gulf arab muslim "sees" the Kingdom in demonstration
the other night, Texas Ranger and I headed out to visit some old muslim friends. our first stop was uneventful, but it was good to reconnect with some guys I hadn't seen in over 10 years. I told them that when I visited them next week (they meet together once a week) that I wanted to give them "treatment" for any who have pain or who are sick. I am quite sure we'll have some stories to post next week.
after that we went to visit another Gulf Arab friend who may be one of the most unique guys we've ever met - he's a bedouin, which generally means he'd be more conservative - not this friend! basically he is a socialist/communist who knows that the religion of his forefathers is completely false. he asked us if we knew that the prophet of islam has 53 wives! I had heard as many as 23, but he dropped 20 extra on us. however, just because our friend is unconvinced about islam, which is an important step towards Christ, he is also completely secular and is as skeptical of supernatural stuff as any westerner would be.
I told him some testimonies and he needed a miracle in his left eye. he'd lost almost all of the vision and so we had a chance to pray. we got to pray a couple of times and just ask the Holy Spirit to come and touch him. of course we ALWAYS pray for more than just a physical healing - we prayed he'd have an encounter with God, that he would have dreams and visions and basically FEEL God's Presence.
As far as we could tell, after praying for him his eye condition hadn't changed, but he said he felt more peaceful and relaxed. I told him I wanted him to call me the next day because I was expecting a change in the eye (note: I just don't believe that Spirit-filled Christians can ever lay hands on an unbeliever and nothing happens!).
However, to be honest, I was just not satisfied. He hadn't "seen" the Kingdom. Jesus was so clear - if He didn't do "the works of the Father", people were free NOT to believe Him. if we who follow Christ, do not also demonstrate God's Kingdom in POWER, then we too shouldn't expect people to believe our words. As Jack Deere asks, "if miracles were needed in the physical presence of the Son of God on earth, HOW MUCH MORE are they needed in His physical absence"?
At this point, I asked the Filipino maids if either of them needed healing. One of them had been having a problem with kidney pain. It was hurting at that very time. She came over and let me pray. I prayed once - the pain decreased. I prayed twice - it decreased more. After the third time, ALL the pain had gone.
Our Gulf Arab friend had just "seen" the Kingdom come in His house - he even said to her, "now you won't need surgery"!
Obviously our friend is still needing to have his own personal visitation and touch from the Lord. That is what I will be contending for with him now.
after that we went to visit another Gulf Arab friend who may be one of the most unique guys we've ever met - he's a bedouin, which generally means he'd be more conservative - not this friend! basically he is a socialist/communist who knows that the religion of his forefathers is completely false. he asked us if we knew that the prophet of islam has 53 wives! I had heard as many as 23, but he dropped 20 extra on us. however, just because our friend is unconvinced about islam, which is an important step towards Christ, he is also completely secular and is as skeptical of supernatural stuff as any westerner would be.
I told him some testimonies and he needed a miracle in his left eye. he'd lost almost all of the vision and so we had a chance to pray. we got to pray a couple of times and just ask the Holy Spirit to come and touch him. of course we ALWAYS pray for more than just a physical healing - we prayed he'd have an encounter with God, that he would have dreams and visions and basically FEEL God's Presence.
As far as we could tell, after praying for him his eye condition hadn't changed, but he said he felt more peaceful and relaxed. I told him I wanted him to call me the next day because I was expecting a change in the eye (note: I just don't believe that Spirit-filled Christians can ever lay hands on an unbeliever and nothing happens!).
However, to be honest, I was just not satisfied. He hadn't "seen" the Kingdom. Jesus was so clear - if He didn't do "the works of the Father", people were free NOT to believe Him. if we who follow Christ, do not also demonstrate God's Kingdom in POWER, then we too shouldn't expect people to believe our words. As Jack Deere asks, "if miracles were needed in the physical presence of the Son of God on earth, HOW MUCH MORE are they needed in His physical absence"?
At this point, I asked the Filipino maids if either of them needed healing. One of them had been having a problem with kidney pain. It was hurting at that very time. She came over and let me pray. I prayed once - the pain decreased. I prayed twice - it decreased more. After the third time, ALL the pain had gone.
Our Gulf Arab friend had just "seen" the Kingdom come in His house - he even said to her, "now you won't need surgery"!
Obviously our friend is still needing to have his own personal visitation and touch from the Lord. That is what I will be contending for with him now.
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