The truth matters. It has always mattered!
Jesus came to show us the way; he came to preach the truth. This truth was given to set us free!
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John:31-32
As our two team members were traveling, they started to be followed, they were then confronted by a radical Hindu. This Hindu argued with them, harassed them, and threatened them. This Hindu man made a video recording of the incident and posted it on social media.
Christ’s message wasn’t popular with the religious leaders in his day. Jesus cut through their traditions and false worship and told them what truly mattered. He told them the truth.
The religious leaders responded to the truth by putting Jesus on a cross. They didn’t understand the message, but Jesus was persistent. Jesus stood firm in the face of persecution. He stood firm all the way to the cross.
Our missionaries face the same challenges. They are out every day preaching the truth, cutting through the false religions in their land, primarily Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. They face the same challenges of being rejected, but they persevere with the truth.
Recently a couple of team members named Alina* and Rohit*were out witnessing, going from village to village, home to home, sharing the truth about Jesus. There are many people that have never heard of Jesus and are curious to learn more. *names changed to protect their identity.
Other times, just like in Jesus’ day, they face resistance. On this day, our team members faced resistance and ridicule from a fanatical Hindu. Radical Hindus fear the change to their culture and society. They work to prevent people from being exposed to the message of Christ.
There are many promises from Christ about this sort of treatment. We can take comfort in Jesus’ words.
"God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way."
Going Viral for Jesus
This incident happened at the end of February. The views, shares, comments, and reactions quickly increased within a few days of the video being posted by the radical Hindu.
As of the writing of this story, 7 weeks later, the video has amassed 2.2 million views, has had 58,000 reactions, over 15,000 comments, and almost 6000 shares. We don’t know God’s overall plan for this, but we know it is ultimately for His glory.
These team members not only faced ridicule from this man, but it continued to come from members of their own families.
Both of our team members have received many phone calls from family and friends. They ask many questions and harass them too. Alina* is the only Christian in her family. Her family doesn’t understand what is happening.
These stats are from seven weeks after the encounter.
These Two Spoke Up for Christ!
Many Christians across the world never put themselves in a position to be persecuted for their faith; all too often we are silent. But the world will not be reached in silence. Our missionaries are out boldly proclaiming the message of the cross, facing persecution in India and Nepal every day.
These two did speak up for Christ! I should also mention that Alina is 21 and Rohit is 17. Please pray that we can find more native missionaries like these two.
