Jesus's Ministry

[The Liturgist]

Thanks for the update. I have read numerous testimonies of miraculous healings. I went back later using Google to try to find them again and they were gone.

A Jewish man living in a kibbutz in the Golan Heights with his wife was paralyzed from the waist down during back surgery. He used to watch a TV station from Damascus. He learned Arabic to be able to comprehend the programs. He watched the American Christian program, “The 700 Club.” One day the pastor told the audience, “There is someone in the audience paralyzed from the waist down, You will be healed.” The paralyzed man heard it and was healed. He started to preach Jesus. His kibbutz evicted him. He and his wife moved to America or Canada where he became a preacher. I used to search the Israeli Internet English language articles when I toured Israel and may have read it using a hotel WiFi. I am not sure where I read it.

I heard the testimony of a stewardess whose plane crashed into the Potomac River during an ice storm out of National Airport (DCA). She was in the cold water thinking her only chance was if there was a helicopter. Then a helicopter appeared. They threw the life ring to a man near her. He passed it to her. He went under before they could toss it to him again. She thanked God for rescuing her. She told her testimony to a megachurch my friends had invited me to attend that morning.

That would be Kelly Duncan, the only surviving flight attendant on Air Florida Flight 90, which in 1982 crashed into the freezing Potomac due to incredible incompetence from the pilots (who failed to de-ice their aircraft properly: rather than calling for the de-icing truck, which is the correct procedure, because they were behind schedule they decided to pull their 737-200 right up behind a DC-9 aircraft (that type has tail mounted engines mounted high on the fuselage, above the 737 wing), the idea being the jetblast would blow the snow off the wings, but of course, it did not, but instead solidified the snow into ice, which ruined the aerodynamics, preventing the aircraft from attaining a positive rate of climb and instead causing it to plunge into the river, killing 79 out of 84 souls on board. The heroic passenger who at the cost of his own life saved Flight Attendant Kelly Duncan before sadly drowning was Arland D. Williams Jr.

Air Florida went out of business in 1984 due to a combination of the crash and mismanagement. Ed Acker, the former CEO, became president of Pan Am in 1982 and retired in 1988, by which time the once great airline was dying. It would go out of business in 1991 after having sold its Pacific routes to United and later its coveted European network including its precious slots at London Heathrow (Pan Am and TWA, the leading US airlines, both had slots at Heathrow, and both sold them as their fortunes declined to United and American, with American later purchasing TWA in 2001; later these restrictions were lifted, so Delta, the other surviving US network airline, also serves Heathrow).

 

[Fervent]

The question to me seems mostly a matter of what exists fundamentally. Both inside and outside of the church it has been my experience that many hold to an idea that physical existence is primary, rather than the physical supervening over the Spiritual. Every sickness, every weakness, is ultimately a manifestation of spiritual disease. Not simply that these things have a spiritual aspect but that the root of the issue is spiritual. That is not to deny the reality of the physical and mental expressions, mental illness for example is both physical and mental in addition to being spiritual. Because spirit is not sensual it often is taken to be immaterial woo, but since all existence depends on God first and foremost and God is Spirit healing the spiritual issues is the first step to healing the physical and mental, which means the solution is the preaching of the gospel as it is by Christ's blood that our spirits are healed.

 

[TruthSeek3r]

Just to say I have posted the medical reports on another thread here...

Speaking In Tongues

Post #120

It looks like the linked thread is down.

 

[Carl Emerson]

OK I have been asked to produce hospital reports on a recent case of the healing of cancer which completely disappeared within days after prayer.

Here are the files.

The first two refer to the pre. op biopsy confirming cancer in the right thyroid. This was before prayer.
https://www.christianforums.com/dat.../331580_4d4d059b61cc08ed955fdb6d0e23bcaf.jpeg
https://www.christianforums.com/dat.../331581_67f14549f9731932b22be865a1c6e491.jpeg

The third is a post op biopsy - no cancer.
https://www.christianforums.com/dat.../331582_977072df6612105fac0384f572bd3ef8.jpeg

The last one is a comment from the surgeon who was embarrassed that they operated unnecessarily.
https://www.christianforums.com/dat...8/331583_29709b80437707d5e5b43353f55e743f.JPG

The surgeon said he had never seen such a thing in 2000 operations.

At the request of our dear friend who was healed I have blacked out her name and the names of the medics. She was very thankful for her care and doesn't want them hassled.

 

[Carl Emerson]

.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

OK I have been asked to produce hospital reports on a recent case of the healing of cancer which completely disappeared within days after prayer.

Here are the files.

The first two refer to the pre. op biopsy confirming cancer in the thyroid. This was before prayer.
https://www.christianforums.com/dat.../331580_4d4d059b61cc08ed955fdb6d0e23bcaf.jpeg
https://www.christianforums.com/dat.../331581_67f14549f9731932b22be865a1c6e491.jpeg

The third is a post op biopsy - no cancer.
https://www.christianforums.com/dat.../331582_977072df6612105fac0384f572bd3ef8.jpeg

The last one is a comment from the surgeon who was embarrassed that they operated unnecessarily.
https://www.christianforums.com/dat...8/331583_29709b80437707d5e5b43353f55e743f.JPG

The surgeon said he had never seen such a thing in 2000 operations.

At the request of our dear friend who was healed I have blacked out her name and the names of the medics. She was very thankful for her care and doesn't want them hassled.

The pre-op biopsy did not show cancer at all. It showed the anomaly as benign, not cancerous.

 

[Carl Emerson]

The pre-op biopsy did not show cancer at all. It showed the anomaly as benign, not cancerous.

Have another look Oscarr - there were two files one for the left and one for the right.

One was benign, the other was malignant.

They wouldn't apologise for operating if there was no cancer.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Have another look Oscarr - there were two files one for the left and one for the right.

One was benign, the other was malignant.

They wouldn't apologise for operating if there was no cancer.

Oh yes. I missed the second page. You are right. The cancer was there in the pre-op biopsy, and not there afterward. There is no alternative but to believe that the cancer disappeared as the result of prayer.

These healings are a fulfilment of Philippians 4:6-7.

The other two testimonies are remarkable, and really do show permanent healing of definite medical conditions, backed up by clinical confirmation.

I think that is the three I asked for, and shows that God does answer prayer for healing. It is interesting that the gastric and blindness ones were not treatable by ordinary medicine, but were healed as the result of prayer.

I think that these examples are totally different from the claims of the Word-Faith healing preachers.

 

[TruthSeek3r]

@Carl Emerson, Oscarr is referring to other documented cases I shared in post #105 here: Why are there so few power miracles anymore?

 

[Carl Emerson]

@Carl Emerson, Oscarr is referring to other documented cases I shared in post #105 here: Why are there so few power miracles anymore?

OK thanks for that, excellent.

 

[Guojing]

Oh yes. I missed the second page. You are right. The cancer was there in the pre-op biopsy, and not there afterward. There is no alternative but to believe that the cancer disappeared as the result of prayer.

These healings are a fulfilment of Philippians 4:6-7.

Actually, that Philippians passage promised the peace of God, not healing. Even if the cancer remains after you made your request to God, you can still have peace in your heart, so that promise is not dependent on whether or not healing took place.

This healing is more like Philippians 2:25-29

25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Actually, that Philippians passage promised the peace of God, not healing. Even if the cancer remains after you made your request to God, you can still have peace in your heart, so that promise is not dependent on whether or not healing took place.

This healing is more like Philippians 2:25-29

25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

Granted. The point I was making is that we request healing from the Lord, rather than claim it and tell people that they are healed when they are not.

 

[Guojing]

Granted. The point I was making is that we request healing from the Lord, rather than claim it and tell people that they are healed when they are not.

The most interesting aspect I felt about the KJV translation is the word "carefully" in vs 28, which indicates that even though Epaphroditus did not die, he might not have recovered fully from whatever illness he was facing. That was why Paul had to send him "carefully".

Similarly, in the case of cancer, when you see remission of cancer after much prayer, but after a year or so, if the cancer comes back, it is also important not to lose faith in God. =)

 

[Disciple_mike]

Hullo again,

Well since I started this thread, the issue I raised has become even more serious.

I have tried to encourage folks to continue the work that Jesus started, learn to walk as He walked hearing the Father, praying for the sick, give an account for your faith when asked, bring the Love of Jesus into the marketplace.

I have tried to ask why we have abdicated our responsibility to deal with spiritual bondage in lives - to secular agencies - who are not equiped to deal with such things.

Now we hear that a brother in Denmark is facing the prospect of legal charges for seeing folks healed through prayer because he doesn't have a medical degree and a licence to practice.

Have we travelled so far away from what Jesus asked us to do that we will willingly let praying for the sick to become illegal?

Are we happy to allow prevailing Godless philosophies - which deny that there is a spiritual realm that can bind up our lives - to legally dictate how we practice our faith and frustrate our calling to set the captives free?

You have to see the irony in all of this - Satan binding up lives, convincing folks that he's not real and making it illegal to do anything about it !!!

The link below gives more detail of what I am talking about.

I have no personal connection with his outreach but believe we need to take very seriously this development and let our voices be heard.

Lastly a testimony... from someone who has been healed through his ministry.

I live in South Denmark and 5 years ago i had a lot of pain in my right knee, the best doctors in Denmark recommended that i should go for a knee change to get a plastic knee. the pain was horrible. day and night.. and i met Torben he prayed for my knee. and in the name of JESUS i was healed. I am healed in the name of JESUS: and i will always testify.JESUS IS ALIVE:

Blessings to you all,

Carl Emerson.

i do have affiliation with this movement -it is not the be all and end all of movements but it is closer to the book of acts then anything i have ever come across . I have met Torben a few times . he's a wonderful guy ,, but just a man as any other who dares to trust Gods word as true and so act on it . he has been instrumental in equipping thousands of others now to do likewise . it is encouraging to see a person who is in agreement with the lord Jesus on these matters . i noticed the first replies to this that came rolling in all highlighted the truth of your post by their comments opposing the power of the lord Jesus ( so many have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof) prayer request ..my wife fell and broke her Femur and i have been attacked with chest pains. We fully believe the lord is our healer and deliverer .

 

[wendykvw]

Dear Friends,

I am really puzzled about the almost complete absence of a central aspect of Jesus ministry in the Christian world today.

When Jesus broke into the world He immediately demonstrated spiritual authority over powers and principalities that were binding peoples lives with sickness, disease, mental illness, physical deformity, etc. in fact He made a point of sending a message to John the Baptist that these things were happening as evidence that the Kingdom of God was being manifest with Him the awaited Messiah.

These signs were also present in the early church and believers were expectant to see even greater things than those evidenced in the ministry of Jesus.

Today the prevailing world view is that these conditions should not be considered to have a spiritual aspect, a clear denial of the Word of Jesus.

This is not only a position held outside Christian circles, but inside as well.

Some folks have even invented a theology to account of the absence of the ministry of Jesus in their midst.

My journey has been quite different. Jesus was my 'childhood hero' and I longed to do what he did. This led to a radical wilderness walk and He allowed me to go down - down - into depravity, in order that I might see first hand His Saving power and authority in my own life.

Being a rebuilt prodigal son, captive for a time by the demonic, I can now clearly see the true nature of the battle.

After seven years of prayer and restoration, and more than five years of constantly reading Scripture I was finally ready to step out with His presence and simply obey His Word to pray for others.

My testimony is to Honour Him alone as without Him there is nothing.

I prayed for a complete stranger in a park who had been in the RCMP drug squad was shot in the legs 11 years back and couldn't walk flat on his feet. Jesus healed this man in a few moments and as he walked up and down praising God and trying out his new walk. I was literally jumping for joy.

I prayed for a boy at a Church meeting who was having grand mal seizures. His parents met me 18 years later to confirm he was fully delivered and healed from that day.

I made a cold call on a Pastor who I had never met - as a complete stranger. As we prayed he slipped to the floor holding his throat pleading for prayer. Jesus showed me how to pray and deal with the spiritual root of his problem. His ministry was transformed as a result.

His spirit urged me to drive urgently to a house in Jerusalem, where I prayed for a lady having a heart attack, her auntie had died of the same symptoms at the same age. She was crying out not to be taken as her children were still young. She was healed in about two minutes. Again her condition had a spiritual root. We followed her progress for some years and there was no relapse.

These are a few of many wonderful incidents of being called to partner with Him that His Glory be seen.

These events do not happen every day - reading Paul one might think he was experiencing such things regularly when in fact his story spans many years.

So I simply want to say that His intent is that our lives have the excitement of seeing Him move. It starts with being completely sold out to Him - not fearing total commitment - but through obedience seeing His order established in our lives. Simply obeying His word, praying for the sick and leaving the results up to Him.

I don't see it as being a special gift - He is the special gift. Where He is, the Kingdom signs are manifest.

With me, these wonderful experiences are generally happening in the world, not in the church.

I am largely unknown but at 72, I need to encourage others that we can partake in His work, it is more than a dream.

Lastly, I am not a flake, my day job is associated with the aerospace industry, I am happily married with 5 children, my wife is special partner with deep faith in Him.

Bless you all,

Carl Emerson.

God bless you for serving God and others. I do believe the spiritual gifts are still in operation. I have experienced these gifts, and thank God for allowing me to serve Him.

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

I do not think any of this has happened.

 

[Carl Emerson]

I do not think any of this has happened.

Would it stretch your theology ???

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

Would it stretch your theology ???

Hello Carl.
I like most of what you post and see that you offer help to many people.
I am a cessationist, based on the bible.
I have several friends who claim all manner of manifestations.
I know the teaching they offered and could teach it, but i do not think it is biblical.
I have learned to trust the word of God, and act on it.
people claim God told them, this or that.
I am not told to believe anecdotal stories.
There are billions of people on the planet, but if I read your post correctly, you say God told you to leave a dinner party immediately, jump on a plane and fly half way around the world, wait 3 days in a motel, strangers were giving you money, then several near death healings took place???
Carl....i cannot understand this. He could have healed these people in answer to prayer.
I know God uses means, but This just does not make sense to me.
My wife had a mass on her side below her ribs years ago. We prayed for it to be healed for a few days, it remained. We went to a specialist costing several hundred dollars to walk in there.
The lump which was there when we left the house, was gone. The specialist called me into a different room,and asked me to describe the lump. It was gone. Iwas thankful but explained what had happened, and that evidently God had answered our prayer, and perhaps we were to confess that openly to this Doctor....[He still charged us}lol.
God can heal, yes.
God can prevent a person from getting sick or cancer to begin with.
God can allow believers to go through serious illness in order to comfort others, 2cor1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

i am not certain of what happened to you, I just have trouble with such claims.
On a different board I was removed because one of the mods from Australia said his car ran out of petrol, completely empty. Claims his mother in law prayed in tongues, and the car drove like 160 miles with no gas....i do not think that happened.

I stay in the realm of revealed truth. There were signs of the Apostles, but that was foundational.
2cor12

12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

It does not say...signs of all Christians.
In mk 16 in that disputed text, it says these signs would follow"them that believed"
What they believed was the Apostolic preaching, signs followed.

I will look forward to your posts that are word centered. They do help several people.
I can only speak what i know Carl.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Hello Carl.
I like most of what you post and see that you offer help to many people.
I am a cessationist, based on the bible.
I have several friends who claim all manner of manifestations.
I know the teaching they offered and could teach it, but i do not think it is biblical.
I have learned to trust the word of God, and act on it.
people claim God told them, this or that.
I am not told to believe anecdotal stories.
There are billions of people on the planet, but if I read your post correctly, you say God told you to leave a dinner party immediately, jump on a plane and fly half way around the world, wait 3 days in a motel, strangers were giving you money, then several near death healings took place???
Carl....i cannot understand this. He could have healed these people in answer to prayer.
I know God uses means, but This just does not make sense to me.
My wife had a mass on her side below her ribs years ago. We prayed for it to be healed for a few days, it remained. We went to a specialist costing several hundred dollars to walk in there.
The lump which was there when we left the house, was gone. The specialist called me into a different room,and asked me to describe the lump. It was gone. Iwas thankful but explained what had happened, and that evidently God had answered our prayer, and perhaps we were to confess that openly to this Doctor....[He still charged us}lol.
God can heal, yes.
God can prevent a person from getting sick or cancer to begin with.
God can allow believers to go through serious illness in order to comfort others, 2cor1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

i am not certain of what happened to you, I just have trouble with such claims.
On a different board I was removed because one of the mods from Australia said his car ran out of petrol, completely empty. Claims his mother in law prayed in tongues, and the car drove like 160 miles with no gas....i do not think that happened.

I stay in the realm of revealed truth. There were signs of the Apostles, but that was foundational.
2cor12

12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

It does not say...signs of all Christians.
In mk 16 in that disputed text, it says these signs would follow"them that believed"
What they believed was the Apostolic preaching, signs followed.

I will look forward to your posts that are word centered. They do help several people.
I can only speak what i know Carl.

So, where in the New Testament do Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, James, the Apostles to the Hebrews, or Jude teach that that prophecy, tongues, and healing are temporary and only meant to last less than 30 years after the Day of Pentecost?

 

[Carl Emerson]

if I read your post correctly, you say God told you to leave a dinner party immediately, jump on a plane and fly half way around the world, wait 3 days in a motel, strangers were giving you money, then several near death healings took place???

Really - Maybe you could reread my posts !!!

I am staggered to read such an inaccurate quote...

Who said that ???

Apart from that, thanks for your may kind words.

I am puzzled though - Do you doubt that I went to Jerusalem? Should I post a copy of my passport entries? What would convince you? I posted a photo of the house I stayed in in Gilo. I am still in contact with the lady I prayed for, having a heart attack, nearly 40 years ago. I posted hospital records of a recent healing from cancer - did that not happen either ???

Would it help if you spoke to the lady who had cancer direct ???

Would you dismiss her testimony as well ?

Is the church just a museum of a faith that once was - has God finished doing stuff ???

That is not the Christianity I know and believe me I have been involved with science all my life and am as demanding of evidence as anyone.

Yesterday I got my hair cut and the hairdresser after talking with me asked for prayer for his bowel cancer. He closed the shop so we could pray. It turned out he was a youth pastor way back who had lost his way. I will support him on his journey back to Jesus. Is this not happening either ???

Some are called to continue the witness.

Funny how folks will accept this phenomena on the mission field without question but back home ??? No way !!! Jesus had the same issue.

Thanks for you kind reply, hopefully we can be more understanding of each other.