Testimonies

Raised from the Dead
By Lisa Edmonds

I work as a receptionist cum Administrator at the Eden Assembly of God Church in Auckland.

On Sunday 22nd June, 2003 I felt unwell before the morning service and requested my Pastor, Mr. Geoff Wiklund to pray for me. I was feeling really tired and had a massive headache. My breathing was shallow and all I wanted to do was sleep. Feeling much worse after the service, I went home to sleep without eating anything, not knowing I wasn’t going to wake up again in the normal way.

At 5.00.pm, my husband Danny felt something was wrong and came in to check on me. He touched me. I was cold and clammy and didn’t appear to be breathing. Immediately he called for the ambulance and was told to check my pulse. I didn’t have any at all!

Danny, Director of the N.Z. Master’s Commission, a Bible school and Discipleship and Evangelism College, knew the theology of raising the dead, but was totally unprepared for the events unfolding before his eyes. He felt God telling him to rebuke death, which he did without conviction.

At about 5.45.pm, he contacted Ps. Geoff Wiklund, who in turn got the church congregation, who were getting ready for the 6.00.pm evening service, to pray in unison for me. He then hurried to our home together with Mr. Rick Parker, a deacon of the church.

My heart stopped for at least 20 minutes while the ambulance team worked on me and by 6.40.pm, they were packing up their equipment, when one of them suddenly found a pulse.

I was transferred to Auckland Hospital. There my family received more bad news. The doctor informed them, that there was bleeding in the skull and that I would (if I survived) have massive brain damage. Two hours later the doctors official view had changed!. I had awakened with no brain damage at all!! Praise God Almighty!!

The medical view was that I had cardiac arrest due to sleep apnoea but that couldn’t explain the 20 minutes my heart stopped while the ambulance team were working on me.

My family and I firmly believed that a miracle had happened and God had intervened and “Raised me up from the Dead”. All praise and Glory be to Almighty God I serve.

Although I have no memory of my collapse, I have been given a second chance at life.(Rom.8:38) ”for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord.”

I have slowed down considerably in both the Administration and children’s work at church to enjoy the wonderful gift of life that God has given back to me.

I love my God and believe there is a purpose for all that happened to me on that Sunday. Rom.8:28.

Rom.8:28—”and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

I praise God for the unity in prayer by the Church Congregation.