A Jones County, Mississippi pastor, who preached through the Bible in 96 hours, says a witch opposed his efforts but also says the story has a happy ending.
At the end of May and the beginning of June, Pastor Matthew Olson of First Baptist Church of Sharon in Jones County, Mississippi, set out to preach the entire Bible in 96 consecutive hours. He completed that goal successfully and unofficially set a record for a marathon speech.
Olson recounted his experience and struggles to The Christian Post, informing the news website about another part of his effort: A spiritual battle with witches who wanted him dead.
About a week after his viral preaching marathon, he said he was contacted by text message by a college-aged woman in Texas with a story for him. According to the woman, named Lindsay, she and others were practicing witches and they attempted to put a curse on Olson while they watched his livestream Bible reading. According to Lindsay, Olson called her out by name - and a second witch named Marcus, too - on the livestream on June 2, when he was reading through the Book of Romans.
The footage of the livestream doesn't show that moment, Olson acknowledged, but Lindsay told him she and Marcus clearly heard their names and were stunned by the supernatural moment. Lindsay also shared that she was saved that night and was baptized a week and a half later.
Dr. Alex McFarland, co-host of "Exploring the Word" on American Family Radio (AFR), told American Family News the pastor's story wasn't surprised. McFarland says he has had experiences in his ministry when he thought the person receiving the Word was listening but was not responsive to it. “A high school friend I saw in a restaurant, saw him in a restaurant. I shared the gospel. He pretty much was dismissive. Couple years later, he called me, and he said that on the drive home he thought and thought, and he became a Christian. At this point he is a co-pastor of a church in Tennessee,” McFarland says.
This story serves as a reminder, McFarland stated, that nobody is "too far gone" to receive Jesus Christ. “We need to be encouraged and remember that no one is beyond the love and the saving power of Jesus. Our job is to go out into the fields of harvest and preach that message every day, every Christian to every person,” McFarland says.
