December 2015 - Ex Muslims Share JESUS

Three vans filled with police pulled up outside. This was not going to turn out well, especially in such a dangerous nation.

In this Middle Eastern city a partner of the Jesus Film Project is working to reach a city of 10 million people with the gospel—in the midst of great hostility to Christ.

It was a typical day at the center. Workers and volunteers were preparing a batch of JESUS DVDs. That’s when the three police vans pulled up. The doors opened, and armed officers poured out, heading right into the center, led by a highly placed director of this country’s Secret Police. It was a frightening moment.

Marching into the center, the officers began interrogating each of the workers: “What is this

DVD about the life of Jesus?” “Why are you placing it in the hands of Muslim people?” “Where do you take the DVDs?” “What are these books you call Bibles?” “Who gave you permission to do all this?”

The workers answered honestly and respectfully—knowing that their next stop might be prison, or worse. Finally, the commanding officer said: “…send two copies of the DVD to my director, the head of the Secret Police.”

They complied and two of the workers were dispatched immediately, taking the DVDs directly to his office…at obviously great risk to themselves. (Amazingly, the vast majority of the center’s volunteers and workers are from Muslim backgrounds. Nearly all came to Christ when they were given a DVD of “JESUS,” watched and believed.)

It wasn’t long before they heard from the Secret Police again. The director wanted the staff of the Good News Center to know that he watched the DVD and was very happy. He saw nothing in the DVD or in their work that was a threat, and he was actually pleased to learn about Jesus!

Then he stunned them further...

The Secret Police are aware of many radicals who would love to disrupt the Christian work, harm or even kill the volunteers and workers, so the director gave an order.

The police were to visit the Good News Center three times each week, making their presence known. The police were to go not to restrain their work, but to make sure they were safe, that their giving out of the DVDs of “JESUS” would not be hindered in any way.

Days later, the Director of the Secret Police actually came to the center himself, telling them, “We appreciate what you Christians are doing in our country. You are doing good for our people.”

Thus far, this partner has given out 700,000 DVDs from the center. For your part in supporting our work, thank you. Stories like this cannot happen without you.

December 2015 - "JESUS" Brings Changed Heart and Life

During this Christmas season, take time to remember the reason why we celebrate: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He came into this world to wash away our sins and His mighty power still exists today as is evidenced in the story below:

"I was not able to change my life," said the 20-year-old in Nicaragua. "I have tried drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity. My family gave me warnings and advice about my lifestyle. I did not listen. I would get mad and shout at them to not meddle in my affairs. In my heart, I knew they were right in all they said; I just was not able to change. Tonight, I watched the 'JESUS' film and I realized it is possible to change by allowing Jesus to be the absolute owner of my life. When the team asked if there were those who wanted to serve Christ, there was a fight inside me. I just did not want to go, but I knew Christ was my only hope for change. I struggled for several minutes and at last, I went forward confessing my sins. I accepted Him as my Savior and asked His help to make me different. For the first time, I feel peace. I have confidence in Christ that I will succeed in overcoming all my addictions. I am excited about my future. . .."

November 2015 - Road Rage Redeemed

Anger boiled up inside Asad* as another man tried to pull into the parking space he wanted. He reacted by physically attacking the man and soon found himself under arrest.

Asad’s jail sentence required him to obtain the consent of his accuser in order to be released. So, he contacted the other man and asked for forgiveness. In response to Asad’s request, the man came to see him, and to Asad’s surprise the man told him, “I forgive you because my Lord has forgiven me.”

“Who is your Lord?” asked Asad.

“Go and watch this DVD, and you will find out everything,” the man said as he handed Asad a DVD of the “JESUS” film.

Curious and questioning, Asad watched the film. During the crucifixion scene, he heard Jesus say, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” This declaration stirred his heart, and he recognized that Jesus Christ was the Lord of the man he attacked.

Asad prayed the prayer at the end of the film, receiving Christ, and from that moment his life completely changed. He joined a house church and began growing in his new faith.

Because Christianity is illegal in his home country, Asad attended a Home Church Leader conference in a neighboring country where he received training in church ministry and in the use of JESUS Film® tools.

Today he uses “JESUS” for evangelism. Asad has dedicated his tithes to buying DVD duplication equipment in order to supply copies of “JESUS” so more people can be reached with the gospel just like he was.

JESUS Film DVDs are effective tools to reach people with the gospel in their heart language, and it's the prayers and support from people like you that help make stories like Asad's possible. Thank you!

November 2015 - Breaking News!

The film Tez wrote titled "Jangled" has recently been nominated for "Best Screenplay" at the Florida Film Festival and was also nominated as "Best Comedy" at the Central Florida Short Film Festival. These nominations make the films credibility enhanced as audiences see the awards and are more apt to watch the film.

OCT 2015 -- Discipleship Film Report

In a small African village, a village elder gave this comment after seeing two episodes of the “Walking With Jesus”* videos: “It was very nice and wonderful, and it has a message for the older men, the old women, the younger mothers, and the kids. We look forward to seeing the rest of the videos. These can help us grow, as we see more of what we need to change in our lives, just like the changes that happened to the chief and everyone else (in the videos). We want to learn more about Christ. This is wonderful in helping us learn what Christ requires of us once we have given our lives to him.”

* Walking With Jesus, a five-part follow-up film series contextualized for Africans, teaches new believers how to grow in their relationship with Christ. Created for members of an oral culture, this video-based discipleship series depicts common African life scenarios, modeling committed Christian discipleship.

OCT 2015 -- Short Films Prepare Hearts

A university student in Asia shared about using [JESUS Film®] short films in ministry: "I am a member of [a local] church. My cell group members organized a Christmas evangelistic program .... During this program we were able to create a safe and comfortable environment in which we showed short films such as 'CTRL Z,' 'La Búsqueda' and 'FallingPlates.' After the films, which served to prepare the hearts of the attendees, we shared the gospel using the Four Spiritual Laws booklet that was published especially for this Christmas outreach. I am very glad to have been chosen from my cell group to share my testimony during the program. With joy overflowing in my heart, I shared the good news about my Savior. A dozen people heard the gospel that day, most of whom accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Throughout this program I was blessed to see the faithfulness and supremacy of our Lord.”

Zombies Teaching the Gospel???

(From a staff worker for Fellowship of Christian Athletes)

“Tez, I got asked by a college buddy to speak at an FCA retreat in Columbus, Ohio. I found out there were going to be over 200 high school students and counselors. After much prayer, I nervously agreed.

My buddy told me many of the students were not yet believers. It seemed best to me, then, to make the gospel clear and compelling over my three talks. I used Eph 2 as my main text, basing the talks around the idea of coming alive in Christ.

• The living dead
• The dead living
• The living fully alive

I knew I needed a way to win their attention and grip their hearts, especially before telling them that they were, or are, dead. Fortunately, I remembered the zombie short films your team made. I used two or three of the videos as a primer for the talks, then referenced the concept of being spiritually dead through out the talks. The guy in the films (who was in denial about becoming a zombie) was a funny yet clear way to show them how futile it is to attempt living without Christ. We can't! We are already dead. Only Christ can save us now.

I took a huge risk and decided to do an alter call of sorts. I began with a piece of white poster board and wrote my name on the side. Using a red permanent marker, I wrote my sin all over the board. This conveyed my spiritual condition before Christ (Eph 2:1-3.) Then I took another white board and wrote Jesus on the top. After explaining Eph 4 and how, by faith, God made me alive in Christ, I nailed the Jesus board over the Eric board so the audience could see both names but no sin.

I planed, at that point, to invite the audience to place their faith in Christ and, as a symbolic demonstration, to write their names next to mine on the board covered by Jesus. However, I felt that my delivery was a little sloppy, possibly confusing. After I prayed, asking God to open hearts and make us alive in Christ, I signaled for the band to play ambient music and I continued praying by myself. I quickly jammed my head in-between my knees and covered it with my hands because I didn't want to see a crowed of confused, uncomfortable kids. Honestly, I thought, "no one is going to publicly write their name on this silly board- these are high schoolers! They all desperately want to be cool and this is an uncool thing."

But the music kept playing- I began to hear chairs sliding and feet shuffling. When I looked up, I saw a line of thirty plus kids! Then I noticed the audience- many of them were praying or in tears. Finally, around the edges of the room, I saw the leaders praying and crying with many of the kids!

I had another ridiculous thought then, "this is probably what happens at all of these retreats- these are just emotional Christians who've prayed many prayers to receive Christ." After the session ended though, over an hour after later, several of the leaders came up to me and said they had never seen anything like this at an FCA retreat. I couldn't believe it; I was stunned! The Spirit moved and used several talks about zombies to awaken over thirty high school students into true life in Jesus! Thanks to the missionaries at The Jesus Film for writing these films.”