Monday 22 January 2018

Building Faith!

"And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.  And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he souw ought.  And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.  After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up:  and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.  And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town." 
~ Mark 8:22-26 

She was an elderly woman, who had lived with neuropathy pain for about 15 years!  Her condition continued to deteriorate, until she had the most difficult time walking, and moving around.  Near the end of it, she spent most of her time in a chair or bed.  Her legs seemed to be constantly swollen to about 3-4 times their normal size!  Her lower legs were mostly a black and purple colour, like they were horribly bruised. 

She had been raised with the knowledge of Christ, with the belief that miracles could happen.  The problem was, that her beliefs were that the healing had to come in the fashion with which she was accustomed or taught in her religion.  This was a stumbling stone for her faith.  Instead of her faith being in Yeshua, the Holy Son of God, it was in the customs and traditions of the religion she was taught.  But, as she listened to the teachings about Christ, her heart began to take courage.  She soon asked for a blessing.  We laid our hands upon her head, and pronounced a blessing upon her.  She felt better, but her legs still hurt. 

As time went on, we taught more and more about the Saviour.  Her faith continued to increase, and once again she asked for a blessing.  This actually occurred several times, with her faith in the Saviour increasing each time.  Then one time, one of us put our hands upon her head, and the other placed hands upon her feet, and, as we spoke the words of the Saviour, the elderly grandmother could feel the power of God flow through her legs.  She began to really believe!  As she felt the power of God within her, she could feel it working in her legs, and she loved it!  It was amazing for her to actually feel the power of her Saviour working within her, healing her legs.  Her faith exploded with joy and hope!  She learned that her Saviour loved her, that he thinks that she is worth it.  Those great and terrible stumbling blocks were vanishing before the brilliance of the Son, before the tremendous love of the Saviour. 

One more blessing, and the pain was all gone.  15 years of neuopathy pain, wiped out by the love of the Saviour! 

Today, this grandmother loves to tell the doctors and everyone she meets that the Lord is real!  That the healing power and love of God is real. 

Sometimes, people need to go slow.  Often, there are stumbling blocks that are in the way.  Sometimes, it takes a few steps for their faith to increase.  It is our job to help them, to encourage them, to 'help their unbelief.'  Do not give up, just because a blessing does not take hold the first time.  Learn the will of the Father about it, humble yourself to His will, and perform the task that He asks of you.  It will work!  May the glory be to the Father, always and forever!! 

Thursday 11 January 2018

Arise! Take Up Thy Bed And Walk.

'Arise, Take up thy bed and walk!' 

This phrase has often captured my imagination.  I have had a facination with it, as well as a dread of it.  How many times have I been asked to administer to someone, and had the thought to just take them by the hand, and in the name of Jesus Christ, raise them up?  Well, it happened again. 

We had traveled to a new place to teach people, whom a friend had seen in vision.  While there, word arrived that a woman in a wheelchair had asked for healing.  We went to see her, and spoke to her of her faith in Jesus.  She had such beautiful faith!  We asked her, that if Jesus was here, would she believe that He could heal her.  Tears came to her eyes, and she answered in the affirmative.  The thought to take her by the hand, and, in His holy name, raise her up, had already been coming.  But, due to concern about whether it would work, or if she had enough faith, or what would everyone think if it did not work, or really, just a complete lack of faith on my part...  Ugh!  Will this nonsense, of a lack of faith, ever go away???? 

We put our hands upon her head, and blessed her.  Our friend reached out, took the woman by the hand and lifted her up.  SHE STOOD!  Right there, in front of everyone, she stood!  It was beautiful to see.  And very humbling.  The woman expressed how she felt the power shoot down through to her feet as she received the blessing.  She gave thanks to the Lord!  And so did I.  What an amazing blessing!