You’re Calling on the wrong God
PC: @brewbottle
“Dad,” she said, “God doesn’t like what you’re doing. God has a different view on what you’re doing. You’re calling on the wrong god.”
These words from the daughter of a Tagbanwa witch doctor had a lasting effect on her father. Today Ugyo has renounced appeasing the spirits to follow the one true God. To hear more about the Epic story of the Tagbanwa click here:
It’s worth the read. If you are looking for something even more detailed, this story reminds me of another story of a witch doctor that I read about in a book titled “Spirit of the Rainforest.” This is one of the best books I have ever read and the last person I recommended it to said it was the best book they ever read. It is very brutal, so be ready if you decide to pick it up. We see this true story through the eyes of a Yanomamo shaman named Jungleman as he sits on the sidelines until he finally realizes, like Ugyo, that he was calling on the wrong God’s all along. Here is a link to the book:
“You’re calling on the wrong gods.” This phrase sticks out to me because of how INSANE it is that God can make yesterday’s shaman today’s evangelist. It also strikes a chord with me because I see how unfaithful my heart is prone to be. I naturally think of myself at least a few steps above a tribal shaman, but I also ,at times, call on the wrong god. As Isreal constantly traded the one true God for other Gods like Baal and Molech, I am motivated by my sin nature to swap the one true God with things like pleasure, entertainment, fun, and glory. The tribal witch doctor has no access to God’s word, and even though I do have access I still call on the wrong Gods for my fulfillment.
While my replacement god’s may not be dead ancestors, trees, or impersonal forces, they accomplish the same goal in taking me away from the one true God. It’s humbling to realize that I am not actually inherently better than Jungleman, Ugyo, or other tribal shamans.
In spite of our propensity to falter, I stand arm in arm with Jungleman and Ugyo as we daily follow the one true God instead of the kowanage, yadowaine, the god of the trees, pride, ease, or any others gods. It is this same miracle that I anticipate greatly as I look towards Papua New Guinea where you and I play a major role in seeing shamans turn into disciples.
And now a visual look into what’s been going on in the day to day
From plowing snow to repairing bridges, I’ve just been working hard to make sure missionaries can be trained! Speaking of which, my girlfriend Jess is finishing the missionary training in April! I will keep you updated as we look towards heading to Papua New Guinea. I would love prayer for what that timeline looks like in the near future! Thank you so much for your abundant generosity, your faithful prayers, and your passion for seeing tribes reached. See you next time!
Side note: ethnos360 is developing resources for children to be involved in missions. Some of their first stuff can be found in the link below. If you want your young children to be better worldwide followers of Jesus I suggest checking it out.
Prayer and praise
I would love prayer for my walk with the Lord. Like I said above, my flesh is always eager to replace the one true God with something else and I need a constant reorientation of my heart.
I would still love prayer for a close friend of mine with whom I am still seeking reconciliation. I am still waiting on my friend Emily to be able to visit the friend with whom I am seeking reconciliation and I pray that the Lord will work through her to provide a way forward.
Praise the Lord for opportunities I have to teach and to share one on one with the guys from the basketball ministry. Please pray for more of this!
I seriously want to praise the Lord again for how radically he is providing through you guys. I am humbled that the Lord would deem me worthy to pour out his storehouses upon.
Me and Jess would love prayer for our relationship as we consider each step we take towards each other and towards Papua New Guinea. We would especially love prayer as we seek direction after Jess’s graduation.