There came a moment in John the Baptist’s life when, for whatever reason, he needed to be sure of who Jesus was. Is he really the one they were all expecting? Perhaps like the disciples of Jesus, John was expecting the Christ to come and establish his throne. But up to this point – nothing. So John sends his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Here’s the rest of the story in Luke 7: 21-23:
At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were bind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news Is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
Yes, He is the one! He was not the one they were expecting but He is the one! He is still the one, and He never changes. Here are three short stories of what Jesus continues to do in our day told by Mbirima Ketekete, director of Great Harvest International Ministries, Africa.
Ndambara: “I met a young man named Ndambara who was very sick and had to leave school as he was near death. His family took him to the hospitals but they failed to help identify his disease. So they took him to a traditional healer (witch doctor), but yet nothing helped. After he had suffered long, our paths crossed and I began to share Christ with him. He asked if I would pray for him, which I eventually did, but I wanted to introduce him to Jesus Christ through bible study. After some days, he gave his life to Jesus and repented of going to the witch doctor, saying he would never do that again. He also became very active in the DBS group.
After a couple of weeks I returned home. While home I received a distressing call that Ndambara very sick and about to die. I was very sad and asked my brothers to cry with me to God for Ndambara’s life. I knew that my work in Baraka was not finished so I returned after about a week with my family. Of course, I went to minister to Ndambara and pray for him. With him having missed three months of school I told him that next Monday he will be in school, and he was. God healed him.
Kabibi: For twenty years a woman named Kabibi lived under the power of demons who would cause her to go into an epileptic fit and throw her into any nearby fire (see a similar story in the ministry of Jesus – Mark 9:16-28). It got so bad that her husband abandoned her. If she tried to do a small business and had a fit, people would steal all she had. Her family would lock her in a room at night, but by the power of the demons she would break the door down and run into the lake because she heard “people” calling her into the lake. She was so strong that she could resist even five men! Her father was a pastor but stopped bringing her to church after the demons would manifest every time she went. She would have dreams of being with her ancestors (she was involved in ancestral worship).
As Pastor Mbirima ministered to her through the Word and prayer she repented of all ancestral worship and bitterness in her heart toward her husband’s new wife, and gave her life to Christ. The next day she came to Mbirima to tell him that her head was no longer heavy as before. She is now a regular part of the DBS and is growing in Christ. Mbirima hopes to support her in a small way to start a business so she can once again provide for her two small children. He is asking for prayer for full restoration of body, soul, and spirit as she continues to grow in Jesus.
Free at last!
Delphin: One guy invited me to his village five km outside of Baraka. As we did DBS together, a drunkard came and joined us. No one was interested with him or offered him a place to sit because they considered him a disrespectful and useless man. Nonetheless, he stood listening. I asked him if he was interested to know more about Jesus. He said, “Yes, but I am bound by drink and can’t get free. I sleep where they sell alcohol and I work only to get money for alcohol.” Delphin gave his life to Christ that day. After one week I went to see him. He told me that from that day he received Christ he lost all desire for drink and has not had a drink since!
Jesus is still the One!
