Thursday, February 21, 2008

Cause Way Thursday
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oh breath, where is thy zing?
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T
he following piece is from Miami / Ft. Lauderdale FL television station Channel 7, WSVN. It is a story they aired on February 1, 2008.

W
hat do you think about such stories?

If you know anyone who claims to have had a near-death, or a certified death and restoration event in their life, please share their story with us.
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Raised From The Dead

Is it a medical mystery or a miracle? A South Florida man pronounced dead from a massive heart attack and then brought back to life. His doctor says the man was raised from the dead by a simple prayer. Seven's Louis Aguirre has the story.

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WSVN -- Dr. Chauncey Crandall isn't your usual doctor. The world-renowned cardiologist is a man of medicine and science, but he's also a man of faith.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "If you come in with a problem into our service, we are definitely going to treat you with conventional medicine, but we are going to believe it too. We are going to attack it with conventional medicine, and we are going to attack it with prayer."

He calls himself the Christian physician because he prays with each heart patient he sees at his Palm Beach practice. The difference, he says, is dramatic.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "The reason I pray for people is because I found, early in my trained practice, that there were miracles, unexplained healings."

But even his strong faith could not prepare him for what would happen the day Jeff Markin walked into the Palm Beach Gardens emergency room.

Jeff Markin: "I drove to the Garden's Hospital, went in, took out my wallet and fell on the floor with a massive heart attack."

For 40 minutes doctors and nurses in the ER tried to revive him. When they couldn't get his heart started again they called for Dr. Crandall, who was doing rounds in the hospital at the time.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "As I entered the ER it was like a war zone. Here was this lifeless body on a stretcher."

The doctor couldn't do anything and could only confirm what everyone already knew, Jeff was dead. He had gone almost an hour without a heartbeat, and his body was starting to decompose.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "His face, his arms, his legs were pitch black with death. I said, 'Let's just call the code, let's end it because there's no life left.'"

As Dr. Crandall turned to leave, he says he got another call this time, a call from God to pray.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "A voice told me to turn around and pray for that man. I looked down at the body, and I said, 'Lord, what can I pray for this man? He's gone.' All of a sudden these words came out, 'Father, I cry out for this man's soul, if he does not know you, raise him from the dead.'"

Despite protests from doctors and nurses who were preparing Jeff's body for the morgue, doctor Crandall insisted they shock him one more time.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "So that doctor came over with those paddles and blasted that man and, all of a sudden, instantly a perfect heartbeat came up on the monitor. The stomach started moving, the chest started moving. This man started breathing on his own, and I said, 'This man has been prayed for, he has been brought back from the dead by prayer in the name of Jesus.'"

Louis Aguirre: "So where was Jeff during all of this? He believes he left his body and crossed over to the after life."

Jeff Markin: "I was actually standing in the back of the funeral home, and I came to realize that this was my funeral."

But, in the middle of sitting alone in darkness, Jeff says a figure suddenly appeared to him.

Jeff Markin: "There was a figure that identified himself as Bob, and he was going to make sure that everything was going to be OK. I'm figuring that was my guardian angel. At that time, a very peaceful feeling and very relaxed feeling came over me, and then he said he had to go and, the next thing I know, I woke up in my daughter's arms."

He woke up to a second chance, one that can't be explained by medicine or science. As Dr. Crandall puts it, the only answer is divine intervention.

Dr. Chauncey Crandall: "You are speaking to a scientist, a cardiologist, someone who loves medicine. I've never, ever seen this. There are always people that do not believe these events, and I will just tell them that it did happen. It was a real story, a real life that was restored."

Jeff wasn't exactly a believer before that day. He didn't regularly attend church or read the Bible, but this experience has made him believe there is a higher purpose for his life.

Jeff Markin: "I feel like maybe I am supposed to be a messenger. I want to get the right message across that miracles do happen."

A miracle that brought him life after death.

Jeff Markin: "I'm so happy I have a second chance."

Louis Aguirre: "Jeff says he is now attending church mainly because he wants to figure out why he was chosen for a second chance at life."
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Reported by:

Louis Aguirre


Producer:

Angela Caraway

Contact
acaraway@wsvn.com

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2 comments:

Buddhist, RN said...

Well, you did ask what I thought!

As usual, a completely different POV. I don't think he was "chosen" to have a second chance any more than the person who did die was chosen to be dead. Things happen. I'm not entirely sure God really works that way. If he believes in God really and truly now, that's great. But to say that he has a second chance becuase God made it so makes God way too much of a busybody. He doesn't sustain OR end life. We die when our bodies wear out or when there's an accident. But my views on that are rather controversial. But those are the views that help my faith. Attributing those things to God alone makes me hate his nature. I think he backs off more than that.

What do I make of Jesus and miracles? I don't know. What do I make of healings? A lot of psychological stuff. I don't know. But I do know that God didn't sustain my life when I used to hurt myself, it was just a freak chance.

That being said....if you have another chance, no matter the reason why, you should ask God to help you learn something new and use the time well, and be thankful for the time you have.

Again, I mean no disrespect towards you at all. You bring up interesting points and it always makes me think, and I always welcome a chance to think. I'm constantly changing my views on how God works. This in particular is something Dad and I share, and we both worked ir out for ourselves last year. It's a familiar subject. Thanks for the blog entries.

uncle jim said...

Interesting points are meant to be considered and thought through. While I at times have similar wonders about God and healing and miracles, I've seen enough things that are unexplainable that I have come to accept and believe in miracles. What I may never understand, in this world, is how and when they occur. God sees the past and the present and the future. He knows the outcomes and the consequences. He sees what and how and when is the best time for His intervention. All I see is the here and now and my scope is so limited. I cannot possibly know and understand why so many prayers seem to go unanswered - the reality is probably that I just don't recognize they're happening all around me all the time - supernatural interventions, guardian angels providing guidance and protection, Go's love abounding.