The Radical Life !

Ok, this might seem a little “weird” for some of you but it really happened! Last Sunday at Church I prayed for people with Bad Backs/Hips and as I had people sit down I saw two people who clearly had one leg about half an inch, to an inch, longer than the other – As I held their legs and prayed I saw the leg grow! True Story! Totally Amazing. Interestingly it was not the shock it was when it happened a year earlier as this time I totally knew it would happen … Let me explain.

About a year ago I was running a camp for deprived kids in Brasov, Romania and was preaching at Christian Centre Brasov one Sunday Morning and offered to pray for the sick. At that time I really wanted to pray for the deaf as I have hard lots of stories of the deaf hearing after prayer. What excited me about praying for the deaf was that it was verifiable there and then. If they could not hear before and then they can you know they have been healed – or not! Anyway, as we prayed for the many people that came up there were no deaf people at all. As all the people left the building and I was gathering my bible and preaching notes a lady came to me asking if she was to late to receive healing prayer. I put my stuff down and asked what was wrong hoping that she would say she was deaf in one ear or something. However that was not the case. She explained that she had a hip problem and was really suffering. Not knowing really what to do I asked her to sit on a chair and as she did so I took hold of her feet by the heel and saw that one leg was longer than the other. “Oh my” I thought, I was totally not sure what would happen now. Theologically I was, and am, convinced that Jesus can heal today by the power of the Holy Spirit but experientially that was not where I was at, and to be honest my faith was more hope to be totally honest. None the less I prayed and, keeping one eye open, I asked Jesus to heal her and, in my hand, the leg grew! It was totally amazing. I was totally stoked, and ready to pray for anyone and everyone but unfortunately at that point we were pretty much the only people left in the building.

So why is this important. Well, I have not seen any further miracles at my own hand since then but held a desire in my heart. As I was on holiday last week skiing we were at a small hotel with a group of people we vaguely know from a couple of Baptist Churches in Sussex. One evening I found myself with my two teenage sons, speaking to most of the teenagers fully expecting them to all leave once an old man like me sat down with them. Quite the reverse happened as they began to quiz me on various biblical topics ranging from free will to why church is so boring! During that conversation I found myself speaking to one girl saying to there the question of boring church was the wrong one to ask. As I explained that she should be asking herself if Jesus was who he said he was, did he do the things the bible said he did, did he die on a cross for her sin and did he raise again so that those that believe in him might have eternal life. I explained that until that question was answered her questions about boring church were not all that relevant. As we discussed this further I asked if she believed that miracles occurred today and she emphatically stated that she did not. The incident in Romania suddenly came to mind and so I shared it with her. She was still unconvinced although she was then in a predicament as she trusted me, but could not bring herself to believe.

During the holiday I had been reading “Face to Face with God” by Bill Johnson and was excited to read about some of the hearings that are occurring in Bethel church and wondered why this was not something that I saw happening in my experience or not that often. anyway, We arrived home last Saturday and on Sunday morning  I randomly received a FaceBook Video from someone about healing. As I watched it it was all about a guy in Redding California priaying for people in a mall. Every one of the healing was for people with one leg longer than the other. Needles to say I emailed it to this young lady but was really excited in my own heart about it too.

I happened to be leading the meeting at Kings Church Horsham that very Sunday morning and as I started the meeting and began to welcome people I felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me “You have talked a lot about legs growing and praying for the sick, but will you do it?” In the split second I knew I had a decision to make … Would I go for it or not. So before I handed over to the worship leader I told the congregation that I felt that God was wanting to heal some people this morning and that I particualrly wanted to pray for those with Back and Hip problems.

As the first song began people came to me for prayer. Each one I asked if they would consider sitting down so I could see if there legs were the same length. Some would not insisting that it was just a back issue so I prayed and moved on. Then one man said he knew that his right leg was shorter than the left and as he sat down and I held his feet by the heel I could see that it was. At this point I was so full of faith that I found myself saying to those worshipping near by “Watch this leg grow”. With my eyes fully open, expecting this miracle to occur I prayed and commanded the right leg to grow out …. AND IT GREW IN MY HAND right there and then with me and others watching. The guy was totally amazed and close to tears as he saw and felt the power of God move in his body. As I was leading the meeting I was able to tell the gathered church that a leg had just grown out before our very eyes! At that point others came up for prayer and sure enough I found another man with a pain in his back just above his right buttock. He agreed to sit down and sure enough his right leg was shorter than the left. Again, as we prayed a prayer of faith, not hope or wishful thinking, but faith, we saw another leg grow out. As he stood up he still felt an ache in his back so we prayed and he then felt intense heat in his side where the pain was.

How was that different from when I was in Romania? Well then I was just hoping that God would show up, and he did. This time I just KNEW that it would happen! Of course when I got home I emailed this young lady to tell her and she now wants to come and see for herself!

If you want to be encouraged a little more …. take a look at this too