Jesus Heals Car Salesmen Too

Notoriously, car salesmen have a bad reputation. Kind of like lawyers. Most people have nothing but complaints and insults for folks holding those professions. Not that this is unwarranted, but it is certainly improper to judge someone in a profession by the profession itself instead of facing each person on an individual basis. For instance, my experience with car salesmen has been very positive the majority of time. In fact I have one particular man that has become MY car salesman. He works untiringly and has always given me the best deal that I have ever received from anyone in my area.

So, the last weekend when my middle daughter, Karahann decided she wanted rid of her "old" car for a newer one, this car salesman's name immediately came to mind. She asked me to go with her, since he knows me pretty well. So I did.

As usual, he was Johnny-on-the-spot. Another salesman had already quoted us a price, but when MY salesman heard that he said, "No, no, no. I will sell it to you at [this] price." A price MUCH lower than the one already quoted. As he went to work on the sale (he can also do the financial side of things too; in fact he is the main manager) we had times we could just chat. He and my daughter hit it off pretty good and I really didn't get much of a break to interject my opinion about mundane conversational things. However, when I heard him say, "Yeah, my back is killing me. I don't know what I did to it today, but I haven't been able to take a deep breath all day and I've been popping pain pills to keep it under control till I get off work."... my interest was suddenly piqued. My daughter, Karahann, knew it as well because she immediately looked over at me. She knows her old man pretty good.

So at one of the interludes where he was waiting on either the computer or one of the other salesmen to bring him something needed for the transaction; I said, "So, is your back still hurting you, like, right now?" Of course he replied it was. "Do you mind if I pray for you? Father God sometimes uses me to heal folks and get them out of pain." He was actually not taken aback by this. Why? Because a few years ago when he had a broken heart from a breakup with his girlfriend, he had asked me to have lunch with him and I had prayed for him for Jesus to heal his broken heart (see here, the 3rd bullet --> http://gregoryleonkiser.blogspot.com/2010/08/well-quite-bit-has-happened-since-my.html), and Jesus had touched him with His power like nothing he'd ever felt before (his words). So because of that experience he'd remembered he said, "You're not going to make me cry again are you?" LOL! I said, "Jesus had your number back then, friend, and He's got it again now. I believe He wants to relieve you of some physical pain this time." He wholeheartedly agreed... that mustard-seed-sized faith.

I got up from in front of his desk and walked behind him and laid my hand on his shoulder and prayed, "Father thank You for loving us. Thank You for your Son Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, bearing all our sins and pain. I speak to this pain and command it to leave in Jesus Name." That's it! He immediately said, "Wow, I'm burning up inside." I could feel the heat coming from his shoulder. He said, "Thanks so much." I said, "Do you feel any relief from pain?" As usual the person being prayed for is not really expecting results on the spot. He looked puzzled so I said, "Take a deep breath." He said, "Seriously?" I said, "Sure. Do it." So he did. His face widened with a grin and his face turned red. "No pain. Oh wow." He took several deep breaths. "I haven't been able to do that all day until just when you prayed!"

So you might be prejudiced against car salesmen, but Jesus ain't. Needless to say the car deal was made with all parties involved very satisfied... including Jesus.

Backstage Healing

Harrison-Jones Memorial Hall at Virginia Intermont College

Every year about this time, my youngest daughter, Kayla, puts on a dance recital for her dance studio. It always has a theme and features all the little dancers that attend her studio and puts their talents on display, whether it be clogging, hip hop, lyrical, ballet and even belly dancing. It is a big deal since all the families of the students get to come and (sometimes) see the dancers displaying their talent for the first time.

As is normal, my whole family usually jumps in and helps as well as many of the mommies and daddies of the dancers. The amount of work it takes to put on such a recital is amazing and, like most things that are worthwhile, takes a lot of planning and scheduling and money. But the rewards far exceed the invested effort. Watching those little ladies (some of which are just 4 or 5 years old) perform on stage in front of a big audience is one of the most heartwarming, inspiring and often humorous things in human experience!

My middle daughter, Karahann, meant to come but was feeling a bit under the weather and my wife wanted me to run down to her apartment and check on her to see if she needed anything. Well, she ended up feeling much better and coming back with me to the recital. But this is not about that! Instead, before I left to check on Karahann, I was backstage and gathering up my stuff to leave. The young lady who was in charge of the auditorium at the college where we were, was backstage as well, checking on us to see if everything was running smooth. But she spoke to my wife and said, "Something is wrong with me. I can't move my right hand hardly at all and both arms feel funny and are aching." She was visibly scared. My wife said, "That sounds like you pinched a nerve..." and she started rubbing her spine to see if there was a sensitive spot. My wife then said, "I'll go get a nurse. Honey, why don't you pray for her?" So, I asked the young lady's permission, and she agreed.

I had no sooner put my hand on her back than I felt a very hot spot on her spine. I said, "Wow, do you feel that?!" She said, "Yes, it is very hot!" I commanded pain to leave and for feeling and motion to be restored in both arms and her hand. We let it burn for about 3 solid minutes, then I asked her to see if anything changed. She said, "Well, I can move my hand now without pain. My arms feel much better now. Wow, thanks." I said, "Let's do it again." So I commanded pain to leave again... "Now?" She said, "They still feel a little funny, but the pain is gone and I have full mobility in my hand now!"

She was very excited and thankful. By then my wife had returned with a dance mommy that was also a nurse. It was time for me to leave, smiling at what Jesus had done backstage, so I told her, "I believe Jesus will continue to work on your spine until you are completely well." She thanked me again and her and the nurse started talking.

Later that night when the recital was over, I didn't get a chance to ask her if all was 100%, but I did notice that she helped clean up and didn't seem to be suffering any longer. Yay! Even if it was a partial healing, she was most certainly helped by Jesus that night and I'm sure the suddenness of that help blessed her heart because most people are not prepared for immediate results! Unfortunately we are too often surprised by God helping us immediately, but it was the normal mode for Jesus Himself when He walked the earth.

So, Jesus was at the recital. I'm not sure where He was sitting during the rest of the time, but He was backstage for a little while... LOL. He loves doing these things for us, if only we all knew how to let Him. Amen!

Abdominal Pain & Knee-swelling Gone

For quite some time now, my oldest daughter, Kimberly, has been struggling with pain in her abdomen. She's gone to several doctors and even had a surgery performed to see if there was any scar tissue or cysts or possible endometriosis. She's taken countless medications in hopes of relieving the pain all to no avail. She was to return to work after surgery but was still suffering pain. So I received the text message from her as shown at the right while I was at work. I went over to her house and laid hands on her. At first I felt a hot spot near her right kidney, but not much was happening. So I began to talk about some of the experiences I'd had in hopes of building up our faith together and encouraging ourselves in the Lord like King David did:

"David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God." (1Samuel 30:6).

Next I tried a particularly successful technique I learned from listening to Curry Blake's teaching on getting folks healed. He described the power of God flowing out of us like a river as Jesus said:

"Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"(John 7:38)

Curry taught that when we touch a person suffering from sickness, we want that river to flow from God through us to them, however, like a river, we don't want it to "bounce back" but rather stay and do its work. Strange description, yes, but I found it to actually work better in some instances when nothing much seems to be apparently going on. So, with my hands not touching Kimberly, I commanded her body to be made well and then touched her back suddenly, held them there for a second or two, and then removed them quickly and immediately asked, "Do you feel anything?". Strangely, I felt that hot spot turn cold immediately. Kimberly said, "Yes, I do this time. It feels like someone put Icy Hot in my body." That sensation continued for several minutes as we talked more about some experiences I had seen with other people.

She felt "different" she said. I had related an experience I had at getting a young guy's knees healed and she said, "While we're at it, how about praying for my knees?" I learned that where she stands on her feet all day doing her job, that the backs of her knees swell and Grant, her husband, usually massages them to make them feel better after work. I used the same technique on her knees and she felt the same "Icy Hot" feeling through her knees. A few minutes later we check the swelling and it was completely gone in her left leg and about 90% gone in her right!

Notice the text message I received this morning. Praise Jesus. He loves my daughter. "No pain this morning"! Jesus is real.

When there are no apparent results, keep pushing. Again, remember, the Holy Spirit is with you and He's done all this before. Every person that has ever been healed, He was there doing it. So, persist. If nothing is apparently happening, keep pushing, asking, believing... all while quietly relaxing that Jesus is the Healer and wants us all well every time.

Faith of a Child

The week after Christmas, I was at my daughter's (Kayla's) dance studio helping move some stuff from a room she was no longer going to use. I was off work that week and several other people were helping, mostly Kayla's husband, John and some dance moms. One of the dance moms, whom I know pretty well and who also cooks at a local deli, was limping around in the kitchen helping all she could. She was obviously in pain. I had prayed for her daughter one time at a clogging competition when she had hurt her foot and was worried about competing with the pain. Her daughter was healed in a few seconds at the competition when I laid hands on her. So now her daughter told her to let me pray for her back.

So I planned on doing it when we got to a good stopping point.

As we were all finishing up and folks were leaving the studio I caught her in the office. "You seem to be in a lot of pain tonight. What is going on with you?", I asked. "My back is killing me. I'll probably have to go to the doctor. But I've been putting that off because I really don't have the money or very good insurance." Her daughter was standing beside her. "Mom, let Mr. Kiser lay hands on you. Remember what happened when he prayed for my foot?!" She smiled and said she did remember that. I told her that it was not a special gift that I had but that all believers, when they realize Jesus hasn't changed and cares for their health, can do what I do. "It just takes the smallest amount of faith; mustard-seed sized.", I said. So, she consented saying she could use all the prayer I could muster. LOL

I asked her where it hurt and she said in the small of her back and around her kidneys. She didn't know if it was her spine or a kidney infection or something else. As soon as I placed my hand just above the small of her back I felt a tremendous amount of heat. I asked, "Feel that?" She started waving her hand in front of her face. "Shew! I'm burning up all over!" I told her that was a sign that God was working all over her body. I've learned from experience if the entire body gets hot it is usually an infection. But there was definitely a local hot spot on her spine as well. I said, "Put your hand around here and feel this!" She did, and she was amazed at the heat coming off of her back. Her daughter wanted to feel it to, so she did. "Wow, mom, you're burning up!"

I kept my hand on her for a good 5 solid minutes and the heat did not diminish. Finally after a few minutes more she started to cool off. I took my hand away and asked her to move around and do something that would cause her pain before. She bent over, moved her back around, leaned back, all to her amazement without pain!

Needless to say she was pretty amazed. Her daughter just said, "I told you so! I told you when this thing started to let Mr. Kiser lay hands on you!"

The faith of a child for the parent is powerful indeed. It is just like the faith the friends had for their friend when they brought him to Jesus and had to lower him through the roof. Jesus "saw their [the friends'] faith ...", He healed him (Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20).