Known Power Base

“And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, NASB.

Any spiritually sensitive visitor to Bali, Indonesia will immediately sense the dark powers flowing underneath the surface of a beautiful exterior, like a rip tide of the soul constantly threatening to pull you out to sea and drag you under its oppressive weight; drowning you in its deepness. The people of Bali are primarily Hindu. They are polite and anxious to please, but they generally maintain an emotional distance.

William* was a devoted follower of Jesus, and when he moved to Bali he shared his faith with every Balinese that would listen. While many people listened politely, few showed any responsiveness. Ray came from the second highest caste on the island. When he heard William, God convicted him deeply, and he accepted the Gospel.

William poured a lot of time into discipling Ray. He taught Ray how to witness and was amazed at the responsiveness that people showed to Ray when he shared the Gospel. “I don’t understand, Ray,” said William. “I’ve witnessed to many of the same people as many as twenty times, and you say the same thing and they are all ears. Why is that?”

Ray flashed the famous Balinese smile and said, “Sir, they don’t know your power base. All Balinese believe that if you are not from Bali you really aren’t fully human, no offense. We also believe that every person works from a spiritual base of power. Some bases of power are stronger, and some weaker. Some power bases work for some and not for others. As an outsider they don’t understand your power so they fear it. Since I am Balinese they know the various power bases that I am from. When I share that Jesus is more powerful than any other spirit and my wife doesn’t go insane and my children aren’t killed, then they know that the new power base might work for them too.”

The two main points of the Gospel that Ray and William share with the Balinese are the peace that Jesus gives in all circumstances and the assurance of heaven. Balinese are very anxious about spiritual oppression and attack, and the idea of peace is attractive. Balinese believe in reincarnation, so the promise of heaven is attractive. But in the end it is a question of power. The Balinese know that the evil spirits have power, but they don’t know about Jesus.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

Balinese believers like Ray will display the power and glory of Christ in their lives so that other Balinese can hear and respond to the Gospel.

The power of Jesus will be displayed so that Balinese will understand the superiority of Jesus over the spirits that they greatly fear.

A rapidly reproducing Balinese church will be established before the end of 2008.

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