"When you begin to think outside the box, you often become some other "leaders" lousy follower. That usually costs something" (Andy Rayner)

"Our guardian angels are bored." (Mike Foster)

It's where I feel I'm at these days. “In the second half of life, it is good just to be a part of the general dance. We do not have to stand out, make defining moves, or be better than anyone else on the dance floor. Life is more participatory than assertive, and there is no need for strong or further self-definition” (Falling Upward. Richard Rohr.120).

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Witch Doctor Bewitches No More

"One brother, Raden, shared his testimony. With a fiery look in his eye and an intense tone in his voice, he said, "Before I became a Christian, I was a fighter. I learned ninja, jujitsu, and a variety of other techniques for taking people down."
I nodded. I was making a mental note: Don't mess with Raden.
He continued, "One day I was sharing the gospel in an village with people who had never heard of Jesus.
I was in one house sharing Christ with a family, and the witch doctor from the village came to the house." Witch doctors and magic men are common in villages like these. They hold sway over entire communities with their curses and incantations.
"The witch doctor called me out," Raden said. "He wanted me to fight him." Raden smiled as he confessed, "My first thought was to walk out there and take the witch doctor down.
But when I turned to go outside, the Lord told me that I no longer need to do the fighting. God would do the fighting for me."
So Raden walked outside, pulled up a chair, and sat down in front of the witch doctor. He told his challenger, "I don't do the fighting. My God does the fighting for me."
Raden recounted what happened next. "As the witch doctor attempted to speak, he began to gasp for air. He was choking and couldn't breathe.
People came running to see what was wrong, and within a few minutes the witch doctor had fallen over dead." By now the entire village had crowded around the scene. Raden said, "I had never seen anything like this, and ! didn't know what to do.
But then I thought, I guess this is a good time to preach the gospel." Raden smiled and said, "So that's what ! did, and many people in that village trusted in Christ for the first time that day."
(radical, David Platt)


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