Roy Pontoh
15 years old
Indonesia
1999
The teens could tell that the shouts and chanting were getting closer and closer. An older
teen looked nervously at his friend. �The Muslims are coming. We�d better hide the kids,�
he said. Others, following his lead, helped the smaller children find hiding places in the
buildings nearby. Then they hid themselves.
It was January and a crowd of mostly Christian children and teenagers had gathered for a
Bible camp at the Station Field Complex of Pattimura University on the island of Ambon,
Indonesia. When the camp was over, cars came to take the laughing, rejoicing children
back to their homes. But there were not enough cars to hold the young people.
Mecky Sainyakit and three other Christian men had gone to Wakal village to try to rent
additional transportation to take the rest home. But they had not yet come back.
What the kids waiting for rides home didn�t know was that on their way to the village, the
men were attacked by a Muslim mob, who pulled them from their car and out onto the
road. Mecky and one of the other men were stabbed to death, and later their bodies were
burned by the mob. The two other men escaped with their lives.
Before long, the mob reached the University. They found many of the teens and forced
them to come out of hiding.
Roy Pontoh was forced from his hiding place and made to stand before the mob.
�Renounce your Jesus, or we will kill you!� they threatened.
Roy was terribly frightened. Though trembling, he answered, �I am a soldier of Christ!�
At this, one of the Muslim attackers swung a sword at his stomach. The sword hit the
Bible Roy held, and ripped into it, knocking it out of his hand. The man�s next swing sliced
open Roy�s stomach. His last word was �Jesus.�
The mob dragged Roy�s body out and threw it in a ditch. Four days later, his family found
it. Even though they are wracked with grief, Roy�s parents stand proud of their son, who
stood strong in his faith to the end.
[Copyright, 1999, Bethany House Publishers. From Jesus Freaks Volume II, DCTalk.]
Too often as Christians we separate ourselves from society. To an extent, this is appropriate. However, if we--the body of Christ--separate ourselves from those lost, how will the Gospel ever spread? How will the Kingdom of Heaven ever grow? We are here to be an example of Christ to the world. Without Christians, the Word of God would not continue to spread in its entirety. Now is your time to spread this message, just as Jesus and His disciples did 2,000 years ago! I'm not saying you will ever have to die for Christ, or you will ever have to travel foreign countires; God has a different call for all of us. However, I am saying that the Word of God is living inside of us to be shared, not hidden. Whether you share the message at school, work, home or foreign countries, the hour is here for salvation to be revealed. Go, make yourselves fishers of men!
Meanings of a Missionary:
"Hello. My name is Allison, and I have a really hard time speaking about my faith as a Christian. I'm not sure why, but I think that I'm insecure in what I believe to be true. What's that all about?"
In Allison's scenario, she cleary desires to speak about her faith, but seems unable. My direction to her--and anyone else suffering under such insecurtity--is that you begin small. You can start proclaiming the Gospel by simply speaking with family. If you have family that's already saved, then ask them questions as to how you should speak to someone who isn't saved. Trust me, they'll give some great advice. If you are living in a household of unsaved family members, check with a local church for answers to questions you may have. Once you are secure at home, then you can begin the same outreach at school, the work force, etc. Sharing the Gospel with others takes the walk of precept upon precept. Be patient, and don't rush yourself. God will open the door for your Gospel sharing in due timing.
Just a few days ago I--for the first time--shared the Gospel message with another. Now, I have proclaimed to many that I am a Christian, but there's a large difference in saying you're a Christian to actually walking your faith. Would you believe someone was saved if they said so, or would you most likely believe someone was a Christian if they showed you so? I don't know about you, but I'd like to see some evidence of their words. So--back to the story--I was completely horrified to share my faith with another. However, I had a small Youth Bible in my backpack that had been gathering dust for years. I knew God was edging me toward speaking the message, but I was greatly frightened. I hesitated, hesitated and hesitated. Finally, I knew the person He desired me to give this Bible to. I looked upon them, and felt the deepest of burdens. "This person has no clue there is a God who exists and loves him," I thought to myself. The thought was what pushed me straight from hesitation to determination. I eagerly followed him through the hallways of my high school, waiting for the perfect opportunity to reach out.The chance then arrived. I grabbed the Bible, headed for the lunch cart and watched him place dressing on his salad. I walked over and placed my hand upon his shoulder. "Hello," I said shakingly. "Hey there, how are you?" he replied. Now, mind you, I had hardly ever even spoken two words to this child of the Lord's, but I was still sharing the Gospel with him. "I'm good," I continued. "This is going to sound totally weird, but I really feel the Lord has placed it upon my heart to give this to you." Reaching out, I lightly placed the Bible in his hands. Reading aloud he said, "Youth Bible for Teens...are you kidding?" His response wasn't intimidating, nor was it angry. He was awed that God had spoken to me about him. I'm sure he was surprised to know that God actually cared about him! "I'm totally serious," I said. We both shared a laugh as he replied, "Thanks, man." Once again, I placed my hand upon his shoulder and said, "If you ever have any questions please feel free to let me know." And that was that. In one single moment, I shared the Gospel! Walking away, I recall my hands shaking, heart pounding and eyes watering. I was so overcome with emotion that I could hardly contain myself. The truth is, you'll never know how much one action can affect another's life. In this case, my reaching out may have affected someone's salvation. You are capable of the same outreach.
A day after I gave the Youth Bible away, it was returned to me, however, not by the person I gave it to. I was in class and the Bible was given to me from a teacher. Someone had dropped it off at the school office and returned it to me. To this day, I do not know whether the person I gave it to returned it to the office, whether it was lost and then found, or whether his parents found it in their home and brought it back to me. The pondering has driven me to frustration. But, I shared this story with you to show you that sometimes things won't turn out the way you planned, but remember that God planned them that way. Either way, my growth in sharing the Gospel has succeeded. I am now less afraid to share the Word of God with another.
Don't let fear or doubt keep you from living! When you hear God say obey, then obey!
Meanings of a Revolutionary:
Commonly, when we hear the word "revolutionary" we think Ben Franklin, George Washington, Presdident Bush. However, a revolutionary doesn't have to be someone so highly noticed. For instance, I know of quite a few revolutionaries, and they are what they are for Christ.
My brethren, don't think for one minute that God doesn't have a plan for you. Everything you do has purpose. You could simply collect Bibles to share them with others; you could pour soup into bowls for the homeless; you could even simply give away a monthly paycheck for communities. My point is: you're already a revolutionary in the eyes of God if your work is under His name.
Sometimes we, as Christians, compare ourselves to God's other children. But God doesn't desire for you to compare yourself with men! The desires He has for you are so much more special than what you know, and understand at this time.
I know that I am one of those Christians who can become ungrateful for what I have, because I'm too busy looking at what others have. Let me just say, this is no way to see God's plan. Seek first the kingdom of Heaven, and these things shall be added unto you. Trust God, trust His timing, and trust that He will lead you in revolutionary steps.
You are a revolutionary; proclaim it!
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