Just Jesus

     **Disclaimer: My heart is broken for a people that are missing the true gospel, bare with my ranting and raving**

     On Wednesday night I went on my first outing alone with the girls...to a church they wanted to visit, there is no better place to go, right? I write this with a heavy heart because I went to a so called gathering of believers and witnessed more darkness and lostness than I possibly ever have before. 


     For me...it's just Jesus. Not Jesus and casting out demons, or yelling out against evil spirits, or "healing" the lame with the touch of a sinful human's hand...just Jesus. My heart is so broken for not only a room of 200 people that are deceived into thinking that rituals and traditions are what it takes to get to Jesus and experience the joys of life in Him, but for 11 girls that I have come to know and love. I understand that their are cultural differences but this wasn't cultural, what was different was that they were missing the gospel. As the man they called a prophet began to lay his hand upon "demon possessed" people, and in the name of Jesus command these spirits to come out..I came to a startling realization. These people are participating in the same acts as witchcraft, just claiming Christ's name on the side of it. In America, it materialism and then let's just add a little of Jesus in here and there...here, it's witchcraft, with a little Jesus. How desperately these people need the gospel, simple as that. They are so convinced that all this hoopla is what it takes to be right before God. If they allow the "fire" or so the preacher said, to come upon them, they would be promoted in heaven. Oh, how contrary the Word of God really is.

 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." -Romans 3:21-24

     As the "healing" went on for a number of hours, I was brought to my knees of behalf of my precious girls that think that this is what it looks like to truly seek God. Many of the girls asked me if I was doing okay and thankfully the Holy Spirit put more than just a simple "Mmhmm" in my mouth! I was able to explain that I believe the Word of God teaches that once we truly put our faith in Christ, Satan no longer has a threshold on our lives, we are free from the devil's snare and cannot be possessed by demons. That yes, there is a spiritual battle going on all around us, but how do we flee from sin and temptation? The Word of God!..That is why He gave it to us in the first place, to know Him and make Him known. 

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." -Romans 8:2

     The girls and I discussed the night over devotion the next day and I wanted to make sure they understood that the same power that that man claimed to have, I have, living inside of me. I do not need a human to get to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is alive and active in the lives of those who believe. 

     God has totally revamped my view of what I am doing here..The biggest tragedy in this country is that their are churches and people that claim to know Christ on every corner. Christians around the world would look at Namibia and many other African countries and think that Christianity is thriving and believers are being trained in truth, but if churches and believers are classified as what I witnessed the other night, boy do we have a long way to go. The Johnson's are here because pastors, those in charge of leading a congregation and training them in the Word, don't even know the truth of the gospel themselves. Pray that this harvest field is not overlook because statistics show that a large number of people are dubbed Christian. Pray that those that do know the truth will not hide it under a bushel. And ultimately, have confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit that is truly active here.

Look at these faces, they will grow up confused on what is truth and what is not if we, the church, don't get out there and share the Word!