For those interested, My good friend the late Neville Logan wrote a book about some of the amazing ways Jesus touched lives among us in the late 70's
This book can be read here
Excuse Me I have to Shoot the Guitarist, an Ebook by Neville Logan
Here is a chapter that Neville wrote in the book in which we both saw Jesus heal instantly with awesome effect.
Note: 225Hi was a 24 hour drop in centre for street folk in Central Christchurch where Neville and I served Jesus together.
GOD ALWAYS GETS HIS MAN
As a boy I was fascinated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Their motto, I believe, is, "We always get our man."
This is a story about a former Mountie who had a dramatic encounter with God.
During the years I was at 225Hi! I also had a working relationship with the Christchurch Boys' Home in Stanmore Road. Someone had once asked me to visit her son who was being held there, and my visit developed into an involvement with the home in the capacity of art instructor. As well as showing up each Tuesday evening for art classes I tried to visit at other times, whenever possible.
I loved the time at 'Stanmore' as it was called, and have many wonderful stories of boys there who not only learned to draw but more importantly, learned that they have a heavenly Father who loves them.
Most of the boys were from 'at risk' situations, as they are described these days, and the Social Welfare Department did all they could to ensure the boys had as many healthy life experiences as possible.
With this in mind, I decided to arrange a camp for some of them at Living Springs. It took a little organising and as there were some details I needed to settle that could best be finalised at the home, I decided to go there for the afternoon.
Having no vehicle at that time, I set out as usual on foot for the couple of miles journey. Not long into the walk, as I was passing the Centennial Pool in Oxford Terrace, I had a definite feeling that I shouldn't be going. It was simply an uneasiness about what I was doing. I had no peace about going on. As I began involuntarily slowing down, I started talking to the Lord about it.
"But, Lord, I really have to go and organise the camp."
"Yes, but I didn't tell you to, did I?"
"But, Lord, I've cleared up all my work at 225Hi! and there's nothing else to do today." "Yes, but I didn't tell you to, did I?"
Then clear as a bell, I know the Lord said to me, "You can go if you want to, but you'll miss out on something good if you do."
During our conversation, I had been slowing down until at this point, I stopped. I could no more have gone on my way to the home than fly to the moon, and I was happy to turn back as I really knew something great was going to happen.
Arriving back at 225Hi! I found everything in order and sat down at my tidy desk to wait for whatever the Lord was going to do.
Carl Emerson was a close friend and often we would go out together to the most amazing places sharing the gospel with the ones the Lord led us to. He had decided that he would stay away from me this week though, as he knew I had lots of work to do. In fact, all my work was completed by this time, but he didn't know that.
As I sat at my desk, he was at home praying and the Lord clearly told him to come and see me.
"No way, Lord, that can't be You talking, Logan's too busy!"
This started a two-way debate that the Lord won, so Carl hopped into his car and headed for 225Hi!
He walked into my office and asked, "What's happening, Logan?"
I told him what the Lord had said to me, and of course, I was excited to hear his story. All that remained was to find out what God was up to!
"Have you had lunch?" Carl queried.
I hadn't, so we piled into his car and headed off. We discussed the situation as we drove, trying to get some idea of what we should do. The only clue we had was that in his prayer time that morning Carl had seen a vision of both of us walking in the Botanical Gardens. So that's where we headed.
Soon we were walking through the beautifully landscaped park that in the early days of Christchurch had been a shingle pit. We made our way to the Tea Kiosk where years before I had met with Max Palmer. Carl had a little spare money and so we joined the tourists and chose a table.
The feeling as we sat enjoying our coffee was in stark contrast to the uneasy experience I’d had in Oxford Terrace. Now we were totally at peace and knew for sure that we were in the right place.
As we chatted a man came in and sat down a couple of tables from us. He was an absolute wreck! He showed all the signs of being an alcoholic, was smoking like a train and was quite clearly partially crippled. Carl had his back to him, but he was directly in front of me, so my attention was pretty much fixed on him.
Two packets of cigarettes were on the table in front of him and I remember the brand was Sportsman. One pack was red and the other green if I remember correctly. I'm from an advertising background and I know the power of advertising, so as I watched I felt disgusted that a cigarette company could call a product that did so much to destroy lives Sportsman! Carl saw the disdain on my face and asked what I was looking at. I drew his attention to the fellow and explained why I was looking 'less than impressed'.
Shortly afterwards the man left his table and made his way to the door where he paid his bill and then left. Now Carl and I knew he was the reason we were there, so we quickly got up and followed him. As we paid for our coffees I noticed the man was watching an artist at work on a painting.
"Excuse me, do you know who that man is out there? The one looking at the painting?" I asked the lady at the cash register.
"Oh, he's one of a bunch of guys on sickness benefits that hang out around the gardens," she answered.
By the time we had paid and were outside, the man had disappeared.
There are several paths leading away from the kiosk and we had no idea which one he had taken, so we selected one and set out. Not far down the path we spotted him limping along with clouds of smoke emanating from him. We soon caught him up and were quite excited at the prospect of meeting him, as we knew something great was about to happen. As we were about to draw level with him, I wondered what to say. Keeping it simple, I just greeted him with "Hi!"
"Oh gidday", was his reply.
I opened my mouth again and the Lord gave me a scripture that was one of my favourites. I simply stated, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God."
"Far out! Are you Mormons?" was his response.
As we continued to walk towards the museum I explained to him how the Lord had directed Carl and myself to meet and then to come to the Gardens. He was astounded at my suggestion that God cared about him enough to bring us both across the city just to talk to him.
"Oh, I often go to the Salvation Army," he said, "so I've heard all about God."
Then he went on to tell us that he had been a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and had retired after being shot several times and sustaining a crippling back injury. He had subsequently ended up an alcoholic.
He wore a checkered shirt, and we could see from the curves in what should have been straight stripes that his back was badly twisted.
The three of us sat down on a park bench near the museum and for the next half an hour or so we told him about the God that does miracles and loved him enough to do one for him.
After listening to us for a time, he decided to ask God's forgiveness for his sins and we had the privilege of praying with him and leading him in the 'sinner's prayer'.
Immediately he had said "Amen" to his prayer we were startled to witness him leap to his feet and exclaim, "I'm healed! I'm healed!"
"What's healed?" we asked.
"My feet! Look, they're flat on the ground? They haven't been like that for years." Previously the outsides of his feet touched the ground but the insides were curled up, giving him a bow-legged sort of stance.
Carl and I were amazed. We hadn't even prayed for healing yet. God had sovereignly fixed his feet as he gave his life to Him.
Well, as you can imagine, we were getting excited, and Carl suggested we see if his legs were the same length. I got him to sit down again and I made sure his back was right up against the back of the seat before I pulled his legs up and brought his feet together. Sure enough, one was considerably shorter than the other, and in answer to our prayer, we watched the short one grow to the same length as the other.
"Get up," ordered Carl, who by this time was almost beside himself with excitement and joy. "We're going to pray for your back!"
Three seconds into the prayer, the stripes on his shirt straightened up as the Lord restored his spine. He was absolutely transformed.
Quite honestly, I've never seen a greater miracle in all the years I've been a Christian.
We then climbed into Carl's vehicle and took him to Sydenham where he needed to pick up some meat from the butcher. As we sat in the car, we watched him walk down the street and into the shop, just like a policeman, straight and true. There was no indication of the terrible degradation apparent in the man we had seen in the Kiosk.
I sent Carl a copy of this chapter and this was his reply:
Dear Neville,
Great to be part of telling the events we shared back in the eighties. Psalm 126 puts it well.. When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad.
I remember that day well. Seeing God's power transform a total stranger we had been directed to pray for. I was literally jumping for joy with praise and awe. Our Jesus was at work in the 'market place' again and we were privileged to share in His work.
The only regret I have is that when we went to leave the kiosk, the Lord told me to tell the lady operating the till that she would not see the man in the same sorry state again. I chickened out and said nothing, but the Lord still turned on a spectacular miracle, despite, not because of us.
Another couple of things you didn't mention in the script...
Do you remember that in your morning Bible reading that day you felt that the story of Peter and John healing the cripple at the temple gate had some significance? Also in my prayer time I had a vision of us walking in the Botanical Gardens, and on the way to your office I stopped the car two or three times to pray as I was sure something dramatic was going to happen.
Oh, and another thing, you asked the chap if he believed God could heal him and he replied, "Yes, but I've been waiting a long time."
Events like this one are the fulfilment of a childhood dream to do what Jesus did, and we can when we give our lives to Him and follow the instructions in His Book with childlike acceptance.
Carl Emerson
