Captured but not Tamed

“Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’" Acts 21:13, NIV.

Shi Zi * really came to understand the gospel while visiting a neighboring country. When he returned to his native country he knew that sharing the gospel would be seen as a hostile act. Still he knew that his people needed to hear this wonderful message. He vowed, “Even if they kill me, I will serve Jesus.”

He boldly shared the gospel with any person who would listen. He even witnessed to the leader of his village. The leader reported him to the police as a law breaker who was evangelizing people. The police picked him up and interrogated him. They wanted to know the identity of the leader of his group.

Twice, when police thought he answered a question wrong, they struck him in the head with the butts of their guns. Later in the afternoon, police pointed a gun at his head and said, “If you don’t tell us who the head of the group is, we will kill you, and your wife and kids will never see you again.”

Shi Zi named another believer and the police let him go after setting a date for him to be shamed in public. They then arrested the other believer that he had named.

Hundreds of intercessors prayed for Shi Zi to be bold when it came time for him to speak to his village. On the morning of the day of he was to be humiliated, Shi Zi admitted being tempted to read the statement and not share a witness. But he found that he could not hold it in. He shared the gospel with the five men working with him in the field, and all five prayed to receive Jesus.

At the village meeting, 100 people gathered to hear him be shamed. Shi Zi read the humiliating statement, but then he said, “Before I believed in Jesus, I was a drunkard and was very mean to my family. I would hit my father-in-law, and I was very bad, but since I have believed in Jesus, I have changed.”

Shi Zi’s father-in-law stood up before the crowd and said, “What my son-in-law tells you is true. He used to hit me, but since he began following this new way, he does not hit me or drink anymore. He has been a good son-in-law.”

The enemy sought to use the government to silence the gospel, but God granted boldness to His servants and turned what was intended for evil into a tremendous witness to the power of Jesus. It’s very hard to argue with changed lives.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

Shi Zi will continue to be used by God to be a bold and effective evangelist to his people.

The gospel will transform lives in Shi Zi’s country and bring great glory to God.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.