Friday, March 30, 2012

Feeding Steaks to Babies

Well, with a nod to full disclosure...

A week or so ago I talked about wanting to plant a house church in the home of a lady we had recently led to the Lord.  The next time we visited here we found out that it would take time as she just has a very basic understanding of things and is very young. 

We visited her again a couple days ago.  When we walked in the door she and her mom announced that she wants to "leave Jesus."  Yowser!  Why??

The time before last when we visited we brought her a cd of worship songs in her language, along with a print-out of all the words.  We also printed out a very simple plan for having house worship.  Well, I guess it wasn't so simple.

This young lady felt overwhelmed.  Her comprehension of her own language is limited and her literacy is not too high.  She was afraid she couldn't learn it all and that when we visited her we would be disappointed in her and reprimand her.

Wow!  That was not what we intended!  What we thought was so simple was very intimidating to her and put pressure on her.  I felt guitly of trying to get a newborn baby to eat a steak.

I apologized to her.  And of course we told her that she has not to worry--that she can take "baby steps."  There is no need to try to learn all of that stuff over night.  She was encouraged by that, I think, and has decided not to "leave Jesus" just yet.

But there is more to the story...

I told her husband (who is much more capable and a leader in the family) that it would be best if he believed, too.  That way they can seek and worship the Lord together as husband and wife.  He agreed, but he said he has to fulfill a commitment first.  A commitment to what?  A commitment to the spirits.

This couple previously had two children. They were not babies, but in the 5-8 year old range.  Last year they both died from heart complications.  That is why they were first interested in Jesus.  It is also why the husband "borrowed" from the spirits in a ceremony--asking for the spirit's protection and that after a year's time, he would "pay back" the spirits with a huge sacrifice.  The time for that ceremony has not yet come.  But he says after he does that, then he will become a Christian.  He also assured me that he prays along with his wife before they eat dinner. 

So... I am not yet convinced that this family is "out of the woods" just yet.  There is a lot of spiritual darkness there.  The fight for their salvation is a spiritual battle.  I told them that God is higher than any spiritual being and that if we believe in him we must obey him.  But right now the wife is pregnant with another baby.  They don't want to mess things up.  But we must pray for them.  Pray that God reveals to them exactly what he wants them to do and that they obey him. 

Thank you for praying.

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