A Light in the Darkness: The Power of Jesus in Zambia
A single light illuminated the stage and field in a small village outside of Lusaka, Zambia. By day, from the platform, you could see the banyan tree where the local shaman and his followers gathered. At night, they emerged again. Though unseen, their chants filled the air—a clear message that we were not welcome. Inside the church, a team of prayer warriors had been interceding since early in the day. The battle had begun long before the first notes of praise echoed through the night.
Despite it being the coldest winter in years, the people came. From the stage, I could make out the first few rows, but beyond them stood countless others, waiting in the darkness. Each night, more than a hundred gave their lives to Jesus Christ, and many more came for healing. God’s love and mercy were on full display.
On the third night, as I once again called for the sick to come for prayer, three men stepped out of the darkness carrying a bundle. Within it lay the skeletal frame of a young man. His body, ravaged by tuberculosis and AIDS, looked far older than his years. The faces of the three men showed no plea for help—only a challenge.
They sat him in a chair, slumped over and barely conscious. We began to pray. As the Holy Spirit moved, tears streamed down his face. I heard his faint voice whisper, “Thank you, Jesus.” We continued to pray, and then, before our eyes, he sat up straight. He lifted his hands, praising God for the miracle unfolding within him. Again and again, his voice grew stronger. When he stood, the crowd gasped. When he began to walk, silence fell over the gathering. When he ran the length of the platform and back, the people erupted in shouts of praise. I looked around—the three men were gone.
Each night after that, the young man would greet me with a shout of joy: “Hallo, pastor! I’m still healed!”
The Power of Christ in the Here and Now
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he came to them with a singular message: Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Only the power of Jesus Christ can truly set people free—free from sin, free from death, free from sickness, addiction, bondage, and the grip of demons. This is not just theology; it is where people live. It is a message that brings the eternal God into the reality of daily life. It is the message of Jesus in the here and now—not just in the hereafter.
Jesus understood the battle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. When He cast a demon out of a blind and mute man, the people marveled, questioning if He might be the Messiah (Matthew 12:22-29). The Pharisees, filled with jealousy, claimed Jesus cast out demons by the power of Beelzebul. But a house divided cannot stand. His power over demons was undeniable proof that the Kingdom of God had come into their midst.
Some argue that such spiritual encounters are unnecessary today, but Paul would disagree. He warned the Ephesians—and us—to remain aware that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces, rulers of darkness, and celestial powers (Ephesians 6:12-13).
Man is neither a helpless victim of spiritual forces nor the master of his own fate. Jesus Christ reigns supreme in this world and in eternity. In His loving mercy, heaven came to earth—to save us from sin and death and to deliver us from bondage in this life. And there is a young man in Zambia who can prove it.