His Heart, My Home

Henry was desperate!

His health had quickly deteriorated. He had gone from being a strong self-reliant young man in his early 30’s to someone unable to care for himself, or provide for his family.

The onset of his paralysis had been sudden and devastating, with no apparent cause. Within a few short days, Henry no longer had any feeling in the lower half of his body and was completely unable to move from the waist down.

Living and working as a laborer in a rural area of the Philippines, he and his family lived below the poverty line. There was no room in their “hand-to-mouth” family budget for doctors and expensive diagnostic tests.

So Henry and his family scraped together a few pesos to pay for the services of a local “albularyo”, also referred to by Filipino as a “quack-doctor”.

The “quack-doctor” mixed together a mysterious potion for Henry to drink as he spoke his healing-incantations over him. He promised Henry and his family quick and lasting results, but instead of finding relief, Henry’s paralysis persisted.

Days had become weeks. Weeks turned into months… one month… then, two months. The family borrowed as much money as they could, and finally took Henry to a general practitioner at a medical facility in Ormoc City, Leyte. But since the family couldn’t afford the needed diagnostic tests, or a stay in the hospital, the doctor could only treat Henry with multi-vitamins and antibiotics, which did absolutely nothing to help.

Finally, after three long months of suffering, discouragement, and despair, there was a ray of hope. Someone from Henry’s circle of family and friends had gone to the market
in Ormoc City, and had seen a large banner promoting a “Miracle Crusade”, which was to be held for three nights in the town’s open air plaza.

Henry’s family decided to take him to the crusade, hoping that God would heal him.
Early on the first day of the crusade, they enlisted the help of their neighbors in the barrio to load Henry into a “tricycle”, a small motorcycle with a side car attached to it.
After a long, bumpy, and uncomfortable ride from their rural home, they arrived at the Ormoc plaza about 9 A.M.

Two driver and two other men helped lift Henry out of the tricycle sidecar, and carried him up the steps of the plaza pavilion. They carefully laid him on the stage platform on his “banig” a thin hand-woven sleeping mat. His family stayed with him there, waiting for the crusade to begin at 6 P.M. that evening.

At that point, I was completely unaware of either Henry or his story. My agenda was to spend the day in prayer in preparation for the crusade that night. Our crusade team left after lunch for the plaza, to set up the musical instruments, microphones, sound system, lights, movie projector, and screen for the crusade that night.

That’s when the team first noticed Henry. It was unusual for anyone to arrive so many hours before the start of a crusade, so they talked to Henry and his family and learned the story. My interpreter encouraged Henry to believe for a miracle, and reminded him that nothing is impossible with God.

A couple of hours later the team came back, having completed the equipment set-up in the plaza. That’s when they told me about Henry. They asked if I wanted to go with them back to the plaza to pray for Henry before the crusade, since he had been waiting there all day.

I felt compassion for Henry, and knew God wanted him healed, but I also knew that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word.” (Romans 10:17)

I knew I could lay hands on Henry, and release my faith for his healing, but that would mean I was neglecting a very important aspect of the way Holy Spirit operates. He doesn’t work independently of the Word. Instead, He releases His miracle working power to confirm the Word of God that has been spoken.

Mark 16:20 tells us that, “… they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord (Holy Spirit) working with them, and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs.”

So I made the decision to continue praying and preparing for the crusade, knowing that Henry would hear the faith-building Word that night. About 5:30 or so, I went down to the plaza, as the team went through their final mic checks and the musicians began
tuning their instruments.

There were only about 150 people gathered in front of the platform as a team member welcomed everyone, and opened with a prayer. The praise team begin to sing and worship the Lord. After a few choruses, it was dark enough to begin showing the film “Jesus”, which runs a little over two hours. While waiting to preach, I took my usual place near the movie projector to help the projectionist, if it malfunctioned, or the film broke, and needed to be spliced.

Finally, the film came to the heart-rending scene of Jesus, cruelly nailed to the cross, and raised into a vertical position, where He could view the assembled crowd, and the world for which He was dying.

That powerful moment always produced a strong stirring in my heart, and brought tears to my eyes It still does, even today, as I think of it. And that was my cue. I began to make my way to the steps leading up to the platform.I took my place just behind the movie screen, together with my interpreter, our Bibles in hand, ready to go.

As the movie concluded a few minutes later, and the lights came on, my interpreter and I walked onto center stage and began to preach. I had noticed a man, just to my right, lying on a “banig”. But I was so focused on my message that I didn’t even connect that this man was the “Henry” that my team had told me about several hours ago.

Early that morning, while in prayer, the Lord had given me this scripture to preach that night:

¹⁷ “Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. ¹⁸ Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. ¹⁹ And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰ When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²² But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?       ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?  ²⁴ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ²⁵ Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. ²⁶ And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!” (Luke 5:17-26)

As I preached, I sensed a strong anointing from Holy Spirit. The message flowed. The crowd hung intently on every word. I knew the power of the Lord was present to heal. Just as I reached verse 23 of this passage, the crowd began to applaud, quietly at first, then with excited enthusiasm. I thought they were expressing their appreciation for my anointed preaching, until I noticed that they weren’t looking directly at me. I turned to see what had captured their attention.

I turned to my right and there was Henry! Before I had even finished preaching the message… before, I could give an invitation to those needing healing and desiring to receive Jesus… before I could lay hands-on the sick… Henry had received his miracle!

He had gotten up off his mat, and was standing, something he had been unable to do for more than three months!

Henry was STANDING, and we were all giving him and Jesus a heart-felt OVATION!

Henry ran down the steps of the platform, ran to his family to embrace them, tears flowing down their faces. Henry lifted his arms toward heaven, thanking God for His mercy and His miracle. And as the crowd shouted praises to the Lord, Henry ran around around the platform, not once, not twice, but three times!

People pressed closer to the platform, their numbers swollen by many others in the plaza area, who heard what was happening, and joined the crowd. My interpreter and I led those who wanted to receive Jesus as their Lord (which was practically everyone present) in a prayer of salvation.

Then with the help of our team we began laying hands on the sick. Many received instant healing and came to the platform microphone to testify about what the Lord had done for them. Sight was restored. Deafness was healed. Miracles abounded. Hearts were opened, and many lives were changed.

Holy Spirit confirmed the Word. Jesus was exalted. The Father’s love and compassion was openly displayed.

That’s what happens when God’s people refuse to keep Him locked INSIDE the four walls of our church meeting places, and take Him OUT… into marketplaces, into homes, into hospitals, into jails, into the highways and by-ways of life!

Inside… Out!

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We pray you were blessed and encouraged by this testimony. If so, please let us know by “liking”, or by posting a comment  below.

In our next post we will examine some very important principles that will help us to experience and enjoy even more of God’s awesome presence and miraculous power.
See you then!

Blessings, upon blessings to you and yours!