He Considered Not His Own Body
I had the opportunity to open a new work in a Mexican village. This was a village that did not have any Gospel witness, not even a small chapel. In the beginning days of this work, a Mexican minister I worked with had a plan. He knew of a group of preachers, that had a Gospel film, that would be willing to help us. This was a powerful team of ministers. It was said that no disease could stand before them. There were stories of brain cancer and other terminal diseases being cured through their ministry. I agreed to invite them to help us with the new village.
One member of this group was a man named Eduardo. He had been raised up off his death bed. I do not what kind of disease he had but it was something which fused all the vertebra in his back together. He could not turn his head. Some close friends of his said that there was some pain or discomfort. Even so, Eduardo considered that God had spared his life. He had been healed as far as he was concerned.
It is interesting to start a new work in a completely unreached area. Two pastors from the US had given me a portable generator. We strung a line between two trees and turned on a single light bulb. We had the entire village present at the gathering. There was nothing else going on at nights. How different that is from the developed world. I have a friend that says to get a hearing in the US you have to shoot the president or preached naked.
We got a rude sound system set up. We really did not have to invite anyone. The light bulb is enough. It was the biggest thing going in the village that night. Even so, Eduardo wanted to extend an invitation to everyone by means of loudspeaker.
He grabbed the microphone and said. “We are showing a film about the Life of Jesus here tonight. We invite everyone. Bring your deaf and your blind. Bring your dead and God will raise them up!”
I thought, “Oh no. This guy might be a kook.” The entire village came out. We showed the movie. Eddie and his team ministered to the sick and every one was healed! [There were 2 people who were involved in witchcraft. We could not seem to bring healing to them.]
One healing stands out to me from that night. There was an old woman who came to Eduardo for prayer and ministry. Eddie asked what her problem was. She said it was back pain. I thought, That's too bad. Eddie's back pain will not allow him to confidently pray in faith for the back pain of another.
I watched as Eddie laid his hands on her. He said, “That is no problem at all”. It was almost funny. She literally jumped off the ground. It looked like she was hit by a lightning bolt. She wiggled and twisted all around, before she came back down to the ground. Then her eyes got big.
Eddie said, “You didn't believe, did you?”
She shook her head no, still with wide eyes. The back pain was gone, in an instant. Eddie crossed the barrier of his own back pain and the barrier of this woman's unbelief. That is almost humanly impossible.
I remembered the comment about Abraham.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: (Rom 4:19)
Abraham was an impotent old man. His wife could not conceive children on a good day, much less now at age 90. It did not matter, Abraham considered the promise of God as good as done, even though he and his wife could not have children.
At about midnight I took Eddie home. We had had an almost incredible night. As I stopped my van to let him out, Eddie pointed to a small building. In the moonlight I could see a small structure, about the size of a tool shed. He said, “Es nuestra casa de oracion”.
“That is our house of prayer. There is a small group of us that meet every morning for prayer. At 4:30 AM we come from all parts of the city to meet together to seek God.”
Now I knew that this was the source-apparent of the group's amazing power. Of course, God does not respond to us, but rather, we respond to His leading. God was moving on their hearts and they were responding in faith and obedience. It is not a matter of “punching the clock” with God that produces His favor. Nevertheless, for those who respond to God in diligence there is a great reward.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6)
Dec. 17, 2023