Oct 10 2005
In His Power
During my travels around the world, I have encountered an array of religions from Christianity, Catholicism, and Buddhism to even Voodooism, recognized as an official religion in Haiti in 2003.
Voodoo is a complex theology that includes a system of spirits dominated by one all-powerful god. Within this religion, there are vodoun priests—individuals who have found favor with the “loa,” or less powerful deities and spirits. These priests have supposedly acquired a special knowledge.
While visiting one of our hospitals in Haiti, a vodoun priest arrived demanding we release one of the patients to his care. This patient from his village was desperately ill. During her stay in the hospital, she renounced voodooism and gave her life to Christ. Unfortunately, the woman was later released to the care of this vodoun priest and died. Her death had a profound affect upon the vodoun priest, because this woman was his mother.
The power this vodoun priest had was suddenly broken when he failed to save his own mother. There is much power in the religion of Christianity as well. However, this power, from Jesus Christ, is available to all who believe in Him; not just select people with special knowledge. In John 14:12, Jesus says:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
With the power of Christ within us, we can heal the sick, see the lame walk, help blinded eyes to see and even cast out demons in the name of our Lord and Savior.
The vodoun priest’s power was stripped away and he now just sits in his house powerless and clueless to the awesome power of God. However, the power of God can be seen is his village, which has been set free in the name of Jesus. There is now a school, feeding center and a well with clean water. Those who drink the life-giving water of Christ shall never be thirsty again.