Take this One

The Muko Muko man in this photo joked with the visiting worker asking, “Do you want to take this one to the United States with you?” This is a fairly common jest on Sumatra. Unfortunately, to the small child this jest is often taken in earnest and many times the child bursts into tears at the terrifying thought of being torn from family and home and sent off with some scary stranger. Normally the child’s tears only cause the adult to laugh harder.

The terror of this young child is akin to the terror that many Sumatrans feel when they first hear the Gospel. The suggestion that they leave their religious beliefs in order to receive the forgiveness of sins found only in the atoning work of Jesus is terrifying to them. They consider the probable rejection of family and community and it is too much. Even their cultural identity is tied up with their religion. It’s no joking matter to consider diverging from the religious norms.

In the midst of this awkward spiritual bondage Satan laughs because he knows that he’s effectively using the strongest human relationships created by God in order to prevent people from seriously considering the Gospel that is mandated by God. He laughs as thousands of Sumatrans pass into eternity every year with no good answer to the problem of their sins. He chuckles as people freeze up and reject the great salvation that God offers to them in love. He rolls on the ground with mirth as people here are beaten and rejected for the sake of following Christ, because the people who are beating and rejecting the new believers are absolutely convinced that they are serving God.

It’s difficult for us coming from a Western mindset to even comprehend the spiritual and cultural barriers that people here have to face in order to receive Jesus as their personal Savior.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to overcome the terror placed in the hearts of Sumatrans by Satan that keeps them from even considering the Gospel.

Pray for workers to have compassion for the lost and power to defeat the terrible foe of mankind.

Pray for new believers here to be filled with heaven’s power to face persecution, beatings, and rejection for the sake of Christ. He is worthy even of these sacrifices.

Pray for family and friends being used as tools of the evil one to realize the truth and see the dark power behind what they are doing.

Pray for the Light of the World to reveal the schemes of darkness and to set the captives free on Sumatra.