I believe that a big part of being in heaven will be our hearing both the well-known and unknown stories of believers on earth. That’s why testimonies are so powerful; they carry the convictions of the people who lived them. I was an eyewitness to many amazing demonstrations of God’s love during the most recent Charis Bible College missions trip to England, and I believe that these demonstrations will be talked about in glory for all of eternity.
For example, one night at a church youth group, one young man’s urge to commit suicide was taken away. Something about his face actually changed when he was delivered. At Dovegate Prison in Staffordshire, one inmate who had committed murder was filled with the Holy Spirit as a student ministered the love and acceptance of God to him. And at St. Peter’s Church in Walsall, a student prayed for a woman who had crushed bones in her hips and legs, and the woman was suddenly able to bend and dance without pain. These displays of God’s goodness were so wonderful. Yet I witnessed two miracles that demonstrated God’s love to me in a special way.
The first happened while the Charis team was at a healing service in the beautiful town of Harrogate. Arceli Abernathy was asked to teach. She received a word of knowledge that the Holy Spirit wanted bones to be healed. She noticed a young woman with crutches and a splint boot get up to leave. Arceli called out to her, “Jesus wants to heal you today, sister.” Although reluctant, she agreed to let Arceli pray for her.
She had a right foot injury where a ligament had never healed, and her foot was visibly deformed. Before anyone could say a word, Arceli undid the boot splint and took the crutches from her. She commanded her to walk in Jesus’ name. In front of the whole church, the young woman’s foot became straight. The congregation broke out in revival, and everyone came running to the front to receive healing. It was as if the ceiling had opened and miracles were being showered on God’s people.
The second great demonstration was a private one, for an individual: God healed and saved an eighty-six-year-old man named Gordon in the city of Walsall. He was hunched over and pushing a walker, so we asked if we could pray for his legs. Gordon couldn’t hear well, and he shouted back and pointed that it was his knees. I was overwhelmed by a sense of God’s love and care for him. I knew that the Lord had sent us there to prepare him for his future.
After we laid hands on him, Gordon was walking quite easily. But he still couldn’t hear well enough to repeat a salvation prayer. I put my hands on his ears and commanded him, in Jesus’ name, to be able to hear. When we shouted to see if he could hear us, he was pretty startled at how loud it was. We all laughed.
I felt so happy that Gordon could hear and that he had asked Jesus into his life. I ask the Holy Spirit to remind me of him often. When we are all in heaven, I’m going to go looking for Gordon. I know I’ll see him there.
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