Healing Faith

I received this inspirational message in an email. There was no way for me to determine the author - the message had just be forwarded too many times. If you know who the author of this inspirational message is, please let me know.

Pastor Morris Venden (author of 30 books) at a statewide camp meeting:

Some people don't have enough faith to not be healed so all God can do is heal them! I told that to my wife one day while she was driving. She thought that was terrible. I thought it was an important point. She began driving faster and jerkier. I tried to say it better because I would like to shock you into attention tonight for a major point.

We have thought if we have enough faith, we would be healed. No, no, if we have lots of faith perhaps we will not be healed. From bedtime stories we heard growing up, we thought if you were good everything would go right. All Jesus' disciples but one died a martyr's death and that one was banished to Patmos. John the Baptist perished alone in the dungeon. Elisha rec'd a double portion of God's spirit, died a lingering illness. 

The end of Heb. 11:35, ...others were tortured, not accepting deliverance...they were stoned, tempted, slain with the sword, wandered about...destitute, wandered in mountains, deserts, "these received NOT the promise." So these giants of faith "received not the promise." What was going on? Is there something we have missed?

I would like to remind you of a significant honor guard that is important in God's system. Three verses:

Phil 1:29 For unto you it is given on behalf on Christ to believe on Him and to suffer for his sake.

Phil 3:10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trials...as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory may be revealed that ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

The stories we have often told need to have another perspective. The grasshoppers come and stop at the fence of the tithe payer, but eat all the others crops. We love those stories. I like the story of the man who dedicated his property, paid tithe, and the grasshoppers ate his crops too. He said to his neighbors, "If the good Lord wants to graze His creatures on His property, that's OK."

These people proved they do not serve God for what they get out of Him. They serve Him regardless of what happens. This is what real faith is all about.

When pastors get together, some of us who have been pastors for a hundred years or so, we acknowledge that the number of times we have had miracles could be counted on the fingers on one hand. As you look at the Bible record, in most cases, people born on the wrong planet like you and I, do not find God intervening to overrule the bumps and bruises of life. He walks with us. He stays with us but in most cases He does not work miracles to change the situation. We have failed to look at this as we should.

We need to take a long look at John the Baptist in Desire of Ages. Not Enoch, or Elijah, were greater or more honored than John the Baptist who perished alone in the dungeon. Of all the gifts heaven can bestow, fellowship with Christ in suffering is the highest honor.

Take a look at this. It might overlap into your life. You are probably aware that Harold Richards Jr. had many prayers going up to him. He told me not long ago "On my 80th birthday I'll take you anywhere you want to go eat." Now it looks like it will be to the Tree of Life. He knew it wasn't long so he was trying to make a statement to me that day. He had enough faith to not be healed.

Recently we were moving from Calif. to Arkansas which some thought was a great mistake. I was going through 150 boxes in the garage. My wife said you haven't opened them for ten years, just dump them. I said there is one thing in the midst of every box I cannot do without. Here is a poem from someone who wrote a lot of poems and songs, her name was anonymous!

I had to read it over and over again to get the meaning clear. I am going to give it twice.

"There is a peace that cometh after sorrow, of hope surrendered, not hope fulfilled, peace that looks not on tomorrow but on the tempest. A peace that does not find peace of successes, but of conflicts endured. A life subdued, from will and passion free. That peace triumphed in Gethsemane. Thy will be done."

It is not God's will that people suffer. But it is His will that he will have an honor guard that will continue to trust Him, and does not intervene with miracles in most cases. That is my major premise tonight -- it takes a lot of faith to not be healed, delivered, not have your prayers answered as you would wish they would be answered.

Story: It happened last year in the Seattle, Washington, area. There family there, the Allen's, with two children. Their son, Travis, 18, found he had leukemia, ten months before Thanksgiving. You are not supposed to get children's leukemia when you're 18. They did the usual but there was little hope. It looked like the only course was going to be continuing downward. His mother was a nurse and got permission to stay by his bedside 24 hours a day, except for a few days he was allowed to be home.

He was a senior at Auburn Academy. They began praying for special help. There was an anointing service but nothing changed. As he continued to grow worse, he became concerned about his eternal destiny. He shared his concern. Someone told him, just make sure you have all your sins confessed. You wonder if you forgot one. Didn't seem to help very much.

Our son who is pastor there was able to communicate with Travis the good news that our eternal destiny is based on what Jesus has done and our continuing acceptance, not on our behavior. He became excited about the good news, and stopped looking to himself for some salvation. He looked to Jesus, rejoiced, and was happy about it. Things continued to get worse with his health. Our grandson, Cris, was best friends with Travis, both seniors. Cris would go visit him occasionally. As things began to get even worse, Travis said, "Promise me something, that you will meet me in heaven because I want to hang out with you up there. We've been best friends since the 5th grade." Grandpa couldn't have come close to that altar call, and Cris promised him.

As things went downhill, the weeks went by, one day our pastor son was visiting Travis. He said, "I would like to have a record of some of the things we have talked about. Have your thoughts changed much since you've been sick?"

Travis answered, "Yes. I used to think it was most important to have fun, to get things and to be cool. Now I am convinced there is only one thing that is important -- to know Jesus. There have been some big changes."

In spite of having peace about his eternal destiny, he would sometimes awaken his mother at night overcome with fear. She would ask God to give her strength to be an encouragement to him.

"Mom, I am scared, I don't want to die at 18."

More than once she said to him, "Son, if you do, you will go to sleep, and wake up right away and look into Jesus' face. Can you visualize that? Just think about that moment, when you look into His face and He looks into your face."

"OK Mom, I feel better."

Another thing happened to him as days and weeks went by. He'd wake up in the night feeling "why me?" It was like another voice causing him discouragement and darkness. One night on his own, the Holy Spirit came through to Him with something like that statement concerning John the Baptist -- of all the gifts heaven can bestow, suffering with Christ gives the highest honor.

He said to himself, "If God needs someone to go through an experience like this and still trust Him, why NOT me? He would thereafter counter with, "why not me?" As faith grew, he had peace in spite of the circumstances.

The senior class had their "do something stupid day." They decided to visit Travis in the hospital. He was skin and bones, no hair, so he wore his baseball cap. They talked, laughed, and had a good time. Travis was overwhelmed that his classmates would do this for him.

He couldn't forget it. He decided they were really something else. One day he said to our son, "Pastor, I would like to be anointed again." Our son froze, they'd done this already and nothing changed.

Travis continued, "No, no, I don't want another anointing to be healed. I would like another anointing service to celebrate the peace that God has given me."

They were impressed and tried to schedule it. It was tricky because Travis was having times of great pain and unconsciousness. One day they went ahead. Two hundred were at the church praying when the pastor, father, mother, and beloved Bible teacher went in to have the anointing again. Travis was in a coma but they decided to go ahead. When they began to pray, Travis sat up, his mind perfectly clear, and as they prayed he put his hand on his father's neck and our son's neck and rejoiced over the peace and even joy that God had given him.

Five doctors came by to share with him what the remaining options were. None were any good. They tried to describe them to him. He said, "Don't do anything special. I am going to go to sleep but I'm going to wake up right away and I'm going to see Jesus."

One of the doctors said, "I'm glad that concept brings you comfort."

Travis said, "Doctor, that's not just a concept, that's in your Bible."

An oncology social worker came by to help the family to face the finale. The doctor told her, "You're not needed here." I kind of like that part. "There are stronger forces at work."

Some began praying that as Travis approached the end, God would see fit to do something special in terms of giving him a moment of comfort. Sort of like Stephen looking up, seeing Jesus standing up on His behalf. They prayed, "If you don't see best to change Travis' circumstances, please give him a moment of comfort when it comes to the finale."

It came to the last weekend before Thanksgiving. Of all things, he was able to go home for several days. He went home and on Sunday our grandson went over and took a wheelchair, got Travis in it, and took him to the mall... They did the mall! They were together for 8 hours. They laughed, and had a meaningful time. Our grandson told us later that he was so happy he was able to spend that time with Travis that day.

Monday morning he woke up and said, "I'm not doing good, Dad, you'd better get me back to the hospital." They put him in the car and started for the hospital. They didn't know that he was bleeding to death internally. This process made him feel like he had to stop at a restroom. They stopped at Denny's and the parents helped him walk in. The receptionist asked if they wanted a table, then, "Are you OK?" She showed them to the restroom.

It was small with only two stalls, both doors were open, nobody was in there. His father chose to take him into the handicapped stall and the mother stayed at the door of the restroom waiting. Tom was trying to help his son. He looked under the partition and saw shoes on the other side, and trousers of a dark blue suit. It sort of irritated him because he'd prefer to be alone with his sick son. As he was trying to help his son, Travis said, "I am not doing good, I can hardly breathe," at which moment a voice came over from the other side of the partition which said, "Travis, it is all right, you are going to be okay."

Travis said, "Dad you'd better call 911, I cannot breathe." His mother came in, trying to help him. The voice continued to come from the other side, "Travis it is all right, I am here, you are going to be okay."

His mother had him lying on the floor when the paramedics came in within 3-5 minutes. They put him on a stretcher. At this point the stranger from the other stall came out, went to the head of the stretcher, looked into Travis' face. Travis who had been looking at his mother, was suddenly riveted on the face of the stranger.

The paramedics said, "Are you his father?"

"No, I am his friend." He continued to lean over Travis as they took him out to the ambulance. He followed all the way, reassuring him and telling Travis it was going to be okay.

When they got to the ambulance, Travis was unconscious and then the stranger was gone. They compared notes later and agreed that none of them had seen the stranger's face except for Travis. They even went into the receptionist and asked if she had seen someone in a dark blue silk suit. The receptionist said, "People in silk suits don't come into Denny's."

They took him by helicopter to the hospital. The parents drove so fast they arrived at the hospital (during rush hour) before the helicopter landed -- which is a miracle in itself. Travis died in his mother's arms at l0 o'clock on Monday morning.

He had asked that they have the service on Friday and he wanted it to end at sundown, so they scheduled the service that way. The church was packed. There were classmates from other years who came, even some from Walla Walla College (WA), Southern College (TN). Thirty-four of the doctors and nurses from Children's Hospital came because they had been so amazed by what was going on.

It was arranged that the seniors would come down the aisles, go to the choir loft, and leave one chair vacant with a rose on it. Our son who had taken notes for months tried to share with the people there what Travis had said in answer to his questions, including how his thinking had changed.

Among the questions: What do you think of your senior classmates? "I cannot believe they would do what they did for me, you guys are awesome. I want to see you all in heaven, and if any of you are not there, I am really going to be bummed."

They had hoped and prayed for a revival on campus. They did not know it would come that way. Needless to say, there has been a revival on the campus, because someone had enough faith to not be healed. 

We went to visit at Thanksgiving and we heard this story again that we had heard over the phone. We asked if we could go to Denny's and we took turns going into the restroom. As I stood there by myself, I thought, how could Someone from the heavenly country come into this smelly place. If Someone from heavenly place came into this place, they deserved to wear a dark blue silk suit. Then the picture changed, because Someone from heavenly country came to this smelly place, because of it we all have hope.