Phoenix Preacher

"Thou art to commune with one who is not like thy fellow-men, who may let thee plead and remain like a block, unmoved by thy pathetic requests; but to a living God, a tender God, sensitive to all the sensations of thy soul. Oh, to come before the living and acting God! Not before a God, lame and impotent; nor before the new God, who is impersonal and dead, but before the true God-God in Christ Jesus!

If we did but realize who he is to whom we speak- God, very nigh to us in the person of the Only Begotten, who has taken our nature upon himself, what praying ours would be! And that is the right sort of praying. Oh, that the God of truth may be able, in speaking to each of us, to speak concerning, “Thy prayer and thy supplication which thou hast prayed before me”!

Lord, help us to pass through the outer courts, and to enter into thy inner court and speak with thee. Lord, deliver us from staying in the words, but bring thou us into the spirit of prayer; bring thou us near thyself."

Spurgeon 

Today we celebrate the birth of our nation and the values that made us a great country.

Before I proceed, let me say that I love my country and praise God I was born here.

However, the same spirit that made us a great nation makes us a dysfunctional church.

We celebrate independence and rugged individualism and economically it's survival of the fittest and whoever dies with the most toys wins.

That is not biblical Christianity, however.

We need to celebrate "Dependence Day". 

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”
(1Corinthians 12:12-26 ESV)

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”
(Acts 4:32-35 ESV)

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
(Colossians 1:16-20 ESV)

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
(John 13:13-14 ESV)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
(John 13:34 ESV)

The reality is that we are made to be dependent upon each other and dependent upon Him. 

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
(Romans 12:10 ESV)

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,”
(Romans 15:5 ESV)

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
(1Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another,agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
(2Corinthians 13:11 ESV)

Someday we'll do an article on all the "one anothers" in Scripture, but today while celebrating Independence Day, celebrate our real heritage…dependence on each other and the God we serve. 

The following photos are as close to a documented case of faith healing of an organic condition that I've ever encountered.

The healing occurred at the Lakeland  meeting and this is the testimony of the healed.

“Ok…I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was about 13 yrs old and they said the only way to straighten it would be surgery because my growth-plate was almost closed, leaving no option for a brace.  It has been painful all of the time, and at times excrutiating.  It never changed for the worse or better even through pregnancy, so the specialist said it was "completely stable"  and "would never shift."  There were times that I had so much pain I couldn't stand straight up.  I tried physical therapy for awhile to combat the pain, but couldn't afford to keep it going.  When we lived there,(name deleted)   had a word that I would be healed from the inside out, resulting in the straightening of my back.  On the 8th, as I watched the outpouring on tv God told me to take a picture because this was to bring about the healing that was prophesied over me a year before.  My camera battery was dead, so I put it off for a few days.  On the 11th, my dad called and said he was going to Lakeland and wanted to take my son (deleted).  I said of course he could and he said he wanted to take me but knew I couldn't go with work and the kids. I said God would make a way and in one day, I had all of my shifts at work covered and childcare lined up for six days!!!  I knew I had better obey God, and took a picture of my back the night before we left. 

We flew out on the morning of the 13th!  On Sunday (15th)  I went up for prayer (just at the altar, not the stage…not from Todd) and A woman on the ministry team prayed for me.  She said all things crooked will be made straight and laid hands on my stomach and back.  I was slain in the spirit and she straightened my body out as I laid on the floor on my back and continued to pray for me.  I stayed after she moved on and when the minister on stage yelled "fire" my body jumped and I began to laugh.  He yelled "fire" again (praying for someone else this whole time) and I laughed so hard that the laugh went deep into my stomach, as I laughed, I felt my spine move!  It didn't hurt and I wasn't even sure it really happened, but I started crying and laughing and then I felt my left ribcage lower to the floor!  My left ribcage has never rested on the seat-back or floor and my left arm would never rest against my side, due to the curvature of my spine.  So I knew it was real then and I cried and thanked God, Then I got up and went to my dad, who was already crying even though he couldn't see me.  He said a pastor who had been sitting behind us had just given him a word of knowledge as encouragement.  He said he could see God slowly twisting and moving my back into alignment…he did not know I had scoliosos and had never spoken to us before.  I sat down and both sides of my back touched the seat-back!!!  When I stand straight now, my left arm rests on my side!!!  I have small amounts of pain in my muscles off and on, but it feels like they are sore from the change, there is NO bone or nerve pain whatsoever.  I was able to give my testimony and show the pictures on stage on the 17th.  I recieved this healing as a tool for us to use, God told me that. “ 

I have every reason to believe that these are true, unaltered photos and the testimony is true.

One thing we can say…God still heals. 

Let's discuss…

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.”
(1Corinthians 11:1-15 ESV)

This is the weekly place for those who have been victims of abusive churches to share their stories within a community of wounded healers.

You may use your name or you may use a pseudonym if that is more comfortable.

We come from a variety of back grounds and experiences, but most of us have travelled the road you're on, many of us are still traveling it.

We invite you to stay as long as you like, we hope you become part of this community and another healing, but wounded healer for others.