In 2018, I got a call to visit someone from the church who had cancer. No one besides the man's wife and the Senior Pastor at my church knew how bad the cancer was. The person I was to visit was a man's man. He wasn't one to talk much or open up about his feelings. I got his address and set out to find his house.

I drove up his driveway the first time I visited, not knowing what to expect. He greeted me outside, and at first glance, he looked fine. He was very friendly and inviting. He showed me his motorcycle and some collector's items he had stashed in his garage. He was a big collector and had all sorts of old original products in their original boxes.

We sat down in his living room and immediately hit it off! He was such an interesting and cool guy. He told me stories from being on active duty in Vietnam to racing cars and falling in love with his wife. He was an avid collector and showed me a ton of cool model race cars that he was very proud of. It was one of the most beautiful conversations I've ever had with a stranger. By night's end, I knew I had made a friend!

I asked him about his health as things died down, and it was time for me to go. I don't remember all the details, but he told me about his cancer diagnosis and the treatments he was on. It didn't even seem like he was talking about himself. I can't imagine coming to terms with something like that. I just listened as he explained how close he could be to death. I prayed for him that night before I left.

I made one other trip out to see him a few weeks later. He had his granddaughter over and wanted me to meet her. He seemed to be doing great. We had another great time, and I prayed with him again before I left.

We got word that my new friend wasn't doing too well a few weeks later. He was very uncomfortable due to the cancer and his body's reaction to the treatment. Things didn't look good. My father-in-law and I went over to visit him that night. He looked pale and like he was in some pain. He stayed on his feet as long as he could, showing off his motorcycle to my father-in-law, but I could tell he wasn't well. We had a good time visiting, and as we were leaving, we planned on praying for him again. However, this time was different. I don't remember if he volunteered the information or if I asked, but we discovered that he had some fluid building up on his legs as a reaction to his cancer treatment. We laid hands on him and began to pray.

Immediately the atmosphere shifted in his living room. I didn't want to freak him out, but I also felt the power of God in that moment. We commanded healing to be released throughout his body, and the fluid would leave his legs. After we prayed, we said goodbye and then left. I felt a deep conviction that God touched his body. However, that was the last time I saw him.

If I remember right, he passed within a week or two without telling anyone how bad off he had gotten. I would have loved to say goodbye.

A few weeks later, I saw his widowed wife at church. I could tell she was really hurting, but when she saw me, she grabbed me and looked me in the eyes. "Thank you so much," She said. "That night you and your father-in-law came over and prayed for my husband, 10 pounds of fluid immediately left his legs. It was an absolute miracle. Up until the day he died, he never stopped talking about how all that fluid left his body and how God had touched him." I was floored by what I was hearing, but she kept going.

"My husband had a relationship with Jesus. But after that night, something happened in his heart for God. It encouraged him and renewed his faith. Thank you so much. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is in heaven now, waiting for me."

Years later, while living in New York, a package came to me out of nowhere. Inside was a mint condition collector's edition, Dale Earnhardt model race car. Inside was a note, "My husband wanted me to give this to you." It was one of the model car’s that my friend loved so much.

As I looked at that model car, God reminded me of what happened that night before my friend passed. He experienced a 100% genuine miracle. He knew it, his wife knew it, and apparently, his whole family heard about it. However, he didn't get healed of cancer.

This experience has been so foundational to me.

"Why is physical healing an important part of the gospel of Jesus? Shouldn't we just stick with forgiveness of sins? Why do some people get healed and others don't? Why would God remove 10 pounds of water from someone's legs, but they still die of cancer?"

My answer: Because physical healing isn't about having perfect health. The truth is that every person who has been physically healed ends up eventually dying anyway. Physical healing is about changing the way we view God and the world we live in. It reveals God's heart for us and his stance against the enemy. It spurs the Believer into faith and trust in God. It forces us to take God out of the box.

God must be revered in our minds and hearts. He must be supernatural and entirely outside human ability in worship, service, and study. The American Church has gotten so good at doing church that it can do it without God's help. Physical healing can't be faked or accomplished through the smarts or hard work of gifted people. A Jesus who can't heal the sick is no Jesus at all.

I have kept that model car close by for years now. Whenever I see it, I am reminded of this experience and how vital physical healing was for one man's journey with Christ. It keeps me pressing into the mystery of God's power and keeps me humble, remembering that real ministry has nothing to do with me but God Himself touching the lives of men and women.

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