USA: How a church turned into a farm

Michael Spurlock and his wife Aimee firmly believe in the power of prayer and stepping out in faith – even when it doesn’t make sense.

In 2007, the Spurlocks were assigned to All Saints’ Episcopal Church, a struggling church in Smyrna, Tennessee with just a few dozen members and a devastating amount of debt. “I was just out of seminary – I’d never been the pastor of a church before,” Michael told The Gospel Herald during an interview. “I had no idea what I was doing. We were sent down to see what should happen; should we close the church? Should we sell the property? Could we make a go of it? That’s when everything began.”

‘We were on the verge of closing down when the refugees came’

The church was on the verge of closing when a group of Karen refugees forced out of Myanmar unexpectedly joined them. With little resources, growing financial issues, and a language barrier, the congregation was unsure of how to minister to the group’s physical and spiritual needs. “When the refugees showed up, we just turned a radical corner in the life of the parish,” Michael said.

Faced with closure, Michael came up with an unusual solution: he decided to start a farm on church property. However, as they didn’t receive the support of their church officials, the Spurlocks were forced to rely on faith. “Oftentimes, I just didn’t feel equipped to handle the enormity of the problems facing the church,” admitted Michael. “But, God sustained me and saw me through it. He encouraged me when I would get discouraged.”

‘Christian hospitality led to the resurrection of the church’

“Basic Christian hospitality led to the resurrection in that church,” Michael said. “A simple adherence to Jesus’ command to love one another, to welcome the stranger, to not be judging who should and shouldn’t attend your church. Just the openness to those possibilities changed everything, it was so far beyond our imagining what God wound up doing there.”

The Spurlock’s inspiring story of faith and perseverance is the subject of the new faith-based drama, released by AFFIRM Films on August 25, appropriately titled “All Saints”. The real All Saints church and farmland were used as a backdrop for the production. The Spurlocks hope their story inspires others to open their hearts – and their church doors – to the least of these (Matthew 25:40).

Watch the movie trailer

Source: Michael and Aimee Spurlock, Gospel Herald

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Denmark: How a non-believing journalist met Jesus

What does a non-believing journalist ask Jesus when he appears right in front of her?

Danish journalist and author Charlotte Rørth was not a religious or spiritual person. In fact, she grew up in an atheïst intellectual family and was certainly not searching for something. But one day, totally unexpectedly, she met Jesus.

Somehow the meeting was prepared. While in Andalucia in southern Spain to write an article on olive oil production, Rørth visited the town of Baeza. There an old woman came up to her with a strange message: “You are called to tell the most important story in the world,” she said. Rørth thought the woman was crazy, and didn’t give it much attention.

‘I couldn’t move. I thought I was hit by a stroke.’

The next day, when visiting the famous El Salvador chapel in Udeba, Rørth suddenly froze. “I couldn’t move. I thought I was hit by a stroke as I felt completely paralyzed. But there was also an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. When my guide Andrea entered the chapel, he said: ‘Wow, Charlotte, how come you have this light around you? You are glowing!’ We both felt something was happening, but I had no idea it had to do with God.”

Back in Denmark life went back to normal, until one day she walked her dog in the forest. Out of the blue, a beam of light touched her head, went right through her body and projected her into another world. “I immediately knew it was the presence of God. I’ve never felt so unconditionally loved as in that moment.”

“Jesus appeared in a kind of hologram. I saw him walking in Palestine until he noticed me and said: ‘Welcome, so good to see you!’ as if we had known each other for a long time and met again. His feet were dirty with dust. When I looked into his eyes, I instantly fell in love. Then he started a conversation in a language I couldn’t understand. So I said: ‘I don’t understand.’ And he said: ‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand.’ Somehow I was content with that answer, which is very uncommon for me as a journalist. Then Jesus disappeared. But his love and acceptance have not left me ever since.”

‘Jesus’ love and acceptance have not left me ever since.’

In a book titled ‘I met Jesus’ Rørth mastered the courage to share her experiences, knowing full well the impact it will have on her life. For how do you tell the world that you literally have met and talked with the Son of God when family, friends and colleagues know you as a critical thinking and rational human being? With journalistic thoroughness she began to seek explanation for her experience and researched deep into similar phenomena.

Rørth’s memoir received massive press coverage in Denmark and has remained on the Danish bestseller list for more than a year after its launch in January 2015. She is now a much sought-after public speaker, as she cannot keep silent about her encounter with Jesus and her knowledge of his being.

Source: Charlotte Rørth
Joel News International # 1042, June 22, 2017

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Solomon Islands: How a hostile tribe’s chief met Jesus and opened the door for the Gospel

The interior of Malaita in the Solomon Island chain had a long history of opposition to missionaries and other outsiders. Many of them were killed by the Kwaio tribal group. But God had a plan to reach the Kwaio using missionaries from Fiji.

Several Fijian evangelists affiliated with Every Home for Christ had been part of a campaign to reach Fiji’s 106 islands when in 1990 they turned their attention to the 100 islands of the Solomon chain, 1000 miles away. They reached the island of Malaita and spent time evangelizing the coastal areas. One night as their team sat around a campfire, a team member pointed to the rugged interior of the island and asked, “Are there people there who have yet to hear about Jesus?”

“Yes,” one replied. “It’s one of the most difficult areas in all of the islands to evangelize because of the rugged terrain and the hostile people.” An argument ensued within the team as they heard more about the history of the people group. Some were intimidated and urged caution. Cannibalism had been practiced until the end of the last century; who could be sure it had not ceased?

‘For seven days they confronted each demonic entity with focused warfare prayer.’

The team finally agreed they would pray and fast for seven days before attempting to send a team to reach the Kwaios. With the help of two witch doctors who had become believers, a list of 87 different evil spirits were identified that were said to hold sway in the region. They pointedly confronted each demonic entity with focused warfare prayer over the seven-day period. On the eighth day, missionaries Jack and Japta joined ten other Christian workers on a day-long journey into the rugged interior of the island.

But the burly guardians led them away to be questioned by five village priests or elders. These were elders who had gathered in anticipation of the impending death of their chief. The strangers had arrived at a sacred moment and might be infringing on the customs of the Kwaio – a taboo of taboos that could meet with dire consequences. As the Christians were questioned, they could not help but notice that some of the large warriors standing near them had 24-inch machetes and some carried bows with poison-tipped arrows.

‘Why are you here? one of the elders demanded.’

“Why are you here?” one of the elders demanded. “We have come to share Good News,” they repeated once more, as they went on to describe the one true God who created everything in the heavens and on earth – including the Kwaio. “Our eternal God sent His only Son to be like us, a man, and to sacrifice His own life willingly on our behalf.” The elders said they had never heard a message like this. They understood the concept of a blood sacrifice, however. After a few moments of heated discussion one said, “We can not believe anything you say unless our chief believes.”

Jack and Japta requested permission to see the chief, knowing it was customary in many villages to seek approval from the chief. Once granted, that would open up opportunities for their message to be heard. But the elders refused because their chief, Haribo, was dying. Seeing him was out of the question. Then one of the Christians had an idea. “When Jesus Christ came as the Son of God, He came not only to deliver men from their sins, but to heal sick people, too. God is quite capable of healing your chief.” In response, the elders began to argue among themselves.

Jack and Japta spent the night locked in a hut, but at seven the next morning the elders returned with surprising news. They were granted permission to pray for Chief Haribo! When they entered the chief’s hut, they could see he was very old and weak, struggling for breath. Jack shared with him quickly God’s plan of salvation, explaining that Jesus was the only way to eternal life.

‘I have waited my entire lifetime to hear this story!’

The chief had a most amazing response. “I have waited my entire lifetime to hear this story,” he told them. “I have always felt there was some sacred message like this. But no one ever came to bring us such words. How can I receive this Jesus into my life?” Jack and Japta led Chief Haribo in prayer. A few moments later a profound peace transformed the countenance of the chief.

But as dusk descended on the village something shocking happened. Chief Haribo sat up and began to speak! “Let the elders gather,” he said to his startled hearers. When they gathered, the chief related an amazing story about seeing heaven. A being dressed in glorious white had taken him a great distance to the most beautiful place he had ever seen. A person called Jesus Christ, the Son of God the young men had told him about, was being worshiped by a huge crowd of people. Peace had come to his life, Haribo said, and he had no more pain, nor had he seen any suffering among the people who worshiped Jesus. The being in white told the chief he had to go back for a short time to tell the elders of the village that the message about Jesus was true. “This Jesus is the only way to experience eternal life,” he said.

‘Every person, including the Chief’s entire family, received Christ as their Savior.’

When the chief learned that Jack and Japta had left, he ordered runners to go after them and bring them back so they could preach to the rest of the village. When Jack and Japta returned they were astounded by what had happened. They presented the message of salvation again, this time to the entire village. Every person, including Chief Haribo’s immediate family of 21 members, received Christ as their Savior. And soon more than 300 villagers throughout the area (in 10 nearby villages) had surrendered their lives to Christ. Haribo remained alive all that night and into the next morning. Then he lay back down quietly in his earth bed and went to be forever with Jesus. 

Today, more than 8,000 Kwaios have become followers of Jesus, including 1,000 in the most remote areas.
 
Source: This compelling story is told in the book ‘Look What God is Doing’ by Dick Eastman, Every Home for Christ (Chapter 2: Mountains of Mystery)

# 1040 | June 7, 2017

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See also

See Dick Eastman interviewed about this book

Free book: Look What God is Doing

See also: God’s Visitation, by Dick Eastman

Look what God is Doing!

Pentecost on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, South Pacific

Indonesia: How a sacrificial duck became a witnessing tool

The leader of a Hindu temple in Indonesia needed a special duck to sacrifice to one of his gods, as a protection against disease. Then he met a Christian ministry leader.

‘Can you help me find such a duck?’ the Hindu priest asked. The Christian ministry leader seized the opportunity. He explained the role of animal sacrifices in ancient Israel and how they were no longer necessary because the blood of Jesus Christ is the perfect, final, and sufficient offering for the forgiveness of sins. He also cited a passage from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, explaining that the life of God is the only sacrifice needed. The Hindu leader was stunned, returned many times to ask questions about Jesus, and now calls himself a believer.

Hindus represent only 1.7 percent of the population of Indonesia, while 87.2 percent are Muslim and less than 10 percent are Christian. Last year this indigenous Christian leader saw 54 people decide to follow Jesus, and 13 were baptized. The ministry conducts outreaches in Central Sulawesi, Bali, and other islands, and trains evangelists and pastors. As a result of their outreaches, they have seen teenage children changed and entire communities transformed.

Source: Christian Aid Mission
Joel News International, # 1038, May 22, 2017

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