“The conditions basic to all ministry that can truly be called ministry to the Lord are: drawing near to Him and standing before Him.”
Watchman Knee – “Ministry to the Lord”
Changing Our Mindset
It is the normal state of affairs
for Christians to have an appetite
for the impossible.
In the summer of 2008 my wife LeAnn and I traveled to the Yucatan on a missions trip. Our base was in Merida, Mexico which is a large city of over two million people. Our ministry, on the other hand was primarily to the small rural churches outside of Merida.
While we were there a woman came to us who had a withered and deformed hand. Her fingers were twisted literally like a corkscrew and two of her fingers were fused together as one. This condition had been her experience since birth. We prayed for her, and watched as God opened her hand before our very eyes. The fingers slowly straightened and the fused fingers separated as baby-like skin formed over the fingers! People all around her stood in amazement, as did we… we serve an amazing God!
In the village of Tizimin (Tead zah meehn) we were again overwhelmed when the Lord gave arches to two young children who had been born with flat feet. (see picture above) Their mothers cried for joy as they went from person to person saying “Look what the Lord has done!”
These are only a few cameos of scores of healings that we witnessed in Mexico. God is still at work both abroad and at home.
Last year I had the privilege of praying for a young teen named Ben. He had been born with his feet pointed in and disfigured. All his life he had been struggling to walk and totally unable to run and play. The kids at school often referred to him as “Duck” in a derogatory manner. He had been prayed for hundreds of times over the years with no change. It would have been easy for him to be angry with God, and have a “Why me?” attitude, but he came faithfully to church week after week seeking his healing.
The doctors told his parents that it would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to operate on his feet and ankles, and then there was no guarantee of how they would turn out. The family had very little medical coverage and couldn’t afford the operations needed, or the therapy that would have to follow.
It is the normal state of affairs
for Christians to have an appetite
for the impossible.
In the summer of 2008 my wife LeAnn and I traveled to the Yucatan on a missions trip. Our base was in Merida, Mexico which is a large city of over two million people. Our ministry, on the other hand was primarily to the small rural churches outside of Merida.
While we were there a woman came to us who had a withered and deformed hand. Her fingers were twisted literally like a corkscrew and two of her fingers were fused together as one. This condition had been her experience since birth. We prayed for her, and watched as God opened her hand before our very eyes. The fingers slowly straightened and the fused fingers separated as baby-like skin formed over the fingers! People all around her stood in amazement, as did we… we serve an amazing God!
In the village of Tizimin (Tead zah meehn) we were again overwhelmed when the Lord gave arches to two young children who had been born with flat feet. (see picture above) Their mothers cried for joy as they went from person to person saying “Look what the Lord has done!”
These are only a few cameos of scores of healings that we witnessed in Mexico. God is still at work both abroad and at home.
Last year I had the privilege of praying for a young teen named Ben. He had been born with his feet pointed in and disfigured. All his life he had been struggling to walk and totally unable to run and play. The kids at school often referred to him as “Duck” in a derogatory manner. He had been prayed for hundreds of times over the years with no change. It would have been easy for him to be angry with God, and have a “Why me?” attitude, but he came faithfully to church week after week seeking his healing.
The doctors told his parents that it would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to operate on his feet and ankles, and then there was no guarantee of how they would turn out. The family had very little medical coverage and couldn’t afford the operations needed, or the therapy that would have to follow.
After praying with him just a few minutes I asked him if he felt anything in his legs and feet. “Nope!” he replied. So I encouraged him to just sit and wait in the presence of the Lord. After a few more minutes, I moved on to pray with some others who had come forward with needs.
About ten minutes went by, and honestly, having moved on to the needs of others, I had pretty much forgotten about Ben.
Suddenly I heard a commotion behind me – a mixture of shouts of praise and applause. I turned around to see this young man running back and forth across the front of our sanctuary. He was jumping up and down wildly in between bursts of running in his stocking feet. Joy was inscribed all over his face as he laughed and shouted. I looked down at his feet and ankles and saw that they were perfectly normal – straightened and flat on the floor! He had thrown off his shoes, because they were orthopedic shoes designed for his abnormal feet. He had to go home in his stocking feet – but with totally healed feet!
How did all of these miracles happen? The way all miracles do! They happened when the power of the kingdom of God came thundering in, in the face of their infirmities and overwhelmed them. These are just further demonstrations of the faithfulness and goodness of God and His abject power over the work of the enemy.
Kingdom dynamics always overpowers earthly affliction; the question is will we walk in faith.
30
About ten minutes went by, and honestly, having moved on to the needs of others, I had pretty much forgotten about Ben.
Suddenly I heard a commotion behind me – a mixture of shouts of praise and applause. I turned around to see this young man running back and forth across the front of our sanctuary. He was jumping up and down wildly in between bursts of running in his stocking feet. Joy was inscribed all over his face as he laughed and shouted. I looked down at his feet and ankles and saw that they were perfectly normal – straightened and flat on the floor! He had thrown off his shoes, because they were orthopedic shoes designed for his abnormal feet. He had to go home in his stocking feet – but with totally healed feet!
How did all of these miracles happen? The way all miracles do! They happened when the power of the kingdom of God came thundering in, in the face of their infirmities and overwhelmed them. These are just further demonstrations of the faithfulness and goodness of God and His abject power over the work of the enemy.
Kingdom dynamics always overpowers earthly affliction; the question is will we walk in faith.
30
No comments:
Post a Comment