Have you ever wondered if the Holy Spirit was more powerful back in the days of the early church? If you say He's chosen to be "inactive" or is waiting for some future day to make a resurgence, I have to disagree. He is always present, always working in those who believe.
I thought I'd take a stab at writing about an event in Nicaragua as if it was written by one of the Biblical writers, like Luke. Luke was a physician, so a man of science. He's a man who would want accuracy versus rumors. He wanted facts. So, in the spirit of Luke (as I beg forgiveness if this is a sleight), here's a telling of a real event in our present day that happened on our Nicaragua trip.
One day, some foreigners (who were followers of Christ) went
to a town called Christo Rey to feed the poor, care for children, help the
sick, and have fellowship with other believers working there. Before they began serving those in the town,
the foreigners listened to those living
among the poor, telling of the many miracles God had done for them in their
town.
The pastor said many more miracles were done than he said,
and all the brothers and sisters in Christ thanked God and praised His
name.
When it was time for the foreigners to eat, they walked toward a
bus to take shelter from the heat. On
the way, the foreigners were met by four unbelievers who did not approve of
them being in their town. One of the
townsmen made a threat against one man’s life, saying, “You won’t leave here
alive.”
After the foreigners ate together, they gathered to serve
more people and rejoiced in the fellowship they had.
When the time came for the foreigners to leave the town,
eleven men gathered in a small room, joining together in a bold prayer for
protection. Several men prayed
alternately. One man was moved with
compassion for the townsmen that had threatened them, and prayed, “Father in
heaven, we pray for our protection, but even more, we pray that you would
change the hearts of the men who threatened us.
Bless them, for we have nothing to hold against them. We are here to serve you.”
The foreigners left Christo Rey soon afterward and had no
trouble leaving the town. Later, the
foreigners discussed their safety, deciding that they would return to the town
the following day as there were more women, widows, and children who were poor
to serve.
The next day, they returned to the town again. But three of the strongest foreign men stayed
behind at their encampment to perform tasks that God had prepared for them in
advance. The three strongest men’s
purpose was to provide guidance and fellowship with other brothers during the
day while the others returned to the town to serve the poor. The foreigners served many people and enjoyed
their time feeding, teaching, and playing with the children.
Shortly after the midday meal, God sent a storm, providing
rain for the crops and flooding the fields. The rain and wind were so strong that the
foreigners and poor took shelter in the same small room that the men prayed in
the day before, and remained there until the rain stopped.
The foreigners began their journey quickly to return to
their encampment, but their bus became bound by the mud from the rain that was
sent for the crops and flooded the fields.
Recognizing the trouble, the men began to collect branches
to place under the tires. Many who lived
in the town recognized the foreigners as brothers and sisters in Christ who had
served them earlier and had provided care for their children, so they came to
help.
The more everyone pushed, the more bound the bus became,
being stuck in the mud, and many became tired and began to lose hope. Some of the men laid their hands on the bus,
praying to God for help and to show his power to his flock and any unbelievers
who were near by. Other men commanded
the bus to move using the name of God.
When it seemed that all hope was lost, the command was given
to abandon the bus so that the foreigners could walk out of the town before
nightfall.
The foreigners and the townspeople came together to pray to
God in faith. When the men pushed again,
they took on new strength! The bus began
to move when many people worked together, all believing that God would
help. Even the men who threatened the
foreigners were helping.
The bus was freed from the mud and everyone present rejoiced, thanking God for the rain for the crops and for his display of love and
fellowship in having the foreigners and townspeople work together to free the
bus.
When the foreigners returned to their encampment, the three
strongest men were filled with compassion for their friends and welcomed them,
helping them get clean and washing their feet.
“We should have never left you alone!” said the three
strongest men. “We would have been able
to serve the poor in that town and helped you get out of the mud! And we missed seeing the storm and
God's answer to your prayer!”
That evening, the foreigners met together for fellowship and
to discuss God’s word. Everyone told of
the wondrous displays of God’s love, His grace, and of the faith of the
people. The men realized that the three
strongest men stayed behind to lead others in their journey with Christ, and
that God had not sent them to the town so that He would demonstrate his power
through answering the townspeople’s prayers.
Many more miracles were done during the time the foreigners
were visiting and serving, more than are recorded here. The foreigners knew that the Holy Spirit was
with them, guiding and protecting them throughout their entire journey.
Whenever the foreigners gathered, they praised God and told
others about the wonders they witnessed on their journey.
