"He came to set the captives free..."

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.

Luke 4:18

These were Jesus' words and I don't think that have ever been more real to me than this past week.

This again is Bravo. He is 20 years old, lives with his sisters, his parents got divorced a couple of years ago and he has got a daughter that should be about 4 years old now. When we met him the first time he was completely lost in drugs, but we shared the gospel with him and there was a desire to surrender completely to God. For weeks I couldn't get hold of Bravo so that we can start discipling him and after I saw him again I realized how naive I was to think that you change your life just like that...

After continually going to Bravo's house and never finding him, I managed to get to some people in the part who know him. They told me that Bravo was at the clinic after being in a fight. When I got the the clinic and found Bravo there he told me that they were playing in the park. Eventually he told me the truth: He borrowed money from a taxi driver to buy drugs, he couldn't pay it back so the taxi driver beat him with a brick...

Last week I got in touch with Bravo again, got him connected with some of the people we are busy discipling. During our time he told me that he quickly needs to go home, to eat. I told him that we will have lunch together so it's ok. Then he told me the truth - he isnt feeling well and he basically needs a "fix". The dagga that they smoke is mixed with something that hooks them onto it and the withdrawal symptoms are intense. They start shaking and cant function properly.

We prayed together and I left him with Michael while I went to Kwanele's house to do our discipleship group. When I came back Bravo was gone. He told Michael that he needed to quickly go to the bathroom, but then slipped away...

I went to the park and found him there, with his friends, getting his "fix".

Right there I saw the bondage of sin controlling a person. Where they are so imprisoned by their addiction with no hope to escape... 

It was a reality shock to me... But there is encouragement... Jesus did come to set the captives free, no matter how deep or strong the bondage!

Please intentionally pray for Bravo, for the rest of the young men who are enslaved as well. That they will be set free by the only One who can - Jesus.