In Pursuit of JesusSample

Called to Tell

In 1959, Ancherai, a member of the Tipperahs, a tribal group in Bangladesh, endured months in a filthy, crowded prison infested by rats, with no room to stretch out. When acquitted, he shared, “Those three months are horrible for me to think of except for one thing”: He got his heart right with God. He’d been a Christian but hadn’t been living as one. Sleeping crouched in a corner of that jail, he had a dream in which he experienced great peace and felt God calling him to preach the gospel to his people. Over the next eighteen years, Ancherai diligently studied the Bible and joyfully shared the gospel, despite ridicule and opposition, eventually becoming known as the “Apostle Paul of the Tipperahs.”

Ancherai was nicknamed after Paul, who was called by God “to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News” (Romans 1:1). After Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle (Acts 9:1–18), he dedicated his life to spreading the gospel despite severe hardship and persecution. That’s why he could say, “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

God beckons us to leave our past behind and to follow Jesus (v. 17). Like Paul and Ancherai, we were “called . . . out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). And we too can share the amazing news. —Alyson Kieda

When have you shared the good news? What did you experience? Who might benefit from hearing the story of God’s work in your life?

God, thank You for calling us from the darkness to share Your good news with family, friends, and neighbors—no matter where we are in the world.