Opening my email every day is an adventure. I’m want to share with you two of them I received yesterday from brothers in Africa because they give us an incredible perspective of what God is doing elsewhere in the world. The first is from South Africa and some people I stayed with one weekend in August. I met the woman in this report. She had been born and raised in a satanist cult as a breeder of human sacrifices and escaped a couple of years ago and became a follower of Jesus. But they never let go easily of those they claim as theirs:
She went to our brother-in-law, who cut the handcuff off. She incurred some bruising from this. It is wonderful to see the church of Jesus working together in the work of the kingdom. Then this sister, at my brother-in-law’s request, prayed for a man who was mightily delivered from demonic possession and oppression, when Jesus supernaturally revealed to her the source of his problem. There is still a road to be walked as Jesus revealed that there were problems back at his home. Continue to pray for us – we know that there is more to come as God opens doors. We have again been humbled by the grace of God. I have been praying this whole week for breakthrough and just want more – come, Lord Jesus, come!
This email came from a brother in Ghana in a response to my Jake Colsen site:
There is one passage of Scripture that God continue to speak to my heart. It is from Romans 10:13-15 which reads, “For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? The Lord is placing more burden in our hearts to go to various places and share the gospel. Such a burden is on my heart more and more lately for the whole world to hear the Gospel. My soul cries because I know that there are so many souls that are not saved.
Somewhere around here there have been killings in the night. Last week, a man was killed and dumped in the sea. At least not less than three people included a pregnant woman had been killed since last week. This act is usually attributed to Voodooist fishermen who use human blood sacrifices to get a lot of fishes. And evidently, last week market day on Thursday there were a lot of big fishes caught by the fishermen, such that we have never seen since our stay here in Ghana. Everywhere in the market was full with fishes! And it was sold at a very cheaper prices! Many immediate locals that were aware of the killings and the acts of the fishermen refuses to buy the fishes, but a lot of people also buy the fishes.
This is one of the terrible things that happen frequently over here. More so, as the end of the year approaches, a lot of people that belongs to cult and traditional evil groups usually uses human beings for rituals and sacrifices to their gods. I just want you to be aware of this things, I think this may sounds strange to you. Well, our God continue to be our shield from the evil ones. Please pray that the Lord would grant us wisdom and favor as we seek to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to those around us. May the peace of God continue to dwell within your hearts; may you forever be strengthened in His might; and may the Holy Spirit make a straight path for you. Extend our greetings, love and thanks to your family and all the brethren there. Please write when you are able as we long to hear from you. Alfred & the brethren here
I’m sure your prayers would be appreciated for both of these groups of brothers and sisters…
iT IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW HUMAN LIFE IS SO UNDERVALUED IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD.YOU LIVE LIFE THINKING THAT MOSTLY EVERYBODY VALUES LIFE FOR THE MOST PART,BUT JUST AROUND THE CORNER YOU HAVE PEOPLE SO GIVEN OVER TO SELFISHNESS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO KILL PEOPLE FOR FISH!THAT’S CRAZY!KNOWING THE LORD MOST LIKELY IS THERE ONLY HOPE!
iT IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW HUMAN LIFE IS SO UNDERVALUED IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD.YOU LIVE LIFE THINKING THAT MOSTLY EVERYBODY VALUES LIFE FOR THE MOST PART,BUT JUST AROUND THE CORNER YOU HAVE PEOPLE SO GIVEN OVER TO SELFISHNESS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO KILL PEOPLE FOR FISH!THAT’S CRAZY!KNOWING THE LORD MOST LIKELY IS THERE ONLY HOPE!
I’m don’t think our culture is all that different, Dom. Most folks around the world in all cultures do value life and respect others. But there’s always a few who are willing to force their will on others, destroying them if need be. With the amount of gang violence, and sexual and physial abuse in our own culture, including the clergy sexual abuse scandal among the Catholic and in other groups we have people killing each other for their own perverted pleasure, not even in the mistaken superstition that it will add to their fish catch. Sin permeates all cultures, and thus Jesus has brought redemption for us all…
I’m don’t think our culture is all that different, Dom. Most folks around the world in all cultures do value life and respect others. But there’s always a few who are willing to force their will on others, destroying them if need be. With the amount of gang violence, and sexual and physial abuse in our own culture, including the clergy sexual abuse scandal among the Catholic and in other groups we have people killing each other for their own perverted pleasure, not even in the mistaken superstition that it will add to their fish catch. Sin permeates all cultures, and thus Jesus has brought redemption for us all…
Yes,it’s just always so freightening to hear about satanism,along with murder i guess.It almost was read as something that was very common there.Anyway a freind and very wise man i know once connected the utter sinfulness we see as the above mentions to a perversion of truth powered by the law,and or some form of law…i like that conclusion and see how it really does apply even here in this situation described as well!Law is sneaky!
Yes,it’s just always so freightening to hear about satanism,along with murder i guess.It almost was read as something that was very common there.Anyway a freind and very wise man i know once connected the utter sinfulness we see as the above mentions to a perversion of truth powered by the law,and or some form of law…i like that conclusion and see how it really does apply even here in this situation described as well!Law is sneaky!
Interesting story, although I wonder why God had to send an "army" of angels to take care of a "couple of people" when in the Bible one angel took care of an "army of men". And I guess that army of angels wasn’t able to keep these thugs from hand cuffing this lady. Oh well… I guess they gave it their best shot! Let’s remember to examine everything carefully.
Interesting story, although I wonder why God had to send an "army" of angels to take care of a "couple of people" when in the Bible one angel took care of an "army of men". And I guess that army of angels wasn’t able to keep these thugs from hand cuffing this lady. Oh well… I guess they gave it their best shot! Let’s remember to examine everything carefully.
Chris,
You might do well to take care not to mistake someone’s perception of events with what really might have happened. This woman is young in the Lord and expressed what happened in her own terms. I’m sure she wasn’t trying to give a theological treatise about it . And using your logic, why would he allow Peter and John to be imprisoned if an angel was going to break him out later? The joy here is that she was liberated from something that has in the past been horrific for her. And I share her excitement and gratefulness that for whatever reasons their plan was thwarted and she didn’t have to be imprisoned with that cult again, as she has numerous times before.
Chris,
You might do well to take care not to mistake someone’s perception of events with what really might have happened. This woman is young in the Lord and expressed what happened in her own terms. I’m sure she wasn’t trying to give a theological treatise about it . And using your logic, why would he allow Peter and John to be imprisoned if an angel was going to break him out later? The joy here is that she was liberated from something that has in the past been horrific for her. And I share her excitement and gratefulness that for whatever reasons their plan was thwarted and she didn’t have to be imprisoned with that cult again, as she has numerous times before.
Wayne,
Ok I think you have a good point in saying that that was her ‘perception’ of it. But I think that speaks even more to the fact that we ought to think carefully about what others say. Far too often I see my fellow christians accepting carelessly spectacular stories of angels and demons. I think the deliverance of Peter and John proves my point exactly. The angel that was sent, did a good job of delivering them. He didn’t open the jail doors and then leave them handcuffed. I think if God is going to do something miraculous then what He does is going to be done thoroughly. That’s my logic. My logic is not "God will prevent all evil so that he won’t have to do any miracles." He allowed P&J’s imprisonment for the same reason that he allows people to become sick and then heal them later.
Logic doesn’t alway prove the point in a kingdom where you save your life by losing it and lose your life by trying to save it. Of course neither of us know what happened because we weren’t there, but I don’t have any issues with God using some supernatural means to scare away her attackers and leave the uncuffing to someone else for some other purpose I can’t see. I agree that sensationalizing a story is never helpful, but neither is discounting someone’s story on the basis of logic. I find it a far greater problem in our day that people don’t recognize God’s hand when it moves near them, rather than people who contrive stories to make something more spectacular than it is. But we may move in very different circles…
Wayne,
Ok I think you have a good point in saying that that was her ‘perception’ of it. But I think that speaks even more to the fact that we ought to think carefully about what others say. Far too often I see my fellow christians accepting carelessly spectacular stories of angels and demons. I think the deliverance of Peter and John proves my point exactly. The angel that was sent, did a good job of delivering them. He didn’t open the jail doors and then leave them handcuffed. I think if God is going to do something miraculous then what He does is going to be done thoroughly. That’s my logic. My logic is not "God will prevent all evil so that he won’t have to do any miracles." He allowed P&J’s imprisonment for the same reason that he allows people to become sick and then heal them later.
Logic doesn’t alway prove the point in a kingdom where you save your life by losing it and lose your life by trying to save it. Of course neither of us know what happened because we weren’t there, but I don’t have any issues with God using some supernatural means to scare away her attackers and leave the uncuffing to someone else for some other purpose I can’t see. I agree that sensationalizing a story is never helpful, but neither is discounting someone’s story on the basis of logic. I find it a far greater problem in our day that people don’t recognize God’s hand when it moves near them, rather than people who contrive stories to make something more spectacular than it is. But we may move in very different circles…