Reviews (3) Community

Ray Laurentin

Book and DVD Review

Article in Renewal Journal 3: Community
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Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)
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Viva Cristo Rey!
Book by Rene Laurentin, Waco: Word, 1982. Video/DVD/YouTube originally by Catholic Charismatic Renewal, USA.

The book by Rene Laurentin, Viva Christo Rey! (Word, 1982) tells the amazing story of God’s work among the poor of El Paso and Juarez on the border of Mexico and Texas.

People there who live in cardboard homes without electricity or running water, without employment, have found in the Holy Spirit an abundance of joy, grace and riches which few people today enjoy.

A charismatic Catholic prayer group took the gospels seriously, and decided to provide a meal for the people who scavenge their living from the city dump. They were prompted by Jesus’ command to share food with those in need. They provided food for 150 people at Christmas, but over 300 turned up, and then brought their friends. The food did not run out and there was enough left over to give to various orphanages.

So began a ministry of love and care which has grown for over forty years. The sick are being healed, both medically and through prayer. The hungry are fed, and food has never run out in twenty years. Employment has been provided in cooperatives. Better housing has been built.

Fr Rene Laurentin writes that ‘most importantly, they have found in the Holy Spirit the source of the spiritual conversion that has made for more humane living through converted action. The Holy Spirit, too, has given them a capacity for renewal, a capacity rarely found among intellectuals, who are so often lost in things, in learning, and in the orchestrated power and influence that earned the rich the reproach of Jesus. The gospel is still the good news proclaimed to the poor.’

One prayer group decided to do something in obedience to Jesus. Miracles have followed.

The one hour enthralling DVD (copy of a video) of the same name, Viva Christo Rey! (Hail, Christ the King) provides a stirring documentary of early beginnings and recent developments. It was produced jointly by the Catholics and Assemblies of God.

YouTube Video – Viva Cristo Rey

 

© Renewal Journal 3: Community (1994, 2011), pages 7-16
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Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)
Renewal Journal 3: Community

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RJ 03 Community 1

Renewal Journal 3: Community – Editorial

Lower the Drawbridge, by Charles Ringma

Called to Community, by D Mathieson & Tim McCowan

Covenant Community, by Shayne Bennett

The Spirit in the Church, by Adrian Commadeur

House Churches, by Ian Freestone

Church in the Home, by Spencer Colliver

The Home Church, by Colin Warren

China’s House Churches, by Barbara Nield

Renewal in a College Community, by Brian Edgar

Spirit Wave, by Darren Trinder

 

RJ Vol 1 (1-5) 1Also in Renewal Journals, Bound Volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

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Reviews (1) Revival

Book Reviews

From Renewal Journal 1: Revival
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Cho, Paul (now David) Yonggi. 1984. Prayer: Key to Revival. Waco: Word, 158 pages.

Prayer: Key to Revival, by Paul Yonggi Cho, describes many ways to pray effectively. Coming out of the Korean church scene where early morning prayer meetings, nights of prayer, and prayer mountains set apart for continual prayer and fasting are common, it reflects a strong commitment to prayer still rare in the West.

Sections in the book cover motivation to pray, types of prayer (petition, devotion, intercession), different forms of prayer, and methods of prayer. It has chapters on personal devotional life, family devotions, church meetings, cell groups, prayer retreats, allnight prayer meetings, fasting, waiting on the Lord, persistence, prayer in the Holy Spirit, faith, listening to God, group prayer and powerful prayer.

This is essential reading for anyone serious about Christian living, discipleship and leadership. It is one of the best handbooks on prayer available today. Paul Yonggi Cho spends five hours a day in prayer. He requires that all his leaders and staff in their church of over 800,000 people pray for at least three hours a day. No wonder theyre experiencing revival with around 12,000 converts every month.

Filled with personal examples it is fascinating and timely. It challenges us to believe God and act on that belief as we pray. Read it for enjoyment. Study it for key insights. Apply it for effective ministry (G.W.).

____________________

Burgess, S. M. and McGee, G. B. 1990. Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988; with corrections 1990, 914 pages.

Every church and college library should have this comprehensive single volume encyclopedia. The 800 articles written by 65 contributors make it the best reference work on pentecostalism and charismatic renewal available.

Both a strength and a weakness is its focus on North America with some reference to Europe. Other volumes are needed for South America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. At least the limitations make it a manageable size.

The 300 historical and contemporary photographs enhance the text. Informative articles discuss baptism in the Spirit, Bible institutes and colleges, CatholicPentecostal dialogue, the charismatic movement, Elim, Episcopal renewal, eschatology, evangelism, glossolalia, healing, Holy Spirit doctrine, the Jesus Movement, missions, prophecy, statistics, and many more issues. Failures are well documented as well as the amazing spread of pentecostalism and charismatic renewal.

Statistics cover the growth of the movement since 1900. Growth continues to accelerate with over 400 million, or one quarter of all Christians, involved by 1992. By 1990, figures were: First wave: Pentecostalism over 193 million; Second wave: Charismatic Movement over 140 million; Third wave: Mainstream Church Renewal over 33 million.

Concise biographies include those of David Barrett, Reinhard Bonnke, Don Basham, John Bertollucci, Jamie Buckingham, Yonggi Cho, Larry Christenson, Andrae Crouch, Nicky Cruz, John Alexander Dowie, David du Plessis, Tom Forrest, Terry Fullam, Kenneth Hagin, Michael Harper, Jack Hayford, Tommy Hicks, Peter Hocken, Melvin Hodges, Walter Hollenweger, George and Stephen Jeffreys, Kathryn Kuhlman, Killian McDonnell, Francis McNutt, Aimee Semple McPherson, Ralph Martin, Bob Mumford, Edward O’Connor, T L and Daisy Osborn, Agnes Ozman, Charles Parham, David Pytches, Kevin and Dorothy Ranaghan, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Michael Scanlan, William Seymour, Chuck Smith, Russell Spittler, Cardinal Suenens, Peter Wagner, David Watson, David Wilkerson, Rodman Williams, John Wimber, Maria WoodworthEtter, Thomas Zimmerman and others.

It needs an index. That would make these topics more accessable! This well written, comprehensive volume will be a major reference book for years to come (G.W.).

____________________

Jan Jongenell, ed. 1990. Experiences of the Spirit. Frankfurt am Main (also New York): Peter Lang, 280 pages.

In 1989 the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands hosted the fifth Conference on Pentecostal and Charismatic Research in Europe. The 50 participants came from ten European countries, the United States and South Africa. Experiences of the Spirit, edited by Jan Jongeneel the Professor of Missions at Utrecht, gathers 17 papers from the conference in six parts including contributions from well known charismatic authors such as Walter Hollenweger (Reformed) and Peter Hocken (Roman Catholic).

Part 1, The Search for a Pneumatology, discusses doctrines and experiences of the Holy Spirit. For example, Jan Jongeneel shows how ‘The right doctrine leads the church to doxology and the right experience leads the church to go out into the world in mission.’ Walter Hollenweger writes about priorities in Pentecostal research noting that ‘A movement which represents more or at least as many members as all the other protestant denominations taken together can no longer be considered a fringe topic in church history, missiology, and systematic theology.’ This section discusses Spiritbaptism, the charisms, and the contribution of charismatic theology to ecclesiology.

Part 2, The Message of Healing, explores theological links between vibrant revivalistic or Pentecostal spirituality and engagement for social justice and liberation. Articles cover faith healing in the Netherlands, the importance of Spiritbaptism and spiritual gifts in bringing balance to limited perspectives, and the importance of spiritual healing in the therapeutic supermarket.

Part 3, Black Spirituality, discusses South African Pentecostalism in the struggle against apartheid ideology, and argues for the significance of British Black Theologies within the African Diaspora in North America, the Caribbean, and Britian.

Part 4, The Dialogue with the Churches, notes that ‘bilingual men and women are needed, who are able to interpret both the academic rational language of western theology and the oral expression of Pentecostalism.’ Articles trace charismatic and ecumenical developments in France, and comment on Roman Catholic/Pentecostal dialogue. Peter Hocken argues for ‘the operation of the full range of New Testament gifts and ministries. To the extent they are not given scope in the historic churches, they will appear outside, and are thereby themselves reduced.’

Part 5, Short Reports, survey developments in Czechoslovakia and in Latin America.

Part 6, Epilogue, evaluates the conference from ecumenical and missiologial perspectives in papers written by staff members of the Faculty of Theology of Utrecht University. It includes suggestions for improving ecumenical commitment and communication in the interface between charismatic renewal, ecumenical developments and social engagement.

The book explores significant missiological and ecumenical issues positively, identifies unresolved problems, and indicates areas needing further research. Most papers are written by scholars involved in pentecostal and charismatic ministry and teaching. The book strongly emphasises the mission of the church in the world.

It is a welcome contribution to current dialogue on the global rise and growth of this significant movement which is radically influencing the nature of contemporary Christianity. It should find a place in every church and theological college library (G.W.).

____________________

Jan Jongeneel, et. al. eds. 1992. Pentecost, Mission and Ecumenism: Essays on Intercultural Theology. Festschrift in Honour of Professor Walter J. Hollenweger. Frankfurt am Main (also New York): Peter Lang, 380 pages.

These 26 articles were written by students and colleagues of Walter Hollenweger to honour his work. He retired in 1989 from his position as Professor of Mission at the University of Birmingham, where he had been apppointed in 1971 as the first Professor of Mission in an English university. A Swiss theologian, he is well known for his pioneering work in pentecostal studies, especially his book The Pentecostals (1972; 2nd ed. 1976; 3rd ed. 1988) based on his doctoral research at Zurich.

His Ph.D. students included Arnold Bittlinger, Peter Hocken and James Haire. Part of a tribute from James Haire is included (p. 37):

Research students came before everyone else. Work was corrected and returned within days. Criticisms and suggestions were precise and for the aid of the researcher… Most of all, I remember those moments when tears came to his eyes, whether in interviews or in teaching… when the magnitude and indescribable depth of the Grace of God became apparent to him. Here was a person beyond denomination or cultural background for whom God’s action was quite overwhelming.

The book is arranged in three parts.

Part 1 covers the biography of Professor Walter Hollenweger, with six articles describing the wide range of his interests and abilities. For example, his doctoral study of pentecostalism ran to ten volumes, and he learned twenty foreign languages in those six years of research in order to read the sources in their original tongue! His study of this movement throughout the world increased his appreciation of oral and narrative theology.

Part 2 deals with historical case studies and statistics on pentecostalism and charismatic renewal in missiological and ecumenical perspective. Articles range from the beginnings of pentecostalism to its world wide influence, including an article by Martin Robinson on the work of David du Plessis, one by James Haire on Indonesia, and one by David Barrett on signs, wonders and statistics in the world today.

Part 3 gives missiological and ecumenical reflections on inculturation and encounter. Writers include Jan Jongeneel, Charles Kraft, Peter Staples and Peter Hocken. The various articles discuss the impact of pentecostalism and charismatic renewal on mission and liturgy, on ecumenical theology and the ecumenical movement (G.W.)

____________________

Geoff Waugh, ed. 1991. Church on Fire. Melbourne: Joint Board of Christian Education, 176 pages.

Over the last 30 years, the face of the church in Australia has changed dramatically. Hundreds of ministers and churches have been transformed and radically redirected by their experience of charismatic renewal.

In both city and country, among Catholics and Protestants, in large churches and small churches, there has been a renewed baptism of fire.

In Church on Fire, Geoff Waugh, Director of Distance Education at the Uniting Church’s Trinity Theological College in Brisbane, has brought together stories from all over Australia of what the Holy Spirit has been doing.

The book begins with the exciting record of the revival among aborigines in the Northern Territory in 1979 and the years that followed. This is followed by numerous personal testimonies and then examples of renewal and revival in local churches.

The final section includes a number of observations on charismatic renewal by a wide range of people including such well known names as Hamish Jamieson, Arthur Jackson, Rowland Croucher and Dan Armstrong.

For anyone who wants some insight into the charismatic movement, this is a valuable resource. (Barry Chant).

This review is reprinted by permission from New Day, September 1992, PO Box 564, Plympton SA 5038.

Additional note: Contributors to Church on Fire are Aboriginal Renewal: Djiniyini Gondarra, John Blacket Personal Renewal: JohnCharles Vockler, Owen Dowling, Charles Ringma, Dorothy Harris, Gregory Blaxland, David Todd, Barry Manuel, Ruth Lord Church Renewal – Examples: Barry Schofield, John Lewis, Vincent Hobbs, Phil Audemard, Brain Francis, David Blackmore, Bob Dakers, Geoff Waugh Church Renewal Observations: Barry Chant, Hamish Jamieson, Tom White, Lazarus Moore, Glen Heidenreich, Rowland Croucher, Arthur Jackson, Don Drury, Don Evans, Peter Moonie, Dan Armstrong

____________________

Video Reviews

Making God Known into the 21st Century. Youth With A Mission.

This 14 minute, lively and well edited promotional video describes the activities of Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Australia, including the outreaches. Loren Cunningham, the International Director and Steve Aherne the Australian Director comment briefly. The video shows the wide range of YWAM training and minitries including Discipleship Training Schools, church planting, worship, street evangelism, drama, mime and dance, and modules of study available from their University of the Nations through bases around the world, including Australia. Copies may be borrowed from YWAM bases or purchased from Australian Religious Films, 258 Sailors Bay Road, Northbridge N.S.W. 2063.

___________________

Global Perspectives. Youth With A Mission.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) produces a bimonthly international news video describing their work around the world. The 30 minute video, produced in America, is a professionally produced bulletin, interesting and informative. It gives clips of YWAM teams in many different countries, medical and mercy missions to worn torn and famine areas, outreaches at international events such as the Olympics and World Expo, and a summary of major YWAM outreaches around the world. Contact your nearest YWAM base for this valuable current resource (G.W.)

(c) Renewal Journal 1: Revival (1993, 2011), pages 51-95
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An Incredible Journey by Faith by Elisha Chowtapalli

Miraculous autobiography of an ‘Untouchable’ Dalit Indian young man

An Incredible Journey by Faith

An Incredible Journey by Faith

by Elisha Chowtapalli

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Contents

1   My Childhood

2   Dalits – Untochables of India

3   Education and Job

4   My Conversion, Theological Studies and Persecution

5   Foreign Land – Australia

6   My Dream for an Orphanage

7   Light Home

8   God’s Miraculous Provisions

9   Ministries and Opportunities

10  Stepping out in Faith

11  Children’s Issues

12  My Dream

Conclusion

Preface

My Dear Friend, I take this opportunity to thank you for choosing to read my book.  I am sure that you have read many books so far.  Every book or life story you read has offered something to you.  Now you are about to read another book that has something for you.  Though I am part of this story, it’s not really about me.  However it is about the One who created me, who called me, who guiding me, who gave me the vision, who entrusted me at work and who is using me for His glory in India.  So it is all about my God who transformed my life.

In my life, I never thought that I would write a book.  I didn’t think that there would be something to write as a book about my life.  But God has led me to write my life story to encourage each and every believer to trust God more.  In this book, you are going to read my life from childhood till today.  Especially the last four years have been something different in my life that I never imagined or dreamed of.  All these four years are filled with God’s miracles, miracles and miracles.  You may wonder how these miracles happened in my life.  In this book I am going to share how I am seeing the miracles by trusting God.  I am also going to share with you how God raised me from a remote village in India to show His love to needy children in India.  Through this book I want to bless you, encourage you, inspire you and challenge you to trust God even more.

Do you agree with me that your story, my story and our story is part of the biggest story!  That is God’s story.  So now you are going to read His (God’s) story.  Here I would like to request you not to listen to me, but listen to God and what He is going to speak to you through this book.  I am sure your time will not be vain for choosing to read this.

It is my sincere prayer and hope that God will speak to you through this book to be able to see the need and to take action together to show His love to the orphan, poor and needy children of India.

So without further delay I let you to get into the book.

Enjoy your reading,

Brother Elisha Chowtapalli

Some photos from the book

Orphans in need
LIGHT Home for orphans and poor
LIGHT Home children
LIGHT Home children learning
Meal time
Growing food to eat and sell
Aged care
Tailoring Course – income producing project

Endorsements by friends of LIGHT Home

Elisha’s work in India is astounding and inspirational.  His passion for God and the poor, especially children and old people has led him to many ventures.  Each vision he has is followed up by hard work and determination to give people a better life to be lived.  Elisha’s faith in God has led to the building of an Orphanage for 50 children; a Garden of Eden to feed and support children and old people; tailoring classes for women to start their own business and a Bible College.  He also organizes crusades and conferences for pastors, women and youth.  Over and above this Elisha arranges food, clothing and Bibles for those in need in surrounding areas.  It is amazing what he has achieved in just four years with the help of family and friends, and all have benefitted greatly.  We wait in awesome wonder for the next vision.  Elisha we are very proud of you.

Leighton, Nanette, Christel and Wade White

 

Perth, Australia

Mine was the oldest face amongst this sea of national and international students all gathered to live and work together for three months to learn about serving God through festival outreach.  If I felt like a fish out of water, gasping to adjust to the cultural shock of being a student and getting to know this mixture of people that I was eating with, sharing accommodation with, and learning all the rules, rules, rules that the hierarchy insisted on – how were these international young people coping?

One young Indian man touched my heart.  We learnt that he was from a very poor Indian village and belonged to the poorest of poor caste system, the Dalits.   Here he was, coping with all this, as well as trying to understand the language, eating foreign food (pumpkin… how could we eat that?) and learning Australian cultural everyday norms, such as flushing the toilet paper down the loo.  Elisha simply watched and learnt, while at the same time listening to God seeing a vision for his own people in desperate need back in his hometown.  No amount of Western comfort and “celebrity status” amongst us could deter him from his goal, “to start an orphanage in my house on 19th August 2007”.  “Orphanage in your house?” I’d say, “What do you own?”  “I am oldest son – my father’s house is mine, two rooms – we will live in one and the orphan in the other,” Elisha would reply with a determined look in his eyes.

And he did.  From these humble beginnings he has established the orphanage and then many programs, to help his people to live a better life.  However more importantly he shows them how much God loves them.  For the Dalit caste people who are told they have no worth in life to discover how precious they are to God, become one of his children and inherit eternal life, it is life changing.

I had the privilege of attending Elisha’s wedding and visiting the Light Home, seeing first hand some of his programs in action.  I cannot describe the joy it brought to see all this first hand, to talk to those who benefit and see hope and dignity restored.  I am sure you will enjoy reading about Elisha’s journey and how God uses those who are willing to step out, no matter how little they have, to help the widows and orphaned.  Don’t be surprised if God challenges you too.

Lyn Haack

Manilla (NSW), Australia

I first came to know Elisha in 2006 when Sam (my husband) & I billeted him while he did a course with Fusion [Certificate III  in Youth & Community Work (Christian)] in Australia.   His great desire was to help his people in India come to know the one true God and to help reduce their poverty by starting a Home for children through which they would know God’s love and get an education.   We promised to support Elisha with this dream and over the past three years have witnessed the incredible work God has done.   By opening their home to needy children Elisha’s parents and family provided him with the initial support his dream needed.  I pray God will bless them abundantly for their self-giving love, faith and trust in Him.

I feel that the Light Home Ministry is doing a great work answering Christ’s command to care for the poor, as well as share the Gospel.   Through humble servants seeking to fulfil God’s plan may the Light Home and associated work continue to prosper and give glory to God.

Julianne and Sam Hoffard

 

Gippsland, Australia

In July 2008 I had the privilege to be involved with Elisha and a team from Australia in some outreach meetings and some Pastor’s training meetings.  I was left with many impressions about our experience in India.  The most pressing for me, was the size of the harvest about to come, and the labourers needed to bring in the harvest and disciple the nation.  With that in mind, after our time in India I spoke to Elisha about my burden.  He too shared a similar burden.  It was with that in mind we together in July 2009 commenced the Light Bible School.  With 35 students including pastors and leaders we ran an intensive four week long training school.  Elisha was one of the few people I have met in India that has the organizational skills, the financial integrity, the profile, and the standing in the Christian community that would allow me to partner with him in this project.  I am committed to working with Elisha to help provide an annual Bible School that will minister to as many pastors and leaders as we can, in our vision to win India to the Lord.

Peter Dunstan,

 

Tamworth( NSW), Australia

It’s incredible that God has taken a young Dalit man from working in a quarry earning $1US per day to demonstrating how the Good News reconciles all things to Christ.

Elisha’s heart for his nation mirrors God’s heart in his ministries to the poor, spreading the good news, and feeding the orphans and the widows.  I heartily recommend Elisha and his story to you.

Justin Pagoto

 

Sydney, Australia

Elisha’s story will inspire and challenge you. God takes the weak things of this world to confound the mighty, and Elisha’s story of God’s grace and miracles among the Untouchable caste of India is a testimony to God’s mighty power. Read, be blessed, and take action.

Geoff Waugh

Brisbane, Australia

From the Foreword

Meeting and getting to know Elisha has been and continues to be one of the highlights of our lives.  First let me tell you how our paths finally crossed.

It was 2nd of May, 2005, as I was laying in my hospital bed, my mind grappled for answers.  Why?  Why God did this happen?  God where was your guardian Angel who was supposed to be protecting my daughter?  I had taken her for a joy ride on my motorbike along the road.  At that time, without warning a truck ran over us.  Anna my precious daughter was dead.  My wife Lynda and I did not even get to say goodbye to our precious daughter Anna.

In the midst of all the questions that raced through my head I had a strong sense of the small still voice saying that this was the beginning of a new chapter and that Jesus the Christ would be glorified.  Anna was now with him. In a strange way I felt a peace and the presence of God’s Spirit was very real.

It was in 1981 at aged 16 years old that Jesus had taken hold of my life.  From the early years I had dreamed of being an evangelist and from time to time had the opportunity to share my faith and see some souls come to Christ.  For the next 25 years I tried to be faithful to God and was committed to being a good husband and father to my two daughters, Miriam and Anna.  Also for 12 years I had worked hard to build a business and the Lord had brought much blessing upon it.  At around age 38 I had begun to ask questions and wonder what purpose God had for our business.  We owned our home, we had a healthy savings account, and we had our superannuation, but I was deeply weighed down with life and was desperate to be free from it all.  I hoped and prayed that God had a higher plan.

It was while I was in hospital that Lynda gave me Anna’s diary.  As I read about Anna’ dream to have a music band called WakeUp, God began to speak.  And I listened as a new chapter began to unfold.  God showed me that I would fulfil that dream.  I began to organize the first WakeUp for Tamworth, my home town.  On 16th September, 2006, we had our first WakeUp meeting.  I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and many souls were saved.  Anna’s dream was fulfilled and my dream to be an evangelist had just begun.  Our business was now profitable enough to finance the “WakeUp”.

Meanwhile as I got busy saving the world, my wife Lynda went into a very dark place for many months.  For a time she gave up the desire to live and could not eat food; I began to fear that she would die from starvation and a broken heart.  Praise to Jesus the day came when she began to recover.  She was then invited to go to India with a group of ladies who were helping women in poor places to build small businesses.  Lynda’s time in India changed her life.  It was in India as she spend time with Indian women and their children that God began to heal her broken heart.

After arriving home Lynda wanted to take me to India.  I praised Jesus that she had again found a reason to live.  Twelve months later the three of us, Miriam our eldest daughter included, boarded a plane bound for India.

As we were making plans for this journey I made my first contact with Elisha at a Fusion meeting in Sydney.  I was inspired by him and his dream to start a Children’s Home.  Over the next two years I continued to hear news about Elisha through Fusion newsletters.  Elisha was only 26 and had been a Christian for only four years.  I was amazed that such a young person could have such a noble dream.  I was inspired by Elisha’s faith and even more so as in time I watched the dream begin to unfold.

The thing that impressed me most about Elisha is his ability to dream a dream and build on that dream.  Meeting his family and the Light Home Children has been one of the greatest high points of our lives.  Now as I write this I am sitting with Elisha travelling across India conducting WakeUp meetings and church leaders’ conferences.  Many Hindus are coming to be baptized and are receiving Jesus Christ the one true God.  Many Pastors and Church leaders are being challenged and inspired by the Word of God.

I thank you Jesus for bringing Elisha into my life and making this all possible.

Paul Disher

 

Tamworth, Australia

The last page of Elisha’s book:

I encourage you to seek the Lord and see if He is asking you to help one or more children in our LIGHT Home.  If He puts this in your heart, please do not hesitate to contact us.  You will receive the photograph and testimony of the children you are praying for and supporting.

We have a sponsorship plan.  It takes $30 USD or AUD / €27 Euros / £20 GBP to support one child per month.  With your kind support a kid will have food, clothing, education, medical supplies and above all he/she will get to hear the gospel.  Your help will change in a child’s life forever.

If you support today, if you invest today for God’s kingdom, one day in eternity you will get to see the children and people that you supported present before the throne of grace.  And they will testify that because of this person I came here.  So would you like to hear such testimonies from the children and families!  Then start doing something today. Let us make difference in the lives of needy Dalit children.

GDTAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFTS: We are proud to partner for Project J686N Light Society’s Development Project with Global Development Group (ABN 57 102 400 993), a Christian based Australian DFAT (Dept of Foreign Affairs & Trade) Approved Non-Government Organisation carrying out quality humanitarian projects with approved partners and providing aid to relieve poverty and provide long term solutions.  Global Development Group takes responsibility for projects according to DFAT rules providing a governance role and assisting in planning, monitoring, evaluating and auditing to ensure the projects are carried out to DFAT requirements. Tax deductible receipts for gifts over $2 with a preference for this approved aid and development project will be issued by Global Development Group for project J686N – Light Society’s Development Project Tax deductions apply in Australia, New Zealand, UK and USA.

Contact Elisha and LIGHT Home

 

www.lightkids.org

Pass this book on to friends

 

A great gift with eternal value

You can help:

Australian account

Account Name: Anna Disher Memorial Account

BSB: 112-879,  Account Number: 108 998 378

Bank name: St. George Bank, Tamworth

International account:

Bank Name:  CORPORATION BANK

Beneficiary Account Name:  LIGHT SOCIETY

Beneficiary Account number:  SB16015506

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An Incredible Journey by Faith:
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/05/16/an-incredible-journey-by-faith-by-elisha-chowtapalli/
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Reviews (4) Healing

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Francis MacNutt. 1988. Healing. (Revised Edition) Lake Mary: Creation House, 333 pages. (Originally 1975, Ave Maria Press, and Bantam).

Here is a classic, still being reprinted and read widely. Francis MacNutt writes from the background of a Ph.D. in Theology and many years in a powerful healing ministry among Catholics and others in the whole church, specially working in teams and in loving communities of praying people.

This book avoids the ‘faith healing’ jargon, is written with sensitivity, honesty, humility and compassion. Your faith grows as you read.

The 21 chapters are arranged in four parts.

Part 1 deals with the underlying meaning and importance of the healing ministry. Chapters cover our prejudices against healing, salvation and wholeness, miracles and God’s love. It notes some of our resistances to God’s healing grace.

Part 2 covers faith, hope and love as they touch upon the healing ministry. It acknowledges the mystery involved and emphasises the importance of love. This section recognises the importance of faith and also acknowledges that healing does not always occur, even when there is faith for healing.

Part 3 explores four basic kinds of healing and how to pray for each. These include spiritual conditions including forgiveness of sin, emotional conditions including inner healing, physical conditions including the importance of soaking prayer (not just a quick fix), and demonic conditions needing deliverance.

Part 4 looks at special considerations including discernment of root causes, eleven reasons why people are not healed, medicine and healing, the sacraments, and answers to questions most often asked.

The book is now available in a revised version more acceptable to people who may have had difficulty with some of the Catholic expressions in the first edition. Both versions build faith and compassion. It is excellent (G.W.).

____________________

Wimber, John with Springer, Kevin. 1986. Power Healing. London: Hodder and Stoughton.

This best seller is filled with faith building accounts of healing through the power of God. Thousands of people have learned to pray with compassion and sensitivity to the leading of God’s Spirit from the teaching and examples in this book and in John Wimber’s ministry.

Part 1: Why does Jesus heal? is autobiographical, dealing with John Wimber’s long struggle to accept the healing ministry as valid and his conviction of God’s compassion and mercy and its expression in healing, even through the prayers of an unlikely healer.

Part 2: What does Jesus heal? deals with the healing of the whole person, overcoming effects of past hurts, healing the demonised, physical healing, and why everyone is not healed. Like MacNutt, Wimber’s refreshing honesty acknowledges the mystery and sovereignty of God in healing but also stresses that healing happens through prayer and faith.

Part 3: How does Jesus heal through us? gives practical guidance on how to learn to pray for the sick including an integrated model of healing involving 5 steps: Step 1 the interview, answers ‘Where does it hurt?’ Step 2 the diagnostic decision, answers ‘Why does this person have this condition?’ Step 3 the prayer selection, answers ‘What kind of prayer is needed to help this person?’ Step 4 the prayer engagement, answers ‘How effective are our prayers?’ Step 5 postprayer direction, answers ‘What should they do to keep their healing, and what should they do if they were not healed?

___________________

Horrobin, Peter. 1991. Healing through Deliverance. Sovereign World, 314 pages.

Deliverance from demonic influence or oppression is a controversial subject, but clearly described and demonstrated in Scripture. Peter Horrobin, writing from his team’s extensive healing ministry in the north of England, has produced a well written and balanced approach to deliverance.

The book gives a comprehensive biblical assessment of the place of deliverance in the ministry of Jesus, in the early church, and applies this biblical basis to ministry in the church today. It discusses the supernatural realms of angels and demons and shows how these can affect our lives.

This book tackles the difficult questions raised by deliverance ministry including whether Christians can be affected by demons, and why. It gives many helpful examples, directly applying biblical accounts to ministry with people today.

Written with delightful English reserve and understatement by an Oxford graduate, the book argues for obedience to Jesus’ teaching by ministering as he did: ‘Jesus’ ministry was totally balanced, which in practice meant that he taught with radical authority on the whole range of life’s issues. For Jesus, balance did not mean middle of the road compromise, but decisive teaching and action which was sufficient to meet the needs of all who came to him’ (p. 21).

Here is a biblically based description of healing through deliverance which can help you believe and obey Jesus more fully. (G.W.).

___________________

Hunter, Harold and Hocken, Peter. 1993. All Together in One Place. Sheffiled: Sheffield Academic Press, 280 pages.

This book is solid theological and academic reading from the papers and discussion at the Brighton Conference on World Evangelization in 1991. The Conference addressed Pentecostal and charismatic issues in a symposium of scholars drawn from six continents.

The editors note that ‘ Brighton ’91 should lay to rest a number of misconceptions that still cloud academic and ecclesiastical circles, chief among them the notion that serious scholarly work is absent from the movement. This conference also illustrates why Pentecostalism is not correctly classified as a subcategory of Evangelicalism, and why not all charismatics are rightly described as Protestants. Another prejudice that dies hard is the assumption of endemic indifference on the part of Pentecostal and charismatic Christians towards social injustice. The contributions from South Africa with the presentation of The Relevant Pentecostal Witness, as well as the papers on liberation theology, tell a different and encouraging story.’

The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, gives the Introduction on ‘The Importance of Theology for the Charismatic Movement’ noting that theology is the task of understanding the Christian faith with the tools of faith, experience, history and critical reason; that the task of theology is to mediate between a faith and a culture; and that experience needs to infuse the academic process as academic study informs and underpins experience.

Jurgen Moltmann, well known theologian, gives the leading paper in Part I on ‘The Spirit gives Life: Spirituality and Vitality’. He comments on the charismatic vitality of the new life, speaking in tongues (‘a strong inner grasp of the Spirit that its expression leaves the realm of understandable speech and expresses itself in an extraordinary manner’), the awakening of the charismatic experience (‘Those who believe will become persons of possibilities. They will not limit themselves to prescribed social roles nor allow themselves to be defined by them. They believe themselves capable of more. And they do not tie other people down with prejudices. They do not define other people by their reality, but rather see them together with their future and hold their possibilities open for them’), healing of the sick (‘occurs in the interaction between Jesus and the expectation, the faith and the will of the people. This means that these healings are contingent. They are not ‘made’, they occur where and when God want it. There is no method for such healings because they are not repeatable and replicability is the presupposition for all methods. The healing of all ill is prayed for. Hands are laid on ill ones for healing which is to be obtained by prayer’), the gift of the disabled life (‘Communities without disabled persons are disabled communities. In the Christian sense, a charismatic community is always the serving community since gift implies service.’), each according to ability each according to need, and the Holy Spirit as the power of life and Space of Life. Two papers respond helpfully to Moltmann. Other major papers, with responses, cover ‘Pentecostalism and Liberation Theology: Two Manifestations of the Work of the Holy Spirit for the Renewal of the Church’, ‘Charismatic Churches and Apartheid in South Africa’, and ‘African independent Church Pneumatology and the Salvation of all Creation.’

Part II deals with Pentecostal/charismatic issues including the work of the Holy Spirit in urban and multicultural society, poverty and persecution, women and Pentecostal spirituality, Pentecostal origins in global perspective, and progress in the light of the Eschatological Kingdom.

Part III covers evangelical topics including an evangelical charismatic perspective on other living faiths, evangelism and charismatic signs, miracles and martyrdom, evangelism and eschatology, and ecumenical issues in evangelising together.

This is a significant book of theological reflection which should be included in theological college libraries as well as in church libraries (G.W.).

____________________

Video Reviews

Kathryn Kuhlman

Kathryn Kuhlman was well known for her healing ministry in America. Videos of a few of her meetings are now available from Christian Video Ministry, 2 Crowie Road, Paradise, SA 5075. Ph. (08) 336 3333, Fax. (08) 365 1744.

Two black and white videos capture a Miracle Service at Melodyland Christian Centre in Los Angeles with brief preaching and many healings.

Two colour videos cover a full miracle service at Oral Roberts University including preaching and many significant healings.

Another set of two colour videos shows her speaking at Oral Roberts University where she tells how she began in this ministry and the cost involved. Kathryn Kuhlman’s southern American drawl and unique style will not appeal to everyone, but she demonstrates powerfully an anointed healing ministry. People are dramatically touched by the healing power of God. Look past the style to her humility and compassion and see the reality of lives profoundly touched by God with salvation and healing. These videos can help to strengthen your own faith. They provide excellent viewing for home cell groups or meetings, especially where you are willing to pray in compassion and faith for one another (G.W.)

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011)
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

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Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

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GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Revival Fire at Wuddina  by Trevor Faggotter

Revival Fire at Wuddina

 

The Rev Trevor Faggotter, a Uniting Church minister in South Australia, wrote this article, adapted from a paper he wrote in his B.Th. studies.

 

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__________________________________________

The story is simple.  The happening is unique.

It illustrates the way in which the Christian gospel can

profoundly penetrate and radically re-orient Australian people.

__________________________________________________

Australian Christians have often thought that revival was ‘just around the corner’ (Wilson 1983:26).  However, since the mid-1960s the prevailing trends in Church attendance in Australia have shown a steady decline, apart from the growth of the Pentecostal Churches (Chant 1984:219-224).  Without doubt Pentecostals have had many new conversions but it can be argued that the new growth is also transitional – dissatisfied people coming from mainline denominations.  But, have there been any signs of genuine revival in recent times?

Ian Murray (1988:333) writes, ‘The Christian past of Australia has largely vanished out of sight.  Not surprisingly, many have drawn the conclusion that the country has no Christian history of which it is worth speaking.’  However, this paper outlines an episode of Australian Christian history which is well worth retelling.

The story is simple.  The happening is unique.  It illustrates the way in which the Christian gospel can profoundly penetrate and radically re-orient Australian people.

Ministry at Wudinna

Wudinna.  This was the Rev. Deane Meatheringham’s first appointment following his training at Wesley College.  The town is somewhat isolated, being situated about 250 kilometres west of Port Augusta on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.

‘What a depressing picture the Wudinna Circuit must have presented to the young, enthusiastic probationer, Rev. Deane Meatheringham and his new bride, Rosslyn, as they arrived in 1967 to live and labour there’ (Curnow 1977:81).

The district was known to be one of the hardest Methodist circuits in the state, and hard for others also.  At one time the residents in nearby Minnipa quite literally ran the Anglican minister out of town.

Deane Meatheringham began by preaching the basic doctrines of the Christian faith.  He attempted to form small Bible study groups but this didn’t arouse any interest (Meatheringham 1981:3).  At best, the Wudinna congregation consisted of about 40 to 50 members.  About 8 families were regulars.  By October 1967, the numbers attending Sunday services were actually down to about 9 or 10 people, and most of those were reluctant even to speak of spiritual matters.  The status quo prevailed.

Even so, Meatheringham persisted with his preaching and teaching.  ‘He pounded the gospel, the grace of God,’ remembers Marj Holman.  In November 1967 he preached a sermon at Minnipa entitled ‘God has acted; we must react.’  He invited a formal response and much to his surprise three women who only haphazardly attended church came forward.  For the regular worshippers, this occasioned a slightly embarrassing end to the service, but it also marked the beginning of an outbreak of groups in which many people expressed an unprecedented desire to learn and grow in their faith.

The three women were eager to become involved in confirmation classes, and they invited some of their friends to join the class at Mount Damper.  About 15-20 people had attended the first teaching group in which the preparation for confirmation took place.  Then, early in 1968, another confirmation class began with others who had been affected by Meatheringham’s preaching and teaching of the gospel.  Studies were given on the meaning of baptism and also on justification by faith.  A continual stream of people found their lives renewed as they happily put their trust in Jesus Christ.

The Leighton Ford Crusade came to Adelaide from 31 March to 7 April, 1968.  Participation in and prayer for the Crusade was commended to all Methodists, ‘in the strongest possible terms’, by the President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev. Merv Trenorden.  About 150 people attended the hall in Wudinna to listen to Leighton Ford via a land-line.  An appeal was made and again people came forward.  Soon after, when Merv Trenorden came to Wudinna to preach for the Confirmation Service, he was astonished by the activity which was taking place.

Twenty new converts were confirmed.  People who had held nominal roll membership for years were experiencing Christian conversion – new birth.  A group of teenagers had responded to the gospel.  In October, 1967, the Wudinna Youth Group had joined with Glen Osmond Baptist youth for a Church camp at Crystal Brook.  This had been a significant time for several of them.  A vibrant Christian Endeavour group was formed and lead by Meatheringham.  The Churches of Christ people were welcomed as associate members of the Methodist Church.  People were starting to ask for Bible study groups and there was a growing hunger for Christian teaching and literature (Curnow 1977:81).

Wudinna has known many hard times and had experienced a severe drought in 1959, but interestingly enough locals recall how 1966, 1968 and 1969 were particularly good years.  The country flourished, the economy was buoyant and it was a very busy time for farmers.  At this time, the Jehovah’s Witnesses had been quite active within the area and it is not insignificant that people were very aware of ‘the law’ and of morality.  However, the people here were largely unaware of and unaffected by the charismatic movement which was making some impact within the Australian churches.  In this sense, the message of unconditional grace was being sown in well-prepared and virgin soil.

Mission at Wudinna

Meatheringham was authorised by his local 1968 September quarterly meeting, to make enquiries concerning a mission.  As a result, the former overseas missionary, Anglican minister and Principal of the Adelaide Bible Institute (now the Bible College of South Australia) the Rev. Geoffrey Bingham, was contacted and he agreed to come.  Meatheringham sought Bingham’s advice regarding preparation for the mission.  It was recommended that prayer groups be formed.  A total of 12 groups soon began meeting around the circuit.

The Wudinna folk also had a strong desire to be trained in some way.  This happened through the Lay Institute For Evangelism (L.I.F.E).  It was a wing of the Department of Evangelism in the Church of England Diocese of Sydney.  Rev. Geoffrey Fletcher was the Director.  The L.I.F.E. programme was designed to teach lay people ‘how to present Jesus Christ, how to avoid religious jargon, how to overcome anxiety in sharing, how to answer questions, how to avoid arguing’ and so on.  Deane Meatheringham led the studies.

The enthusiastic desire to participate in these training courses was beyond anyone’s expectation.  Sixty people came along to listen to the hour long tapes and to take part in the drill.  A telegram was hurriedly sent off to Sydney: ‘Rush Twenty Extra LIFE Manuals to Wudinna S.A.’  While some folk did become Christians or were renewed through these programmes, they were primarily times of preparation for the mission.

The mission was planned for 24-31 August, 1969, and was a joint venture of the five congregations in the Wudinna Methodist Circuit.  The few Churches of Christ families in the district were also closely associated with the Methodist Church.  The Anglican parishes of Elliston and Streaky Bay joined in encouraged by the Rev. Dennis Crisp, the Anglican Minister from Elliston.  It also had the support of the Lutheran Church.  The Catholic Priest at Minnipa, Father Wesley Heading indicated his personal enthusiasm and prayerful support by sending Meatheringham a telegram prior to the mission.  A combined Methodist-Anglican committee consisting of 8 members was elected to promote and make arrangements for the programme.

The mission was entitled FREE INDEED.  The theme was taken from John 8:36, ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.’  It was well advertised using posters, personal and printed invitations, and through the use of articles written for local papers. As it was intended to be a ministry of the body of Christ it was agreed that no offerings be taken up at meetings.

Geoffrey Bingham came to Wudinna with a team of 11 students from the A.B.I.  They played an active and significant part in the worship services and shared their own personal testimonies with the locals.  Bingham was no newcomer to missions, nor to revival.  He brought wisdom and experience with him.  At one time he was the minister of a strong, dynamic congregation which sometimes attracted up to 1000 people at Holy Trinity Church, Millers Point in Sydney.  Historian Stuart Piggin described him as probably the most successful young minister in Sydney during the 1950s (Lecture, 1992).

In 1957 Bingham had gone to Pakistan as a missionary (Loane 1988:90).  Then in 1961 he founded the Pakistan Bible Institute and during a nine year teaching career from 1957-1966, witnessed two great waves of revival in this predominantly Muslim Country (Bingham 1992:95-120).

Bingham came to Wudinna not give revival messages, but to simply preach from the Bible.  The messages were solid teaching about bondage to sin and Satan and the powers of darkness and the flesh and the world and so on; and the true freedom which Christ gives from such powers.  Bingham is a powerful preacher.  He has a commanding presence and a winning sense of humor.

Startling response

The huge turnout for the first meeting at the Minnipa Anglican Church startled the organisers, impressed the visiting preacher and surprised the crowd of about 150 locals who came to hear him. ‘No one gets West Coast people to come out if they don’t want to,’ observed John Kammermann.

But this was a phenomenon which continued throughout the week of the mission.  The atmosphere was expectant, people listened intently and many who attended were people no one even expected to be interested in Christian things.  One well known local businessman who was an avowed atheist and communist attended more than one of the meetings!

On the first Sunday morning in Wudinna, the Church was so packed with 200-300 people that the ministers had to tip toe through the sanctuary in order to get past the overflowing masses of people.  Many folk were crammed into the porch and some were even forced to listen from the windows outside.

At the service at Koongawa on Sunday afternoon, Ruth Toy, the organist, who usually put out about 6 chairs for the congregation, added enough extra to allow for the mission team!  By the time the meeting began, the entire hall was filled with about 100 people.  Ruth Toy was stunned.  Not surprisingly, she was one of those who was deeply affected by the mission.  She experienced such an amazing conversion, that her husband approached Rev. Bingham and asked him what he had been doing with his wife.  When Bingham asked what he meant, the husband replied ‘Well she was a chain smoker and she stopped smoking and she was a pretty powerful swearer and she doesn’t swear a word and she was a very angry woman and I don’t see any anger.’

Things like that happened one after the other.  All meetings were extremely well attended.  Kyancutta Hall on the Monday night had 200-300 in attendance.

Wudinna local Marj Holman vividly remembers how she was completely renewed through the mission.  Both young and old, those who had been pew sitters for many years, plus those who had been newly drawn into the church scene, repented, were brought to tears, brought to their knees, received forgiveness and were given new life and unimaginable joy in the Spirit.  Some were amazed that even their headaches were healed immediately.  Yet, there seemed to be no pattern at all to the way in which God was moving.

On the Monday night at Kyancutta as Bingham was preaching, he could hear strange noises going on during the meeting.  He had been fighting to get his words out.  He couldn’t see anyone’s mouth open and it struck him that it was a demonic phenomenon.  He had previously witnessed meetings like that in Pakistan, and so he said, ‘Satan, in Christ’s name we rebuke you, and command you to leave this meeting.’  There was a loud bang.  People sat there a little bit astonished at what had happened, but, the whole place was absolutely quiet.

People later remarked that up until that point they had felt their minds were very scrambled and they couldn’t hear what the preacher was saying.  It had not made sense, people couldn’t hear rationally.  But at once, everything changed and the preaching was full of power.  Many people remained behind after this meeting and refused to go home until they had spoken with someone about becoming converted to Christ.

Impact of the Spirit

John Dunn, one of the students on the mission team, testified to being healed of a longstanding problem during the week of the mission.  He also recalls some of the unusual events: A farmer who had not been coming to the meetings, although his wife did, was out on his tractor when great conviction came upon him and he got down in the dust and gave his life to the Lord.  A woman believed she was healed of a kidney complaint in one of the meetings, and tests at the hospital the next day showed that there was no longer any problem with the kidney.  Many were converted.  There was also great opposition.  Some shouted back or walked out as Geoff was preaching.

John Kammermann was another local Wudinna farmer who became a Christian at this time.  He was a man who had previously listened thoughtfully to preachers, but had always known that he had insufficient resources within himself to sustain a commitment to Christ.  However, this mission was different.  He had a strong desire not to attend the meetings at all, yet somehow he was compelled to go.

‘I remember that by the time we got to the Sunday service,’ he recalled wryly, ‘there were only seats right down the front under the preachers nose.  However in the wisdom of God that’s where you get a good look at the conviction of the messenger!  I was convinced that he knew God.  If he could know God like that then maybe I could as well.’

The reality of God’s presence and the singing in the meetings was quite extraordinary.  It was something John and others had never expected.  He recalls how the truth and words of one particular song kept coming back to him:  ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life.  And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, and I shall feast at the table set for me.’

In many ways the situation and the events of those glorious days defies both explanation and description.  God was at work graciously revealing himself, giving to each what they needed.  It was remarkable, and somewhat unusual, to see the way in which children would happily go to sleep on the seats of motor vehicles or on the floor of the meeting halls.  Bingham (1992:99) comments on this same phenomenon during revival in Pakistan.

Some folk surprised their own friends and relatives, as they deliberately broke normal patterns of behaviour and hurried off to be in time for the meetings.  ‘I think our parents thought we were a bit strange,’ recalled Kay Kammermann.

The gift of the Spirit

On the Saturday night Bingham taught concerning the Holy Spirit.  He made the point that the Father was pleased to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who asked.  He said, ‘What the cross cleansed, the Spirit comes to fill.’  The assurance given was that God was true to his Word and that he delighted for the West Coast folk to receive his gift.  Many did.

‘God was in the place forgiving the sin of our past godlessness, and giving the gift of His Spirit,’ John Kammerman remembered.  ‘Even now that memory still evokes emotion.’

The promise of a rich future from God’s hand was something many could not contain.  The atmosphere at the meetings could neither be explained or induced.  People felt the presence of the Lord and had the expectation that all was well with them on account of that Presence.

At the end of the meetings crowds of people would just sit silently in wonderment for half an hour not moving.  One woman was so settled in her seat a member of the mission team invited Bingham to meet her.  She spoke in a voice of wonderment saying ‘I never knew he loved me like that!’

Deane Meatheringham reported, ‘We couldn’t get people to stand up and leave.  This is the closest I have come to seeing things we read of in Acts or in John Wesley’s Journal.’

There was a woman who had heard the Christian message many times before.  For years she had experienced the agony of various shoulder aches and pains.  Some time after the mission, she stood up in Church and told how as she was sitting down milking the cow one morning it dawned on her what the Word of God had been saying to her for years.  And that was that she was free!  All her aches and pains went and she was liberated.

Other occurrences were similar to those decribed in the New Testament such as Acts 2:13 where newly Spirit-filled believers were described as drunk.  One man, Trevor Gerschwitz, was so excited and effervescent when he called in to speak with his Lutheran Pastor, Ron Wilsch, on the way home from one of the meetings, that the Pastor later commented that if he hadn’t known him better, he’d have sworn he was drunk.

One burly farmer approached Bingham one night and said, ‘My wife and I made decisions when we were teenagers, but I’ve never seen her like that.  I want what she’s got.  You’ve got to give it to me.’

Bingham explained that what she had was freedom and that he could not give it to him; only Christ could do that.  So one night the man stood in a prominent place at the back of the great mob at Minnipa while Bingham preached.  All of a sudden he put his hand up and waved at Bingham as much as to say, ‘It’s happened you know; I’ve got it, this freedom’.

One night after the meeting, a local man, Ron Holman, ‘fairly stoic by nature,’ went and sat down beside Bingham.  When asked what he thought of the meeting, Holman replied that he thought it was all right.

Bingham recognised that here was a man who generally didn’t seek conversation, so he said to him ‘Have you ever received the gift of forgiveness?’

Holman replied, ‘No I haven’t.’

Bingham then asked him if he wanted to.  The reply was blunt: ‘Why do you think I’m sitting next to you?’

Within a few minutes he was absolutely liberated.  Holman has since had quite a history of helping on mission teams, and regularly having witness and ministry.

The mission included a civic luncheon and visits to schools. Each day the mission team would meet for prayer.  Throughout the week there were also numerous small informal gatherings for meals and discussions all across the 80 mile circuit, as well as a Saturday afternoon picnic, where people took the opportunity to talk more intimately with one another.  Numerous folk sought out Bingham to ask him further questions concerning his messages.

Natural Christianity

Many beheld a previously unseen phenomenon – West Coast men actually had their Bibles out while they were cooking the BBQ – and were more interested in the message of the Bible than the food on the fire.  But what was so strikingly unusual about all this, was that it seemed so natural.

Bingham notes that revival should be natural.

We need to understand God’s purpose for history.  We need to see why, and how, revival is essential as a phenomenon in the course of history.  We need to understand its goal.  When we do, then the whole subject of revival is removed from the theoretical area, from mere human theologising, or human attempts at manipulating God into action.  It comes into the realm of necessary action.  We discover, in fact, that the word ‘revival’ in one sense covers the whole of the action of God in history.  The principle of giving life, sustaining it and renewing it – that is, revival – is the work which God is about continually’  (1983:ix).

This was not religion but life.  People were free indeed.  Consistent with Bingham’s style, the mission had been free of gimmicks and tricks aimed at manipulating people.  From one point of view, there was no need for it, it was an evangelist’s delight.  ‘People were getting converted hand over fist,’ and this left a deep impression upon everyone.

The climate was such that in fact ‘someone could have got up to skull duggery,’ John Kammermann noted.  The West Coast community had seen their fair share of entertainers, hypnotists and spiritualists.  Bingham was aware of the pitfalls of such an atmosphere and was well acquainted with his own powers as a speaker.  On the Wednesday night at the Wudinna Hall, in his concern that people not be manipulated, he gave a demonstration of the effects which could be induced by a speaker.  He deliberately vocalised a hissing noise.  The whole gathering reacted and a loud clunk was heard as everyone’s feet hit the floor together.  People have commented how thankful they were that the potential of the situation had been publicly exposed and recognised.  A clean, clear atmosphere prevailed.

Like Pentecost

The last planned meeting on the Sunday afternoon was quite amazing.  There were well over 400 at the meeting.  People came from as far away as Ceduna and Cummins.  Many have said it was like the first Pentecost but without tongues.

Of the final night Bingham said, ‘Like a great rain of beauty and silence and joy, it just descended on the whole congregation.  It was quite remarkable.  I’d have called it a very gentle but a very powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  And I can remember the joy in the worship and praise that night.’

During the mission there had been no appeals for people to come forward.  There had been no pressure applied.  But there had been an astonishing response.  Children and people right up to those in their seventies, and many from each age group, had been deeply moved.

At the close of the final meeting, people wanting to talk with someone about faith were invited to move about halfway down the hall and enter into the supper room, where the team and other local folk were waiting to help. Over 50 people were counselled by those who had been prepared for the task.

In the weeks, months and years that followed the mission, God continued to reveal his love to his people at Wudinna.  The mission had been no seven day wonder, but folk continued to be converted to Christ (Curnow 1977:82-83).

During the week immediately after the mission, John Kammermann arrived home from work keen to share with his wife Kay the details of a marvellous encounter with God, which he had experienced while shearing a sheep.  In it he had understood anew the dynamic truth of God’s love.  ‘It was not that God is love AND sent his Son; but rather IN the sending of his Son, God is love.’

How might that be communicated to a farmer in a shearing shed?  As he recounted the somewhat unusual, yet seemingly natural happening, Kay quickly replied, ‘Guess what? The very same thing happened to me today while I was hanging out the washing.’

Many enriching conversations took place.  Neighbours would sit down together somewhere out on the boundary fence of their large properties and go through the great events of salvation together, or read and ponder the words of Scripture while working on a tractor.

There had been something like 31 home groups in the week leading up to the mission.  Some of these now combined and turned into Bible studies.  The Ladies Guild virtually became a Bible Study Group (Curnow 1977:82).

Meatheringham was untiring in his efforts to nurture his people.  This included writing a counseling booklet entitled ‘Christianity is Christ.’  As a Pastor he moved well among the community and encouraged people to continue in their faith.  There were 61 confirmees during his 5 year term at Wudinna (Curnow 1977:83).  Pastoral letters were written to teach, exhort and encourage people.  The instruction given was clear and simple.  People were enjoined to accept their salvation joyfully, live by faith in Christ, read the Bible diligently, pray earnestly and worship regularly.

Following the mission the Wudinna folk regularly sent teams of young preachers out to places like Haslam and Streaky Bay to help out.  Families and groups would often get into cars with all their kids, and they would sing from chorus books all the way to and from their destination.  Many people opened their lives and homes to one another.  Spontaneous sharing of meals took place and people loved to gather together in homes after Church.  There was a general air of excitement in the Church and people eagerly heard the Word from Deane and guest preachers.

One of the leaders, when praying during the mission ‘saw’ a large heap of leaves and a strong gust of wind scattering them all over what seemed a map of Australia.  This was interpreted as indicating that lots of people touched by God would be moved on into many parts of this land; and it happened that way.  Many people moved in later years to Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and other parts of South Australia.

A consolidating mission entitled WE REIGN IN LIFE was organised in 1972 with the circuit now being pastored by the Rev. Ian Clarkson.  Bingham and another team of students returned to lead the mission and the important question put to the Wudinna folk was taken from Galatians 3:3 ‘Having begun in the Spirit’ where are you now?

There had in fact been some difficulties within the church community since the time of the first mission.  Some had sought to place greater emphasis upon the role and work of the Holy Spirit, and this caused divisions.  One group broke away and later became the Christian Revival Crusade (C.R.C).  To this day, hurts are slowly being healed.

After the first mission, it was natural enough that reports of revival soon began to circulate.  Fellow pastors were eager to discover what techniques were used.  When faced with this question at the Annual Methodist Conference, Deane Meatheringham made the now famous reply: ‘We organised a mission and God got out of hand.’

In a report on the happening, Meatheringham concluded: ‘Some people might say that we have had a revival.  But in such arid days as ours I think this is exaggeration.  We have seen the sparks of revival, and possibly the beginnings of even greater things.’

Apart from the movement in Pakistan, Bingham describes this event as the second closest thing to revival he has seen.  The closest being what began at the Garrison Church in Sydney and spread from there to other churches during the mid 1950s.

This was the episode of Christian life which took place at Wudinna in 1969.  In manifold ways the story continues to unfold in the 1990s.

References

Bingham, G. C. (1983) Dry Bones Dancing.  Adelaide: New Creation Publications.

— (1985) The Day of the Spirit.  Adelaide: New Creation Publications.

— (1985) Christ the Conquering King.  Adelaide: New Creation Publications.

— (1992) Twice Conquering Love.  Adelaide: New Creation

Publications

Chant, B. (1984) Heart of Fire.  Adelaide: The House of Tabor.

Curnow, E. A., ed. (1977) Faith on the Western Front.  Aldis.

Loane, M. L. (1988) ‘Geoffrey Cyril Bingham’ in These Happy Warriors.  Adelaide: New Creation Publications.

Meatheringham, D. (1981) Gospel Incandescent. Adelaide: New Creation Publications.

— (1969) Pastoral Letter: ‘The Assurance of God’s Word.’

— (1969) Pastoral Letter: How to Succeed as a Christian.’

— (1969) Report of Mission Held at Wudinna, August 21-31.

Murray, Ian. H. (1988) Australian Christian Life from 1788.  The Banner of Truth Trust.

Piggin, Stuart (1992) Lecture: ‘Piety and Politics in Australia in the 1950s,’ given to ‘Australian Religious History’ class at Flinders University (S.A.), on 21 May.

Wilson, B. (1983)  Can God Survive in Australia?  Albatross Books.

(c) Trevor Faggotter

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011)
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)
Renewal Journal 4: Healing – with more links to healing blogs   

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 4: Healing

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See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Sounds of Revival  by Sue Armstrong

Dan & Sue Armstrong

Sounds of Revival

Mrs Sue Armstrong and her evangelist husband the Rev. Dan Armstrong founded Kairos Ministries in Australia and organized the Vineyard Conferences here with John Wimber and his teams.  Sue reports on revival moves they have seen, including the  Wimber Conferences in Brisbane and Perth in 1994.  This article is expanded from the June and September 1994 Kairos newsletters, ‘News Across Australia’.

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Dan Armstrong in 1974 with Maggie Mahan and Carla Wert
at West Highlands Methodist Church in Kennewick, Washington, USA

Once you have been in a place that is experiencing revival you will never forget the sounds!  I have heard these sounds in other countries and up in the North amongst our aboriginal people and I have longed for the time when I would hear them here in our churches.

The Islands

I will never forget a night in Papua New Guinea at Manngai High School, New Ireland, when the Holy Spirit fell on the young students gathered.  They cried and wailed.  They fell.  They shook.  Repentance was there.  Salvation came to many and deliverance from demonic powers came to some.  I remember driving back to our village late that night singing, ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,’ and truly knowing what that glory was!

I remember a night at Lelean High School in Fiji when the Holy Spirit fell on around 600 school children.  It was pitch dark as there was a blackout with no power.  Yet, we sure had Holy Spirit power!  Bodies were lying everywhere, some pleading the mercy of God as their sin was revealed, some praising, some sobbing, some resting under the power of God.  Suddenly people appeared from nearby houses.  They saw flames coming from the buildings and they came to put out the fire, but there was no fire!

On another occasion in Fiji the Spirit fell during worship.  We were singing to the Lord and suddenly weeping broke out.  The Indian Fijian young folk and the Fijian kids began to run to each other and embrace.  Racial hatred was dealt a severe blow as these kids repented and loved one another.  We had no way of knowing that there would be a coup in a matter of weeks and that this touch from God was a moment of great importance.

In Indonesia we saw people flocking to the front of the large galvanised iron building.  Some fell as they came and remained motionless.  Some shouted as they had a common vision of Jesus.  A group of Muslim schoolgirls had a common vision of hell.  People received healing and many were set free from demonic forces.  The noise was ear-splitting and the place was like a battlefield – not at all the way I imagined revival would be.  As people lay motionless on the floor some panic-stricken people tried to administer smelling salts, but the ‘sleeping people’ remained on the floor with beatific smiles on their faces.

Africa

On a visit to Africa to the Transki, Dan was in a big gathering of blacks.  He was listening to a massed choir singing in that amazing close harmony that only Africans can achieve when the Holy Spirit fell on the meeting.  The whole choir fell to the floor.  The pastors jumped to their feet exclaiming, ‘The Holy Spirit is here!’

Dan describes the next event as ‘like watching wind in a wheat field’.  The Spirit moved among the people in waves and they swayed and fell as the Holy Spirit touched them.  Many experienced miraculous healing and some who had come as spectators were saved.

Australia

The revival was different again in Arnhemland, Australia.  It was much more gentle in its beginnings.  The meetings were held at night in the open air, and people came out of the darkness to kneel on the ground and acknowledge Jesus as Lord.  After that, they jumped to their feet and joined with those praying for others.  This was spontaneous.  Immediately they began to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in their new lives.

There were special manifestations.  One night we went with them at their request to cleanse the ceremonial grounds.  Satan manifested in some of the people with bizarre happenings.  One man bit a young woman.  Another man tried to crucify himself on the cross the people had erected.  Dogs went wild, barking, biting, fighting and howling all over the island.  Then came the presence of the Lord over the place and a great release of joy and celebration.

I have read accounts of revival by J. Edwin Orr, John Wesley, John Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards.  They describe the falling, shaking, wailing, laughing, and even rolling and drunken behaviour.  But that was then.  It’s surely not for our sophisticated society!

Over the past year reports have filtered through of churches experiencing some of the above phenomena, just here and there in regular services or home groups.  Just the whisper that revival is on the way.

In Brisbane and Perth at the Wimber Conferences last April, right from the first meeting it became clear that God had his own agenda.  During the initial worship time the Holy Spirit began to rest on individuals across the auditorium and ripples of laughter could be heard.  Before John Wimber gave the opening message he called out young folk who had obvious signs of the Spirit resting on them – shaking, trembling, laughing and one just quiet and transfixed.  He spoke of the way the Spirit moves on people’s lives and that we must trust the Holy Spirit and not try to stop or control what God is doing.

Each meeting the Holy Spirit came and people were touched in all kinds of ways.  Here are a few testimonies.

* Although just a young married man I had to resign from my job because of chronic fatigue syndrome.  The first night at the conference I was released with amazing laughter and the fatigue completely left during the conference.  Energy has returned.

* I stood up and was really praising God, in my tongues language, and beseeching him to heal my back (where a tumour had been removed) which seemed to have got worse in terms of niggling pain of late.  One of the members from my church put her hand right where the operation had been.  After a few moments there seemed to be a real heat, like a hot water bottle, beneath her hand.  John Wimber said, to the effect, ‘God is touching a man right now and putting his spine back together!’  The heat stayed around my waist area for some time and then, like honey running out of a container quite slowly, the feeling of heat extended down my leg following the sciatic nerve – I know my sciatic nerve!  This feeling of heat ran right down to my foot where it stayed for several minutes.  I could literally feel the power of God around me.  I met with God that night.  (He has been free of pain and can move his leg at the hip and knee.)

* I have had severe scoliosis for 35 years.  I sought healing on Wednesday night and when I arrived home my wife (a registered nurse) agreed that the hollow on the left side of my lower back had changed and become more like the right side.  It would appear that a rotated vertebrae may have been realigned.

* I received prayer for hearing loss Wednesday night and today I have not had to wear a hearing aid and my hearing is much improved.

* I had been walking with two walking sticks for four years.  I had a fall after my hip replacement surgery causing the bone not to knit.  This caused pain when I walked.  On Tuesday night John Wimber had a word for someone who had had hip problems for 63 years causing pain in the right leg.  Members of the team prayed for me and I am now walking without my sticks and the pain gets less every day.

* I have had arthritis in both knees for three years.  Two of the girls in the team prayed for me and the pain and discomfort has completely gone.  I can now move quite freely without discomfort.

* I have received the most special healing of major pain from a broken heart.  Two young kids from the American team prayed for me.  This has opened my eyes and given me a new vision for youth ministry.

* No one can know what it is like for someone who has believed for 39 years that she cannot be loved or should even exist, to suddenly discover that she is loved by the living God.

God touched people powerfully, in many different ways.

But the sound was there!  I heard the Spirit come.  John Wimber spoke from Judges 13:3, speaking to the nation of Australia: ‘You are sterile and childless but you are going to conceive and have a son.’  Revival is being brought to birth in this nation.  Listen for the sound.  Revival has begun!

North America and England

We have received reports of similar moves of God this year.

Charisma magazine, June 1994, told of people from all denominations flocking to a small church in Toronto, the Airport Vineyard, where revival has been stirring this year.  People tell of the manifest presence of God.  Many rest in the Spirit.  Many exhibit laughing and drunken behaviour.  Many report healings and release from emotional problems.  The meetings have been dubbed ‘the laughing revival’ in which ordinary people, not high profile leaders, have suddenly begun ministering powerfully in the Lord.

Terry Virgo reports in New Frontiers magazine, July 1994, on moves of God this year following his return from ministry in South Africa:

On my return to Columbia, Missouri, I found our church meetings were totally transformed and that a new release of the Holy Spirit had overtaken us.  We have seen extraordinary sights in terms of people being filled with the spirit of joy and ‘drunkenness’.  We have seen lives totally transformed.  People have a new hunger for God and a new zeal to see him glorified.  I have seen lives changed so rapidly and the atmosphere of a church changed so swiftly.

He also describes moves of God this year in England:

I returned to England and found that wherever I went to report news of this outbreak, God accompanied us with more signs of his mercy and overwhelming love for his church.

First of all I met with a number of leading brothers in New Frontiers and we had   two days of amazing experiences of God’s presence and a release of prophesying such as I have never known.  After that came an unforgettable evening in my home church  in Brighton which continued till 11.30 p.m.  Many were overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Following this, over two hundred full-time elders from New Frontiers gathered for fasting at Stoneleigh where once again the Spirit of God was poured out in phenomenal measure.  I have never seen such spiritual drunkenness and joy in my life.  And once again the release of prophecy was breathtaking.

God moves powerfully in revival.  People repent.  Many are healed and delivered.  God pours out his Spirit.  Christians minister as Jesus did, and as he taught his disciples to do.

The sounds of revival are stirring again.  You’ll hear cries of repentance, great joy and liberty, and awe and excitement at the amazing grace of God.

____________________

 Editor’s P.S.:  Darryl Krause (YWAM, Norway) wrote this in September 1994:

An Outpouring of God’s Spirit

Concerning the ‘Tronoto Revival’, we are beginning to experience something of it here also.

On 20th January this year the Holy Spirit was poured out in a special way at a meeting of the Airport Vineyard Church in Toronto, Canada.  Meetings have continued there almost every night since then.  Meanwhile similar outpourings began occurring elsewhere, often as a result of someone being ‘infected’ in Toronto and then returning to their home place.

It is reported that over 500 congregations in North America, and in England over 600 congregations (mostly Anglican), have been touched so far by this move of God.  Several Norwegian Churches have now also been touched.  Just over a week ago our local congregation was ‘hit’.

This outpouring has been mostly in the form of refreshing and renewal for God’s people, but there are also many who have come to salvation.  The meetings have been characterised not by charismatic leader figures or gifted worship leaders, but by the Holy Spirit working deeply in people’s lives as ‘ordinary’ believers pray for and minister to one another.

Many thousands of believers have been led into an incredible new degree of freedom and security in their relationship with God.  Some sob deeply or even cry out loud as the Holy Spirit ministers to deep areas of pain in their lives.  Others dance around like children or laugh wildly – literallly drunk in the Spirit – as they rejoice in God’s goodness.  Many are interpreting this as part of the outpouring of God’s Spirit before the period of great harvesting.

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011)
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)
Renewal Journal 4: Healing – with more links to healing blogs   

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 4: Healing

Amazon – all journals and books

See  Renewal Journal 4: Healing as on Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

RJ Vol 1 (1-5) 1Also in Renewal Journals, Bound Volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

Paperback books and eBooks for PC, tablet, phone
Add to your free Cloud Library then download anytime
 

Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Link to all Renewal Journals

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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A Healing Community  by Spencer Colliver

A Healing Community

Spencer Colliver, was part of the Association of Christian Fellowships and wrote extensively about small group communities.

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____________________________________________________

In the midst of our human frailty we can experience a wholeness

in the Holy Spirit which transcends our weakness.

____________________________________________________

‘Stand in faith for your healing,’ they exhorted him. They had prayed for his healing with sincerity and compassion, but the long road of days, weeks, months, perhaps years, of ‘standing in faith’ stretched ahead. Who would stand with him?

During those days when doubt and uncertainty assail the heart of faith, who would be there to encourage and pray with him again and again until the conflict was clearly over?

If ever there is need of a small company of Christian friends and pilgrims, it is in such cases. How often the physical dis-ease is a symptom of loneliness, resentment, or buried anger. The care of others in a close knit group, ministering the grace and forgiveness of Jesus can dispel the loneliness, melt the anger, and affirm the healing process.

The small group needs to learn the Christian graces of perseverance, longsuffering, gentleness, faithfulness and hope for others. Those who have entered deeply into a small group experience will know the personal pain, doubt and fear borne on behalf of one another. You stand in faith for a brother or sister. Like the four men who let down their friend through the roof to the feet of Jesus, you bring your brother or sister again and again to Jesus.

Caring communities

Recently a good friend of mine died of a brain tumour. He had experienced several years of remission of what was an inoperable condition. This remission was a direct result of prayer for healing. During the subsequent years, to a large extent he stood alone in his church and there was little experience of a surrounding healing community. Would it have made a difference? I do not know. I do know, however, we have often failed in our healing ministry because there has been no community of Christians in daily, weekly, close-knit support. To be in community means to have all things in common – even our pain and sickness.

Cures are to be looked for, not only in the sick person, but also in the community. R. A. Lambourne (1963: 110) expresses it this way: ‘So a man who has a congenital defect about which he is chronically embittered, may be saved by the loving service and prayers of another person or group and yet retain his congenital deformity, whilst one of the group who has been involved may be relieved of a peptic ulcer.’ Experience has shown us that those with such defects may also have significant healing through persevering, persistent prayer.

The recorded experience of God’s direct intervention in healing over the past twenty years has often been the accounts of healings received through the ministry of the healing evangelist. Books on healing were initially a description of the way God intervened in healing in a wide variety of physical, emotional and spiritual conditions through that healing ministry.

Subsequent literature has come to grips with biblical principles of healing and methods of preparing all the people of God to pray for healing and exercise the gift of healing, but little has been said or taught about the importance of people being immersed in a healing community.

It is good that those at the healing meeting are asked to stand in faith for the person prayed for, but what happens after the meeting has concluded? Many are completely healed and may well stand alone, but not all. What community will these have to sustain their faith as the healing work goes on?

In some fellowships, healing teams are used so that the individualistic approach is modified. The teams are prepared to handle whatever may emerge, whether it be physical healing, deliverance from demonic oppression, or the healing of past hurts and broken relationships. Wholeness of life is the focus. Yet the need for continuing care may not be met.

A person from a strong Christian fellowship who experiences the healing grace of God can depend upon the support of that fellowship. There the healing process will be strengthened in the combined faith and mutual commitment to one another.

It is quite a different experience for people with a history of broken relationships and little personal discipline to find a community of people who will lovingly guide the formation of their Christian life and growth in faith. They need a caring community committed to support them.

Committed communities

The formation of Christian life and character – the whole area of Christian discipleship – needs a long period of painstaking care from the committed community. A young woman convert with a history of broken foster homes and drug taking experienced significant healing, but her life habits and attitudes formed over many years needed to be changed. She usually stayed in bed till the afternoon. For months an older woman would travel across town to her one-room flat, wake her, and see her washed, dressed, and out into the everyday world.

We long and pray for these alienated people to be brought into the Kingdom. Yet we recoil from some of the long term implications of lives that need to be made in the image of Christ. How beautiful that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit grants his gifts of knowledge, wisdom, discernment, courage and healing. We also have one another, if we can genuinely find oneness of purpose and love or common unity. That is community.

Christian community is an ideal we cherish but find difficult to achieve. In the many communities to which we belong – a sociology dictionary lists some ninety – we submit only a small portion of our lives. An ultimate goal of Christian community is to have all things in common. However, in our Western church we have absorbed a materialistic individualism which results in a rejection of strong commitment to group values. A pietistic approach to the Christian life emphasizes our individual personal relationship to God and tends to devalue the group relationships.

The instructions to the New Testament churches were primarily for groups, not individuals. ‘Saints’, commonly used in the New Testament for Christians, occurs there 62 times and 61 of these are in the plural form. We belong together.

Church communities need to provide a structure and opportunity for people to so relate with each other that these relationships show them how to become healing people. Christians in small groups in sensitive communication with each other a more likely to be aware of the needs of the wounded.

To a greater or lesser extent we are ‘wounded healers’. Our own wounds give a sense of identification with the wounded. We have all known, for example, how loneliness and loss bite into our emotional stability. James Lynch, in The Broken Heart: the medical consequences of loneliness (1979: 181), says, ‘The lack of companionship, the sudden loss of love and chronic human loneliness are significant contributors to serious disease (including cardiovascular disease) and premature death’.

He adds that ‘the true revolution of our times is the disappearance of friendship and that has gone hand in hand with the loss of community’. Those who lack the surrounding comfort and support of an intimate community lack one of the most powerful antidotes to stress and disease. In a neighbourhood group members can be immediately responsive to emergent need. The immediate awareness of need and the continuing healing issues out of fellowship; the formation of a new lifestyle from the witness of what Jesus has done in the lives of others. How often, too, the healer need healing. Pressure and stress need to be discerned, understood and prayed for in the whole group.

No group will be free of every ailment and oppression, but what a joy it is to have fellow pilgrims to be part of one’s whole life. In the midst of our human frailty we can experience a wholeness in the Holy Spirit which transcends our weakness. One of our friends, dying of cancer and surrounded by her own healing community, entered into a wholeness not experienced previously.

As Lambourne (1963: 110) puts it, ‘This type of situation is exemplified by the dying patient who makes of dying, as of life, not just “one damned thing after another”, but a “reasonable, lively and holy sacrifice”, a time of growing in wisdom and stature. Those who are near, serving, easing the pain, enter, if they wish, into the wholeness into which the patient by faith has entered … so the community in acts of healing, relieving suffering, and suffering together, enters the communion of saints, the community of those made whole.’

References

Lambourne, R.A. (1963) Community Church and Healing. London: Darton, Longman & Todd.

Lynch, James (1979) The Broken Heart. San Franscisco: Harper and Row.

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011)
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – with more links to healing blogs   

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 4: Healing

Amazon – all journals and books

See  Renewal Journal 4: Healing as on Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

RJ Vol 1 (1-5) 1Also in Renewal Journals, Bound Volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

Paperback books and eBooks for PC, tablet, phone
Add to your free Cloud Library then download anytime
 

Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Link to all Renewal Journals

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Christian Wholeness Counselling by John Warlow

Christian Wholeness Counselling

Dr John Warlow is a Christian psychiatrist working in Brisbane within a professional and charismatic context for the healing of the whole person.
*

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

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https://renewaljournal.com/2011/05/15/christian-wholeness-counselling-by-john-warlow/
Renewal Journal 4: Healing
*
Christian Wholeness Counselling
After years of prayer, vision and planning, we have established a place of healing the whole person from a Christian perspective.  It is called the Christian Wholeness Counselling Centre (See: Living Wholeness ).
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This is a place where Christians and non-Christians can be seen by Professional Counselling Consultants from a number of disciplines, including Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, the Pastoral area and Psychiatry.  It is a place where our passions are to strive for excellence in the area of psychiatry, psychology and the social sciences, and counselling within the context of a Biblical theology.
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The psychiatric, psychological, social and spiritual issues are addressed within a framework of professional Christian counselling, facilitating one’s journeying toward wholeness.  We acknowledge the spiritual dimension of the person in addition to the physical, psychological and social dimensions.  We invite clients to integrate the spiritual aspect of their life within a Christian counselling context. It is also a place where professional counsellors can develop their skills, integrating their Christian beliefs with their professional practice.  The centre helps to equip and train Christian counsellors and the church in Christian counselling and pastoral work.  All this is done in an ethical manner with integrity and compassion. Here, the problems relating to the whole person can be addressed.  These include personal, emotional, psychiatric, behavioural, physical, spiritual, social and family, educational, career related, stress, and trauma related problems.
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The problems can relate to the whole person so the avenues for healing are focussed on each part of the person. In essence, helping the person to face their failures and their pain in the presence of God and from there to move on to practise the presence of God is the spiritual pathway to healing.  Healing comes not only in practising the presence of God, but also in walking alongside with a fellow human being, and in conjunction with a supportive church network.  Thus, healing does not come in a vacuum but is done in the context of the priesthood of all believers, the presence of God and being part of the body of Christ.
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Integrated approach to healing Spiritual healing or prayer in itself often is not the only thing which needs to happen for healing.  People often need other interventions.  That may be medication, marital therapy, or some of the other forms of professional interventions.  God never made us just to be spiritual, although the spiritual is central.  God also made our bodies and our minds which often groan. Our bodies and brains may need medication, and our minds therapy.  These are provided in many forms at the Christian Wholeness Counselling Centre.  They include:  Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Family Therapy, Marital Therapy, Child Therapy, Adolescent Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Pastoral Counselling, Psychiatric Treatment, Educational Assessment, Career Guidance, Grief Counselling, Crisis Counselling, Trauma Therapy (EMDR), Stress Management, Anger Management, Conflict Management, Assertiveness Training, Communication and Social Skills Training.
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The likelihood of success in healing depends on how motivated or desperate the person is to change, the extent of how much they feel they can be involved in changing compared to how hopeless they might feel, and how severe their problems are in terms of physical, psychological, social or spiritual ones. The longer the problems have been going on, even back into previous generations, the harder it seems to be for change to occur.   Intervention may include prayer for inner healing, breaking of past bondages, and on-going medication or counselling support.  For some healing happens at a faster rate, for others it may take a number of years.
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Healing is significantly enhanced if, in the context of coming to the Centre, a person can be free to be real and open in the Body of Christ.  Thus the importance of close fellowship is vital.  The church itself is a major organ for healing. In summary, Christian Wholeness Counselling looks at the whole person in the context of their relationship with God and the church, and their own social network.  It acknowledges that our bodies are yet unredeemed.  It acknowledges that at times God does work in miraculous ways, but normally tears will not be dried or taken away until we reach heaven. Healing follows a sequence.  Here are essential steps on the pathway to wholeness.
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Admit and be Real about Failure   START HERE:  The place for healing to begin is where one walks alongside another – one step beside and one step behind.  In that posture, the person is strengthened to be able to face the pain, their failures and their sin.  This often seems to be the hardest part but is where healing starts.
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As the darkness is brought into the light, then that which was hidden can be addressed.  Where many find it hard to walk on a road to healing, is this very first step of even acknowledging the problem.  For true healing this needs to be acknowledged to oneself, to God and to another human being.  Admitting and being real about one’s failures and sins is the place to start.  The Christian Wholeness Counselling Centre allows this to occur in a place where the issues of the whole person can be addressed.
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Believe and Receive Forgiveness THE 1ST STEP:  Having faced and, to some extent, owned the problems, the first step of healing on a spiritual dimension is to return to the rock from which one was hewn, to receive the things which God has done.  This step to healing is through a repentance, a returning, a step of faith rather than by the primary strivings of our wills and our own efforts. This step is one of believing and receiving God’s forgiveness.  It happens initially at conversion, and needs to be repeated frequently.  As we remember and return to what God has done, rather than trying to strive to better ourselves, change can come.  It is through this step that one returns to the rock from which one was hewn, to receive the things which God has done to stand in one’s true position.
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YOUR POSITION:  Where is the position to which we need to return?  What has God done which is healing?  What is it that is there for healing, even when we have failed and fallen?  God has done four major things for us in this area:  he has provided us with his presence, he has placed us and set us apart for himself, he has given us his purposes, and he has provided all we need.  This enables us to say, ‘I am yours and you are mine’, even in our pain or failure as well as in wholeness. First, God’s presence is with us: Emmanuel.  Although we can quench the Holy Spirit, we have been sealed with him as he has been stamped on to our hearts.  For those who are truly his, we cannot rub off that stamp.  Even though the prodigal son felt no longer worthy to be a son, the Father thought otherwise.  Even in our darkest moments, the darkness cannot turn off the light.  Even in our lowest periods, God is beneath us.  Even where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.
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Healing comes as we realise God has not abandoned nor forsaken us, but is there for us right in the context of our pain.  God owns us despite our sin. Second, God has placed us close to himself.  He has given us an identity of being a child of the Father with his Spirit indwelling us.  Being identified with Christ in God lifts up the head of the shameful and weary traveller. Third, God has purposed us to relate with him in intimacy, in Jesus by his Spirit.  This gives us a reason for living which nothing can touch, even in the context of suffering.  God’s purposes remain constant despite our unfaithfulness.  This leads the wandering person to have a God-given clarity and perspective on where they have come from and where they are going.  So, even in our groaning, with all around seeming to overwhelm us, God’s purposes can still be fulfilled.  All things can work for good.  His good is our intimacy with Jesus.  Our imitation of Jesus can grow.  Our conformity to him can be renewed.  Our sense of companionship and closeness to God can deepen. Fourth, God has provided for us his forgiveness and his freedom, leading us to his fullness.
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Our lives and experiences so often betray what God has done, leaving us feeling hypocritical, shameful, and in effect no different from what we would be if we were non-Christians.  Our lives more often than not are lives of the wilderness rather than those of the Promised Land. The tendency then is to believe much more in our failings and feelings than in what God has done because the two do not seem to match up.  Having faced our own sins and failures and returned to what God has done, we can stand in his grace, mercy, and forgiveness. In the context of facing the reality of oneself, the head of the wounded and fallen can be lifted up and can see another reality, the reality of God and what he has done.  Through being real about these realities a new perspective and new direction can again be followed.  So the shameful may stand upright, in grace and access to God; the lost may belong; the fallen and failed may get up, yet again.
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Choose to Respond to Freedom 2ND STEP:  From this position, we can move on in the freedom which God provides.  Receiving the provision  of God’s freedom leads us to relate with God in the fullness of his Spirit and walk in wholeness and healing.  Only as we receives what God has done in our life can we move on to practise the presence of God in the context of our humanity. But how do we receive and respond to this freedom?  Where does this freedom come from and where does it lead?  How do we take this second step?  This is where the mystery of God’s provision applies.  Because he has placed us in Christ, we also died with him and have been raised with him. We know, however, that we are very much alive and our sinful nature abounds.  How is it then that we continue to sin?  A major reason appears to be not only the abuse of God’s grace, but the unbelief of what God has done.  The unbelief is partly because the reality of our experience shouts louder than the reality of what God has done.
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Thus in Romans 6, Paul provides 3 steps to receive and respond to this freedom.
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* First (v 6), we must know and remember what God has done.  We must realise that we have been crucified with Christ.  We should have been warned of this when we became Christians.
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* Second (v 11), we must believe this and reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
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* Third (vs 12-13), we must then yield ourselves to God and not to our own sinful desires.
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Our bodies are very much alive but our self-centred nature has been crucified with Christ.  However, it is only as we know this, it is only as we believe this and as we then put this into practice that we appropriate and apply what God has done.  As we take these steps in the face of our selfishness, a Godliness can slowly and falteringly develop.  There can be a renewing of our minds and a conformity to Jesus. This is a gradual walk and needs to be applied to each situation.  As we do this, as we present our bodies and our minds as a living sacrifice, to be renewed by God, then we can move on to practise the presence of God, to fellowship with God and to love others.  Then we can start to move into true Christian wholeness.
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YOUR PRACTICE:  As we respond to God and to what he has done, we can move our position into the practice of Christian wholeness and healing.  Wholeness was defined best by Jesus when he said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength … Love your neighbour as yourself’.  So as we struggle with issues, we start to bring into God’s light and into God’s presence these problems and, together with God and a fellow traveller, we can move on. The pains and hurts of the past and the present can be cast on God; we are now not alone.  As they are faced, the past which lives in the present can be let go on and released.  Forgiving others starts to become possibe.  Changing thoughts, perceptions and behaviours in relation to oneself and others can begin again.  We go on again.  Love arises.  The salvation which God has worked in us starts to become worked out.
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So we are freed to respond and to relate with God. In the context of pain and sin, we can actively relate with God and in doing so can actualise and realise the presence of God in their humanity.  Being very real, we can start to interact with God, to imitate Jesus and to slowly experience some kind of intimacy with the Trinity.  We can start to  live who we are, to walk by the Spirit and not just to be born of the Spirit. Shame and guilt no longer hold their power.  We are free to leave our self-centredness to live a God-centred life.  We are free to respond to God even as the Psalmist did, in ruthless reality.  We can now move from the isolation and aloneness of darkness into abiding in God. This is not ‘airy fairy’ or living in some supernatural spiritual cloud.  This is relating to God and being free to do so as a very real human being.  Having reconnected with God, hope revives and we can once more go to others to love them and to bring God’s healing to them.  There is power to go to those who have hurt us, in our families especially.  There is power to be real about the pains which we have received from others and yet to go and to seek and touch our offenders with the wounded hands of Jesus. Spiritual warfare can be done.  This is practising the presence of God.  This is the narrow road which brings life.  This is knowing God and showing God.  This is being filled with the Spirit.  This is the narrow path that leads to life, and healing.
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RETURN TO THE START:  Yet so quickly practising the presence of God seems to disappear yet again in our sins and failings from which we have just come.  And so, returning to the reality of our failures, we can AGAIN turn to our position in God and from there move on to practising a God-centred way of life.  This is not sinless perfection, but a spiral – from practising the presence of God to falling back into sin to repenting, to walking on with God.  As we do this, it is more than going round in circles.  We spiral up on a journey, as with wings like eagles, slowly rising in sanctification.  As we take hold of God in this way, God takes hold of us and as we open to God, God fills us with his Spirit. This is the spiritual aspect of healing – abiding in God, and is something which we need to encourage in each other.  However, when things get too hard, a place like the Christian Wholeness Counselling Centre can further facilitate healing.  Consultants cannot of themselves do the work, but in closeness to the suffering clients, and in the presence of God, all three in a healing triangle can walk the road to true healing, to wholeness, to Shalom.

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Summary: a sequence of healing and wholeness.

START HERE:           “I Admit and am Real about my Failures.”

1ST STEP:                  “I Believe and Receive God’s Forgiveness.”

YOUR POSITION:    God’s Presence, Placing, Purposes and Provisions.

2ND STEP:                 “I Choose to Respond to God’s Freedom.”

YOUR PRACTICE:   “I Do live and Relate with God in the Fullness of his Spirit.”

RETURN TO THE START.

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011) Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – with more links to healing blogs   

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 4: Healing

Amazon – all journals and books

See  Renewal Journal 4: Healing as on Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

RJ Vol 1 (1-5) 1Also in Renewal Journals, Bound Volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

Paperback books and eBooks for PC, tablet, phone
Add to your free Cloud Library then download anytime
 

Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Link to all Renewal Journals

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Deliverance and Freedom  by Colin Warren


Deliverance and Freedom


The Rev. Dr Colin Warren wrote as a Uniting Church minister and former Principal of Alcorn College in Brisbane and Founder of Freedom Life Ministries.  He ministered with teams who counselled and prayed with the sick and afflicted.

 

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Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)
Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

____________________________________

Jesus Christ is Lord. He reigns.

We can respond for healing and deliverance

in the power of his Spirit.

____________________________________

Christ has paid the price to set us free, but many Christians are not free. They are bound by compulsions or problems such as fear, grief, hurt, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, anger, lust, hate, sickness, or other emotional disorders.

Yet, many Scriptures promise freedom. Here are some:

‘So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed’ (John 8:36).

‘For freedom Christ has set us free’ (Galatians 5:1).

‘Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Many people in need of counselling, however, are not free. Why are there so many Christians who are not free? Does it mean that we cannot take these Scriptures literally? Or is there another answer? Our experience has shown that freedom is possible and we can take the Scriptures at face value.

The answer lies in taking Jesus seriously. The Christian church in many places, particularly in the western world, has not accepted the threefold task given to it by Jesus, that is to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:78; Mark 6:13; Luke 9:12).

The area that most often needs attention to set people free is the area of the emotions. Paul’s prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, ‘may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Our whole being is involved.

This can be represented by three concentric circles. The inner-circle represents the spirit, the core of our being. Outside of that the middle circle represents the soul consisting of mind, emotions and will. Outside of that again the body is represented by the outer circle.

When we accept forgiveness obtained for us by Jesus on the cross and open our lives to God, God the Holy Spirit enters and dwells at the core of our being. No evil spirits can enter the core of our being when we are born of the Spirit of God. They can, however, afflict us to a lesser or greater degree at the levels of our soul and body. A result of that affliction is that we lose the fullness of freedom offered by Jesus.

All is not lost, however. Jesus gave power to the church to remove the offending intruders. This power was given to the twelve when he sent them out and also to the seventy-two who came back rejoicing because the demons submitted to them (Matthew 10:78; Luke 10:17).

Can a Christian be demonized?

The answer is both yes and no. Demons cannot take over the spirit of a Christian. They can, however, invade the soul and the body. Many beautiful Christian people have problems in the areas of their emotions, minds, wills, and bodies. These are areas that evil powers can invade. This robs many of God’s people of the total freedom obtained for them at such cost by our Lord. This state need not continue because Jesus gave the church power to remove demons and set the captives free.

A common false idea is that a person can only be demonised as the result of deliberate involvement with the occult. Evil powers or spirits have other opportunities to oppress a person beside occult involvement. Some of these need to be understood so that we can minister God’s healing and deliverance to the oppressed.

These ills or oppressions do not always involve demonization, so we need to avoid the opposite errors of seeing demons in every situation or of ignoring them altogether. We cannot attribute all pain, sickness, infirmity, or other ills to demonic spirits. Ministry in this area requires the use of gifts of the Holy Spirit including discernment of spirits, and words of knowledge and wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:810) coupled with training in this spiritual field to ascertain if spirits are responsible.

Demonic oppression may be caused in many ways.

1. Deep hurt in interpersonal relationships.

A woman confined to bed with severe pain was referred to us by her doctor. She did not respond to pain-killing drugs and had experienced severe emotional distress. After receiving counselling, which included casting out several spirits, she was able to leave her bed. Approximately two weeks later she asked for further counselling. On that occasion she was set free from other spirits which included those of infirmity, pain and sickness. Immediately the major areas of pain left her. When I met her approximately four weeks later she was free from pain, was filled with a new joy of living and was seeking to help others in need.

If we allow fear, anger, hurt, grief, loss, hate, bitterness, jealousy, rejection or other emotional areas to fester in our lives, or if through circumstances we cannot control they gain a foothold in us, that can allow evil powers to oppress us with a spirit associated with that particular emotion.

2. Inherited problems from forebears.

These may be seen as having only a genetic base. Yet they are often also of a spiritual nature. I have frequently found that such things as sickness, as well as other disorders, have come because of an ancestor’s involvement in behaviour which has passed on a curse to future generations.

One such case is of a successful business man whose life was made difficult by internal physical problems requiring three operations. When he came for prayer several spirits were oppressing him. These were bound to the truth revealing that his grandfather’s relationship with people involved in Luciferian rites had given Satan permission to oppress this man. When the spirits were cast out his condition healed and he was able to have a much closer relationship with God in his prayer and devotional life. This is just one of many such cases.

3. After severe accidents or sickness.

Sometimes people are vulnerable to oppressing powers of evil after serious accidents or illness. Spiritual forces of sickness, grief or infirmity may find entry.

A woman in her late sixties had been totally deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other. When she was twelve years of age abscesses had burst in both ears leaving her hearing seriously impaired. At first I thought that her physical impairment was an automatic result of the abscesses. However, I was constrained by the Holy Spirit to bind and cast out the spirit of deafness. She subsequently went to her specialist and had further tests. These confirmed that her previously totally deaf ear was now hearing.

4. Deliberate sin.

Probably the most prevalent area of deliberate involvement and continuing addiction applies to sexual sins. If a person is habitually involved with such things as pornographic literature or videos, sex outside of marriage, or masturbation, those actions give unclean spirits legal right to afflict the person in that way. We have ministered to many people with these problems whom God has graciously set free.

5. Transference from another person.

Given certain conditions a person can be infected with spiritual oppression affecting someone else. An example of this is when a person is in a fear provoking situation with someone who has a spirit of fear oppressing him or her. This can be the condition in which the spirit of fear multiplies and infects the other person also.

6. Involvement with the occult.

We are experiencing large numbers of people who have had a deliberate openness to or involvement with the occult. One example is of a seventeen year old girl who from the age of ten had been gradually getting deeper into occult things. This addiction led to Satan worship with its ugly rituals and sacrifices including eating the flesh of things sacrificed. She was trapped into something she could not escape, thinking there was no power that could deliver her. She came for help and claimed Jesus as her Lord. The spirits were then cast out and she has learned how to live a victorious Christian life and helps others to be set free.

7. The result of a curse.

Curses may not be just empty words. Demonic oppression can be the result of a curse placed on a person either deliberately or unwittingly by someone else where harm is intended and declared against another.

We ministered to a man in his late twenties who from earliest childhood had sexual desire toward males. He had never allowed this desire to be gratified but had suffered greatly from it. He had no desire for women. We have discovered many times that this so called genetic problem was in reality a spiritual problem. In his case, after three unsuccessful attempts to help him, we were told through a word of knowledge to pray and fast for some days. It was then revealed that the problem was the result of a curse on the family from a former generation. Such was the strength of the curse that we were told it would be two years before he was completely free, even though prayer ministry with him was successful.

8. Oppression by astral travel.

Invasion may occur by those involved in astral travel who deliberately seek to enter another person. This requires the breaking of spiritual, emotional and physical ties, and the doorways to the spirit need to be sealed to prevent reentry.

A university student came for counselling because she had the eerie feeling that she was being watched when she was in her home. As we prayed a name was given to one of the team. The student knew that the person named was involved in astral travel and had taken an unnatural interest in her though she did not encourage him. Through prayer, authority was taken over this spirit, the chains binding her to him were broken and the doorways of entry were closed and anointed with the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. She had no further trouble.

These problems have all been dealt with on many occasions through prayer and deliverance ministry by teams sensitive to the Holy Spirit. People can be set free.

Freedom from principalities and powers

Our western worldview of rationalism has hidden from us the real meaning of much of Scripture. This is being rediscovered now.

An example is Ephesians 6:12, ‘For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’

We have not understood the significance of this for winning the world for the kingdom of God. Many Scripture passages indicate there are hierarchies of demonic powers. I have described how evil spirits may be cast out of people and this sets them free to be the persons God created them to be. However, if we are going to carry out the great commission under the authority of Jesus to whom all authority has been given in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:1820), then we will need to use the means God has given us to do so. That will involve waging war on the principalities and powers of evil including conflict with world authorities of Satan and the territorial spirits controlling demonic powers over countries and cities.

The Holy Spirit convicted our church of this some years ago. We entered into prayer for eighteen months before God have us the names of the principalities and powers over our city. Then, after a day of prayer and fasting we were told by the Holy Spirit to have a further week of prayer and fasting. At the close of that week God revealed the names of these powers and how to bind them. This was done.

Since that time many people came inquiring about salvation and for counselling. The Lord has taught us that although it took the whole church to be in prayer for eighteen months before these strong spirits could be bound initially, those Satanic powers need to be bound daily.

All Satanic powers were totally defeated by Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. If we do not take advantage of the victory Jesus won then we as a church are not using the weapons God has given us in the power of the Spirit to win the world for Christ. This is why Jesus spoke of binding the strong man and plundering his goods (Matthew 12:2829). As we bind these territorial and ruling spirits God’s power is able to pierce the darkness and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit brings many into the kingdom of God.

Caution! Do not attempt to bind principalities and powers until the church has had sufficient prayer and God the Holy Spirit has given permission and instructions. The degree of prayer required will vary with the strength of the powers being bound. This varies with each situation, hence the need to be guided by the Holy Spirit. These powerful forces can cause great affliction to the unwary.

Real freedom through the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit will come when the church fulfils its threefold commission given by Jesus to preach the kingdom of God, to heal the sick and to cast out demons.

Jesus Christ is Lord. He reigns. Just as we can respond to his reign for our salvation, so we can respond for healing and deliverance in the power of his Spirit in our lives and in the world.

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011)
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – with more links to healing blogs   

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 4: Healing

Amazon – all journals and books

See  Renewal Journal 4: Healing as on Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

RJ Vol 1 (1-5) 1Also in Renewal Journals, Bound Volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

Paperback books and eBooks for PC, tablet, phone
Add to your free Cloud Library then download anytime
 

Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Link to all Renewal Journals

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Spiritual Healing  by John Blacker

John & Val Blacker

Spiritual Healing

The Rev. John Blacker is the founding Director of Australian Renewal Ministries.

 

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Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

___________________________________

Spiritual healing is complex and mysterious.

There are no simplistic answers.

___________________________________

Jesus healed the sick and commissioned his church to heal the sick. That ministry is still a vital part of the church’s mission.

These past twenty years have been the most rewarding of my forty years of public ministry, and the most controversial. It thrust me into a healing ministry. God’s calling in my life, along with a changed theological perspective, opened the way for my involvement in this ministry which was so much a part of Jesus’ life and work.

Each year, as an itinerant preacher and teacher in healing and wholeness ministry, I visit numerous groups and serve in many churches, mostly mainline ones. The healing ministry is growing everywhere as the church is renewed in faith and obedience.

Faith accepts the evidence

I am often asked, ‘How did you get started in the healing ministry?’

My answer usually contains the three elements of conviction, desire and practice.

The conviction of Jesus Christ’s immutability, the one who is the same forever, came as I discarded certain dispensational teachings. That false emphasis claims that the healing ministry instituted by Christ was not meant to continue in our time; that it lasted only till the end of the apostolic age. I came to understand that if the command of Jesus to go and heal the sick was valid two thousand years ago, it must be equally valid today. If he retained the power to save souls it is hardly likely that he would have lost the lesser power to heal.

When I became fully convinced that Christ’s power to heal was unchanged and that he really does heal now, I wanted to help people this way. The desire to be able to touch people with peace and a sense of wellness, which had been in me since I was a very small child, began to stir deeply and insatiably within me.

In practice, I saw God’s power being released through the ‘laying on of hands’ causing visible physical change in people. My mind and spirit took a gigantic leap of faith which accepted the evidence before my eyes. The process can only be described as traumatic and revolutionary. I went through a theological and philosophical change. This all issued in a reawakening of what I now believe was a God inspired childhood desire to touch and heal.

I did not have long to wait to begin the practice of expectantly praying for the sick. A group of Full Gospel Businessmen visited the church where I was the pastor. They came, at my request, to conduct a healing seminar. As they ministered God’s grace in power I watched with tremendous excitement and anticipation. These lay people placed their hands on those who were seeking release from pain. They were convinced that it was all occurring through faith in Jesus Christ who is the same, yesterday, today and forever. They believed in a God who really does make it happen.

Then, full of anticipation and brimming with hope, I asked if I could ‘have a turn’. I recall with thankfulness that my friend Doug McFadgen readily agreed that I should pray. Not having had any previous experience or model to follow I began to put into practice what I now believe, and others who know me concur, is an authentic healing ministry. Some more recent examples of this style of ministry have confirmed it also.

As I reflect on those early renewal beginnings with a sense of wonder, love and praise, I do not have words to adequately express my thanks to God who gently and generously educated me in the presence and power of his Spirit. He showed his predestined calling to heal by releasing the gift of faith in me so that I might practice his healing ministry among hurting, bruised and broken lives.

Health is natural

Extraordinary scientific advances in many areas of medical research and health care have been accompanied and balanced by an increase in holistic health practitioners. Spiritual healing, as illustrated in Scripture and other historical literature, comes into this arena of a holistic approach to healing.

Most spiritual healers and practitioners of holistic medicine take the view that the causative factor present in many forms of human disease and dysfunction is found in systems imbalance. Holistic practitioners aim to restore such imbalances through natural or supernatural powers.

My own point of view is that health is natural but disease and dysfunction are unnatural. My aim, therefore, is to release by faith into suffering lives the appropriate supernatural power so that whatever has caused imbalances in physical, mental and spiritual ways will be overcome and corrected.

Today’s rediscovery of the Christian healing ministry marks a return to a fundamental part of our Lord’s teaching. The number of individuals and church groups practising spiritual healing through sacramental rites, laying on of hands, anointing with oil, and the prayer of faith is increasing every day. Praise God, miraculous healings reminiscent of biblical examples occur with greater frequency. Through the revival of the Christian healing ministry we have been immeasurably blessed.

Today, more clearly than ever before, I see the healing ministry of the church as an authentic answer to the agnostic belief that Christianity is mere legend, or only a philosophy, or solely an historical event finished two thousand years ago. To know the healing Christ is to see Christianity as what it is meant to be; a dynamic, living reality.

The whole person

Spiritual healing as demonstrated by Jesus deals with the care of the whole person, body, mind and spirit. It calls people to salvation and to closer relationship with God. However, not all who are healed seek salvation, and not all who are healed in spirit are also healed physically.

Some claim that when healing through prayer does not occur there will be psychological damage. Also it is suggested that those who are not healed will tend to blame themselves or doubt the reality of their faith. We have found this to be a false understanding. Those healed in spirit know that an unhealed body is no more the will of God than a sinful world is his will. Both result from universal human failure, corporate faithlessness and mass disobedience. Centuries of unbelief and sin cannot be instantly dispelled. The thunder of human doubt and misunderstanding cannot be immediately silenced.

Nevertheless, I am convinced that total health is the primary will of God, and I will not cease to proclaim that Jesus is the Saviour of our bodies and minds as well as our spirits. Therefore, while total healing may not immediately occur, or not ever during some people’s earthly life because of unknown or alien factors, nothing can impede God’s healing of the spirit. This is the basis of true wholeness. None who turn to God remain totally unhealed.

Repentance opens the door

Faith unlocks the door to God’s power but repentance opens it. This dimension of remission from sin presents a great obstacle for some people who find it difficult to believe that what Jesus said must simply be done.

The testimony of those who have seen and felt the incredible effect of his words concerning repentance cannot be ignored. If we emasculate his teaching, selecting only what we want to believe and rejecting what we would prefer to discard, we find ourselves left with a powerless ideology instead of a dynamic religion.

Our own sin is one of those aspects of Christianity which most of us would probably like to forget, or even deny. But the destructiveness of sin in our lives, and the full salvation of God’s forgiveness are central to Christ’s teaching. This lies at the heart of the church and is an essential part of the healing ministry. To deny our sin is to deny our salvation, for we cannot be saved from what we do not have.

The list of our sins is long. We cannot describe it all here. The more obvious sins of the flesh are pretty well known. They should not be minimised. However, the sins most frequently overlooked are the sins of the spirit: hostility, resentment, anger, fear, jealousy. These most flagrantly violate the law of love issued by our Lord. To break this law is to commit an offence against God. We then suffer the consequences of physical and mental disease as well as spiritual sickness. The best health insurance cover I know starts with the declaration, ‘O God, I repent and am heartily sorry for this …. , my sin.’

The force of humility

Having noted that unrepentance can mitigate against spiritual healing, and having pointed to some common sins of the spirit, I want to single out pride as the greatest culprit.

The saints of history all put their finger on pride as the most common of sins which beset us. It is also the most dangerous because it is insidious and far reaching in its effects. It may not be inaccurate to claim that pride is actually behind and responsible for all other sin.

Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel when he was approached one day by an admiring inquirer who asked the famous painter, ‘What is the first article of the Christian religion?’

The answer came quickly, ‘Humility.’

‘And what is the second article?’ asked the eager questioner.

‘Humility,’ Michelangelo replied.

Desiring to press the point further, the inquirer asked, ‘Sir, what is the third article?’

‘Humility,’ came the unhesitating reply from the great man of God.

Pride leads to the exaltation of our own egos to the point where we worship ourselves and our achievements instead of the creator of both. This tendency leads us into the greatest sin of all, a wilful separation from God.

Pride has nothing to do with self respect which our Lord surely meant us to have and to maintain or he would never have issued his second commandment. Pride means the sort of self aggrandisement which precludes humility. Humility is the basis of our relationship with God.

Without humility we cannot have true faith for faith involves complete confidence in someone other than ourselves. Whatever other virtues we may possess, if we do not have humility we are lost. However grave our faults, if we are humble enough to confess them we can be saved and healed.

Willingness releases spiritual energy

God has made us volitional beings. We choose. Because of this volition the psalmist suggests that we need to be willing in the day of God’s power (Psalm 110:3).

As I have ministered through twenty years to thousands of people with laying on of hands I have concluded that little happens in the way of transformation in the lives of those prayed for until there is an act of will which enables the release of God’s healing power. When we surrender ourselves in obedience and submit willingly to God’s mercy and grace, then healing power can flow.

This is especially so for those who pray for others. God uses willing humans as means of his mercy and grace. There is that fine moment, I believe, when by faith we consciously let go and let God make it happen.

It seems logical, and is supported from my own experience, that when those praying are willing to be a channel of God’s grace and those being prayed for have a wholehearted readiness and willingness to receive, then healing is most likely to happen, provided the willingness is accompanied by humility and repentance.

Not everyone prayed for is totally healed. However, significant numbers testify that something good has taken place. There are often visible signs of God’s power on them or feelings present which signify changes for the good. There may be a sense of heat or warmth, tingling, some euphoria, or physical adjustments felt. These are often indications of divine healing being manifested through the Holy Spirit.

Also, different people exercise different gifts of healing (1 Corinthians 12:28). In my own ministry there is most evidence of healing where structural problems exist, where there is pain because of injury and where there is stress. Other kinds of healings occur but these areas respond most in my ministry. It appears that different ministries of healing flow through different people with particular healing gifts or powers.

Spiritual healing is complex and mysterious. There are no simplistic answers. We need to maintain a proper and balanced biblical approach and not treat it lightly or tritely. To draw back from a ministry of healing is to quench a major dimension of God’s kingdom among us.

I am convinced that God does want all people to enjoy health in every area of life (John 10:10; 3 John 2). So we should use every good means at our disposal to receive and impart this wholeness.

© Renewal Journal 4: Healing (1994, 2011)
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – more links to healing blogs there   

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1

Renewal Journal 4: Healing – Editorial

Missionary Translator and Doctor, by David Lithgow

My Learning Curve on Healing, by Jim Holbeck

Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker

Deliverance and Freedom, by Colin Warren

Christian Wholeness Counselling, by John Warlow

A Healing Community, by Spencer Colliver

Divine Healing & Church Growth, by Donald McGavran

Sounds of Revival, by Sue Armstrong

Revival Fire at Wuddina, by Trevor Faggotter

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 4: Healing

Amazon – all journals and books

See  Renewal Journal 4: Healing as on Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

RJ Vol 1 (1-5) 1Also in Renewal Journals, Bound Volume 1 (Issues 1-5)

Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5)PDF

Paperback books and eBooks for PC, tablet, phone
Add to your free Cloud Library then download anytime
 

Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository

Link to all Renewal Journals

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

BACK TO MAIN PAGE

Free PDF books on the Main Page

 FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers

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Spiritual Healing, by John Blacker
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/05/15/spiritual-healing-by-john-blacker/
An article in Renewal Journal 4: Healing
Renewal Journal 4: Healing – PDF

Also in  Renewal Journals bound volume 1 (Issues 1-5)
Renewal Journal Vol 1 (1-5) – 
PDF

RJ 04 Healing 1