The Battle of the Ages

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” –Ephesians 6:12 ESV


As I sit writing this blog, I am listening to the afternoon “call to prayer” emitting from the mosque across the way from my hotel here in Ghana. The melody of the voice seems soothing, but ultimately is a hopeless call to religion. A carefree walk through the village reveals that very few are actually at the mosque, but I can see people around the region bowing religiously in the direction of Mecca hoping to be accepted by their god. This is yet another reminder of the deception of the enemy against the people of this age.

I do not know if I will ever realize the depths of the spiritual warfare that has (and is) taken[ing] place surrounding this ministry project in Africa. On both sides of the Atlantic the opposition to the Gospel has been intense. Here are just a few of the things we know about so far:

1. Our prescription medications delivery was three weeks late in arrival to Charlotte causing no small amount of frustration and difficulty in sorting and planning for the project.
2. Sammy Lartey, our national director in Ghana, informed us of the warfare surrounding the actual approval of bringing the medications into Ghana. He had an official letter of invitation from the national Minister of Health, but upon presenting that letter to the Customs Officer he (Sammy) was threatened with violence and bodily harm. This woman official dispatched armed security personnel to the airport to intercept us upon our arrival. These people were somehow delayed and we entered the country without even the slightest interference.
3. Our flights from Accra to Kumasi were cancelled and we were forced to find a different flight airline serving Kumasi.
4. On the three-hour drive from Kumasi to our project area we had a flat tire on the long dark road.
5. The medication needed for the treatment of malaria was omitted from our order from our supplier. This means we must find a pharmacy here that can provide these medications.
6. This morning while traveling to the project site our Land Rover threw a gear in our transmission which caused us great difficulty. The truck was completely paralyzed, but after a look at the situation, God miraculously “repaired” the truck and it moved on down the road with complete ease.

The list could go on and on, but all this is said to remind us that we are certainly involved in spiritual warfare. It is imperative that I continue to ask you to pray for us. All of these things, while humanly explained, are most certainly attacks on the work of the Gospel. As I mentioned, earlier in this blog, are working in a heavily “Muslim influenced” area of the country. Even this morning at my school ministry I had the chance to answer questions from an inquisitive Muslim who had just heard the Gospel message. His questions were honest and heartfelt, but confused by the false influence of his religion. I can report to you that this man did pray to receive Jesus Christ and I hope that you will begin now to pray for this new brother in Christ. As Thursday, February 17, 2011 comes to a close here in Ghana I can tell you that we have seen over 3,500 individuals indicate their decision for Jesus Christ.

Please keep praying!