Guatemala
a time of sharpening the Sword,
by Johannes Wagner
We have been prepared to be prepared... Prepared for Guatemala prior to going there and prepared in Guatemala for the rest of the journey...
If we went nowhere except Guatemala, our lives would still have been changed!
We had an ACTIONpacked, ADRENALINEpumped, HEAVYduty, HIGHimpact time in Guatemala.
Our viewpoints were challenged, our perspectives broadened, our insight deepened, our capacity expanded, our lives were altered. We received Word, Truth and authority – we had an encounter with our King, an appointment for an anointment.
It started kind of slow... The first night the team settled in whilst me and Marisa went to a Spanish prayer meeting. The next evening we had a house church meeting with two of the families. We were quickly introduced to the reality of the occult. Our friend Marvin testified how he was induced to witchcraft and became heavily involved in that kind of stuff. He shared how he got delivered and is now a radical devotional follower of Christ – really awesome lifesong.
There were a few things that happened in Panajachel, the little town we were staying:
A. We had three projects in which we did some physical labour, serving the local church Mi-Reto
B. We had a lot of church meetings and activities with the congregation.
C. Lastly, we had a lot of teachings from Pastor Benjamin Meijer and his wife Lilian.
A. In working, the projects were:
1. Transforming a scrap yard into a descent, neat yard where there can be a hospice.
2. Building a platform for a basin outside a cabin and some extras in a wooden house.
3. Building a bunker bed and some window-frames for a poor lady living in a one room double story little house.
Now I believe that if one works hard, together and play often, then that combination will keep you living well! Nothing builds character like some hard work, especially under difficult circumstances. (Respect to all the elders reading this and have BEEN working really hard all their lives).
B. The local church is really involved in each other’s lives and gather together quite often for fellowship and worship. One night we attended a Spanish service where a prophet from a neighbouring town came to preach. That lasted about 5 hours and we couldn’t understand a word of it! :) The worship was really amazing though: They had dancers leading the worship together with singers and the songs sung is like Hillsong in Spanish. The Spirit really stirs you.
We had the opportunity to lead the two English services on the two Sundays we were there. The team preached, sang, danced, testified and prayed for people.
C. Almost every night we had teachings after the physical work. Some were up to 5hours, most of them actually. Benjamin wanted to equip us with Solid Truth, testifying about how his life were radically changed after being a satanic priest, drug addict, tattooist and pimp. He had amazing God-encounters and operates at a very intimate level with our Messiah, from over 7 years ago. Praise the Lord for such a reality check and man of God. There were so much controversial topics that were illuminated with Truth through wisdom and the Word.
Some things we discussed on some of the evenings were: baptisms, worship, spiritual warfare, deception, demonology, vulnerability, Jewish roots and a lifestyle of the truly blessed.
I feel really privileged to have gone through this “heart-coarse” – and it is something that I will not keep for myself. Gladly will I share as the Lord leads.
For me, a lot of what we talked about, boils down to this:
There is more than meets the eye. The world IS in ruins. We are living in a day and age where we should not be naive and ignorant of the WAR that we are in (Ephesians 6>10-20). There are people dying in this war... We ARE involved – we WAR with Christ, Him in us wars through us and teaches us how to make war (Psalm 18>34).
Satan is real, he is evil, he hates us and is therefore out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10>10). If we are not equipped with the weapons of warfare, we will not be able to stand our ground! He uses demons in people to expand his dark kingdom. They can enter through generational curses, blood transfusion and when we give them rights through sin.
We should not PART-TAKE in the darkness of the world. When things are in darkness, Satan has right over that; therefore we should EXPOSE the entry gates where he and his demons enter(ed).
We are called to be separate from the world. Mat 7:14 Because narrow is the gate (entrance), and narrow is the way (path), which leads to life, and there is only a few that finds it. Mat 7:20 wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Mat 7:24 therefore whosoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock...
God never said it would be easy, He promises that it would be worth it! The reward is far greater than the sacrifice! (Isaiah 64>4; 1 Cor 2>9; John 16>33)
There is ONLY ONE Truth! This Truth LIBERATES and DELIVERS.
The WORD is ABSOLUTE and cannot be changed, it can only be completed! We cannot bargain with the Truth, only accept it. We should not perverse the Word by making it fit into doctrine of men and twisting the text out of context. There is great deception going about in the world and we should discern and ask for wisdom, not to be tossed to and fro like waves of the ocean, there is MANY “supposedly Christian” customs that is not of the Lord. (1 Peter 2)
When you are walking in the Truth, the world WILL hate you! (James 4>4) The Truth often discomforts, and even offends people...
We are living in a time where we are called to a greater obedience even than to the law, to seek out God on a deeper, more desperate way.
We should sift what we see, listen to and engage in conversations about. (I.e. movies, music, magazines, and any other form of media...)
Our humbleness and vulnerability is one of the greatest acts of worship towards God.
We should know better to do better – every spiritual blessing has already been given unto us (Ephesians 1). We are MORE than CONQUERERS in Christ (Romans 8). CHOOSE Life.
Dan 6:25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
Dan 6:26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
Dan 6:27 He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth.
Dan 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
AMEN
PS: We met a guy, MIKE from New York, married to a SA woman, who has this coffee shop, Crossroads... He activated us to dream about something like this in South Africa, a fellowship coffee shop. We might come back to Guatemala te learn the coffee trade amongst other things...