I was watching a football game the other day with Sterling and Benjamin and we saw this commerical for a new video game. Ozzy Ozbourne is in it and arguing with the main character of in the game about who is the true "Prince of Darkness." Of course, this brought back many memories of my high school years and the music that I used to listen to, but, more importantly, it reminded me of the war going on around us for the souls of men. It also reminded me of the Prince of Peace moving in a man's life in the jungle of Cambodia.
Christmas 2002, Kristen, Sterling, Benjamin and I went with our language teacher into the jungle of Banteay Meanchey on the border of Thailand. We went to visit an orphanage that our language teacher's husband ran. It was a 14 hour van ride on a dirt road. Because the boys were five and two years old, we broke the trip up and spent the night in Battambang. Due to stopping in Battambang and the road condition, we arrived at the orphanage later than expected. I knew that I was suppose to share a message at the Church, but I did not know that the service was starting about 10 minutes after we arrived.
Once we arrived, the service was filling up and we had to hurry and enter the building. During worship, I kept seeing a man sitting in the front row who looked like he was familiar with a life of suffering. Banteay Meanchey was one of the last strongholds of the Khmer Rouge. The area had seen much war during the past 100 years (before the Khmer Rouge, there were warring factions in this part of the country). As we worshipped the Lord, I kept sensing the Holy Spirit encouraging me to share on Jesus Christ - the Prince of Peace.
As I stood up to greet the Church; I begin to share on Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
From the moment that I opened my mouth, the man sitting in the front began to tear up. As I shared how Jesus came to give us peace not only in our physical circumstances, but also peace in our souls, the man began to cry. I shared that although they had suffered from war in this area, the real war was in their own spirits. I declared how that Jesus Christ died for us so that we can have peace with God, and the man began to sob.
When I gave the alter call, this man rushed forward. After we had prayed with many of the people there that day, the pastor of the Church asked this man to share. He introduced the man as the village leader. He stood before the congregation with tears of joy as he declared that he was a former Khmer Rouge commander and that his entire life he had only known war. He shared how that from a young man, all he had known was killing and violence, but that he had always truly desired peace. He said that when he heard how that Jesus, the true God, could bring peace to his heart, he knew that he had to repent of his sin and ask this Prince of Peace to enter his life as his Lord.
My family was blessed that day in the jungle to see Jesus moving in the lives of many. It was amazing to see this man of position in this village humble himself and to show earthly weakness in the eyes of the village in order to allow Christ into his heart (men, especially leaders, are not allowed to show emotion or weakness). The last that I heard of this man, he was involved in the Church and serving the Lord.
As you celebrate this holiday season, I pray that the Prince of Peace will rule in your heart and give you the only true peace that any of us can have - the peace that comes through Christ.
Merry Christmas!
