When Heaven Came Down .... "JESUS" goes to Mozambique
Lavish Your Soul
"HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF HIM
WHO BRINGS GOOD NEWS!"
. Romans 10:15 .
_______________________
"Mozambique was a nation in absolute chaos.
Civil war had degenerated into total anarchy;
millions were gripped by the cruel famine."
Mark & Jill's ** story
(** names changed for security)
Over 500,000 refugees had fled the war. Some came to a camp just inside South Africa. When "JESUS" film workers Mark and Jill arrived, the sights and sounds were overwhelming!
Mark & Jill had heard there was little or no water for these people -- that they barely staved off starvation by eating meager rations provided by struggling relief agencies. As they entered the huge camp, this couple told how they were overcome by the stench of human excrement. Even worse was the sea of emaciated bodies and empty, hopeless looks in the eyes of the people.
But there was HOPE ... that's why Mark and Jill had come!
A young missionary working among these desperate people had begged them to come and show them the film "JESUS."
Mark drove the truck through the camp seemingly forever, trying to find a clearing where the film team could show "JESUS." Finally, they found a place, but Jill sensed that something was very wrong. In her spirit she could feel demonic oppression building. Then the team heard witch doctors chanting and saw them in a circle around the showing site, throwing bones on the ground in satanic rituals. An eerie and foreboding pall seemed to fall over the camp.
Mark called the team together to pray.
For three hours they interceded. As twilight was setting in, ragged refugees emerged from their shacks and began to stream toward the showing area. The witch doctors stopped their dancing.
Jill recounted: "Then during the scenes of the crucifixion, we sensed something unusual was happening. Everyone began to cry -- women, men and children. A mournful wailing gradually rose from the crowd into a relentless crescendo."
As "JESUS" was staggering down the Via Dolorosa, the weeping grew louder and uncontrollable. When the soldiers started nailing "JESUS" to the cross, many of the people jumped up and ran toward the screen, their hands in the air, crying out to God! Everywhere people were confessing their sins.
In that moment the film was forgotten ... They were having an experience with God Himself. Rivers of tears poured down their dirty cheeks. Men beat their chests and cried out, "Oh God! Oh God!"
Some were on their knees, some stood with eyes closed and arms raised, others lay prostrate on the ground.
These people were in the presence of a Holy God!
They were overwhelmed by a sense of their sinfulness and wanted desperately to be forgiven. Someone turned off the projector. The film team rushed to pray and counsel those who were seeking God. But they couldn't speak. One by one, the team members themselves fell to their knees, confessing their own sins.
"I can't explain how I felt," Mark remembers ... "I felt the awesome power of God. I felt His love, His compassion, His care. It was overpowering. It was a wave that welled up inside us and we couldn't contain it. We were totally, irrevocably, hopelessly in love with Jesus. And the experience just burst out of us with confession and tears, praise and worship, and a feeling of wonder."
Jill said, "HIs power and holiness were so great ... I knew I was in a holy place."
More than 30 minutes passed ...
Still the sounds of weeping and passionate prayer filled the field. Mark went to the interpreter and said, "We need to finish the film so they will know the good news of the resurrection."
All across the crowd the people continued to wipe tears from their eyes. They saw the burial of Christ and the resurrection. The interpreter explained to the crowd, "Jesus came to make the payment for our sins. But death could not hold Him!"
And with that, he pointed to the screen and shouted with uncontainable joy, "And there He is! He was raised from the dead!"
The crowd exploded as if a dam had burst. Everyone began cheering, dancing, hugging one another, and jumping up and down!
An invitation was given
for those who wanted to receive Christ
THEY ALL wanted to accept Him
as their Savior & Lord .....
ALL 1000 people!
. . . . . . . . . .
That night, that holy night,
Heaven Came Down to Earth through JESUS,
His Word & a film team who had brought
these people "JESUS"
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in their "HEART" language!
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. with JOYful gratitude .
Laurel . Tammy . Lisa
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