Power In The Blood…

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

That’s the song the ladies were singing as we started our Bible Study this past week. The voices of  the  Haitian women- soulful and thick- fill the room with their praises. I get up to speak and can barely finish my thoughts as my mind has still not left the last words of the chorus: “in the precious blood of the Lamb.”

I think of the power that has been afforded me through the healing of Christ’s blood—my own health issues as a result of “bad” blood have been restored. For me, that healing has brought a renewed drive and responsibility towards my Haitian ladies.

I have always seen the blood of my Savior as representing the washing away of sin and new life…the blood of Jesus has never made me fearful of him because of the way I have been taught. Now, I wonder, do the Haitian women have this same feeling toward the blood? Honestly, how can they?

The shedding of blood that they have seen has always been done out of fear of some big ugly demon/god taking their family or damaging their homes. The shedding of blood for them has meant killing the only “food” they have and offering it to a god to keep him from doing more awful things to them. My ladies who don’t know Jesus are singing a song about the blood and I am expecting them to understand that it’s life-giving  – – when all it has ever taken is their life – their freedom – their hope!!

Now back to that group of Haitian women—as I begin to teach the women I feel a surge within me of ideas and one huge testimony and mission developing: God has given me power in My blood – and “I” am supposed to let the Mole and every village that surrounds it – know that they can be free from their burden of sin.

I want my women to hear, know, and live out the celebration in Ephesians 1:7-10 in the MSG translation: 7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

These are all the things I want to teach my women that surround the Mole.There is power in the blood. It’s not powerful because it steals from you—its powerful because it heals you! I want the women to know they don’t have to be afraid of their little god – -but can be empowered by the One True God. I want them to live out Ephesians 1 and realize that they have been adopted by God and grafted into a beautiful family of folks who love them and Him!

I am feeling the heat – a fire – rising within me!! It has kept me from sleeping. It has burdened my soul. It is holding onto me for dear-life – because it’s their eternal lives that are at stake.

What I can’t take is the heat of knowing that there are women who are enslaved by the blood of animal sacrifices instead of being freed by the blood of Jesus. I can’t listen to another parade of Voodoo worshipers beating their drums  – and not ready myself to beat my own drum for Jesus!

Sometimes I think my heart will burst with this Call to minister to these ladies and yet other times my heart feels faint and overwhelmed with the –  how’s and why’s of this ministry.

I do know that God will not Call who He does not equip. As the shock of God’s plan for my family begins to wear off, we are definitely entering into a time of equipping.

The Castillos are on a new journey. Please pray in agreement with us for the Lord to reveal His Plans for how we are to accomplish His Call!