God’s Word vs. Animism
The missionaries studied the culture and language to the point of fluency. The missionaries can speak with authority regarding the Scriptures because portions of it have been translated into the people’s language. After all the pre-evangelism steps have been taken, it is time to begin teaching the chronological, foundational lessons that have been prepared for this time. This is the time that the truths of God’s Word will crash headlong into the decades of animism and traditional beliefs.
Is God Solar Power?
There is a people group hearing for the first time the truths about God, Satan, the angels, Creation, the Fall. Things we take for granted, dare I say?
One of the first weeks, the teaching included God making Adam and Eve, the two trees in the garden, Lucifer’s fall and the fall of man. The missionary was teaching on “Adam and Eve’s need to be connected to God. God is the One that gives life.
“To illustrate this he had a battery connected up to a solar panel. You might think that sounds a bit complicated for people who live so far from civilization, but believe it or not, there is a huge set of solar panels and a large set of batteries that [had been] installed here, so they understand well the concept of charging batteries with solar panels. Sure didn’t take long for them to understand that the solar panel represented God and the battery represented Adam and Eve.”
“God Is Stronger.”
“It’s been fun to hear their comments as we see the light bulbs turning on in their minds,” the missionary said. “[One man] was recounting how before his family went to sleep one night, he said, for all his family to hear, ‘Satan, you aren’t as strong as God. God is stronger.’”
After teaching on the plagues in Egypt, the missionary said, “Who’s stronger? Yahweh or the spirits?” And the resident witchdoctor, who continues to be interested, declared, “Yahweh. Not the spirits.”
Pray for missionaries scattered around the world as they present these Bible lessons to people groups hearing truth for the first time. Pray that God’s Word would penetrate deeply into their hearts, bringing them to their Saviour.
