Experiencing the Glory Testimony 20
Instantly the Arthritis Was Gone & His Legs Became Limber
by Pastor John Hamel

The following is an excerpt from the JHM article "Divine Blueprint for Faith, Part Two."

"Faith without corresponding actions is dead as a doornail." (James 2:17 MSG)

I was once conducting a service for a Pastor in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I preached a message on faith and healing.  I was stirring up the people's faith with the Word of God to get them to the place where they could receive their healings or miracles.  

I then gave a call for those who were ready for God to touch them. 

A man came before me in the healing line who had crippling arthritis in his knees.  He was unable to bend them in even the slightest way.  I watched him as he came forward to get in the healing line.  He literally walked like a mummy wrapped in burial cloths. His legs were stiff as boards.  Both of his knees were entirely immovable.

The man explained to me that he had been attending that Church for a number of years and had been prayed for many times, by many Ministers and never grew better but rather grew worse. 

He explained to me that everyone in that Church knew who he was and could verify that his knees had been locked in this frozen position for years.  I asked him what he had faith for - what he would like me to pray for.  He told me he would like me to pray that his knees would bend normally so that he could walk normally again.

"Tell Him to Do Something He Couldn't Do Before"

I got down on one knee before him, placing both of my hands on both of his knees and began to pray. Immediately I heard the voice of God in my spirit say, "Tell him to do something he couldn't do before."

Notice, the Lord did not tell me to tell him, "See if you can bend your knees."

The word "if" always denotes doubt.  

To tell the man, "See if you can bend your knees" would be an act of unbelief.  

Sometimes Ministers wrongly believe that just because they have a special gift or an anointing to minister healing to the sick, it will work automatically no matter what they say or believe.  But that is simply not true.

No matter how much healing power or how many special healing gifts one possesses, or how much miracle power is available through them, the Gifts of the Spirit work by faith and only by faith.

The Gifts of the Spirit will not work in the presence of unbelief.  There must be expectation for the supernatural. 

Unbelief Blocks the Spout Where the Power of God Comes Out 

Even Jesus, the Son of the Living God Who was anointed without measure, could do no mighty works because of the unbelief of the people in His hometown.

"And He [Jesus] could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching." (Mark 6:5-6)

My friend, Rev. Ronald Coyne, had his eyeball surgically removed as a child. One year later he was prayed for during a tent revival in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and he began to see supernaturally through an empty eye socket. 

For the next forty-three years of his life he demonstrated that miracle around the world, leading untold numbers to Jesus Christ through it.  

However, Ronald once told me that when his miracle first occurred, whenever he would come into the presence of someone who did not believe in his miracle, his vision would cease through that empty eye socket.  Only when the unbelieving individual was removed from his presence could he begin to see through the empty eye socket again. 

Why is this so?

If it were truly a miracle of God why would it shut down like that?

The answer is found in the Ministry of Jesus as we read above.  The answer is unbelief.

The Bible says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

Human unbelief hindered Jesus' miracle working power yesterday.  Human unbelief hinders Jesus' miracle working power today. And human unbelief will always hinder Jesus' miracle working power. 

Human unbelief grieves the Spirit of God and blocks the spout where the miracle power comes out.

This is why the Lord did not tell me to tell the man, "See if you can bend your knees."

This is why the Lord did not tell me to tell the man, "Try to bend your knees."

This is why the Lord said, "Tell him to do something he couldn't do before."

"What Couldn't You Do Before?"  

I told the man with the crippled arthritic knees what the Lord had just commanded me.  

I asked him, "What couldn't you do before?"

Where others would have resisted and complained, this man said, "I couldn't do this" and pulled one of his knees up to his waist and it bent.  

Suddenly both of his knees came loose and he began walking normally around the sanctuary to the cheers of the congregation who knew his circumstances. Every few steps he would pull a knee up to his waist like an athlete stretches before a race.  He alternated doing this between both knees.  

Then he began to run around the sanctuary.  He ran awkwardly at first, but he was running nonetheless.  The congregation was as ecstatic as he was.

The next night as I stood on the platform I saw the formerly crippled man sitting in the congregation with his knees bent like a normal person.  I called him up front to testify of his miracle.  He came walking down the center aisle, knees bending freely as he walked.  

As he stood beside me I asked him how he was doing since his miracle.  He answered me, "I'm doing just fine. I'm very tired but I'm fine. I haven't slept since last night.  I stayed up all night and then all day enjoying bending my knees, walking, running, squatting. I'm still just so excited I can't stop bending my knees long enough to sleep."

Cheers of joy and laughter rose up from the congregation again. 

This man had received an astounding miracle of God.  His knees which had been locked in a frozen position for years instantly and effortlessly came loose by doing what he could not do.  

This is what the Bible means when it says, "Faith without corresponding actions is dead." 

Had Jesus told the man in the Synagogue with the withered hand, "See if you can stretch forth thine hand" that would have been an act of unbelief on Jesus' part. That would have prevented the man's healing. 

Rather, Jesus told the crippled man to do what he could not do.

"And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other." (Mark 3:1-5)

Had I disobeyed the Lord, telling the man after praying for him, "See if you can bend your knees," I would have prevented his miracle.

Had I disobeyed the Lord, telling the man after praying for him, "Try to bend your knees," I would have prevented his miracle.  

It was important that I tell the man to do exactly what the Lord told me, "Tell him to do something he couldn't do before."  

Had the crippled man complained about what he could not do, he would have blocked the flow of God's healing power and prevented his own miracle.

However, when I told him what the Lord said and asked him what he could not do, he said, "I could not do this" and he pulled one knee up to his waist. When he did that, not only did the knee he pulled up come loose but the other knee came loose as well.  

This healing miracle demonstrates the absolute importance of following God's Word explicitly, without variance.  

No matter who we are, how anointed we are or how much power God makes available through us, if we speak or act in unbelief, it will absolutely cut off the flow of God's miracle power.

Missionary Hudson Taylor Knew How to Cooperate with the Power Flow   

Hudson Taylor was a great 18th Century Missionary to China.  He made many trips back and forth to China by sea in sailing vessels.  On his first trip to China they sailed into the "doldrums."  This is when there is absolutely no wind to move the vessel and it just sits.  In those days it was possible to sit for weeks waiting for the wind to pick up again. 

As Hudson's journey came to a standstill, the Captain dropped the sails to keep them from becoming parched in the sun.  Slowly the ship began to drift ashore towards islands inhabited by cannibals.  With the islands now in clear view, the Captain approached Hudson Taylor, knowing he was a Minister.  He asked Hudson if he would go before the Lord, asking for Him to send sufficient wind to save them.  Hudson Taylor agreed but only according to the following conditions.  "If you'll set the sails, expecting Him to answer, I'll pray and ask Him to do so."

Hudson went to his cabin to pray while the Captain gave the order to "set sail" in the midst of the doldrums.  As Hudson was on his face in prayer, the ship began to rock, creak and move.  Of course, Hudson knew the Lord had answered his prayer.  He went topside to discover the sails billowing in the wind. 

The Captain did a little thing and acted out his faith by setting sail when there was no wind.  

Almighty God did a big thing, sending the requested wind, thereby preventing the passengers and crew from becoming cannibal stew.

Do not let the devil eat you for lunch. Act and speak like you believe.

Be Blessed ... John and Barbara Hamel

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