The crusade ended last Sunday and I feel like I have been able to gather my thoughts, somehow, on what I’ve experienced through it. I have to admit that my own views and experience are really nothing compared to the greatness of God and the spiritual battle that is in this world, but thanks to God for the victory in Christ that though I may not fully understand, never will I have to fear!
In issues like this i believe people just easily write off things they don’t understand based out of fear or an unwillingness to seek things out on their own, instead of keeping an open mind. It saddens me when people do that and it’s unwise; for who can say that God cannot work in one way but can in another; He is God and I am not. THough I must admit that spiritual warfare has shown its face a lot more here in Africa in tangible ways. The issues of witchcraft in our village, exorcisms at the crusade, and even the religiosity we have had between the rigid Roman Catholic church. In one of my house visits yesterday, I told a lady who went there I wanted to just encourage and pray for her, and she said as a Christian I am not welcome too because she is Roman Catholic, and of a different religion. But that’s just another way Satan has us; religiosity and disunity among denominations that overshadow the need of the Cross of Christ and God’s love for us all.
I believe in the West Satan doesn’t have to work as hard with us when it comes to demons because we are too enslaved to wealth, comfort, and materliasm when we let it become our “right” instead of a blessing to bless others. There are few places back at home that demonic things happen, not that they aren’t there as much as we just don’t open our eyes to it or try to avoid the inevitable.
Here in Africa, everything becomes very spiritual; so the manifestations of this spiritual warfare become a lot more transparent. Meaning many who get sick will see a witchdoctor, even professing Christians. Grandparents or parents will even put hexes and curses on children in the family and give them charms where demons will come and reside. Charity on our team had to speak harsh truth to one lady and take the necklace off a child from a witchdoctor. A lady who helps the World Racers at our home, a dear friend of ours, has a small rectangle scar on her forehead. When she was a baby the family thought she had a demon and they took an iron bar and stuck it in a fire till it was hot, and then pressed it on her forehead as a baby to “burn the demon out”. This stuff is real, and this mishandling of Truth is even more serious.
I cannot understand Swahili completely, so I don’t fully know what all is said at the crusade, but when I start to hear people screaming and who once was normally standing begin to shake violently in life threatening ways throwing fits of rage in ways it seems they themselves can’t control then it’s something more than fake. I’ve seen them get rushed to the small blue demonic tent (or “freedom” tent) carried by four or five people, and few minutes later a guy rushed busted out and literally started flipping head over heals many times with looks of convulsion and naturally demonic; I don’t believe he would of done this on his own if he tried. Then the “freedom people” rush out to embrace him and take him back in. There are some things that look to real to me to be some type of drama or show. The most dramatic things I’ve known is when people near the stage start screaming they shove a mic in their mouth so the whole world can hear the terror shriek; something I believe is inappropriate and as a nonbeliever would turn me away.
It has been so sad and heartbreaking, the reality of this. That a lot of these people, tons each night at the crusade are shown to be possessed; mostly by witchcraft, and there’s no doubt that it saddens our God. Many claim Jesus as their Lord, but still hang on to those things out of culture and superstition in terms of witchcraft; Christ has set us free!! I have stood in this tent for four nights and watched as literally twenty people demonic possessed scream horrible things to those praying for them, shake violently, hit others, drool, eyes almost completely white and others hold them down and pray most of the times screaming back their prayers. I believe you have to embrace someone like that and keep them from hurting themselves or others, and it’s better to deal with it in a tent rather than in the middle of a crowd. The hard part for the Racers to see has been the lack of love and gentleness.
Now the Bible speaks so much about Jesus and the disciples casting out demons, so we can never say it doesn’t happen or isn’t real as a believer or you’re losing that battle. But it never speaks of how they do so, so we are all left to various interpretations of the right way and wish the Bible had it more clear on the process. How did they do it? How did the person with the demon act before and after? What was said to them? Only one instance did Jesus say, “This one would only come out by prayer and fasting.” But, he didn’t say it was the only way, and when there is no wisdom sought on our part for this type of ministry, then fear of it or abuse (the two extremes) can be done. But, I have seen a child stand still as a parent brings them to a “minister” and then he just grabs the child’s head with force. I’ve seen those who are “praying” shout violently to them, hit them on the head, grab them, and pull them. I have seen on many occasions the men grab women in inappropriate ways that are definitely not done out of love or even close to biblical ways.
I’ve become more compassionate over that than the demon or curse in the person. I will just stand there in the tent and continually pray that Truth is really being done and spoken in that moment where it’s so loud. I pray for the person who is possessed as a kneel beside them surrounded by others screaming at them, and pray. Once it’s done the person looks like they just woke up from a long sleep half aware of what’s around like something really did come out of them. They take them out of the tent and usually no one is there to console them but I’ve just had to come out and shake hands, give a smile, offer hugs; some type of love after all of that believing Jesus would do the same.
Words can’t describe the tent experience during the crusade, it’s more than anything I’ve experienced before when it comes to the spiritual warfare and demonic. It can sound scary but I also know amidst the things that are happening, things I don’t fully understand or agree, Jesus is still freeing people and is still King! And even if I don’t understand it, the greatest mistake I can do and many of us do a lot is just write it off (ex. spiritual gifts of tongues or issue of election) because it’s easier to do that then keep the open mind and realize God is way bigger than my “box” or expectations. God isn’t logical, and neither was all of this. He is Spirit and Omniscient; that’s humbling and realizing my place compared to Him is truly the wisest thing of all.
