God's Mercy and Healing Power

This is an excerpt from John Wimber's book Power Healing.

"Lord, I asked, are most people afraid to pray for the sick because their understanding of your nature, who you are and how you work inhibits them?" Again, I sensed him saying, "Yes - most people are hesitant, even fearful, to pray for others healing because they misunderstand my compassion and mercy. They know about me, but they do not always know me."

It really works, I thought as I went on my way toward home, and God used me as a vehicle of his healing mercy. Then I was jolted out of my jubilant mood by an incredible vision.

Suddenly in my minds eye there appeared to be a cloud bank superimposed across the sky. But I had never seen a cloud bank like this one, so I pulled my car over to the side of the road to take a closer look. Then I realized it was not a cloud bank, it was a honeycomb with honey dripping out on to people below. The people were in a variety of postures. Some were reverent; they were weeping and holding their hands out to catch the honey and taste it, even inviting others to take some of their honey. Others acted irritated, wiping the honey off themselves, complaining about the mess. I was awestruck. Not knowing what to think, I prayed, "Lord, what is it?"

He said, It's my mercy, John. For some people it's a blessing, but for others it's a hindrance. There is plenty for everyone. Don't ever beg me for healing again. The problem isn't on my end, John. It's down there. (For readers who have never had a vision or supernaturally heard God in this fashion, I did not physically hear God speak. I experienced more of an impression, a spiritual sense of God speaking to me. Time proved that what I thought I had heard was true.)
That was a moving and profound experience; certainly it revolutionized my life more than any other experience I had since becoming a Christian. I have never looked at healing the same way since that day.

What made this experience so powerful was that it confirmed my newfound conviction, rooted in Scripture, that God's abundant grace included diving healing, if only we would believe him for it. I learned this lesson from the story in Mark 9:14-32 of Christ healing a man's son who was possessed by a spirit and as a consequence was mute. After the disciples had failed to heal the boy, the father approached Jesus asking if he could help. Jesus wasted no time in identifying the reason for the disciples failure: unbelief.

After explaining to Jesus that his son had been possessed by a spirit since childhood, the man asked, "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us" (v.22). Jesus said, "If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes" (v.23). The key to experiencing Gods healing mercy was belief, belief in the God who heals. "I do believe, the father said. Help me overcome my unbelief! (v.24). With this confession what Jesus called faith as small as a mustard seed in Matthew 17:20 he cast a deaf and mute spirit out of the boy, and the boy was instantly healed.

What God showed me through scriptures like Mark 9, my first healing, and the honeycomb vision was that he is much greater than I ever imagined him to be, and with only the smallest act of faith I could experience his compassion and mercy. I also realized that God's mercy is constantly falling on us, because everything that he does is related to what he is: the Father of compassion (mercies, oiktirmon) and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles. (2 Cor. 1:3; Exod. 34:6, Neh. 9:17). Psalm 145:9 says, "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made". Titus 3:5 says the Lord saves us because of his mercy.

But too often I did not see God in the fullness of his mercy and grace.

I trusted him to lead me, but I did not trust him to provide for me; I had faith to receive forgiveness of sins and salvation, but I had no faith for divine healing. I never realized God's mercy was as readily and abundantly available to me as the honey was available to all under the honeycomb.

Through the honeycomb vision I also understood that my first healing was only the beginning of my experiencing God's mercy if I would only choose to believe and to receive it. In the vision, some people rejoiced, freely received, and freely gave away. The more they gave away, the more they received. There is plenty for everyone, The Lord said. Don't ever beg me for healing again.

But others, full of unbelief and skepticism, could not receive the grace, blessings, and gifts of God. They could not see that Gods mercy and healing are greater than their understanding of how he works. The problem isn't on my end, the Lord said. It's down there. It is we not God who place limitations and unbelief on Gods compassion and mercy. We are invited to cooperate with his Spirit by entering into a divine partnership, a partnership in which he brings direction and provides for healing.

Autism Healing Testimony

This is a testimony I received from Sharon Murrone Reese about the progressive healing of her son, Ryan from autism.

I have a blessing I'd like to share with you. :)

My son Ryan was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Ryan is 21 years old now, so this was before most anybody had ever heard if autism. Ryan is my only child and also the 1st grandchild, so he didn't have family, friends or peers his age to help him like some others did. God had impressed on me to begin to pray and believe for Ryan's complete restoration and healing.

At the time we were attending a Methodist church and had never heard of such things. Who knew that God could heal today? That healing stuff was just stories in the bible right? Does God heal today? What does restoration mean? Wierd! But the impression was so strong, it became very important to me. Besides, when you see your child suffering, you will do and try anything to help, am I right? So I began to pray... I prayed for years and couldn't see any change. I thought God would just snap His fingers and it would be done, it didn't happen that way. Although God does heal that way, that's not the way it happened for us.

Sometimes, when we are in the middle of a battle it's hard to step back, see the whole picture and realize what's really happening. There was a time I almost gave up praying... as I pondered this, God sent a lady into the christian bookstore where I worked. She walked straight up to me and shouted "Don't you ever give up on praying and believing for someone! More things are wrought by prayer than this world knows of!" then she walked straight out the door. I had never seen her before or since. (Gee, think that was an angel or what?) Needless to say this freaked me out, but it also did something in my heart, and a resolve came that I would NEVER give up on prayer.

During this time, Ryan was constantly being tested for this or that, always going to doctor's, this specialist, that mental health, or let's try this new thing that is supposed to help, let's try these drugs, maybe it's his diet, or allergies... To add to the problems, Ryan's dad was very abusive and we were divorced when Ryan was 7. During high school it was so bad (he had been suicidal since 5th grade) that his psychiatrist actually went to school with him 3 days a week, every week for almost a year.

I cannot express the grief and suffering this caused the whole family. Since Ryan never had any real friends, his counselor suggested I start inviting kids to the house. So we began having a monthly, overnight video game playing, pizza eating bash. It started with only 1 friend, and grew to 5 boys whom I now consider to be my boys to pray for. The school district would not provide any services for Ryan because his diagnosis kept changing.

The boys told me many of the teachers abuse to Ryan that I didn't even know about, and Ryan was unable to tell me. We had some great teachers and some not so great. One teacher made him sit inside a washing machine box, a whole box, the lid on it and everything. She cut a door that she would close after Ryan was inside. She put his desk inside and made him sit there all day long, everyday during 2nd grade. He was made to eat lunch in his box and not allowed to go to recess, he had to sit in the box.

Ryan's acting out to this injustice was to glue all the teacher's scissors together so they wouldn't open! LOL I didn't know about this till Ryan was in 10th grade! I'm glad I didn't know, because at the time, I would have killed someone! Every year something would happen and we would be sent for more testing. Every time this happened, his diagnosis would change. Stepping back and looking at it now, I see the hand of God.

The reason we had to keep going for more testing, the reason the diagnosis kept changing, was because God was doing a progressing healing. Every diagnosis was a step away from autism, or a lesser degree of autism. Seven years ago, results were PDDNOS (pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified) which in plain English means: they didn't know what was going on and didn't have a label to put on him! GLORY TO GOD! Then it changed to "communication disorder + anxiety". When Ryan was a senior in high school, his "shrink" told us that there was nothing more they can do for Ryan, that it was rare for someone with the problems Ryan had been diagnosed with to "graduate" from mental health. But he did, we had a ceremony and everything! Glory to God!!!!

It is amazing to me that God took a child that at age 6-7 was still in diapers, non communicative, and would sit in the corner by himself, slobber and not interact, to someone who is a beautiful living testimony of what God can do if we only believe. GOD IS SOOOOOO GOOD TO US!

Today Ryan is off all medication, living a normal life, and has his drivers license, which we never even believed was possible! He loves his job at McDonald's and insists on paying his own way through college. He wants to study electronic communications, media, computer programming, ya know computer geek stuff. Who would have ever thought? God did. Even when I didn't, God did!

Ryan has his own apartment, car, and is a tight wad with his money. Except for the African girl he adopted through Compassion International. ...well, and computer stuff. LOL It's exciting to see the common thread of communication that has been running throughout his life. Ryan wrote, illustrated, and bound a book all on his own at the age of 4. Currently he's making video games, he says it grieves him to see his friends minds taken over by things that expose them to witchcraft, demons etc. so he is making alternatives that will be just as cool but with the Holy Spirit as your guide and not a demon. GLORY!

Ryan talks like everyone else does now, but he still struggles with expressing his feelings. We know this is only temporary! God will complete the work He started! Sometimes Ryan communicates through music. He says music speaks to him or for him. I understand this, because music speaks to me too. Sometimes when he struggles he will find a song for me to listen to so we can know how he feels. :)

Last week, I suggested Ryan read the testimonies on Praying Medic's web page. He is very encouraged and excited about what God is doing with common people. Ryan decided he would make a mini-video set to christian music for Praying Medic of what Ryan interprets goes on in the life of someone who will believe for healing for others. It'll be posted on Youtube. If you don't have Praying Medic as a friend on Facebook I encourage you to check him out. PM has a web page filled with testimonies and miracles to encourage and uplift! As Ryan was making the video he told me about a "glitch" that happened. He was taking video from a game and spicing it with other scenes. This part in particular had an ambulance and medic. He sent the medic to pick up a casualty. When the medic got to the person, they suddenly stood up and was a living person! LOL God is so cool! The video is not ready yet, but when it is, I will share it.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Autism is diagnosed 1 in 165 children today. Please feel free to share our story with others who may need some encouragement. My prayer is that you are encouraged, uplifted, and excited at what GOD CAN DO! ....it's all for HIS GLORY!

Broken Neck and Deafness Healed

This is the testimony of a man healed of a deafness and a fractured neck at one of John Mellor's meetings. He said that he lived with chronic pain and inability to move his head and he walked with crutches for 40 years. He was also healed of deafness.

Motives For Healing - Compassion or Compulsion?

I have a confession to make:

I've had to check my own motives for healing the sick and I've had to do it often.

When I began healing, it was at the prompting of God. He kept after me until I finally got it right. I'm glad He was more persistent than I was. As time marched on, I stepped out to heal people more often, because it was finally working. People actually got healed - well, sometimes.

There came a day when I began to feel a bit guilty because no one had been healed, and I was making my way to bed. I began to wonder if I was becoming lazy. Two days went by and I failed to lay hands on a single person. I began to wonder if God was disappointed with me. After a week of kicking back on my "no healing vacation" I wondered if I still had it. My guilty conscience got the best of me and I went back to praying over people in the stores again. And they were still being healed.

I decided to kick it into high gear for a while and started looking for people to heal literally everywhere I went. My wife began to get a little irritated. She could no longer have a normal conversation with me at a restaurant because I was always looking for someone to heal. It became a kind of obsession. I was turning into a healing machine. ...with no "off" switch.

I had a talk with Jessie Campbell one night about my situation. She told me she'd been through a lot worse than I had. We talked a long time about healing and the motives we have for doing it. I came away from that discussion with a clearer perspective on things.

If you're new to healing, you'd do well to heed what you're about to hear. If you're an old hand, maybe you have something to add.

I've developed friendships with nearly every kind of person who operates in healing. Big names and nobodies; DHT's, Sozo's and all the other flavors to. I listen and read a lot about what's happening in healing. It fascinates me.

And some of what I see concerns me.

Some of us are doers by nature. We love to keep busy by doing things to help others out. (I'm one of those types) Healing lends itself well to this type of personality. But healing, like any form of ministry is supposed to be done out of compassion, not compulsion. The gospels often note that Jesus healed the multitudes because he saw them and had compassion on them, not because he had to heal 50 people a day to earn favor with His Father.

Jesus was a man who lived a balanced life. He was passionate, but He operated in great diversity. He was just as adept at healing and casting out demons as he was at teaching children. He preached in the synagogue one day and the next he couldn't be found, having retired to the solitude of the mountains. He was just as comfortable in a fishing boat as with the nobles or the prostitutes. He share the mysteries of the kingdom with thousands if they'd listen, but was just as thrilled to share only with Peter James and John. He was and is a man for all occasions who meets the needs of all. Healing is neither the exclusive, nor the primary need of most people. The needs of the world are many - healing is only one of them.

I love healing. It gives me a thrill to see the power of God fix what the enemy has broken. The church has been locked up in her tower long enough. I'm glad to see us hitting the streets and doing the things Jesus did. We ought to be healing the sick. But doing healing every day, all day long will eventually put you in a straight -jacket. There is more to life and ministry than just healing. You don't need to look very far to find people whose lives have been ruined by the cruel taskmaster of compulsive healing.

I've been guilty of healing people from a guilty conscience. Maybe you have too. If you have, there's hope. Please understand me. Healing is a good thing. Jesus commanded us to do it and everyone I've ever seen healed was grateful I took the time to minister to them. But like every good thing, if wrongly prioritized, it becomes perverted and may become an idol. It may even be bad for your mental health.

There is an explosion of healing taking place in the body of Christ today. Training is readily available to anyone. Many people will offer to train and lead you on the path to a successful healing ministry. You may be invited to join groups for study and ministry time. You will make many new friends in the healing community. You'll hear amazing testimonies about the healing power of God. But you'll also see great division over how it's to be done. And you will eventually find those who will place enormous pressure on you heal people every waking hour instead of being a worthless, disobedient servant. Their Jesus has a yoke that's hard and burden that's heavy.

Any one can heal the sick because they want to see the power of God. Brush aside the rhetoric and all you have is sorcery. Any one can heal because they desire to obey the commands of Jesus; this one is no more than a legalist trying to be justified by works.

Don't be swayed by clever arguments or impressive testimonies from those you meet. Don't be taken by those who would place a yoke of bondage on you. Go out and heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and preach the kingdom. But do it for only one reason. Your motive for healing should be an overwhelming love and compassion for those in need. There is no other legitimate motive.

Boy Healed of Brain Cancer

This is the testimony of a boy healed of brain cancer at the Bay of Holy Spirit revival in Mobile Alabama.

Wrap Your Theology Around This

A word of explanation:

This is a demonstration by my friend Pete Cabrera. What he is demonstrating is the power of God available to any believer in a way that can be plainly seen. We aren't suggesting this is a model for Christian ministry. Christian ministry isn't about making legs grow longer or shorter to amuse or impress people. Please understand - this is merely a tool for teaching. We're training people to go on the streets and heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons. Many don't believe they can do it. This video was made to show them what can be done by the power of God.

Xtranormal Doctor's Office

What would it look like if a doctor used divine healing in his medical practice?

You're about to find out.

IHOP Cancer Healing Testimony

This is the testimony of a woman healed of ovarian cancer at the International House of Prayer, (IHOP) in Kansas City, Missouri. She had multiple tumors throughout her abdomen that were resistant to chemotherapy. Since traditional medical treatment wasn't helping, she moved to Kansas City to attend IHOP and received her healing during one of their services.

Bladder and Liver Cancer Healed

This is the testimony of a man healed of bladder and liver cancer at a healing meeting with Jon Mellor in Australia. John's website ca be found here: http://www.johnmellor.org/

Ovarian Cancer Miracle

This is the testimony of a woman who was healed of stage 4 ovarian cancer. But her miracle didn't stop there. Her doctors said she would never have a child, but a few months later she delivered a healthy baby boy.

Parkinson's Disease Healed

I posted an interview with Lee McDougal and his healing of Parkinson's last year. This is a second interview with him.

During the 1970's, Lee McDougal was involved in the Nashville music industry through studio production and as a musician performing with many Nashville recording artist and on The Grand Ole Opry.

Then Lee met Jesus in a real way.

After meeting the Lord, he served in ministry for 30 years. After serving as a pastor, youth pastor and worship leader he felt the call to go to the mission field. He has traveled and ministered in 38 different countries. As a result of a serious automobile accident he suffered for many years from physical complications and the progression of Parkinson's disease, eventually living his life from a wheelchair.

While attending a conference with Bill Johnson and Randy Clark he had supernatural encounter with the power of the Holy Spirit where he felt a surge of heat go through his body. He was completely healed. Shortly after being healed, a ministry of signs, wonders, and miracles was birthed. Today the ministry of Lee McDougal is marked with many instant miracles.

Lee's website can be found at Healed Guy

How To Raise The Dead

Surprise "Supressa" Sithole was called at the age of 15 to preach the gospel. In 1997, God connected him with Heidi and Rolland Baker of IRIS Ministries. He shares a dramatic story of the first time God used Him to raise the dead. To view his website go here.