By Mark Ellis –
A strange message came to Aple from the spirit world via a fortune teller in his village: if you bathe, you will die.
After five years without washing of any kind, he could barely stand his own stench. “Young boys wrinkled their noses in disgust and rushed to the other side of the road,” according to the report by The Timothy Initiative.
Aple couldn’t necessarily blame them. His hair looked matted and unkempt. He became a pariah – a modern-day leper – to anyone in his immediate vicinity.
But he couldn’t defy the fortune teller’s clear orders. It was a matter of life and death. Still, it had been five long years since he had been able to interact normally with his friends and family.
Aple was isolated, depressed, and hopeless when a church planter named Andrew first met him. Andrew shared the Gospel with him, and assured him of the love and power of Jesus Christ to set him free.
Persuaded by the truth of God’s eternal Word and moved by the Spirit, Aple surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and was born again.
With Andrew’s wise counsel and prompted by his new faith, Aple made the bold decision to defy the fortune teller’s instructions and bathe.
His family – still steeped in superstition — braced themselves for the worst. One day passed. Then two. Then three. Then weeks, and Aple was still healthy!
Amazed, they surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and were also born again. “This family now serves the Lord, as they testify of His grace, love, and power.”
If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with God, go here
To learn more about The Timothy Initiative, go here
