# An evil spirit stole my carpenter's soul



## Pergamum (Feb 6, 2009)

Here is a strange scenario:


My house is 90% completed. It needs furniture made, water connected from the rain-catching containers to the sink, the toilet put in place, and electricity connected from the solar panels. 

This carpenter got a month off for Christmas and I just flew him in again to start on our furniture.

Last week, however, my carpenter got medivacked for an array of strange symptoms that seem close to those of a nervous breakdown. 

His words:

_An evil spirit stole my soul._

He says that he needs to go back to the coast to seek out someone that is skilled in praying and curing these cases. I have evangelists throughout the region but this carpenter said that none of these had the Holy Spirit and so he had to look for someone that _had the Holy Spirit in them_ so that their prayers would be effective. The carpenter has been influenced by Pentecostal teaching in the past.

Also, on my last overnight with this carpenter, he screamed at various times at night because he claimed to see evil spirits bothering my house. I told him to shut up and pray because it was quieter and more effective.



What to do, what to do?

I have found another carpenter (maybe), but this carpenter is quite gifted and I hate to replace him. He claims to be a Christian and the appeals to show him that demons must flee before the presenceof the Holy Spirit have been fruitless. I thought of bringing this carpenter back into my tribal area and praying for him publicly on site (public prayer and sort of like a show of power), or else having him sleep in the same house where I am staying since my standard reply to reports on the supernatural is, "I don't care, they can;t bother me..."




What would be your advice?


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## Mark Hettler (Feb 6, 2009)

Why does he need a soul to finish your carpentry? I would think he can function just fine without it.

And this from my 25-year-old son: tell him you hired the evil spirit to kidnap his soul and hold it hostage and he won't get it back until the work is done.


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## Pergamum (Feb 6, 2009)

Lawyers might not need souls to do their work, but I guess carpenters do.

Ha, a soul prisoner exchange program sounds like a good idea.


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## Semper Fidelis (Feb 6, 2009)

Perg,

I thought you posted something similar a while back? Did this happen again? Are you sure he's not just being lazy?


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## turmeric (Feb 6, 2009)

Don't do what Mark suggested, but it was funny!


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## Jon Lake (Feb 6, 2009)

Mark Hettler said:


> Why does he need a soul to finish your carpentry? I would think he can function just fine without it.
> 
> And this from my 25-year-old son: tell him you hired the evil spirit to kidnap his soul and hold it hostage and he won't get it back until the work is done.


I should not laugh....but....that was nice!


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## Wannabee (Feb 6, 2009)

Heh, you guys are a lot of help.  Sorry Perg, I'm not much help either. It simply sounds like an evangelistic opportunity to me. This guy's focused on sensationalism and missing out on the true power of the Holy Spirit. But that's easy to say from here. May God give you wisdom.


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## Semper Fidelis (Feb 6, 2009)

I'm not trying to make light of it. I won't go into specifics here but I have some reason to believe that could be a factor.


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## Mushroom (Feb 6, 2009)

Praying, Pergs, as will my kids... they've been praying for you guys every morning for many months.

I meant to tell you that a question was asked in Sunday School a couple of weeks ago; what did we think of as 'really living'? My reply was that you were one person I knew of that was 'really living'. I think that shocked a few, but I believe its true. May the Lord bless your efforts abundantly.


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## Pergamum (Feb 7, 2009)

Semper Fidelis said:


> Perg,
> 
> I thought you posted something similar a while back? Did this happen again? Are you sure he's not just being lazy?



Yep, I posted this news a week ago in the prayer forum along with several other points. This week, however, I am trying to either find a replacement or make the situation manageable for this man. We also found him to have some other health concerns, so that he, being superstitious, could attribute dizziness and fainting to demonic activity. Most of his problems, however, stem from his fear and when he is away from my area he dramatically improves. Sort of like my 4 year old when he enters a dark room.

Laziness might be a factor. Maybe he is a union carpenter.


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## Tim (Feb 7, 2009)

This is a serious suggestion:

Tell the man that you have decided to replace him because he is not a reliable worker (say this only if it is the truth, of course). If there is any laziness or silliness on his part, then that should smarten him up. If nothing changes, at least you will know, and can tell him that you will do your best to help him to address this problem so he can again be a productive worker.

If someone is not reliable, you are not obligated, I shouldn't think. But that doesn't mean that you must terminate your spiritually-based relationship with him.

My humble two cents.


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## Pergamum (Feb 7, 2009)

I have alreay handed down the decision to replace him; giving him an opening, however, to try to get his job back (too many other annoyances to grant too many chances). If he wants his job back, however, I am trying to figure out what to do.


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## TimV (Feb 7, 2009)

It's probably impossible to say from this amount of information. I have seen cases where there is a craving for attention, and having been cured from demonic possession, with the attention he got during the first time could have been a factor.

We did have a woman in Africa who a guy I worked for, a recently converted Christian who was naive about theology "exorcised". It was "successful" and a few months later she started acting up and asking for the same ceremony to be preformed on her again. I told the boss that the Bible says that once a demon was cast out, any subsequent demonic possession would be seven times worse than the first time, so if she was acting in the same way, one would be wise to question either the original or subsequent diagnosis.


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## Wannabee (Feb 7, 2009)

A follow-up consideration is that bringing him back may actually be training him to think he can consistently get away with this stuff. Often love is expressed in strict and decisive action against (actually on behalf of) the offending party. Winking at sin, to any degree, is never productive.


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## py3ak (Feb 7, 2009)

Is there a reason that he's more afraid of that area than others? It sounds like he is in a fair bit of bondage, which must be rather uncomfortable.


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## Pergamum (Feb 7, 2009)

He's more afraid of the area because the people are more afraid in this area. There are men that won't hunt at night due to fear. So, maybe he has caught the fear.


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## Jon Lake (Feb 7, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> I have alreay handed down the decision to replace him; giving him an opening, however, to try to get his job back (too many other annoyances to grant too many chances). If he wants his job back, however, I am trying to figure out what to do.


Perg, it was, I am sure, a tough call, but based on what I have read, I think it for the best, the guy has issues (bless his heart) but I do not think it Demonic.


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## Pergamum (Feb 11, 2009)

new carpenter found. Work begins again.


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## KMK (Feb 11, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> new carpenter found. Work begins again.



Cool! That is what we prayed for on Sunday! Keep us updated...


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## ManleyBeasley (Feb 12, 2009)

Good news brother!


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