Last weekend, we visited the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, more commonly known as the Killing Fields. In the late 1970's, the people of Cambodia suffered unspeakable cruelty and evil, and millions were killed at the hands of a governmental regime.
But that's not what this blog is about.
If you would like more information on the genocide, visit this website.
"To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." (1 Cor. 12:8-10 NIV)
I have the spiritual gift of discernment, which, according to theresurgence.com, is "the ability to quickly perceive whether such things as people, events, or beliefs are from God or Satan."
For me, I can feel the spiritual atmosphere around me, and identify what kind of spirit it is. Places that are so dark, like the Killing Fields, can be especially difficult. I can feel the evil that has manifested there, as a tangible thing. If I am not careful, those spirits can sort of stick to me. If a spirit of depression or hopelessness is around, I can take on those feelings, and it's often hard to recover from.
After touring the Killing Fields, listening to the audio of survivors stories, and seeing the mass graves, piles of clothes, and bones that have been recovered, we gathered as a team before leaving.
My teammate, Rachel, asked me, "Jen, how are you feeling?"
"I'm actually alright. Which is surprising. A few months ago, I would not have been able to do that and feel okay afterward."
I have been learning how to harness this gift, use it to call out the spirits in Jesus' name, and to learn how to protect myself in the process.
Before we arrived at the center, I prayed over our team in our tuk tuk. I prayed that we would hear the stories and become educated, but that we would not forget that the Lord prevails. That we would not let the evil in front of us overshadow the Light. That we would take in these stories, and use them to better understand the Cambodian people that we have come to love, but that we would not take in anything not of the Lord.
Because I put on my armor of prayer before, I allowed myself to do all of those things. I was able to experience and become educated, but not fall too far into the darkness. When we experience evil or pain, it is easy to focus on that, and to forget that our God is greater than anything the enemy does. It is easy to fall into the pain, and to ask God, "Where were You? Where ARE You???"
But, I am learning that what Satan intends for evil, God uses for good. Just look at the cross. Satan thought that he won by killing Jesus. And God used it for the redemption of mankind. BOOM.
Please pray for me, Josh, and the rest of our squad as we transition to Africa next month. I will need to be especially vigilant, as Satan has had the continent in a stronghold for a long time.
As we hold and minister to orphans, widows, victims of poverty and trafficking, and people ravaged by HIV, it will be easy for us to forget that God is good. He is so, so good. Need proof? Check this out. Can you imagine what this means for Africa? I'm pumped.
The darkness can't hide in the Light. 🙂
