“Don’t come! Don’t come, Christ!” screamed the 25-year-old woman as the film she was watching showed the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry on earth.
Men and women from the village tried to calm Purnima down, but her behavior only grew more peculiar: She started speaking in a strange language none could understand.
Tejas, a Christian from Purnima’s village, stood with the missionary film team and prayed in Jesus’ name for the young wife to be restored to her right mind.
Ten years earlier, when Purnima was 15 years old, her family noticed something strange about her behavior. Thinking illness plagued their daughter, they took her to many doctors. Eventually Purnima’s parents realized dark powers were influencing her life, so they sought her freedom by serving their deities.
Crowds watching the film about Jesus; Photo Courtesy of Gospel for Asia.
Since the family had always faithfully performed their ancestral rituals, they expected their gods would deliver Purnima. But after a decade of disappointment, Purnima’s family decided all their time, energy and money had been wasted.
Elsewhere in their village lived a Christian named Tejas. Through the years, he saw suffering of many men, women and children just like Purnima. He recognized how hopeless they felt when their gods didn’t answer. He witnessed time and time again angry villagers seeking revenge by calling witch doctors to perform curses on their enemies.
Tejas wanted his neighbors to see the light of Christ, so when he found out about a GFA film team laboring a few miles from his home, he contacted them and asked if they could show a film about Jesus in his village.
The film team, led by brother Maniram, soon arrived. They traveled around Tejas’ village and told many people about the opportunity to watch a movie about the life of Jesus.
Francis Chan shares about GFA:
When night came, Purnima, along with many others in the village, sat down to watch the film.
When the scene of Jesus fasting for 40 days came on the screen, Purnima started screaming. Maniram, Tejas and other believers started praying. They prayed for more than an hour without stopping.
Amazingly, God delivered Purnima from the powers of darkness.
Jesus touched many hearts that night. The villagers not only witnessed God’s power in Purnima, but they also saw His life, death and resurrection in the film. After that night, several people decided to embrace the freedom Christ offers.
Today, Purnima and her husband are worshiping the Lord along with Tejas and other believers in their village. At the same time, Maniram and the film team continue to travel the countryside, sharing the power of Christ through a simple film about Jesus’ life.
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