As we follow Jesus this Lenten Season on the way to the cross, we remember one of his primary objectives:

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3.8, ESV)

I wrote about the devil, our enemy, on Thursday. One regularly recurring event in the Gospel of Mark is Jesus casting out demons. My friend and Navigator colleague Bob Adame, with his wife, Claudia, are in the thick of the battle in Albuquerque. He writes:

Pray for us as we continue to minister in the apartments where drugs, gangs, violence, death rule.  We are praying that the Lord turn this apartment complex from darkness to the Gospel light.  We are in a battle with the evil one that is destroying the lives of young people and children. 

“A battle with the evil one…destroying the lives of young people…” Then he shares some successes:

Casandra, who was also part of our pre-teen and teen Bible Kids Club ended up living with a drug addicted man that ruined her life.  She eventually ended up in prison but recently she has been transformed by the blood of the Lamb, and she is being discipled by Claudia and her ex also wants to be discipled by Bob.  Casandra is out of prison and working and she desires to minister to women who have experiences a similar lifestyle as she has experience. 

Ruby who was 12 yrs old when she became part of Kids Bible Club has led her parents and also led her nieces and nephews to Christ.  When we met Ruby, she was a rebellious teenager and hanging out with bad company.  Her father was an alcoholic and was a bad influence on Ruby. but praise God she came to the Lord. 

Nick was 12 yrs old when we met him.  At 12 yrs old he was banned from any public school for fighting and his drug-addicted mother was supposed to home school him, but it never happened.  Claudia tutored him and brought him up 2 grade levels, and we enrolled him in a Christian school since no public school would accept him, and he did graduate from high school, and while he was in High school, he became Co leader of the basketball team. We led Nick to Christ as soon as we met him and begin to minister him through Kids Bible Club.  Now he is married to a Christian girl and doing well.  Also, he gets up at 5 in the morning to pray and read his Bible.  Praise God. 

The enemy is alive and well, but my friend Bob is working hand-in-hand with Jesus to destroy the works of the devil. Picture of Bob (sorry about the closed eyes!) at the National Navigator Staff Gathering, November 2023. He and Claudia would appreciate your prayer.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10.10, ESV)