Modern Day Acts
April 24th, 2006 9
There is a legend living in Walsall. His name is Vic and he is the guy who (with others) established Walsall Community Church. Nowadays you’re more likely to find him in some far flung place spreading the Gospel.
I want to share with you a story he told us Sunday morning. I want to share it because it’s an amazing story. I for one sometimes don’t realize just how awesome these things are that Vic brings back from his travels. It’s God moving and doing things today that the apostles were writing about nearly 2000 years ago.
Vic was travelling on a train, in a typical Indian carriage packed with hundreds of people. Just the sort of thing you see on TV travel shows, people clinging on where they could. It was to be about a three and a half hour journey, so Vic settled down with his lap top to make the most of the time by doing some writing.
The people on the train were fascinated by this, some of them were farmers and had never seen a computer before. Very soon a large crowd had gathered, and were shouting random questions to Vic about what this thing was. Vic, being an enterprising bloke, and never one to pass up an opportunity decided to show them a presentation he had about the Passion movie. The crowd, now about a hundred or so, were fascinated. It took time to go through each of the slides as information about what was going on was translated and passed back through the train to the people who couldn’t see.
One he had finished, Vic asked if there was anyone who was sick. A question that was met with confused silence. Then one man shouted from the back, “My daughter is sick, and she is here now”. As they fought their way towards Vic, it was obvious that she had a paralyzed arm, her fist was tightly clenched and the arm was hanging useless by her side. She had been injured in an accident two years previously, and had been like this ever since.
Vic started to pray for her. Gradually, she started to move her fingers, and then raise her arm. By the time Vic had finished, she was waiving her arms up and down, beaming from ear to ear. The dumbfounded father couldn’t believe what had happened. His daughter had been completely healed!
Not only had the little girl been given back the use of her arm, over a hundred people had witnessed the power of God.
Make of this what you will. It’s just one of many amazing stories Vic (and many, many more people) have of healing and the power of God. Some of you may be shocked by this, some of you may dis-believe it, some of you may even have seen this kind of thing happen. My point is that this thing does happen. Awesome? Certainly.
9 Comments (+0 in the moderation queue).
#1 On April 24th, 2006 at 6:03 pm Matt said...
Vic is indeed a legend but I find myself far more interested in his journey to becoming who he is rather than what he does now. It’s the journey that many young men that I know are finding themselves on and I spend much time pondering on what it is that sets the people who make it, like Vic, apart from those who live out their lives wishing for something more. I have a theory that it starts with His love affair with a man called Jesus. Not just a faith or a following but a deep love with a man that he KNOWS. I claim to know Jesus but Vic’s life is on a different level because he’s chosen to sacrifice his life to get there.
How do i get there? Spend more time with God at the sacrifice of all else is all i can imagine. Following Vic around Kenya was amazing not just because I saw many people impossibly healed by him but because it happeded when I prayed too and i’m no psychic healer! My future is defined by how much i’m willing to give up. Security and boredom or lose everything and see the impossible. Who’s coming?
#2 On April 24th, 2006 at 10:59 pm Colin said...
It’s that level of curiousity that we need in this country. We experienced those levels of curiousity in Nepal when on the first trip there in 2003. Picture this, 5 people, three white men, all very much taller than the locals, one black woman with dreadlocks, resembling national hero Bob Marley (he’s HUGE over there!), and an Asian woman,who looked the same - but was ‘different’ to the locals. We attracted attention from all over, and through that, amongst others, people came to know the Gospel.
In this country, what could stir peoples’ curiousity to the extent that Vic’s experienced in India, and what we saw in Nepal? Any thoughts?
God uses all openings, all opportunities to let His glory be known, for the truth of Jesus to be known - from laptops to weird looking people
Just got to praise Him
Blessings.
#3 On April 24th, 2006 at 11:11 pm Jon said...
Thanks Matt, that’s the post I should have written. Where has all my excitement and wonder gone recently? Man, I need that back again, I really really do.
#4 On April 25th, 2006 at 9:39 am Starberri said...
Matt! I am! Sacrifice is scary but at the same time so exciting. I’m reading a book which is all about truly living - living that passionate love affair with Jesus - it’s called the Sacred Romance. It’s made me realise that at the moment I am just living, merely surviving, because I am not giving up everything. I am excited about what God is doing in my life though, and I know He is leading me closer and closer to that time and that opportunity to give it all up and plunge in with Him. Some would say I’m already doing it, but with God you can ALWAYS go further up and further in! You’ve never really “made it”, you’re always just getting deeper. You think you know everything there is to know about God and then He throws a curveball at you. I am looking forward to unplanning my plans, and letting Him lead me.
As to Colin - what would stir people’s curiosity? I think someone I know put it well the other day. They said Liz - you’re so “interesting, but normal”. People need to see that Christians are interesting, more interesting than anyone else they are likely to meet who’s lives are spent searching for a romance with someone who they cannot seem to find or have rejected completely. A christian needs to know that what he/she has is the best thing in the whole world! But they also need to be normal, showing that there is nothing more natural and sensible than this relationship with our Awesome Creator. It is not just something for some “wackos”, but for all people.
My most hated phrase I hear way too much is “well it works for you but it’s not for me.”
Come Lord Jesus!
#5 On April 25th, 2006 at 10:02 am Jon said...
Interesting to see that we’ve only heard from Christians so far. What about those of you that are not? Do you think of us as (Liz puts it) Wackos? Come on, no pulled-punches, what do you really think?
#6 On April 25th, 2006 at 3:24 pm Kris said...
Those laptops are getting seriously advanced!!
#7 On April 26th, 2006 at 12:26 am Paul said...
Once again, Kris slams it!
I want to comment, but I feel I would only offend. Until I see it, I find it hard to believe. If it works for you…
#8 On April 26th, 2006 at 11:45 am Starberri said...
“Blessed are those who believe and have not seen.”
The best thing about God is that if you believe in Him you’ve nothing to lose if He doesn’t exist, and everything to gain if He does.
#9 On April 28th, 2006 at 11:20 am Jon said...
Thanks for that (John 20:29 btw).
Paul, please comment, I feel anyone’s faith should be strong enough to stand up to a little criticism from you! People have died for what they believe in, I’m sure a little Lloydy rant isn’t going to cause that much offence. It’s your opinion after all.