Burning the Kris

“For in that day every man will cast away his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made as a sin.” Isaiah 31:7, NAS.

After becoming followers of Isa (the Arabic name of Jesus) LeAnn and Mark decided to burn all the charms and Arabic wall hangings that they once trusted for protection from evil spirits. LeAnn’s father had given them a traditional Javanese blade called a Kris to be destroyed at the same time, but the fire they used to destroy the items from their home was not hot enough to destroy the blade. So, they decided to take it back home and destroy it later.

On the bus going home many things started going wrong. Every half hour the tires on the bus went flat. Another time a small fire broke out on the bus. The passengers on the bus were getting mad at the driver. LeAnn realized that the Kris she was carrying had spiritual bonds to her father and that spiritual warfare might be causing these problems.

LeAnn stood up and asked for everyone’s attention. She said, “We need to pray to God about these problems. I have Isa in my life, and if I die I’m not afraid; how about you?” After LeAnn spoke, everyone on the bus prayed. The rest of the ride went by without any other difficulty. Many of the passengers came up to LeAnn after the bus ride and wanted to know more about what she meant by having Isa in her life.

Mark and LeAnn destroyed the blade in their village and continue to experience God’s blessing and peace over their family. Several people from the village have witnessed the changes in their home and have listened to Mark and LeAnn’s testimonies. A few people have decided to follow Isa as a result of their witness.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

New followers of Isa will forsake all attachments to the occult and trust in God alone.

Believers will have wisdom and boldness in proclaiming the Gospel in Sumatra.

Many people in Sumatra will hear about and be drawn to a faith relationship with Isa.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.