Beaten for His Faith

B

andara hated Christians. He didn’t like that they believed that God created the world and could forgive sins. He thought both were impossible. But one day, everything changed for Bandara.

“God had a plan for me and used a Christian to change me,” Bandara said. “That person helped me with my difficulties. Through him, I understood God’s grace and love, and that’s why I became a Christian.” 

After accepting Christ and being baptized, Bandara wanted to share the light he received with others. With this commitment in his heart, he decided to become a Global Mission pioneer. His plan was to introduce people to Jesus and eventually start a new congregation.

The change in Bandara’s life was evident to his family and friends. They noticed that he went from one place to another around the city, sharing the love of Christ and His message of forgiveness.

Bandara’s actions eventually got the whole community’s attention, but not for all good reasons. His regular visits alarmed some young men who believed that Bandara’s actions might harm the community.

The men plotted to beat Bandara to stop his visits. One day, as Bandara returned home on his usual route, a large group waited for him. They blocked his path and beat him. Bandara considers the beating to be the deadliest struggle of his Christian life.

“I covered my face to protect myself,” Bandara said. “At least two people were beating me for 15 minutes continuously. After beating me that long, I could sense that they finally were getting exhausted. They used a helmet to hit my head.” Bandara prayed the entire time that God would protect him from being seriously hurt, and God answered that prayer.

In fact, God answered that prayer more than once. Bandara was beaten several times, and each time he stood firmly for his faith and survived without critical injuries. When people heard that Bandara was so committed to his beliefs that he was willing to be beaten for them, they stood by Bandara. They realized that he wanted to help the community.

Bandara’s passion to bring more people to Jesus grows every day. “God chose us and called us, saying, ‘Who is going to work for Me?’” Bandara said. “So, we have to go!”

Let’s pray for Bandara and other Global Mission pioneers around the world who serve despite the risks that come with their commitment.