I met a man who was RAISED FROM THE DEAD. While we have been in Nelspruit we have been staying next door to Pastor Surpresa, or better known as Pastor Surprise. Pastor Surprise was the one who was there to pray for Francis’ miraculous recovery from death. While we were out helping Frank deliver food to the care points he drove us by the property for the orphanage they are working on and Frank introduced us to Francis and he shook our hand. Then, as we were driving back home Frank told us the story of how he was raised from the dead. His wife, Cindy told me that the complete story is in Heidi Baker’s book, “Compelled by Love,” and so I will share that version of the story here.
Francis Raised from the Dead (page 75-78)
One of my favorite stories about God and His mercy involves one of our pastors whose name is Francis. A few years ago we had a regional conference in South Africa. Our conferences are a little different from Western conferences. All our people sleep outside in the dirt or on the floor of the church.
About 4:00 p.m., Pastor Francis went outside to lock the gate and to quiet a gang who had come there to cause trouble. But the gang jumped on him and beat him severely until he died.
When our Pastor Surpresa called the police, they told him, “We’re not coming at this time of night. It’s too dangerous there.” So he called the hospital. The hospital operator replied, “No, we won’t send an ambulance to that neighborhood.”
No one even had a car available, so finally, Pastor Surpresa was able to borrow an old car from a friend to bring Pastor Francis’s body to the hospital. Everyone was praying as the car had to be push started. The whole church was crying out to heaven; Pastor Francis had been dead for more than an hour.
But at 12:15 a.m., while the church was gathered together praying in one accord, Francis came back to life! His whole face and body were swollen, his clothes were shredded, and he was in excruciating pain. The doctors did not know what to do except to give him morphine for the pain. Before he went to sleep from the medicine, through his broken and swollen lips he said just two words: “Forgive them.”
Pastor Surpresa went to the hospital at 6:00 a.m. to visit Francis. Pastor Francis’s eyes were swollen shut, he was covered with bruises, and his whole body was swollen. He was a tragic mess, and he could hardly think straight or communicate because his lips were swollen. It looked as though he would take a long time to recover.
Meanwhile, the church kept praying and considering what should be done with the gang if the police caught them. Before long it was agreed that according to what Pastor Francis had said, the church would forgive them.
Later that morning, the police caught one of the gang members. They called the church and asked that someone come and file charges at the police station. Pastor Surpresa told them there was a little problem because the man who had been murdered was no longer dead, and the church decided that no charges would be filed against the gang.
This thoroughly agitated the police, who believed it would only encourage more crime. They wanted to teenager to be jailed for at least eighteen months. But, Pastor Surpresa and the church were firm. They believed that mercy triumphs over justice and forgiveness always wins. So, the boy was forgiven and released into the church’s custody.
As soon as the decision was made to forgive the young man, Francis’s body was totally healed. After matters with the police were resolved, the hospital also called to ask someone to come and pick up Pastor Francis.
Surpresa went to the hospital and found Francis totally well; he had no swelling, bruising, scars, or problems whatsoever. It was as though he had never been attacked the night before. Patients were not allowed to be released on a Sunday at this hospital because they were watched until Monday. But there was nothing wrong with Francis, so they had no reason to keep him.
The only evidence left from the attack was Francis’s clothes. Surpresa had to go out and buy new clothes for him because his clothes were torn to shreds from the beating.
The next morning, Francis himself went to the police station with Surpresa to pick up the teenager. The police were still very angry and said, “Do whatever you want with him.”
Remembering Matthew 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” –the entire community decided to respond in the opposite spirit, and they ministered to him with deep love and compassion. Within an hour, the boy gave his heart to Jesus. He has since started studying at our bible college, and he plans to become a pastor.
At our Easter service the same year, Pastor Francis sat on the platform, showing everyone that he indeed was raised from the dead and also about to marry his beloved bride. Rolland and I looked at each other, smiled, and said in agreement, “No one has to preach much. Pastor Francis IS the message!”
Just think about it: Pastor Francis was back from the dead to marry his bride on Resurrection day! What an awesome illustration of what Jesus did for us!
