Skip to content

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Miracle in the Philippines: Tribe converted to Christianity after hearing Gospel and watching 'Passion of the Christ'

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
'Truly, God is at work...'

The Manobo tribe of the Philippines were taught the Gospel and viewed Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" film, which led several to convert to Christianity.

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Highlights

By Kenya Sinclair (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
4/27/2016 (7 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Manobo, Philippines, Gospel, Christianity, convert

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to missionaries from Christian Aid Mission, nearly the entire village converted to Christianity after eight months of hearing the Gospel then finally watching "Passion of the Christ."

The ministry director, whose name has been concealed for security purposes, explained the villagers attended Bible classes for eight months before the fateful weekend they learned the powerful promise of Genesis 22:18, in which God tells Abraham, "All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command."


The director explained, "The week before presenting the gospel lesson was a week of suspense. Everyone was in anticipation as to what would happen to Jesus after He was arrested by the Jewish leaders. To make the teaching of the gospel that night more vivid, the teacher inserted a brief video clip of the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus from the movie, 'The Passion of Christ.'"

Following the clip, the director said an old man "emotionally said, 'How I wish I could be by Jesus' side and help Him!' But after the truth had been explained concerning the death and resurrection of Christ as God's only provision for man's salvation, a feeling of awe and amazement was felt."

The sacrifice of Jesus touched the tribe, who expressed both understanding and faith that night.

"Finally, after consistently teaching over the past eight months from Genesis onward, we were able to present the gospel, and nearly the whole village responded and trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior," the director stated. "It was a great joy for us to see them understand the saving grace of Jesus for salvation; some cried as they shared their testimony of faith."

The next day, the Manobo adults shared their responses to the Gospel and of Jesus' resurrection.


One converted older man said Jesus "suffered so much for me. I'm glad He rose again from the dead."

Another elderly woman who came to Christ explained she was grateful to hear Jesus' story and, though she was not long for the world, knew heaven awaited her because of Christ's sacrifice.

The director explained, "Many more Manobo, both children and adult, expressed faith in Jesus. Truly, God is at work in the lives of these people, moving them from darkness to light, into His eternal kingdom."

The conversion of the Manobo people is worthy of celebration and the director explained the majority of Filipinos consider themselves Christians despite their beliefs being "mixed with former animistic rituals and superstitions." He added, "there are tribes that have never heard the gospel message."

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Prior to their conversion, the Manobo believed all men were created to live forever until a bird traded humanity's "life breath" for a piece of kemp string, which left man mortal.

"From that time on, the Manobo were taught that no one has been raised to heaven," the director stated. "Yet they still yearned to leave this world of poverty, sickness, hunger and death to a place of eternal bliss. Today, many of these villages have heard the gospel message and know they have a place in the eternal kingdom through Jesus Christ, their Savior."

Now, thanks to the missionaries and Jesus' gift to humanity, the Manobo people have the opportunity to live in the truth of God's Word and divine grace.

---


'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'


Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Prayer of the Day logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.