‘It was like electricity’ – men’s camp miracle as tic sufferer is healed
BY LAUREN MARTIN
Like most Christians, Mark Reeves had heard about healings but had never witnessed one himself. But at a recent Salvation Army men’s camp in the NSW/ACT Division, God changed everything.
Mark, a Salvo who attends Eastlakes Corps in Lake Macquarie, NSW, has been suffering from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) for the past 18 months.
The condition impacts people’s nervous systems and can cause a range of symptoms.
For Mark, it started with losing his balance, then progressed to the point where he was experiencing involuntary movements and tics that he described as “looking like I had epilepsy”.
The condition impacted his ability to work and caused a significant amount of stress in his life.
So, when he arrived at the NSW/ACT Arise Men’s Camp at Collaroy last month, he had no idea of what God had in store for him.
The opening night featured a clip from The Chosen movie. It showed Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. Mark said to himself, “That’s what I want.”
Other men in attendance from Eastlakes Corps, including Auxiliary-Lieutenant Bernie Muendel (Corps Officer) and Gordon Toft, were all thinking the same thing for Mark.
During the Sunday service, Mark said his tics became “really, really bad”. A man sitting nearby, whom he didn’t know, whispered to him: “What did Jesus do when he went out in the boat and the storm was on? He said, ‘Be at peace, be still, be still.’”
Near the end of the service, there was a call to prayer, and Mark said, “I just knew I wanted to get well and for it to be taken away from me.” So, he walked out to the front and could feel the powerful presence of several people coming to pray for him.
One of them was his corps officer, Bernie, who said he was reminded in that moment of the New Testament story where a paralytic man’s friends brought him to Jesus.
The group began praying over Mark. Prayers of wholeness and healing.
When Mark returned to his seat, Gordon, sitting behind him, put his hands on his shoulders, leaned over and asked him how he was feeling. Mark replied, “I’m at peace ... I’m still.”
And then another man, whom he didn’t know, leaned over and touched Mark’s palm.
Gordon, still holding Mark’s shoulders, said he felt a surge of what he described as “electricity” course through Mark’s body.
Mark also described the moment as “like a small electrical charge going up and down my leg and my arm, and then I felt instantly healed. It was just incredible!”
He stood up to worship, and his body was still for the first time in a long time: no involuntary movements or tics.
At that point, Gordon called out to the worship band to stop playing. “I said, ‘Guys, stop, look at this! We’ve got to bear witness to this; there’s been a miracle here today. A real genuine miracle!’” The room erupted with praise.
Mark gave his testimony at Eastlakes Corps the following Sunday. It brought tears of joy as the congregation gave glory to God.
“It is a testimony, isn’t it?” said Bernie. “And that’s what God wants, he wants it to be a testimony to his glory and his power and his forgiveness and his grace.”
Mark has also shared his testimony at his workplace, where, regardless of the level of scepticism, his co-workers cannot deny that he is a changed man.
“I can walk straight. I can stand still,” Mark said. “I would say I’m about 95 to 99 per cent cured.”
It’s now been nearly three weeks since the men’s camp. Mark says the next step is an appointment with his medical specialists. He says he can’t wait to show them the results of a healing prayer at a Salvation Army men’s camp. All praise to Jesus!
Mark’s Testimony To view the video of Mark giving his testimony at Eastlakes Corps, click on the Eastlakes Facebook page here and go to the church service livestream on 27 October (about 36 minutes into the service).
