Numbness Healed

Wednesday, 23-Nov-2011, the day before Thanksgiving, I was in my office and had just gotten my morning coffee. The day before a customer had sent me a Wireshark Ethernet trace that seemed to indicate that after a PC sent a huge telegram to our ECOM100 module, our module would stop responding and actually crash (ERR light would come on). I had investigated the trace and isolated the offending telegram, wrote it up, and sent it to our firmware engineer, Don, who is also part owner of the company I work for. So, first thing this morning, Don walks into my office and explains that he duplicated the failure and will now have to troubleshoot it to figure out what is actually happening. 

But, before he left my office, he said, "Oh, and keep me in your prayers." I said, "Sure, Don, everything OK?" He begin to explain how that in the last several days he had bizarre symptoms of numbness on one side of his face and top of his head, and how one hand would feel weak. The symptoms would increase if he turned his head a certain way. He then went to the doctor and the doctor checked for all the things that would normally cause these symptoms. They scanned his head and all was well. So, lastly, they were going to run some tests on his spine thinking a possible pinched nerve. I asked, "Can you generate the symptoms right now by moving your head?" He moved his head forward a little and said, "Yes." I said, "Can we pray right now?" He agreed.

I laid my hand on his back but his back was already hot in one spot between his shoulder blades. He had started feeling it the moment I moved toward him after his agreement. That's all the Lord needed... ascension toward Him... simple child-like faith. One spot between his shoulder blades got very hot. I said, "I believe the doctors are right. It is your spine between your shoulder blades. Do you feel that?" He did. His face showed his wonderment and pleasant surprise. He was pretty amazed, but I could tell he was starting to get a little uncomfortable just standing there with me having my hands on his back. So I took my hands off and explained that the fact that it was hot in one spot meant we were connected to God and He was healing his back. I explained that we should stay with it until there is no more manifestation, but by now I could tell he just wanted to call it done.

Most Christians are not used to this type of ministry, unfortunately. We tend to give the ministry of laying on of hands a few minutes, yet we'll spend hours in a doctor's office. This is completely understandable with what we've been taught. I explained to Don that Jesus laid hands twice on a blind man (Mark 8:22-26) and that if it took Jesus two times, it might take us more; that is, if we didn't stay with it until there was no more manifestation.

But before he left, I asked him to do what he did before to generate the symptoms. Once again, he moved his head forward a little and said, "Wow. No, I don't feel a thing now." He moved his head more rigorously. Nothing! I told him, "I believe Jesus will keep working on that after you walk away." He agreed. I asked him to keep me posted.

UPDATE (08-Dec-2011): Don came in to my office today and told me that since I laid hands on him he's not experienced any more symptoms from this part of his spine between his shoulder blades. That particular symptom set completely disappeared! He also had an MRI done on his neck and they discovered 2 bulging discs. So he asked for prayer for that. I laid hands on him in my office again, and immediately his neck got so hot he began to sweat. I felt something move. The symptoms he had immediately disappeared again! No pain, no dizziness.

Unexpected Healings

Friday, 21-Oct-2011, me & most of my family sang at a revival at a little church (New Hope Church) in Jonesborough, TN. Some of us had a little trouble finding the church since it was located in a very rural area. On top of that, my younger sister, Jennifer, my mom, Janice, and one of my nieces, Hannah, had gone on a trip to Pigeon Forge and had gotten caught in some thick traffic on returning. They were going to be late. But at about 15 minutes before 7 o'clock, one of the preachers who was there (Harold), who was going to start the singing off, came over to me and asked me to go into the back with him to pray before the service. So, I did. Along the way I noticed he was limping.

I let him lead the prayer, just agreeing with him. After he was finished, I asked him if his ankle was hurting him. "Yes, brother, it is. I have arthritis in this ankle and I can't even bend it." So, I asked if I could pray and lay hands on him for his healing. He agreed. He was wearing an ankle-high boot, so I just placed my hands on his boot and commanded it to be healed in Jesus Name. Harold closed his eyes and prayed out loud with me agreeing with me and asking God to forgive his sins. I thanked Jesus for taking Harold's pain. After several seconds, I could feel his boot getting very warm on the outside! (This is a normal manifestation of Father's power). So I asked Harold if he felt anything. "Oh yes, brother! My foot is so hot I may have to take off my stinky boot!" We laughed together while Jesus continued to heal.

After quite a few minutes, keeping my hands on his ankle and chatting, I asked Harold if he would stand up and see if anything was different. He stood up and put weight on it and it popped and cracked out loud! He looked at me and exclaimed, "Did you hear that?" Well, yeah! He said, "It just popped loose!" and he began to rotate his foot without pain. He immediately raised his hands and thanked Jesus. Tears flowed. He hugged my neck and thanked me too.

We Harold and I returned to the congregation, it had filled up with folks. His singing partner was also there (Donna Sue). Now, Donna Sue is actually one of the cleaning ladies at NHC, the nursing home that takes care of my father-in-law, so I knew her pretty good. In fact, it was her that officially invited us to this church.

Donna Sue was sitting on the front pew and I sat on one side of her and Harold sat on the other. Harold was still a little teary-eyed from his ankle healing and he was still rotating it. Donna Sue noticed and asked about it. Harold told him I had laid hands on him and Jesus had broke his ankle loose and removed the pain. So I put my arm around Donna Sue and asked her if she was in pain. She said, "All the time and everywhere in my body." I wasn't sure if she was exaggerating, so I asked her what she meant. She said she had rheumatoid arthritis in all of her joints and they ached all the time. She said, "I was just telling Harold I have a knot on my right foot that is just killing me today." I offered to pray for her, and Harold witnessed to her what had just happened to him. He said, "Let him lay hands on you, Donna, Jesus seems to use him to heal." 

I laid my hands on her shoulders and commanded arthritis to leave her body and for her pain to leave. I commanded her joints to be healed and for them to return to normal. Donna Sue had her eyes closed but I noticed she was moved and her eyes became a little teary. I said, "You're feeling something, aren't you? I'll bet every joint in your body is getting hot right now." She opened her eyes and said, "Oh boy, you are so right! I am hot all over all of a sudden. I feel tingling in my joints and I'm so hot I may have to take off some clothes!" LOL! Of course, she was joking, but that is her personality... she is so full of life. She got up and put pressure on her foot (where the knot was)... She said, "Oh my goodness! It's gone!" Harold began to laugh, "I told you!" Donna Sue just looked at me in surprise. She said, "Wow, I'm not in pain and I feel really light-headed." She closed her eyes and cried and worshiped Jesus. Me and Harold joined her in worship.

The night of singing was very special to us all. We sang many songs and several acapella ones. We were all very moved by the sweetness of this little country church and the refreshing presence of God.

I found out later this church is a "Church of the Brethren" denomination. Yep, Jesus loves them too. :)

Chicken Pox Fever

Me, Gunnar & my wife Tammy

Yesterday (Tue, 11-Oct-2011), my wife Tammy called me at work and asked that after I got off work and after visiting her dad at the nursing home, to go to my oldest daughter, Kimberly's, house and help her with my grandson, Gunnar, whose 10 months old. Gunnar suddenly broke out with the chicken pox the day before and he was running a fever of about 101.5°F and was a bit fussy. Kimberly hadn't worked all day but stayed home to take care of him and she was a bit wore out. So immediately after work and my normal visit to see my father-in-law (Bob), I went to Kimberly's house. Gunnar was happy to see me and I ended up following him around the house (holding onto his shirt to balance him) as he toddled all over seemingly wanting to play with all his toys at the same time. He was, for the most part, very happy and giggly with an occasional whine for his mommy. But once a hug was received from mommy it was back to trudging around the house. Eventually he began to get sleepy and Kimberly gave him an oatmeal bath (to soothe his pox marks) and put his PJs on him. We wallowed on the bed with him (he's so funny!) until he began to get sleepy. Kimberly took his temperature and it was about 101.3°F.

Kimberly hadn't eaten dinner yet so she asked me to lay down with Gunnar while she got something to eat. She also asked me to pray for him, for the doctor had told her if his temperature stayed above 101°F that she should bring him back in. So as she got something to eat, I laid my hand on him and focused my mind on Jesus and the way He rebuked a fever like He rebuked a demon and a storm. The same Greek word, epitimao, translated "rebuked" is used in all three passages:

Matthew 8 (ESV)
26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 

Matthew 17 (ESV)
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 

Luke 4 (ESV)
39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

Thus, Jesus' attitude toward the storm that could've hurt His disciples, and the demon itself, was very harsh. And this same harsh attitude was exhibited toward the fever of Peter's mother-in-law. So with this in mind, I rebuked the fever in Gunnar. I did this several times in the Name of Jesus. After some time I could tell his was cooling off. I got the thermometer and took a reading... 100.3°F. Wow, praise the Lord, a whole degree! Also, I noticed his breathing stopped being shallow and quick and started showing very peaceful and relaxed rhythms.

My wife arrived to help, and so I kissed him "bye," hugged Kimberly, and left for the house. Later on, my wife arrived home and we all began to settle down for bed. She suddenly got a text message from Kimberly, "Tell dad Gunnar broke out in sweat just now. He has no fever!" Amen! Praise You, Jesus.

Torn Meniscus

Tim & his lovely wife Kristie

A good friend of mine at work (Tim) told me of one of his wife's friends (Gina) who had recently suffered a fall from a ladder. Evidently the way in which she landed caused some painful damage to her knee. She went to the doctor and he suspected a torn meniscus. Me, not being very adept in human anatomy (I'm an electronics engineer) had to look that up. She was suffering quite a bit of pain from this injury. Tim told her he could get me to come and lay hands on her and Jesus would heal her. So, Tim and I worked out that we could travel to her house during lunchtime and pray for her.

When we arrived at her house she yelled from the couch and invited us in. Her dog greeted us suspiciously and warmed up to us immediately. She was seated on the end of her couch with her left leg propped up and an ice pack both over and under her knee. A walker was standing beside her. Tim introduced us and I sat down in the chair beside her. She had been using a cane since the injury, but her next-door neighbor (a sweet 93-year-old woman) had given her the walker thinking it would be easier on her.

Gina told us that before being hurt in the fall, she was up late one night and noticed 3 young men trying to break into the elderly lady's garage! Without thinking she ran across the street yelling and scared them off! I was thinking, Wow, that's pretty brave considering she didn't have a weapon! Of course, when the police finally arrived, they counseled her never to do such a thing again; it was dangerous.

I then began to share with Gina a very simple message; that the Jesus of the Bible loved her and wanted her healed. I could tell she was doubtful. Nevertheless, as Paul tells us, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). This little bit of 30-second gospel already put her in tears. I shared with her that I was there to do His works on His behalf based on John 14:12: "he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also." I explained I was going to lay hands on her knee and Jesus was going to heal her. She accepted. I asked her to remove the ice pack from the top of her knee, then I placed my hand on her knee and commanded it to heal in Jesus' Name. Immediately, I felt heat begin to build up in her kneecap and surrounding regions. "Do you feel that?" I asked. She said, "It's getting warm." I explained this was a good sign that we were connected to the Invisible God and He was healing her knee. She began to weep.


After recovering from crying, she asked, "Could it be that God doesn't always heal?" I explained that that was a possibility, but, not if I looked at the Jesus of the Bible. There are other Jesus' preached on Sundays, but they are not necessarily the Jesus of the gospels. I explained that if all I have to go on is the Jesus of the Bible as my example, then He healed all that ever came to Him never turning anyone away. Thus the inevitable conclusion is simple: God revealed it was ALWAYS time to heal the sick. When? When they are sick, of course! More tears.

She asked, "Could it be possible that I caused this myself and He was teaching me a lesson?" A common question. I explained that, of course, she could be the cause of this, but God was not punishing her. I asked her if she had children. "A son." she replied. I asked, "Would you teach your son a lesson by pushing him off a ladder?" Immediately she said, "Of course not!" Then I quoted:

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11).

I explained that God loves her AT LEAST as much as she loves her son! More tears.

But then I was suddenly reminded of the story she told me at the beginning of our conversation where she had run 3 thieves off from her neighbor's house. So I reminded her of her story. Then I asked, "What if your neighbor had left her garage door unlocked. Would that have given the thieves a right to rob her?" Again she said, "Of course not!" I said, "So, you're telling me that even if she had left the garage door open, the thieves would still have been breaking the law if they just merely walked in and took stuff?" Then she got it. She said, "Are you saying that even if I opened the door to the devil and he pushed me off the ladder that it is still illegal in God's eyes?" I said, "That is EXACTLY what I'm saying." More tears. Then I quoted:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

I still had my hand on her knee, and suddenly I felt tingling in my hand. And I felt things in her knee moving around! She gasped and said she felt something move and that feelings were shooting up and down through her leg. I rarely feel anything at all, except heat coming from the part of the body being healed. But this time I was sensing a steady tingling almost like a mild steady electrical shock. It was almost uncomfortable. I told her and Tim I was feeling it.

She then asked, "I used to go to a church that believed in tongues. Do you believe we should speak in tongues?" Obviously, she was thinking I must know these answers since God was using me to heal her. Well, I'd like to think that I was special and had all the answers, but if you knew me (I told her) or could talk to my wife you'd really understand God's grace and why Jesus said ANY believer can do these things. So I merely told her to look at the Jesus of the Bible. I said, "Question all doctrines that do not include the Jesus of the Bible. So," I asked her, "ask yourself, 'Did the Jesus of the Bible say anything about tongues?' And if He did, then you need to see what He said. If He didn't then don't worry about it too much. Obviously it was less important than the stuff He DID reveal that He did. Understand?" She did. "Jesus did say something about tongues. He said, 'He that believes... will speak with new tongues.' So, yes, it is certainly possible that folks speak in tongues."


By this time there was significant change in her knee. The pain, she said, was now totally gone. She still, however, felt a tightness on the back of her calf muscle. I asked her to remove the ice pack from under her knee, placed my hand there and commanded the stiffness to leave. There was a knot on her calf that suddenly disappeared in a matter of minutes. She couldn't find it, and the tightness loosened a bit. More tears!

By this time, we had been there probably 45 minutes and it was time to get back to work. She got up slowly and stood. Then she gingerly began to put weight on her leg. More tears! LOL. The heart-job Jesus was doing to this woman was amazing. She gently walked to the TV and back to the couch. She put her hands over her mouth and said, "I can't believe it!" She walked several more times back and forth; all without her cane and all without her walker. Praise Jesus! Thank You Father!

She walked us to the door crying and hugging me and Tim. Tim had never seen anything like this before either. He was very moved and close to tears several times during all this. She thanked us and Jesus over and over.

I could tell she wasn't 100% healed, but perhaps as close as 95%. Wow. What fun! When we got back in the car, Tim said, "I can see how this could get addicting."


Amen... addicted to Jesus; addicted to being His channel of healing... AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

UPDATE (01-Oct-2011): Gina requested Tim & I return and lay hands on her again. We arrived to discover she was feeling very good and she had returned to work, but staying on her feet all day made her knee sore. Laid hands on her again and got localized heat again in spots on her knee. Gina felt more sensations and "things moving around" as we prayed. Left her again, pain free and more confidence that Jesus would continue to heal all the way to 100%. Amen!

Kidney Infection, Odd Symptoms & Back Pain

Kidney Infection

Kayla

Last week, my daughter, Kayla, came home with symptoms of a kidney infection. My wife, TammyM, took her to the little Med Center near us and had her tested. Sure enough. So, when I came home, we were all eating supper and she asked me to lay hands on her because of the pain. If you ever get the chance to lay hands on my youngest daughter, do so; she receives from Father God so easily!

I laid hands on her after supper and the left side lower back got a hot spot immediately. Then she said she felt cold surge through a few times. There was very little discomfort left after a few minutes and she went to bed and slept very well. She faithfully took her antibiotics and she was completely well in a couple of days. Notice, I did not say anything. I did this on purpose because the scripture says simply that believers would lay hands on the sick and the sick would recover. Jesus is amazing!

Odd Symptoms

Jeremy

I had a person I had never met contact me on Facebook because he found my name from a list of people who believed in healing. He asked to meet me since he lived so close by. We finally ended up meeting at lunchtime in a Food City parking lot near where I work. He (Jeremy) was a believer and even attended a church that believed in healing, but had had no success. Turns out he had suffered some form of skin cancer years ago and had been healed. This time he had swollen lymph nodes in his abdomen and odd symptoms of coughing. His cough, he said, was not right, and there was pressure in his chest.

I laid hands on him and commanded his healing in Jesus' Name and nothing happened that we could tell. His symptoms were so odd and immeasurable it was hard to test if anything noticeable had happened. I hate to leave folks with no indications because they are usually struggling in their faith that God heals in the first place. So I asked his permission to lay hands and command healing several more times. Finally, after about a dozen times of talking and doing this, he felt something change. I told him to just measure it over the next day or so and see if his symptom set changed and we'd get together again if necessary.

The next day he contacted me via text message and said his symptom set definitely changed! Wonderful Jesus. Even when we can't measure the progress, He is at work. He certainly wants to get together again for another "dose" of Jesus. Amen!

Back Pain

Jennifer & Our Mom

As a family we often get together and learn songs that we end up singing at churches around the area and other musical events. We're not accomplished musicians, but we won't hurt your ears most of the time. :) So, getting together with the family I discovered my younger sister, Jennifer, was having back pain. She couldn't get up and down from the couch without pain, nor get in and out of her car without trouble.

So after practice, I had her stand in the middle of the living room and was going to get everybody around her to lay hands on her and command her back to be healed. But before I could get everybody together, she felt God's power manifest in her back in the form of heat. This is so awesome that Jesus starts things while we think we're getting ready for Him. LOL! All He has ever needed in scripture is for folks to just move toward Him with a mere mustard-seed-sized faith (i.e. the smallest object Jesus could've held in His hand in that society). So, all we did was get near her and put our hands on her so we could feel the "fire of God" burn in her back. Awesome. After about 15 minutes of "burning" she walked over and sat on the couch and got back up without pain!

Awesome Jesus. I love it when He "jumps the gun" on us!

Ear Infection & An Update

Tonight after I got home from work, my youngest daughter (Kayla) came to me and said, "Dad, I need you to pray for my ear. It is stopped up and it hurts when I touch it. I can hear myself talk on the inside of my head." At the time I was gluing our front-door bell button back on, so I asked for her to wait a few minutes. She said, "No hurry." She laid down on our hammock on the front porch while I held the button back on until the glue dried. I sat down with her on the hammock. Libby (Kayla's dog) joined us. I could hear our cat meowing as she came across the yard. This always excites Libby because she likes to play with the cat. So, she begins barking at the cat. Why am I telling this part of the story? Because I want you to see how casual healing the sick is. I want you to see that Jesus was out on the front porch in the hammock with us.

I simply placed my hand lightly on Kayla's jaw below her ear and commanded something like, "As a son of God, I command this ear to open, the infection to die, the fluid to dry up and the pain to leave... right now." Immediately, Kayla said she felt something move in her ear. Before 2 minutes were up, her ear suddenly opened up and the pain was gone by about 90%. She could now press on it without pain... just "a slight soreness now." I said, "Well, let's let Jesus finish the job." And I placed my hand on her ear and commanded the same thing again. Another couple of minutes and there was no pain. Amen! 

Notice, I did not say the Name of Jesus! This is because there is a huge difference between praying with the Name of Jesus and praying in the Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus is not a magical incantation. And we don't have to be legalistic about making sure we say "in the Name of Jesus" to somehow make our prayer official. As believers, we are already in Christ. Our authority comes through Jesus Himself, not the magical uttering of His Name. Also, it is not what we say, but rather who says it. Jesus Himself said we could do His works, so we simply do them. Everybody knows we have no power by ourselves. Everybody knows we have no power to heal a gnat. But the good news is, we are not by ourselves; the Living God dwells within us!

Of course, the best time to make sure we actually say the Name of Jesus is when we are laying hands on, or praying for, say, an unbeliever on the street. Or just someone who needs to hear Jesus' Name! VERY important! For this is not just a Show gospel, but a Show & Tell gospel.

Quite a bit ago, I had gone into a hospital and prayed for a man named Butch (read about that here). He suddenly improved and now, after several months, he has been home and still getting better and better. A couple of days ago I got this text message about Butch from a friend of mine (Chuck):

"Hi Greg. Cheerie Cooper sent this update for Butch. She wanted me to let u know. See ya later: 'Chuck, please join Butch & I in a time of praise to God. He just returned from his visit to the pulmonologist (Mr. Pessimist) with the X-ray showing very little scaring left in his lungs. God is great! Please let Greg Kiser & your mom know about this wonderful news...'"

Wonderful Jesus!

Back Pain Instantly Gone

Local Fast Food

Yesterday, my wife (TammyM) and I went to see her dad (Bob) at the nursing home. When we came in he was at lunch and the lady serving him had put tarter sauce on his fish, which he hates. He loves fish, but hates tarter sauce. So my wife offered to get him a hot dog from Pal's, which is across the road. She wanted one with just mustard and Bob wanted one with chili and mustard and no onions. I set out on a hot dog mission.

Before I got out the door, however, I ran into one of the CNAs (Lisa) that I often speak to that works there. I asked her how she was doing and she replied, "Well, not too good." So I asked what's up? She said, "I hurt by back lifting and it is killing me right now." I said, "I'm headed out to Pal's, but before I go, can I pray for you?" She looked at me a little funny, but then agreed. "Sure, that would be nice." I took her to the side out of the way, laid hands on her, thanked Father He was the same and loved Lisa and bore her pain. Then I commanded her back to be healed. She sat there with her eyes closed while my hand was on her shoulder. I asked, "Do you feel that?" I assumed she was feeling something just simply because that's the normal thing Jesus does. I didn't know it was happening, just figured the odds have it. LOL!

She said, "My spine is getting hot." Then she opened her eyes and I could tell she was in amazement. I explained, "This is just what Jesus does. He loves us, and since we are believers, this shouldn't be unusual, but, sadly, it is. That heat you are feeling means we are connected to God and He is healing your back. Can you tell a change yet?" Her back was not merely warm, it was literally hot! She said, "There is no pain! I'm not kidding, there is no pain at all." She moved her back and arms around. I could see a little welling up of tears. She was looking sideways at me in amazement still, so I hugged her. Once again she said, "There really is no pain. This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you." It was very sincere.

I left the scene, and Bob and my wife loved their hot dogs. :)

Bench Press Chest Injury and Sore Back

All That & Kayla

This week my family and I went to Myrtle Beach, SC for vacation. My oldest daughter (Kimberly) and her husband (Grant) and their 7-month-old son (Gunnar) went with us. Also, Gunnar's other grandfather (Gary), Grant's dad. We had a blast. My youngest (Kayla) was supposed to stay an extra week and work with Carolina Opry's own All That clogging sensation group, along with several other guest cloggers, to reproduce another show. Unfortunately, that got postponed until later on in the year, but really this ended up being a greater blessing to Kayla. All That clogging team (consists of 4 guys) are well-known in the competition clogging world. They are regulars at the Carolina Opry and have been for years. They, instead, invited Kayla to join them for 2 shows this week. They are all about 30 years old and Kayla is 19. She was the star of the team being the only female among the 5 cloggers. Very cool.

Kayla's Solo with All That

I learned as the week went on that Grant was having a terrible time sleeping because a few days before vacation he had dropped a barbell on his chest while doing some bench press exercises. The spotter didn't catch it in time and the bar hit him squarely across the ribs, right about solar plexus level. Grant couldn't get comfortable because any way he lay it would put pressure on his ribs and he couldn't breathe without sharp pain.

Grant, Kimberly & Gunnar

So, he was telling me one day while we were down at the beach he had only slept about 30 minutes the night before. With the waves washing over our feet, I said, "Grant, you know Father wants you to sleep and not be in pain. Can I lay hands on you?" He agreed. Grant's dad, Gary, was standing there too. They are both believers in God's goodness and I have laid hands on both of them before. Once for Gary's back, which he got major pain relief from, and once for Grant having a fever of 103, which Grant was healed in about 30 seconds from that. His temperature dropped to 99 degrees in a matter of seconds and he broke out in the sweat. (Awesome Jesus). So, both Gary & I laid our hands on Grant right there on the beach. Jesus must've been standing in the water too because instantly Grant got pain relief (he said about 90%).

Gary then asked me to go ahead and lay hands on his sore back too. He'd had a very successful back surgery several weeks ago but still had some soreness. Me & Grant commanded soreness to leave... it did. Jesus is so reliable!

I don't know what passerby's were thinking about 3 men laying hands on one another in the surf, but, who cares? It worked, and Jesus was honored and happy, I'm sure, to join us in the surf... LOL!

As the day wore on, the little pain that was left for Grant kept diminishing. The next morning he got up and as we were getting some breakfast in the kitchen he said, "Greg, watch this." And took the heel of his palm and smacked his ribcage about 5 times right where the severe pain used to be! Before, he couldn't even touch it without pain, now he's pounding away at it with his fist! Amazing!

Jesus is the same, yesterday, today & forever. His attitude toward sickness has never changed. Wherever there was a crowd of people and Jesus was present, He always healed the sick. It is a very ordinary expression (and proof) of His presence. It should be the same today. Don't sit on your blessed assurance in the pew and do nothing. Don't sit there and waste your life trying to get all your doctrine right. Get up, walk out, and allow Jesus to express His most common attribute through you... healing the sick. If you will believe and understand He is reliable, you will have great results and the greatest fun you've ever had in your life! Every day will become an adventure. I promise. I've never had so much fun!

The Lame Walk & Godly Persistence

Brother Albert

A dear brother (Albert) in the Lord posted this on his website the other day. Very encouraging. Please notice the persistence that is sometimes necessary when getting the sick healed and notice the open honesty at which Albert reports what happens; even his failures. Here is his post:

"Grace [Albert's wife] and I were called to heal a woman who was paralyzed waist down. For four months, her husband carried her from the bed to a chair before he went to work. During the day, the woman's mother took care of her. When the husband returned in the evening, he carried her back to the bed.

"The interesting thing was that the husband was a Chinese medical doctor who tried to heal his wife with acupuncture. However, after many sessions of treatment, nothing happened. Apparently all her nerves in the lower part of her body were not connected to the brain. 

"When we arrived, we found her sitting on the chair. After explaining about the love and miracles of Jesus, we commanded her to rise up in the name of Jesus. My wife and a few sisters from our church were standing by her left and right sides so as to catch her if she were to fall. She was a heavy-set woman and that explained why her husband was the only one strong enough to carry her. 

"On the first command, I pulled her up and she stood for two seconds and then screamed that she could not stand any longer. She collapsed back to her chair and was shaking with fear. 

"The second command in the name of Jesus got this lady to stand a little longer. To cut the story short, on the fifth command, she got up and walked around the living room by herself. Absolutely, without anyone holding on to her - she had recovered completely.

"What happened? The truth is that when I commanded and all my assistants followed every word in command, the faith was not dependent upon the woman's own. The faith had to be ours! This meant that during the healing ministry, my assistants and I had to believe completely that the power of Jesus was there to heal. We had to have no doubt that the woman could be healed. Thank God, she was healed and walked in the name of Jesus.

"Did we have any failures? Yes, there were some who were not completely healed in spite of our faith and belief. We do not understand why but we just continue to utilize our authority and power to command the diseases and pain to leave in the name of Jesus. 

"One man who had a frozen shoulder was healed only after three days of intensive commanding. His wife who had the same condition was healed on the very first command on the first day. An elderly lady was healed of deafness immediately on the first day but an elderly deaf man was healed only on the third day. A lady pastor had 9 arthritic fingers healed on the first day and the final finger was healed only the next day. 

"We never fully understand why such discrepancies in time of healing but we know only of one thing, we have to keep commanding by faith.

"Hope this little write-up will help you in exercising your faith to heal others in the name of Jesus."

Amen, brother Albert. Thanks so much for your encouragement!

Jesus at the Rasnake Reunion

Aunt Martha & Uncle Neil's View

Yesterday (Saturday, 18-Jun-2011), my family and I went to the Rasnake Reunion at my aunt and uncle's house (Martha & Neil). They live on a beautiful farm spot on top of a hill in Lebanon, VA. They have a huge pool! Breathtaking views and awesome food and a great time of just getting together with family and talking. I found both volumes of "Some Descendants of John Counts of Glade Hollow" books and we looked up family names to see how we were all kin. Discovered a few mistakes in the genealogies which we corrected. My older sister (TammyC), one of my first cousins (Brett) and my middle daughter (Karahann) got out the instruments (banjo & guitars) and we all played and sang some old familiar songs as well as some of Karahann's new ones. There was a thunderstorm afterward that made us all gather in the house and on the back patio. But it quickly passed and the kids could all swim in the pool again.

Just as we were leaving, my mom (Janice) came and got me and said that Aunt Judy (mom's sister) needed me to lay hands on her because she was in pain. My mom is the oldest of 12 (5 sisters and 6 brothers), so I have tons of first and second cousins. I discovered Judy had had a tooth pulled and she had a severe case of "dry socket" (her words), and the pain was about an 8 out of 10! I asked her if I could lay hands on her. I also got my older sister (TammyC) because she believes in healing like I do.

My Big Sis (TammyC), Aunt Judy, Me & Jesus

We laid hands on my Aunt Judy's jaw and commanded pain to leave her body and for the dry socket to be healed. Immediately the pain began to go down. She indicated it immediately jumped down to about a 5 and then 4, 3 and then completely gone. She opened her eyes and said, "It is totally gone." I said, "100%?" She said, "Absolutely gone. No pain at all." She hugged our necks.

This took about 10 minutes.

Was it real? Was it psychosomatic? Well, it was real, that's for sure. The pain was really gone. Was it psychosomatic? I don't know. Was it placebo? I don't know. But you know, it was relief for Judy, and Jesus Christ was glorified.

Jesus, though not a Rasnake, showed up because He was invited. He is not ashamed of calling us His brothers and sisters. Hard to believe, I know, but so be it! :)

Lungs Healed & Strength to Quit Smoking

Last week on my visit to NHC nursing home to visit my father-in-law (Bobby) I was talking to one of the fellows that works for NHC maintenance (Ronnie) and he told me about trying to quit smoking. He wasn't having much luck but he figured he'd better because lately he's been finding it hard to breathe. I asked him, "Are you having trouble breathing right now?" He said he was. I said, "Well, Ronnie, I don't know what you believe, but do you mind if I just lay my hands on you and pray for you?" He said he believed God would help him and agreed it would be great. So I pulled him over out of the way of the hall, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "In the Name of Jesus I command Ronnie's breathing to be healed right now." Then I immediately told him to take a deep breath. He did and his eyes got big and he smiled and said, "Wow. I'm not kidding. I can breath easy again!" That fast! I kept my hand on his shoulder and then said, "Father, give Ronnie strength to quit smoking and power to overcome the desire." Then I told Ronnie that I believed he would continue to get stronger and stronger as the Lord worked in his body and mind. He thanked me and agreed.

Two days ago, I was there visiting Bobby again, and Ronnie came up to me in the hall, grabbed my arm and said, "I just wanted you to know that ever since we prayed that day I've been able to breath normally. Also, this is the 5th day since I've had a cigarette. It was hard at first but I decided to use the patch. So, I've got a patch on, and I have no desire to smoke. I've emptied all my ashtrays and cleaned out my car. It smells a lot better!" LOL... bless his heart, Lord!

Jesus will heal you even if you are the very cause of your physical problem. He will also help you to keep from causing it again in the future. His mercy and grace are for all forms of deliverance... including a life-long habit of smoking. And Jesus and "the patch" are on the same team, BTW. Amen!

Crossing Over

Wayne's Family

On Friday (13-May-2011) I had the privilege of visiting an elderly woman (Betty) who was about to cross over into the great peaceful unknown. A friend from high school (Wayne) has a daughter (Bethany) who contacted my wife (TammyM) and asked that I come and pray for her grandmother (Wayne's mother-in-law) as she was "going downhill" and wasn't expected to live much longer. I arrived at the NHC nursing home after work in the evening. When I approached the room, the door was ajar and I could hear the family talking softly. I opened the door and met Wayne's wife (Glenda) and their two daughters (Bethany & Lorrie); Wayne was on his way. They all thanked me for coming, although I wasn't really sure why, because I didn't know what they wanted me for. I sat with them a while and asked about Glenda's mother (Betty) who was lying in the bed semi-conscious with Bethany & Lorrie sitting beside her. Bethany was holding her hand. Betty had lived at NHC for a few years due to her deteriorating mental state. Wayne arrived. I asked them all what they wanted for Betty and they all agreed they wanted her to peacefully pass over to her real home, heaven. I did not feel up to what was happening, but I knew Jesus is always ready. I told them about my cousin, Rosemary, who, several years ago was in a terminal illness state. 

Rosemary's Story

Rosemary had had a life full of pain and sorrow and was then dying of lung cancer. Before she got really bad off she had called my mom (Janice) and asked to see me. I went to her home and she was already in the state of not being able so speak. I took her hand and asked her what she needed. She couldn't answer but just looked at me and squeezed my hand. I got the feeling it was about her eternal salvation, so I asked, "Rosemary, do you want to be assured of your salvation?" She immediately smiled, shook her head "yes" and squeezed harder. I led her in a prayer to Jesus. She cried and hugged my neck. A few days later she was in the hospital not expected to live much longer. She had suffered terribly. She had been unconscious for several days when I got to her in the hospital. There were a dozen or so family members around her bed. I asked the Lord to let me have some time alone with Rosemary and suddenly, even before I got to say "Amen" to the prayer, every single person in her room left! I was in shock. The Living God had heard me and inspired them all to leave immediately. I imagined an angel whispering in their ears that they needed to get some food in the cafeteria. I was greatly humbled. I walked over to Rosemary and bent down to her face and asked, "Rosemary, do you want to be healed? Or do you want to go home?" Suddenly her eyes opened and she looked at me and smiled. At that very moment a verse rose in my heart very loudly, "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15) and I knew it was the Lord speaking and that Rosemary wanted to go home. She closed her eyes. I read healing scriptures to her and prayed, "Father, let Rosemary's homegoing be glorious and without pain." As I prayed this, her family had started coming back into the room. Two days later, after resting peacefully since the prayer, Rosemary sat up in bed, smiled, looked around the room at her suddenly hushed family, spoke Jesus' name and went home without any suffering. Glorious indeed!

Betty's Story

This story greatly moved Glenda and the family I was now with. I told them of the Lord's great love for Betty (I was feeling it very strongly at the moment) and that it would be the same with Betty. She would go very peacefully and be received into Jesus' arms. I had them all gather around, Glenda, Wayne, their two daughters, Bethany and Lorrie. We all held hands with Betty completing the circle. We worshiped Father & Jesus and thanked the Spirit for His presence. Then I just prayed a similar prayer, "Lord, let Betty's homecoming be glorious and without pain and suffering." A very strong presence of the Lord made itself known in the room. Tears flowed. We all felt His love filling us. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Very humbling and sweet. Two days later, Betty simply fell asleep and crossed over peacefully with her family at her side holding her hands.

The day of her funeral I had been working out in the yard and was very dirty and sweaty, but my wife really wanted to go by and pay her respects. We drove by, but I was so dirty I didn't want to go in. My wife went in and visited and then came out crying. She said that Glenda said for me to get in there they needed to see me and didn't care I was a mess. So I did. Glenda and Wayne hugged me and thanked me for visiting when I did and told me about the way Betty passed away. It meant a lot to them and me. Again, I did not feel up to their gratitude nor the task to begin with. Humbled is all I can say, greatly humbled.

Such beauty, such passion, such gratitude, such graciousness, such kindness... such is our Lord Jesus.

30-Apr-2011 (Sat) - Wrist Cyst Healed

My Mom

Saturday, 30-Apr-2011, after working in the yard all day, I had settled down on the couch in anticipation of the upcoming NHL playoff hockey game between the Nashville Predators and the Vancouver Canucks. My wife and daughters were in town and I was by myself. My cell phone rang and my mom (Janice; see pic right) was on the other end. She said she had a cyst come up on her right wrist a few days ago and it had gotten worse. It was now at the point that it was throbbing painful and she could not bend it without sharp pain. She asked if her and Amelia (my niece) could come over and if I could lay hands on it. Of course! We should be instant in season and out (2Timothy 4:2).

She just lives about 7 miles up the road, so she was here in a flash. She came in and sat down on the couch with me and demonstrated her pain. I could see the swollen portion. OK, let's do this. I commanded healing and told the cyst to leave and that Jesus had bore all her pain. Nothing. Commanded again. Nothing. Did this about half-a-dozen times... still nothing. But rather than get discouraged, as I could see my mom's face getting that way, it occurred to me something I've been meditating on lately. If you ever read the Bible much, one thing that strikes you as a huge difference between the Old and New Testaments is the epic feel you get about God the Father in the Old Testament. I mean, it is like God is B-I-G in the Old Testament; what with epic battles and the rise and fall of nations. I noticed David did not ever settle for a partial victory. After soundly defeating his enemies, he would even chase them. And when they regrouped, he would pursue, besiege, and run them completely out of the country or annihilate them. Of course, these things are types and shadows of our battles in the Kingdom of God. What God had given David was land, and he didn't rest until all enemies were banished from what God had given him. Likewise, my heart was encouraged by these thoughts. I thought, what God has given my mom (healing), I would not rest until the cyst was banished. I thought the God of the Old Testament, the BIG One, was the One Jesus worshiped; the One that worked so effectively through Him.

With this, I talked to the cyst and told it these things. I told the cyst I was here to stay and I was not going to stop until it moved. This time I put my hand on mom's shoulder because I didn't want the heat from my hands to heat up her wrist and give a possibly false indication of progress. I was so encouraged by David's example, that I felt my confidence soar. I commanded the cyst to be removed and for some reason I said, "I command veins to be healed right now!" Then I told my mom she was probably feeling something now. She was. She felt heat and cold surge and then a tingling started in her wrist and ran up her arm for about 3 or 4 minutes all while my hand was merely on her shoulder.

When she tested it, pain was reduced, she said, by 99%! Praise Him! She could no longer make it get the sharp pain she had before and there was now no longer any throbbing. Amen! She said, "I know we were connected to God. I know that what He started right here He will finish." Amen again!

I didn't get to talk to her until this morning (03-May-2011, Tuesday). She called me at work very excited and praising the Lord. She said she woke up this morning and her wrist was 100% healed; no pain, no swelling, nothing!

Thank You, Jesus, that you have provided for us and you are always willing for us to have the things you provided for us. Thank You, Jesus, that we have a divinely-given right to physical healing just like David had a divinely-given right to the Promised Land!

Infections, Wheezing & Pains From Surgery

Our Friend Becky

Saturday (23-Apr-2011) I learned that one of my wife's (TammyM) friends (Becky; see pic left) had to have emergency surgery due to a severely infected appendix. She started having pain and getting sick at her stomach and her family took her to the emergency room where they immediately admitted her and performed an emergency appendectomy. She was in recovery Saturday, but her white-blood-cell count was up and she was still in some pain. Me, my wife and one of my daughters (Kayla) went to visit her in her room. My wife fixed her hair and put some makeup on her while we all small-talked. Becky is a strong believer and has seen the Lord work in her life to perform miracles for many people. She asked for prayer and agreement that her infection would die and she would be free from pain. So we all laid hands on her and commanded pain to leave and infection to die. She felt some soreness leave immediately. The next day, after some tests, she was released to go home feeling much better. Amen!

Jennifer & Her Family

Later that evening I also learned that my sister's (Jennifer) husband's (Jimmy) dad (Big Jim) had just had surgery for a bad rotator cuff. (See pic right of Little Jimmy and his family) He had been in severe pain for several days. His surgery went well, but he was in a lot of pain. Also, while there, he picked up pneumonia and was wheezing pretty bad. He went back to the doctor who prescribed something for the pneumonia. Big Jim was raised in church and is a very sweet man. He was my late dad's very good friend and was present when my dad went home to Jesus. But, being raised in a Baptist church, he's been extremely schooled in many beliefs against healing. Me and Jimmy went to see him at home and before laying hands on him I discussed Jesus with him for a while. I gave him a testimony about healing and he said, "Well, maybe we need to go where that guy was because I don't think the Lord heals that fast around here." Of course, he said that partially jesting with a smile on his face. I asked him if he thought Jesus is the only One that truly represented Father God perfectly. He answered, "Yes, of course." I told him Jesus is the one that said we could do His works, and He never healed slowly. He had to agree. So, I laid hands on his shoulder and after feeling heat in the 3 holes he had in his shoulder from surgery, he said the pain went from about 8 to about 4 or 5. Amen! Then I commanded his lungs to clear and immediately told him to take a deep breath. He did and his eyes widened. He said, "Now the Lord is definitely doing something in my lungs. I'm not wheezing like I was." He took several deep breaths easily and couldn't make himself wheeze anymore.

Thank You, Father God, for your steadfast kindness toward us. I love You.

15-Apr-2011 (Fri) - Jesus At Hooters & 2 Backs Touched

Picture got your attention, didn't it?! LOL... Just the other day, I was in a restaurant (Hooters) with my daughters' dance team and my wife and all the parents. I felt a little ashamed to even walk in the place for obvious reasons but it was the only restaurant open at that late hour after my daughter's performance at the Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach. I really felt the waitresses were totally being taken advantage of in a very disgraceful way. But while I was sitting there, one of the young dancers (about 15 years old) complained she had hurt her back in the last performance. It was really hurting her. I felt ashamed to be in the restaurant, inadequate, unprepared, etc. But I just thought... "That ought not to be for one so young!" And I simply said, "C'mere a second." She said, "What're you gonna do?" I said, "Just come here." On her way to walking to me, her back started heating up and tingling! I didn't even get to pray or lay my hands on her before Jesus started healing her. Her pain was removed.

Jesus is always the same even when we aren't. He heals in all situations and in every atmosphere. There is no atmosphere or human idea or emotion that can stop Him. We do not have to have the "right atmosphere" for Him to move. He's not offended by people, places or things. He works everywhere and with anybody and in any situation. Amen! So stop trying to "get the right atmosphere for God to move"! This is silly religious stuff and has nothing to do with the truth. God has ALREADY moved... it is now OUR move.

Yesterday (Thursday, 14-Apr-2011), I was in Georgia on business and one of my coworkers at a company down there was having back issues (he had a cane). Here's how I approached him. I said, "Hey, Joel, what's with the cane, buddy?" He said, "Well, I've hurt my back or something. Having to use the cane occasionally to get around as the pain shoots down my leg at times." I said, "Wow, man, I'm really sorry. Listen, I don't know what you believe, but I have something to ask you." He said, "What is it?" I said, "Well, I've had a bit of success at getting folks healed of back problems. It's a very casual thing. I just lay my hands on you and pray and we'll see what happens? If nothing happens, well, there is no harm done, right? And if something does, you could be out of pain. What do you think?" He said, "OK, sure. That sounds OK. Give it a try. It couldn't hurt." So I did; I commanded his back to be healed in  the name of Jesus. Then I checked, "Do you feel anything? Like heat or tingling or anything?" He said, "Well, I don't feel heat or tingling, no. But I do feel something. It is hard to describe." I said, "That's OK. Something is usually a good sign." He checked it a little and said it felt a little better. I said, "A little better is good, right?" He smiled and said, "Sure." Then he kinda looked up and just simply said, "Thanks." He was visibly moved by the love I showed him and not so much by the feeling in his back.

Jesus touches the whole man, body, soul & spirit. Joel felt both God's power in his own body and the love of God demonstrated in a simple act of praying casually for his pain. I told him we can do it again next time I came down, just in case he's not all the way better.

He thought that was a very nice gesture. Amen!

09-Apr-2011 (Sat) - Deadly Virus and Seizures

A couple of weeks ago one of my friends (GregC) put me in contact with a lady that lives near me. Her son (Isaac) was having seizures; he's only 4 years old. I met with them and we talked for a while about Jesus. I asked her if she had anything wrong with her. My intention was to boost her faith that this was real and we were not just going to pray like most. She said her ear was stopped up and painful to touch. I prayed for her ear and commanded the pain to leave... it did! She felt a pressure change inside and it was no longer painful to touch. This, I believe, boosted her faith quite a bit! So then we laid hands on her son and rebuked seizures and the spirit of infirmity. Today I got this message from her:

"Praise report: Isaac is doing really well right now. I have not noticed any seizure activity at all of any kind for about a week now. Most of his tests for several serious and life threatening disorders have come back normal. We are beginning the diet on the 18th, but wouldn't it be great if in the hospital they found that he did not need it!!"

Amen! Thank You Jesus.

Also, a few weeks ago, another friend of mine (Chuck) called me and asked me to pray for his friend (Butch) who had some extremely rare kind of highly contagious virus. Butch was in ICU and basically thought to be on his death bed. I asked if I could go see him. Chuck said they probably wouldn't let me in because it was so contagious. I asked the Lord about it and I felt like it was the right thing to do, so I went to the hospital and asked if I could go in with his wife (Cheerie) and lay hands on him. I explained to Cheerie that I wasn't going to ask God to heal Butch, but I was going to do the works of Christ and command his healing because I already knew what God wanted. There were several people from her family and church there and some of them overheard me telling Cheerie the gospel of healing.

Cheerie very willingly took me to his room in ICU. The glass panels to the room were shut with big warning signs on them. We put on a mask, robe, gloves, hat and shoe covers before we entered. I spoke to Butch (though he was unconscious) and told him Jesus wanted him well. I basically taught the gospel out loud to him just to let him know in the spirit. Then Cheerie and I laid our hands on him and commanded his healing. I didn't see any response other than Cheerie was moved. Before we left the room we had to remove all the garb and put it in the biological hazard canister.

That very night his kidneys began to function again! It was a slow process, but immediate improvement was an exciting thing after he had done nothing but go down hill. Turns out his teenage son kept telling everyone that his dad was not going to die! Amen!

I got this message this morning from one of his friends:

"Praising God this morning!!! Our sweet friend, Butch Cooper is improving so beautifully! His trach and dialysis port were both removed this morning! :) Yay God! ...and he just told Chuck to bring him fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy & biscuits back this evening for dinner! He is truly a miracle! Thanks for praying for him!!!"

(10-Aug-2011 UPDATE): I got this text message about Butch from a friend of mine (Chuck):

"Hi Greg. Cheerie Cooper sent this update for Butch. She wanted me to let u know. See ya later: 'Chuck, please join Butch & I in a time of praise to God. He just returned from his visit to the pulmonologist (Mr. Pessimist) with the X-ray showing very little scaring left in his lungs. God is great! Please let Greg Kiser & your mom know about this wonderful news...'"

Never lose hope, and never stop pressing. Jesus taught persistence in many places. It is not that we are persistent with God, for God wants the person healed much more than you do. In fact, Father God has already provided healing for every single person that will ever live. It is a matter of us receiving His finished work in Jesus Christ. So what do we persist against? Against everything that opposes the will of God. And the will of God is very clear:

1 Timothy 2

3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  

 The word translated "saved" in the above scripture is the Greek word sozo, and it means "whole." It is not just referring to the limited meaning of "getting to go to heaven when you die" that many preachers and Christians put on it. It simply means to be saved from all manner of harm. It's very first 3 uses in the New Testament show the wide variety of its application:

Saved From Sin

Matthew 1

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

Saved From Physical Danger

Matthew 8

25 So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to die!"

Saved From Sickness

Matthew 9

21 for she said to herself, "If I can just touch His robe, I’ll be made well!"

Thus to limit the meaning to just getting to go to heaven when you die is not Biblically accurate! Now, go above and read  1Timothy 2:3-4 again. Now you can see that God is not willing that any should suffer for their sins. He is also not willing that any should die in accidents. He is also not willing that any should be sick! He wants for His children what any good parent wants: Forgiveness, safety and health!

The Bible is amazingly simple when we let it be. 

30-Mar-2011 (Wed) - More Torn Tendons and an Update

My wife's (TammyM) brother (Mike) tore a tendon in his foot playing basketball the other day. He said it felt like someone drove a nail into his heel. It made a grotesque popping noise when it happened. He went to the doctor and the doc told him it was partially torn, but if he would immobilize it, it would probably heal. So, he gave Mike a special boot to wear. Mike wore it one time. He said it did a great job, but he just didn't want to wear it. My wife and I went over to Mike's property and was helping them move a few things. After we were done he complained his heel was about a pain level 8 (1-10)! So I said, "Can I pray for it? Sometimes I can get the pain to go away." He recalled, "You did that to me once before when I hurt my foot about a year ago at a family picnic. So, sure, go ahead." I laid hands on his foot about 3 times and nothing much seemed to be happening. So, I tried what I like to call the Curry-Blake technique... LOL. I told him I was going to lay hands on it, tell the pain to leave in Jesus' Name and then I wanted him to immediately put pressure on his heel. So I did, and he did. He said, "I'm not kidding you, that worked." He stood up and walked around and said, "It doesn't hurt anything like it did." Yay!

Curry Blake describes this as allowing the River of Life to flow out of you and removing your hand before it "flows or bounces back." A strange description and odd idea, yes, but sometimes it seems like the right thing to do. I've tried this several times and so far it has worked. Jesus really does describe the divine life flowing out of believers as a flow of a river:

John 7:37-39 - On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been received because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Also as a note regarding the nurse (Vern) I prayed for here: He grabbed me at the nursing home the other day and said, "Guess what happened!" I said, "You can hear?" He said, "Yes! 100%. I woke up to the sound of the clock... not the alarm, but the ticking! I turned my head and I discovered I could hear out of my right ear."

Thank You Jesus for continuing working even after we leave the person we pray for!

John G. Lake on Resolve

"Last evening in the healing rooms, just at six o'clock, I was visited by a woman who I met four or five months ago in the Deaconess Hospital. The dear lady had been given up to die. She had been examined by X-ray, and a large cancer in the stomach was discovered. They told her there was nothing to be done for her. So the dear husband sent for me to speak a kindly word to his supposedly dying wife. I did not understand what I had been sent for and when I got to the dear soul I supposed I had been called to pray the prayer of faith for healing.

"I said, 'Dear Mother, you do not have to die.'

"'But', she said, 'the doctor says so. The X-ray shows such a sized cancer. I guess, brother, I will have to die.'

"And I said, 'It is a lie. You do not have to die.' For two or three months we battled against that condition in the woman's soul. The Spirit of God would come upon her every time we prayed. Her pains would disappear, she would go to sleep, etc., but she was not really healed. That went on week after week and month after month until I was almost worn out before her soul raised to take victory. But last night she walked into the healing rooms. She told me that she weighed only seventy-five pounds when I met her and that now she weighs one hundred twenty pounds. She went to the hospital this week and had the same physician X-ray her. When they saw the picture they said. 'There must be some mistake.' And they got the original and examined it. They could not understand it.

"She said, 'Doctor, I found a new Physician, the Great Physician, the Christ of God, and I do not care about your plates. I know the cancer is gone.' But the plates showed it was gone. The woman has gone back home a happy woman. But, beloved, the victory only came when the consciousness of the power of the living Christ took possession of that woman's heart. Blessed be God.

"Not a dead Jesus, but a living Christ!"

MY COMMENT: Where are the MEN/WOMEN of God with that kind of resolve? I have decided where ONE of them lives.

09-Mar-2011 (Wed): Carpal Tunnel Pain, Torn Tendon & Popped Eardrum

A couple of weeks ago at lunchtime I was visiting my father-in-law (Bob) in the nursing home [NHC]. I went to the nurse's station to get him a Tums. He commonly wants one after lunch. I had brought him some spicy chicken he loves and so he figured he get one before experiencing any heartburn. One of the nurses that commonly takes care of Bob was there (his name is Vern) and I noticed as he was getting Bob's Tums, he had a wrap around his wrist. So I asked him what happened. He began to tell me he picked up something and heard a snap and pain shot up his arm from his wrist. He went to the doctor and the doctor told him he tore a tendon in his wrist and it would probably have to be fixed surgically. Turns out, years ago he had popped a tendon in his arm completely in two! He had surgery on that one and healed very quickly, which he attributed to God and prayer. So, I asked if I could pray for his wrist. He said that would be great but not to expect too much because he believed God did this to him to teach him some humility or something. Of course, he doesn't know it, but that is not true at all. Jesus' example of Father never showed that Father ever did anything like this to anybody. Jesus only removed pain and suffering... He never caused it. It is the nature of the thief to kill, steal and destroy. It is the nature of God to give abundant life (John 10:10).

But I left the theology lesson for later. I simply told him I believed Jesus wanted him out of pain and healed now... right now. He was very skeptical and corrected my theology saying, "God might heal it, but it will certainly be in His time, not ours." Again, I let that fall to the ground as I put my hand on his wrist and commanded the tear to be healed and tendon reconnected. Then I took my hand off and said, "It should be getting warm and tingly in there right now. And the pain should be lessening." His eyebrows went up and his face turned red. He said, "Son of a gun! You're not kidding. It really is getting hot in there. And just the right spot too, right where the doc said it tore." I asked about his pain and he said it didn't hurt much at all any more. He said, "Wow. I can certainly live with that." He then told me it would not be healed all the way until he learned whatever God was teaching him. I simply said, "He seemed to be healing you now." He had to agree.

A few days later, I came into work, and a coworker of mine (Mike) said he was experiencing some stronger-than-usual pain in his wrists from what he believed to be carpal tunnel [see pic of Mike & his wife Linda in pic right]. He's a strong believer and had been commanding the pain to leave him for a few days. He could press the center of his palms and pain would shoot up his arms. So he asked me to lay hands on him. I did and commanded the pain and tingling to leave in Jesus' Name. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but I just held his hands in mine for a while and spoke to the pain a few more times. In a few more minutes he said the tingling had disappeared and the pain had greatly diminished. He could now press very hard on his palms and was not feeling that sharp pain like he was. Amen! Since I work with him I will check on him from time to time to see how this is progressing. Of course, we want 100%. Mike, if you are reading this, please feel free to comment and let us know how it's going.

Meanwhile, back at the nursing home... Yesterday (Tue, 08-Mar-2011) I was visiting Bob again. I took him a Pal's hotdog (which he loves). After my visit I was walking to the door and I saw that same nurse (Vern) walking up the hall toward me. He still had the wrap on his wrist. I waved, but he motioned to me and said, "Follow me." So I did. He led me to an empty room (the tenants were out and about for the day or at lunch). He said, "I brought you in here to ask you something. But before that..." ... he motioned toward his arm... '...this thing is getting better and better. It is healing and no longer hurts after you prayed a while back. So, thanks!" Then he told me he had been sick for a few days and had thrown up so hard he popped his right eardrum. He went to the doctor and the doctor said it was a really bad tear and it may never heal over, or even if it did he would probably suffer severe hearing loss. I don't recall if he said "down to only 20%" or "loss of 20%"... but either way, he asked me to pray for him.

His current symptom-set was dizziness, pain, and complete silence in that ear. He said he couldn't even hear himself in his own head. The words he used were, "stone deaf." I told him about Chelsi's ear being healed (see here) because I believe a testimony in-and-of itself has the power to promote faith in the hearer, "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). I then laid my finger on his ear and commanded it to be mended and healed and that Jesus bore all of Vern's pain. I left it on there for several minutes, meditating on Jesus and letting the Life of God flow into him. Now, understand, I never feel anything at all, I just believe God's Life is flowing. Vern was silent with his eyes closed.

Finally I asked, "What's going on?" He suddenly said, "Oh wow, I hear a gurgling in my ear. That's different for sure!" Then a few moments later he said, "I'm feeling pressure changes in my ear. You know, like when you drive down a mountain too fast." Then he looked up, moved his head around and said, "Wow, I'm not kidding you brother, my dizziness is completely gone." He said beforehand he felt like he was "listing to the right" as he walked. He tried to get the cotton out of his ear, but it was too far down in there to get with his fingers. He was amazed. The pain was also gone. He told me thanks, and thanked Father. He said, "I'll get this cotton out later and see what's going on. I just believe it will continue to mend." I offered to pray for him again if he wanted, any time.

UPDATE (30-Mar-2011): Vern grabbed me at the nursing home the other day and said, "Guess what happened!" I said, "You can hear?" He said, "Yes! 100%. I woke up to the sound of the clock... not the alarm, but the ticking! I turned my head and I discovered I could hear out of my right ear." Thank You Jesus for continuing working even after we leave the person we pray for!

Isn't Jesus amazing?!