From Prince to Preacher
Written by Mark Martino
Titus* is one of Jesus for Asia’s Bible Workers serving in the Philippines. He was born into the royal bloodline of a prominent tribe in his area, and as a prince he is respected and feared by the people. The tribe he belongs to are traditionally animists. They offer food and sacrifice animals to appease the spirits or to ask for healing. Some people have an unseen friend that directs them. It tells them what to offer to the spirits and how many animals to sacrifice. It also gives reasons why the spirits are offended.
Titus is an active young man who has always loved reading and participating in school activities. As he reached higher education, he started to study in an Adventist school. There he met other students like him who loved to keep their minds occupied by good things. Through his friends and his classes, Titus learned a lot about the Bible. Soon he became interested in studying it for himself. His friends gave him Bible studies, and after a school week of prayer he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior.
Titus was happy because of his newfound faith, but his parents were angry. They expected their son to follow in their footsteps, to lead and be an example to their tribe. They expected him to practice divination, to give offerings, and to speak with the spirits. Titus stood up to his parents; those practices were contrary to the Bible’s teachings, and he could not take part in them.
Because Titus refused to abandon his faith, his family disowned him. Even though he was still in school his father stopped providing for his needs. Titus had to depend on God’s provision for a whole school year. He had no way to buy food, but during the weekdays his friends shared their food with him. On Sabbaths God impressed church members to invite him to join their potluck meals.
After deciding to follow Jesus, Titus shared his faith with whoever was willing to listen. He eventually joined a student missionary group. The group helps with evangelistic meetings, and after school they visit houses and give Bible studies. A few months ago an evangelistic meeting was held in Titus's home town, and 92 people accepted Jesus as their Savior, including his parents. Since becoming a JFA Bible Worker, Titus has continued serving his people. With his family, he is leading and nurturing new believers while building a church where they can worship.
Praise God for giving Titus the courage to stand up for his faith, and for using him to reach his family and his people. Please pray for God to continue working through Titus, the student missionaries, and the other JFA Bible Workers in the Philippines as they seek to share the Gospel despite many challenges.
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*Name has been changed.