the case,
00:18:09.15\00:18:11.05
and when asked if I
was making Christians,
00:18:11.05\00:18:13.79
I replied that I
did not make Christians
00:18:13.79\00:18:17.03
but was a follower of Christ.
00:18:17.03\00:18:19.59
(piano music)
00:18:19.59\00:18:22.13
After a few years, I noticed
00:18:23.90\00:18:25.87
that people were
less angry with me
00:18:25.87\00:18:27.84
so I began preaching the
good news among my people.
00:18:27.84\00:18:31.34
I now work in my area
00:18:31.34\00:18:33.11
and have established 10 house
churches with 120 families.
00:18:33.11\00:18:37.21
(piano music)
00:18:37.21\00:18:39.78
I really love it when I
see Muslims coming to faith
00:18:41.12\00:18:44.15
and following Jesus.
00:18:44.15\00:18:46.42
It makes me so happy.
00:18:46.42\00:18:48.32
I always love preaching
the good news among Muslims
00:18:49.66\00:18:53.06
because his name is mentioned
many times in the Quran,
00:18:53.06\00:18:56.60
and the Quran says
that Jesus is the sign
00:18:56.60\00:18:59.00
of the day of judgment,
00:18:59.00\00:19:00.44
so this really inspires
me to share the good news.
00:19:00.44\00:19:03.61
(piano music)
00:19:03.61\00:19:06.17
I want to share
with you some miracles
00:19:07.68\00:19:09.58
happening in our small groups.
00:19:09.58\00:19:12.01
My sister was sick
with an eye disease
00:19:12.01\00:19:13.95
and we
believers gathered around,
00:19:13.95\00:19:16.12
touched her, and prayed for
her, and she is now fully cured.
00:19:16.12\00:19:21.19
Another time, my sister-in-law
lost consciousness.
00:19:22.42\00:19:25.96
And so my son and I
laid hands on her and prayed,
00:19:25.96\00:19:29.80
and immediately she
regained her consciousness,
00:19:29.80\00:19:32.23
and she is fine.
00:19:32.23\00:19:33.60
Allah has answered our
prayers, and we are grateful.
00:19:34.87\00:19:38.04
(piano music)
00:19:38.04\00:19:40.61
The number of people
joining us is increasing.
00:19:41.91\00:19:44.31
And today, we
baptized eight new people
00:19:44.31\00:19:47.62
who came to seek
Jesus as their savior.
00:19:47.62\00:19:50.45
One of them is a
woman who was very poor
00:19:50.45\00:19:52.49
but very
enthusiastic about Jesus.
00:19:52.49\00:19:55.66
I shared the good news from
the gospel of John with her,
00:19:55.66\00:19:59.43
and it touched her heart.
00:19:59.43\00:20:01.26
Though she was
just baptized today,
00:20:01.26\00:20:03.73
she has already
started a small group
00:20:03.73\00:20:05.40
and meets regularly to
discuss the Bible and pray.
00:20:05.40\00:20:09.07
She works
tirelessly for the Lord.
00:20:09.07\00:20:11.61
Please pray for us as we strive
00:20:13.54\00:20:16.18
to reach the
unreached people of this country
00:20:16.18\00:20:18.75
and work for God's glory.
00:20:18.75\00:20:21.05
(piano music)
00:20:21.05\00:20:23.62
- So let me get this straight.
00:20:27.69\00:20:29.02
This guy, his
house was destroyed
00:20:29.02\00:20:31.39
and a bunch of his cows were.
00:20:31.39\00:20:34.83
- Everything was taken.
00:20:34.83\00:20:35.83
- Yeah.
00:20:35.83\00:20:37.10
And now he has how
many house churches?
00:20:37.10\00:20:39.33
- He has 10, he said,
with about 120 people.
00:20:39.33\00:20:42.94
- Wow, that's amazing.
00:20:44.14\00:20:46.98
- God's multiplication.
00:20:46.98\00:20:48.78
- Yeah.
00:20:48.78\00:20:50.31
So even though I'm sure
that these house church members
00:20:50.31\00:20:52.95
that are coming
to the house church,
00:20:52.95\00:20:54.18
they're probably
getting persecution also.
00:20:54.18\00:20:56.28
- Yeah, probably.
00:20:56.28\00:20:57.49
- So Jesus is attractive,
00:20:57.49\00:20:59.42
even in spite of
all these challenges.
00:20:59.42\00:21:01.86
- Yeah.
00:21:01.86\00:21:02.89
- [Jon] Yeah. - Yeah, amazing.
00:21:02.89\00:21:04.49
- Yeah, and here in
America, it seems as though
00:21:04.49\00:21:06.70
Jesus has preached
as if you follow Jesus,
00:21:06.70\00:21:08.66
you'll have a better life.
00:21:08.66\00:21:09.76
- Mm.
00:21:09.76\00:21:10.77
That's not what happens.
00:21:10.77\00:21:12.23
- [Jon] Not there.
00:21:12.23\00:21:13.23
- No.
00:21:13.23\00:21:14.37
- And yet Jesus
is still attractive.
00:21:14.37\00:21:15.64
- Mhm.
00:21:15.64\00:21:16.54
- [Jon] Amazing. - Yup.
00:21:16.54\00:21:18.07
- Amazing story. - Yeah.
00:21:18.07\00:21:19.34
It's especially inspiring
00:21:19.34\00:21:21.51
because like in spite of
the trials, he's like, you know,
00:21:21.51\00:21:25.15
I've gotta share
Jesus with people.
00:21:25.15\00:21:26.98
- Yeah.
00:21:26.98\00:21:27.78
- And he waited a little bit
00:21:27.78\00:21:29.05
and kept Jesus to
himself for a little bit.
00:21:29.05\00:21:31.62
But then he started to notice
00:21:31.62\00:21:33.02
they weren't so
upset with him anymore.
00:21:33.02\00:21:34.76
So now, he's
boldly going and sharing.
00:21:34.76\00:21:37.66
- [Jon] Yeah.
00:21:37.66\00:21:38.53
- And it's just, yeah.
00:21:38.53\00:21:40.76
- I can't help but think
that their anger towards himself
00:21:40.76\00:21:43.73
a little bit when they
saw his character change.
00:21:43.73\00:21:46.17
- Mm. - The way that he
00:21:46.17\00:21:47.20
lived his life.
00:21:47.20\00:21:48.64
- [Natalie] Right.
- He didn't say that,
00:21:48.64\00:21:49.90
obviously, but
that's usually what happens
00:21:49.90\00:21:52.41
when people see, oh,
he's actually better.
00:21:52.41\00:21:55.48
- Yeah, and they see
the response to persecution.
00:21:55.48\00:21:58.31
- [Jon] Mm.
00:21:58.31\00:21:59.15
- And things like that.
00:21:59.15\00:22:00.25
- Right.
00:22:00.25\00:22:01.05
- And speaking of trials.
00:22:01.05\00:22:02.55
- [Jon] Mhm.
00:22:02.55\00:22:03.65
- We have a
story, the first story
00:22:03.65\00:22:07.36
you were gonna
share about persecution,
00:22:07.36\00:22:10.09
and unfortunately, we
don't have video of this one.
00:22:10.09\00:22:12.36
- Yeah, this was a man
of the same group of people
00:22:12.36\00:22:15.90
that are studying the
Bible and sharing with others.
00:22:15.90\00:22:18.60
And he was arrested, beaten,
taken to the police station,
00:22:18.60\00:22:23.27
and interrogated all day long
00:22:23.27\00:22:24.77
and asking, you know,
really tough questions,
00:22:24.77\00:22:27.38
very angry and very aggressive
and beaten and electrocuted
00:22:27.38\00:22:31.51
and you know, all kinds of
torture and stuff like that.
00:22:31.51\00:22:34.08
And at the end of the day,
his persecutors turned to him
00:22:34.08\00:22:38.25
and said, do you have a Bible?
00:22:38.25\00:22:40.99
And so he looked
at each one of them,
00:22:42.09\00:22:44.33
each one of the five
persecutors asked for a Bible.
00:22:44.33\00:22:48.36
- [Natalie] Wow.
00:22:48.36\00:22:49.20
- So he opened his bag.
00:22:49.20\00:22:50.03
He looked in his bag.
00:22:50.03\00:22:51.00
Guess how many Bibles he had?
00:22:51.00\00:22:52.27
- He had five.
00:22:52.27\00:22:54.30
- [Jon] Yes, he had five Bibles.
00:22:54.30\00:22:55.97
- Wow, wow.
00:22:55.97\00:22:57.47
- So each of his prosecutors
went home with a Bible.
00:22:57.47\00:22:59.41
- Wow. (Jon laughs)
00:22:59.41\00:23:00.24
That's really neat.
00:23:00.24\00:23:01.54
- Because they were so impressed
00:23:01.54\00:23:02.71
at his reasoning, his response.
00:23:02.71\00:23:04.88
But they saw that how he,
you know, responded to them,
00:23:04.88\00:23:07.72
that he didn't get
angry, and he didn't fight.
00:23:07.72\00:23:10.02
He responded with love.
00:23:10.02\00:23:11.65
And you know, he
was patient with them.
00:23:11.65\00:23:14.26
And why would somebody
that was being beaten up
00:23:14.26\00:23:17.19
and persecuted respond
with love and patience?
00:23:17.19\00:23:19.89
- Only because of Christ.
00:23:19.89\00:23:21.00
- [Jon] Yeah. -
Because it's not in humans.
00:23:21.00\00:23:22.90
- No.
00:23:22.90\00:23:24.20
And that's what Christ did.
00:23:24.20\00:23:25.83
That's how he, he's, I mean,
Christ is such a beautiful,
00:23:25.83\00:23:28.30
such a beautiful hero.
00:23:28.30\00:23:31.57
And so he
treated them like that.
00:23:31.57\00:23:35.28
And at the end of the
day, they asked for Bibles.
00:23:35.28\00:23:37.15
- Wow. - [Jon] 'Cause they
00:23:37.15\00:23:37.98
wanted to learn more.
00:23:37.98\00:23:39.05
- That is a
really awesome story.
00:23:39.05\00:23:40.72
(Jon laughs)
00:23:40.72\00:23:42.02
- Yeah, and there's
another story about a man
00:23:42.02\00:23:44.62
who was beaten up
and punched in the eyes.
00:23:44.62\00:23:47.86
And so he had to go to the
hospital and he lost one eye,
00:23:47.86\00:23:51.26
but he was able to
save the other eye.
00:23:51.26\00:23:53.26
And then just recently,
he was sharing Christ again
00:23:53.26\00:23:56.16
and they started
beating him up again
00:23:56.16\00:23:58.33
and punching him in the eyes.
00:23:58.33\00:23:59.57
And we haven't
heard what's happened,
00:23:59.57\00:24:01.30
if he's kept his eyesight,
00:24:01.30\00:24:03.87
but we did hear that his heart
00:24:03.87\00:24:06.74
was to continue
to share the gospel.
00:24:06.74\00:24:09.91
- [Natalie] Wow. - And
he wasn't gonna give up.
00:24:09.91\00:24:11.71
- [Natalie] Hmm. -
[Jon] He was gonna keep on
00:24:11.71\00:24:12.85
sharing the gospel,
even if he lost his eyesight.
00:24:12.85\00:24:15.22
- Hmm.
00:24:15.22\00:24:16.62
- I think one of the reasons
why they keep going forward
00:24:16.62\00:24:18.15
is that, yeah,
they get persecuted,
00:24:18.15\00:24:19.79
but then those that
accept Jesus into their lives,
00:24:19.79\00:24:23.86
they see the faith, the
peace, that then starts to grow
00:24:23.86\00:24:28.53
in their lives and their souls.
00:24:28.53\00:24:30.27
And you know, the
joy that comes from that.
00:24:30.27\00:24:34.30
Even Jesus, you
know, Hebrews 12:2.
00:24:34.30\00:24:36.67
For the joy that
was set before him,
00:24:36.67\00:24:38.87
he endured the cross,
knowing that the cross,
00:24:38.87\00:24:42.61
the pain, the
suffering, that's temporary.
00:24:42.61\00:24:45.28
And I think this is
something we can learn from.
00:24:46.55\00:24:48.82
You know, as I talked
to a lot of my friends
00:24:48.82\00:24:51.15
and I also,
growing up in the church,
00:24:51.15\00:24:53.32
was always afraid of the
persecution that was coming.
00:24:53.32\00:24:57.13
You know, we're
gonna be persecuted
00:24:57.13\00:24:58.83
and I was so
afraid of that, the pain.
00:24:58.83\00:25:01.26
How am I gonna
handle that and everything?
00:25:01.26\00:25:03.33
It's like, well,
the pain is temporary
00:25:03.33\00:25:07.54
and the bliss is eternal.
00:25:07.54\00:25:10.97
- Yeah.
00:25:10.97\00:25:12.34
This group that we've
been hearing the testimonies
00:25:12.34\00:25:13.44
from today represents
about 20,000 believers.
00:25:13.44\00:25:17.11
- So they have 20,000 followers.
00:25:17.11\00:25:19.05
- [Natalie] Right.
00:25:19.05\00:25:19.88
- Okay.
00:25:19.88\00:25:20.85
- Followers of
Jesus. - [Jon] Wow.
00:25:20.85\00:25:22.25
- So, but we haven't been able
to give them full sponsorship
00:25:22.25\00:25:24.72
for all of the
workers that are in this area.
00:25:24.72\00:25:28.12
We've given them about enough
00:25:28.12\00:25:29.62
for each one to have a third,
00:25:29.62\00:25:31.36
which, you know,
that's really not enough.
00:25:31.36\00:25:34.56
- [Jon] Yeah. -
And we would love
00:25:34.56\00:25:36.03
to give more.
00:25:36.03\00:25:36.97
- Right.
00:25:36.97\00:25:38.07
- So we just
have to keep praying.
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.10
- [Jon] Yeah. -
'Cause God knows,
00:25:39.10\00:25:40.40
and he will provide for them.
00:25:40.40\00:25:42.67
- And there are other
countries with people like this
00:25:42.67\00:25:45.24
that we can't even
get in to get video.
00:25:45.24\00:25:47.31
- Right.
00:25:47.31\00:25:48.44
You know, we've
gotten requests from several
00:25:48.44\00:25:49.88
other sensitive countries.
00:25:49.88\00:25:51.08
- [Jon] Yes.
00:25:51.08\00:25:52.41
- And we're praying to go
forward in those places also.
00:25:52.41\00:25:54.35
- [Jon] Right.
00:25:54.35\00:25:55.45
- But again, you
know, one of the barriers
00:25:55.45\00:25:57.12
is learning enough
to be able to help them
00:25:57.12\00:26:00.49
without endangering them or,
00:26:00.49\00:26:03.86
and actually being
able to provide for them.
00:26:03.86\00:26:05.99
'Cause it's hard to get money
into some of these areas also.
00:26:05.99\00:26:08.70
- That's right.
00:26:08.70\00:26:09.76
- Some countries
don't like companies
00:26:09.76\00:26:11.70
to send money to individuals.
00:26:11.70\00:26:13.40
Some countries are suspicious
00:26:13.40\00:26:14.84
of any money
coming from the West.
00:26:14.84\00:26:16.30
- [Jon] Yeah. - Some, you know,
00:26:16.30\00:26:17.81
it's a variety of issues.
00:26:17.81\00:26:19.41
Some of 'em,
they don't have an ID
00:26:19.41\00:26:21.61
because they're poor, and
they've never had any sort of
00:26:21.61\00:26:24.65
ID. - Yes. -
[Natalie] So they can't
00:26:24.65\00:26:25.65
receive funding
because they have no ID.
00:26:25.65\00:26:28.25
- Right.
00:26:28.25\00:26:29.05
- So, and no bank account,
00:26:29.05\00:26:30.09
if there's no ID,
there's no bank account.
00:26:30.09\00:26:31.22
You know, those kinds
of things are a challenge.
00:26:31.22\00:26:33.42
- [Jon] Yeah. - So we're just
00:26:33.42\00:26:34.52
praying a lot to be
able to enable these people
00:26:34.52\00:26:37.39
because the gospel
has to go to every nation,
00:26:37.39\00:26:41.06
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:26:41.06\00:26:42.50
- Yes.
00:26:42.50\00:26:43.57
- So that means
every single place,
00:26:43.57\00:26:46.40
no matter where they are
or what the circumstances are,
00:26:46.40\00:26:50.11
no matter what the current
religion is or the government
00:26:50.11\00:26:53.38
is, the gospel's
supposed to go there.
00:26:53.38\00:26:55.04
- Right. - And these people
00:26:55.04\00:26:56.18
are supposed to have an
opportunity to know him.
00:26:56.18\00:26:58.11
- I'm really praying for
this fund to continue to grow
00:26:58.11\00:27:01.88
because there
are entire countries
00:27:01.88\00:27:04.75
without a single
Christian or a single Adventist.
00:27:04.75\00:27:07.69
- Yeah. - [Jon]
Entire countries.
00:27:07.69\00:27:09.72
- Yeah. - And so the dream is to
00:27:09.72\00:27:11.63
find people like these
people that are willing
00:27:11.63\00:27:16.06
to take a risk and go and
start setting up the banner
00:27:16.06\00:27:20.27
in those countries in which
there are currently nothing.
00:27:20.27\00:27:23.24
- Right, right.
00:27:23.24\00:27:24.84
Well, I would like to
invite you to please remember
00:27:24.84\00:27:27.71
to pray for the persecuted,
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.64
not just that they
wouldn't be persecuted,
00:27:29.64\00:27:32.25
but that they
would be strong and bold
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.15
and that doors would
be opened to the gospel
00:27:34.15\00:27:37.12
to be shared to
those around them,
00:27:37.12\00:27:39.02
that God would
protect them and enable them
00:27:39.02\00:27:41.89
and give them
everything they need
00:27:41.89\00:27:43.49
in order to share
with those around them.
00:27:43.49\00:27:45.53
If you would like to
learn more about sponsoring
00:27:45.53\00:27:47.73
Bible workers in
Asia, please contact us
00:27:47.73\00:27:50.67
at Jesus for Asia PO Box 1221
00:27:50.67\00:27:53.27
Collegedale, Tennessee, 37315.
00:27:53.27\00:27:56.97
Call us at (423) 413-7321
00:27:56.97\00:28:00.61
or visit our
website @jesus4asia.org.
00:28:00.61\00:28:04.11
May God richly bless you
00:28:04.11\00:28:05.48
until we see you next
time on "Jesus for Asia Now."
00:28:05.48\00:28:09.18
(dramatic music)
00:28:09.18\00:28:11.99