An Amazing Fact: More than 64,000 people die from snake bites in India each year, accounting for 80 percent of such deaths globally. It is believed that many more deaths by snake bite go unreported in India’s poor communities, where modern health care is nearly nonexistent. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).
The serpent of alcoholism had bitten Amala’s husband. Every night when he returned home, he drunkenly brought misery, grief, and trouble to Amala and their two children. Her interest in Christianity only made matters worse.
It’s not easy being a Christian in Hindu-dominated India, where public evangelism has been outlawed in many areas. Here in the United States, we often forget how difficult life can be in places like India.
When I first traveled to India 24 years ago to proclaim the everlasting gospel, we met in a public venue and had one of the largest gatherings in the country. Posters for our meetings were openly displayed on the backs of rickshaws across the city.
But even back then, the tide was turning against Christianity. During that trip, a Baptist missionary and his two sons were killed for their faith. And on my trip to India five years ago, we could conduct outreach meetings for only a few days in remote villages before the government would get wind. Baptisms had to be done in secret.
The gospel commission doesn’t tell us to go only where and when it’s safe. We must go “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).
There are three powerful ways your compassion can help spread God’s last-day truth in restrictive countries like India. The first is to print and spread truth-filled literature like the leaves of autumn. The second is through broadcasting life-changing messages through satellite and cable television. The third is through evangelistic websites, providing videos and Bible studies on cell phones and computers and in multiple languages.
That’s how you helped reach Amala.
Falling
to Her Knees
Amala was Hindu. She and her husband were a low-income family that worked hard to pay for their children’s education.
Amala first heard the gospel through mission workers. Her heart was warmed by the Bible studies, and the missionaries even taught her to read and write. She grew in faith and had daily worship with her children—but her husband refused to participate. His alcoholism consumed their family’s education fund, and his abuse deeply wounded their hearts.
One day, after coming home from work, Amala felt the full weight of her family’s crushing problems—her husband’s drinking, her son wandering away from God, her daughter being pressured to marry a Hindu—it was too much for her to bear alone.
Amala fell to her knees and prayed earnestly for God’s help. When she opened her eyes, she was looking at her TV. She felt impressed to find something positive to watch, so she began flipping through different channels. She stopped on a Christian station that caught her eye.
For the next hour, Amala listened to an encouraging sermon and loved the distinct message. She returned to that program the next time she felt discouragement rising in her soul and again felt God’s Spirit speaking to her. That program was Amazing Facts being broadcast in Hindi!
The programs were so inspiring that she now watches them with her adult children and hopes her husband will someday join them in hearing the good news of salvation in Christ. It was your support that made it
possible for her to hear these precious messages about Jesus!
Reaching
More of India
One powerful pathway still open to reach the people of India is television.
Sales of TV sets are exploding there. Sadly, the top five programs are soap operas, but ever since COVID, interest in spiritual content has been steadily growing. Indeed, interest in Amazing Facts’ unique messages about God rises daily.
We don’t know how long this avenue will remain open. So I’m asking you to partner with me today to share transformational truth with millions before more restrictions are put into place.
Our team in India is planning to add our programs to three new stations this year in the Telugu and Tamil languages. We also hope to begin breakthrough broadcasting in Bengali and Urdu soon. In addition, we are getting ready to print the Panorama of Prophecy Bible lessons and reprint our popular sharing magazines in several languages.
Boldly
Going Forward
To broadcast God’s precious truth into homes and on cell phones, along with the translating, printing, and websites, the cost to save lives in India for eternity is anticipated to be $500,000 this year. I know that the Lord can use you and me, compassionately working together, to make this happen. He just needs us to be faithful to His call!
Your kind gift this month to sponsor the Lord’s work in India will transform lost hearts like Amala’s. A gift of $120 could help as many as 36 million Telegu-speaking souls find God’s life-changing truth at 8:00 AM on Saturdays. A gift of $30 will support the translation and broadcast of one Amazing Facts program, reaching millions of spiritually hungry souls.
Or would you prayerfully consider a nation-sized gift of $1,200? This would translate and broadcast the lifesaving truth in Telegu, Hindi, Tamil, and English on stations that could help as many as 158,000,000 people in a week! Whatever size gift you send, I know God will bless the difference it makes through all of Amazing Facts’ evangelistic programs around the world.
Amala and thousands like her are searching for the truth about the God of heaven. Will you join me in helping to broadcast the three angels’ messages across the world’s most populous nation?
Standing firm against the serpent,
Pastor Doug Batchelor
President, Amazing Facts International