I am always encouraged and refreshed in my faith in God's great ability to reach people's hearts in different cultures. Here is a quick summary of Mattayo's story taken from Paul Eshleman's book, "I Just Saw Jesus".
Mattayo grew up in Kenya where teenage boys must prove their manhood by killing a lion with his own spear or dying. When that time came Mattayo was able to kill the lion with his spear as was required. On another day he and his friend were confronted by a lion and his friend was badly injured in the attack. He then carried his mangled friend 20 kilometers to a mission station for medical help from missionaries. The freind died after only a few hours, but Mattayo was told about Jesus from the missionaries there and received new life from Jesus as his savior. When his friends found out about his new faith they stole his cattle and rejected him. He left his village and began traveling from village to village telling others about Jesus the Savior.
Mattayo reminds me of a modern tribal Samson or David with his lion fighting experience similar to theirs.
As I was writing this testimony up for you, the Lord, I believe, quickened my heart or mind to see a spiritual parallel here. We also have friends who have been seriously injured or mauled by a lion, a spiritual lion- Satan. We need to be more vigilant in asking the Holy Spirit how we can carry our spiritually injured friends to Jesus for spiritual help like Mattayo did in Kenya. Lord, please help us to have the courage to give our friends spiritual aid even at personal expense, like walking 20 km with aching arms like Mattayo to do all that we can do for our friends. Please open our eyes to see when our friends worship family, pleasure, leisure, alcohol, drugs, sex or other idols in our culture. Please quicken our hearts to respond and obey your leading on giving our friends spiritual CPR. Amen.
Mattayo grew up in Kenya where teenage boys must prove their manhood by killing a lion with his own spear or dying. When that time came Mattayo was able to kill the lion with his spear as was required. On another day he and his friend were confronted by a lion and his friend was badly injured in the attack. He then carried his mangled friend 20 kilometers to a mission station for medical help from missionaries. The freind died after only a few hours, but Mattayo was told about Jesus from the missionaries there and received new life from Jesus as his savior. When his friends found out about his new faith they stole his cattle and rejected him. He left his village and began traveling from village to village telling others about Jesus the Savior.
Mattayo reminds me of a modern tribal Samson or David with his lion fighting experience similar to theirs.
As I was writing this testimony up for you, the Lord, I believe, quickened my heart or mind to see a spiritual parallel here. We also have friends who have been seriously injured or mauled by a lion, a spiritual lion- Satan. We need to be more vigilant in asking the Holy Spirit how we can carry our spiritually injured friends to Jesus for spiritual help like Mattayo did in Kenya. Lord, please help us to have the courage to give our friends spiritual aid even at personal expense, like walking 20 km with aching arms like Mattayo to do all that we can do for our friends. Please open our eyes to see when our friends worship family, pleasure, leisure, alcohol, drugs, sex or other idols in our culture. Please quicken our hearts to respond and obey your leading on giving our friends spiritual CPR. Amen.
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