As a Pastor and being in ministry for a long time now, I have been to and experience many moments of people's lasts moments on earth. However this one with my brother in law really impacted me alot more. Maybe because it was during COVID and with the many SOPs, what we could do was limited.
This story has two parts.
First part was the day before he passed away.I felt the need to visit my in laws and see what was going on.John by now was unconscious in hospital . When we were there, we just prayed together with my in-laws for Johns situation.Suddenly God led me to conduct communion with my in-laws.After communion, I ask my father-in law if he had been keeping any idols or prayer emulets. His initial reply was NO. But I knew he had because the Holy Spirit told me so.So I just left it at that.
So we went for dinner. When we drove back to drop off my sister in law, my mother in law told us, my FIL wants to give up his prayer booklet and rosary.He did this for the sake of breaking every forseeable bondage over the family.This was such a breakthrough.My wife and sister in law went ahead to burn and smash and break in prayer in Jesus name.
The Second part was the following early morning.
We received an urgent phone call from the hospital to be at the hospital as they said John was not going to make it.
When we reach the ward and saw John, his eyes were bloodshot and shut. He was dying from multiple organ failure. My wife was talking to the nurse and she was also doing video calls with John's wife and children that were stuck in Singapore. Remember this was Covid season, borders between Singapore and Johor Bahru were shut.
Caroline wanted to give his family a chance for closure as they have gone through alot of strive due to John's jobless, drinking and all other problems.You see to the family, John was not the most hopeful of individuals. Going to heaven to was unsure at least to us. However Caroline did lead him in the sinners prayer at a previous time when he was admited into hospital.
Now what was impactful to me was the moments from this point on.In the past, I have always assisted Pastors, but now I am the Senior Pastor. Alot of things were and still are new.
I proceeded to pray for John. I remember noticing the heart monitor and that it was not showing a strong heart beat. As I prayed for John, I knew he was struggling and may even be standing between the threshold of life and death.
SUDDENLY, God spoke to me in a very audible voice . He said "TELL JOHN TO WALK TOWARDS JESUS". So I said to John, "JOHN Do you see Jesus? If you do walk towards Him". I also said its ok to go. He has been a good father and all of us will be ok.
Then I proceeded to read Psalms 23 to him. "The Lord is my Shepherd and You shall not lack, He makes you to lie down in green pastures..." When I finished with my "tasks", I saw the heart monitor go flat. At that time , the nurses came in to check and they signal to each other that I knew to be - he is dead.
Why this impacted me till to day?
You see I saw God's mercy for a person who never loved him personally but knew him from a religious point of view.Someone who led his life haphazardly wasting away. Did he qualify for heaven ? To us, most likely not.However to GOD YES !
I saw how God used John's struggle to even set his own father and family free from the bondage of idolatry and corruption that comes through religiousity.
I saw how God did what John eventhough he was not able to serve his family well but he tried. But God did for the family, in a few days what John himself wished to do.
I saw how God made beautiful what was a hard life and in Jesus, made it beautiful according to Him. God's mercy and love is like if you have a stone and his mercy is an endless ocean..When you throw the stone in, it will never reach bottom.
Wow ! never judge who gets to heaven. We were never made for such. We were just made to be loved by Him.
Here's a link to the funeral - https://fb.watch/38_ItNLYGS/
21 January 2021
@Pastor Edkoh
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