South Asia (MNN) — A year ago, the Gospel entered a dark, resistant, and remote area of South Asia.
Two large Hindu temples dominate a small community of 4,500 people near the coast of this South Asian country. Tanath was the communities temple priest for both temples. He was respected and even feared as the "master of sacrifice" in the temples.
Tanath led the people in worship of an idol known as the "goddess of death." The people of the community believed that this idol drank the blood of any sacrifice placed before her. As a result, during festival times, Tanath routinely sacrificed 100 goats daily for the sins of the people.
But last year, a team with the JESUS Film Project arrived to show the "JESUS" film, a movie about the life of Christ according to the book of Luke. The team showed the film four times. Tanath was able to attend one of them.
Although Tanath had been a highly respected priest until this point, the blood of the goats he had killed had always left him with a deep vacuum in his soul, reports the JESUS Film Project. As he watched Jesus' innocent blood spilled as He was crucified, something clicked. The priest realized that this had been the ultimate–and only–sacrifice acceptable to God.
Tanath was the first person to come forward at the invitation that night. A year later, many other community members have followed his lead. There are now 300 believers attending the village church.
Tanath is now actively involved in evangelism and discipleship. He also helps "JESUS" film teams travel to unreached islands off the coast.
To learn more about the JESUS Film Project, visit www.jesusfilm.org.
