By Michael Ashcraft –
The Santa Barbara man was dumbfounded. Desperate, at the end of his rope, he had just cried out to God, “If you’re real, send somebody to tell me about you.” Then a woman from a local church knocked on his door.
“I have some materials to share with you,” she offered with a smile. He blinked disbelievingly.
After he gathered himself from the astonishing “coincidence,” the man got saved. This sort of “divine encounter” is what often happens when churches get involved with Saturate USA, a project to get the JESUS Film to every home in America.
Churches that volunteer to distribute in a zip code are given free the JESUS Film, a pamphlet about salvation and plastic bags. Church members pack the bags, putting in an invitation to their assembly, and walk from house to house.
You can either leave them on door handles or knock on doors. If you’re shy, there’s an easy dialogue: Hi, we’re distributing a free gift to every house in the neighborhood. Is there something I can pray for you?
Saturate USA aims to reach 120 million homes by 2027.
So far, they have visited 38.4 million, totaling 119 million individuals. They’re operating in all 50 states, but there are still many zip codes to “adopt,” pledge to reach every door in.
Phil Cohn, president (he prefers to call himself “chief servant”), is not intimidated by the daunting task ahead. He’s been doing this for years – most of it abroad – and is used to miracles.
Phil, 66, made lots of money as a builder but his heart was always more interested in saving souls.
He grew up a liberal Jew in America but got “radically” saved at 19. He lay on his apartment floor reading the Bible and felt “electrified.” He wept for souls. “Pour out your grace on me,” he prayed.
“I knew this message needs to get to everybody,” he told God Reports. “Most of the world has never heard the gospel.”
As he grew in consciousness of the desperate straits of sinners around the world, he wondered what he could do. He prayed for the USSR, and the Berlin Wall fell. He prayed for Muslim countries, many of which prohibit public evangelism.
He got married and went to Bible school.
As he researched and networked, plans emerged. The JESUS Film was an early strategy. As he prospered in his business, he began plowing money into the propagation of the film for Muslims and Hindus.
“I began to hear of all these stories of people coming to Jesus,” Phil says. “Why is this working in the world? It was a heart language, visual, good for non-readers; We saw so much fruit, it was crazy.”
The JESUS Film has been viewed by over 8 billion people worldwide. This figure includes multiple viewings by individuals across different formats, such as in-person screenings, broadcasts, and digital platforms.
One million churches were started as people got saved from the JESUS Film, he says.
A certain Pakistani family in Palm Beach, Florida received the film by mail in Urdu. Since Jesus is considered a prophet (not God) in Islam, the Muslims watched it.
But halfway through, the father stood up, walked over to the DVD player and shut it off. “I don’t think this is for us to watch,” he said.
But the daughter was impacted. Jesus’ words rolled around in her head. She couldn’t get them out of her mind, Phil says. She eventually joined a local Bible study.
Her mother, a liberal Muslim, eventually attended with her. Being in a Christian service raised all kinds of fears in her, even though she wasn’t a devout Muslim, and she stopped going. But the daughter persevered and prayed for her mom.
“Then Jesus appeared to the mother in her sleep,” Phil says. “It was so real, Jesus was speaking to her, he reached down from heaven and put the sign of the cross on her forhead. She felt that all of her sins were forgiven.”
In 2007, 50,000 DVDs were sent to residents of Dearborn, Michigan, a stronghold in America of Muslim immigrants.
In Afghanistan, missionaries handed them out Muslims under Taliban rule.
As stories of salvation trickled in from around the world, Phil began to turn his eyes on America.
“Our country is going downhill so fast,” he says.
With associates, Phil hatched the plan to evangelize America, and Saturate USA was born. Production and distribution has miraculously been doubling. Phil works tirelessly, but he acknowledges he needs God to do what he can’t do.
In the recession of 2008, his own business tanked. But he believed God for and received even more donations to continue the ministry unabated.
It’s been non-stop miracles.
So Phil has continued to trust God for more evangelization. The target: America.
“In most cities in America, if half of the population went to church, there wouldn’t be enough room to hold them,” Phil says.
To get free DVDs, pamphlets and bags to distribute to your zip code in partnership with other churches in the area, click here.
To learn more about a personal relationship with Jesus, click here.
About this writer: Michael Ashcraft pastors a church in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.
