If you had the opportunity to share the gospel with the president or prime minister of your country, would you have something to say? What about a governor or mayor? Most Christians are aware that Jesus wants us to share the good news with those who are marginalized, poor, and weak, but what about those with power and authority?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Riverside Farm in Zambia, I had the incredible opportunity to listen to Pioneer Bible workers share their testimonies of how God is leading all kinds of people to Him through Light Bearers Truth Link<\/em> Bible studies. One guy named Jones, a Pioneer Bible worker since 2013, told his stories on the edge of his seat, arms energetically translating his tales. I also couldn\u2019t resist sitting on the edge of my seat as I listened to him. Allow me to share one of those stories with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mongu district in Western Zambia is Jones’s evangelistic territory. He was running study groups in different villages. He said, \u201cFor me, Truth Link<\/em> helped structure our time.\u201d Jones explained how he found out that the ideal method was to walk participants through the study guides and answer questions rather than simply handing them out. \u201cThe first distribution was a Truth Link<\/em> drive. I would have participants read and learn as a large group. Then we opened up time for questions with each lesson. I would respond to questions by exploring the Bible verses that Truth Link<\/em> provides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor me, Truth Link<\/em> helped structure our time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n It was shortly after the large group study that Jones met with the chief of the village, who went by \u201cImboela.\u201d Jones carefully pronounced the word while I did my best to pronounce it after him. It means chief<\/em> or elder<\/em>. As chief, villagers respectfully call him \u201cImboela\u201d (used in place of his given\/family name).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jones knew that if he wanted to reach the chief with the gospel, including him in the large <\/em>studies would be pointless. He needed to share the gospel privately with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When they met up, Jones lowered himself onto one knee and clapped his hands to formally greet the chief of the village as tradition demands. After they exchanged greetings, Jones said, \u201cI am sharing Jesus with your village using a study guide called Truth Link<\/em>. May I share Truth Link<\/em> with you and teach you about Jesus?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imboela agreed and replied with a hearty laugh, \u201cI don\u2019t want to learn with the younger ones in my village.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI met with him for one week to study Truth Link,<\/em>\u201d Jones told me. \u201cAbout one hour each day, we would meet under the mango tree in Imboela\u2019s compound.\u201d Jones described Imboela as a slim and tall man (taller than most others) with dark skin like volcanic rock. Jones also said that Imboela is very direct in conversation (which is not common in Zambia) and carries a strong presence matched with an equally strong voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chief and his wife sat on tightly woven reed mats during their Bible study. As a guest, Jones sat reclining in a low chair. They journeyed through each lesson in Truth Link<\/em>, discussing creation, the Sabbath, heaven, and death. As they studied, they looked up the Bible verses mentioned in the guides. Imboela listened and read carefully through each lesson. He had never heard the Bible and God presented in this way before. Jones told us that it was the Sabbath that Imboela was most curious about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During one study, Imboela asked, \u201cWho printed this lesson?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jones responded, \u201cA Christian organization called Light Bearers. They have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to have these lessons printed and shared with people throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that study, Imboela invited his son to join in studying Truth Link<\/em> with them. Jones remembered what Imboela said that day to his son: \u201cThere is the book I want to share with you. Let us study this book as we learn about Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the week-long study, Imboela told Jones, \u201cI have never had someone come to me for the Lord\u2019s work. People ask me for land for cultivation or a letter for permission to do business or for help resolving quarrels with each other, but you have come here for the Lord\u2019s work. And this one is more important than all other work. To me, this is much more important because you are bringing salvation to people. Because you bring the Lord’s work, I cannot refuse. I also want to be a part of His work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imboela was used to people visiting him to ask for something, but Jones came to give<\/em> him something. Jones came to share about Jesus\u2019 love for Imboela and encourage him to lead his people in a loving, Christ-like way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I have never had someone come to me for the Lord\u2019s work.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Jones asked Imboela, \u201cDid you know it was God who chose you to lead the people of this area?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imboela replied, \u201cYes, I know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jones continued, \u201cAnd if God wishes, He could take away all power from you. King Saul and King Nebuchadnezzar both had their power taken away from them. This power, God has given to you. You need to use it wisely because it is a gift from God to lead His people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was amazed at what Jones felt called to say to someone who held significant power. It reminds me of the prophets of Israel speaking God\u2019s word to the kings of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jones also shared that Imboela is ready to be baptized! The only obstacle is the 90-kilometer dirt road that isolates his village from the nearest church with a pastor. Jones assured me a pastor would soon be traveling to baptize Imboela, along with the other converts who decided to follow Jesus after the Truth Link<\/em> drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you send Truth Link<\/em> overseas, you equip Bible workers to share the love of Jesus with a multitude of people\u2014people on the edges of society, people in the middle, and people in positions of power. Thank you for spreading light to village chiefs, their families, and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you had the opportunity to share the gospel with the president or prime minister of your country, would you have something…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/blog-mu2305-report.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paAh8r-3D6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13956"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15457,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13956\/revisions\/15457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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