One of the saddest things I've read lately:
Child Witches: Accused in the Name of Jesus
Christian Pastors in Congo Paid to Perform Violent Exorcisms; Children Banished From Homes, Abandoned by Families
"In a dirt-floored, back-alley church, 8-year-old Bobby and his 6-year-old brother Henock were made to kneel before a pastor wearing a white, flowing robe adorned with pictures of Jesus.
Looming over the boys, Pastor Moise Tshombe went into a trance, during which he claimed the Holy Spirit took over and the voice of God spoke through him. "I see that witchcraft is in these two," Tshombe said. "The threats inside of them are very strong." These young brothers were the latest victims in an epidemic of accusations of child witchcraft here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is raging in the name of Jesus. It continues seemingly unabated despite flags raised by organizations such as the United Nations, Save the Children and Human Rights Watch." http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7613395&page=1
Abandoned in the name of Jesus? I don't think so. This is another terrible example of evil running wild and conveniently dumping the blame on Christianity. Jesus loved the little ones and He has nothing to do with this brutality. He warned people to "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." Matthew 18:10-11
Several churches are trying to help in the Congo, and Pastor Muhasanya's Assemblies of God church in the Panzi suburb of Bukavu is one of them. I wish we could do so much more--and do it quickly. As a mother, I long to take all of these little ones away from the nightmare they're living and give them a home where they are loved.
The Congo is so very far away . . . .
posted by Jill Martin Rische at 6:33 PM
1 Comments:
Shocking. The misuse of Jesus' name?
{tongue firmly planted in cheek}
Bless them and all who have been abused and persecuted and martyred under the misuse of the name that is above all names. I suspect God will judge more harshly those who do such things...
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Let this be a lesson for us all. For even we who are known by the Lord of Glory misuse his name or display by our sinful behavior give the world the wrong impression about the genuine Jesus...
Oh God, forgive us! We are but beggars trying to show where we've found the Bread of Life. Anything more than that we trying to rob some of your glory for ourselves.
Micah 6:8
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
We are your unworthy servants, oh Master!
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