For We Wrestle Not. . . . part II

This week we were in a small village called Buakjan (sp?). We joined the rest of the group there and would go out daily to minister to surrounding villages. We met many people and treated many diseases, but the one case that has changed my life the most was this lady in the picture. She came to us first with complaints of numb hands and painful arms. She said that a few years ago she had woke up in the night with horrible pain. (the translator said tendon pain, but it was more like nerve pain.) She would now have intense pain when she got startled, and her hands were frequently numb. We checked her blood pressure, which was a bit high.


We proceeded to give her hands and arms a massage as the Thai girls chatted with her. The more they talked to her, the more we realized that this was not an ordinary nerve problem. This woman was a spirit worshiper, but not only a worshiper, she was a spirit medium. As they talked to her, she would say how the spirits would hurt her sometimes, but then would praise the spirits and say how great they were. One spirit told her that they live in Heaven, so that is what she believes. Come to find out, she had been involved in spirit worship since the age of 13. Then she became "Christian" (Catholic). Later she married a man who worshiped spirits and she then became a spirit medium. Pi Mam, one of the Thai girls, told her that our God could heal her, but that she had to commit to Him and pray to Him.

As I sat there massaging her, I could see the battle going on for her soul! Her eyes would soften as she heard about the Lord, but then she would stiffen up and start praising the spirits again. She wouldn't let us cut the spirit strings off her arms. We had prayer with her, realizing our helplessness in this situation! We could do no more. She wouldn't give up her spirits!


As we were walking away, Melissa wanted to take a video of her, so we went back and talked to her some more. We prayed with her again and sang "What a Friend we have in Jesus"and left. This was a very emotional time for some of us, seeing the battle for her life. I was so sad as we departed because I felt we were leaving her forever! I just kept praying that God would work on her heart, and not let the Devil win this battle!

THE END. . . . I thought! Sabbath, part of the group went back to that village to do church service and check on some of the people we had visited. This lady came to one of the meetings and they were able to study the Bible with her! It excited my heart to hear how the Holy Spirit kept working on this lady! They proceeded to study with her about what spiritualism really is! No obvious decision was made up front, but just the fact that she was happy to come to a place where the Lord's name was praised says a lot.

This story is the most apparent demonstration of the Great Controversy that I have ever witnessed with my own eyes! There is a battle going on for YOU and ME. It is usually more discrete in Western Cultures, but does that mean that it isn't happening? No way! It is happening all around us! Will we surrender to the Lord? If it is not His Holy Spirit that is with us, then it is the evil spirit. Praise the Lord that He does not give us up to the Devil without a huge battle for our lives! He will continue to fight until WE have closed our hearts to Him. The Great Controversy is quickly coming to a close. The decision is up to you.