Prayer Works 18

MUSLIM'S LEG VISIBLY HEALED!

In western Ethiopia revival is spreading like wildfire. A year ago the West Pioneer Area (now Ethiopia West District) had no churches at all - not even one preaching point. Today they have 51 organized churches with plans to organize another 50 before their first district assembly in October 2008.

Just two weeks ago they were holding a holiness conference in a rural area. Over 1000 people had gathered to hear what these Nazarenes were preaching and teaching. It was at this time that 5 Muslims became desperate to help one of their friends. The man was paralyzed. Both legs were twisted into themselves, hanging from his body completely useless. They were paralyzed. He could not walk even one step. His five Muslim friends carried him to a nearby evangelical church of another denomination. They told these Muslims to take the cripple to the Nazarenes meeting nearby. They joked with them and said "the Nazarenes do not believe in the Holy Spirit. Take this man there and laugh at them when they try to deal with this situation." (Our Nazarenes are often accused of not believing in the Holy Spirit because they do not speak in unknown tongues). These Muslims left that evangelical church and carried their friend to where the Nazarenes were meeting. One of our Nazarene pastors (not the pastor of the Yeri Church of the Nazarene where the conference was held, but the zone leader) was preaching when they brought the man to the front and laid him at the altar. They said, "please ask God to heal our friend." The pastor stepped forward and laid his hands on the cripple and prayed for Jesus to restore the man's legs. Instantly the twisted legs began to move and then straighten and then strengthen until they were normal. The man flew to his feet and began running and jumping and praising the Lord. He was completely and instantly healed. On the spot 40 Muslims ran to the altar and gave their life to Christ. The great crowd erupted in great excitement and praise to the Lord.

A very sick Christian lady was sitting in the crowd that day. She had not been able to urinate for more than 3 days. Her stomach was severely extended and infections had set in because of her problem. She began to talk to those around her. She said, "that man was not even a Christian and God healed him. It is a shame for me to sit here when I'm a believer and not go and seek God's healing for my problem." The Christian people sitting near her were afraid to have her go forward for prayer. They were concerned that the victory that had just been won with the cripple being healed moments before would be lost if this woman was brought before the altar and God failed to heal her. They said, "just wait until tomorrow. We will take you to the doctors." Somehow word got to the pastor that there was a woman in the crowd who was very sick and wanted to be healed. The pastor told her to come forward for prayer. Her stomach was extremely swollen and she was in great pain as she stood before him. The pastor prayed and instantly urine came gushing forward (yuck! - but still a miracle). She walked away from the altar completely healed. The crowd went crazy. People were crying out to God. The Holy Spirit came and revival took place.

I need to tell you the rest of the story. In January I was in Metu, Ethiopia. I had been teaching and preaching in a leadership conference there. The pastor of Yeri (the community where this healing had taken place) was attending this conference. He was telling our leaders that he could not continue to pastor for the Church of the Nazarene because he did not receive support from the church. His leaders explained to him that we do not subsidize churches from the outside - that he had to develop a church of giving people that would care for their pastor. He told them last January. "Okay. I will try but I'm sure that I will be leaving the church. I have only 34 people. We have no shelter to worship under and we are poor." That was last January. Today is a different story. Since that momentous conference two weeks ago, his congregation has gone from 34 to about 250 people. They have built their own church building. They have continued to make the building larger and larger because the congregation keeps getting growing. A Nazarene from a nearby city went to this rural area to check out the stories that he had been hearing. He could not believe what he found there - a strong church, preaching a Christ who has risen and is still live and active today. When this visiting Nazarene left for home, he reached into his pocket and gave them money for 30 more sheets of tin for additional roofing. They need to extend the building again. This pastor who was ready to quit in January recently gave this testimony. "I do not think that I will die soon, but I'm ready and willing. And it will be right here that I will die. I will never leave the Church of the Nazarene. I will die here serving my savior."

My friends here it is again - another Book of Acts testimony. You need to know that God has not changed one bit. He still is bringing the paralyzed cripples to their feet, running and jumping and praising the Lord. Muslims are coming to Christ. Revival is taking place. God is still moving among His people.

Are we ready to die out to ourselves and let God work powerfully through us? That is His desire. Let's lay down everything that is getting in our way to be used by God in powerful New Testament ways.

http://www.hoanazarene.org/HOANazarene/News/Entries/2008/5/21_REVIVAL_IS_SPREAding.html