Experiencing the Glory Testimony 27 

Jesus said, "Rebuke the Spirit of Death & I Will Raise the Child Up."

by Pastor John Hamel

"So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water (unfermented) wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him, and besought Him that He would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, 'Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.' The nobleman said unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, 'Go thy way; thy son liveth.' And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." (John 4:46-50)

Many years ago as a new believer I was attending a Church and a Bible School in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had recently had an astounding visitation of Almighty God where He rebuked me and commanded me to leave behind all involvement in the entertainment industry there. 

I was very young in the Lord, lacking knowledge in many ways, but I had developed a reputation as being zealous for the things of God.  In spite of the mistakes I made as a baby Christian, I was growing rapidly in knowledge of God's Word and growing in faith as a result.  

Even at that early stage of walking with the Lord, people frequently turned to me with questions to be answered from the Bible and with prayer requests. I was a novice at these things but always turned to the Lord for His wisdom.

I was quick to share the Scriptures and to pray for anyone who asked.

An Emergency Telephone Call for Prayer 

Very early one morning I received a telephone call. A close friend from Church was calling to request prayer. She was not only requesting that I pray, she was asking if I would go to the Children's Critical Care Unit at one of the Las Vegas hospitals across town. 

She explained to me how just the night before one of her dear friend's two-year-old toddler had been thrown through the windshield during a horrific automobile accident. The report she gave was that the doctors were surprised the child was still alive. He was in a coma and on complete life support as he had suffered severe body, head and brain injuries. 

The family had been informed that although the doctors did not believe he would live, he would be "a vegetable," never recognizing anyone again, if by any chance he did manage to live.  

My friend expressed she was calling to ask if I would please go to the hospital and lay hands on the child.  She knew I believed God could do anything in spite of any doctor's report. 

I agreed to go to the Children's Critical Care Unit at the hospital and pray for the toddler.

As I was dressing and preparing to go pray for the child, the Lord gave me a Word of Wisdom saying, "Rebuke the spirit of death and I will raise the child up."

Like the nobleman in the narrative above, I believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto me and I went my way.  

I drove across town to the Las Vegas hospital elated the Lord had spoken to me so clearly. I was ready for God to perform an instant miracle of healing. 

I was greeted by the injured child's mother. She was obviously devastated. She cleared me at the Nurse's station to go onto the Critical Care Ward to pray for her baby.

I walked into the injured toddler's room and was overwhelmed by what I saw. 

The tiny little boy was lying on his back wearing only a diaper. Life support tubes were in his mouth and nose keeping him alive. His head and face were so severely battered and bruised, it was hard to believe he could have lived through such an impact.  

Along with the life-support tubes in his nose and mouth, the child had intravenous drip lines plugged into his arms and legs and electronic monitoring devices taped to his head, chest and belly.  

His discolored, severely swollen little body was covered with cuts and severe bruising. I was shocked by what I saw.  

As I looked down on him I did not know what to think.  I did not know what to say. 

Frankly, I did not know what to believe at that point. 

I then remembered what the Lord had said earlier that morning, "Rebuke the spirit of death and I will raise the child up."

The Spirit of Unbelief Enters the Room

Just then a nurse entered the room and planted herself directly across from me on the other side of the toddler's bed.  She looked down at the child and then looked up at me.  She continued looking at me mockingly as if to say, "No amount of prayer can help this baby, not even yours." 

I had the thought to wait until she left the room before praying. As zealous as I was, I was still young in the Lord and this situation looked so horrible and so hopeless I was suddenly ashamed to rebuke the spirit of death in front of her.  I knew she would have no understanding whatsoever of what I was doing. Even I was now unsure of what I was doing.

I waited and waited for her to leave. 

The devil in her was defying me, challenging me as she stood there staring at me.  

Finally I had enough of both her and the devil.  I realized she would stand there as long as I would. 

Slowly regaining my composure, I was ready for a miracle of God so I determined to pray in spite of her glaring presence.  

I reached over, lightly placing my hand on an area of the toddler's belly that was free and clear of tubes, lines and tape, and quietly but firmly said, "I rebuke the spirit of death from this child in Jesus' Mighty Name."

Nothing happened.  

I had expected the child to come out of the coma immediately.

I had expected the child to begin breathing on his own immediately.  

I had expected the child to be raised up immediately.  

No such thing occurred. 

I looked across the bed at the mocking nurse. She rolled her eyes back, shaking her head from side to side, absolutely disgusted that someone would be foolish enough to say such a thing in such a hopeless situation.  

Possibly she believed God had done this to the toddler and that I was rebuking His will. Either way she was very obviously put out by what I had just done and wanted me to know it. 

I waited for two or three minutes before realizing nothing was going to happen. I then braced myself to go out and face the child's mother who was expecting a miracle herself.  

I walked out and simply said good-bye to the mother, assuring her I would continue to pray for her baby.  Although I did not let her know it, I was devastated that nothing happened when I prayed.  

I was so sure I had heard from the Lord, assuring me that if I rebuked the spirit of death, He would raise the child up.  Now I was questioning whether I had even heard from Him at all.  As I said, I was young in the things of God and did not yet fully realize how the different spiritual mechanics of prayer worked.

Leaving the hospital I went out to the parking lot and sat in the car.  I was angry with God for not performing a miracle. I informed Him that if I ever again heard a voice tell me to pray for anybody that I would not obey it.  I went so far as to tell Him, voice or no voice I would never, ever pray for a sick person again to the longest day I lived.  

I even told Him that He was to not ever ask me to pray for anyone again.  

I was angry.  I was humiliated.  I was so embarrassed I wished I would die.

I drove out of the hospital parking lot having put God on notice and having resigned myself to the fact that my days of praying and expecting supernatural results were officially over. 

Another Telephone Call Came

Early the next morning I received another telephone call. It was the same friend who had called asking me to go to the hospital and pray for the child the previous morning.  

This time she was calling to joyfully inform me that thirteen hours after I had gone to the Critical Care Unit and prayed for the toddler, he suddenly began to breathe on his own.  He had also come out of the coma and opened his eyes. 

The little toddler was visually responding with his eyes and now moving his body.

The doctors were stunned that this child had come out of the coma. They were convinced it could not happen. The doctors, convinced he would not even live, were also stunned that he began breathing on his own and no longer needed life support.

The doctors were also completely surprised by the fact that this child who was considered to be brain dead was registering positive brain activity. 

The phone call ended and I realized that I owed God an apology. 

He did not say to me, "Rebuke the spirit of death and I will raise the child up immediately."  I added the word "immediately" in my thinking to what the Lord had said.  What the Lord had actually said to me was simply, "Rebuke the spirit of death and I will raise the child up."  

I humbly apologized to the Lord.  I asked Him to please forgive me for informing Him I would never pray for anyone again even if He instructed me to do so.  

I was relieved to hear that God had moved and the "hopeless" child would recover.  

I was relieved to know that I really had heard the voice of the Lord.

I was relieved to know that Christians really can pray and expect supernatural results. 

Soon Thereafter I Received Another Call

Two months later I received another telephone call from the same friend.  She was calling on behalf of the miraculously healed toddler's mother. I was being invited to come to her home and to see the toddler's progress. 

When I arrived the little boy had so miraculously recovered in such a short period of time, he was actually chasing his older sister around in circles.  He was so preoccupied, he would not stop long enough for his mother to introduce us.  

This was no "vegetable" whom the doctors said would never recognize anyone again even if he did live.  This was a perfectly normal, healthy toddler who was well on his way to full supernatural recovery.  

The toddler's mother rejoiced as she said to me, "Well, you can see that the doctors were wrong. I wanted you to see it for yourself and I wanted to thank you for going to the hospital and praying for him.  I thank God for what He has done."

This little toddler had undeniably experienced a supernatural deliverance from the throes of death through the operation of the Gift of Faith, the Working of Miracles and the Gifts of Healings combined.   

God supernaturally reversed the doctors diagnosis that he would never come out of the coma, that he would not live, and even if he did live he would be a "vegetable" who would never recognize anyone. 

A wonderful reminder that the doctor's word is never the final word.  God's precious Holy Written Word is the final word and the final authority in all matters concerning life and Godliness.

There Are Two Ways Healing Can Manifest 

I learned a few important lessons as a result of that experience at the hospital. 

I learned that although the Gifts of Healings are almost always instant in manifesting, sometimes they are what I now call "near instant."  Sometimes when the Gifts of Healings are in operation, healings and deliverances may not happen at the very moment of prayer.  They could very well happen within minutes, hours or sometimes even within a few short days.

Although they do operate occasionally on behalf of Born Again believers, the Gifts of Healings primarily operate on behalf of the lost people of the world to draw them to faith in Jesus Christ. This is what happened in the Ministry of Jesus.

"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them. And (as a result) there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan." (Matthew 4:23-25)  

I have also since learned there is another way healing manifests apart from the Gifts of Healings and that is through what is often referred to as "the recovery process."

"And these signs shall follow them that believe: in My Name they shall cast out demons ... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18)  

Recovery speaks of progression.  Here, in Mark's Gospel, Jesus makes reference to what I call 'the recovery process.' 

The recovery process is totally different than the Gifts of Healings in that the Gifts of Healings are always instant or near instant. However, sometimes the recovery process can take many days, weeks, months or sometimes even years.  It all depends on the faith level of the one in need of healing and the faith level of the one doing the praying.

It is vital for the Christian in need of healing to understand the importance of continually hearing the Word of healing.  

Faith for healing comes by hearing the healing Word. Anyone can build their faith for healing by reading healing passages from the Bible and hearing good teaching on the subject of Divine Healing.  

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17)

It is also important to note that it is not a lack of faith to utilize doctors, medicine and modern technology in conjunction with one's faith for healing.  

Keep in mind it was the doctors, the nurses, the life-support equipment, the medication and medical technology that kept the severely injured toddler alive until someone with faith could come along and give God access for a miracle. 

Doctors, medicine, faith and healing all work together for good.

Whichever way God chooses to heal you or your loved one, you can know this. Healing is always the will of God.  

However, everyone does not always receive healing because everyone does not always meet the conditions to be healed.

If you will use your faith and walk in love and obedience, you, too, can receive miracle healing.

If Jesus the Healer is not yet your Lord and Savior, say, "Jesus, You're my choice for both Savior and Healer." (Romans 10:13) 

You will become a member of God's Family and qualify for the family benefit of physical healing.

"Bless the Lord, o my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name. Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies." (Psalm 103:1-4) 

The lesser miracle of healing is contained within the greater miracle of salvation in Christ.

You, Too, Can Rebuke the Spirit of Death

A believer in Jesus Christ must not wait to hear God's voice, as I heard God's voice, before rebuking the spirit of death in a crisis situation. 

There have been other times where I rebuked the spirit of death in situations where God did not speak, telling me to do so.  The Holy Spirit simply moved upon me to do so and I yielded to it.  

My wife and I were once eating breakfast in a restaurant.  Sitting at the table next to us was an elderly gentleman who was eating and conversing with some friends.  Although we knew who this man was, we did not know him personally.  

As he sat talking with his friends at the table, suddenly he lurched, falling face forward onto the table. Bouncing his upper body off the table top he fell out of his chair and sprawled out on the floor.

He lay on the floor motionless as everyone in the restaurant sat staring in disbelief.  I am confident he had some sort of heart attack or seizure and he was no longer breathing. He had literally dropped dead right there at the breakfast table.

Jumping up out of my seat immediately, I knelt beside the stricken man, rebuking the spirit of death in Jesus' Name.  Everyone at his table could hear me.  

Suddenly he opened his eyes, staring at me not understanding what had just happened.  We helped him back up into his chair where he continued with his meal and his conversation with his friends as if nothing unusual had happened.

I recall asking him if this had ever happened before and he answered "No."  I also asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital and he answered "No." 

For the remainder of our meal in the restaurant, we would catch him or other members of his party glancing over at us as if we were from another planet. 

One thing was for certain, even as Peter used the Name of Jesus to raise up the lame man crippled from his mother's womb, the Name of Jesus had now raised up this stricken man in the presence of his friends and everyone else in that restaurant.

"And His Name, through faith in His Name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: Yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." (Acts 3:16)

Another Personal Example

Another time my wife and I were driving along a much-traveled icy road near Stowe, Vermont.  Ahead of us we noticed a four wheel drive vehicle had somehow gone into a deep ditch off the side of the road.  It had landed in some heavy brush and was laying partially on its side. 

There was a woman up on the road crying frantically for help.  

We carefully pulled over on the icy road and I walked over to hear what the woman was agonizing over as another man stood listening to her. She was frantically crying out for help.  She kept crying something like, "My baby, my baby. She won't wake up. She won't wake up" or "I can't wake her up. I can't wake her up. "  

I realized immediately there was a child in her vehicle which was down in the ditch on its side.   

Carefully climbing down into the ditch I leaned over through the opened rear passenger window where I discovered a child restrained in its seat.  She was about a year old.  

She was slumped forward, completely motionless and I do not believe she was breathing.  I could detect no signs of life.  

As I laid my hand on the child's head, rebuking the spirit of death in Jesus' Name, she began to breath and suddenly and quite loudly burst into tears. She began to wail for her "Mommy." 

I decided that I would not attempt to extract her from the vehicle given the position it was in. There was no odor of gasoline. The vehicle was no longer running.  The baby was secure in her car seat and an emergency rescue crew was on its way.

I climbed back up out of the ditch and informed the frantic mother, "I just prayed for your child and she's going to be alright."  By now the mother was hearing her baby's cries for her.  

As the emergency rescue crew approached, I got back into our vehicle and we left the scene of the incident with great relief.

"While He yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? ... And He took the damsel by the hand and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightaway the damsel arose..." (Mark 5:35, 41-42)

All Believers have the right to use the Name of Jesus and to expect supernatural results. 

This does not mean that we should go into hospitals, start praying for the sick and attempting to clear the place out.  People have free-will and many people in hospitals either do not desire to be prayed for or do not yet qualify to be prayed for.  

The Holy Spirit knows to whom to guide us and how to pray for them.

It is important that Christians are led by the Holy Spirit as to who to pray for and when to pray for them.

However, Christians must never fear rebuking the spirit of death when they perceive they are being led by the Holy Spirit.  

Be blessed in Jesus' Strong Name … John and Barbara Hamel 

How to Be Born Again (Receive Christ as Your Savior)

How to Receive The Holy Spirit & Power

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