Spiritual Encounters

by Richard Chowning

Introduction

In Kenya, a family was avoided because their hands and feet were eaten by mites. The villagers believed the family was cursed. Cursed, because the old woman's father killed his wife.

In another village, neighbors believed a fellow villager had no hope for the future. He had not been obedient and respectful to his aged father. The father had been dead a year. The son had seen his inheritance shrink to a scrap. The villagers knew the son would pay for his sin the rest of his life.

A few miles away, a family had come home from a journey to find thorns scattered before the door of their house and separate kitchen hut. They did not enter either house for two weeks. A neighbor had cursed the family because of a disagreement over land rights. The family believed they would die if they stepped past the thorns.

These are experiences of the Kipsigis people of southwest Kenya. The Kipsigis attribute all these situations to the work of the evil spirits of dead. They are opportunities for an encounter between God and evil. God can help the human race overcome such fears.

Africans have a strong belief in the unseen. Trees are the home of the hornbill, a swarm of bees and lichen. When lightning strikes the tree is the home of "the evil animal." No one touches it.

A Child Killed by Bees

A child was killed by bees. Her father had always been a respected elder. The community searched for the reason for the extraordinary death. The villagers remembered that when the old man was still in his teens he had taken a wife and quickly cast her off without any land. He was punished by the bees. Christian missions in third-world countries must face situations like these with the bold message that Jesus can help. National evangelists must be brave before such evil.

Jesus Can Help

A year ago three Kipsigis evangelists showed a community Jesus can help. They were visiting a man in a neighboring village. The man told them, "there is a family in this village who has not entered their hut for the past two weeks."

"Why?" The evangelists set their enameled tea cups on the table.

"Two weeks ago the family came home from a journey.

They found thorns scattered in front of the door. Even the cooking hut had thorns in front of it."

The evangelists gasped. "Who would curse them?"

"They are not sure."

"We must free this man's hut from the spirits. God has the power to chase these spirits away." The group walked up the hill to the cursed hut. Neighbors watched from behind shrubs and trees. The owner of the house was weeding some corn with a hand hoe.

"We have come to free you to enter your hut, if you will give us permission," the evangelists announced after greetings.

"I do not refuse. I am a poor man. I cannot afford to build a new hut.

But I am tired of staying with other people. I have possessions in that hut."

The evangelists walked to the door. They sang praises to God praising his power. Then they asked the Almighty to show his power. They prayed for the house to be made safe for the family. After prayer, one of the evangelists squatted and brushed away the thorns. The evangelist then opened the door and entered. Once inside he invited the others to follow. The man, his wife and mother all walked inside their hut for the first time in two weeks. They sang songs of joy.

"Let's go to the cooking hut." The evangelists and family repeated the songs and prayers. After they entered the cooking hut the grandmother pointed her lips to the main hut. "Go back over to the hut and I'll brew some tea in celebration. I have not cooked here for some time."

It was a happy day for the family. For the evangelists, it was another day to see God's power defeat the ancestors. The neighbors were impressed with the bravery of the evangelists.

That was not all. The following Sunday the husband, wife and mother were all baptized into Christ. The victory was complete.

Such victories are important to the growth of the church in the Third World. Jesus must be trusted as superior to all the forces in the tribesmen's lives. When they are bound, Jesus must be able to deliver them.

Records in the Book of Acts

The book of Acts records one after another of such power encounters. When Christians dispersed from Jerusalem, Philip traveled to Samaria. There he encountered Simon the sorcerer. This powerful man watched and listened to the evangelist as he demonstrated Christ's power. Simon realized his power could not be compared to that of the evangelists. The sorcerer gave up his ways. He became a follower of the Son of the Almighty. Soon after Paul was sent out by the Antioch brethren he encountered a diviner, Elymas or Bar-Jesus. Bar-Jesus was a counselor to the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus. Bar-Jesus attempted to prevent the proconsul from believing in Jesus. Paul struck him blind.

When a young girl diviner pestered Paul and Silas, Paul cast the spirit of fortune telling out of her.

The stories of these encounters, and more, spread abroad. The preachers of the word were seen as powerful people. First century Palestinians believed in powers of the unseen realm. They were troubled by the evil spirits. Christ, through his evangelists, demonstrated that He was the ultimate loving power.

This is not the work of evangelists of little faith. Third-world evangelists will not enter into such encounters if they have any doubt about their faith. They believe they encounter real spirits. These spirits have the power to destroy them and their families. Evangelists who stand before these spirits know the power of God. They are convinced that Jehovah is the Almighty. Evangelists who enter into such encounters in jest or without strong faith would be putting themselves in jeopardy of being devastated like the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16). They see themselves as encountering real powers, powers that can strike down the weak or the opportunists. These encounters do not just convince the non-believers of the power of Christ. The encounters establish a heritage for the body of believers. This heritage is a strength in times of temptation and weakness.

Lessons that Can Be Learned

When weak brethren encounter sickness, family conflicts, famine, traditional rites or other problems they are tempted to appease tribal powers. Most who fall do so during times of appeasement. They have not seen or been convinced that Jesus is the most powerful. They are not persuaded that Jesus can help them with their problems.

Power encounters create a heritage that Christians look to for hope. The stories of those who have overcome should illustrate many of the lessons given before the saints.

This heritage of victorious encounters gives the church the image of concern and love for those who are hurting.

An Arokiyet Family

A family in Arokiyet village of Kipsigis had a severe attack from jiggers. Dozens of the little insects had burrowed into the hands and feet of the mother and two teenage children. Their relatives and neighbors would not help them. Their calamity was attributed to the sin of a great grand- father. He died many years ago. The old man, it was believed, had killed his wife. The punishment of that sin had now fallen on his descendants.

The Christians at Arokiyet wanted to show this family the love and power of Christ. They donated their time and money. They tore down the family's insect infested old house and constructed a new one. They arranged for the family to be taken to the hospital. These deeds showed the village the Christians were not afraid of the ancestors. They proclaimed Christ's loving power.

The mother and children are at home now. Many from the community know the church did what needed to be done. They saw the church loving with power. Many are becoming followers of Christ.

A Tarakwa Family

Love, powerful love, binds a congregation together. At Tarakwa the husband of one of the Christian women died. Kipsigis tradition isolates a grieving family. The family could not expect anyone to come to comfort them nor help them through the difficult time immediately after the death. Villagers are afraid the spirits of the dead are close to the house and can rain down evil on anyone near. So they stay away. The church at Tarakwa decided to help. The visited the family. Their help included singing songs of praise to God. They comforted the family with prayers for God's help. The Christians dug the grave, lowered the body in it and covered it. When the last handful of dirt was tossed on the grave, rain fell. Rain is a blessing. The community saw this fearless love. They saw God's blessing. The congregation grew. These new Christians knew that in their time of need they could count on their brothers and sisters for help.

Reports from Allen R. Tippett

Allen R. Tippett reported encounters of loving power as a major factor in the growth of Christianity in the Solomon Islands. "... there were dangers, losses, failures, jealousies, hostile magic and other disruptive factors, which had to be prevented or countered. These resulted from anger, jealousy or offense, either of the spirits themselves or of some vindictive persons who stimulated them. This manna of hostility had to be appeased or turned aside or driven away or overcome by a more powerful manna. It was a world of continual encounter, and a gospel of encounter between Christ and Satan was quite meaningful to these people." (Tippett 1967:6) Such encounters were meaningful to those coming to Christ in the first century (cf. Acts 8:13; 13:12). Jesus sent His disciples out with words and demonstrations (Luke 10:19).

Conclusion

These loving encounters of power are not at their best when staged. They should be the natural response to immediate needs. The impact is greatest when the need is the greatest. The church must be ready to show its love with power.

There are some guidelines that will prepare the church to take up the challenge.

The encounters recorded in the scriptures should be recounted often. The Old Testament stories of confrontation with Baal and the Philistines should become the familiar folklore of the new congregation. Jesus' victories over sickness and the grave should be repeated regularly. And the works of the Apostles in Acts should be known by all. The Holy Spirit of God must be seen as a driving force that strikes down Satan and evil in many real circumstances.

The contemporary church's heritage of encounter should be proclaimed in the pulpits and corn patches. The victories over the ancestors need to be common knowledge. Preachers need to make sure the congregations believe that God is working among them, today. God can solve their problems. He has already shown His power to their fellow tribesmen.

When the encounters are recounted the congregations should be told that the brave evangelists are still fertile and their crops plentiful. They have not been cursed by the confrontation with evil.

Lastly, the church needs to be aware where their love can be demonstrated with power. Where does evil spring up? Every culture has its own fountains of evil. They are usually common circumstances such as birth, death, sickness and rites of passage. There are also the extremes of defilement, curse and oath. The calamities of drought, flood, disease and disaster need loving power. Individual cases of family disputes and poverty are occasions for power - the real, loving power of Christ.

Christ is the answer. He is the answer to peoples' basic and pressing problems. Third-world people have a need to defeat evil. Christ must be seen as victor over evil.