Papiah, at 33 years of age, was a notorious Communist leader in India. He was the terror of the village where he lived and the surrounding countryside. A slave to sin of all sorts, there were few he had not committed. Most of the people lived in fear of him. He would collect money from the villages by force and beat down those who refused him.
A champion of communism, Papiah was the foe of Christianity. He had tortured many scores of native Christians and burned hundreds of Bibles.
One day in July, 1978, some native evangelists on a gospel tour were distributing tracts. They had received in a package of gospel literature from America just eight copies of a tract dealing with immorality and vice. It was a solemn message of the judgment of God which awaited those who went on in wicked ways, but pointed sinners to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour and hope of man. They distributed these tracts to eight young men in a distant village.
Early on the morning of July 5th a local native pastor hurriedly came to where the evangelists were camping with the news that the notorious Communist leader, Papiah, wanted to see them. Well knowing what a character Papiah was, the Christians were astonished. Then hearing that Papiah had already come to see them, they first got down on their knees and asked the Lord for guidance and protection.
When they came out to meet Papiah, they were surprised to see him crying like a child and shaking all over. Hundreds of the villagers soon gathered. They took him inside and talked with him for two hours.
He told them that after reading the tract he felt uneasy. There was a revolution going on in his heart. Up until then he had preached that communism was right, religion was wrong. But now he realized that there was something lacking in his heart. After reading the tract he began to feel strange a deep sense of guilt took possession of him and for the first time in his life he began to realize that Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer and hope of man, the Saviour of the world. Here was the only place where he could find peace for his troubled heart.
All night long he had been restless and could not sleep. A great struggle was going on within him. But that morning, after having read the tract over many times, he decided to leave communism and to accept Christ into his heart as Lord and Saviour. Then suddenly a heavenly peace took possession of him. He believed he was saved.
On July 30 he went back home and was baptized before the whole village. From then on he was called Peter. What a miracle! Praise God!
Then another wonderful thing happened after Papiah’s baptism. His father and his two sisters came to the evangelists, and with tears in their eyes they pleaded that they might be baptized also. They had spent several sleepless nights prang to their Hindu gods asking them to change Papiah, but all to no effect. So they gave up their heathen gods and turned to the wonderful living God that had changed the life of Papiah. Upon confession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour they were baptized. The father’s name was changed to John, and the girls were called Martha and Mary.
Now this wonderful family is united by the grace of God and is a strong witness to the saving power of the Lord Jesus. To Him be all the praise!
ML-06/03/1979