TESTIMONIES

BELIEVER'S GRAVES ARE GUARDED
By Mauro Pinheiro

Pastor Dirceu Ribeiro of São Paulo, told me the following true story:
Inez, who is an accountant is married with Carlos, who is a blacksmith. Inez was worried about Carlo's involvement with "macumba" (an Afro-Brazilian spiritist cult). After giving her hear to Jesus, Inez decided to attend a Bible School where Pastor Dirceu was a teacher, and right after that she decided to attend the pastor's church. The pastor asked Inez from time to time about Carlos. One day he decided to go talk to Carlos about his involvement with the cult. He prayed and asked God to facilitate the meeting. Carlos was very receptive and cordial about the meeting, even promising that he would go to church. The pastor was surprised to see Carlos in church the very next Sunday. One Sunday during an altar call for salvation, Carlos came forward and gave his life to Christ. Both, Inez and  the pastor were jubilant. After a while Carlos stopped coming to church. Inez was worried that Carlos had gone back to the cult. After a couple attempts, pastor Dirceu met with Carlos. Carlos said that he was not too sure about being a new believer, until he had confronted his father, who was a master sorcerer in charge of the cult of that region. Carlos told the following story. 

His father was involved with the macumba cult most of his life, and now he wanted to train him, to become a master sorcerer like he was. He wanted to instruct him on everything he knew. His father told him that he needed to be subject to several initiation rituals in order to be accepted by the "spirits". Carlos said that he performed much of the first rituals without much of a problem. One day, he was watching his father perform a ritual in a local cemetery. He was waiting for him in the car, while his father was lighting some candles. All of a sudden he look through the hear view mirror and saw two large black dogs standing behind his father. He put his head out the window and yelled to his father to warn him about the dogs. His father yelled back saying that they were there to protect him. But Carlos noticed that when he was looking at his father and yelling, he could not see the dogs, only from inside the car through the mirror. He though that to be strange. Next his father called him to come for his next initiation. Carlos left the car and walked the short distance to where his father was. He told Carlos to select seven graves, where he was supposed to light one candles on each. Carlos picked the seven graves, and started to light the candles upon his father's instructions. When he got to the fourth grave, the match would not light. He tried several match sticks, even with his hands cupped up, but nothing, the match just would not light. Frustrated he asked his father what was wrong. His father simply told him that over the graves of believers we are not able to light candles, and that he had to start all over again, because all seven candles must be lit without a break or interruption. Carlos started all over again. He picked seven other graves, and guess what? when he came upon another believer's grave, the match would not light. So Carlos gave up on the whole thing, and was ready to go back to church when Pastor Dirceu showed up. Carlos became a strong believer, and from time to time tried to witness to his father.

One day Carlos father became sick, and the doctors said that he was going to die. Pastor Dirceu insisted with Carlos to let him go see his father. Carlos talked to his father and got permission for the pastor to come to see him. The pastor prayed and fasted, and asked God for directions, because he knew it was going to be a strong spiritual battle. He visited Carlos's father three times, and each time he knew that he was making progress. On that third visit, he confronted him with the believer's graves and his inability to light candles over them. Now without the protection of those "large black dogs", he could not only discern the truth but also accepting it. He confessed and repented of a life dedicated to the cult, and gave his life to Christ. One week later he died. On the weeks and months that followed, most of Carlo's and Inez family came to Christ. The family could not believe that Carlos's father could ever be converted. Today Carlos and Inez are pastors of a small church. Alleluia, This story tells me that even our graves are protected by the Lord!!! Thank you Jesus.

Source Revival42day News