waited. He still didn’t pray. Then suddenly I felt the bed tremble, and I opened my eyes and looked at Rolf. His head was drawn back, as if he were gasping for air. Then he fell backward on the floor and began to shake violent ly- I waited until he came out of it, and then asked, “Rolf, what’s wrong?” Slowly, he told me. “When I was 12, I made a vow to Satan. I believe I am really possessed by a demon!” We talked a long time that eve ning. Rolf told me his father be longed to one of the devil-wor shipping circles in north central Germany. He dedicated Rolf to the devil when Rolf was just an infant. When Rolf was 12, he was “ confirmed” in devil worship by promising the devil his body, soul, and spirit. He signed the oath with his own blood. I told Rolf the Lord could re lease him. A number of times that evening Rolf tried to pray, but each time he'd say, “ I can’t be lieve. I want to be saved but I can’t go through with it. The devil is holding me.” I prayed for him again, then we parted. It all seemed strange to me because in the States we had seldom heard of such things. When I told some German co workers the story, they said, “Yes, it’s fairly widespread in Germany. The only way he can be released is through our pray ers and really laying hold of the Lord in his behalf.” The next evening after the message, Rolf came to me again. But the same thing happened when we tried to pray. During our two-week camp period, dif ferent workers talked with Rolf and prayed with Him, but it was to no avail. He believed he was a sinner and that Christ died for him, but putting his faith in Christ Jesus and receiving salva tion appeared to be impossible. “ It is like coming up against a solid stone wall,” he said in an guish.
M y first eerie encounter with devil worship came a few years ago at the youth camp o f the German Bible Institute at See- heim, Germany, where I am a teacher. It involved twenty-one- year-old Rolf, one of the devil’s “ less-devoted disciples.” On the second night of camp as I was talking with two fellows about receiving the Lord as their Saviour, all of the lights in the main building went off. I realized that somebody had pushed the button, disconnecting all the fuses. I went and turned the lights back on. Just as I got back to the room, the lights went off again. Somewhat irritated, I retraced my steps to the floor where the switch was located. “ I want to speak to the boy who turned off the lights,” I said firmly. Silent stares were my only answer. The next morning Rolf came and con fessed. With a seemingly forced effort, he said he was sorry. That night after I spoke in the evening meeting, Rolf came to
me. “ I want to receive the Lord as my Saviour,” he said. I took him to the inquiry room. “Do you know what you have to do to be saved?” “ Yes. It was made very clear in your message.” I realized that many of the German young people had never prayed or talked to the Lord in a personal way. They are accus tomed to formal prayers. I asked him if he knew how to pray. He said, “Yes.” So we knelt down and I prayed for Rolf first — that the Lord would save him. I looked up at him. “Now, Rolf, you pray and ask the Lord to be your Saviour.” He agreed, and I waited for him to pray. When he didn’t pray, I looked up and said, “Well, Rolf, do you need some help in pray ing? Perhaps you can repeat this prayer after me.” “No, that won’t be necessary,” Rolf answered. “ I know what I should do. I think I can pray now.” So I closed my eyes again and
27
SEPTEMBER, 1968
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