Part 8: Married to Christ

By Andrew McChesney

A week after giving his heart to Jesus, Father started to clear out the temple in Manaus, Brazil. He gathered the images and the stone altars where he had sacrificed animals and bowed to evil spirits. At the spirits’ request, Father shipped the temple paraphernalia to two women in another town.

He finished the task on a Friday. As he got into his car, evil spirits growled that they were going to kill him. Suddenly, a dark shadow shaped like a man and comprised of three spirits entered the car. The spirits showed Father a distant light. Out of the light loomed a cross, filled with mud. The spirits sneered that it was the end for Father. “As a dead man, can I make a last statement?” Father asked. Without waiting for a reply, he said, “Jesus, please sit beside me in the car and take me home.” The dark shadow vanished. It was the first time that Father had called on Jesus, and he felt protected.

The next morning, Father attended Sabbath worship services for the first time. It was a Communion Sabbath, and he sensed a supernatural energy similar to what he had experienced at Junior’s baptism. As someone washed his feet, Father’s sins passed before his eyes. Tears flowed as he asked God for forgiveness. He felt like the Holy Spirit was washing him clean.

A short time later, Father proposed to Mother, and they officially got married. Mother was especially happy. Now she could be baptized.

The day before her baptism, Father and Junior went to Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Community Church to listen as Mother rehearsed with a choir. A ladder, which was being used to decorate the church, suddenly toppled over, and the man standing on it slammed into Father, knocking him to the floor.

Father offered assurances that he was fine but, a moment later, began to shriek. Two evil spirits had possessed him

Junior ran to Father. He lay on the ground, his body quivering. A spirit snarled through his mouth that he had wanted to kill Father with the ladder.

Junior had heard about the great controversy between Christ and Satan, but he had never witnessed it in real life. He prayed. The choir spontaneously sang, “Jesus Christ, You are the Bridegroom, the Sower, my Father and my Shepherd, the Pearl of Great Price. Christ, You are everything.”

Mother grabbed Father’s twisted hands and tried to straighten them. They felt terribly cold. A spirit spewed hatred at her.

Then Father spoke in a small and distant voice. “It hurts,” he said.

After about an hour of praying and singing, Father returned to normal.

Although in pain, Father joined Junior at church for Mother’s baptism on Sabbath morning. With joy, Mother sank into the water.

Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open eight churches in the South American Division, including four in Brazil, where Father (Eduardo Ferreira dos Santos) and his family live.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

Amen!(2)

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Further Thought:

Read Ellen G. White, “In the Days of Queen Esther,” Pages 598-606, in Prophets and Kings.

“Has not God said He would give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

And is not this Spirit a real, true actual guide? Some men seem afraid to take God at His word, as though it would be presumption in them. They pray for the Lord to teach us and yet are afraid to credit the pledged word of God and believe we have been taught of Him. So long as we come to our heavenly Father humbly and with a spirit to be taught, willing and anxious to learn, why should we doubt God’s fulfillment of His own promise? You must not for a moment doubt Him and dishonor Him thereby. When you have sought to know His will, your part in the operation with God is to believe that you will be led and guided and blessed in the doing of His will. We may mistrust ourselves lest we misinterpret His teachings, but make even this a subject of prayer, and trust Him, still trust Him to the uttermost, that His Holy Spirit will lead you to interpret aright His plans and the working of His providence.” — Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, p. 225.

“Faith grows strong by coming in conflict with doubts and opposing influences. The experience gained in these trials is of more value than the most costly jewels.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 555.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

Amen!(2)

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