In November ’99 during the extended riots in Ambon, Eastern Indonesia, a young student named Yohanis found a little blue book from Gideon’s in the middle of the forest. The book opened exactly at Matthew chapter 24 where he read verses 4-13 about the suffering.
Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 24:4-13
Yohanis continued reading the New Testament until he opened to an earlier part in Matthew’s Gospel
Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33
When he reached those verses he felt that Holy Spirit touched him and gave him strength. Soon after that he was caught by hundreds of Jihadis during an attack on a Christian community on Halmahera Island, Maluku. They insisted he deny Jesus. He quickly replied: “No way!” They slashed his neck with a machete, his spinal cord was severed. Others of the group then speared him in the back four times. They tried to burn him but strangely they couldn’t start the fire. During all of these tortures he felt no pain and he didn’t even bleed. The Holy Spirit took care of him, all because of his unshakable faith.
His persecutors thought he was dead and left him alone in the forest. By the miracle of God, this man of faith was touched by the angels and he miraculously survived being left alone for eight days, without any food or drink or medical treatment.
He is a man of faith, with the courage to stand firm and not deny Christ, even in the face of death.
Source: Gideons