God Heals Today 0963591304, 9780963591302

Table of contents :
Contents......Page 3
Acknowledgments......Page 4
Foreword......Page 5
HEALING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT......Page 7
HEALING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT......Page 9
TESTIMONIES OF DIVINE HEALING TODAY......Page 11
DIVINE HEALING IS FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN TODAY......Page 64
HOW A CHRISTIAN CAN STAY HEALTHY.......Page 65
HOW TO BECOME A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN.......Page 67
HEALINGS INDEX......Page 69

Citation preview

GOD HEALS TODAY

Chuck Schiappacasse

Copyright 1993 by Chuck Schiappacasse All rights reserved. Author may be contacted at (708) 635-7636. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 93-09260 ISBN 0-9635913-0-4 Cover Design by Steve Vanides Printed in the United States of America

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Contents Acknowledgments

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Foreword

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1. Healing in the Old Testament

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2. Healing in the New Testament

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3. Testimonies of Divine Healing Today

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4. Divine Healing is for Every Christian Today

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5. How a Christian Can Stay Healthy

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6. How to Become a Born-Again Christian

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Acknowledgments This book is dedicated to Faye, my beautiful wife and helpmate of more than forty years. Because of her, I came to know Jesus Christ and our seven children have known a very wonderful and selfless mother. I deeply appreciate the scores of people who have generously allowed me to relate their personal healing experiences. To these open-hearted men and women and to the pastors, parachurch leaders and others who have provided referrals, my heartfelt thanks. Churches that have assisted include Good News Church, Praise Fellowship Church, Midwest Christian Center, Northshore Christian Church, Faith Tabernacle, Word of Faith Family Worship Center, Homewood Full Gospel Church, Calvary Temple, and Abundant Life Family Church. Other supportive organizations include the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship I n t e r n a t i o n a l , Women's Aglow Fellowship, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Chicago, and International Compassion Ministries. Above all, to God goes all the glory for the awesome works He's performed for His children!

About the author Chuck Schiappacasse is a free-lance marketing writer. Along with his wife Faye, he's on the volunteer staff of Good News Church in Park Ridge, Illinois. Chuck and Faye head nursing home and door-to-door outreach ministries of the church. They also lead Bible studies in their home. Parents of seven children, Chuck and Faye have continually experienced the goodness of God in their lives, marriage and family. 4

Foreword The young woman stands there. Telling people how she couldn't stand. Until God instantly healed her of multiple sclerosis so severe she was paralyzed from the waist down and legally blind. No hope. Until she heard the voice of Jesus Christ telling her to get up and walk. And she did. The executive leans across the table. Encouraging his business associates suffering from back problems. Recounting how God lengthened his short leg to eliminate his back pain. The mother's face glows. She relates how her four-year-old son was dying from a cancerous brain tumor until Christian friends prayed in the name of Jesus Christ and the tumor went away. It's happening all the time. God is healing people wherever there are hurting people. He's proving that no matter how deadly the sickness or agonizing the pain, He can and wants to heal. And, one by one, multitudes are being healed by the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ. You should know what's going on. That's what this book is all about. Divine healing that's available and free because it was already paid for on a hill outside of Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago. All of the healing experiences recorded in Chapter 3 took place in the Greater Chicago area. But similar healings have been occurring everywhere. And they're all based on scriptural promises that pertain anywhere. Including right where you are!

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Chapter 1 HEALING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT B a r r e n woman n e a r 90 h a s child. God began healing thousands of years ago. He spoke to a herdsman named Abraham and promised him his wife would bear a son.1 Today, Abraham is considered the father of the Jewish people and Christians believe they are his spiritual descendants. But in those centuries past, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, seemed the least likely ancestors around. He was in his nineties, she was in her eighties. And they'd never had a child. So, both of them laughed at the idea.2 But God didn't. And when Abraham finally believed Him, God made the impossible happen. As Abraham neared one hundred and Sarah was pushing ninety, they had a son.3 He was Isaac, who would father Jacob, whose twelve sons would head the twelve tribes of Israel. But it all started with a physical healing so miraculous only God could conceive it!

Head-to-foot boils disappear. In Job, the first recorded book of the Bible, we learn the devil afflicted an upright pillar of the community with sore boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Poor Job was so miserable he could only sit around and scrape himself.4 But when Job stopped blaming God for his problem, God was quick to heal him. And a healthy Job lived to a ripe old age.5

Over two million escape slavery in perfect health. Then came a mass healing almost as mind-boggling as God's deliverance of more than two million Israelites from Egyptian slavery by parting the Red Sea. The Bible tells us that in that vast herd of humanity there was not found one feeble or sick person.6 Everybody was healthy. Man, woman and child. Total healing and health for an entire nation! 1 Gen. 15:4 2 Gen. 17:17,18:12 3 Gen. 21:2

4 Job 2:7 5 Job 42:17 6 Ps. 105:7 7

Psalmist's every disease healed. What happened soon afterward should have been no great surprise. Once God had shaped up His people, He made it plain, He would continue to handle their sicknesses. He told Moses what everyone could expect by revealing He was "The Lord, your Healer."7 And for years to come, God's people didn't need doctors. King David is one example. In the 103rd Psalm we discover that God was healing all his diseases.8 That could have been a batch, too, because David had lived a rugged life on and off the throne!

Widow's son raised from death. Over 2500 years ago, there was a widow in Sidon whose young son seemed headed for an early grave. In fact, he died. But his believing mother wouldn't give up. She called on the prophet Elijah who then carried the boy to his bed, stretched his body on the child and cried out to God. The Lord heard, the boy came back to life and Elijah returned him to his mother!9

7.Ex. 15:26 8. Ps. 103:3

9. 2 Ki. 17:17-23

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Chapter 2 HEALING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT Long-term blood condition healed in a hurry. Picture a woman bent over and drained by severe menstrual bleeding that had gone on for twelve years. She pushed through a crowd to Jesus, her last resort. She'd already spent everything she had on doctors and became worse instead of better. Finally, she reached him. Knowing she was unclean according to Jewish law, she took a chance and touched Him on the hem of His robe. Immediately, the power of a loving God surged out of Him and the woman was healed on the spot!10

Two blind men t o u c h e d a n d healed by God. Outside of Jericho, two blind men heard good news. Jesus was passing by. Acting quickly, they called out to Him to have mercy on them. Then they followed Him indoors. He asked if they believed He could heal them. They believed. He stretched out His hand and touched their eyes. And they saw again!11

Paralytic walks away healed. A house meeting where Jesus was teaching was jammed with people. But an enterprising group of four men brought their paralyzed friend in through the roof - removing the necessary tiles. They lowered the man on his cot down in front of Jesus. The Lord didn't tell them they had a lot of gall. He simply saw their faith and told the paralytic to get up and walk. And he did, healed in an instant.12 Can you imagine the reaction of his family when he arrived home carrying his cot?

Sickness a n d p a i n leave servant. Then there was the Roman army officer who'd also heard about Jesus. So, even though he was a pagan, he sent messengers to ask Jesus to heal his servant who was ill and about to die. Jesus honored his faith. And when the men returned to the officer's house, the servant was healed.13 10 Matt. 9:20-22 11 Matt. 9:27-30

12 Mark 2:1-12 13 Luke 7:2-10 9

Lame from birth, beggar leaps to his feet Day after day, year after year, the man was a fixture at the "beautiful gate" of the temple in Jerusalem. Each day, friends carried him to the steps. There he sat and begged to earn his living. But, one day, he got more than he bargained for. Apostles Peter and John were going into the temple and saw him. He cried out for alms - he got healing and a new life. Speaking in the name of Jesus Christ, Peter commanded him to rise and walk. He began to rise with Peter's help. As he did, the power of God surged into his legs and ankles. He leaped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went into the temple, not only walking, but leaping and jumping and praising God!14

Crowds pour into town and get healed. The word was out. God was healing impossible cases in the name of Jesus Christ. Men, women and children walked or were carried into the city on couches and cots. If there ever was a field hospital, this was it. But no hospital could possibly have the results God achieved. The Bible records everyone was cured. Healing for untold crowds of people!15

Entire island is healed. It started with a shipwreck. The apostle Paul and a shipload of others were on their way to Rome. After weeks of a vicious storm, their ship ran aground on Malta. Everyone scrambled to shore, but there was a whole crew of sick inhabitants living on the island. The father of the leading man was in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul prayed and laid hands on him in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God healed him. Then the rest of the inhabitants flocked to Paul and God healed every one of them.16 What a celebration they must have had!

14 Acts 3:2-8 15 Acts 5:16

16 Acts 27 & Acts 28:1-9 10

Chapter 3 TESTIMONIES OF DIVINE HEALING TODAY God reverses curse of y e a r s of allergies. Maryan Ross, a middle-aged Colorado school teacher, hated to erase a blackboard. For good reason. She didn't like to sneeze or cough. The problem was allergies. For ten years she'd suffered from more t h a n thirty allergies plus t h e high cost of constant medication and physician visitation. And teaching, her occupation, had become a burden to her. In J u n e of 1988, Maryan visited her brother and sister-inlaw in the Chicago area. They took her to a home Bible study. When prayer was offered, she was ready. The Bible study leaders discovered there was a history of allergies in her family. That's when they cast out an inherited spirit of allergy in the name of Jesus Christ. Two days later, at her brother's church, she received more prayer. What happened? Back home in Colorado, M a r y a n kept taking her high dosage of medication - and began to feel worse. Her allergist decided to r u n a full series of t e s t s on Maryan's many allergies t h a t ranged from food to dust to trees. A week after the tests, the allergist called Maryan. "This is incomprehensible," she said. "I can't u n d e r s t a n d w h a t ' s h a p pened!" M a r y a n h a d r e a c t e d n e g a t i v e l y to e v e r y t e s t . T h e increased discomfort she had been experiencing was caused by the medication - and the medication was now no longer necessary because the allergies no longer existed. Faced with the positive proof of the negative reactions from testing, the allergist told Maryan to stop all medication. Maryan did. And never started again. Today, after long years of enslavement to draining allergies, Maryan continues free - unafraid of where to go, what to breathe, what to wear and what to eat. She knows, from experience, as well as scriptures, t h a t allergies, like any illness, are no m a t c h for t h e power of God vested in the name of Jesus Christ.

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Breast tumor gets bigger then miraculously disappears. Like many busy mothers, Faye Schiappacasse wasn't one for physical examinations. She had neither time nor inclination to get sick. So she wasn't surprised when she seemed to pass her first extensive physical exam in decades with flying colors. But, she didn't care for the post-exam mammogram results. The picture showed a growth in her left breast. A further mammogram, taken two weeks later, indicated the tumor had become larger. Obviously it was growing rapidly. Faye's family physician sent her to a surgeon who wanted to waste no time. Taken aback, Faye asked for a ten-day delay. During that time, she prayed and received prayer from others. Most of all, she kept speaking and claiming the scripture from I Peter 2 that promises healing by the wounds of Jesus Christ. Finally, she was admitted to the hospital, with biopsy and surgery scheduled. By this time, as she recounts, Faye had a deep knowing that she had been healed. One more mammogram was taken. Then another. Then a third. None of them showed any sign of a tumor. There was nothing to biopsy or cut out. The surgeon recommended she return home. Happily back with her family Faye realized she had been healed by faith in Jesus Christ and the Word of God. And in the nearly 15 years since her miraculous healing,she has had no more tumor problems.

Boy breaks leg - God heals it. Joey Drake was an active ten-year-old who was always on the move. Unfortunately, he made a wrong move during a baseball game in June of 1990. The unhappy result was a fall that caused a severe break in his left ankle, plus bone chips. The hospital emergency room sent Joey home to elevate his leg and use crutches until the swelling receded to allow a surgeon to set the ankle. The expectation was a rest-of-the-summer recovery period. On the night of the accident, Joey's distraught mother called a Christian friend. The two women prayed for a miraculous healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Two nights later, Joey's mother caught her son enjoying a late-night snack in the kitchen. She was shocked. He was walking on the ankle - with no crutches! 12

The next day, a visit to the pediatrician surprised even Joey's mother. No break whatever existed in the ankle. No bone chips, either. To be doubly sure, she took the boy to an orthopedic surgeon. Although the first x-rays had clearly indicated the break and chips, the new x-ray confirmed the pediatrician's diagnosis. Total healing. What had once been, no longer was. The surgeon could do nothing more for the boy. Except to send him home.

Incurable Paget's Disease cured through faith in Jesus Christ. Her aching bones seemed to tell Jeanette Brown she had arthritis. But her routine physical in May of 1990 revealed something more esoteric. Paget's Disease - a degenerative bone disorder. By this time, the pain was constant. Sometimes so severe, Jeanette would cry. Not surprising. The profile of her alkaline phosphatase showed 156. The normal range is 19 - 84. Active in her chapter of the Christian organization, Women's Aglow, Jeanette asked for and received prayer. Her church group began praying for her as well. Even though her Spring 1991 blood test showed continuing high levels of alkaline phosphatase, Jeanette believed God would heal her. She increased the number of times she spoke healing scriptures and thanked God for healing her. In 1992, one of the leading specialists on Paget's Disease tried treatment with a special drug. After three months he reported her body had not responded to the drug. But by August of 1992, Jeanette's alkaline phosphatase level had dropped considerably - from a peak high of 202 to 136. Then she received prayer at a Womens' Aglow convention in November of 1992,in Denver, Colorado. She felt a tingling in her body and the pain left her. In December of 1992, a painless Jeanette Brown received more very comforting news. Tests now showed her alkaline phosphatase level had dropped to a normal 81. Today, at 59 years of age, Jeanette knows through her painfree body and the confirmation of the December 24th blood test that her healing is complete. She also realizes the truth of the scripture that the One who began a good work in her has completed it. 13

Colitis cramps bank officer's style - God unbinds him. Vince DeJohn was a formidable force at a major Chicago bank where he was a bank officer. Employees didn't like to be around him in the early hours of the work day. It wasn't Vince's position. It was his colitis. He was quick to admit, "I was a bear." Plagued by daily stomach pain and cramps, fearful of constantly running to the bathroom, Vince found every day a new struggle. After the original diagnosis in 1969, Vince was hospitalized annually for a check up. Despite medication, his situation became worse. He couldn't eat many of his favorite foods without severe repercussions. Then, in 1977, Vince became a born-again Christian. It was soon afterward he woke up one morning with a strange feeling. He felt he should stop taking his medication. And he did. Within a matter of months, Vince knew God had healed him. For the first time in years, he was able to eat "all kinds of garbage" at a business luncheon in New York City. Back in Chicago, he was able to down a fast-food hamburger - and keep it down. Weeks later, Vince's physician examined him at a local hospital and confirmed the absence of any signs of colitis. Today at the age of 61, Vince is a retired vice president who can eat whatever he wants whenever he wants to. No more pain. No more diarrhea. No more medication. No more fear of what might happen. And now, Vince is considered by all who know him as one of the most likeable guys around!

R a c k e d w i t h pain, m o t h e r cries out to God who heals h e r spine a n d h e r son's r h e u m a t i c h e a r t . In the days of her youth, Mary Vanides began to suffer from a double curvature of the spine and eight pinched nerves. The situation deteriorated and from 1971 to 1976 Mary was forced to visit a chiropractor three times a week to get relief. Yet, even with treatment and medication, Mary's pain was "unbelievable." In 1974, Mary's youngest son, Ares, became ill with rheumatic fever. His large heart valve had become severely damaged. Finally, in 1976, the family physician told the boy, then 11, to stop watching television. His heart couldn't stand the excitement. With medical science at an impasse in both cases, Mary became interested in divine healing. When her middle son, Alex, told her of a healing service at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater, 14

Mary decided to go. But the meeting, held by a popular Christian evangelist, was packed with people before Mary, husband Steve, and the children arrived. D e t e r m i n e d to g e t p r a y e r , M a r y l e a r n e d of a n o t h e r Christian healing service three weeks later. This time, the family came early and, apprehensive of this new experience, sat in a back row. To the family's great surprise, the evangelist told each of them something of their past he could not have naturally known. They were amazed, and their faith level rose. Then, the evangelist prayed for Mary and her son, Ares, in the name of J e s u s Christ. The boy said he felt something like warm oil flowing over his body. Mary's back pain and tightness disappeared. A few days later, the family doctor, after x-raying Ares, told the boy, "Your heart is fine." Mary's chiropractor confirmed t h a t Mary's severe back problems of more t h a n 30 years were over. That happened more t h a n 25 years ago. Today, Mary continues to be free from those back ailments, including the eight pinched nerves and spinal curvature. Ares, graduated from Oral Roberts University, loves to t e a c h a n d play t e n n i s . He is a n extremely active young man. Does God heal today? J u s t ask the Vanides.

Communist experiment brings deafness Jesus brings healing. Grace Richards was born and raised in Warsaw, a great city under great tyranny. In 1953, the government was injecting children with an experimental drug. There was no choice, if your child was chosen, you had to submit. And - when Grace was two years old, she was injected. Until t h a t time, Grace h e a r d well. But after t h e experiment, her hearing declined seriously. She lost 80% of the hearing in her right ear and some in her left ear. Her right ear was also filled with pus. And it hurt. When she was in school, teachers considered her retarded. Other children made fun of her. Grace says she didn't speak much to people. It was an unhappy childhood. At the age of fifteen, Grace's family came to t h e United States and Chicago. Here she underwent surgery in her right ear. This was semi-successful. She now had 50% hearing in her right ear and pus and pain continued. 15

Years later, in 1985, after she had become a born-again Christian, Grace went to a special service at her small church. The visiting evangelist laid hands on her and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Grace dropped to the floor, felt great heat in her body and a light with increasing brightness coming down toward her face. It was so strong, she couldn't keep her eyes open. It was then that Grace's hearing took a quantum leap forward. The pain left, the pus left. She could swim unafraid. Her doctor commented on how well her ear looked. Today, Grace hears well. Because listening is no longer a chore, neither is talking. Grace is a nurse, known for her friendly, outgoing personality. And she hasn't forgotten Who made it possible.

Blind and paralyzed MS victim instantly healed. Barbara Snyder was a likeable, happy fifteen-year-old when multiple sclerosis invaded her body in 1965. As the debilitating disease progressed, Barbara's sight degenerated to legal blindness. She could only make out shadows. It wasn't long before she became paralyzed from the waist down. Her diaphragm, bladder and bowel couldn't function. Finally, hooked to a machine in bed at home, she suffered pain with every breath. To make things worse, she had developed asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Several times she went into cardiac arrest. In 1981, the Mayo Clinic held out no hope for her life. By June of 1981, Barbara's speech had become slurred and tumors had fully developed in her hands and feet. She had been sent home from a final examination at a Chicago suburban hospital. To die. Then, on a bright and sunny Sunday, June 7th of 1981, Barbara was visited by a group of faithful friends from her church. That's when, Barbara relates, "I heard a voice over my shoulder. It was none of the ladies in the room, but a male voice that said, " My child, get up and walk." To the amazement of every one in the room, Barbara got out of bed. And, with medical equipment dangling from her, she did the impossible. She walked. "I could walk. I could breathe normally." Looking into the mirror, she noticed her once-atrophied arms and legs had filled out. 16

Dancing out into the hallway, Barbara met her mother, who said, "You've got calves!" "You've got calves!" Then Barbara ran up the wheel-chair ramp and found her father. Overjoyed, he waltzed Barbara around and around the room. Going into the living room, Barbara sat down and got up from the couch "about ten times", thrilled she could do it. That night, Barbara borrowed clothing - including high heels. Then, she and her family went to the service at their church. When she came in, the amazed congregation, which had been praying for her, was staggered and awe-struck. It broke into applause and began singing "Amazing Grace." At the usual time in the service for people to give testimonies of what God had done for them, Barbara stood up and related what had happened. How she heard Jesus Christ tell her to get up and walk. How she was instantly healed and made whole. The next day, after doing a little bike riding, Barbara visited her physician. He and other doctors checked her closely, ordered exhaustive tests and reported Barbara was healed. Her personal physician told her, "It's medically impossible, but you're healed." Today, Barbara is happily married and the mother of three children. She leads a full, active life. Living proof that nothing is impossible with God.

The picture was dark until God intervened. Ada Stephen didn't want to leave Downers Grove. She had her friends and relatives. She had her favorite golf courses, too. And the spry lady in her seventies was an avid golfer. Yet, her physician was concerned. In 1987, after her third bout with pneumonia, x-rays showed a spot on her lung. It would never leave, Ada was told. So she should leave for a warmer, drier climate. Undaunted, Ada turned to her church and received prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. The next year, a pulmonary specialist sent her to a local hospital for x-rays. The spot that had been on Ada's lungs was nowhere to be seen. In the autumn of 1992, Ada's latest x-rays further reinforced her healing. Once again, no spot of any sort. Once again, medical science had confirmed what medical science was unable to accomplish. 17

Interestingly enough, Ada's golf friends have now convinced her to go to a warmer climate - no longer for the healing of her lung, but for the enjoyment of playing golf more often.

Basketball-size tumor healed by faith in Jesus Christ. It was fall of 1985 when Carol MacFarland went to her doctor for a routine physical examination that included a pap smear. But there was nothing routine about what was discovered. Carol, a fortyish mother of four, was carrying a tumor the size of a small basketball in her ovary. The doctor recommended immediate surgery. The alternative? Carol would hemorrhage and bleed to death. Upset, Carol wanted a second opinion. She went to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic. After an ultrasound test, the first diagnosis was confirmed. At this point, Carol asked for a two-week delay in surgery. She believed in divine healing and put her faith into action. She listened to songs with healing scriptures and studied the Bible intensively. She rebuked the devil who caused the tumor and spoke healing scriptures over and over. After two weeks of building faith in Jesus Christ as her healer, Carol returned to her gynecologist. Another ultrasound examination showed surprising results. Carol's tumor had become smaller. Impressed, her physician agreed to postpone surgery for a longer period of time. Greatly encouraged, Carol continued to hear, read and claim healing scriptures. About two months later, she went back to the clinic for another ultrasound exam. The tumor was gone. Her gynecologist gave Carol the final picture as a gift and a memento. To this date, Carol has had no further evidence of any tumor in her ovary - or anywhere else. And - she's in Bible school preparing to share her faith in the risen Son of God on a fulltime basis.

Fall brings subdural hematoma God brings healing. Chris Miller had placed her 5-month-old daughter in her cradle and placed the cradle on the shelf of a steam radiator - just as she had done many times before. But this time, the cradle and baby Elizabeth fell to the floor. The baby's head quickly became very swollen and her parents became greatly concerned. 18

The Millers rushed Elizabeth to a nearby hospital. An x-ray was taken, then a CT-scan. Big trouble. The baby had not only a fractured skull, but she was bleeding between her skull and brain - subdural hematoma that could be deadly. Immediately, the child went to a large medical center where another CT-scan confirmed the earlier diagnosis. Elizabeth was quickly placed in pediatric intensive care. The Millers prayed in the name of Jesus Christ. They found, claimed and spoke appropriate healing scriptures. They called others for prayer. At 5 AM, the Millers left the hospital, about thirteen hours after the accident. At 10 AM the same morning, they returned to the hospital to get good news from a nurse - everything was stable. That afternoon, the neurosurgeon scanned a new CT-scan - there was no sign of bleeding. "You can take her home." But, how long would the head swelling persist? At least a month, the physician predicted. A week later, Chris Miller took Elizabeth in for a checkup. The swelling was completely gone. The frightening episode and miraculous healing took place in 1987. Today, Elizabeth is a healthy, bright little girl of five. Her parents had believed the words of Jesus - to have faith in God and that nothing is impossible to those who believe.

Football star nearly knocked out, but God puts him back in the game. Once, Dean Berkiel was well able to handle himself on the field for the University of Pennsylvania. But, in 1984, the Chicagoan came home from college with slurred speech and severe balance problems. His family doctor called in a neurosurgeon. Tests were run at two Chicago-area hospitals. Dean had either a brain cyst or tumor. Without surgery, the situation could be deadly. After results arrived from the first MRI test in March of 1985, Dean's born-again parents went to prayer. They prayed. Friends prayed. Someone in a Christian television ministry prayed. In August of 1986, another MRI test was taken. One of the doctors asked if surgery had been performed after the MRI was done. There had been "a significant difference." The debilitating symptoms disappeared. Dean got on with his career on the Chicago Board of Trade, where energy and mental keenness are vital assets. 19

Today, Dean continues to be free from any sign of the problems that could have sidelined him. Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ had been answered. God Himself had kept Dean from getting on the involuntary retired list.

God unloads "packed sack" for homemaker. Barbara Kaufman loves reuben sandwiches. So, when she went with her family and friends to dinner one night in 1986, Barbara ordered a reuben sandwich. And enjoyed it immensely. But - a few hours later she became very sick to her stomach. Could it have been the reuben sandwich? Barbara visited her doctor who tested her and discovered she had a high liver count. The ultrasound examination showed her gall bladder was loaded with stones, or in medical slang, she had a "packed sack." The doctor spoke of surgery. The next day, B a r b a r a , active in Women's Aglow, a Christian women's organization, went to the group's monthly "prayer closet", a meeting where members prayed for each other. When two of the other ladies laid hands on Barbara and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, Barbara had a vision. She recalls, "The three of us seemed to be encapsuled in a shaft of bright, white light." Two days later, her doctor ordered six x-rays. Results were negative. There were no stones. Faced with this seeming contradiction, the physician sent her to the hospital for another ultrasound exam. The findings: "no stones here." A blood test confirmed the all clear. Obviously, God had come on the scene to heal Barbara's gall bladder - to unpack her "packed sack." Today, she continues to enjoy eating reuben sandwiches, and anything else, with no galling after-effects.

Epilepsy seizes child - Jesus sets him free. No question about it. Medical tests showed three-year-old Zach Koch was epileptic. Seizures were further evidence of the frightening and incurable disease. Distraught, Zach's dad asked God to "cure him or kill him!" Fortunately for everyone concerned, God is not in the curing, not killing, business. A few months after Zach had gone on medication, the family had a visit from a friend in Dayton, Ohio. She was a brandnew, born-again Christian. Taking oil, she anointed the child and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. The year was 1976 one Zach's parents would long remember. 20

What happened? A brain scan taken only days later surprised the doctor and thrilled the parents. No sign of epilepsy. The brain waves were normal. From that day to this, Zach has remained free of epilepsy. An honor student in school, he now serves in the United States Navy. He and his entire family have become born-again Christians who know from experience that nothing is impossible to God.

Child's hearing healed through parents' faith. Jacob Barton seemed to be a day-dreamer. And since he was a somewhat introverted child, his parents weren't too surprised when he seemed inattentive. But the Bartons were surprised at the results of audiograms taken in 1988 when Jacob entered kindergarten. Routine testing revealed the boy had a hearing loss of better than 60% in each ear. Hearing aids were recommended. Strong believers that Jesus Christ had already bought and paid for their son's healing, the Bartons went to scriptural prayer. After taking authority over any deaf spirit, they prayed according to the 11th Chapter of Mark. They asked God to heal their son and immediately believed it had been received. Then the parents noted that fact on their refrigerator door and thanked God for it daily. Less than a month later, the stereo or TV was on. Jacob covered his ears. The sound, he complained was too loud. On other occasions, it was obvious the boy was more attentive and hearing much better. The clinical proof came within a year. New audiogram testing showed all of Jacob's hearing frequencies were at normal or above. Tests in following years have registered basically the same results. Jacob is hearing well. His Christian parents had believed they received what they asked for from God before it was physically evident. And God had honored their faith.

Pastor's wife heads for surgery God heals her enroute. Sue Pedersen had her fill of polyps. Literally. Over a period of years, her nose and sinuses had become heavily infested. Pain, irritation and breathing difficulty had increased to the point where surgery was highly recommended by her physician. 21

Sue asked for and received prayer from her own church, prayer groups and friends. Yet the polyps persisted and proliferated. Finally, in 1984, Sue agreed to surgery. Her husband, a suburban pastor, went with her to the surgeon's office for a final checkup. As they rode the elevator to the surgeon's office, Sue asked her husband for one more prayer. He prayed. And a strange thing happened. Sue began to laugh. She couldn't stop. Her husband started to laugh. Struggling to contain themselves, the Pedersens walked into the surgeon's office. As she sat behind her magazine, she chuckled quietly and felt "very happy," anticipating something special. In the examining room, the specialist put Sue on the table and checked her nose and sinuses. Not only did he find no polyps, but, according to Sue, he said it was "the most beautiful surgery I have ever seen." After completing his favorable comments, he escorted Sue into the waiting room. There, as his patient recalls, he announced, "God has healed this lady." Sue's husband has seen many miracles take place among the people of his congregation. But to him - and to Sue - the divine healing of his wife was the most joyful of all!

"Absolutely incredible!" says surgeon after severed nerves are restored. Tom Curtin, a hard working father of two young sons was facing a literally painful and virtually impossible situation. In January, 1985, Tom underwent surgery for a lymph node. Unfortunately, his scapular and brachioplexus nerves were cut. As a result, his left arm, shoulder and part of his back became paralyzed. Few neurosurgeons had any hope. Tom was told there was a one-percent chance of success from an operation for restoration. Not surprisingly, the ten-hour surgery he agreed to was unsuccessful. Tom's nerve pain was now often "unbelievable." The prescribed narcotics led to a partial loss of memory. During that summer, further surgery was scheduled, this time for shoulder fusion and muscle transplant. Before the date of the surgery, a co-worker sent Tom a Bible, which Tom happened to flip open to a Psalm. He read the words that in times of trouble he should rely on God so that He could rescue him and he could give Him the credit. 22

The next Sunday, an usher in Tom's Catholic church suggested he attend a special meeting at St. Pius Church in suburban Lombard. F a t h e r Dennis Kelleher, known for his healing ministry, would be praying for the sick. Tom, extremely skeptical, attended the meeting with his wife and children. According to Tom, when Father Kelleher laid h a n d s on his shoulder and back and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, he fell to the floor, where he "felt power, like electricity," in his body. He says he also experienced a "great peace." and the pain left. That night, Tom, for the first time in many months, was able to sleep until morning. He experienced none of t h e usual "jolts of pain" t h a t had racked him day and night. A week later, lying on the floor, Tom could move his formerly barely mobile arm 180 degrees from his body. Jubilant, he went to the rehabilitation facility where he had been receiving therapy. His therapist was amazed and commented that Tom had made four months progress in two weeks. Two weeks later, tests at a highly-respected suburban hospital indicated further progress. The t h e r a p i s t admitted, "Everything is working. I don't understand it." When Tom was checked at another hospital, an orthopedic surgeon said "Absolutely incredible!" The therapist began to cry. A week later, Tom h a d recovered 9 5 % of t h e r a n g e of motion in his arm and shoulder. What man couldn't do, God had accomplished.

Biopsy cancelled as growth disappears Stan Zembowski was hurting. For five weeks he had been bleeding rectally. The situation was worsening. Finally, one day in J a n u a r y of 1992, S t a n c o n s u l t e d a r e c o m m e n d e d p h y s i c i a n . Examination revealed a growth in the rectum, cause of the bleeding and pain. The physician wanted a biopsy, although the growth was positioned to make surgery virtually impossible. T h e n e x t day, S t a n v i s i t e d f r i e n d s , a l s o b o r n - a g a i n Christians, for prayer. They anointed him with oil and prayed a prayer of faith, in the name of Jesus, according to scripture in the 5th Chapter of the epistle of James. During and following this period, Stan, a strongly believing Christian, continually spoke and claimed healing scriptures. He felt he should sing "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho and the Walls Came Tumbling Down." And he did it. 23

The biopsy was scheduled three days after Stan visited the doctor. Stan says he knew he was healed when he walked into the hospital. And he was thanking God for it. Then pre-biopsy testing began, including proctoscopy. After Stan emerged from the anesthetic, his doctor came in with very good news. "It's a miracle. There's nothing there." The growth w a s gone. Biopsy w a s no longer necessary. Soon, the bleeding and pain stopped. Today, S t a n goes on with his life, knowing the reality of J e s u s ' promise t h a t it would be accomplished for him according to his faith.

God warns mother in a dream - hospital detects child's leukemia - and God heals her. It was September of 1982. The Rivera family was vacationing in Cape Cod. Then, Patsy Rivera had a strange dream which strongly impressed h e r t h a t something was "very, very wrong" with her four-year-old daughter, Tasha. Cutting short their vacation, the Riveras returned to their Chicago-area home. P a t s y called h e r physician. He tested t h e child, even r a n blood tests. The only finding of any importance was a minor, borderline anemia. Not satisfied, Patsy insisted on even more thorough testing at a prestigious children's hospital. Bone-marrow testing clearly i n d i c a t e d t h e r e w a s a v e r y s e r i o u s p r o b l e m . T h e child h a d leukemia. Treatment began immediately. It was a t this time t h a t Patsy first learned of the Catholic prayer group near her. She took Tasha to a meeting of the group. The child received hands-on prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Within eight weeks, testing showed the dread disease had disappeared. That was over ten years ago. Since then, the child has been checked yearly with the same results.No return of the leukemia. Today, Tasha Rivera is a healthy, active teen-ager, healed by the same God who warned her mother and then answered the prayer of her church group.

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TMJ locks her mouth - but God has the key. There was a day in April, 1992 that Laura Davis will never forget. She woke up on that particular morning with a locked jaw. She could open her mouth only about one-eighth of an inch. Quickly, she went to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. Then to a specialist. Then to a major Chicago medical center. She received medication, had an MRI test and other tests. The diagnosis: TMJ or Temporal Mandibular Joint dysfunction. The next step was physical therapy. How did Laura eat? Sparingly and primarily with a straw. Lots of soups and shakes. Before long, Laura did figure out a way to push her mouth to the left and pop it open. Unfortunately, she did also suffer from the severe headaches typical of TMJ. It was difficult for the young mother to function. In September, Laura's physician recommended surgery. But in October, two days before surgery, it was discovered that Laura was pregnant with her second child. Surgery was postponed until after the delivery. Meanwhile, Laura (who had been working two jobs) quit one completely and reduced her hours on the other one. Then on Valentine's Day of 1993, Laura (who hadn't been to church for "a couple of months") decided to attend a Sunday service that featured a visiting Christian teacher. During the service, the teacher stopped and stated someone in the congregation had a jaw problem. Laura, a skeptic on divine healing, went up for prayer. She received hands-on prayer - and didn't feel a thing. After the service, in a suburban movie theatre, Laura went home. At home, Laura noticed she had no more severe headaches. Two days after the church service, she went to her physical therapist. She recalls him saying, "What do you mean, you need surgery?" On her next visit, the therapist told her she didn't need anything - no injections or medication. She could eat easily and had no more headaches. Her jaw, states Laura, "was 100 times better." Now, Laura knows she's not the "crabby" mother she had been. She's looking forward to the birth of her baby in June of 1993. And she's quick to open her mouth to tell what the Lord has done for her.

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God defuses three fused vertebrae. In the middle 1950s, Pat Skup was x-rayed as a result of an automobile accident. To her surprise, the pictures indicated she had three fused vertebrae. Pat was told she was born that way. In the middle 1970s, Pat began suffering from severe back pain "on and off." (About 1973 she had done so much heavy hauling and lifting she couldn't bend and stoop for that entire spring and summer.) Fortunately, Pat became a born-again Christian who believed God was still in the healing business. She was told surgery would be of no help and chiropracty only of limited help with the pain. But she believed the scriptures in the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah that Jesus Christ had already borne her sicknesses and pains. And she felt God had impressed her with the Fourth Chapter of Hebrews that promises the Word of God is sharp enough to pierce joints and marrow. She expected to get healed. On a Saturday evening of 1984, Pat attended a special service in her church. The visiting Bible teacher called people with back problems to come forward for prayer. Pat went up - and God moved in - and healed her back. There was a chiropractor in the congregation who became very excited when he checked her back. It was fine, all the way down the spine. A subsequent x-ray of her spine confirmed the healing. Her vertebrae, fused at or before birth, had become separated. She had obviously received divine surgery. No more fear of stooping or that pain syndrome she had suffered for so many years. No more concern about her future mobility . And in this year of 1993, Pat continues to function. Normally.

Thyroid tumor takes off. Bernice Kordick had a sore throat - and she went to a heart specialist. A bit extreme for a simple sore throat? Not when you've had rheumatic fever and still have a heart murmur. You don't take chances with a possible strep infection. Bernice was glad she played it safe. The specialist noticed a lump in her throat - and sent her to an ear, nose and throat specialist. His testing showed the lump was the size of a quarter. The prescription: surgery. A third specialist was in agreement. But Bernice didn't want surgery. "I came home and cried 26

out to the Lord," she says. She felt she should t u r n on Christian TV C h a n n e l 38. On t h e s t a t i o n she discovered a well-known African evangelist would be speaking at a local church. At t h e church, on t h a t memorable day in 1985, Bernice received prayer from the evangelist, who was also a bishop. When he prayed for her throat in the name of Jesus, she immediately felt something like heat penetrating her throat. A few days later, Bernice went back to the specialist. She felt much better. Then came the checkup. It confirmed w h a t she had expected. The lump was gone. Instead of growing, as thyroid tumors normally do, this one had disappeared. Surgery was forgotten. And over seven years later, no tumor has ever again made an appearance in Bernice's throat. Or anywhere else in her body, for that matter.

Mother is miraculously healed of AIDS. Her baby is healed in t h e womb. The future was bleak for J a n Lewis and the child in her womb. She was told to go to a funeral home and prepare for her funeral and t h a t of her unborn baby. Her physician was certain the situation was hopeless. J a n h a d been diagnosed as H.I.V. Positive. Not only did t h r e e t e s t s in 1987 indicate AIDS, b u t t h e father of her first child and p a r t n e r in a pre-marital affair had just died from the incurable disease. J a n says, "I lived with terror." Aside from the medical community and her family, only the pastor and staff of her church knew the situation. Friends wanted to give J a n a baby shower, but she refused. She was deeply depressed and unable to anticipate the birth. R a l l y i n g a r o u n d J a n , h e r p a s t o r a n d staff m e m b e r s anointed her with oil and prayed for her recovery in the name of Jesus Christ. The medical outlook became gloomier. Ultrasound tests of the child she refused to abort showed the baby had an unusually large head and one leg shorter t h a n the other - AIDS characteristics. Physicians also a n t i c i p a t e d a very small, scrawny baby. Intensive care was alerted at the hospital where J a n would give birth. That day arrived in September of 1987. Thirty physicians present in the delivery room to witness the first AIDS birth in the history of the prestigious hospital. The baby was born. Not the two or three-pound t h a t was 27

anticipated - but a fully-grown, fully-normal nine-pound girl. No enlarged head. No short leg. No abnormalities of any sort. To the surprise and joy of everyone. Three months later, just before Christmas, the baby was tested for the HIV virus. Results were negative. No sign of latent AIDS. Since the birth of that child, Jan Lewis has been tested on many occasions. Each time, the result was negative. There was no trace of AIDS in any form. Today, Jan Lewis is doing fine. So is her much-scrutinized blessed event of 1987. And now, Jan is taking a hiatus from her position as a customer service representative. Her third child, a healthy baby girl, was born in March, 1993. Is there a cure for AIDS? Ask Jan Lewis.

In constant pain for two years, grandmother healed in a few minutes. Donna Roames had multiple physical problems. Three spinal discs were disintegrating. A work accident made things worse. A sciatic nerve was damaged. She lost over half the use of her hip. Donna went to a bone specialist who recommended a physical therapist. But even with qualified help, Donna was in continual pain. Every day. For two years. Then, one day in the autumn of 1990, a miracle healing rally came to her church. The healing evangelists called out people with back problems. Donna hesitated. Finally, she went forward for prayer. She recalls how the pain was tremendous as she walked from her seat to the stage. Then came the miracles. At the name of Jesus Christ, God lengthened one of her legs. She felt heat in her side. Donna bent over. She could do it and with no pain. She was able to swing one leg to the side - something she hadn't done for two years. No pain. In the next week, Donna went back to her therapist. He told her the use of her hip was 100% better than it had been. Checking her spine, he noted it was perfectly straight. The days of agony were over. Donna was healed. To this day, Donna walks upright and pain-free. And she can happily hoist any of her many grandchildren - and enjoy it as much as they do! 28

And no one can tell Donna that God doesn't heal His people today. She knows better.

Two miracles - ten years apart. Most people don't experience one miracle in a lifetime. Kathi Pickens has two on record. For two years, Kathi had been feeling sick, tired and lethargic much of the time. She had to nap almost daily. Not exactly the norm for a young homemaker in her early twenties. And with an energetic pre-school daughter to watch, Kathi didn't want to be caught napping at the wrong time. But family finances were low and Kathi was unable to see a doctor. Finally, in 1982, she saw a physician who ordered a glucose-tolerance test and blood work. And the doctor's suspicions were confirmed. Kathi had low blood sugar. Preferring divine help to costly, uncertain medication, Kathi went to the altar of her church for healing prayer. The pastor prayed for her healing. Kathi reports she immediately "felt hot inside." Within that week, Kathi returned to her doctor. She took another glucose tolerance test. All was well. Her doctor indicated "this must be like a miracle." By this time, Kathi was already feeling much better. Of course, with her blood sugar normal, she no longer needed constant napping. Fatigue and lethargy were gone. That prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, had brought quick healing and new energy to Kathi. And to this day, she's continued to be an active young mother and wife. But there was more bad news - then good news - to come. For about a year, prior to what would be a momentous month of April in 1992, Kathi had been suffering much pain and losing too much blood during her menstrual periods. Kathi's nutritionist referred her to as gynecologist who was a specialist in fibroid tumors. He discovered that such fibroid tumors were indeed her problem. They were around her uterus. What to do? Kathi was given a choice, either a hysterectomy or continued heavy hemorraghing. Kathi, of course, knew there was a better alternative. She went to her current church and at a Sunday morning service she received hands-on healing prayer. And she didn't feel a thing. 29

But, on her way home from church, Kathi felt her stomach tightening. Two days later, she saw a physician who ordered an ultrasound examination. The test showed no sign of any tumors. Kathi's pains and hemorraghing - like her low blood sugar became a thing of the past. No such problems have come along since. Today, two miracles later, Kathi Pickens can quickly agree with the scriptures that the Lord is good and more than willing to heal his believing children who turn to Him.

Hole in heart healed after mother's prayer. The DeRosas rejoiced at the the birth of their daughter, Lisa, in 1980. But they were dismayed to discover their child was born with a hole in her heart. A pediatric heart specialist was recommended. Yet even with the most advanced medical skills, there was little likelihood of of any active life for Lisa. A few months later, the child's aunt suggested to Lisa's mother that she pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ to heal her daughter. Two months after Lisa's mother prayed, the pediatric heart specialist ran new tests. To her mother's amazement, he stated that no further treatments would be necessary. Why? The hole in the heart was gone. The baby was normal. Today, Lisa is an active, healthy twelve-year-old with no signs of any heart problem. Because her mother prayed and God answered.

Knee cap splits - but God doesn't. Jim DiPalma likes baseball - a lot. Growing up in New York City, he dreamed of becoming a professional ball player. And he made it. He played with a farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies in the late 1970s. So, in the summer of 1992, when a church picnic rolled around, Jim rolled into action. But after long innings of softball, Jim benched himself. One of his knees had buckled and he was racked with pain. The news from his Chicago physician and an area hospital was no less painful. Examination and x-ray indicated that Jim's knee cap had split. There was also much bone chipping in his leg and cartilage damage. For the next two weeks, Jim prayed, gritted his teeth and moved around as little as possible. 30

Then, he went back to the hospital. The medical recommendation was strong and clear and not to Jim's liking. He needed major surgery. But Jim stalled for more time. He prayed harder, spoke healing scriptures. Within three days of that last hospital visit, Jim,and his leg, were feeling better. He was able "do things I couldn't do before." Preparing to move to Chicago, Jim went to Florida. In three hours of driving rain, Jim and two friends unloaded a large truck. His knee held up. Back in Chicago, Jim returned to his doctor. The specialist examined him - and reported, "Jim, you're healed! A born-again, Bible-believing Christian, Jim wanted even more documented proof of the healing that took place in the name of Jesus Christ. But, the physician was so convinced, so sure, he refused to do any further testing. He simply said, "No, Jim. you're healed." Many months later, Jim continues to move around with his old verve and vitality. And.now, a resident of Chicago, he's ready for the next church picnic - and softball game.

"Mary, you have brand new hip joints!" Mary Mari's doctor ran excitedly into his waiting room. He had just seen the results of x-rays and blood tests on his long-time patient. He knew this mother of six had suffered increasingly crippling osteoarthritis with hip joint deterioration for over 20 years. No wonder, then, on that day in 1974, he was overwhelmed and overjoyed. The news was amazing and almost unbelievable. "You don't have arthritis anymore. Mary, you have brand new hip joints!" The case was heavily documented. In 1968, x-rays from a major Chicago-area hospital showed extensive bone damage. Since that time, the doctor had done ongoing testing. And Mary had suffered. "I used to step across the living room and the pain would hit me like a dagger, then last for days", Mary remembers. And she tells that within six months of those 1974 x-rays, all of her pain was gone. Now, many years later, she is still healed. How did it happen? Mary knows it resulted from her prayers and her faith that Jesus Christ, who healed multitudes 2,000 years ago, is still doing it through the Holy Spirit today.

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Copy editor feeds on scriptures healed of cancer in a week. In 1982, Quentin Jackson considered himself very well off. He was a copy editor for a prestigious national corporation. Happily married, he had a beautiful one-year-old daughter. But in the last month of that year, Quentin was forced to face what looked like a very unhappy new year. He had begun to breathe with difficulty, thought it might be flu and saw a physician. After surveying results from a breath-analysis test, Quentin's doctor asked if he had been a lifelong smoker. The test indicated the patient, a non-smoker, had the lung capacity of a heavy smoker twice his age. Then came x-rays that showed the lymph nodes of Quentin's lungs were infected. Diagnosis: sarcoma, a form of cancer. Shocked and dazed, young Jackson became morose. He thought of suicide. And he didn't look forward to the surgery that was indicated. A born-again Christian, Quentin had taught a class on divine healing at a church in Chicago. But never had he expected to face a personal battle with cancer. During the next week, Quentin devoured scriptures, particularly those on faith in Jesus Christ and healing. He says that Mark 11:24 impressed him greatly - and he began to claim and believe the promise that if he believed he received what he prayed for, it would be given to him. As he read, thought about and spoke the appropriate scriptures, the deadly disease seemed to accelerate rather than recede. During that seven-day period, Quentin "lost a lot of weight." In the first week of the new year, Quentin returned to the hospital for pre-surgery testing. He took the breath test. And his physician called him into his office. He didn't understand. He was perplexed. Quentin's breathing had become normal. Then came more x-rays and blood tests. Every test and examination indicated the same result - Quentin's lungs were completely normal. There was no further sign of the sarcoma. Today, a healthy and happy Quentin Jackson continues to function at full speed in his occupation, with his family and in a renewed dedication to Jesus Christ. His wife has borne him a second child. The future looks better than ever. And Quentin is quick to tell people why!

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Prostate problems surface - then disappear. Rudi Hein was a hard-working operations manager in his late fifties who needed his sleep. He certainly didn't appreciate the growing necessity of going to the bathroom often every night. And he was also concerned with the the difficulty he was having urinating day or night. So, during that year of 1987, he decided to go to a urologist. After the in-office examination, Rudi learned that his prostate gland was either already enlarged or had such a tendency. The urologist called for a hospital cystoscopy. Between the office examination and the scheduled cystoscopy for further enlightenment and direction, two Christian friends of Rudi and his wife, Mary Anne, visited them. Rudi wasn't feeling well - and was in bed. The friends prayed for Rudi in the name of Jesus Christ and left soon afterward. In a matter of days, the cystoscopy was performed. It revealed no problem of any sort. Rudi had been healed. The nocturnal bathroom visits ended. So did the difficulty urinating. Rudi felt much better. Now, over five years later, there has been no recurrence. Most unusual. And Rudi is appreciative what God did for him. Especially when he considers that prostate cancer is the major cause of cancer death among American males.

God changes the prognosis emergency surgery cancelled. Joanne Dunham wasn't looking forward to the 1990 holiday season. Emergency surgery was scheduled for two days after Christmas. The reason - ovarian cysts that were discovered six months earlier were growing. They could be cancerous. When Joanne's aunt heard about the situation, she was concerned. Her daughter had died of cyst cancer. Would Joanne accept prayer? Even though she had stopped going to church, she felt she had nothing to lose. So, four days before surgery was scheduled, Joanne's aunt and a close friend, both born-again Christians, prayed together on the phone. For an hour. Three days later, a day before the surgery was to take place, Joanne was again ultrasound-tested. What evidenced was 33

indeed ultra-surprising. The cysts had popped and become very small. They were dissipating to nothing. Shocked, Joanne's physician called in another doctor and two nurses who compared before and after testing. Surgery was cancelled, the case was closed. And not only was Joanne healed, but an insurance company that looked at the records was willing to insure her female organs. (Such insurance had been cancelled earlier.) Now, more than a year later, Joanne remains cyst-free and works long days at her business. Oh yes, she has also returned to church.

Prayer group prays - brain tumor goes. At the age of three, Johnny OT^eil was a hopeless case. A brain scan in 1981 showed Johnny had hypothalmic glioma, a cancerous brain tumor that was growing. By the time he'd reached three, he'd undergone twenty-nine radiation treatments. But a hospital specialist laid it on the line - Johnny had a year to live. In 1982, the boy was hospitalized. Even worse, he went blind. But Johnny's born-again Christian parents wouldn't give up. One night, members of a Catholic charismatic prayer group visited Johnny. They anointed him with oil and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Within ten minutes, Johnny could see. That was the start of a happy ending. The tumor began to disappear. After six months, the brain tumor was gone. To the surprise and joy of specialists who had been involved with the child. It has never returned. Today, Johnny is a freshman in high school, working on the stage crew. He graduated with honors from junior high school. He has completed 3 stages of karate. His doctor still calls him "the famous John O'Neil". And doctors familiar with the case remain amazed to this date.

Back problems bug ex-line-backer, God solves them. Back in 1969, Jack Baker was a line-backer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jack damaged his back "somewhat" in his football career, but the worst was yet to come. 34

In late 1976, as he was moving a table, Jack popped a disc in his back and severely damaged the sciatic nerve. He went to an orthopedic surgeon, osteopath and chiropractor, but nothing seemed to help. A few months later, Jack, a born-again Christian, received healing prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. "Within two weeks, all the pain was gone. I could sit comfortably anytime, anywhere. I was totally healed." To this date, Jack, now executive vice-president of a major Chicago area corporation, remains free from those old spinal problems. His most recent company physical exam show no indication of any such infirmity.

Thyroid miraculously healed. For much of her adult life, Sue Moellering had thyroid problems. But, after the birth of her third child in 1985, Sue became very lethargic, sleepy and eventually depressed. As the months rolled by, Sue realized she needed help from what seemed like an extremely long post-natal letdown. She went to her doctor. Tests showed she was hypothyroid. The situation wasn't likely to improve without help. Treatment, as soon as possible was indicated. With the help of synthroid,her prescribed medication, Sue felt much better and "peppier." But, by 1989, her doctor warned she couldn't continue to take large doses of the drug. Harmful side-effects could set in. "They began watching me like a hawk." At this point, Sue says, "I cried out to the Lord for help and healing." She reminded Him of scriptures that stated that by the whipping of Jesus she was healed and that healing was the bread of God's children. Sue also relates she "got mad at the devil." She told him to "Take your filthy hands off my thyroid - in the name of Jesus!" After that, she began to feel much better - but "nervous." Concerned, Sue went back to her doctor, who tested her thyroid, with surprising results. Sue recalls her physician saying "Sometimes something strange like this happens. You have strange test results. Your thyroid has healed itself." Immediately, Sue was taken off all medication. Her nervousness, resulting from the now unnecessary medication, ended came. She kept feeling "peppier" and "more energetic." 35

Of course, Sue knows her thyroid didn't heal itself. And she's glad she knows the One who healed her.

Tumor disappears - breast remains. Ellen Naylor had neither time nor inclination to go through a mastectomy . A very active mother of three, her family and her nursing home position kept her well occupied. Yet, wisely, her doctor wanted to take no chances. When a tumor appeared on her breast in May of 1990, the physician considered Ellen's previous breast problems. These included a benign tumor removed by a lumpectomy four years earlier. So he prescribed "radical surgery." Ellen didn't hurry to the hospital. Instead, she turned to God. Three weeks after surgery seemed the logical solution, she asked her pastor for prayer. He anointed her forehead with oil and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. A week later, she went to her doctor, who took another mammogram. To his surprise, the outlook had changed. Radically. The tumor was gone. Entirely. What now? Ellen's physician, she remembers, simply commented, "There's no reason to do the surgery. We can't do a biopsy when there's nothing there." Has the tumor ever returned? No. And Ellen remains a whole person because she trusted in God - who didn't let her down.

Can God heal a brain-atrophied and epileptic child? Ask the parents of Michael Williams. 1991 was a very bad year for the Williams family. Their second son, three-year-old Michael,seemed like a hopeless case. Some experts from the University of Iowa suggested his parents consider putting him into out-of-home placement. Michael was virtually impossible to live with. Diagnosed with brain atrophy and epilepsy, obviously retarded, Michael was also born with a malformed skull. He had the intelligence of a ten-month-old and a personality only a parent could love. Angry and frustrated, Michael would not only get into tantrums, but was masochistic and would beat his head against anything that was handy. His crib had to be padded. 36

Both of his parents are teachers and they searched every possible avenue of help. They dreaded placing the boy out of their home. But he required constant attention and seemed to have no future. Then, when darkness surrounded the family, in the early months of 1992, Michael's mother heard of and decided to pursue divine healing through Jesus Christ. She absorbed a video tape about a Christian's right to healing. She began to believe strongly t h a t J e s u s Christ would heal her child. Taking action, Michael's m o t h e r brought h e r son to t h e Chicago area for hands-on prayer from friends who had experienced and believed strongly in divine healing. For m a n y h o u r s , Michael received p r a y e r , b u t r e s u l t s seemed to be m i n i m a l . T h e n one of t h e p r a y i n g friends felt impressed to start speaking healing scriptures. And steadily, for perhaps twenty minutes, Michael's mother and the two friends kept thanking God t h a t by Jesus' scourging, Michael was healed. Faith seemed to rise in the room. At this point, Michael's mother determined to take action again. She had been told of another mother who had commanded a new brain into her autistic child in the name of Jesus Christ with miraculous results. (See the Bossmin testimony elsewhere in this book.) And she decided to do the same thing. Dashing to Michael's crib, his mother laid hands on her son and commanded a new brain into the boy in the name of J e s u s Christ. Nothing, at t h a t moment, seemed to happen. Yet, mother and friends began t h a n k i n g God for Michael's new brain. They spoke and over and over and over the Biblical promise (2 Timothy 1) that Michael had a sound mind. Then, mother and son returned to Iowa City. Less t h a n two days later, the praying friends in Chicago received a phone call from an ecstatic mother. Something h a d happened to Michael. He was beginning to show a new awareness. And - the very shape of his head had changed! - a fact noted by Michael's father who had been skeptical. In the next few weeks, Michael, the fearful introvert, began moving out, exploring things. He had become curious. He entered a new s t a g e of u n d e r s t a n d i n g . Now, w h e n h e b e a t h i s h e a d a g a i n s t an object, h e cried. Realizing w h a t he w a s doing, he stopped doing it. He became more patient, wanting also to please as never before. His attention span was lengthening dramatically.

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A few months later, Michael went to the hospital for another brain wave test. For the first time, such an EEG was normal, not a trace of trouble showed. And, even Michael's neurologist stated t h a t the shape of the boy's head had changed, indicating brain growth. Now, at the age of four, Michael is getting glowing progress reports from his special school.His neurologist plans to withdraw him from medication. He is communicating for the first time, via words and signs. And his parents continue to thank Jesus for Michael's sound mind - deeply appreciative of the miracle the Lord has has already brought about in their once-hopeless son.

God deflates high blood pressure and the high cost of medication. Judy Thilly is an energetic mother and grandmother. And if there was anything she doesn't need, it's high blood pressure hanging over her daily life. Her hypertension was, as it is so often, inherited, her family history indicated that. With a dangerous diastolic count of 110, her doctor quickly prescribed medication. This would most Ukely be necessary for the rest of her life. But Judy had other ideas. After she had been on medication for some time without satisfactory results, Judy was ready to bring the matter before the home Bible study group she and her husband attended. When the group discovered Judy's problem was inherited, it took specific action. Spirits of inheritance were commanded to leave her in the name of of Jesus Christ. Within a week, her blood pressure was normal. The diastolic had dropped from 110 to 86. Judy felt better. And she felt even better realizing she was no longer taking medication, yet her blood pressure was lower without it than with it. More than five years after that happy healing of 1987, Judy's blood pressure is running around 130/86. And she can keep running around without fear not to mention the high cost of medication. All because Judy and her Bible group believed Jesus means what he says in the 16th Chapter of the Gospel of Mark, that one of the signs to follow believers is the casting out of demons, in His name.

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Yeast infections bring ulcerations and scars but God brings healing and children. Judi Connor, like many other teenagers, had acne-prone skin. To improve her situation, a physician prescribed a particular antibiotic. A few months later, the doctor died, but Judi kept taking the medication for 18 months. The acne problem was eliminated, but the prolonged use of the drug gave birth to yeast infections that plagued Judi for years. Finally, large uterine ulcerations appeared. The required cauterizations left scars and ulcerations. Even though Judi had borne no children, one doctor asked her how many she had - her female organs were like a "battleground." Concerned about the danger of sterility because of chronic yeast infections, Judi began to trust the God of her Bible to heal her. She prayed and claimed biblical healing promises. As time went by, Judi noticed the yeast infections had stopped recurring. Prior to her impending marriage, she checked with a gynecologist who checked her female organs. Her uterus was "pink and fresh." The specialist couldn't believe any ulcerations or scars had ever existed! He questioned whether she had ever been cauterized. Since that year of 1985, Judi has not only been free of yeast infections, but she's become the mother of two healthy sons. And her heart continues to overflow with gratitude to her Lord, Jesus Christ, who made it all possible.

Malign tumor turns benign, doctor can't explain it. Adrienne Frazier had cancer. Since the malignant tumor on her uretor tube still remained after radiation, surgery was determined - and scheduled. A frightening situation for the 59-year-old mother of two. To add to the upset, preparations were underway for the marriage of Adrienne's daughter. It was Spring of 1971. Just days before the scheduled surgery, Adrienne went with her husband to a meeting of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International. There, the guest evangelist who didn't know Adrienne, prayed for her, and spoke prophetically to her. He told her that God had healed her, and the doctor would be amazed and have no explanation for it. 39

Two days before the surgery was scheduled, a Christian friend from Michigan called Adrienne with the very same message: God had healed her, and the doctor would not be able to explain it. At the hospital, the final pre-surgery testing indicated the tumor was still malignant. Then came surgery. The removed tumor was sent to the lab. Something had happened. The tumor was now benign! The surgeon gave Adrienne the good news, and commented that the tumor had changed, but that it was not from the radium or any previous treatment! He had no explanation for it. The two prophecies had come to pass; God had indeed healed Adrienne! Since that happy day, Adrienne has had no further attacks of cancer. Her friends consider a very healthy and active 81-yearold grandmother.

Child turns purple with lupus family turns to God. Jenni Spenner was uncomfortable and embarrassed. No ten-year-old girl looks forward to going to school with huge welts all over her body and purplish skin. Her appearance was the least of her parent's worries. When she was diagnosed at a leading Chicago area hospital with lupus (Collagen Vascular Disease), they realized her very life could be in grave danger. Her disease was considerable both incurable and potentially fatal. Jenni's specialist, head of pediatrics at the hospital, said she'd never seen anything like it. Other doctors were called in to observe such an unusual case. Faced with a grim prognosis, the Spenners, born-again Christians, went their knees. And they asked their charismatic church for prayer. Symptoms began to recede. Four months after the initial tests, Jenni returned to the hospital for a sophisticated blood test. The evidence was conclusive. There was no longer any lupus in Jenny Spenner's body. She had been miraculously cured of the incurable disease. That was in 1987. Today, over five years later, Jenni is a vibrant teen-ager who is an honors student. And a very active follower of Jesus Christ.

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Cyst surgery unnecessary - God handles it. Karen Steinhauer had a thirteen-year history of cystitis. In 1988, her doctor recommended surgery on a large and dangerous cyst on her uterus. Testing had been completed. There was no doubt. But Karen, a born-again Christian, turned to Jesus Christ. She had hands-on prayer in her church. And waited. Shortly afterward, pre-surgical testing that included ultrasound and x-ray indicated something was missing. The uterine cyst was no more. Obviously, God had healed Karen. There was no other answer. Has that uterine cyst ever returned? No. Jesus said in the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark that in His name, believers would lay hands on the sick and the sick would recover. And that's what happened.

"This is unbelievable. You're completely healed!" Dorothy Schwann is a mother of seven who's also an excellent roller skater - even in her sixties. In fact, she gives demonstrations. But, on March 17, 1988, as Dorothy was skating, she flipped up and came down - right on her hip. And she suffered a severe fracture of the right pelvis (hip bone). Rushed to the emergency room of a nearby suburban medical center, Dorothy was in excruciating pain. X-rays pictured the deep break. A week later, her doctor warned Dorothy that unless she followed instructions closely, she could be crippled for life. The hip would take three to four months to heal. Meanwhile, even with potent pain pills, she was hurting continually. Days later, she could touch her right foot to the floor. Using a walker, she moved with decided difficulty. When they learned of Dorothy's disaster, two Christian acquaintances called and offered to pray - on the phone. The date was May 6th. Rebuking a spirit of infirmity, the couple commanded Dorothy's pelvis to come into proper alignment in the name of Jesus Christ. As Dorothy describes it, her hip area began to rotate slowly and continued to adjust over a period of about twenty minutes. Two days later, the pain left her body. A few days later Dorothy went to a nearby medical center for a scheduled checkup. 41

Her doctor compared the earlier x-rays with the new ones that had just been taken. He said, "I can't believe this, Dorothy, it's almost healed." In about two-and-a-half weeks, Dorothy went back for more x-rays. Her doctor was amazed and overjoyed. "This is unbelievable. You're completely healed!" After using a cane for one more day, Dorothy walked unaided. A mobile miracle, she had no more pelvis fracture, no more pain. Soon afterward, she was roller skating again. Moving proof that God is still in the healing business.

Prostate had to come out until Jesus came on the case No man looks forward to prostate gland removal. Chuck Schiappacasse certainly didn't when he got the bad news. According to an attending urologist, in-hospital exploratory testing indicated removal of the greatly enlarged prostate. He wanted it done in a month. Early in that new year of 1978. About two weeks later, Chuck became a born-again Christian at a Catholic charismatic retreat. Two days later, the prayer group sponsoring the retreat prayed for Chuck's healing in the name of Jesus Christ. When his urologist next examined Chuck, he decided to wait on the surgery. At the next examination, the urologist declared the prostate perfectly normal. Since that spring of 1978, Chuck has had no further need of antibiotics or surgery. His prostate gland continues to be perfectly normal.

Two miracles in a month? Ask this young housewife. In March of 1990, Gail Naselli, 27-year-old mother of two pre-schoolers, began to experience "incredible pain." A few days later, her family physician diagnosed a gall-bladder problem. Then an ultra-sound test at a suburban hospital indicated thousands of tiny gallstones were the cause. That week, Gail and her husband attended a city-wide prayer meeting where several Christians laid hands on her and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Gail says she felt 42

a tremendous heat enter her body. A few days later, the pain disappeared, and Gail discontinued the prescribed pain medication. The following week, a CT-scan to determine whether the stones were diseased and how to treat them showed the gall bladder was completely clear. Without any medical therapy, Gail had been healed. But, the same CT-scan revealed a shadow on Gail's liver. Her doctor called for a biopsy. Once again, Gail received prayer. Two weeks later, the biopsy was performed. The findings were medically surprising. The selected sample seemed to be dissolving. A few days later, the doctor called with a more complete report. The biopsy sample looked like it had been a complicated cyst on her liver that was definitely dissolving. Prognosis? It probably wouldn't bother her for the rest of her life. Today, over three years later, with a new baby and another on the way - Gail continues free of any liver problem. And she's thoroughly convinced of the scripture in Exodus 15 where God states that He is the Lord our healer.

Ominous gum g r o w t h obliterated by God. In March of 1990, Michelle Balderas went to her dentist for a routine checkup. What the examination and x-rays revealed was far from routine. They showed the 22-year-old hairdresser had a blue-black growth on her gums where a wisdom tooth had been removed two years earlier. Alarmed, Michelle's dentist called in other dentists. They agreed. She should see an oral surgeon. Immediately. That afternoon, Michelle and her husband visited the oral surgeon. Taking his own x-rays, the surgeon, very concerned, had others look at the gum. The recommendation : prompt removal of the growth. But, if it were removed, there was a strong possibility that one side of Michelle's gums would be numbed for at least two years; possibly permanently. The Balderases stalled. They knew there was an even better way. God's way. Joined by Michelle's parents, active at Christian TV Channel 38, they prayed for divine healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Out-of-town relatives, also born-again Christians, were called for prayer. Michelle was confident God would heal her. The next evening, Michelle decided to check out the blueblack gum growth. She looked into her bathroom mirror. To her delight, the growth was gone. Entirely. 43

Before the end of that week, Michelle visited both her dentist and her oral surgeon. Amazed at what they observed, both again brought in outside specialists to look - not at an ominous growth but at totally healthy gums. The oral surgeon called what God had done a lot better than surgery. Michelle's dentist and staff referred to the young hairdresser as "the miracle girl." As far as the overjoyed patient is concerned, they said a mouthful.

Young pipe-fitter battles arthritis Jesus gives him victory. Gene Koch is a big man and a strong one. But by the time he was 29, arthritis had so crippled him he could no longer grasp the pipe wrench he was using at the construction site of a new hotel. It was in that year of 1971 that Gene was medically diagnosed as osteo-arthritic and also suffering from gout. The problem "ran in the family" and was, of course, incurable. Exhaustive hospital testing also divulged Gene was suffering from diverticulitis. For eight years, Gene struggled against pain and incapacitation to support his young family. Then, in 1979, now a bornagain Christian, he went to a rally at Chicago's Miracle Temple. And found a miracle. The evangelist laid hands on him and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ for healing "from the top of his head to the soles of his feet." The years of pain left immediately. He could freely bend his fingers and legs. Even a slipped pelvis was put back in place. Firmly. Returning to his physician, Gene proudly demonstrated his new freedom. Released from the need for medication, he entered into decades of pain-free living as a pipe-fitter and welder. Living proof there is a cure for arthritis,gout and diverticulitis. Jesus Christ.

College student's future cloudy but God clears things up. Jim Spenner was feeling rotten. It was May, 1987, and Jim was gutting it through the end of his freshman year at Western Illinois University. He'd lost weight, was coughing and anemic. Then in June and July, x-rays divulged two growths on Jim's lungs as well as enlarged lymph nodes. A thoracic surgeon indicated major chest surgery would be necessary to take a biopsy. Cancer, possibly leukemia, was suspected. 44

Jim's mother, a born-again Christian, asked for a two week delay on the surgery. She and her friends in a Women's Aglow chapter began praying for healing. Within two weeks, more x-rays were taken. The report was a surprise. Jim's lungs were clear, with no growths or lymph enlargement. Jim's coughing had now ended and he was feeling much better. Attributing the miraculous results to God, the surgeon quickly cancelled scheduled surgery. Since that time, Jim has graduated from college, entered the job market and even been part of a missionary team going into Eastern Europe. Lung problems and anemia are things of the past.

Autistic child healed when mother takes authority. By the age of three, Tina Bossmin hadn't spoken a word. Suspecting their daughter might be deaf, her parents took her to Braun Center in the Chicago suburbs. It was early 1987. The diagnosis of two psychologists and a speech therapist shocked the Bossmins - Tina was autistic and slightly retarded. She wasn't speaking because she was withdrawn and shunned love and affection, symptoms of an autistic child. The Bossmins placed Tina in First Orland Center, a school for the handicapped. Later, she was transferred to Doctor School. Determined to help her daughter, Lydia Bossmin attended a school in divine healing at Midwest Christian Center. Encouraged by what she'd learned, Tina's mother was ready to act. In the morning of October 24th, Lydia placed her hands on Tina's head and commanded a new brain with above normal intelligence into her daughter in the name of Jesus Christ. Then she sent the child to school. That afternoon, when Tina came home, she noticed a balloon hanging in the house. And she said "Oh, look a balloon!" Those were the first words she had ever spoken. Lydia was thrilled. Her thirteen-year-old son "nearly flipped." Then she read from the daily report sent home by Tina's teacher. Tina had had an excellent day - and "for the first time she responded to two sentence commands." Tina's improvement was rapid. By the end of the school year, she was judged to be advancing rapidly . At four-and-a-half, Tina was talking freely, responding to people with interest and affection. She had so completely changed that Doctor School referred to her as "the miracle child."Her teacher stated that Tina 45

no longer r e q u i r e d full-time special education and should be placed in a regular pre-school class. How about the mental retardation? In t h a t same year, Tina tested at the academic level of a six-year-old. In an October, 1992, meeting with the diagnostician, speech therapist and counselor, Tina was pronounced no longer needing any extra help in speech and other areas. In her final testings, she tested "above normal' in m a t h and intelligence, (an a n s w e r to h e r mothers prayer) t h e only tests given her. She has now been released from all special education teaching. In December, 1992, Tina celebrated her ninth birthday. An honor student, she has also had a perfect attendance record for more t h a n two years. Because her born-again Christian mother learned her authority in the name of J e s u s Christ - and used it, God has completely freed Tina Bossmin from the dark prison of autism and the bonds of retardation.

Heart healed through hands-on prayer. Goldie Stimac isn't one to dash off to the doctor without very good reason. Only once in thirty years had the 77-year-old grandmother visited a physician. To pick up some kidney pills. But in 1986, Goldie h a d been suffering from sharp h e a r t pains for quite a while. She was also experiencing swelling in her legs. So she visited a physician. His testing revealed congestive h e a r t disease. One valve was partially closed. There was a heart murmur. And the swelling was from edema, an excessive water situation t h a t often accompanies such a heart problem. Medication did keep the situation under control, but Goldie still didn't feel well. She also didn't like being slowed down. Then in t h e a u t u m n of 1988, Goldie decided to attend a charismatic Christian church where an evangelist from Dallas was holding a series of meetings. At the service, the evangelist placed his hands on her and p r a y e d for h e a l i n g in t h e n a m e of J e s u s C h r i s t . And Goldie Stimac began to feel better. A subsequent trip back to the doctor confirmed the divine healing. Goldie's heart seemed to be "fine." The edema had also left her. Since then, she has had no heart problems of any sort. In fact, a hospital checkup in September, 1992, indicates that Goldie 46

continues to enjoy a well-functioning heart. Goldie Stimac appreciates what God has done for her. And that He likes to heal his people - no matter what their age.

Priest prays - and God heals grandmother Marion Glielmi wondered what was going on. In the spring of 1992, she had a medical checkup. Without indicating any specific problem, her doctor had her return a month later. After checking her mouth,the doctor, Marion recalls, said, "It's still 'here." The doctor sent Marion to a maxillosurgeon. Then Marion discovered the problem - "something about the size of a pecan" - a growth - was at the base of her tongue. The next step would be an oncologist at a large downtown hospital. But before her August appointment, Marion called a priest with a well-known healing ministry for help. She knew he held healing masses in a Chicago-area church. But when she called his office, the priest offered to pray right away - on the phone. After the prayer, Marion told her husband, "I feel warm all over." She felt "great heat." And she was even perspiring. The next week, Marion kept her appointment with the oncologist. He checked her out. But he couldn't find what he was looking for. The x-rays, taken previously, showed the pecan-sized growth. The oncologist found nothing. Marion - a mother of seven and grandmother of thirteen - had been healed by God.

Great-Grandmother healed of stroke goes hack to work. Dorothy Ward has a heart for people. At the age of 73, she is employed in the Volunteer Department of a well-known Chicago-area hospital. Little did she know that one day she would be taken to the emergency room of that same hospital with a stroke. It happened in February, 1993. Dorothy was noticed wandering around the hospital grounds completely disoriented. People began calling her boss to report seeing Dorothy and being concerned. Security finally found her in the parking lot, confused and lost. They took her to the emergency room. Many tests were administered, including two EKGs, a CT-scan, an arterial Flow 47

test of both carotid arteries, and blood work. Her blood pressure was extremely high and she had pain in the back of her head. Her daughter came to the hospital as they were doing the tests. Back in her room, on an IV and with a high fever, Dorothy accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and became a bornagain Christian. Her daughter laid hands on her and prayed for healing. Instantly, the pain left Dorothy's head. Within a few hours,the IV had been removed, the fever was gone, and the blood pressure was 118/80. The headache never returned. All tests came back normal. Other than the loss of memory of about one hour, there is no evidence of a stroke. Forty-eight hours after the stroke, Dorothy was discharged and told to resume her normal activity. Two days later, Dorothy was back at work and put in a thirteen-hour day. People stood in line at her office to see her, marveling at her recovery. Many were awe-struck at how powerfully and quickly her God and Savior had moved to set Dorothy free from any symptoms of a stroke.

Cysts on both ovaries disappear after prayer. Marion Laverde didn't appreciate the pain in her body. And even after an ultrasound test indicated she had a cyst on each of her ovaries, Marion, understandably, wasn't exactly overjoyed. So, in that year of 1985 , Marion decided to get a second opinion. She went to another physician and underwent another ultrasound. But the findings were the same - two ovarian cysts. That's when Marion's mother, Rose Flora, decided to try a third alternative - God. She and her two other daughters attended a Christian service. There, Rose and her daughters received prayer on behalf of Marion. Days later, Marion went to the hospital for scheduled surgery. The surgeon went in - and found no cyst on either ovary. He proceeded with a routine D & C (dusting and cleaning) and sent Marion home. Today, over eight years later, Marion remains cyst-free and appreciates the fool-proof medical treatment only the Divine Physician can provide.

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Aneurism! - "Like somebody t r i e d to blow my h e a d off!" Janie Lawson is a Chicago girl who can roll with the punches. One of a large family, she was never quick to complain, even when she was hurting. So, when headaches and d i a r r h e a a t t a c k e d her on Halloween of 1976, Janie, then out of high school, gritted her teeth and hung on. On Christmas Eve, it happened again, but Janie didn't do anything about it. Then came January 15th of 1977. Janie had just put the key in the ignition of her car. And suddenly, "It was like somebody shoved a stick of dynamite in my ear and tried to blow my head off." She kept screaming from the excruciating pain. This time, her father insisted on taking her to the hospital. She underwent "all kinds of tests" that included several spinal taps. Janie was diagnosed as having an aneurism. She was bleeding internally from a ruptured blood vessel. Loaded with morphine for the agonizing pain, she was "hooked up to everything you can imagine." The hospital called in Janie's family. They were told she wouldn't live through the night. Throughout the night, Janie's mother stayed and prayed for her dying daughter. The next morning - Sunday - her mother went to a a charismatic Christian service. The visiting evangelist said that someone in the meeting had a child being healed of a severe problem in her head - a life-threatening situation. "God", he said, "has just healed her." Janie's mother rushed back to the hospital and her the words the evangelist had spoken. Janie says, "I believed it." Not only did she make it through the night, but after about ten days, Janie left intensive care. Two weeks later, she went home. Two to three months later, Janie returned to the hospital for another angiogram - to pinpoint the exact location of the problem and prepare for the next step, most likely, surgery. A complete angiogram located - nothing. In fact, there was no evidence of any ruptured blood vessels. It was as if no problem had ever occurred. Janie recalls, "They were surprised. They couldn't understand it." Of course, Janie wasn't surprised. She had been feeling better and better. The pain was gone. She knew that the same faithful God who had promised her healing through the Christian 49

evangelist had brought His words to pass. And today, those who know her would agree - a healthy, active J a n i e Lawson has a sound head on her shoulders.

Golden record winner breaks pelvis, but God gets him moving again. Evaristo Rodriguez is an exceptionally fine guitarist. In the 1960s, his group picked up a Golden Record. But, in 1980, when he was picked up and hospitalized after an automobile accident, Evaristo didn't feel much like making music. His pelvis, he was told, was in bad shape. He would be bedridden for a month. Evaristo's wife notified a church prayer group. Gathered in one of the member's homes, the group prayed for Evaristo in the name of Jesus Christ. As they prayed, they could hear the sounds of bones cracking. The next day, Evaristo calmly decided to get up from his bed a n d walk to t h e bathroom. And he did it. It was a most remarkable accomplishment. The preceding day he couldn't manage to put one foot on the floor. What happened the next day was equally remarkable. The hospital decided it was no longer necessary to encase Evaristo in a back cast. And not only had he become mobile, but Evaristo had no pain in either his pelvis or his back. Back in action far ahead of earlier expectations, Evaristo a n d his a w a r d - w i n n i n g music group were appreciative of the faithful church prayer group - and a faithful God who answered their prayer.

Attorney contracts colon cancer God breaks the contract. Lance Kupisch is a hard-working attorney who doesn't like to take time to be sick. So, even when a problem with diarrhea continued on a daily basis, Lance kept going to work and not to t h e doctor. B u t after a t h r e e - m o n t h siege a n d a forty-pound weight loss, he finally saw his partner's physician. It was early summer of 1986.

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Tests showed he was dangerously dehydrated and Lance received appropriate medication. A series of tests t h a t followed made it clear t h a t he had cancer of the of the colon and could have stomach cancer as well. That could also explain the feeling of fire in his stomach when he tried to eat. Lance's wife cried and his p a r t n e r was quite concerned. The doctor wanted Lance in the hospital. But Lance, who h a d become a born-again C h r i s t i a n the preceding year, knew t h a t God was as much a healer today as He was in centuries past. He believed t h e Bible, received prayer, began speaking healing scriptures and threw out his anti-diarrhetic pills. He also decided not to be hospitalized. And he kept on working. When his partner urged him to go into the hospital, Lance promised he would do it if t h e r e w a s no sign of improvement within two weeks. Days later, in August of 1986, Lance attended a major service held by a highly-regarded Christian healing ministry. When the call for prayer came, Lance was first in line. As he recalls, he felt the power of God ("like a magnetic field") and he staggered back. Then, when a hand was laid on his forehead, Lance dropped to the floor. He reports t h a t for about the next forty-five minutes he felt a great relaxation, peace and joy. To Lance's great delight, something else had happened at that meeting. All of the pain t h a t he had lived with for months was gone. And the "fire" in his stomach was extinguished. From then on, it was all uphill. Lance began to eat with gusto. Within two days, the diarrhea was gone. Within a week, he had gained five pounds Color returned to his face. And there was rejoicing in his law office. Several physical examinations over the following six years have detected no signs of any cancer. Today, Lance Kupisch is the picture of health and an example of high energy. And he believes more t h a n ever in the Biblically legal right of any true Christian to divine healing through the sacrifice of and in the name of Jesus Christ.

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Hit by heart attack, counselor healed through Jesus Christ. Rick Calhoon was nearly exhausted. The 42-year-old counselor at a camp for the handicapped had "overdone it" on that hot day in August, 1989. Back home, he was tired and his overweight body weighed heavily on him. Then came the sudden pain in his chest and arms by vomiting and the loss of sight in one eye. Barely able to lift his head, Rick managed to call his wife at her office in downtown Chicago. She phoned an evangelist from their church. Then her secretary called an ambulance. And Rick was rushed to the hospital. When the evangelist arrived at the hospital emergency room, he put one hand on Rick's shoulder and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ. Rick felt heat coursing into his body and a sense of relaxation. The heart attack was confirmed and Rick was transferred to intensive care. He was considered on the border line between life and death. Surprisingly, he calls the rest of that night "the greatest of my life." It was during that time the bornagain Christian managed to raise his hands and praise God. Tremendous peace and joy came over him. "I felt a very close presence of the Lord", he says. In twelve days, Rick was released from the hospital where he had been transferred. Then came January of 1991 and more hospital testing. The results were even more surprising than during Rick's short stay in the hospital. To his physician's surprise, there was no trace of scar tissue on the heart. No evidence of the attack on the heart muscle could be found. It was if nothing had ever happened. Rick's doctor told the camp counselor he thought the healing was of God. Rick and his wife had no doubt of it.

Cancerous tumor grows quickly but God uproots it. Breast cancer. Feared by women. Much too common. So, Helen Ingersoll was upset when testing showed five malignant cells in one of her breasts. The tumor problem showed up at an annual checkup in May of 1988. Helen wasn't ready for surgery, the tumor was small and she decided to wait. But in October, 1988, new mammogram testing revealed the tumor had tripled in 52

size. She went to the hospital x-ray unit and with a nurse looked at the mammogram herself. As Helen recalls, the nurse commented, "You"re in trouble." Now Helen began praying more intently. She received prayer whenever it was available. And she concentrated more heavily on claiming the scripture from Isaiah 54 that no weapon formed to oppose her would succeed and the promise in Isaiah 53 that by the sacrificial scourging of Jesus Christ she was healed. She also taped the latest mammogram to her kitchen window and mentally erased the dark spot circled by the physician. In December of 1988, her gynecologist called. He wanted to operate before Christmas. Then, on December 10th, new pictures were taken. On noon of that day, the gynecologist called her with good news. Her x-rays were clear. There was nothing there. Around this time, or just before, the pain that long persisted also left Helen. Every year since then, Helen has been retested. The results have been the same each time - no tumor of any sort. Through prayer and faith in His written word, God had moved and removed the problem and it has never returned.

God moves h e r j a w a n d TMJ problems move out. Simply put, TMJ is an inflammation of the hinge-joint of the jaw. Eating, sleeping and just living can be very uncomfortable. And that's what began to happen to Roseanne Stolzman in 1981. The young mother began experiencing pain, headache. Her back, jaw and temples were affected. As the pain became more severe, Roseanne became more irritable. Thinking she could have an abscessed tooth or gum infection, she went to a dentist. X-rays showed Roseanne's bite was off. The dentist told her she had TMJ. But because of pregnancy, any extreme dental work was postponed. She was given a retainer to wear at night. But, as she kept grinding her teeth, she went through two retainers in a matter of months. After her baby was born in 1982, Roseanne began to wear braces. She wore them for three years. Then she went back to a retainer. Until 1991, Roseanne felt much better - with no pain. Then all the symptoms came back. Her bottom jaw was " really sore." She was frustrated and hurting . And with six children, she felt she couldn't afford costly dental work. But one memorable day in September, 1992, she went to God for help - and got it. Over the phone, a fellow born-again 53

Christian commanded a spirit of TMJ to leave her in the name of Jesus and she received prayer in that Name. Then, she felt a "warmth" on her face. She felt as if a hand had come in and moved her jaw. She felt different - better. Since then, Roseanne has experienced no more mouth, jaw, or head pain. She can eat, chew and bite easily. She's been checked by a dentist. Healed by God through prayer, Roseanne Stolzman is still amazed at what happened to her.

Baby healed in womb. Imagine the consternation of Maryterese Dierks when she was told the child she carried would be born with Downes Syndrome or spina bifida. She was five months pregnant in that November of 1988 and the medical recommendation was - abortion. Panic set in. But Maryterese, a born-again Christian, refused an abortion. Instead, her mother and church friends began to pray. And kept on praying. Her mother, Shirley Fortier, claimed the scripture from the book of James that every good and perfect gift was from above. She expected a perfect baby. In about four months from the blood testing and ominous diagnosis, Lauren Dierks was born - healthy. The doctor commented that she was a good and perfect baby. At the age of ten months, Maryterese was walking. Earlier than normal, she was talking. At the age of four, she's considered in school to be very bright and above average. It's no wonder her parents and family are thanking God that she is indeed a good and perfect gift from above.

Boy totally healed of epilepsy. Dr. Hamilton and his wife loved their young son very much. So they were greatly concerned when Sammy, not yet three years old, had periods of black-out. They didn't like the "strange look" in his eyes, either. What was wrong? Initial medical consultation lead to a consideration of a brain tumor. But EEG and CT-Scan testing at Children's Memorial Hospital in 1985 showed conclusive proof - Sammy was an epileptic. Three-quarters of his brain was affected. He was now having 54

Gran Mai and Petit Mai seizures. Medication helped control the disease. But there seemed be no hope of any cure for the child. Until 1990, the Hamilton's knew nothing about divine healing. Then, in 1990, Sammy's m o t h e r h e a r d of a n d a t t e n d e d a prayer meeting followed by healing prayer. She was impressed. When his m o t h e r told him God could heal him, S a m m y became excited. He believed her. Shortly afterward, mother and son went to a healing mass at a Chicago church. Sammy was so eager to be healed, he went up to the prayer line, not once but four times. The fourth time, the charismatic priest laid hands on the boy, prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, and Sammy dropped to the floor. The boy remembers, "I felt static electricity go through my body." Back home, Sammy was so certain he was healed, he began skipping his medication - until his mother discovered what was happening and made him take it. Sammy's next appointment at the hospital was October 27, 1990. It was decided to run another EEG. The next day, Mrs. Hamilton received a phone call from the n e u r o l o g i s t . "Are you a r e s i t t i n g d o w n ? " s h e a s k e d . T h e n Sammy's mother was happily shocked. "There's nothing wrong with Sammy. Everything was normal." And it still is. Sammy h a s h a d no more medication - no more seizures. Even a tremor disorder h a s disappeared. Is J e s u s Christ setting people free today as He did 2000 years ago? Ask the Hamiltons.

High blood pressure takes a nosedive. Dave Putterlik is self-employed. And during the recession of 1992, Dave like so many others, had to scratch a little harder for business. And his blood pressure rose, to such an extent t h a t his family physician prescribed medication. This helped, b u t Dave's blood pressure still wasn't what it should be. Meanwhile, Dave and his wife, both born-again Christians, asked God to handle the problem. Around t h a t time, Dave r a n out of medication. His doctor would prescribe more only after seeing Dave. By the time Dave got in, he had been off medication for quite a few weeks. (Feeling better, he didn't hurry in.) When Dave finally arrived at his doctor's office, she took his blood pressure. Result - normal. No reason, she said to refill. 55

J u s t to be doubly sure, Dave went back a few weeks later. Virtually the same reading. Even a year later, Dave continues to be doing fine - without medication. And what had been his high blood pressure is now only a memory. And a happy one, at that. Because Dave, his wife and family have new proof that God cares enough to answer prayers - and the answer is "Yes."

Sight improves dramatically for middle-aged man. When Gene Koch was eight years old, he nearly lost all sight in his left eye. Jumping over a house foundation , Gene fell and ripped his eyeball wide open. All of the fluid drained out of the eye. Drastic surgery saved the eye, but even then, in that year of 1950, Gene had only 20% vision in the eye - with glasses. Over the years, Gene's vision gradually improved. By 1992, he had about 55% vision in the eye (with glasses). By this time also, Gene had added glaucoma to his eye problems., Medication was at five drops a day. Then, during a September, 1992 phone conversation with a Christian friend, Gene received prayer for his eyes. Spirits of blindness and glaucoma were cast out in the name of Jesus Christ. Gene reports he felt something like a cold finger in his left eye. About six months later, Gene had his annual optical checkup. Vision in his left eye had dramatically increased from 55% to close to 90%. Sight in his right eye reached 20/15. And the doctor reduced his glaucoma medication from five drops to one drop a day. He says the doctor had no explanation for the amazing improvement. But he did prescribe new lenses with a much weaker prescription. And his patient is a very happy man.

Nurse nurses lung disorder and glaucoma but God provides the cure. In the fall of 1989, Connie Adams began having difficulty breathing. At first, the young nurse thought it was merely a cold. But, as breathing became more difficult and her temperature kept running from 101 to 102 degrees, Connie knew better. Finally, x-rays 56

and biopsy proved her problem was sarcoidosis, a debilitating lung disorder. For six months, Connie's temperature reached at least 100 degrees every day. She had to stop working. Even worse, the sarcoidosis (which can affect body organs) caused glaucoma. Not a happy outlook for the recently married Christian. Enter Connie's grandmother, Evelyn Grader. A lady of great faith, she knew of a healing service not far from her home. And, she stood in for her granddaughter and received hands-on prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. From that time on, Connie kept feeling and getting better. Her daily fevers became past history. After six months following the in-absentia prayer, she was totally healed of sarcoidosis - and the glaucoma that impaired her sight. X-rays in 1991 showed that her lungs were clear. Additional testing confirmed the healing of her eyes. Today, Connie Adams is not only is a full-time nurse, but she puts in extra hours. She - her husband and grandmother - are delighted that Jesus is the name above all names, and that nothing is impossible with God.

God heartens pregnant mother. Mary Klimowski was about six weeks pregnant with her fourth child. And just getting through the day had become very difficult. She was constantly running out of breath. After climbing only a half-dozen stairs. Or after doing something as simple as doing the dishes. Again and again, in the fall of 1976, Mary had to lie down just to regain her strength and catch her breath. Not easy, with three small children in motion around her. For years, Mary had known heart irregularity and weakness. So, it wasn't surprising when a visit to her doctor confirmed her breathlessness was a heart problem. He sent her to a heart specialist who checked her, agreed, and planned specific testing to pinpoint the heart infirmity. Mary knew of God's healing power and was most upset that He wasn't healing her when she knew He could. Mary needed more than a physical healing - the attitude of her heart needed a big change. When several members of a prayer group she belonged to found out about her poor health they began to intercede for Mary, asking the Lord to heal her heart. 57

Within weeks after her friends began to pray, Mary woke up one morning feeling very different - she was overwhelmed with gratitude for all God had already done for her. She felt that even if He never healed her heart, it was all right because He had already blessed her so much she could never thank Him enough. Mary got out of bed and on her knees in thanksgiving to God and asked the Lord if she could please do something for Him in some way. The Lord immediately spoke to her heart, saying, "I want you to stop being angry with me." Mary joyfully repented of all the anger she had toward God because He didn't do things the way she wanted. Mary was so grateful to God while in prayer that morning that all she wanted was to love Him, serve Him and thank Him always - all the anger was gone and so was her physical heart problem. When she got up, dressed and went downstairs, she felt good - and she walked up the stairs, breathing beautifully. Excitedly, she ran up and down the stairs - with no more breathlessness. And that was the case from then on. About one month later, Mary returned to the heart specialist who checked her - and ran three different tests. The tests turned out perfectly - no sign of any heart problem, the doctor, Mary recalls, was surprised. Now, Mary, the mother of five children, can take a deep breath, knowing God has healed her heart. Permanently.

Uterine cancer leaves - three children arrive. Maria Rodriguez comes from a family of ten children. Naturally, she looked forward to having her own. But, in 1976, shortly after her marriage, Maria developed uterine cancer. Diagnoses at Chicago and New York hospitals termed it a "third to fourth-stage cancer." Surgery was recommended - and without delay. Not yet a born-again Christian, Maria asked for prayer from a prayer group at St. Francis Xavier Church. When Maria was in surgery, there was no need to remove the uterus, only the tip was cut. "The doctor was surprised and the surgeon was shocked", Maria recalls. Result: not only had she been healed of cancer, but, in following years, Maria delivered three healthy children. 58

Today, Maria is Director of Deanery Five Catholic Youth Program for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In her spare time, she and her husband travel to churches and prayer groups with a ministry of music and have seen marvelous miracle healing miracles of God take place. There has been no recurrence of the uterine cancer.

God fills two cavities. The Bible states that nothing is impossible to God. And Mary Scott is quick to agree. In 1989, she visited her dentist. Two front teeth had been giving her some pain. Sure enough, they did indeed have cavities and would need filling . She would need another appointment. But it so happened that about a week later, Mary, a bornagain Christian, decided to take her daughter to a particular church service. When the pastor offered prayer, Mary decided to take advantage of the opportunity. After she had received handson prayer, the pain in her mouth left. After the service, mother and daughter went home. It was the next morning, as Mary was about to brush her teeth, that she noticed something strange. She was feeling a tingling in her mouth. And she looked in the mirror. To her amazement, the upper front teeth that had cavities the previous night now were filled with silver fillings. No doubt about it. About a month later, during her next appointment, her dentist looked into Mary's mouth and saw the new silver fillings. He asked her if she had seen another dentist. Mary also recalls that he commented that her teeth looked good. Since that time, Mary has had no problem whatever with those front teeth. God had done exemplary dental work.

Young mother sees a "great white light" and healing begins. In May, 1992, Ruby Gonzalez was six months pregnant. And that's when a car accident wracked her back. After visits to doctor, hospital and chiropractor, she learned her vertebrae had become twisted in different directions. 59

For about the next four months, Ruby was in great pain. She was on massive doses of such pain-killers as demerol and codeine. She couldn't continue working. Lifting her new-born baby was difficult. But, the Bible states that nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ bore sickness and pain, so His people wouldn't have to put up with them anymore. In October, Ruby received hands-on prayer at a Christian healing service. She says she saw something like a "great white light." And she began to feel better. That night, she slept more easily. The next morning, Ruby discovered she could walk up stairs without hurting. Within days, she had no more pain whatever. By the end of October, she stopped taking all pain medication. Her chiropractor was "amazed." Because Ruby's muscles had been healed, he could do in seconds what he could not do before - and easily push her vertebrae back in place. A November MRI showed Ruby's back was normal. In December, she returned to work.Today, she continues to function as if that car accident had never occurred.

Osteoporosis invades seven-year-old God drives it out. Martin Halwix IV was a normal, active boy. And probably not the first to trip over a dog on the sidewalk. But, in 1986, he fell in such a way that his right arm was affected. Soon his arm began to swell. His mother took him to the hospital. No fracture was observed. But she was cautioned to keep an eye on the arm. Before long, the color of Martin's arm became increasingly pink. The boy was hospitalized - with a "bad infection" in his right arm - and more. The infection had spread to the bone - osteoporosis had set in. Surgery would determine how far the infection had spread and do what else was required. Strongly believing the power of prayer, Martin's mother submitted a prayer request at church. And she prayed to God in Jesus' name - for healing. When the surgeon opened Martin's arm, there was no more osteoporosis. Plans to keep Martin for three more weeks were changed. After two days, he went home. 60

Power of God instantly frees grandmother with advanced degenerative arthritis. If you're a church organist, piano tuner and office typist, you don't appreciate "advanced degenerative joint disease" crippling your left hand and wrist. Not one bit. So Beatrice Nyberg even tried acupuncture to relieve the effects of the arthritis that had painfully crippled her. X-ray showed "multiple exacervations" of the first wrist joint and thumb area. Beatrice's wrist was fitted with a metal plate. Her bone specialist wanted to replace deteriorated bone in her hand. She was in constant pain from June to October of 1992. What happened in October to change that grim scenario? It began with a visit to a Christian healing service in a south suburban Chicago-area church. Managing almost entirely with her right hand, Beatrice played the organ for the service. With a migraine headache adding insult to injury, Beatrice did her best. So did God. Beatrice joined many others for hands-on prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. And the miraculous happened. The migraine left. The wrist pain left. Excitedly, Beatrice removed the brace. She made a fist with her fingers - which had straightened. She squeezed people's hands. Found she could move each finger with dexterity. Her specialist checked her out - and could scarcely believe what had happened had happened. Beatrice was overjoyed and began living with new gusto. Back to tuning pianos, typing as many as 82 words a minute, lifting her months-old grandchild for the first time. Excruciating arthritis had tied her down - but her loving God had cut her loose.

God heals baby with herniated umbilical cord. Sara Gonzalez was born in July, 1992 with an umbilical cord that popped two inches out from her body. The prognosis was: two years to heal. Meanwhile, Sara was constipated daily, didn't sleep at night - and cried a lot. And crying often caused her belly button to protrude even more than two inches. Those first three months of Sara's life were difficult for the infant and exhausting for her mother, who didn't get much sleep,either. But a divine turnaround was about to occur. 61

In October of 1992, Sara's mother and grandmother took her to a healing service. The baby received hands-on prayer in the n a m e of J e s u s Christ. That night, she slept through for the first time in her life. Long before her December visit with the doctor, Sara's gas and constipation were gone; her digestion seemed normal. When he examined the baby, the physician was amazed. The umbilical opening h a d become "very small." By the February, 1993 exam, the problem no longer existed, Sara was healed. Man's time table was two years after birth - God's time table was less t h a n four months after prayer.

Son prays for blind mother with arthritis, blood clots, anemia and skin disease. God heals her. Doctors at the National Institute of Health had never seen a n y t h i n g like t h e condition of Thea Connolly, a young mother w i t h four children. Legally blind, suffering from r h e u m a t o i d arthritis, anemia, blood clots, bleeding ulcers and skin disease, she was "a mess" in a wheel chair. Thea w a s observed by o u t s t a n d i n g physicians during a four-month stay in a Bethesda, Maryland research hospital. But the diseases t h a t had started early in her life continued to accelerate. By 1972, physicians at a highly respected Chicago hospital told Thea there was no hope.The only sure prognosis was death. Deeply concerned for her family, Thea agonized over the future of her husband and four children. One afternoon in 1972, Thea's 13-year-old son came home from school and found his mother sobbing. Deeply moved, the boy, also a born-again, spirit-filled Christian, lay hands on his mother and cried out to J e s u s Christ to heal her. "A great peace came over me", Thea relates. In the following weeks, the symptoms began to recede. Finally, after six months, doctors at the highly-respected Chicago hospital r a n a six-week series of exhaustive testing. They discovered "not a thing wrong." God had completely healed Thea of every d i s e a s e - i n c l u d i n g b l i n d n e s s . E v e r y t h i n g t h a t h a d plagued her since she was 18 years old was gone. To this date, over 20 years later, none of her multitude of problems has returned. Thea went on to college and received both a bachelors and masters degree. She functions as a counselor, helping other people achieve a better life. 62

Paraplegic walks out of wheel chair. Kathy Metscaviz was a difficult case. J u s t ask her neurologist, Dr. W. Bruce Ketel. When he first saw Kathy in the 1970s, she suffered from two spinal injuries and subsequently developed spinal arachnoiditis, an inflammatory type of scarring t h a t gradually deteriorated her spinal cord. In the early 1980s, Kathy, barely in her thirties, became a paraplegic. She had to be confined to a wheel chair. Yet, even with the paralysis, severe spasms would sometimes pull her out of it. A born-again Christian, Kathy looked into divine healing. She discovered t h a t God did still do miracles. Then, after five years in her wheel chair, as she was sitting in a midweek church service, Kathy felt God spoke to her and told her to take off her braces, get up from her wheel chair and walk out. And, to everyone's amazement, she did. The next day, Kathy walked into Dr. Ketel's office and he verified the healing. He stopped spasticity medication and began exercise therapy. But, a year later, in late 1988, Kathy had a knee problem. When the area was scoped and cleaned out, the pain and spasms returned. Now, the spasms extended to her arms. She was forced to return, paraplegic, to her wheel chair. Four months later, in late 1988, Kathy asked Dr. Ketel, her orthopedic physician and Dr. Ketel's wife and son to pray for her. They met in the neurologist's office and Kathy received prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Immediately, she could rise up from her wheel chair and walk. God had healed her in time to enjoy the Christmas season, giving her the gift of walking. Today, over four years later, Kathy Metscaviz walks easily with a cane, her five-and-a half years of wheel-chair imprisonm e n t a n d suffering are only a n u n p l e a s a n t memory. B u t h e r miraculous healing in the name of Jesus Christ is an event she and her doctors will never forget.

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Chapter 4 DIVINE HEALING IS FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN TODAY More than 3000 years ago, God revealed Himself (Exodus 15) to Moses and the Israelites as the Lord "your healer." This was after he had led some two million people out of Egypt in good health (Psalm 105). In Psalm 103, David, the great king and prophet refers to God as a healer of all diseases. Then, around 700 years before the coming Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the 53rd Chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah, looking ahead to the crucifixion of Jesus, makes an amazing statement. Surely, the original Hebrew tells us, Jesus bore our sicknesses and pains and that by His scourging we are healed. In the 8th Chapter of Matthew, we learn that when Jesus healed everyone, he was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. The 10th Chapter of the Book of Acts tells of Jesus going about doing good, especially curing people. This is the Jesus who stated He came to do the will of His Father (John 6). The New Testament and the records of the early church fathers are replete with recorded healings done in the name of Jesus Christ. Earlier, Jesus and His band of followers could reach only a limited number. Now, through the Holy Spirit, sent to all believers in Jesus (John 14), God could heal people all over the world. Some people say sickness comes from God. Would any loving father or mother punish their children with sickness or pain? Would you? And surely not a God the apostle John tells us (I John 4) is love. No, the source of all sickness and disease is Satan or the devil, whom the First Book of Peter, Chapter 5, refers to as our adversary or enemy. Jesus Himself, in the 10th Chapter of John, calls the devil a thief and says he comes to rob, kill and destroy. Jesus tells us He came to give us a more abundant life. That certainly doesn't include sickness. And if you were Jesus and already borne every sickness and pain, would you want your people to go on suffering them? The documented testimonies in the preceding chapter are from all kinds of people. They speak of divine healing to men, women and children of all ages and circumstances. They prove the scripture (Acts 10) that God doesn't play favorites. That God's supernatural healing is for everyone! 64

Chapter 5 HOW A CHRISTIAN CAN STAY HEALTHY. Prevention is better than cure. Ask the medical profession. Well, God feels the same way about it. He's constantly ready to heal His people, but He'd rather they stay healthy (3rd John 1) and gives them the necessary help to do it! The Bible tells us (2 Cor 1) that in Jesus all the promises of God apply. That means Old Testament and New Testament. These promises belong to every born-again Christian. (A born-again Christian is any person who has asked Jesus Christ to come into his or her heart as personal Lord and Savior, believing God raised Him from the dead, and calling Him "Lord"(Romans 10). In the 28th Chapter of Matthew, the risen Jesus states He has been given all authority on earth. In Luke 10 and Mark 16, He delegates that authority to believers. That authority is over the enemies of mankind, the devil and his evil spirits - the cause of all sickness and disease. In the Gospel of Luke (10th Chapter), Jesus delegates to us, his followers, that authority. In Mark 16, He tells us to drive spirits out in His name. And - He promises to confirm His word with signs following. In the 16th and 18th chapters of Matthew, Jesus gives us the keys to spiritual warfare. Whatever we bind or refuse to permit on earth will not be permitted in (by) Heaven. Whatever we loose here on earth will be loosed in (by) Heaven. Those promises belong to every true Christian today. Hebrews 13 tells us Jesus Christ is the same, hasn't and won't change yesterday, today, or ever. Do they work? Ask the untold thousands who have successfully refused any noticeable symptoms of sickness, disease and pain in the name of Jesus Christ - and seen them leave. I, personally, have been in good health for over 14 years using the name of Jesus against physical attacks. Often ill and much medicated for decades prior to learning the truth, my total medication since late 1978 has been one Tylenol. How do you do it? Jesus tells His followers (Matthew 21) to speak to the problem. According to Matthew 16 & 18, we can bind or refuse to permit. So, for example, we can say "Spirit of of arthritis I refuse you, in the name of Jesus!" Or, "Spirit of influenza, I refuse you, in the name of Jesus!" Or, "Spirit of pain, I refuse you, in the name of Jesus!" We can keep doing this against 65

any sickness or pain until the symptoms leave. We are using the authority the Lord Jesus Christ has delegated to us in Luke 10 and Mark 16. God who cannot lie (Numbers 23) does indeed watch over His Word to bring it to pass (Jeremiah 1). And continuing health and well-being are among His greatest desires for His people. In the Third Letter of John, He makes it clear He wants us to BE in health!

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Chapter 6 HOW TO BECOME A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN. It's really very simple. No m a t t e r what church you do or don't go to. Church membership has nothing to do with it. As Jesus tells us in the Third Chapter of John, we m u s t be be born again to see and enter the kingdom of God. He points out that there are two births, the physical and the spiritual. First we are born (physically), t h e n we can be born again (spiritually). Then we become joint-heirs with Christ, heaven becomes our destination and the abundant life J e s u s promised (John 10) can be ours now on earth. It's a win-win proposition. And, of course, to achieve that more abundant life, we have the right to healing and health through the use of the name of Jesus. All it takes to become born again (or born from above) is a simple prayer such as the following. "Lord Jesus, I believe in my heart t h a t God raised you from the dead. I ask you now to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. And I say with my mouth., "Jesus Christ is my Lord." (Romans 10) Did you pray that? Congratulations. Every promise of God in the Bible now belongs to you!

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HEALINGS INDEX AIDS 27 Allergies 11 Anemia 62 Aneurism 49 Arthritis 31,44,62 Autism 45 Back Problems 26, 28, 59 Blood Pressure 38, 55 Blood Sugar 29 Brain Atrophy 36 Broken Bones 41, 50 Cancer 32, 50, 52, 58 Colitis 14 Ears 15,21 Epilepsy 20,36,54 Eyes 16, 34, 56, 57, 62 Gallstones 20,42 Gums 43 Heart 14, 30, 42, 46, 57 Hematoma 18 Hernia 61 Leukemia 24 Lupus 40 Multiple Sclerosis 16 Osteoporosis 60 Paget's Disease 13 Paralysis 16,22 Paraplegic 63 Prostate 33,42 Sarcoidosis 56 Skin Disease 62 Stroke 47 Teeth 59 Tumors/Growths....12,18,19, 21, 23, 29, 33, 34, 36, 39, 41, 43, 44 Ulcerations 39 69