Believers exchange superstition for faith in Christ
Scripture reference
Acts 19:18–19 (ASV)
18Many also of them that had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. 19And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Stories
After Shih Ch’ing-lan and his father were both helped by God to break free from decades of addiction to opium-smoking, the two men consulted together and decided it was Jesus and not idols, that they wanted to serve henceforth and in one accord, they took their false gods and idols and had them burnt.
Dan Crawford writes briefly about the great deliverance God wrought at a gospel meeting, where a group of convicted person's gathered around and surrendered their fetishes and idols to be burned. They had these fetishes for protection, but now they had Jesus—it was not needed again!
Altogether, thirteen people from Rabi's immediate and extended family renounced Hinduism and opened their hearts to Christ and together with one accord, they gathered together in a heap, every single idol, fetish, charm or amulet and set fire to it as they sang songs of Praise to God Almighty for delivering them from darkness into His Light.
Mr. William Newell was teaching on the burning of the books of incantations that took place in Acts 19 when Ramon who was in the audience stepped out suddenly. By the time he returned, he had with him similarly damaging books that he wished to have destroyed. And to the glory of God Almighty, Ramon himself set the pile of books on fire.
As the spiritual tide in Ninja turned, an area, known for its resistance to the gospel became awakened and hungry for truth. People sat for hours listening to God's word and entire communities were burning their idols and fetishes, soon the entire four valleys in the region was completely free of idolatry.
When Costas saw a house burning from afar, he believed someone's house was sadly burning but the truth was more exciting than that—for the people among whom he and others had been labouring for years—were suddenly bringing down their idols and shrines—Jesus was now all they wanted. And in their thousands, they came, to be instructed in His ways!
From Ninia to Liligan and then to Balinga, Stan, accompanied by a group of fellow Christians was courageously teaching and encouraging the people in these idol-worshipping communities to renounce their fetishes and be free in Christ and they were responding!
Mimosa's four boys all fell ill when measles struck India. Mimosa chose to trust God alone, turning down all entreaties to abandon her faith and return to idol worship in a bid to save her children. Her faith was not in vain, as God stepped in to heal her children.
Punja Bhagat was a popular and well reputed fetish priest who plied his trade in Gujarat. When Punja came across The Salvation Army, he was led to Christ and on returning to his new people with this new message, he was rejected and cast away. But this did not deter Punja who continued to pray for his people until he prevailed and was used by God to lead them to this Christ he had found.
Louise's life began to crumble when Chris, her only son, died in an auto-crash. In a desperate bid to remain connected with him, she gives into demonic superstitions, and while it brought her comfort for a short while, she was soon back to being miserable. Louise's life was set to change when a Christian neighbor knocked on her door.
By obeying the express instructions of the Lord, Emeka was able to lead his people in Umuofai, Nigeria to turn against their shrines, idols and fetishes; to set them all ablaze and to turn to the One living God.
An idol-worshipping priest came to meet Papeiha about giving up idolatry for Christianity and his plans to do away with his idols. Despite the fear this priest and others had, Papeiha led him to publicly destroy the idols and this bold act eventually led many more people to abandon idolatry and embrace Christianity.
Having accepted the Jesus as the Saviour and Lord over their lives, a family was advised to do away with their Buddhist idols and fetishes. This they did with one accord, and when the devil immediately struck their grandmother down with an illness, they prayed and burnt up all previously undiscovered idols and she who was sick became whole again!
Mila who is a new Christian, learned to let go of her past beliefs and choose God as her only true God.