Tuesday, November 3, 2009

In the beginning...


As the apostle says in 1Corinthians 16:9, there is a great door opened and many enemies.
This will always be the case, and that this is so is even of God.
The flesh has desires contrary to those of the Spirit, so that we do not do the things that we would, says Galatians 5:17.
There is a principle of opposition which is always functioning in order to keep us in a spirit of dependence on God, and of humility before him.
But what we must understand, is that the open door is greater (Megas: great in intensity, dimension and rank) than the many enemies (Polus: plentiful, of long duration, and with urgency).
John the Apostle also reminds us that he who is in us is greater than he that is in the world (1John 4:4), and that if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart (1John 3:20).
AMEN.

Dear friends, this is what we're living now that we've been in Benin already one week: great opportunities and diverse oppositions.
After 6 days in a temporary guest-house, we've found a furnished apartment that we moved into Tuesday past (house photos or house video).
It's still provisional for 2 or 3 months, the time to see where God wants us more permanently, since the city of Cotonou is quite extensive.
Each morning we spend several hours evangelizing, and we are much blessed (evangelism photos).
We continue to praise God for the amazing contacts that we have with people in the street and around us: some people pray to receive the Lord and the prospect of a free Bible-school brings joy to many people. Recently a young man of 29 years, of Muslim origin and steeped in Voodoo, received the Lord. He has a small mobile telephone (cellular phone) shop. In the month of January this past year he was held up and shot at. He should have died. During this difficulty where he practically lost everything, he turned inward and realized that all the fetishes and talismans (objects believed to bring good fortune and protection) that he'd accumulated for himself in his house and in his shop, served him for nothing other than to spend a lot of money and to be constantly living in fear. Today he wants to learn the word of God and to put all his trust in Jesus. His name is Loukman. Pray for him.
Many are the testimonies that we could give you of people like Loukman who are tired of Voodoo and of religiosity. We began our first bible study Saturday evening.

Thank for your friendship and your prayers.

God bless you.

Pastor Luigi on behalf of the whole team.