The Unseen Life, Part 2

​Acts 10: 9-23; Eph 6: 12-18; Col 2: 14-15; Ps 119: 66
 
In our world, ancient spiritistic rituals have their roots embedded deep within the cultures of numerous societies, well before the major religions arrived on the scene. The reality of these spiritual powers may seem rather innocuous to our western-oriented disposition, but the fact that ritualised transactional exchanges between man and the malignant spiritual world are a regular occurrence during times of political and economic upheavals, are indicative that the basis for these proceedings are real-world and result-oriented. Subsequent to the arrival of the major religions, the latter’s dogma and observations routinely form a veneer over the old beliefs and practices, resulting in a dual track, usually contradictory, faith systems. It is not unusual for a devout follower to claim that the old practices are forbidden, yet adhering to both sets of belief schemas when faced with personal and seasonal difficulties. These invisible entities are part of our world and some may even be active participants in our affairs, irrespective of our awareness of them. As spiritual beings, born-again Christians possess the innate capacity to distinguish between benign or evil entities; hence St John advised us to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). 
 
While overseas, at the height of the seasonal drought, the rain-making ritual was a norm. A twelve foot wooden boat (it can weigh over 80 kilogrammes or more) was suspended beneath the floor of a stilt home. An older lady was chanting while circumambulating the stationary boat. My companion explained that the medium was summoning the spirit, and when ‘he’ arrives, the heavy boat will begin to move from side to side on its own. My eyes were glued onto the medium, to eliminate the possibility of the boat being pushed. Within fifteen minutes, the vessel began to lightly swing, and a hushed expectancy descended on the crowd of onlookers.  
“What’s the old man doing, going around the boat in the opposite direction?” I asked. 
“What old man? I see only the old lady chanting,” my friend shot back. 
Silently, I prayed. The old man stopped, his eyes fixated on me, then he vanished. The boat’s movement eventually ceased. The onlookers were abruptly dismissed. 
 
Not so long ago, a young Indian neighbour, a new believer, said to me, 
“I’m seeing threatening demons outside my bedroom window every night. How can I stop them harassing me?” 
After clarifying certain elements of her sightings, I SMSed back,
“Give me sometime to wait on God.”
A couple of days later, while I was surfing the internet, suddenly, a small package wrapped in white paper appeared in front of me, on my desk, for a second or two. I immediately texted her, 
“Look out for a two-inch-by-two-inch bundle wrapped in white paper, somewhere in your home, and cautiously check what’s inside it.” 
A few weeks on, she found it, sandwiched among her deceased father’s old clothes in the storeroom. The talisman, carefully wrapped in white paper, belonged to her father. She prayed over it and discarded it. The demonic apparitions ceased.
 
While deep in thought over a friend who was in remission after a third bout of recurrent cancer treatment, a voice prompted, 
“How many more years would you want Me to give her?” 
“Surely it is not up to me to decide, Lord!” 
All quiet! As though He was waiting for my answer. Eventually, I settled on a number; that in all probability, would mean she could very well outlive me. Nevertheless, I remain curious as to God’s final decision over this beloved sister-in-Christ. 
 
The Lord is gracious and merciful, and His lovingkindness permeates His presence. Those whom He loves, He disciplines, and this would include testing the thoughts and intents of our hearts (i.e., our motivations), which we rarely fathom in the humdrum of a fast-paced world. His single purpose is to train us to be like Him in the few years of our existence here; to think, love and care as He does over His creation. This is always challenging!