“Then the second angel followed the first angel and said, ‘She is destroyed! The great city of Babylon is destroyed!’” (Revelation 14:8, ICB).
FINDING TRUTH IN TONGA
Asipeli lived on the Polynesian island of Tonga, in the southern Pacific Ocean. That’s where he’d chosen to follow the religion of his father. But now he had questions.
A few weeks earlier two men had arrived on Tonga and began holding religious meetings. Curious, Asipeli and his friend Manu attended. They were shocked to learn ideas from the Bible that they’d never heard about.
Asipeli and Manu went to the meetings every night. When the meetings ended, they both knew a lot more about the Bible. But one question now haunted them: Which is the true church?
One day Asipeli made an announcement. “A big ship is going to arrive in port tomorrow from Australia. I will go to the ship and ask God to show me someone who can answer my question, “Which is the true church?”
At the port Asipeli watched as travelers left the big ship. Finally he saw a man he felt God had chosen for him to speak with. “Are you a Christian, sir?” asked Asipeli.
Startled, the man said, “Why, yes, I am a Christian—I am a Baptist. Why do you ask?”
Quickly the eager Tongan asked his question: “Can you tell me which is the true church?”
Now, this passenger had been taking Bible studies for the past few months, and he had been learning Bible truth. “Write to this address,” he told Asipeli. “They will tell you which is the true church.” Aspeli found a pencil and wrote down the address the man gave him. Eventually he began taking Bible studies through the mail. Asipeli learned about God’s true church, one that believed in Jesus and kept all of the Ten Commandments—including the seventh-day Sabbath.
Soon Asipeli and Manu were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It’s amazing how God leads when we invite Him into our lives.*
THINK ABOUT IT
■ Have you ever followed someone or something that led you in the wrong direction? What would you do differently?
■ Do you have friends or relatives who belong to a church that doesn’t totally follow Bible truth? How does this make you feel?
TODAY’S PRAYER IDEA
Ask God to show you clearly which is His true church. Thank Him for safeguarding His Word, the Bible, through the ages so that you can read its truth today.
* Story adapted from Walter Scragg, “Excuse Me, Sir, Which Is the True Church?” Guide, September 14, 1966.
