Matthew 8:28-34
Thomas was an older man who had been saved before. Each time, he went back on his faith because of the power cigarettes had over his body. He told me \”A Christian can\’t smoke. Until I can overcome cigarettes I can\’t be a Christian.\”
The church continued to pray for Thomas. Then the tragic news came. I rushed to the hospital. Just before he was to go in for open heart surgery I talked to him about his heart need. \”Yes,\” he said. \”I want to ask God to forgive me of my sins.\” We prayed and Thomas testified to victory.
During surgery the doctors nearly lost him. For the next month he hung between life and death. It was a struggle for life and for deliverance. It was pitiful to see him make hand signals as he begged for a cigarette. He pawed at his chest where he had always kept a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket. He went through the motions of puffing imaginary cigarettes. But God totally delivered Thomas so that he was able to live for the Lord in victory the next few years before he went to heaven. A miracle? Yes, a miracle of God\’s healing power. Although slow and painfully drawn out, it was a conclusive miracle nonetheless.