Out of Kundalini |
Virgo Handojo felt his spirit reenter his body.
Coming out of the trance, he collected his amulets and returned them to their
secure place in his bedroom. Since his initiation into Kundalini, he had
learned how to communicate with the spirit world and use supernatural power
for the protection and benefit of himself and others. |
In his native |
During initiation rites his guru introduced him to
some of the secrets of the magical arts, as well as the group's strict laws
concerning their practice. Virgo knew he risked harm or death should he break
Kundalini's mandates, but the superhuman abilities he began to exercise fed
his craving like an addictive drug. Over the years he saw fellow Kundalini
practitioners levitate, perform supernatural healing, deflect a bullet shot
at their bodies and much more. Those who broke the rules died suddenly or
were killed in bizarre traffic accidents. |
In early 1979 Virgo's friend and neighbor Tiong Gie
invited him to a church rally in his hometown of |
He returned with Tiong Gie to another church meeting
the next day, hoping to make some friends. When someone prayed for him, Virgo
felt a kind of electrical energy surge through his body. Still, he went home
without making a commitment to Christ. |
The following Monday Tiong Gie invited him to a home
fellowship meeting and promised him he would meet a lot of good people.
Perhaps a hundred people were expected to gather that night at the family
house and backyard of Tante Ien and her sister Kiok. Virgo knew Tiong Gie had
no idea of his deep involvement in Kundalini, but he saw no conflict and said
yes. |
Scores of young men and women packed the family room
and overflowed into the hall and the outdoor covered veranda. Tante Ien, an
older woman with a mother's warmth for her brood, taught briefly. Someone
else led in musical worship. |
What a strange group! Virgo thought as the evening
went on. I've never experienced anything like this. |
During the prayer and praise Virgo did not
understand much. Then he heard Tante Ien speak up in a clear voice. |
"I got a vision just now of God telling me
there's a young man here who has black magic power," she said. |
How interesting, Virgo thought, not suspecting
himself. Kundalini, of course, is good white magic--totally different. |
In a moment two men stood up and moved to his side. |
What's happening? Virgo wondered uneasily. Do they
think I'm the one or something? |
They laid their hands gently on his head and began
to pray. |
Before he could say a word, Virgo felt another current
of electricity jolt his body from head to feet. He began shaking. Then he
heard the men's prayers take on more authority. One of them commanded,
"Devil, come out of him now, in the name of Jesus!" |
Collapsing to the floor, Virgo sensed something invisible
moving out of his body through his mouth. In that instant he felt as though a
black hood had been torn off of his mind. For the first time he realized that
Kundalini had deceived him. His supernatural powers had come not from God but
from Satan and his dark hordes. |
Virgo blinked and sat up, overwhelmed like a newborn
emerging into the bright lights of the delivery room. But in a moment another
strong power entered his body and he was seized by a spirit of anger and
frustration. He cried out, and more people gathered around him to pray and
rebuke the demons. No sooner did one evil spirit leave than another took its
place. For two hours several members of the group struggled to deliver him. |
Finally someone asked Virgo, "Do you own any
charms or amulets?" |
Virgo nodded weakly. "Yes, they're in my
bedroom at home." |
Tiong Gie jumped onto his motorbike and sped the
mile or two to Virgo's home. Soon, with Virgo's assent, the people who remained
at the meeting burned these charms and amulets in the backyard. |
Immediately Virgo felt in his body a release from
bondage. Worn out but at rest, he listened as Tante Ien and others in the
group explained the power of Jesus to save. |
Later that night, alone in his room, an exhausted
Virgo struggling to fall asleep sensed a dark, accusing presence in his room. |
You have broken the law and you are going to die, he
heard. You get up and stand in that corner. |
Confused and afraid, Virgo moved to the spot,
feeling helpless to control his response. |
Now you have to go here, another voice ordered. |
Now go over there. |
The tormenting spirits directed him back and forth
in his room until something Tante Ien said popped to mind: "If anything
happens tonight--if a demon tries to kill you or anything--just pray to Jesus
and God will deliver you." |
Trembling, Virgo cried out, "God, I don't know
what's happening! Please help me." |
Instantly the atmosphere in the room changed, and
Virgo felt the peace and presence of the Lord. |
His mind now clear, Virgo yearned to sleep but
continued brooding over everything that had happened in the last several
hours. Questions rushed at him like wild animals: Is Kundalini really from
the devil, not from God? Could I have been so deceived? How did I do so much
good magic, then? |
Rummaging in his desk, he found a small Bible he had
received at school from the Gideons some time before. |
God, he prayed, I don't understand all this. It's
hard to believe my guru could be so wrong. Please show me the truth. |
Opening at random, he began to read from Colossians.
Several passages burned into him: |
My purpose is that they may . . . know the mystery of
God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding
arguments. |
Colossians 2:2-4 |
See to it that no one takes you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the
basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. |
...For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives
in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head
over every power and authority. |
Colossians 2:8-10 |
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and
the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. |
Colossians 2:18 |
Virgo lay down again, drifting in and out of sleep.
Whenever his mind began wrestling with doubts, verses he had just read jumped
to his memory and spoke to him, as though God Himself were answering his
questions. |
In the morning Virgo went to see a friend who
understood Kundalini, and told him what had happened. |
"The power of this group was amazing!"
Virgo exclaimed. "It's as though they could see right into me!" |
"How many people were at this meeting?" |
"About a hundred." |
"A hundred! And you were there all alone? No
wonder! Of course your power was defeated--one against so many. If you got
more power, or more people, then the Christians would lose." |
"Hmm . . . that's--that's right," Virgo
pondered, a cloud of confusion beginning once again to descend. |
Through the rest of the morning the internal battle
raged: Should I go back to my guru and get more power? But if I do, I've
already broken the Kundalini laws--I know I will die. I could go back to this
Christian woman, but I don't know if her power is really greater. |
Eventually he contorted himself into a conclusion. |
Sooner or later I'm going to die anyway, he
reasoned. If I choose Christianity and it's wrong, maybe I'll be punished
less, since a lot more people are following it than Kundalini. Safer to die
in ignorance, just following the crowd. |
God can use even twisted logic to lead people to
Himself! |
Virgo went back to Tante Ien and explained his
dilemma, confusion and fear. |
Her answer was simple: "Come here every day and
we'll read the Bible together." |
"That's it? Just read the Bible? Every
day?" |
That was it. |
So every day Virgo drank deeply of the Word of God.
Tante Ien and her sister Kiok pointed out its meaning. Soon Virgo committed
himself wholeheartedly to Jesus. In fact, before many weeks had passed, he
became involved in ministry. He linked with a friend who had also come to
Christ out of Kundalini and who served with Sangkakala Mission Fellowship
(the parachurch organization we encountered in the last chapter that spawned
the church doing intercessory prayer drives in the prostitution district of
Semarang, |
Virgo grew as a lay leader, helped start many new
churches and was ordained as a pastor in the denomination he helped found,
Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI). Later Virgo served as chairman of JKI
International, a growing movement that now includes about fifty churches
ministering to Indonesians in several countries around the world. |
Virgo Handojo's life was transformed by the power of
the Word of God. First God singled him out with prophetic words of knowledge
given to Tante Ien and the young people who came to pray for him. Then the
written Word of God, living and active, answered his questions and sealed the
truth to his mind and heart. Virgo discovered true spiritual power in a
relationship with Christ, satisfying his deepest hunger. |
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