The garbage dump people

July 28, 2000

 

The below story is one of the most fascinating I have ever heard. It comes from a reliable Christian friend. I first heard it last year but was able to document the details only a few days ago. It demonstrates the power of God's love to penetrate even the most closed cultures when His people are willing to lay down all for the Savior and take up His cross. It also demonstrates the outpouring of God's Spirit in these last days.

A missionary couple had been laboring in a certain Muslim country that I will not name for purposes of protection. They had become terribly discouraged in their attempts to share the gospel with the Muslims there, and they were about to quit and go home. However, they first decided to take a few days to fast and pray, asking the Lord for direction and guidance.

To their surprise, during this period of seeking, the Lord gave them this simple instruction, "Go to the garbage dump people." (In my humble experience, whenever God really speaks to us it is usually very succinct --short, to the point, with few words, very direct. I am always wary of long dissertations purportedly from God.)

The garbage dump people lived on the outskirts of this large Muslim city, the last people group anyone would normally ever want to visit. There are thousands of people there who literally live in the garbage dump. They have no other place to live. They actually comprise a city built on top of all the garbage. "Homes" are typically cardboard boxes. (My friend has photos.) People live off of what they find in the garbage. The stench is described as terrible.

The missionary couple hesitated, humanly not really wanting to go, but they decided that if the Lord was speaking to them they had better obey. (Good idea.) 

They soon began an outreach to the garbage dump people. God's anointing was obviously on the effort because after only a short time they had 30-40 people gathering around them for a Bible study in the garbage dump. In less than a year, 800-900 people were gathering every time the missionaries went in to peach and teach, which was three times a week. They soon began to see God's wisdom in this unique ministry. The garbage dump was a totally protected place because no one, including the authorities, wanted to go in there to interfere with what they were doing. One day, their numbers having reached into the hundreds, they were talking with one of the oldest men of the garbage dump city. They told him that somehow they were going to have to find some shelter so that the assembled people would have some cover from the elements. The old man said, "When I was just a child, many years ago, some of the old people at that time said that there was a cave, and far down into the cave there is a meeting place. I remember being taken in there as a young boy. I think I could take you there again." They agreed to come back and go with the old man.

The missionaries soon returned with friends and flashlights. The old man led them to a back part of the garbage dump with a lot of rock formations. He then took them to the opening of a very large cave. They all entered the cave and walked and walked, for about 45 minutes. Finally, at the end, there was a turn, and then to their astonishment they saw an enormous, incredibly well-preserved theater! It was like one of those in the Roman times we have seen in pictures. It was in immaculate condition, obviously preserved from ancient times by the unusual climate. They discovered there was seating for about 5,000 people!

The missionaries began to use that underground theater as the meeting place and as the church. God began to fill the place with garbage dump people. It was not long before every seat in the whole theater was filled, and it was not unusual for lines of Muslims waiting to give testimonies of salvation to go down both sides of the theater, to the left and the right, all the way to the back. These were all Muslims who had come to faith in Jesus Christ, many of them after a supernatural experience, with Jesus appearing to them in dreams and visions, a phenomenon in Muslim countries we have heard about from other reliable sources. Servicessometimes go on for hours.

All this happened because the Father's love through the Holy Spirit stirred in the hearts of two people -- a committed missionary couple -- who said, "yes," and who were willing to lay down their lives, personal ambitions, ego and pride for Jesus, and preach in a filthy, stinking Muslim garbage dump.

I marvel at God's wisdom and how He loves and remembers the lowly.

To Him be all the glory, honor and praise!

Dear friends:

With all the evil and unbelief in the world constantly reported, sometimes even in my own e-mails, let us not forget that God is not asleep and is still quite busy doing what He does (and doing it well).

This afternoon I was watching the Daystar Christian TV channel on Direct TV and heard a riveting interview with a most fascinating Korean pastor, Che Ahn, of the Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California.

Pastor Che Ahn was sharing about a great youth revival going on in many churches, with many young people getting filled with the Spirit and manifesting signs and wonders in their witness. He gave some examples. He gave one example of a 22-year-old young man he knows who was recently standing in line at the cash register and noticed the lady in front of him wearing hearing aids. He boldly asked her, "Would you like for me to pray for you so that God will heal your hearing?"

She said yes, assuming that he meant to pray for her later. Instead, he wanted to pray for her right then and there, and she agreed. He did, then asked the lady to remove her hearing aids. She did and with some testing from the young man found out that her hearing was perfect! The lady was so excited. The cashier was in tears, knowing that she had just experienced an act of God.

The young man then asked to use her microphone. He got on the microphone and announced to the whole store, "Attention, shoppers! God is healing on aisle 4. Come on down and get yours." Many came, he preached a short sermon, and many were saved. I suspect many got healed. There was a Holy Ghost revival right there in that store.

The young man's boldness gave me great joy, and I was reminded of the times in my life when I have experienced God's miracle power. It has always been when I stepped out boldly and audaciously in faith, never when I was timid, and when I had to totally trust in God and not myself for the outcome. I had to crucify the flesh and not worry about how I might be embarrassed. Pride and fear of failure often block such actions where God can meet our point of faith and be glorified.

An example is a Christian concert I once attended. The popular, featured singer developed a migraine headache and they were about to cancel her. I suddenly felt a surge of boldness and I made my way backstage, and found her. I came right out and asked if she would like for Jesus to heal her, and without hesitation she said yes. I laid my hand on her head and prayed the prayer of faith. As soon as my prayer was finished, she happily announced that her headache had suddenly disappeared. She was ecstatic! He act went on as scheduled and the large crowd was blessed.

We need more audacious boldness for Jesus. I know He likes it and will meet us when we step out. "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Jim
__________________________

Che and Sue Ahn
Senior Pastors
http://www.harvestrockchurch.org

Che and his wife Sue Ahn are the Sr. Pastors of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California. Che and Sue have four adult children, Gabriel, Grace (and son in law Steve), Joy, and Mary.

Che is also founder and president of Harvest International Ministry, a worldwide apostolic network of over 5000 churches in over 34 nations with the common vision of "Changing Lives, Transforming Cities, and Discipling Nations."

Now for the story of a modern miracle, a story which has been verified by several who were personally acquainted with the people involved.

 

Mrs. Dubay, of Anchorage, Alaska, was a dedicated Christian who lived alone in a small cottage that was heated by a wood-burning cook stove. At the time of this experience, she was sick in bed, so badly crippled that she could scarcely walk. She had depended on friends to bring in a fresh supply of wood for each day, but on this particular morning no friends came to help her. She realized that unless someone brought wood soon the fire would go out and she would freeze to death. The temperature was 30û below zero that February day. She began praying earnestly for help. Finally, as no one appeared, the last of her wood was burned, the fire went out, and the room grew cold. Then she prayed a different prayer - a prayer of complete resignation, telling the Lord if it was His will, she was willing to freeze to death. Just then, the door to her cottage opened and a tall young man walked into the room carrying an armful of wood. He carefully placed the wood in the wood bin and began to remake the fire. He also filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove to heat. Then he went outside and soon returned with another armload of wood. While performing this service he kept his face turned to one side so that Mrs. Dubay could not see him. She wanted to ask him whether he was an angel, but was reluctant to do that. Finally, she asked the question inaudibly, and then the young man turned toward her, smiled and nodded his head. "His face was so noble that I knew he was not from this world," said Mrs. Dubay. "He turned, opened the door and left me without saying a word."

Was this man really an angel? I will let Mrs. Dubay give you her conclusion. She says, "For a time I sat there like one turned to stone. Finally, I thought, If he is an angel sent from God, there will not be any footprints in the snow outside the door. So I forced myself to hobble to the door, opened it and looked out on the unruffled snow in my yard. There were no footprints in the snow. Then I forced myself to lean against the side of the door casing and looked around to my right to see whether the snow had been disturbed where my wood was piled directly underneath my front window. No, the snow had not been disturbed in the slightest bit, over or around my little pile of wood. The snow was perfectly smooth and rounded just as it always is after a snow storm. As I closed the door to my little cabin, I knew that God did love me, and that in my extremity He sent one of His holy angels to my assistance."

Tess Buys a Miracle - True Story

Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor's bills and our house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save him now."   Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a  scuffing noise.   Nothing.  She cleared her throat with the most disgusting  sound  she  could muster. No good.  Finally she took a quarter from her  jar and banged  it on the glass counter.  That did it! "And what do you want?"  the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my  brother from  Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages", he said without waiting for a reply to his question.  "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back  in the same annoyed tone.  "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a   miracle."  "I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.  "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?" "We don't sell miracles here, little girl.  "I'm sorry but I can't help you", the pharmacist said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the  rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"  "I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money".

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents", Tess answered barely audibly.  "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents--the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said  "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents.  Let's see if  I have the kind of miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. 

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.  "That surgery", her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"  Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents ...... plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not ALWAYS the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a  higher law...... 

(A TRUE STORY)

A Muslim's Journey to God - Kashif's Story
 
Dear Mr. Senear,
Here is an account of some of the things God has wrought in my life. By no means exhaustive, it leaps from mountaintop to mountaintop... (to God be all the glory)
When i was 2, i was playing in the dirt in my grandmother's courtyard in Pakistan. It was an open courtyard, built in the style of the Spanish villas.  A light appeared above in the the sky. It was brilliant, brighter than the sun. I was unable to move.
I felt then as if a laser beam were penetrating my soul, holding me paralyzed all the while in its irrefutable grip. The feeling was terror. Soul-terror. Like a ragdoll is powerless in the hands of a child, so was i before this mighty God who manifested Himself to me.
When it was made clear i could not exercise control over my body, i relaxed and stopped fighting. As i gave myself over to Him, the agony was replaced by ecstasy. Beyond description.
I remember calling out "Father."
 

---

When i was older, an angel visited me in my bedroom, in Calgary, Canada.  Though i could not see him, he brought with him the familiarity of a close friend which fit perfectly into my thoughts. "Would you die for somebody?" he asked.
"I don't know," i said, deferring to his obviously greater wisdom.
"What do you think?"
"Yes, it is a good idea to die for somebody," he assured me.
I agreed and was then filled with a sense of peace and joy.
"Would you die for anyone?"
Thoughts of those who had hurt me crowded my head.
"Well, maybe not anybody..."
"Kashif, put yourself in their shoes," he said, showing me how it must feel to be held a grudge against. Rotten.

"Well, if you put it like that, i guess i should be willing to die for anybody, even those who hurt me." As best as i remember, i went through the wall and into heaven.  Jesus was to my left, in a white robe, holding my hand. We were walking in a green field. Afterwards, he returned me to my bed and put me to sleep. I forgot this incident until many years later i would invite Him into my heart as Savior and Lord.
 

---

As a young adult, i had everything a man could want: family, friends, opportunities, health. But like the prodigal, i took it for granted and abused it. Drugs and loose living led me astray.
A friend began to preach to me at work. Being born into a muslim home, not only did i find the Gospel difficult
to accept, but i argued with and belittled this man for sport.
One day, while in my Toronto apartment, i saw a demon cowering at me from a dark corner. I had been doing drugs and sorcery. Frightened, i fell to my knees, and cried out, "God, if You are there, help me now!"
Now, i had not previously been exposed to the Bible and its teachings in any great detail, but what happenned jolted me to take notice. Immediately the phone rang.
I reached for it, still on my knees. It was my friend from work, the "preacher". Stunned, i asked him what i should do. The unbreachable wall of defensiveness towards the blessed truth was crumbling down...  "Read your Bible," was the meek reply.

 

---

Though i now began to read the Bible, i was still involved in many new age cults, which colored my approach to God.
In Revelations, the recurrence of the number seven caught me as especially important. We read there of seven churches, seven eyes, seven spirits of God and so on. Normally, what would ensue would be remarkable, but became miraculous when we bear in mind the fact that i was reading the Bible and studying Revelations at the time, noticing the importance of the number seven.
I sat down in October of 1993 to write out a record of my expenditures for the previous month, and this is what i was delighted to see:

Bus Pass	67
Rent	290
Phone	90
Food	120
Drugs	180
Misc.	30
Total	777

  What was God trying to tell me?

 

---

Miracles became almost commonplace thereafter. And more remarkable. Seeing as all the signs were pointing specifically to a Christian God, i joined a Bible study at the University of Alberta, Canada.
On a weekend retreat in 1994, i was talking with a friend late Saturday night. It was about 3 or 4 in the morning and everyone else had long since fallen asleep. Suddenly there was a soft knocking at the door, seven knocks. If it had been a camper, they should simply have walked in, it was a communal cabin. Who was it then, if not a camper?
My friend braved it and answered the door. Cowering behind, i asked, "Is anyone there?"
"No," she said, looking around the empty landing.
I walked out, and called out, "Who's there?"

Thinking it was a prank, i searched the nearby brush. Nobody. Pausing to reflect on the swings nearby, i felt a deep peace suddenly come over me. I wondered, "What is my friend doing?"

 

When i returned, i found her framed in the door. Nothing strange, except her face was glowing!
Something like this happened to Moses in Exodus when he saw the Lord for 40 days. Had she seen the Lord? That weekend ended but more miracles ensued quickly. My conviction was growing.
 

---

Monday morning God sent me a brother to harvest my soul. We talked and after i told him of all that i had seen, he showed me Bible prophecies which had come true, like Jesus' birthplace, His ancestry and manner of death. I was convinced.
He asked me, "Would you like to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, believing that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the grave?"
I thought to myself, closing my eyes, "After all He's done to prove it's true, i'd be an idiot to say no!"
I mean, seriously, if you know the Gospel is true, you WOULD be an idiot to refuse its power. Eternal life? Free? YOU BET!
I opened my eyes and said, "OK."

Then it happenned. 
The Holy Spirit entered my body (at the solar plexus). He was so gentle, so loving, like both parents times a million ministering to their baby. I cried. Exuberantly, with total abandon. Pain i did not know i carried in my bosom was washed out.
I did not care what anyone thought. I was with the highest authority of the universe, God. If anyone judged me they were wrong. God accepted and loved me.
A joy so profound i cannot describe filled my soul and i leaped to my feet and whooped. That is the only word i can think of:  whoop. That is the sound that came out.
 

---

In 1996, in the morning of a winter's day, an East Indian angel appeared at the foot of my bed. He was dressed in a white robe, from his neck to his feet. He said, "Who am I?"
Knowing of nothing but his appearance, I said, "You look like a member of the Pakistani community."
He disappeared.
In Acts, Paul sees a man from Macedonia telling him to preach the Gospel there. A similar vision. A call?
 

---

A few months later, a found myself out of my body. It was morning.
Floating around the apartment, i knew this was a supernatural experience. At the foot of the stairs, i saw to my right a sheet of lightning (like the snow on your tv set), blinding in glory.
Though i was out of the body, a small light from inside of me flew towards and into this greater light, like a piece of steel to a magnet. A very big magnet.
Then as i floated up the stairs, i heard my father's voice call my name, "Kashif".
 I was shown a clock set at 11:15 and a radio.  Maybe to tell me to listen to the radio that day at 11:15 AM to hear the Gospel radio show.  So i did.
The show was about Esther.  I had previously memorized a verse about Esther's calling:
Esther 4:14:  "If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise from elsewhere for the Jews, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
Mordecai, serving as Esther's conscience, prods her to witness to the king in order to spare her people from genocide.  Was God telling me He was willing to use me and that is why He created me?  If i didn't respond, was i not then in danger of being left behind?
After these things i quit my job and went into full-time preaching.
Please pray that God remain central in my life and that i both know Him and make Him known, as He is wonderful!

In the Middle East, a deacon in a large church had a vivid dream. Before him he saw a familiar street of his large city, and a house address (which for this post I'll refer to as "269"). The following night he had the same dream. Again and again he saw the address --269. When he awoke this strong believer felt he should investigate, believing his dream could be from the Lord.

The deacon went to the street, found the address, knocked on the door. A man with a white robe, beard and turban answered. He was a religious leader/teacher. The leader invited the deacon in and shut the door. He found himself in a room filled with more white robes and turbans, all sitting in a circle...and women, covered head-to-foot in their burkas.

To say the deacon was nervous would be an understatement. For to talk about Christ in their presence (whom they knew as the Prophet Isa) could cost him his life. His only option was to accept the robed man's offer of tea, sit down and chat. Anxious to leave, he set his cup, thanked him and walked to the door. On his way out the leader interrupted, "But, why did you come?"

Hesitantly, the deacon replied, "I had a dream. I saw your street and your house number. So I came, believing God was sending me here." The leader replied, "We have been waiting for you! We have all become followers of Isa and have been praying to God that He would send someone to tell us more about Him. He has sent you to us. We gather here secretly because we cannot talk about our faith outside this room. It is too dangerous."

On leaving, the robed leader passed on this urgent request: "Please, you must come again. There are many more groups like us in the neighborhood, meeting secretly in houses. You must also tell them more about Isa."

Reference: "Jesus Film Project" August 28, 2008 Newsletter.

Elizabeth

Three year. old Elizabeth finished her prayers and crawled into bed as I tucked her smooth sheets and blanket snugly around her.  "Can we play in the snow tomorrow, Mommy?" she asked, watching the fat, white flakes fly by the window.  "We'll see," I said.  I looked out the window too. The tall trees surrounding our house were being buffeted by the storm, their branches sagging under the weight of the snow.      I kissed her good night and closed the door.  The wind whistled, and as I went downstairs I could hear the pines and oaks creak and groan.      Ever since we bought the house I'd been anxious about the trees.  That afternoon our neighbor had lost an ancient pine.  I worried the storm  would knock more down.      Before my husband left to watch a basketball game at a friends house, I asked him to say a prayer with me about the trees. "God keep us safe tonight."      In the family room  I started picking up dolls and toys and just then I heard a loud crash above me. The whole house trembled.  Even the floorboards beneath my feet shook.  I dropped the toys and ran upstairs.      Dear God, don't let it be one of the trees. Elizabeth! that towering pine outside her window!       What if under the weight of the heavy snow....  Heart Hammering, I flung her door wide open.  A blast of cold air hit me.  The window near her bed was gone.  The upper part of the pine tree had knocked it out, leaving behind branches and snow.      I felt glass crunch beneath my slippered feet. Oh my God, Elizabeth must be scared to death.  I turned on the lights and rushed to her bedside to lift her from danger.  But to my amazement she was still sleeping peacefully.  There wasn't any glass on her coverlet or pajamas.      Then i saw them surrounding her.  Layer upon layer of wings forming a feathery canopy above her sleeping form.  Luminescent angels bowed their heads, spreading their wings over her, shielding Elizabeth from harm.  She was nestled in the center of this celestial cocoon, warm and safe.      As I stood there, the shimmering glow suddenly vanished.  I scooped Elizabeth into my arms, hearing her mumble sleepily, and rushed her out of the damaged, cold room.      The next morning Elizabeth and I ventured back to her bedroom.  Holding her hand, I gingerly stepped over the threshold. My husband was tacking a tarp over the broken window.  His eyes filling with tears, he said, "Honey, look."      Together we walked over to the bed.  Thousands of pieces of broken glass lay on the floor, sparkling in the morning sun.  Needle-sharp shards were scattered on all 4 sides of her bed.  My husband ran his hands over the blankets, sheets and pillows.  Not a single splinter of glass was on Elizabeth's bed.      "Last night when I came into your room," I said to Elizabeth, "I saw layer upon layer of wings wrapped around you, protecting you and ........"  "Oh Mommy," she interrupted, "I know about the angels.  One of them patted me on the head before it left!"

Every Prayer sends an Angel to help.

Send some Angels!

Zana's Story

Zana'a amazing conversion story.  He meets an angel on a bus home from Prison

It all started in late 1980’s when I was detained by the Iranian police for no reason. They thought that I had some connections with Kurdish political parties that were opposing the Islamic Republic. I did not have any connection with any political party or anything of that sort. Months went by without them even letting my family know where I was. Finally, the day came when I was brought into court. The Judge asked me three questions that were asked of many people: 

What is your name? -- I said Zana. 

What is your ethnicity? -- I said I am a Kurd. 

What is your religion? -- I said that I am a Sunni Muslim. 

I was taken out of the court, thrown back into my cell and I was beaten all night. Next morning, they put me on a bus headed back to Mahabad, my city in Kurdistan. On the bus, I was sitting next to a man. He opened his bag and took out a sandwich which was wrapped in newspaper. I was very hungry since I had not eaten regular food in almost six months. I did not want to look at his food but I just couldn't stand the smell of the kabobs. He turned around and asked me if I would like one. Without hesitating as we usually do in Iranian culture, I asked for one. Instead of one, he gave me two out of the three that he had with him. I asked for his name and he said that his name was Yacub. I had never heard that name before. So I asked, "What kind of name is this?" He said "Hebrew". "Ahh, so you are a Jew?" I asked back. "No, I am a Christian", he said. I had heard a lot of negative things about Christians in the Quran so I did not want to get into a conversation about Christianity. But something inside me made me wonder why he believed in it (Christianity)? I asked if he believed that Jesus was the son of God. The answer was yes. How could God have a wife? How could God have sex? He started explaining that to say that God had sex with Mary is the greatest sin. But rather Jesus is the son of God in a spiritual way and not like the way we are born. 

And we never say that God ever had a wife, we believe in a holy God. I wanted to stop the conversation and begin a different subject. I could not think of any other subject, so I asked him why he was going to Kurdistan. He said that a friend needed some help with something. I asked for his name he said Zana. That was my name. But I thought it was a different person. He opened his bag and very quietly gave me a Bible. He put it in my bag. He knew that if someone saw him with that book it could cost him his life. I asked what it was. He told me that I would find out later. 

We got to Mahabad and I got off the Bus before he did. I got my bag and was waiting outside for Yacub (Jacob) to come off, but the bus was empty and he still had not come out. I went to the driver and asked him where the man sitting next to me had gone? To my astonishment and confusion he said, "There was no man sitting next to you." Was I crazy or what? I said maybe I was dreaming. But I still had the taste of the sandwich in my mouth. I still had the book in my bag. What was Yacub? Who was he? Why didn't he go to his friend's house? Then I remembered that the friend's name was Zana and only then realized he meant me. I went home and found my mom in the house crying. She was so surprised and happy to see me. I asked what had happened since I had been gone. I found out that soldiers were looking for me and that she was raped by a Jaush (Kurdish for "traitor"). When I heard that, I felt like somebody was hitting me in the back with sticks. I went to my room and wept like a baby. I could not believe that this really had happened. 

That night when I asked for my older brother Hasan at dinner, they all started crying. They told me that he was hanged. I felt like the food was going through my back. I could not eat. I got up and went to my room for some more weeping. I felt like the whole world was on my shoulders and I felt like I was carrying the rocks. I had nothing to do, so I took out the book and started reading. After reading the first chapters of the book of Genesis, I went to read the Injil. I started reading the book of Matthew. I was surprised. I had never seen anything like this. I stopped at chapter ten and just went to bed. I still could hear my Mom and sister crying downstairs. The neighbors came to cheer them up and talk to them. Next morning life was normal, so I went and visited my brother's grave. Life became normal again until one night in my dream Yacub appeared and told me that I must leave my country. I knew something was up so I went and hid at a friend's house. I did not want to leave the country; I loved it. 

Sometime after, I sneaked back to my house at night and discovered that soldiers had been in my house and they were looking for me. Now this time, it was my sister that was raped by the soldiers for no reason. My brother who was executed had some ties to the Kurdish political parties. But what had I done wrong, or what had my sister done wrong? Is this what they call an Islamic Republic? All I could think of was suicide. But I would now leave so many people behind. If it was not for my family I would have killed myself. I knew that Yacub was telling me something. 

But what? Help me Yacub; what do you want me to do? I went to my room and packed whatever I could because I was going to leave the country. I took the Bible with me and headed for the mountains crossing the boarders into Iraq. I stopped in the middle of nowhere for a rest. I took out my book and read in it. When I came to Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who are heavy laden and weary and I will give you rest," I was shocked and did not know what to think because the book kind of read my mind. It had what my heart longed for. I found what I was looking for. I found what met my personal needs. Right there in the middle of the night I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I couldn't believe the changes that were happening inside of me. I felt a kind of peace that could not be expressed by words. I was relieved. I could feel all of the weight that I felt on my shoulders coming off. I now understood God and what he was like. It was a good thing that I did not commit suicide. The Lord had a plan for me. I now knew who Yacub was -- an angel. It was very hard to believe. I myself found it hard to believe. But an angel would be the best answer. 

I now forgave all of those that done wrong to me. Instead of cursing, I prayed for the salvation of the people who had beaten me in prison. I am grateful for having such a wonderful experience. My sincere prayer is that God Almighty will show you the truth. I am willing to help you find the truth. I can be reached at the following address: Masihim@yahoo.com

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A retired Air Force officer who now spends his days authoring books on Christianity has posted an online collection of recordings he believes captures voices and music of God’s angels in heaven.

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Angelic statue in Lommel, Belgium (photo: Jan Schiphorst, used with permission)

“I have four specific recordings of angels singing in church settings,” Jim Bramlett of Lake Mary, Fla., told WND. “It happened supernaturally. There’s no other explanation. It’s either from God or from the devil, and I don’t think the devil is in the business of worshipping Jesus. That is not in his job description.”
Bramlett, 76, collected the tapes from various sources in recent years, and has now put them on his ChoicesForLiving website, where readers can click on several links to listen to three recordings made in the U.S., and one from China.
The Feb. 6, 1996, recording at the Greater Grace World Outreach Church in Baltimore, Md., starts off with a woman playing a piano, and gradually, accompanying voices are heard in the background. Bramlett described them as “beautiful voices of beings who were not in the service.”

Jim Bramlett

“I have the full tape with the pastor discussing the situation with the congregation, and about 25 people gave testimony to hearing the voices. They were all in awe at what had happened.”

Another recording took place at the Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland, Fla., and features a 10-minute, sustained sound after a call to praise by a minister.

“They seem to lift the praise of the congregation to a totally new and awesome level, and it just goes on and on. The intensity and consistency are clearly supernatural and beyond the ability of the congregation,” explains Bramlett, a former vice president at the Christian Broadcasting Network where he spent nine years.

A woman who says she and her husband were at the Lakeland service wrote Bramlett to vouch for the authenticity of what took place:

“The tape of the Florida meeting was exactly like the way it sounds. Glenn and I were there during those meetings, and if it wasn’t this one then there is another tape of a meeting where [the phenomenon] happened again. The one we were in went on and on and stopped abruptly. Silence for about a minute then a male voice sang out ‘Glooooory’ and several women’s voices from different directions echoed ‘Gloooooory’ in perfect harmony, and the praise and worship started up all over again.”

Perhaps the most stunning of all the recordings is thought to be from a church in Kansas City, where there is not only an audible chorus of “Hallelujah” ? meaning “praise God” ? but also the voice of a male soloist who purportedly was not present. The lyrics of the mysterious solo were transcribed as follows:

Hallelujah, ringing all across the land
Everybody’s singing at the Lord’s command
All the saints and the angels up in glory wait to hear the news
of Jesus and his children as they’re coming through.

Though he doesn’t have it on tape, Wayne Warmack of Greater Works Ministries in Rogers, Ark., says he and his wife, Sandy, personally heard angelic voices during a Passover celebration last April at a lakeside retreat center near Marianna, Fla.

“I began to distinctly hear wordless voices in perfect harmony with us, that were clearly not coming from me or Sandy, or the other 20 or so people present in the room. They sort of drifted in and out of my hearing while I struggled to maintain my composure and continue the song,” Warmack said. “If you’ve ever heard that sound, it leaves you a different person than when you came in. I can’t describe it. There’s just no way to describe it. It is definitely heard with more than just the physical ears.”
But not everyone is joining the chorus of hallelujahs.


The concept of supernatural beings called angels has a strong basis in Scripture. In the King James Version of the Bible, the word “angel” is found 201 times in 192 verses, while “angels” occurs 94 times in 92 verses.

At least two are named ? Michael and Gabriel ? and the New Testament describes a galactic conflict involving angels at war with each other.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels (Revelation 12:7)

The Bible also records numerous instances of angels appearing to humans and even having discussions with them.

The angel Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary in 1898′s ‘The Annunciation’ by Pennsylvania artist Henry Ossawa Tanner

The 19th chapter of Genesis indicates two angels helped rescue Lot and his family from the ancient city of Sodom; Luke 1:26 shows the angel Gabriel being dispatched by God to the town of Nazareth to inform Mary she would miraculously become pregnant with Jesus; and Hebrews 13:2 reminds people to “entertain strangers,” since some strangers might actually be angels.

Bramlett believes angels are still making appearances in our modern day, and he documents several purported instances on his website.

“Some say that true reality is spiritual, not physical,” he said. “The supernatural breaks through [into our dimension], and it’s exciting when it does.”

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"For as long as I can remember, I was always wanting to know and never accepting beliefs, neither mine nor anyone else's. I couldn't just believe in the spiritual realm. I had to KNOW. I was always driving my parents and teachers crazy with questions they couldn't answer. I was always astonished by the fact that most people just don't want to know.

"In my early teens I began studying the Illuminati. I learned as much as I could about them and I eventually realized something: The Illuminati at the top are the most religious people in the world. Every aspect of their lives, I learned, is dictated by ritual and religious guidelines.... And their god is Satan. Now, by then I knew that the Illuminati don't settle for just believing things. They named themselves thusly because they are the illuminated ones. They get their power from knowledge, not beliefs. So if their god is Lucifer/Satan and their enemy is YHWH (God), then these entities must be real! It was a powerful revelation.

"So I realized logically that this was all real when I began to study the elite and the Satanic cults operating all over the world. When others couldn't answer my questions, I began learning from the people that know about it. Then I began seeing proofs for the Creator in science and philosophy.

"I began reading the Way (which is what the Scriptures were originally called) more carefully and thoroughly and began to realize that the inconsistencies that turned me away from Him before were actually just leaven, or what was added on by men.

"I developed a relationship with Him and began asking Him to speak to me through His word and He always did. I would flip to a "random" page and just start reading and every time I did, it was as if the message was spoken directly to me; it always fit the scenario.

"Then YHWH began proving Himself to me in personal ways. He created me, so he knows how I am. He knows that I can't have faith in anything I don't know to be real, so He gave me all the proof I need and then some. He continues to prove Himself to me every day by answering every single prayer I ask of Him.

"Now, I am in reverent awe of His might and the intricacy of His creation and His plan. I have developed a true love for truth. I've learned that whether it is beautiful or hideous, ALL truth is of the Creator.

"My hunger for knowledge has become insatiable. I no longer get any pleasure from worldly activities. I spend as much of my free time as I can researching the world around me, studying Scripture and sharing what I've learned. Everything I have learned about the world around me only serves to strengthen my faith.

"Faith. It's a word most Christians don't understand. Faith has to be rooted in knowledge, or it will lead to deception. Unless we know what it is we have faith in, we will be deceived by the ways of man, which are actually the ways of Satan. If we don't prove the Creator and His word to ourselves, we can easily end up following false gods, such as the gods of the various churches.

"Many don't understand that, not only is faith without works dead, but true faith, the unshakable faith that the apostles had, is always rooted in knowledge. They were willing to fight and die for the Torah and the teachings of the Messiah because they KNEW the truth. They rejoiced at the idea of suffering and dying for His Name.

"So when people ask me if I am religious, I have to say no and explain how I am not religious, but spiritual because religion is the leaven of the Pharisees; it is all from man. And when they ask me if I believe in God, I have to tell them no and explain that I KNOW there is a God, and the difference is that I can prove His existence!

"I am simply a follower of The Way, a child of YHWH. I stay away from the added-on religions of man that the Messiah called the "leaven of the Pharisees."

Nicholas Lawton Carpenter

Written by John Paul Jackson

But then something happened.
In the blink of an eye, I found myself back on the overpass I had just left. I sat there for a moment, very confused. What had just happened?
I didn’t see this myself, but people who had been traveling near me and had stopped to help claim to have seen a huge hand come out of the sky, grab my car out of the air and set it back down on the overpass. In an accident that should have killed me, I ended up walking away without even a scratch. That in and of itself is an amazing miracle. But it didn’t stop there.
As I began to tell them that they, too, could have God’s hedge of protection, all those people who had seen God save my life knelt down on the freeway shoulder and asked Jesus into their hearts.

He will make it amazing

A.W. Tozer writes in his book The Pursuit of God: “The Word of God is quick and powerful. In the beginning He spoke to nothing, and it became something. Chaos heard it and became order; darkness heard it and became light.”

God somehow made the experience worthwhile. In fact, He made it amazing.He wants to do in your life, too. If you’re willing to sit back and enjoy God in the middle of the wild ride you’re on, you will see His goodness again and again and again.

 It will change  not just you but the people around you, too.

“I saw heaven” - Boris

Ukrainian policeman Boris Pilipchuk, from the Khemlnitskij District of the Ukraine was clinically dead for over 2.5 hours after a massive brain hemorrhage with internal bleeding in 95% of his brain.

Click the below link and read Boris' description of his trip to Heaven, meeting God, and his powerful resurrection from the dead.

 Read this amazing true story: here

INTERVIEWER: - And now, Boris, tell us how you felt. What did you see?

BORIS: - It felt as if I was conscious. I began seeing with my own eyes. I began seeing everything as if from above. My spirit came out of me and looked at my body. Doctors in their white gowns had gathered around me. Numerous pieces of equipment were connected to my body. The doctors tried to stabilize my condition; they ran about, exhausting all their efforts, but to no avail.

Then I began to ascend towards heaven. The earth became smaller and smaller. It became so small, that it disappeared totally. During this entire time, I could hear a continuous whistling in my ears. I ended up in an extraordinary place, which was so illuminative that I began to feel good. I saw a golden staircase that shone with glorious splendor. The staircase was rather wide. On either side of the staircase were golden railings, along which from the bottom to the top were winged angels in white clothes, with golden belts. Their hair was white, their faces shone like lightning and their eyes were like two lanterns. Their hands and legs were the color of shiny copper chips. Around the staircase and under it, stood a great number of angels, these were without wings. All the angels were singing psalms in a language I did not recognize at first. After a moment I completely understood the words of the psalm. They sang: "O worthy are you Lord of all glory and praise. You, Lord, created the heavens and the earth. You are worthy of our praise!"

Then I saw an extraordinary light at the end of the staircase. The light wasn't like that of the sun or of a welding instrument, which has a harmful effect on the eyes. It was extremely bright, warm, calming, full of joy and peace. I was full of delight, to such an extent that mere words cannot describe how I felt. My delight continued to increase and there was no limit to the joy I felt. I don't know how to describe this vision, this feeling, in words, but I would like you to imagine the picture the Lord showed me. Later, I heard a voice, coming from the direction of the light, which said: "My son, come to me and I will show you something. I will help you".

From the great number of angels, two angels walked up behind me. One stood on my right and the other on my left, just a short distance from me. I didn't turn my head, I didn't look behind me and I didn't gaze around, but it appeared as if I could see 360 degrees about me. I wasn't nervous and didn't feel any form of discomfort. I was absolutely calm and so peaceful that words cannot express how I felt, not then and not now. I didn't ask anyone any question, such as where I was? What's happened to me? What will happen later on? I felt completely confident in myself, as if I was standing in a familiar place. I felt as if I lived there permanently.

Then the Holy Spirit, transferred me to a vast open plain, in which very beautiful white horses pranced. In the center of the field stood a great city, in the form of a cube. When I noticed it, I began to draw close to it. I approached it in a different way, not as a man normally walks on the ground. I moved without my feet touching the ground. It was as if I was gliding. The angels escorted me. The closer I got the city, the more intense was the delight I experienced, from what I saw.

There were several very high walls of various colors. There were 12 colors in all, which radiated and shone like a bright light. (Later on, after my resurrection, when I studied the 21-22 chapter of the book of Revelations in the Bible, I found a confirmation of what I had seen). I saw the foundation of the city, which was made up of the 12 precious stones of this world. I saw a pearl gate, three large pearls on each wall. I didn't measure them, but one pearl was larger than two meters, in my opinion. I saw only six gates, because I was led into the city through one of its corners. I saw the two sides of the cube. Then l was taken through one of the gates into the city. As we passed through them, I saw two inscriptions. One was above the gate and the other was under the gate. The name of one of the tribes of Israel was written above the gate, and under it the name of an Apostle was written. Unfortunately I do not remember which gate led me into the New Jerusalem, but now I would like to know that.

When I entered into the city through the gates, I stood in admiration. The city was made completely of gold. The gold was so pure - I had never seen such brilliance before. I had seen how brightly gold articles in a jeweler's store shone, but this was not comparable, to what I saw at that moment. Gold streets, houses of gold, gold doors - everything was made of gold, transparent like glass. I could never have imagined that gold could appear transparent and so pure. I read about this in God's word, but I could not really imagine it. I just couldn't imagine how a hard metal could appear transparent. Now that I had seen this fine gold, I just wanted to touch it. I touched the walls and entered some houses observing everything. I did not ask the angels, where I was to go from here. I seemed to know the way. I was overcome with such a feeling as if I was in a place of my own.

As I continued further into the city, I was now near the center. I saw a large tree in one spot that had pear-shaped fruit on it. The size of the fruit was about the size of two average sized fists put together. The leaves on it reminded me of the leaves of a lime tree, only they were larger and like leaves of a burdock tree. When I got near the tree, I wanted to take a fruit from it and began to reach for one. Suddenly with enthusiasm I stretched out my hand, which to my surprise was not like an ordinary hand but was transparent. When I was about to pluck a fruit, the angel who stood a little distance behind me, on my right side, stretched out his hand and stopped me. Motioning with his finger, he informed me that for now, I shouldn't pluck the fruit. Without any form of regret or disappointment from the angel's action, I left the tree. Generally speaking, within the city, I never experienced any kind of discomfort, or disorder.

When I left the tree, I saw an extraordinary bright light at the center of the city. It was very interesting that I did not see a single shadow, not from the trees and not from the houses. There were no shadows, nor were there any lamps. I did not see the sun nor any object that gave light, but the light was extraordinary bright and so pleasant to the eyes. It was delightful beyond measure.

When I saw the source of the illumination, I bowed my head and felt an overwhelming urge to fall to my knees. But before I could bow, I heard a voice saying, " My son, I have shown you all that is necessary for you at this time, and you should return now, to declare My glory, power and dominion, to declare all that you have seen and heard". Then I began to pray and plead to the Lord, asking Him to let me remain there, where I was. I cried, "Lord I don't want to return". But the Lord said, "You have a wife, and three children. You have to return to them, for it is not time for you to be here yet". Then again I began to beseech the Lord saying, "Lord, I don't want to return. Allow me to remain with You". But the Lord said to me, "My Son, be meek and self-controlled, do not murmur, go back. You have to declare My glory."

http://www.bibleprobe.com/miracles.htm

From the "Jesus" Film Project
Jan Schlebusch, a wonderful man of God from South Africa, is one of the tens of thousands of volunteers who have shown "JESUS," using either 16 mm or on video.
Jan had taken a most risky step.  He was about to show "JESUS" to a small group of hardened criminals in a maximum security prison in South Africa.  He was alone in a room with the "toughest of the tough" - robbers, rapists and murderers.  Several of them were "lifers."  Jan knew that any one of the prisoners could easily slit his throat with a knife when he dimmed the lights to show "JESUS."
However, despite the pressure he felt, Jan was obedient.  As the story unfolded many of the prisoners mocked and swore at the screen.  Their language was foul and offensive.  Gradually, they quieted down and became more interested in the story.  Then an astounding thing happened.
During the crucifixion, several began to weep.  By the time the prayer of invitation was completed, hardened criminals - EVERY ONE OF THEM - were on their knees, sobbing, asking God to forgive them, praying to invite Christ into their lives.
Shocked and amazed, Jan wasn't sure what has just happened.  He turned his head to the corner of the room...startled by the sight.  Standing before him was an awesome being, 10-feet tall, robed in brilliant white...an angel.  Jan said the angel's face was obscured.  He could see nothing above the angel's shoulders.  This messenger of God lifted up his hand and pointed a finger directly toward Jan:  "You see, Jan, all you must do is be available and do the work."
Instantly, the angel vanished --but not the sense of awe that was engulfing Jan.  He had seen the Living God at work, pouring out His love upon those for whom He died to save.  And he had witnessed the greatest miracle of all.  He had seen the vilest of sinners being born from above, becoming righteous in Jesus.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. Psalm 145:3
If you haven't yet seen this film which is bringing millions of people to the King, see the "Jesus" film here
 

In 1958, during a battle in the Golan Heights, Gershon was wounded when an Israeli tank accidentally ran over him. The tank caught the collar of his shirt and FOLDED HIM OVER BACKWARDS, snapping his spine.

The Syrians overran his position and began shooting the wounded Israeli soldiers. As they were about to shoot him, Gershon told me, they suddenly dropped their weapons and ran away.

Later, he said, these Syrians soldiers reported to UN officers that they had seen 'thousands of angels' around the crippled IDF officer and had, therefore, fled. He showed me documentary evidence from the UN to prove it.

As another interesting side note, despite his injuries, Gershon fought in both the Six Days' War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He was among the Israeli paratroopers who captured the Temple Mount from Jordan in 1967.

Gershon swelled with pride when he recounted being among the first Jews to set foot on Temple Mount in nearly two thousand years.

Now we return to the story at hand -- angels on the Israeli battlefield. Gershon's story of angelic warriors is not the first I'd heard -- it was merely the first time I'd heard the story first-hand from an eyewitness.

Soldiers in all of Israel's wars have reported seeing angels on the battlefield. During the Yom Kippur War, a lone Israeli soldier in the Sinai led a captured Egyptian column back to Israeli lines.

When the Egyptian officer was asked why he surrendered an entire tank column to a single Israeli soldier, the Egyptian officer replied, "One soldier? There were thousands of them."

"The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." (Psalms 68:7)

The officer said the rest of the 'soldiers' had melted away as they approached the Israeli lines. The Israeli soldier reported that he was alone when the Egyptian commander surrendered to him. He didn't see the army of angelic warriors. The Egyptians did.

I read this account some years ago in a secular book about Israel's wars written by an Israeli military historian.

Israeli Colonel Klein had taken a unit of 20 Israeli soldiers into the midst of one of Lebanon's border cities where the fighting was fierce. He led his men into a courtyard that was walled up around believing it provide a place of cover and rest from enemy fire.

Suddenly, someone tossed a hand grenade out of one of the windows above them, and as it hit the ground, Klein threw his body over the hand grenade and cried out shouting: "Schema Yisrael Adoni Elohinu, Adonai Ekhad." Hear O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One!

As he shouted the last words he would ever speak in this holiest of prayers He honored his God. The grenade blew up killing him but sparing all of his soldiers from death. Some were slightly injured from shrapnel but none had life threatening wounds because of Colonel Klein's actions.

It seems afterward some of the soldiers saw an angel standing over the lifeless body of the Colonel. Some of the wounded were taken to a hospital and wanted to speak about this but they were told to say nothing. However, some of them could not keep silent. Who could keep silent after seeing an angel?

The word got out through some of their parents. The mainstream media here has maintained silence, and the army has ordered them not to speak about their experience, but our sources are bringing us this awesome news! We are seeking to contact and go meet some of these wounded men....Pray for the Lord to open a door to speak with those who have seen one of God's messengers and can now be a witness that He is real. He is alive; He is the living God!

Colonel Klein called upon the living God and gave Him glory seconds before He died saving his comrades. God showed up immediately and sent one of His messengers to reveal that He was there with them, and now Colonel Kline is with their God!
 

Update on Dr. Chauncy Crandall

Intro Avalanche Radio Home Raised from the Dead Our Location Coming Events Healing Audio and Video Holy Land Facts JESUS Friends What the Bible says about Israel Banners Contact Us David Wagner 1-8-12		Sunday, February 1st, 2009 Raising the Dead: A Doctor Encounters the Supernatural By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries MIAMI, FL(ANS) The audience of 120 doctors from 50 countries sat in stunned silence as a renowned heart doctor produced evidence of how, after he had prayed for a patient who had died and was being prepared for the morgue, was brought back to life after prayer. Dr. Crandall making his dramatic presentation on Friday, July 13th, 2007, at the 4th Annual World Christian Doctors Network Conference in Miami, Florida Dr. Chauncey W. Crandall IV, who serves at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Crandall making his dramatic presentation on Friday, July 13th, 2007, at the 4th Annual World Christian Doctors Network Conference in Miami, Florida. He produced dramatic evidence that was shown on the screen and told of that day on October 20, 2006 when a middle-aged auto mechanic, Jeff Markin, walked into the Emergency Room at the Palm Beach Gardens Hospital and collapsed from a massive heart attack. Forty minutes later he was declared dead. After filling out his final report, the supervising cardiologist, Dr. Chauncey Crandall, started out of the room. Dr. Crandall, the doctor who operates in cowboy boots In a later interview Dr. Crandall explained, �Before I crossed its threshold, however, I sensed God was telling me to turn around and pray for that dead patient. Crandall had learned to follow that impulse even if he was embarrassed. Father God, he said, under his breath, I cry out for this man's soul. If he does not know you as his Lord and Savior, raise him from the dead now, in Jesus' name. With that prayer and Dr. Crandall's instruction to give the man what seemed one more useless shock from the defibrillator, Jeff Markin came back to life and remains alive and well today. Now Dr. Crandall is writing a book on his incredible experiences called Raising the Dead: A Doctor Encounters the Supernatural which will be published by Faith Works Publishing based in Houston, Texas. In Dr. Crandall's practice he has become a doctor who prays with his patients, and he has seen many miraculous healings�even others raised from the dead. He's known by his patients and by a national reputation for treating people with the best of medicine and the best of Jesus. But how did a Yale-educated cardiologist whose Palm Beach practice includes some of the most powerful people in American society, including several billionaires, come to believe in supernatural healing? How as a scientist can Dr. Crandall embrace God's power to intervene in the natural order? And why does this doctor freely acknowledge that faith does not compel God to work wonders, even though God desires that everyone ultimately be healed? The answers to these questions compose a story and a spiritual journey that transformed Chauncey Crandall from a self-satisfied Christian into a radicalized warrior for God against the evil of disease. He began pursuing answers to these questions with everything he had when late at night in June 2000 Dr. Crandall received a value alert phone call from the hospital's lab concerning one of his patients. His patient had a white blood cell count of over 80,000. The doctor's immediate thought was, Whoever he is, he's dead he has leukemia. Dr. Crandall, I'm sorry to tell you this, the nurse on the phone said, but it's your son, Chad. We've already run the results a number of times to make sure. Chad was eleven years-old a flaxen-haired tennis enthusiast, with blue-eyes, freckles and a mischievous grin. He was the fraternal twin of his brother Christian. Christian was the natural leader; Chad the shy charmer, the one everyone wanted to be around once they came to know him. How could Dr. Crandall's precious son Chad be dying? Once Dr. Crandall understood that Chad was suffering from a life-threatening illness, he cried out to God for every spiritual gift God would give him. He came to believe that Christ's healing power was not only for the people of his day but ours as well. He was surprised to find that few other Christians shared this faith, many believing that God stopped performing miracles during the apostolic age. Belief in healing through prayer was far more common, though, among missionaries. So Dr. Crandall began taking journeys to such places as remote Indian villages in Mexico where he witnessed many healings through prayer. This built-up his own faith and taught him how to pray effectively for his son. Dr. Crandall also made certain that Chad received the best conventional medical care possible, visiting Dana Farber Hospital at Harvard, Duke Children's Hospital, and finally The Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Oregon, where Dr. Brian Druker informed the Crandalls of a miracle drug that might soon be on the market, Gleevec. Partially as the result of Dr. Crandall's advocacy, which included persuading President Bush to write a letter on Chad's behalf, Gleevec was fast-tracked by the FDA. After a year of keeping Chad alive with prayer and lesser drugs, Gleevec reduced his counts to normal within 4 days. But Chad's journey through illness was not over. Three years later his leukemia was back and had metastasized into other strains that produced tumors. In the fall of 2004 Dr. Chauncey Crandall and his wife Deb lost their son. At Chad's deathbed, Dr. Crandall felt he must decide, right then and there, whether to abandon Christianity completely or commit himself unreservedly to God's service. Before he left Chad's hospital room, he committed the rest of his life to going wherever God led and doing whatever He asked of him. But Dr. Crandall made one demand: In exchange for Chad's life, Lord, he prayed, let me win 1 million souls to you. Dr. Crandall had wanted every gift God could give him, but the gift God gave Dr. Crandall then was one few Christians want Christ's cross. By joining his grief to Christ's sacrifice, his passion, and filling out the sufferings of Christ, as the Apostle Paul felt privileged to do, Dr. Crandall came to know in a far greater measure Christ's resurrection power. Much of charismatic and Pentecostal teaching implies that faith compels God to act according to our desires. Dr. Crandall found that God uses miracles as signs of the world's ultimate restoration�the defeat of every evil, including death. And at times we are the instruments God uses to produce such signs. At other times we are warriors in an epic struggle with evil whose destructive effects claimed God's own son. But it is through joining Jesus Christ in this battle whatever the costs that we participate in God's victory. Our ultimate security is to be found in radical obedience. These truths were confirmed for Dr. Crandall when shortly after his son's death the heavens opened, as he says. Within a matter of weeks Dr. Crandall was being invited around the globe to share his hope in Christ. He began to see miraculous healings among the patients in his practice. When he prayed for people at mass evangelistic meetings they were often touched by the Holy Spirit and were healed of their diseases. Dr. Crandall pictured at a Reinhard Bonnke crusade in West Africa Dr. Crandall became the kind of Christian who would turn around at God's prompting and pray for a man to be raised from the dead, because he had become convinced that nothing is impossible with God. Christ's resurrection power is as available today as it was in the time of the Apostles. The believer has God's own life within him, in the here and now, and for eternity. As it happens, Dr. Crandall was not the only one praying for Jeff Markin the day he came back from the dead. Jeff's long-estranged wife had been praying for many years for Jeff. His daughter, who was just arriving in the hospital's parking lot when her father died, was praying for him as well. Dr. Crandall's prayer was but one of many that together became the means God used to bring Jeff Markin back to life. A life that had not been committed to Christ, as it turned out. Jeff told Dr. Crandall that when his heart stopped he briefly visited hell�or received a vision of it. He saw himself as someone thrown away, isolated for eternity, unloved. Once he had sufficiently recovered Dr. Crandall was privileged to lead Jeff to a saving knowledge of Christ. While Jeff still struggles with his faith, as we all do, his life is now more and more a sign of the transformation God wants to bring about in all of us. Jeff has progressed from a man who cared about little but pleasure to one committed to sharing God's love with others. Raising the Dead shows that the work of healing, as part of Christ�s epic struggle with evil, is not only Dr. Crandall's task and those of similarly gifted individuals; it's the task of the reader as well and of all Christ's people as we join together in bringing about God's reign his Kingdom wherever we find ourselves. Dr. Crandall is a member of the board of directors of Regent University and he has appeared as a guest on the 700 Club. Dr. Crandall has a standing invitation from Pat Robertson to return as a guest on the network once his book is available. The story of Jeff Markin's healing was featured on Fox News New York as a part of a Christmas Special, and that interview can be seen at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2684816148541027361&q=fox+news+miracle&total=46&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1 In a separate broadcast as part of its news broadcast, Fox News in Miami broadcast the story and that can be seen at:�http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2334132798216105638&q=Raise+from+the+Dead&total=1772&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4 The Fox News (Miami) broadcast resulted in over a million hits to its website. He is now a frequent guest on the Doctor to Doctor program of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and he has an invitation to appear on the network to promote his book when it is published. He speaks regularly throughout the year to a total annual audience numbering in the hundreds of thousands. For more information about Dr. Crandall and media opportunities in connection with his story, visit his website www.chaunceycrandallmd.com Dr. Chauncy Crandall   . Chad Crandall . Chauncy Crandall at Bonnke Campaign in Africa Enter supporting content here See how great a love the Father has lavished on us! I Jn. 3:1