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Dear GNN faithful,
One of our faithful pastors, Jir Badahar Sejual was on a mission trip in his district of Kalikot. So many unreached people live in little communities tucked deep in the vast mountain sides and lower valleys, away from most people. Villages are really, really third world with everything from plowing small fields by hand to ladies/girls crushing grain with poles. Most have never heard of Jesus.
While Pastor Jir was in the field, he received a cell phone call. It was the Police. They told Jir that there had been a complaint issued against him for preaching the Christian religion. Jir told them that he was away from his village but would be back in 5 days. “Okay” they said, report to the jail then.
When he returned, Jir reported to jail. He was questioned and told them exactly what he was doing and that he is a Pastor for Jesus Christ.
After a while they told him that he was receiving a warning, but not to do it again!! The prayers of the faithful in Nepal and the USA were answered.
As I write this Newsletter I remember my Bible reading from this very day. “They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.””
Acts 4:2-30 NIV
Doesn’t this seem familiar? The devil still uses the same tricks. But thanks be to God that the Holy Spirit still gives us the words to speak. Please pray for our Pastor Jir, who also is convicted by Almighty God to continue on with his work to “Reach the Unreached” people in his community!!!!
Thank you for your prayers,
Dave
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