In Hot Pursuit

Legolos is our BSM. This stands for Business Service Manager and it means that he oversees the finances for our team. His primary job is not Church Planting but because we are all followers of Jesus this is exactly what he is involved in. I have told the story some time ago about a young lady who worked in Legolos’s home and became a believer but was later tragically killed. Since that time many interesting things have happened in the story that the King is telling in that family. I thought I would update you all on what is going on.

The proud grandfather came to my door at 9:30 in the evening. He came with a 25 year old girl and a young boy. They wanted to come and plead with me to get his granddaughter back. I was unsympathetic. She had begun to consider Christ’s claims a few months ago but was shamed into leaving the study at Legolos’s house and went back to the village. They continued to treat her terribly and after a few weeks she had left them and come back to the city. They thought she was staying with Legolos’s family but they were wrong. I knew she was staying with relatives. The real trouble was that she had broken bread- become engaged- with a young Muslim man in the village and now for her to leave completely shamed the grandfather and indeed, the whole family. But I knew, even if they did not understand that this was not a situation where faith in Christ leads to family division. This was all about the sins of the Grandfather. He had allowed each of his daughters to prostitute themselves. He had allowed this abuse to come into his home and affect the grandchildren. He had made the situation intolerable for this young girl. The truth was that she had not brought shame upon his name in the village, it was already shamed. I challenged him, gently, about this. ‘Why did she leave?’ They said she was taken away by Lotho. ‘But why did she call him?’ They said he was usurping the Grandfather’s authority. What he did was not right. ‘But why would he do that?’ I asked. Again and again I put it back to them. Finally, we prayed and they left. I doubt that they heard me but the King is working in them. They don’t have honor, they don’t have respect, they don’t have money, they don’t have food. One by one the King has eliminated these things from their life. I think they are being pursued by God. It is a painful thing to watch. You see when the King reaches out in love He will get your attention any way He can. For proud, stubborn people that can often mean a series of devestating events. But be assured, the King is still about seeking and saving the lost.

In the meantime who is this Lotho you might ask? Why did he come to her rescue? Well, it seems that God is pursuing him as well. Elsie is my wife’s best friend and has been ever since we met in Rohan eleven years ago. She made a half hearted commitment to Jesus a long time ago and we have prayed for that commitment to deepen for years. In her early immature days she decided to marry a young Muslim boy. He was immature. He had no job, no character, no future, and no respect from me. He cheated on her the week after their marriage. He is not ‘evil’ per se, just useless. Please understand that I am describing him with human eyes. This is not what the King sees. Even I knew that this man could be more in the Kings hands. But it seemed very unlikely that he would ever give the King a chance. Rude and uneducated he didn’t like to talk to me much less was he interested in any truth I had to share.

A couple of years ago Elsie began working for Legalos. Lotho would come around to pick her up and drop her off. Occasionally, I saw him and one night in particular had a meaningful conversation with him. He was not a religious person but what he had seen of Islam was not appealing to him. This was the first time I had any idea that the King was working on him. Then Legalos came back from Stateside Assignment in January and Lotho’s whole family fell apart. This girl was abused by the family and Lotho and Elsie stepped in to help. He saw that his aunt and his cousin were radically changed by the power of Christ. His wife became bolder and deeper in her faith as the crises in the family escalated. An uncle died, a marriage fell apart, money was owed by the extended family in huge amounts. As this extended family unit fell apart several of the ladies began meeting and praying with Legolos’s family. They began meeting three times a week. Lotho began to meet with them. He began studying the Word. He not only listened as others prayed he began praying and asking for prayer. He is not a Jesus follower yet but you would not recognize him from even six months ago. God is pursuing this young man. His family is still a mess but he is looking to Jesus to be his rock more and more each day. Next week two more of the women will be baptized. Pray that Lotho’s faith is deepened and that the Spirit will move in his heart. Pray for faith to overcome the fear and hope to overcome the despair. Above all pray for love to transform a wasted meaningless existence into real abundant life. God is pursuing this family. I pray that they let Him catch them.