"Naja" - Spitting Cobra, 3.5 to 7.5 feet long
Let me share a testimony of God's mighty and awesome power. A little while back I was visiting a remote village with several pastors and the local pastor told us that a young woman would be coming soon to share a testimony with us. After a few minutes of talking the young woman pictured below arrived and took a seat. The local pastor introduced us to Marie.
This is what she said. (Para-phased)
A little less than two weeks ago, I had gone to check on my animals and saw that my largest pig had gotten out. I began to look all around for it, but couldn't find it. I decided to go look in a low wet area where the rains had started to fill with water. As I searched for my pig in the grass I suddenly felt something very bad on my foot. At first, I didn't know what happened. I thought maybe I stepped on something sharp or kicked something hidden in the grass. As I looked down I saw the "naja" that had just bit me on the upper foot as it fled into the grass.
I was extremely worried because often people die from snake bites, but the pain wasn't as severe as I thought it would be. I kept looking for my pig for a few more minutes, until my leg began to act strange. I decided to head back to my home. By the time I arrived at home I was hurting and feeling very strange. I didn't know what to do, because we live far from a hospital and only have a small clinic in our village. I decided to go see the pastor, so he could pray for me.
Pastor Tibi prayed for me along with others for a while and my symptoms diminished. I went back home and laid down for a while. I felt bad, but able to walk. I decided to walk to the market with a family member. Part way to the market my symptoms got much worse and I couldn't walk right and I began to feel like I was suffocating. People helped me to the local clinic to see the nurse. They said there wasn't much they could do here and that I should go to the hospital in Banfora. (35 miles away)
I asked to be taken back to the church so the pastor and others could pray for me. They did for a long time. We found a way to go to the hospital the next day. After 2 days at the hospital and the doctors trying different treatments my symptoms were worse instead of better. My foot and leg was in very bad shape, I couldn't walk and was experiencing paralysis in parts of my body. I also felt as if I was suffocating. Because they couldn't help me and of the expense, we came back to the village.
At that point I was very very sick and thought I might die. Everyone around me thought I would die also. So they took me back to our church and the pastor and people from church began to pray over me. They prayed all night long! Over the next days they continued praying for me and God healed me!
At this point I'm praising God for healing our sister and she shows us her foot and leg. It was amazing…if she didn't show me where the problem had been I wouldn't have known about it at all. They went on to tell me that she was bitten on Saturday and that 8 days later she was dancing, singing and praising God in Sunday morning church! Everyone in her community is amazed at the fact that she isn't dead and that she was completely and quickly healed.
She finished by saying that she had just come from her Muslim neighbors courtyard. Her neighbor had asked her to come tell her what God had done. Marie told us she believed God would use her testimony to reach her Muslim neighbors for Christ!
I know people fall all across the board as far as whether God is in the miracle business today. I can tell you that if you had spent the last several years walking beside me and seeing what God has allowed me to see, you would not question the fact that our God is mighty to save and that through the Holy Spirit, He moves in miraculous ways all - the - time!
As a skeptic by nature, this has been and continues to be a struggle as I battle between my western mindset and a truly biblical worldview. My friends, I hope this testimony helps you to take scripture at it's word and stop trying to put our truly Awesome and all powerful God in such a small box of our design.
John 14:12-14 (ESV)
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Matthew 17:20 (ESV)
For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)
Aaron
A little less than two weeks ago, I had gone to check on my animals and saw that my largest pig had gotten out. I began to look all around for it, but couldn't find it. I decided to go look in a low wet area where the rains had started to fill with water. As I searched for my pig in the grass I suddenly felt something very bad on my foot. At first, I didn't know what happened. I thought maybe I stepped on something sharp or kicked something hidden in the grass. As I looked down I saw the "naja" that had just bit me on the upper foot as it fled into the grass.
I was extremely worried because often people die from snake bites, but the pain wasn't as severe as I thought it would be. I kept looking for my pig for a few more minutes, until my leg began to act strange. I decided to head back to my home. By the time I arrived at home I was hurting and feeling very strange. I didn't know what to do, because we live far from a hospital and only have a small clinic in our village. I decided to go see the pastor, so he could pray for me.
Pastor Tibi prayed for me along with others for a while and my symptoms diminished. I went back home and laid down for a while. I felt bad, but able to walk. I decided to walk to the market with a family member. Part way to the market my symptoms got much worse and I couldn't walk right and I began to feel like I was suffocating. People helped me to the local clinic to see the nurse. They said there wasn't much they could do here and that I should go to the hospital in Banfora. (35 miles away)
I asked to be taken back to the church so the pastor and others could pray for me. They did for a long time. We found a way to go to the hospital the next day. After 2 days at the hospital and the doctors trying different treatments my symptoms were worse instead of better. My foot and leg was in very bad shape, I couldn't walk and was experiencing paralysis in parts of my body. I also felt as if I was suffocating. Because they couldn't help me and of the expense, we came back to the village.
At that point I was very very sick and thought I might die. Everyone around me thought I would die also. So they took me back to our church and the pastor and people from church began to pray over me. They prayed all night long! Over the next days they continued praying for me and God healed me!
At this point I'm praising God for healing our sister and she shows us her foot and leg. It was amazing…if she didn't show me where the problem had been I wouldn't have known about it at all. They went on to tell me that she was bitten on Saturday and that 8 days later she was dancing, singing and praising God in Sunday morning church! Everyone in her community is amazed at the fact that she isn't dead and that she was completely and quickly healed.
She finished by saying that she had just come from her Muslim neighbors courtyard. Her neighbor had asked her to come tell her what God had done. Marie told us she believed God would use her testimony to reach her Muslim neighbors for Christ!
I know people fall all across the board as far as whether God is in the miracle business today. I can tell you that if you had spent the last several years walking beside me and seeing what God has allowed me to see, you would not question the fact that our God is mighty to save and that through the Holy Spirit, He moves in miraculous ways all - the - time!
As a skeptic by nature, this has been and continues to be a struggle as I battle between my western mindset and a truly biblical worldview. My friends, I hope this testimony helps you to take scripture at it's word and stop trying to put our truly Awesome and all powerful God in such a small box of our design.
John 14:12-14 (ESV)
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Matthew 17:20 (ESV)
For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)
Aaron
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