Building Bridges

Jesus taught us so well that God is always at work all around us (John 5:19). He's always working to draw us to himself, to touch and heal people's lives, to expand the presence of his kingdom. If we will simply look for God in our midst, we'll see him at work and be able to join in what he's doing at that moment. This became evident to me again over the past couple of weeks:

Daniel is a new friend of mine from a Native Canadian background. One day a number of weeks back he and his wife were driving in their car listening to a Vineyard cd. The disk was scratched and so when he got home, he Googled the Vineyard in Canada to see if he could order a replacement cd. He came across the Halifax Vineyard site and decided to visit the church that weekend. He enjoyed his time and decided to come back that night for the equipping class I was leading on Kingdom Ministry.

That first night during the ministry clinic, someone received a word of knowledge, and Daniel was healed of diabetes. He went to his doctor, and the blood sugar that had previously been sitting at around 25 for a couple of years was now around 5. His doctor ran tests and informed him that there is no sign of diabetes. He has gone off his medication and is completely healthy!

Well, Daniel and his wife shared the story of how Jesus healed him with some of their friends from the Aboriginal community. One of these friends had recently been diagnosed with a severe form of cancer, and after hearing how God worked in Daniel's life with power, she was open to receive prayer. Daniel suggested that we all get together at their place, have some dinner and pray for her. At first there was some uncertainty when she found out that we were not Native, but she accepted, and
we all gathered at Daniel and Evelyn's for a barbecue.

After dinner as we prayed for her, the manifest presence of God came around her and she began to feel His power surging though her. The area where the cancer was grew incredibly hot and it was evident that God was at work.
We spoke to the condition with the authority that Jesus has given, and had the opportunity to share some prophetic words for her concerning what god has made her for. Angels showed up in the room, and the environment was like Luke 5:17 where it says "the power of the Lord was present to heal the sick."
After praying for her, this woman with tears in her eyes, embraced us so warmly and said, "I'd like to come to your church." She showed up on Sunday morning where everything that went on seemed like it was tailor-made just for her, and received more ministry.

The latest news from her today is that she's "doing better and feeling good." Apparently her doctor's appointment went really well and she received a good report. I'll tell more of the story as it unfolds.

Jesus loves to touch the people around us. When his kingdom breaks in, cultures are transcended, walls between ethnic groups come down, and bridges are built that brings a community of the kingdom together. I'm excited to see the reconciliation that happens around this.