Page 8 - Good News November 20007 paper
P. 8
God and the Spider
uring World War II, a US
marine was separated ruce and Jan, long-time A year later, back in the city,
Dfrom his unit on a Pacific missionaries in Peru, Bruce received a visitor. One of
island. The fighting had been Bshowed the 'JESUS' film his captors had become a
intense, and in the smoke and the in a village high in the moun- Christian! It was a man named
crossfire he had lost touch with
his comrades. tains. After witnessing the José, a seasoned radical who
Alone in the jungle, he could hear power of God's living Word to had killed many people in cold
enemy soldiers coming in his change the hearts of people, blood. Bruce listened as José
direction. Scrambling for cover, they left rejoicing. But, unwit- told his incredible story. "The
he found his way up a high ridge sent me is a spider web. God does tingly, they were driving directly day we captured you, we
to several small caves in the have a sense of humour." into the hands of terrorists. intended to kill you. But each
vicinity. Quickly he crawled As the enemy drew closer he Bruce carefully drove down the time we talked about it, some-
inside one of the caves. Although watched from the darkness of his narrow mountain road, deep in thing stopped us. After we
safe for the moment, he realized hideout and could see them the Andes. Coming over a hill, released you and returned to
that once the enemy soldiers searching one cave after another. they pulled to a stop just behind our camp in the jungle, we were
looking for him swept up the As they came to his, he got ready a seemingly stalled truck. bored and began to watch the
ridge, they would quickly search to make his last stand. To his Instantly, scores of rifle barrels film. At one point there were
all the caves and he would be amazement, however, after were thrust in their direction by 700 of us on the ground before
killed. glancing in the direction of his
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if cave, they moved on. a band of radicals. The mission- the screen. We saw that Jesus
it be Your will, please protect me. Suddenly he realized that with the aries were taken back to the was a true revolutionary. Many
Whatever Your will though, I love spider web over the entrance, his village. The 45 heavily armed in the movement were so
You and trust You. Amen." cave looked as if no one had men proceeded to interrogate moved by His life that they
After having prayed, he lay entered for quite a while. and threaten them and the wanted to lay down their arms
quietly, listening to the enemy "Lord, forgive me," prayed the townsfolk. Before they released and leave then." He told Bruce
drawing close. He thought, "Well, young man. "I had forgotten that them, the radicals went through how he subsequently had been
I guess the Lord isn't going to in You a spider's web is stronger their belongings. They found arrested and sent to jail, and
help me out of this one." Then he than a brick wall." and confiscated all the projec- gave his life to Christ. He then
saw a spider spinning a web over We all face times of great trouble. tion equipment, intending to asked Bruce to forgive him.
the front of his cave. When we do, it is so easy to forget use it to show revolutionary José is now a pastor and the
As he watched, listening to the what God can work in our lives, films. Out of frustration, Bruce Director of a major Bible
enemy searching for him all the sometimes in the most surprising
while, the spider layered strand ways. also handed them the film reels School in Argentina. He is also
after strand of web across the And remember, with God a mere saying, "Here, you may as well actively sending out mission-
opening of the cave. spider's web becomes a brick take these too," silently pray- aries around the world!
"Hah," he thought. "What I need is wall of protection! ing, "Lord, do not let Your Word Source: Jesus Film Project via
a brick wall and what the Lord has - Selected return void." JNI 616
