God Heals - Or Not
Because not everyone gets healed, should we stop praying for it, even if you have not been healed yourself? The answer here is obvious yet there are others who would think that God does not heal at all or it was for a specific time in the past and not for today. God heals through His supernatural power and God heals through the natural power of our body's ability to heal. He heals through prayer, He heals through doctors, He heals through medicine and wholesome living. And don't forget that inner healing is much more valuable than physical healing. We need faith to be able to ask of God but God does not need our faith to heal, He heals because He loves us and bestows His compassion on us.
I mentioned before about the healing crusade that I attended and that I had prayed for healing in the congregation. The evangelist remarked about the man in a wheelchair being healed. I looked at the rapture on his face and the fact that he was giving the glory to God. His was an inner healing, it was real and I give thanks to God for it but I don't remember the man getting up out of his chair and running around yet he did get healed and I recollect perfectly that God's power had come out of my asking Him for healing in the service.
I haven't been healed yet but that will not and should not deter me from asking the Lord to heal me. It may be His will or not but the scriptures say that we should pray and ask others to pray. Jesus healed the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant but he did not ask for it and would not have expected it either. Jesus healed Malchus because He had compassion on Him. Can you think of someone that Jesus does not have compassion for? No, that is the job of those with white-washed conservative compassion, not the ones that are willing to lay down their lives for us.
We have been concerned with what is bogus in evangelistic ministries in this discussion but we must never lose sight of what is real. There are healing crusades where people get healed, we have heard testimonies to the fact so we must not let the bogus spoil what is right and pure and from a Godly source. We may however be thinking in the wrong terms when we try to predict what Jesus will do through us when we will be doing the greater works. We may in fact not know what those greater works are. After all, if they are greater, they might not just be more of the same but something even different than before. So many think it is in giving us as individuals a healing ministry but at this point we don't know and we have to be open to the fact that it may be greater works through us as a united group.
I am very comforted by the fact that there were so many positive personal messages in my confirming liberality. These short little messages of amen and well said and in agreement are soothing to the soul but i will leave them out here for fear of criticism of patting my own back. The fact that others are also seeing through all the right wing insanity that is being spout off by an apostate church is very encouraging for me. So often I think I am all alone in this feeling among spirit filled ministries; more and more, the veil is being lifted.
The e-groups forum is in the midst of a lively discussion on tithing so it would be good to bring it here. This parallels the healing ministry problem of just what kind of faith is pleasing to God. The problem in the tithing question is if it is necessary or not. The responses in a nutshell seem to be going toward the answer that tithing is valid but like so many other things, it has been misused. I always tend to go toward free-will spirit directed rather than the legalistic way but let's hear your thoughts. Think about the curse of Malachai and how tithing has been used as a tool for money hungry pastors and evangelists. Conversely, think of the way it can be used constructively for the glory of God. There were several good responses already that I will wait for the next time.
Read the current responses below. Thoughts on liberality vs. right wing conservatism, a touching story of healing - or not, false prophets, discernment, prosperity doctrine. And get back to me about tithing.
Jay
Dear Jay
What a relief to hear from someone who shares my concerns and views. The
only decent Christian radio station left in my area is constantly spewing
right-wing conservative propaganda, and I often wonder why I'm on the
opposite side of so many other Christians' perspectives.
I also appreciate your piece on discernment. Many times things I hear and
see through various churches and ministries just don't sit right with me.
I, too, have privately questioned the authenticity of prophecy given in King
James English and other similarly questionable practices or unusual claims.
Sometimes I have tried to participate but the results did not witness to me.
Thank you for your emphasis on love. I also believe many people in these
churches and ministries have good intentions. Many have lifestyles that
seem to be holier than mine and because of their devotion to Jesus I end up
thinking something is wrong with me when I doubt. Yet at the same time, I
know in my heart that the things I am doubting are not scriptural and that I
have a witness that they are indeed false. I can find no scriptural basis
that being "slain in the spirit" should be a common experience. Nor can I
find a scriptural basis
for uncontrollable laughter in church.
I know that God can do anything He pleases. But He really doesn't need
people to fake miracles for Him. When the real miracles come, the Servants
of God won't be able to keep people away.
Keep up the good work. Thanks for helping to clear up the confusion.
Yours in Christ,
Diane Delaney
The Need for Illumination
The doctrine of the inability of the human mind and the need for
divine illumination is so fully developed in the New Testament that
it is nothing short of astonishing that we should have gone so far
astray about the whole thing. Fundamentalism has stood aloof from
the Liberal in self-conscious superiority and has on its own part
fallen into error, the error of textualism, which is simply
orthodoxy without the Holy Ghost. Everywhere among Conservatives we
find persons who are Bible-taught but not Spirit-taught. They
conceive truth to be something which they can grasp with the mind.
If a man hold to the fundamentals of the Christian faith he is
thought to possess divine truth. But it does not follow. There is no
truth apart from the Spirit. The most brilliant intellect may be
imbecilic when confronted with the mysteries of God. For a man to
understand revealed truth requires an act of God equal to the
original act which inspired the text....
Conservative Christians in this day are stumbling over this truth.
We need to re-examine the whole thing. We need to learn that truth
consists not in correct doctrine, but in correct doctrine plus the
inward enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. We must declare again the
mystery of wisdom from above. A re-preachment of this vital truth
could result in a fresh breath from God upon a stale and suffocating
orthodoxy. The Pursuit of Man, 76-77,84.
"Lord, I do believe in the authority of the Scriptures, and thank
You for that foundation of truth. But I need this reminder that even
that inspired text is not alive until the Holy Spirit takes it and
enlightens the recipients. May the Holy Spirit indeed take what I
teach and imbed it in the hearts and minds of my hearers. Amen."
A. W. Tozer reprinted from "Insight for Leaders" at: http://www.litmin.com/tozer.php3
Dear Jay, my dear brother in our most precious Savior Christ, Jesus who
sits at the right hand of God our Father, may your ministry be blessed and
may our discernment of God's will be true and seem good to us and the Holy
Spirit, and may we know His truth as the core of our being, that is in
our hearts, I ask this in Jesus Christ's precious name.
I have a dilemma. I've belonged to a church that I know the Lord led me to
for a year now. The pastor a woman, and I know is anointed by God is the
most gracious and God loving of the saints I've ever met. I moved here a
year ago to work after a long bout with a disabling degenerative disc
disease. And two operations and three years of abject poverty, a brutal
divorce that brought me back to God and mercifully coming back to the
Church, an awful custody battle which I won only by divine intervention, and
having our blessed Savior there with me and for me every step of the way;
answering prayers, talking to me, walking with me, a baptism of the Holy
spirit in and Old Growth forest that was truly God and truly Holy and not
dependent on any preacher, or Church (although was going to church more than
the Pastors at the time ), God loving me (I must continually ask 'why me?'),
saving both of my sons and well just being our wonderful Lord. You know how
He is, I know you do.
My current Pastor's exegesis of scripture has been
mostly impeccable, and I knew there was some faith based theology in there
some where, but I did not let it keep me from the presence of God, and just
let it go. She did six weeks on the two trees and knowledge of good and evil
and the Tree of Life that was most excellent! Now there has come the time
where I'm up against the wall. I got a sermon that told me I have to be
healed and that the only thing that is holding me back is me. The week after
the sermon I had lunch with my Pastor and her husband and told her I was a
poster child for her preaching about people who are dependent on Doctors and
drugs, and not dependent on the Lord. It was not that blunt. But I'm due to
go to Portland next Wednesday the see the best surgeon in the State.
I received the laying on of hands, two weeks ago and was "told this is my day."
Well though I was taken a hold of spiritually, little has changed, oh I
felt better but my arm still goes numb and if I wasn't on these pain killers
I couldn't work or walk. Anti inflammatory drugs damaged my liver so the
current opiate like substance is the only thing they can give me, I have
had a miraculous healing last in April, of 1999, two weeks before I was due
to be operated on for a low back fusion, it was awesome. Since that time I
had surgery again on my neck (there have been two neck operations) and the
last operation they (a charismatic Christian neurosurgeon) operated on my
neck and fused a good disc and left the bad one. We said we'd pray with my
pastor and the Doctor before surgery, but it didn't happen. I've been on
oxycontin (synthetic morphine) for two years and it has taken a toll.
I've been told by my pastor, I'm "a Holy Ghost man," and that I'm "going to be a
sign and a wonder." And well I think the Lord has told me that I may have
got all the healing I'm going to get from Him in this manner, though He may
use a surgeon to finish me up. I say this because I was worshipping in the
charismatic church where I received healing in 1999 and there was a woman
there who was worshipping and had only one leg, well the Lord kind of spoke
to me the way He does with out saying any thing audibly and showed me that
if I were to receive more healing for me it would be no different for me,
than if this woman had a new leg restored. And well no one has seen anything
like that recently have they? I know I'm going to receive a glorified body,
but the old and new testaments say plainly this one is going to wear out. I
almost feel like I can't go to Church because my faith is in their eyes so
weak that I'm not receiving healing, which becomes a works kind of thing,
now doesn't it. I know they love me and don't really feel that way. Well at
least I hope so.
I don't know what to do, I have my son who is blossoming in
their Christian school-I have to keep him there as the public school did
something that was awful and is another story. I love everyone there and
feel it to be my spiritual home, but oh how the enemy has used this dilemma
the past two weeks to sow doubt in my mind. This Church I recently found out
gives to a couple of ministries that three years ago I would have never
believed that I would be a apart of (Hinn and Copeland). The prosperity
doctrine that goes out to the edge and makes prosperity a sign of
righteousness, has been one of the great bane's of the church and the church
age, I believe it is just simply misguided and wrong. The faith based
healing is true because I know I've been healed and I've seen others
miraculously healed, but the Lord heals some and others he does not, He
heals some through miracles and others He uses Doctors, and then some of us
go home to Him.
Please pray for divine guidance that I may see from Him a
way to go through this seeming maze in the Kingdom and not end up where I
shouldn't. I'm a single Dad raising a good little boy to Love God and love
His neighbors as himself, I don't want any more surgery, but I may have to
brave through another round of them cutting my throat (they've done that
twice now and I get sick to my stomach thinking of it). And a MRI on
Wednesday will tell another tale whether or not I have another one. Oh and
though I voted for the current president I've been a Democrat all my life
and the current rush to embrace this administration is not to be done
without discernment, sure I pray for GW but I prayed for Clinton too.
Abortions wrong it must be stopped, but then we must take care of the many
poor children that will be born, and not discriminate against anyone. I am
very hopeful and if he is indeed who he says he is maybe there will be a
brief change for the better, if he is not, may the Lord help us all. Thank
you for your ministry, your commentary on Liberalism is very, very good.
Thank you and may the Lord bless and keep you. In Him, James Kelly
You know what you say here is so true. There is a prophetic meeting every
2nd and 4th Friday at a church around here and the head prophet is very stern
about things coming from the spirit and the gift of prophecy came to me
suddenly and swiftly and I did nothing to bring it out and only words came to
me for certain people there and I did not speak with anyone that the Lord
did not give me specific words and I am glad I waited and this was one time
when my hesitancy to do things like that paid off! Amen!
Audette
Thank you so very much, for these words of wisdom. I want to say AMEN on
your article. I have experience this kind of thing over and over again, but
always thought I had a judgmental spirit.
Louwdene Swart
Jay,
I really enjoyed your letter, as I enjoy much of what you share with the group. I think
the topic you chose is one that too often goes undiscussed or discussed with little conviction
at times. It is amazing to think of the literally billion plus christians that are in the
world right now and the five plus billion who are non-christian, and those that lead and direct
and teach them in the way of spiritual matters. In christianity today it is even more amazing
to see the division of sects and how differently each of these people preach and teach what is
"the doctrine of salvation" Even within organized sects individual beliefs and ideas may
differ so greatly it can confuse both christian and non-christian alike as to what is right and
what is wrong. It can be even more discouraging for people to see the attitudes that accompany
these people to the point of arrogance as too the fact that the way they fallow is the "only
way" I study people in my line of work and most of what I do is to try to understand how people socialize in groups and how an individuals background, beliefs, and abilities
cause them to attract, act, react, associate, and disassociate with groups, weather they be
secular or religious.
One thing I find in all people is an individuals need to belong to
something or anything, to be associated with or recognized with a group or ideology or
movement. In christianity we have so many different groups it easy for one to see how people
have a menu of options that allow them to pick and choose the religion that best suits there
likes and dislikes, there work ethic, there tastes, and needs. Take for instance a lazy man.
It is much easier for him to attend church and fallow the teachings of a minister or preacher
who doesn't believe a man should try and work out his own salvation. Go to church once a week
and believe and you are saved. Or a man who is stingy with his money. How simple it is for
hime to just follow after a group that passes an offering plate where he can give a few dollars for the whole world to see and not have to give freely of tithes and offering in a private manner to
be rewarded by God. Those who feel they have been called to preach the word of God so
desperately seek to "convince a world that has been deceived" and seek to bring others to the
enlightenment that they have obtained. So many choices, so many Words of God, so many
different doctrines, so many different teachings, all coming from one place. I often ask
myself if God is a god of confusion? and Why so much chaos now exists amongst those who profess
to follow him. But I know that God is not a god of confussion and he doesnt have more than one
doctrine, that he has only one plan, and he does everything in order and in purpose. He is the
same yesterday, today and forever.
God has followed the same pattern of revealing truth
through out the ages. Holy men are chosen to testify of Christ as did Peter in Act 10 and as
he spoke the Holy ghost fell upon those that heard, and those that believed were numbered amongst the followers of Christ and to be baptized in his name. When a man speaks with the authority of
the Almighty and stands as a witness to the divinity of Christ the Holy Ghost must and will
testify of the truth of those things. With out the testifying spirit of the Comforter no man
can with any authority say "Thus saith the Lord" By the fruit of the spirit which is hope,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, brotherly kindness, charity
humility, diligence, virtue, joy, and love shall ye know of there truthfulness. By there
fruits ye shall know them. Notice how the description though adjectives they are, they also
describe the actions which they shall take. But beyond the kind of person that a preacher or
pastor or reverend or minister or prophet is, what they have to tell you is the single most
important aspect of what it is they are and are doing.
In today's main stream christian society
we have the bible. Bill Cosby always said to read your bible but to get a really thick one
so as to be sure none of the words are missing. I laughed at that, but in a sense it is true.
So many people have had liberty with the words of God over the century and so many take liberty
with it today, it is very hard to tell who is right and who is wrong, what is of God and what
is of man. A learned man of the scriptures can prove anything they want with an appeal to the
bible. A historian or archeologist can prove or disprove because of certain other texts and
past beliefs. So we find ourselves on dangerous ground as to what we can and can't believe and
what we should or shouldn't follow. So in the end we have to look at what is essential for each
of us to determine what is of God and what is of man. I first see that we know that God spoke
to prophets, seers, and revelators in the past. These men although foretelling of different
events and bring to light new answers and mysteries, they never contradicted each other as to
the doctrine. God would not give one thing to one prophet and something to another that would go against what he has commanded the first to preach. God is not an author
of such confusion. He established one body in the days of the jews and one body in the days
of Christ, man has fractioned it and God's purpose is to have only one. Those who preach and
teach and expound the word of God today must follow the same criteria. Secondly, the holy
ghost must follow these men to testify of the things to which these men have said. Not only
does the spirit have to rest in them and with them but must go unto those whom they have
preached too. Thirdly those that hear these words must follow after these teachers of
righteousness and follow the doctrine which the Lord has laid out, to be numbered amongst them.
A prophet in this day and age is so often looked upon as a charlatan or a con-artist, and by
right they should be because the Lord dwells with so few, but a few, a small handful do exist.
They all belong to the same body and they all preach the same doctrine, they and they alone hold the keys to the preaching of the kingdom of Christ, they alone can say "Thus saith the Lord"
Our job is to find such men, such teachings, and such doctrine. Our responsibility is to seek
out truth to test it, to accept it no matter how it contradicts what we have been taught for
truth is truth and if we don't accept it we will be condemned in it and through it. Our Father
will give us all things what so ever we stand in need of if we are seeking him. Christ Jesus
has sent us the Holy Spirit of Promise to act as a guide, as a messenger, as a testifier of
truth. I know that Christ lives and he bids each and every one of us to come unto him and be
sanctified. It is our responsibility to meet him as he comes half way and stretches forth his
hand, all we have to do is step forward to the truth and take it.
Sincerely
Your Mormon friend in Christ Jesus
Cole
I enjoyed your article on discernment. I think I possibly have this gift. I have
watched many of the TV evangelists and have been concerned
about many things they throw out to the viewers. I have also done some reading
up on some particular evangelists I have concerns over. I have
also checked out some of their comings and goings. I have difficulty dealing
with those I have investigated and who themselves have said over
TV that God wants us to be very prosperous. I believe God wants us to have the
necessary essentials and possibly a little more to sustain our
livelihood.
These guys from TV have a boat load of stuff. Some have more than
one very luxurious home, and very fancy automobiles; plus
many other high end items. I won't go into any names, but many, not all, come
from the TBN broadcasting programs. They all seems to get on
this same bandwagon about things. When you see one evangelist on the shows start
something that supposedly the Lord has led them to do,
then all the others say they have the same vision.
I have to say that most of
the time, they do preach the word. It seems to always be a good
message with biblical meanings. But, I could be way off base here, but I still
have this discernment about many of them thinking that they are
doing God's work, and living the way God would have them. I get the feeling that
quite a few have gone over the edge where the money and
possessions part comes into play. They almost live the lives of millionaires. I
truly do not believe this is what God intended. So much more
could benefit from all that money going to some other worthy cause other than
for themselves. Maybe you could give me your perspective on
all of this. I am open to what might be going on other than what I seem to
discern. Thanks and God bless.
gmgraham
Jay,
On the subject of false prophets and such. Something that I would like to
reply for the sake of the truth. I agree with all that you were saying. I do
want to point out something that I might need more discernment on.
I'm coming from the angle of abasement in this matter when you say;
"the Didache tells us that if a prophet asks you for money, he
is a false prophet. These ministers would rather prey than pray. If God
cannot provide for your ministry without asking anyone other than Him,"
This statement is true, but it is as manifold as truth ever is in that the
prophets have a history of asking, even telling persons to sustain
them...remember Elijah and the woman's last meal? Paul stayed and shared his
load with those who made tents, it wasn't his home...many times the
disciples were received into the homes and taken care of by the people. The
reason why? They probably didn't have to ask most of the time. They followed
the teachings of Jesus.
But we are living in a day when men have departed from the wholesome words
of Christ, simple words ...even the first doctrine that was delivered unto
us...." ask and ye shall receive"....and from a personal point of view, I
think in this time it is a very clever way to see if someone is living by
the wholesome words of Christ or not!
Listen to this parable:
A wise man walks up to a fancy dressed preacher and says; " preacher, the
Lord told me to give you two hundred dollars.." The greedy preacher said..."
Brother, you ought to obey the Lord". And so the man gives him the money,
and the preacher receives it with joy. That same wise man puts a fake
mustache on, dirty clothes, and pours beer on himself to come and see the
same preacher again. When walking up the preacher doesn't recognize
him...and the wise man says: " preacher the Lord told me to come to you for
100 dollars.." All of a sudden the preachers face gets serious as he says in
his heart..." if that were true, the Lord would have told me before this man
came". The preacher then replies, " Sir, Im going to pray for you that God
is going to meet your need, you know he is able to do it...and Im going to
have to pray about giving you money, because it is not my money but the
Lord's...until then..."Be thou clothed and warmed in the name of Jesus!" and
walks away.
Be we are not to be like the hypocrites, departing from the simplicity that
is in Christ.
"Give to him that asketh of thee, and lend expecting nothing in
return....if a man asks you to go a mile, go with him twain."
Its one thing to realize that they are wrong for asking for money on
television....but its another thing to obey the words of Christ, and send
them money for His sake...whatever it may be that we send. This is where a
reward is...for what reward do you have for giving to them that are your
friends only? For we are not doing it because they ask, but we do so because
the Lord told us to give to them that ask.
In the above understanding, its a good way to try the spirits by allowing
people to know your faith and love in the Lord Jesus, and if you are without
.....be honest...and if you have it to give...be honest...God supplies every
need regardless of those who shut up their bowels of compassion....
I am in a time personally that I have less than ten dollars in the bank. I
have two churches scheduled to preach revivals in a couple of months... I do
have a check coming for helping a man build a driveway for 80 dollars...and
I have worked to stay afloat...despite at least six hours a day in the word.
But in my need for a financial miracle even as I sought the Kingdom...He
said for me to "knock on doors... and He would answer with those living by
His words."
Should I feel bad about making my need known? Or rather should we as
churches feel bad for not giving...making others to ask when they shouldn't
have to ...and even then.." we have to pray about it".
I agree with you totally about the greediness we see in the ministries
today. God never intended us to ask the suicidal for money as he turns on
the Christian TV station, with a gun to his head for his last hope.
But it also is a faithful token of the love of God when your need is made
known, and real followers of Christ's wholesome words respond to their own
prosperity.
Are these things correct?
I agree with you.
Christopher
Dear Jay,
I knew a man who was preaching in a church, denominational
Pentecostal...etc. Just such a person was preaching wildly about
healing....He said something like this;
" Im not talkin' bout no TV show, honey! I'm not talking bout' somethin you
said that she said, that someone else said to someone who told someone else
all about what someone had experienced...I'm not talkin' bout that right
now...God help me....I'm talking bout' POWER!
And Jay, that whole place was as quiet as a prison at playground time..
All happy, caught up in the moment...and such a man went on and shouted,
couldn't help himself...even this man lifted up his voice like the apostles
of old and said;
Im talkin bout you gettin on your good pants!.... you know....the pants you
wear to Go Sunday, y'all know how to dress to "Go Sunday?"
Put your hair back, just as pretty as you can if you want to...get yourself
down to Wal-mart....Find that guy in the wheel chair ....and tell him to
come to your church !
CAUSE YOU FOLKS DONE MOVED UP IN THE BIG HOUSE MINISTRY NOW ! YES MA'AM....
YOU GOT THE NERVE TO PUT THE WHEEL CHAIR RAMPS ON YOUR NEW EDITION TO YOUR
DIVIDED TABERNACLES...WHERE IS YOUR GOD? YOU KEEP HAVING CHURCH THIS WAY
IF'N YOU WONT TO......
BUT ONE OF THESE DAYS THE CHURCH THAT HAS FALLEN AWAY IS GOING TO BE
AWAKENED BY A STORM...EVEN THE FORMER AND THE LATTER RAIN...AND THERE IS
GONNA BE A MORNIN'....GOOD GOD I FEEL IT RIGHT NOW...IM GONNA WAKE UP...AINT
EVEN GO'WN GO IN THE BATHROOM...!
AINT EVEN GO PUT MY SHOES ON OR WORRY BOUT' MY BREATH , OR BRUSHIN' MY
TEETH....UH! GREAT GOD ALMIGHTY! BLESS YOUR NAME!
GOWN GET IN MY CAR WITH MY BLUE PAJAMA'S ON....!
GO TO WAL-MART.....DONT KNOW IF I HAVE TO WAIT FOR HIM OR NOT...DONT KNOW
HOW LONG I HAVE TO LOOK FOR HIM... BUT WHEN I SEE THAT MAN IN THE WHEEL
CHAIR....UUOH!
HAVE MERCY...SOMEBODY TELL ME YOU KNOW WHAT IM TALKIN BOUT!
I AINT TALKIN BOUT SOMETHING ON TV..WHAT THEY NEED TO SHOW IS THE FOOT
UNCURLING ON CAMERA!
I CAN SEE THE FACES IN WAL- MART AS THE MANS BONES BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO
PULL A TWENTY FOOT BOAT THROUGH A SEA OF DOUBT! THAT HAS BEEN INFUSED AND
INJECTED LIKE A SUICIDLE DRUG TO INFLICT THE SAINTS! LOOK OUT
TONIGHT...CAUSE GODS GONNA HEAL YOU TONIGHT! STEP OUT FOR YOUR HEALING!
And Jay...nobody moved. Such a man's heart was beating because he knew God
was going to back his word up...
There was a man with dark glasses on, in his fifty's sitting in back. I was
there, Jay....he had been a member of that church for years...and this was
was someone doing the work of an evangelist, that was coming through
challenging his faith, for the man was blind...he couldn't see, but he heard
the word of faith...
But the preacher was looking right at him as he continued;
"HOW YOU GONNA SEE A MAN'S FOOT UNCURL IN A WHEEL CHAIR IF YOUR EYES ARE
BLINDED, AND YOU CANT SEE A THING....SOME OF Y'ALL WANT TO HEAL
PEOPLE....BUT YOU GOT YOUR OWN AILMENTS TO WORRY BOUT'!
MAN IN THE BACK WITH THE GLASSES ON COME UP HERE...(the man who was
preaching didn't know the man was blind, he just thought he wore the glasses
because of maybe sensitive eyes...he had met others with that condition.)
And the minute the evangelist said that A woman, the daughter of the blind
man got up and led him to the front where the evangelist was..
the evangelist seemed to calm down a little;
"Okay you people of God! What do you want to do now...you think Im gonna
slap some oil on his head..GREASE HIM UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TURKEY? MAKE HIM
FALL TO THE FLOOR...AND LAY THERE PRAISING GOD FOR HIS BLINDNESS? TELL ME
HOW TO DO IT!"
What do you think John and Peter did as they went to the temple at the hour
of prayer!? Did they pass by like all the other meaningless forms of
religions going in the temple?
Or don't you think that Peter and John, got to chapter three...simply because
of what happened in chapter two on the day of PENTECOST? DONT YOU THINK THE
PENTECOST EXPERIENCE IS STILL SUPPOSED TO FUNCTION TODAY? WE HAVE THE
POWER...WE BOAST OF THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT...BUT SOME OF THEM ARE ACTIVE
WHILE OTHERS ARE LYING DORMANT IN YOUR CHURCHES? YOU GOT TONGUES...BUT YOU
ALSO HAVE WHEELCHAIR RAMPS...AND IT SICKENS ME TO KNOW THAT THIS MAN HAS
BEEN COMING TO THIS SO CALLED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH WITHOUT A HEALING?
How would you have prayed for the man at the gate beautiful? He asked,
standing there in front of the blind man. The blind man was white bearded,
and over weight...he had gotten used to his condition...and needed to be led
out of his surroundings....where he was feeling along the walls of the
town...Jesus had to lead this man out of the town as well...because there
had been many times he got prayed for and didn't get the healing.
" DONT YOU BRING THAT DOUBT UP HERE THAT WAS GIVEN TO YOU OF YOUR FATHERS!
THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR FATHERS IS THEY CALL PEOPLE UP TO BE PRAYED FOR...BUT
"YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED UP TO BE HEALED....IT DOESN'T MATTER WETHER YOU
BELIEVE IN THIS CASE OR NOT...BECAUSE EVEN IF WE BELIEVE NOT...YET GOD
ABIDETH FAITHFULLY!"
And this such a man I knew jerked the sunglasses off the blind man's
face...and the church got as quiet as a catholic sermon....you could hear
the patter of someone's feet on the floor....the awesome presence of
Almighty God was there...and some people weren't used to that feeling.
This man started stomping on those glasses and busted them to pieces on the
floor..and kicked them all the way up the center isle...saying things
ferociously in a clear distinct foreign vernacular and Holy language...that
penetrated the ears of the people..and they began to rise to their feets and
praise the Lord!
This man I knew got through destroying those expensive glasses and came
back and stood in front of the blind man and asked him:
"Can you see?"
"Nope...said the blind man....with tears...but I feel the touch of God....."
"YOU AINT GOT TIME TO SPEAK THOSE WORDS....YOU ARE HEALED! ITS TIME TO
PRAISE THE LORD!"
And the preacher laid his hands on the man...and he lifted his hands up and
praised God for his healing.
After a while the church had a shout fit...and when things had quieted down,
the preacher asked him again...
"Can you see?"
"No .."
"I DONT BELIEVE YOU....IF YOU AREN'T HEALED THEN I WILL QUIT PREACHING..."
And with that..this man I knew pulled out his wallet and gave the man a fist
full of money...and said..
"WHEN YOU START BELIEVING THE TRUTH, THAT YOU ARE HEALED...SEND THIS BACK TO
ME...ILL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU...OR BUY YOU SOME MORE SUNGLASSES WITH IT!"
And this man I knew told the people he wasn't taking a check from them, but
was gonna preach the whole revival taking nothing from them...and over
twenty got saved and filled in that revival...and others healed...But the
blind man left being led by the hand down the wheel chair ramp.
"YOU MAY WALK OUT HERE ON THE WHEEL CHAIR RAMP....AND EVEN BE LED BY THE
HAND...BUT YOU'R HEALED...OR I WILL QUIT PREACHING..."
two months later this same man was preaching at another church not far from
there...a bigger church with 400 people packed in...they had to bring in
chairs..it was the second week of revival...
a man I didn't recognize stood up and said;
"several months ago I was in a revival in my own home church, and a man got
prayed for that was blind...well two weeks after the evangelist left...the
pastor of the church went to see this man who was blind...and when the
pastor opened the screen door and walked in...the man called from the other
room...and said..
"Pastor, That's a nice plaid shirt you got on!"
Needless to say, this guy I know is still preaching. All glory to God for
what He is going to do...even the things yet to come!
Chris
God many times does things different ways for different people IN
HIS TIME and for HIS reasons with HIS great wisdom! He knows what we need,
when we need it and how we need it. He knows us so intimately that the hairs
on our heads are even numbered. I always can soothe myself by knowing that
the creator of our entire universe in now in charge of my life and my destiny
and what more could you ask for?
Audette Johnson
Feb 13, 2001
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.
--1 Corinthians 2:14Latter Rain Discussion Archives
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