Be in awe of our Lord…for all that He is doing!

As the new executive director of Jesus Film Project, it’s my joy to follow in the tra­dition of my predecessors…to tell you how God is using your gifts and intercession.

➤ A man I will call David lived in a very closed nation. Someone gave him a Bible which he began to secretly read. He believed. Transformed by the power of God, David took a risk and went to share the Truth with his cousin. He was surprised to learn that he too had become a believer. The two cousins founded a church in David’s attic, out of sight of radicals, and helped lead 20 people to Christ, often using JESUS.

The local imam heard about this house church and began plotting opposition. In his mosque he preached: “We must confront these two! Let’s bring them to justice and turn them back to serve Allah!”

Someone warned David: “The imam is going to come and drag you out of your house and do you harm.”

Rather than risk the welfare of his family, David and his cousin walked into the city square where a large mob was waiting, more than a thousand. The agitated crowd pressed in. The imam demanded, “You must repent and return to the truth. Right here, NOW! Make your confession!”

Then with faith and as one person described, “with the spirit of a lion,” David shouted, “No, we will NOT repent. We are going to serve Christ!”

His stand shocked the imam and the mob. They recoiled and backed away. (What happened reminds me of the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “As Jesus said ‘I am he,’ they all drew back and fell to the ground!” John 18:6b, New Living Translation).

Flustered and disarmed, the imam retreated and made an excuse to the crowd: “I have to return to the mosque. Do what you must” (assuming they would be killed). With the imam gone, the furious mob again pressed back in, preparing to beat them to death.

Just then, a police car arrived. It drove into the crowd, splitting the mob. The officers threw the men in the back seat and sped away.

At the station, the police accused them of disturbing the peace, jailing the team for a week. The officers also went to the imam with a stern warning: “We still have laws here. If you kill these two, you will be held responsible for murder.” The imam completely backed down and so did the men of the city. God intervened, preserving their lives…for His purpose.

Today, David and his cousin are more able than ever to minister and share the gospel in this very closed nation. They are alive—essentially protected by the police upholding the law—giving people the gospel. And they are distributing thousands of microSD cards. We praise Him as He uses these bold servants, these tools, your prayers and partnership.

➤ In the same closed nation, there is a church of 250 members, a very large size given the persecution and oppressive culture around them. Many members came to Christ when they watched JESUS. Though this church was legal and registered (one of the very few), it was also growing too fast. So the authorities closed the church down. The pastor, whom I will call Omar, became deeply concerned. Some suggested he leave the area, but he replied with compassion, “Who will care for my flock? How will they share the good news with others?” Then the Lord inspired a solution.

Pastor Omar divided his church into cells of three to five people, 75 groups spread throughout the city. To minister to them Omar became a taxi driver! While varying his route to not attract attention, he picked up the various cell leaders. As they drove about he taught them the week’s lesson and message. Each leader then shared all they had learned with their group members. And from his taxi this pastor also gives his leaders microSD cards containing JESUS, and the Word of God, leading more to Christ…the fruit of your giving!

➤ The ministry partner who passed along these accounts also reported this: “I was in a meeting with the pastor of a registered church. As we sat around the table with some of his members, I offered hundreds of the microSD cards. Immediately the lead pas­tor became very agitated: ‘NO…NO…we would never give these out. We won’t take them. NO! It’s illegal.’ He was so negative, rejecting everything we offered. I was very discouraged.

“After the meeting he drove me to the train station and in the car said: ‘Look we want all you have! I just have to deny everything. You never know if there is a plant in our numbers. Please, I’LL TAKE WHATEVER YOU CAN GIVE US. Our mem­bers will pass them out.”

When I hear reports like these, I am humbled. For here are Christian leaders, pas­tors, and new believers eager to share the good news with as many people as they can. They will do whatever it takes, even in the midst of persecution. They see tools like the microSD cards as a key to leading thousands to Christ, to reach everyone around them who live in spiritual darkness, people kept from the gospel.

Realizing how many still have never heard of the Son of God, I feel driven to do everything possible to equip these fearless workers and many partners. For hundreds of millions in these closed nations have never even heard His name. They’ve not seen a Bible (in these places it’s a crime), much less read any of His Word. Further, people are afraid to openly talk to strangers about Jesus, to listen to a gospel presentation. But when a friend offers a tiny, easily hidden microSD card, saying, “You will find a film about Jesus on this card, and the complete Bible, all in our heart language,” virtually everyone accepts.*

To be given a microSD card that they can easily play in their smartphone may be their only chance to learn of the gospel. There is eternity at stake. If we don’t reach them, millions could die without Christ, entering an eternity separated from God. It’s terrible to even contemplate.

This is why I ask you to help reach into their darkness with these powerful tools. Before us are many opportunities. They come from staff and from ministry partners who use JESUS. More than 75,000 microSD cards are especially needed in oppressive and dangerous nations in the Middle East. DVDs are also in very great demand and can be passed from person to person, played in the privacy of homes. Whether through a DVD, a microSD card, or live video streaming via the internet, unreached people will watch multiple times. We’ve even heard of someone watching every night for months!

These resources are why thousands of ministry partners are asking Jesus Film Project to do everything possible to equip them, especially in those nations where workers can’t afford to purchase the cards. I am especially motivated to provide more than 160,000 cards and DVDs to workers in Greece, Egypt, and India, and to replenish supplies for the Ports Project along the docks of Southern Europe. Workers here report an openness like they have never seen. Following are ways you can respond and help bring life and hope to hundreds of thousands:

• $112 will equip a worker with 25 DVDs of JESUS.
• $150 will send 15 microSD cards.
• $285 will equip a worker with a video tablet for private showings.
• $468 will live stream JESUS and other films and reach 1,200 people online.
• $950 will provide a DVD duplicator.
• $3,810 will provide a microSD card duplicator.

I close with this last report, one that illustrates the numerous opportunities before us. A few years ago, a ministry partner personally gave a large number of microSD cards loaded with JESUS to soldiers on the frontlines of a battle (with the official per­mission of the nation’s formerly communist government)! They also equipped sev­eral soldiers with devices that create Wi-Fi hotspots by which anyone with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® smartphone can download JESUS.

From the ministry leader: “We gave a few soldiers hotspots and started hand­ing out tons of the memory cards, easily a couple of thousand, containing JESUS and the Bible. The soldiers started sharing the film and Word with other military members, downloading the movie. It just went nuts, crazier than we thought it would go. It was simply incredible. We watched them experience JESUS. They were so very hungry for Truth. These tools are marvelously effective.”

Please know that God has prepared millions to learn of His love and the gospel. Your partnership is very much needed and appreciated to help supply these tools. You can help hundreds, perhaps thousands, to receive the good news…with joy. Thank you for however you can help.

Until everyone sees Jesus,

Josh Newell

Executive Director,

Jesus Film Project®

PS. Please take a few minutes to review the enclosed information sheet. You’ll find other details about the microSD cards, DVDs, video tablets and opportunities to supply duplicators or to support internet evangelism. As the Apostle Peter wrote, those who believe can then declare that Jesus rescued them “…from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13b, New American Standard Bible ).

These opportunities are numerous and urgent. If you can, please send your gift by August 31, 2018. You can also securely post your gift on this page or reach people with the gospel through your credit card by calling (800) 387-4040. For tax-wise gifts including IRA rollovers and appreciated stock or property, call (888) 278-7233 or email stock@jesusfilm.org. Thank you so much.

* Depending on the area of the world and local needs, the microSD cards are configured with various films (JESUS being a core) as well as other Christian materials.