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[size=x-large]No More Devil Sticks![/size]
Simon lives in Burundi in eastern Africa. He met a witch doctor who convinced him that he could have great powers. Simon put away his Bible and followed the witch doctor. He pounded sticks into the ground around his house to protect his family from evil spirits.
About this time Simon's friend Samuel attended some evangelistic meetings held by Seventh-dayAdventists. He became convinced that he was hearing the truth and surrendered his life to Christ.
Samuel visited Simon and shared what he had learned at the meetings. He urged Simon to leave his witchcraft and follow Christ, but Simon refused. Samuel continued visiting his friend and sharing his faith. One day Samuel asked Simon, "What will be your future if you don't turn your life over to Christ?" Samuel's words pierced Simon's heart, but still he refused to leave his witchcraft.
On one visit Simon told Samuel that he must never eat sweet potatoes or peanuts that have been baked in a fire or he would die. Samuel answered, "I will eat those foods, and God will protect me." Samuel went home and prayed that God would protect him as he showed his friend that God was stronger than the spirits. Then he returned to Simon carrying the forbidden foods. He put the food into Simon's cooking fire. The men talked as the sweet potatoes and peanuts roasted. Then Samuel pulled them from the fire and ate them. He didn't die; he didn't even look sick. Samuel told his friend, "You have seen for yourself that God is more powerful than the devils in which you trust."
That night Simon couldn't sleep. He found the Bible he had discarded and opened it at random to Hosea 4:12. There he read, "They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God" (NIV). Simon trembled as he read God's words.
When Samuel returned, Simon told him, "I no longer trust in the sticks that surround my house. Please help me remove them." Samuel prayed, and the men removed the sticks. Then Simon accepted Samuel's invitation to worship with him on Sabbath. Simon and his wife attended the Adventist church that Sabbath and gave their hearts to God.
"We praise God for patiently calling us to follow Him," Simon says. "Now we invite others to come and learn this wonderful truth that Samuel shared with us."
By Permission of http://www.ssnet.org/
Simon lives in Burundi in eastern Africa. He met a witch doctor who convinced him that he could have great powers. Simon put away his Bible and followed the witch doctor. He pounded sticks into the ground around his house to protect his family from evil spirits.
About this time Simon's friend Samuel attended some evangelistic meetings held by Seventh-dayAdventists. He became convinced that he was hearing the truth and surrendered his life to Christ.
Samuel visited Simon and shared what he had learned at the meetings. He urged Simon to leave his witchcraft and follow Christ, but Simon refused. Samuel continued visiting his friend and sharing his faith. One day Samuel asked Simon, "What will be your future if you don't turn your life over to Christ?" Samuel's words pierced Simon's heart, but still he refused to leave his witchcraft.
On one visit Simon told Samuel that he must never eat sweet potatoes or peanuts that have been baked in a fire or he would die. Samuel answered, "I will eat those foods, and God will protect me." Samuel went home and prayed that God would protect him as he showed his friend that God was stronger than the spirits. Then he returned to Simon carrying the forbidden foods. He put the food into Simon's cooking fire. The men talked as the sweet potatoes and peanuts roasted. Then Samuel pulled them from the fire and ate them. He didn't die; he didn't even look sick. Samuel told his friend, "You have seen for yourself that God is more powerful than the devils in which you trust."
That night Simon couldn't sleep. He found the Bible he had discarded and opened it at random to Hosea 4:12. There he read, "They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God" (NIV). Simon trembled as he read God's words.
When Samuel returned, Simon told him, "I no longer trust in the sticks that surround my house. Please help me remove them." Samuel prayed, and the men removed the sticks. Then Simon accepted Samuel's invitation to worship with him on Sabbath. Simon and his wife attended the Adventist church that Sabbath and gave their hearts to God.
"We praise God for patiently calling us to follow Him," Simon says. "Now we invite others to come and learn this wonderful truth that Samuel shared with us."
By Permission of http://www.ssnet.org/
Ma Betty