Black Trainers and a Word of Faith

I was so mega blessed last week. I met someone that I haven't seen in ages. Let me tell you this incredible true story ...

We arrived in May 2000 and in the August I got a phone call from a Pastor who asked if I would visit a boy from his town who was in a hospital in Santiago. I never knew the family, the boy .. or even the pastor! Anyway, Abby and I went there to find this 15 year old guy called Bracey Calimlim.

We went to the ward and found a young man who was in a coma and had tubes everywhere. He had been having 'pretend' fights with his 3 friends on the way to school and things got out of hand. His friends beat him out and tried to throw him in a river. On the way to the water a tree branch went right through his body, almost severing his kidneys.

When we saw him the family and Doctors had given up hope. In fact, they were taking the tubes out and preparing for him to die naturally. I asked the Doctor if there was any hope. He shook his head and used his hand to show the number 0. No hope. A tragic end to a young end.

When the family saw Abby & I they asked for us to pray that he would die in peace. We went up to the bed and I started to pray over this lifeless young man. As I prayed, I felt a huge surge of power go down my arm and I spoke a word of faith ... "Bracey, you will not die but live." I couldn't believe I said it because Abby was interpreting for the family!!! Amazingly, when I ended the prayer, Bracey opened his eyes and said in perfect English, "Thank you Pastor." Goosebumps!

Abby & I decided to commit ourselves to prayer. Almost every day we went to the hospital to pray for him. It was hard... one step forward and two steps back. But in that time Bracey accepted the Lord and began to be discipled. However, things took a turn for the worst into the second month and he looked like a skeleton. One good thing that happened at this time - and this was a key - he made a conscious decision to forgive the friends who had done this to him.

But one night, he looked at me and said, "I am ready to go home now. I am tired of fighting. Before I go Pastor Mark, will you kiss me goodbye on my cheek?" I was so upset. I could see he was upset by my reaction and so I bent down to kiss him on the cheek. When I did, I felt the power of God again! I said, "Bracey, it is not time to give up. It is time to fight. You have your life ahead of you ... you will survive, become strong, go back to school, get a job, get married, have children and serve the Lord. God is with you." He agreed to fight with us.

Next day, I went to the market and bought a pair of lovely black trainers and went to the hospital. I said, "Bracey, these are for you. One day you will come to the Fire Center and play basketball with me." He smiled and nodded.

In January (5 months after we first met!) we managed to get Bracey to see a specialist in Manila. He found that his kidneys were in bad shape and there was a huge lump there and it didn't look good. I prayed for him because I had to go back to Santiago.

Two weeks later, there was a knock on my door ... it was Bracey - wearing his trainers! I have never ever ever been so happy to see anyone at my door in my life. We played basketball. He told me that when the Doctor actually did the operation they discovered that the huge lump had completely disappeared and that his kidneys looked absolutely normal. Wow!

I haven't seen him for two years ... until a few weeks ago. We drew in for fuel and I heard a knock on my window, "Remember me Pastor Mark?" I was in tears. He was looking great and had put on so much weight. Guess what? He was married and his wife was going to have the first baby. And ... his wife has just become a member in one of our Cornerstone Churches! Bracey came to church last Sunday and wants to serve the Lord at Cornerstone. Amazing. Unbelievable. Fantastic. God.

Feel blessed? Here is some lessons from Bracey's story:

* We need the Gift of Faith and the courage to speak what God asks us to speak.

* We should not be led by feelings and emotion ... but by faith. Our eyes can lie to our spirit. Our emotions can be unreliable and disable faith.

* Forgiveness is a key to healing and restoration. Unforgiveness is a shortcut to misery, pain, bitterness and even sickness.

* Your faith may need feet .. or trainers! Put action to your words.

* God is a great healer. He can do in a moment what man would take years to achieve.

* What happens to someone after they are healed are more important than the healing itself. Healing is physical; discipleship and following the Lord is spiritual.

* Some battles are sealed in a day .. but some battles last for months or years. The important thing is to never give up. You may be at the edge of a miracle!

* God's word and promises are so powerful.

* 'No Hope' doesn't exist in the vocabulary of God. Impossible is nothing.

Selah ....