I met a listener in Asia and I noticed him because he only had half an arm! We’ll call him Mr H. We sat down in his “open air church” (a roofed meeting place, with no walls), among cashew trees and black pepper plants. He had been a policeman – a coveted job because of the extra income from bribes. He’d risen to Captain and was the boss in his town.
One day Mr H fell very ill, and eventually called a Christian friend to help him. The friend cared for him, prayed for him, and gave him an FEBC radio, and Mr H discovered the treasure of knowing Jesus Christ, and became a Christian.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, and Christian radio programmes are like the map guiding people to where the treasure is buried. Mr H didn’t have to buy a field, but entering the kingdom cost him his right arm, and nearly his life.
When he recovered it became known that he was a Christian and he was demoted several times, and eventually lost his job. One night his own police team ambushed him on his way home, and attacked him with machetes! This is when he lost his arm. Was it worth exchanging his valuable job and his arm to follow Jesus? He says “yes.” Mr H escaped to another region and today he’s a farmer and a pastor, and FEBC programmes continue to encourage him and he encourages the people around him.
Mr H leads a P.O.W. That stands for Point of Worship – a gathering of people who listen to FEBC programmes. Most of the leaders have no formal ministry training so the radio programmes are their main source of spiritual insight.
As he told me his story I thought of the apostle Paul’s words:
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Philippians 3:7-8
Thank you for supporting FEBC New Zealand. Your donations contribute invaluable media and broadcasting resources to communities like Mr H’s in Asia and beyond. Read more about those projects here.