Nr.117 ended with: “But, towards the end of the year something very sad happened…..!” (See richardandmarina.net).

We are in a spiritual battle, the devil, Satan is real. He is not like some portray him, a figure with horns and hoofs. We understand from the Bible that Satan was once the most important and beautiful angel in heaven, see Ez.28:1-19, personified as the king of Tyre. But he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven and ever since has been at war with God, seeking to destroy God’s work. He attacked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Jesus had just been born and Satan sought to use king Herod to destroy Him. When Jesus had been baptized He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and was there attacked by the devil. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and the Church was born, immediately Satan stirred up opposition, and persecution started. So we should not be surprised when we are attacked, if we are true children of God, and even more, when we seek to do God’s work. He will often seek to attack the message first, and if that doesn’t work, he will seek to get at the messenger.

This is what happened to our co-worker in Antwerp. He started having personal and family problems, which became so serious that he had to leave the work in 1976 and after some time return to Canada. The young Christians were shocked, how could this happen to someone who had been so used by the Lord? But we need only look into Scripture and see that some very well known people had personal and family problems. Think of Abraham, Jacob, and especially, king David, who was called by God Himself, “a man after my own heart.” They were spiritual giants and yet frail human beings and the enemy of our souls attacked them in their weakness and sought to bring them down.

I met with the Lord’s people in Antwerp and explained things to them. I spent time with the leaders and amazingly, even though a couple people left, the church went right on and is still going, even though it has had its ups and downs, like so many others.

And then we got company……….! (Go to Musings).