Individuals interested in God’s Word to met up for the first time last Saturday!
There is a particular language group in Africa (which we will rename as the ABC people) which has for 100 years followed a particular “most superior” religion which we will rename XYZ. As far as they are concerned, if you are a real ABC person then you automatically follow XYZ. And they are very proud that they are united as both ABC and XYZ. Anyone who leaves the XYZ religion will be punished by his own family because it would be seen as a betrayal of the family.
Just a few ABC people have come to know and love Jesus through hearing God’s word in a foreign language. In the last few years, they have been involved in translating some of God’s word into the ABC language. They and some other nearby African Christians have formed a group who call themselves “Friends of Jesus”.
For about a year, the ABC scriptures have been taught each week on local radio, starting at Genesis 1 and now up the life of Joseph. A small number of people (maybe a dozen?) have phoned in and expressed an interest in the radio broadcasts. Others have become interested in the scriptures because they helped to check the translation. The “Friends of Jesus” would like to help and encourage these interested people in their discoveries of God’s Word.
They are well aware that those who are interested would NOT want to be publicly identified as expressing interest; therefore they invited them to meet up discreetly at a neutral venue in a local town for an all-day event.
This was the very first event like this!
Only those who have shown a clear interest in the Scriptures are personally invited.
The purpose of this event was to:
- develop friendships
- answer questions to help their understanding
- give some more basic Bible teaching appropriate to their level
- offer memory cards of other scriptures for their mobile phones
This will also link together ABC people from different villages and to know that they are not the only ones who are interested in the Scriptures.
One of the “Friends of Jesus” will be taught the Scriptures. He is from a nearby ethnic group but not himself an ABC. However, the Lord has called him to reach out to the ABC people. He felt privileged to teach at this small event.
The “Friends of Jesus” are thinking of having an event like this regularly – maybe once a month.