Our efforts vs God’s appointments.

For any of you not familiar with the board game Turkeys and Eagles, it is a game focused on revealing the lies the enemy has tried or sometimes even successfully convinced you of, replacing them with the truth. Based on a short story by Peter Lord, the Eagles represent your potential and the Turkeys the negative things you believe about yourself. I’ve witnessed God use this game to fix broken relationships, help people out of depression, and even rid people of demons (literally), haunting them for ages. God often speaks through the game encouraging, convicting, or sometimes chastising those who are listening. If you’re willing, The Holy Spirit reaches deep into your soul to uproot even the most significant issues you may have.

I’ve recently been through a bit of a rough patch, becoming very busy with all kinds of amusements. The enemy snuck up on me, trying to convince me that I was ineffective in God’s kingdom since I’d fallen for his distractions for some time. Guilt-driven, I tried to go out and evangelize, but all of my efforts fell flat. I felt like I was wasting our time, that the task was too great and we should just go home, but our God is so amazing.

An outreach we’ve been planning for some time with the beautiful people from House of Compassion had finally arrived, affording me many opportunities to share the Gospel, minister to the people, and pray for the sick. (Thank you, Tabitha and Pastor Bernard). I did not expect to be put in the spotlight, forcing me out of my comfort zone, but God gave me the courage and the boldness to say what I had to.

Upon our return home that day, our neighbors for the weekend (Sammy, Michelle, and their four kids) were busy worshipping. Being led by the Spirit, I invited them for a game of Turkeys and Eagles. Fellowship has become a rare commodity since we’re mostly away from fellow brethren. Getting acquainted quickly, Sammy briefly touched on one or two things he was dealing with at the moment. After explaining the game, we started playing, and immediately God began speaking to Sammy, addressing the exact points he mentioned before. It took me a while to join the game since you have to roll a six on the dice before starting, but wow, God is good.

He quickly got my attention using an exact phrase I was discussing with someone earlier that day. Then almost mockingly, God said to me: “Being a Christian is hard work. I don’t know if I can keep this up,” and “I don’t feel God’s presence,” precisely addressing my struggles. He also reprimanded me, saying that I was on thin ice watching Jordan Petersen’s videos and would get burnt if I didn’t stop. Sometimes something that sounds so close to the truth is the biggest deception. God then ended by saying that all the above held me captive, preventing me from working for His kingdom. In the end, I was so relieved that God knew what I was going through. God’s inconceivable goodness led me to repentance.

Motivated by God’s awe and wonder, we got together with the neighbors the following day and just worshiped God. And God started working again. In the last three weeks, we’ve had so many divine opportunities we’re blown away by God’s immense greatness. I’ve had a chance to witness in two churches, we’ve been street preaching, walking with the cross, handing out Bibles, booklets, and tracts. We had fellowship, witnessed a baptism, handed out food parcels, and preached the Gospel. We’ve prayed for the sick, encouraged, edified, prophesied, and given to the poor. All as God provided the opportunity.

Footnote: I’m not saying that Jordan Peterson is intentionally deceiving people, but he’s becoming a prominent figure in the media, and not unlike a lot of people; it seems like he’s still exploring the idea of Christianity, frequently asking the question: “What would my life look like if I truly believed?”