Raju - Part 2

Raju cannot fall asleep. He prays that his parents and siblings will also become Christians. Suddenly, he hears a crackling noise. "Fire!" he cries out.

Everyone rushes outside and can only watch as the fire destroys their house. Raju's brother Möhan finds out that their neighbour Moni set fire to their house..

Raju's father immediately takes Möhan and Raju to see Moni..
"So it was you who set fire to our house," Raju's father says with anger. "You deserved it," Moni replies.

"You let your son go to the Christian church. A neighbour saw him and heard him say that he believes in the God of the missionary."

Raju hides in the sugar cane field as quickly as he can. In the evening, he dares to go home. His father punishes him severely. He is no longer allowed to have any contact with Samuela, the missionary or the church.

His father orders him: "You will take part in the next firewalk." Raju is horrified. Firewalking – never! He no longer wants to have supernatural powers since he knows that they come from Satan.

One day, Raju meets his friend Samuela. "Raju, the missionary lets you know that the Holy Spirit lives in you since you believe in Jesus. He is more powerful than the evil spirits. In 1 John 4:4 it says, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”"

"What did the missionary say about the fire walk?" Raju wants to know. "He says you must obey your father. We pray that your father will change his mind so that you don't have to go."

The father does not change his mind. Obediently, Raju goes with the fire walkers to the temple.

When the priest calls upon the power of his Hindu god, Raju prays, "Lord Jesus, protect me from Satan's power through your Holy Spirit." He thinks of 1 John 4:4.

The firewalkers leave the temple. Slowly, Raju approaches the glowing coals. Will Jesus protect him from the heat? But how will people then realise that he no longer wants power from evil spirits but trusts in Jesus?

Raju puts his foot on the coals. A sharp pain shoots through him and it smells burnt. He sees the missionary and his wife rushing to help him, then he collapses, unconscious from the pain.

When Raju wakes up, he looks into his father's face. He is leaning over him and says, "Raju, I thought you would give up your Christian faith for fire walking. You enjoyed doing it so much last year."

"Not anymore," Raju replies. "The spirits - have - nothing - to say - to me - anymore, I am - no longer - afraid of them."
"I wish I wasn't afraid of the spirits anymore either," says the father with longing.

Only now Raju noticed the missionary and his wife. They had come to clean and re-bandage his wounds. Before leaving, they prayed with Raju.

"Why did you walk the firewalk even though you knew you didn’t have the power to do it?" asks the father.
"Because I wanted to obey you," replied Raju. "But I also want to obey the Lord Jesus. Satan shall no longer rule over me."

"And now the almighty God can heal me - if he wants to. And if not - then I can be - with him - in heaven - forever."

Then Raju's father says, "If Jesus Christ is able to make my son fear neither evil spirits nor death, then I too want to believe in him."

After a few weeks, Raju's severe burns have healed. He happily tells his friends and neighbours about Jesus Christ, who is stronger than Satan and his evil spirits.