Traitors

“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:44-45, NAS.

A team of medical volunteers was on its way from the U.S. This clinic had been on the calendar for months. And, two days before it was to start, I got a call from the village leader. He said, “You can give out medicines, but our religious leader has forbidden you to speak at all about Jesus or religion.”

I responded, “Then, we won’t be coming. If we had a clinic without giving glory to God, then people would give the credit to us, and that would be wrong. We must give God the glory, because that is part of who we are.”

As soon as I hung up, our team of believers started to pray. A day before the clinic the village leader called us back. He had decided to allow us to come, treat the people and witness even though the religious leader was against it. I knew it was the Lord that answered our prayers and changed this leader’s heart!

When we got to the village, I heard that the religious leader had announced earlier from the mosque loud speaker that anyone from the village, a village that had 848 families, who went to the clinic was a traitor to Islam.

Again the hand of the Lord was with us. After five days 1,084 patients came through our clinic! Some did not stay for the spiritual station, which is okay, as it is not required to go to the spiritual station to get medical treatment. Many did stay to hear the Gospel, and 488 adults prayed to receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, as well as 70 children!

In the end, we heard that the religious leader had picked up one of our tracts and said, “Oh, is that what they are teaching? Well then there is no problem.”

Again, I believe the Hand of God moved strongly because His children refused to compromise His glory. When Jesus is lifted up people will be drawn to God, who alone has the power to heal and give true life. I have seen this over and over among this group of over half a million people.

*excerpt from the newsletter of a Last Frontier Missionary serving in the Pacific Rim.

Pray that:

The Holy Spirit will continue to move powerfully among this Unreached People Group (UPG).

The 488 adults and 70 children will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that many of them will follow their decision with baptism.

Several groups will be gathered from among these new believers, and that God will raise up strong men of faith to lead these groups.

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