Just A Thought

The world is full of cynics and critics. Some people still believe the world is flat. There are others who do not believe man has been to the moon. Some do not believe Bible Characters like Noah, Moses and Jesus were real people. But the record stands. History is full of accounts in which believers experienced the supernatural, were saved and were healed. 

We also have a great deal of contemporary evidence that Jesus heals. I came across the testimony of someone who witnessed the March 1997 UPCI Crusade in Wara, Ethiopia. In it they described the many challenges to those who organized and ministered at the Crusade, including the heart attack experienced by Bro Billy Cole, who led the ministry team. He was forced to return to the states. This is important to note, because even though God does the miraculous, He often allows His people to experience hardship and trials. The hardship and trials develop character and the miraculous reminds that God is sovereign and good. 

On that Saturday, they estimated and attendance of approximately 360,000. Some of the people had walked for days to be a part of the meeting. Because of their extreme poverty, most of them were camping out, and many of them had health issues, but were unable to afford medical help. So, not only was it God’s timing, but their were people who were hungry for a move of God.

According to one report, on Saturday they were not able to determine all that God did, but they were aware of the following miracles:

·      2 blind people were healed

·      2 lame received walked

·      1 deaf/mute man received hearing and spoke

·      1 woman with a huge hoiter hanging from her neck watched it disappear

·      A demoniac man was delivered, and his mind was restore

·      A paraplegic was miraculously healed 

·      1 tooth was filled

The person who wrote the testimony said there were thousands that could not press their way through the crowd to testify what God had done for them and more reports were still flowing in when they closed the crusade.

Then, on Sunday they estimated that 360,000 people gathered inside the arena, but that there were approximately 500,000 total on the grounds. It is hard just to imagine that many people. But for God to do a mighty work in such a crowd is even more amazing.  The ministry team made a very conservative estimate that approximately 36,000 (10%) of people received the Holy Spirit for the first time, like happened in Acts chapter 2. 

To this day there are videos of this event still available on Youtube. It stands as one example of how God is still healing and filling people with the Holy Ghost in our day. In fact, there are more people being healed and saved today than at any other time in human history. And I believe you can make a case from Scripture that those numbers will only increase as the rapture draws near.

You my have noticed that Jesus just went about healing and doing good. He wasn’t trying to prove himself; he was just doing the work of the Kingdom. At the end of his earthly ministry, when he stood before Pilate and Herod, they asked for miracles, but he did not oblige. Jesus was not looking to win an argument or prove a point; He was just looking for believers; He still is!

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Friday, March 28, 2025

 Imagine a well-dressed man with a fist full of money arguing with a general store owner. The man is simply wanting to by a loaf a bread. He has thousands of dollars in his hand. But the store owner will not sell him the bread - even for thousands of dollars. Here’s the problem: it is 1965 and the man is holding Confederate bills. You probably remember that the American Civil war was divided between North and South – Union and Confederate. The Confederate states were trying to pull away from the United States. The Union army prevailed and insured that the states would stay united. 

The Virginia department of Historic Resources explains: The overall quality of Confederate currency declined throughout the war. The first notes were worth only 95 cents compared to the dollar in gold, and that value quickly fell. By 1863, the notes were worth 33 cents to the dollar. Two years later, they were worth less than 2 cents to the dollar. Southerners continued to use the currency for at least a month after the end of the war in 1865. After that, the bills became worthless and could not be converted into anything else. Many Southerners lost their fortunes as a result of using Confederate currency throughout the war.

Currencies, whether furs, beads, gold, money or crypto, are only valuable in places where others value the currency. God’s kingdom has it currency. God’s currencies are not things like talent, skill, good works and self-righteousness, they are trust and faith in Him alone. This series is talking about a time to heal, but healing is a gift from God that he gives to those who trust and believe in Him. He gives it to those who believe and ask. He gives it if, and when, He decides. Many people forfeit healing because it is not something we can demand or control, and they try to get God to heal using their currencies of begging, bribing or demanding. But God’s currencies of trust and faith are not unattainable, they just require humility and submission. 

Isaiah 53:5 declares that: “He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.  

Faith is the catalyst for healing. Although we cannot demand healing, our faith often determines how much God can do for us. Often our healing comes because we pursue God. In future lessons we will recount the Bible stories about healing, which some of you will remember. Stories like the blind man who cried out to Jesus, or the woman with the issue of blood who pushed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus garment. It those people hand not been aggressive in faith, they probably would not have been healed. 

Sometimes we hesitate to ask for healing because we aren’t really sure if we can trust God to heal us. Maybe we are not sure if healing really happens, or maybe we don’t feel worthy to be healed. But the Bible doesn’t ever leave the impression that anyone deserved healing. Healing is a gift. But often God is waiting for someone to trust Him enough to ask.

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Friday, March 21, 2025