Man's death brings struggles
Siawi believers in Papua New Guinea are facing spiritual struggles.
Recently an Abau man died in rather suspicious circumstances and a meeting has been called to determine who killed him. According to their old world view, no one dies a natural death. It is always caused by either sorcery or poison. The Abaus have decided to hold the meeting in a Siawi village as it is a central location.
"This will be a major time of testing for the believers," wrote missionary Linda Krieg. "They know that meeting with unbelievers and trying to use the old ways to defeat sorcerers is sin. Also, they know that it is God who decides the time of our deaths, not Satan and his minions.
"[However,] from childhood they had it drummed into them that this was the only way to deal with sorcery. It will not be easy for them to turn their backs on the meeting, and they will take a lot of ridicule and threats, if they do so."
Linda has encouraged the believers to meet for prayer while the sorcery meeting is taking place hoping that the stronger believers will encourage and exhort their weaker brothers to stand strong in the Lord.
Okweb, Linda’s translation co-worker, asks that you pray for him. "My old nature pulls me to want my faith to be greater than anyone else’s," he said. "I want everyone else’s faith to be weaker. I know that isn’t what God wants me to feel, though. Please pray for me, that I won’t give in to that thinking."
Pray also that the Siawi believers will choose to resist the old nature that pulls at them to cling to their old world views.
Recently an Abau man died in rather suspicious circumstances and a meeting has been called to determine who killed him. According to their old world view, no one dies a natural death. It is always caused by either sorcery or poison. The Abaus have decided to hold the meeting in a Siawi village as it is a central location.
"This will be a major time of testing for the believers," wrote missionary Linda Krieg. "They know that meeting with unbelievers and trying to use the old ways to defeat sorcerers is sin. Also, they know that it is God who decides the time of our deaths, not Satan and his minions.
"[However,] from childhood they had it drummed into them that this was the only way to deal with sorcery. It will not be easy for them to turn their backs on the meeting, and they will take a lot of ridicule and threats, if they do so."
Linda has encouraged the believers to meet for prayer while the sorcery meeting is taking place hoping that the stronger believers will encourage and exhort their weaker brothers to stand strong in the Lord.
Okweb, Linda’s translation co-worker, asks that you pray for him. "My old nature pulls me to want my faith to be greater than anyone else’s," he said. "I want everyone else’s faith to be weaker. I know that isn’t what God wants me to feel, though. Please pray for me, that I won’t give in to that thinking."
Pray also that the Siawi believers will choose to resist the old nature that pulls at them to cling to their old world views.