Guatemala--Power of the Blood

Our team crossed from Belize into Guatemala, hoping to spend only a few days in Guatemala and then continue on to El Salvador.  Unfortunately, one of our vehicles’ transmissions died shortly after we crossed the border and delayed us quite a bit.  As we waited for the car to be fixed, we took some time to rest and wait on God’s plan for us while we were in Guatemala.  In Mexico, we worked tirelessly doing evangelism; Belize was more focused on discipleship.  And in Guatemala, God had something different yet again.  He showed us that the most powerful thing we could do in Guatemala was pray.

Our call to intercede for the nation of Guatemala was awakened by the country’s dark history.  I could feel the darkness in the atmosphere.  Everywhere we traveled, we found Mayan idols, statues of false gods, and businesses named after demonic creatures.  We camped out at a city not far from Tikal, the largest preserved Mayan city in Latin America with the highest Mayan temples.  We learned that the Mayans had performed human sacrifices at these temples for hundreds of years to satisfy their “gods.”  Ancient Mayan games were played where the winner was sacrificed to the gods.  This was considered a great honor in the Mayan culture.  It was not uncommon to decapitate people and throw their heads and bodies from the top of the high temples in an attempt to appease the Mayan gods. 

Like many cultures and religions, the Mayans believed in an exchange of blood—the blood of their men for the blessing of their gods.  In the ritual of trading, blood is the highest sacrifice.  As Christians, we also believe in an exchange of blood—the blood of Christ for ours.  The Mayans had perverted the gospel of truth, exchanging blood in heinous rituals instead of accepting the blood of Christ for freedom and forgiveness.  Our team felt we needed to travel to the ancient Mayan temples and take back what the enemy had stolen.  We would go to the holy high places and trade the truly powerful blood—the blood of Christ.  We traveled to the ruins in Tikal and climbed up the highest temple we could find.  Though deathly afraid of heights, I understood the importance of this blood exchange and forced myself to get to the top.  Once we’d all completed the climb, we brought out the elements to take communion.  Since we were in Guatemala and unable to get the normal bread and wine, we substituted corn tortillas and some orange Gatorade.  It was the closest we could find, but we figured it wasn’t the type of bread or wine that mattered so much as the heart behind what was happening.

As we ate of the “bread and wine” we made a symbolic blood exchange I hadn’t experienced before.  In the Old Testament, only the high priests were allowed to go into the “Holy of Holies” in the tabernacle.  There was a veil separating people from God, and common people could not enter into His presence.  Yet, when Jesus died for us, the bible says the veil was broken.  Now anyone can come into the Lord’s mighty presence.  In addition, Revelation mentions a “sea of glass” that is before the throne of God in heaven.  Because Jesus exchanged his blood so that we do not have to die, we are able to go into those heavenly places and exchange his blood for heavenly things.  The veil is broken, so we can access God’s presence.  We can go through the veil or enter the sea of glass before the throne of God and exchange the blood of Jesus for all the things he died for—our salvation, love, healing, freedom, restoration, etc.  As our team took communion on the Mayan temple, we symbolically “stepped onto the sea of glass” or “stepped through the veil” to be in God’s presence and pray for His gifts from heaven.  We exchanged the blood of Christ for the salvation of His people.  We exchanged the blood of Christ for God’s presence in Guatemala.  We exchanged the blood of Christ for the freedom of the Guatemalan people.  We exchanged the blood of Christ for righteousness.  We exchanged the blood of Christ for peace in the nation.  We exchanged the blood of Christ for the truth of the gospel to reign over Guatemala and trump the heinous rituals of its history.  And as we prayed, we cancelled the perverse blood sacrifices made through Mayan rituals and declared truth over Guatemala. 

There is such power in the blood of Christ.  Pray with me that this power reigns in the hearts of the Guatemalan people and that they are freed from the demonic rituals that have enslaved them for hundreds of years.