Man didn’t believe it possible healed moments later

Sam and I walk towards my friend I had been meeting with.

But first a man is highlighted to us both, so we go talk to him instead. (Invite the Holy Spirit with a willing yes to nudge you at any point to anyone)

Soon enough, as we talk to this a man, men in their 20s, always smoking, call us to have coffee with them. One of my favorite ministry moments ever.

We sit; the put-together charismatic 27 year old jumps right in. He’s on the edge of his seat looking for God.

I set my big Bible next to their glasses of alcohol and ash strays, one starts to look in it. Another tells us, “I don’t want to get into it, but tell me how you can know Jesus is real.” The other, “Ya, share with us because our minds our open and our beliefs could change” (wow the soil!).

It’s so hard to believe, they say, when people suffer (share how Jesus suffers with us and overcame it. The Holy Spirit seemed to be on my words more than usual, giving me what to say to a group of Albanian men. Every moment you spend in the Word of God will reap in due time). 

I tell them I was empty and selfish and Jesus changed everything. I wrap the Gospel in there, and they are like we know the story, but how do you know it’s true?

They say, “well yeah we are all empty, you’re telling me you have found the way out?” 

Yes that is exactly what I am telling you.

I tell him he reminds me of Thomas the disciple, and that if he truly asks, Jesus wants to show himself to him (remember that).

The one who compliments my eyes and gives me flowers says he knows how he fills his emptiness raising his glass. But he’s kind. There’s this little girl that hangs out with these boys sitting at their table (that’s what I love about this small town). This little girl loves them. At first glance I wouldn’t have sat with these men.

They were hungry for the hope we carried – for a different story than unemployment and time spent like this. They were just little boys lost, God was saving them. The Gospel is life to those that are being saved. These men were being saved – I saw it on their faces.

When Sam shared his story, the genuinely curious one who cares about justice said “I just got goosebumps.”

Then Nick with the Spirit on him, tells his story of falling away, of healings, of what He’s found in the Lord with all confidence and hope.

This and Sam’s story encourages the 24 year old who cares for everyone in town. He started reading the Bible in jail, and he tells us that he believes in this. The Lord was pursuing him again. He said he found a safe home in the believers. He sort of had fallen away, but he grabbed onto the Bible and book we gave.

God told me to hand a Bible to the one who seemed to struggle with alcohol a second time after he refused it the first.

These men read Scripture at this table where the whole town could walk by. They said it’s good how you’d not just give a book, but you sit with us. The curious one questions our organization if it’s all for money.

As we started praying for them, they were like wait what do we do? Do we close our eyes? They were looking for us to tell them the specific way they need to pray; we said you are free. I saw their faces touched, a restful awe of what is this?

We continue, then the curious one brings up his hurt leg. Nick initiates, and we pray in faith for God to heal. This put-together 27 year old intelligent man starts moving his leg as all the other men watch in disbelief. Unable to explain that the pain was actually gone.

Gabe tells him tomorrow don’t forget this is real. God heard the cry of his searching heart. He said he tried and was never filled, but we are here to tell you be filled.

Then the other man asks for us to pray for his mind but stay sitting. They all ask for us to pray for their minds. We do. Nick shares this is not anything special about us – this is the power of Jesus! We connect them with our host and the church.

It’s up to them to grab onto what they clearly saw – they have a choice. They are without excuse. The curious one cared deeply and wanted the best for the people in his life – God saw it, God wanted it, God is saving him to be a powerful leader. I believe it. 

The faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. He is the Lord of Creation. This healing is normal for Jesus who came to heal. Nothing is too hard for Him. So ask of Him boldly. He responds to His children when they ask of Him. It may not be healing every time. When it’s not, your asking of Your Father is growing intimacy with the Only One who can satisfy you. So ask of Him. He is moving just as much as ever. Join in!

We are in Kyrgyzstan now! The first couple days we shared the Gospel with a woman who had never heard it. She said it is her dream to have new life. We told her Jesus has that for her. She was so moved and hungry for it, her countenance said it. We told her Jesus is the one who takes shame and heals broken hearts. She asked for our numbers to meet later. So many more stories to come!

Pray for all those being saved! Pray for the on-fire believers here that can be persecuted! Pray for the people of my squad to have clarity of the next step of obedience the Lord is asking us to take!