April 2015 - Page 3 of 3

Untitled!!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Thought I’d try a different approach with the title of the blog post today, as anything with miracles, healing, or superlatives in seems to be having a negative effect… the last post with some amazing stories, and video clips of people telling their own stories of what God did instantaneously for them, was looked at by 13 people over two days. Seeing as, once again, I was up into the night writing it, editing pictures to fit the blog requirements, and uploading video clips, was, for me, very disheartening, and not a little soul-destroying…

Saturday was a great day, with the arrival of Paul Goodman and Brian Louden to complete the team for this visit. It means that we can split up to pray for people, go to more meetings, and – hopefully – have a bigger impact even than the astonishing first week. Paul and Brian have been brilliant, after a full day nearly of travelling: they’ve come having hit the ground running, nd been brilliant in the middle of their jet-lagged-ness.

Saturday, in two churches – Brian with me, Paul with Chris: ‘Casa de Oracion Rey Jesus’ is one of the churches I love dearly. It’s a church where one lady in particular, has been blessed by God many times – Astrid, healed now seven times of different cancers, so lovely to see her looking so well! It’s just such a lovely blessing to be greeted like a member of the family in many churches now, this one especially. I preached, Brian shared his testimony: then he prayed for a good number of people, while I focused initially on one lovely young lady in a wheelchair, Maria. She was shot 8 months ago, paralysed: the doctors had said she’d only ever be able to move he eyes, and experience great pain. She was already moving more than her eyes but still – understandably – traumatised, and angry. Saturday, the pain in her hands was off the scale, and she looked full of hopelessness. A number of things happened for her: ALL the pain in her hands went, among other things, but what came – wonderfully – was hope. I suggested we’ll see his during this week to pray more: I have a real sense of hope that she’ll be walking… I prayed for a few others after her, and between us, Brian & I saw some lovely healing. Paul and Chris prayed for 17 people in their church, a Presbyterian church, and everyone was healed. Thank you Jesus!!

Paul, 24 hours off the plane, preaching brilliantly, with a brilliant young lady from the church, Sarah, translating

Yesterday, up at the crack of dawn to drive to Tulua for 5 meetings. Paul was with me. He preached brilliantly, and of the 200+ who were in he meeting, we must have prayed for at least half of them. EVERYONE was healed. It was a wonderful morning: maybe the name of the church had something to do with it! It’s called ‘Iglesia Hacedor Miraglos’ – Miracle Maker Church. Why don’t we call our churches something wonderfully creative and faith building like that? And the pastor is called Habakkuc…. It was a fantastic morning. Chris and Brian had a great time too.

The church 'Iglesia Hacedor Miraglos' — The church ‘Iglesia Hacedor Miraglos’

In the picture above is our lovely translator, Sarah: brilliant! – and the lady to her left was the first one I prayed for. She had a broken arm, and was in great pain, but I’d seen her worshipping God wonderfully, raising the arm she COULD raise. God healed her broken arm instantly, off came all the protection, and away went all the pain….

Then on to the local Christian drug rehabilitation centre: prayed for everyone, there were many healings and so people delivered of spirits they no longer needed 🙂

Then two more churches: Paul & I were at ‘Iglesia Manantial de Agua Vida’ – Fountains of living water – soooo much nicer than ‘****** Street, ****** church(denomination)…. why doesn’t God ‘do it’ in the west? Perhaps part of the answer is in the names! As in the morning, Paul and I organised a ‘fire tunnel’ for the people to walk through: in both meetings, people were healed, filled with the spirit, healed emotionally, just as they passed through it. Prayed for many: all healed – some totally, others in process. A lovely lady in a wheelchair was so blessed, with pain going, the power of God pouring through her…she didn’t get up and walk out, partly because she’d had both legs amputated. I told her a Smith Wigglesworth story about a pastor with no legs to whom Smith told to go and buy new shoes the next day. He got legs as he put shoes on the stumps. I pray that this lady will do the same today.

Fabulous day, wonderful start for Paul and Brian: still this trip is on an upward ascent in terms of what God’s doing.

If the blogs keep going the same way, I’ll keep writing them, whatever time of night, however tired. If they don’t, well, I’ll then assume only a very small handful of people are interested in the testimonies of Jesus….and probably stop posting them.

Another lovely lady being prayed for by Paul, getting healed

How do I title the last two nights’ meetings? Running out of adjectives already….

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Paul Bennison Posted in Journal, Personal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Thursday evening we were at a church that both Chris and I love dearly – for the life of me I can’t remember its name, but it’s in a mountain district (barrio), Alto Napoles, quite high above the city of Cali. The Pastors are Jesus and Ángela (An-kela) Mondragon Moreno. The church meet in what as (maybe still is, when it isn’t church!) garage of their home, we guess. It grows every time we are there, and it has the most lovely spirit, and such a wonderful sense of God’s presence. (I’m probably going to be repeating that sentence about Friday’s meeting, too!).

This week, I’ve wanted Chris to do all the preaching, no because I don’t want to or because I’m lady – though I’ll admit that, even after 30 years of preaching, I STILL get nervous and ask myself why I say ‘yes’ to invitations. I’ve said before that one of my greatest joys is to bring people with me on trips and give them the opportunity to do things they might never get back home. Again, Chris spoke really well, weaving in and out of the Isaiah statement, ‘Here am I: send me’. It’s great for me, because I met Chris and his lovely wife, Abi, and their sons Reuben and Caleb, at a meeting in Exeter, where I was preaching and they were leading worship, about 8 years ago. The friendship with them has grown and grown. During my ‘preach’ bit, I had a prophetic picture for them, seeing them in an airport with instrument flight cases along with their luggage. About 3 years ago, God got hold of Chris with that Isaiah statement, but didn’t know what to do with it, so he thought to ring me to ask if he could help out in any way with things that I do. He admits his thoughts were to go to places in the south est of England, around where he lives, and was rather stunned when I said, ‘Come to Cali’! Three years on, he’s in love with the place, this is his 4th time here, and his anointing increases with every visit.

Jesus and Ángela’s church is beautiful: not so much the garage, but the people. The response for ministry was, as always here, almost 100%. Alto Napoles is a small community, probably quite a large proportion of the barrio hear the meetings, as the sound system is quite loud, and the doors to the street – which is pretty much the width of one car – are wide open. Wilmar and I prayed together for people, as did Chris and Johan. Already, just two evenings on, names have evaded my memory, but God did some lovely miracles – Wilmar would confirm that of those we prayed for – upwards of 25 people – all were healed. Rather than list names and ailments that have gone, I’ve put here a clutch of short videos of people telling their own stories of the evening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDl9QvDDVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWQ4pSLYIqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTrvt6TTGs8&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmF4Lyidcps&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co69354yb4Y&feature=youtu.be

It’s indescribably wonderful to see people healed instantly, as you KNOW – as opposed to just hope, or believe – that the power of God has been right there, right then, and you get to touch it – dare I say, impart it?

Chris’s report is, again, on his Facebook page – Cali Colombia 2015 – but here it is:
I realise that you are getting several posts one after the other today. We have had no internet access yet again, and the frustration caught up with Paul, who went out to a shopping mall to get a wifi link. Ironically, it came on in the apartment about ten minutes after he left, though is gone again now so I will keep writing until the light goes on again.
Last night, we went to the mountains to a church led by the lovely Angela Monndragon Moreno and her husband Jesus.
The road to the church has recently been improved. Last year, in torrential rain, the unmade road turned from a dirt track to a river. With apologies to those of you who don’t know Our home town, the final 200 or so yards was like the Crown and Anchor Way in Paignton – except that the road also served as a patio for families having their evening meal together, which we rudely interrupted!

Their meeting place is a wonderful, well decorated room with beautiful vivid blue drapes on the ceiling, contrasted with white walls – my artistic friends in the UK would love it.
The people of Cali are kind and passionate, and this group of God’s people are a shining example of these qualities. Their worship is amazing, their prayer is fervent. The room had more chairs in it than I remember from last year, and was full to overflowing, with a few outside the door on the street.
After I spoke on living a life of obedience for the Lord, I talked about some of the many healings we have so far seen. Yet again, almost all of the church wanted prayer, either for themselves, or for family or friends. Several were healed instantaneously of back and knee problems, and two of migraines. Others asked for a touch from the Holy Spirit, and either wept, shook or gently fell under His power.
Every time I come here, I feel the prophetic anointing grow stronger, bringing to people words of confirmation or words of changing seasons for individuals. When I pray, sometimes even before I start praying when I take hold of someone’s hand, God starts moving in them and the tears flow. Every night, my shirts get stained with make up, mascara, lipstick, tears, sweat and snot!
We are off in a few minutes to Simon Bolivar district, to what I call the church in Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13) a little group in a very rough part of the city – at least they were little the first time I visited – the pastors Hernandez and Aida with their son, the five of us and ten others. Last year the Lord had added to their number and there were over 100 of them!

The lovely folk there fed us well afterwards, too, which made our time there well in excess of 5 hours – the praying alone taking at least two, and for those of you who pray intensively for people, will know how exhausting that is!

Yesterday morning, we had the joy of going to see the adorable Ana Beiba, at her home, where, you’ll know if you read this blog regularly, cares for old people that she rescues from a life of living on the streets. Last year, I emptied my credit cards so that she could begin the building of two additional floors on the house bought for her ministry with money raised in the UK primarily, so that she could take in more people. Then, she had her ‘babies’ as she calls them, almost wall to wall – 60 of them in a relatively small house. It was great to see the new construction: it’s far from finished, but she’s already using it, and has another 40-50 – well over 100 now – whose lies have been saved, given a good home, kept well fed, clothes that smell of washing powder, and very, very happy…. she has NO income, no government support, no social security system to fund her. Everything is faith based. She’s such a lovely Godly woman, it’s been my joy and privilege to pray for her twice to be healed of different cancers.

Ana Beiba and a man with a broken neck :) — Ana Beiba and a man with a broken neck 🙂

Last night, in the equally lovely church, Nacer de Nuevo (Born Again), pastored by such a beautiful couple, Hernan & Aida Gonzalez, God turned up in power – and fun and tears. Outside their church, they have this wonderful sign! –

Again, everyone that Wilmar and I prayed for, were healed. One lady, Juilana, when asked what was wrong, just mouthed an answer with a few squeaks. She’d woken three days ago with no voice. I prayed for her, and, as is my ‘wont’ asked if she’d felt anything. She SPOKE ‘No’ before bursting out laughing that as she that ‘no’ it was with her normal voice! Then her head got very hot (reminiscent of my great friend in Bangor, Northern Ireland, Alan!), and she was off, making up the ‘missing’ few days off speaking!!

A delightful man named Wilter, had had a bad motorbike accident (they are prolific here), a year ago He’d been unable to close his left hand into a fist, and his middle finger wouldn’t bend at all. He’d been in a lot of pain with it for a year, and constant therapy. After praying, I asked him, ‘what do you feel, Wilter?’…. he instantly clenched his fist, meaning that all the ligaments, tendons, and muscles that had been damaged, were healed. He just burst into tears as all the pain went too.

Hernan & Aida, passionate, fun Pastors of Nacer de Nuevo church

In both places, endless pairs of knees were healed (Thank you, Lord!! Now mine??), gastric pain, a lady with failed surgery on her uterus, felt fire in her abdomen, and was healed. Another lady, with severe arthritic pain all down her left hand side, was healed’ Johan’s daughter, Juliana, 16, was praying with us: I told her to pray for the lady’s hip – her whole left side was healed. I ‘attacked ‘ her knees – ALL her pain went. And so it goes on… so much arthritis, bronchial conditions, failed surgeries, some awful ‘infirmities’ caused by the bite of a specific mosquito, varicose veins, ulcerated legs, skin of the wrong ‘consistency’ that over-reacts to the sun (a REAL problem here) causing an unsightly and irritating rash. We must have prayed for a similar number to last night: everyone healed… it is SUCH a privilege to see God do this stuff!

Brian and Paul will be here in a minute, and then begins a busy day, topped off by two church meetings this evening (so a late night is in store!) followed by a 6am stat to Tulua, a city some 2-3 hours away tomorrow: 5 services, including one in a drug rehabilitation centre. Back in our little beds by about 2 am the following morning, I guess!

Chris’s healing and ministry testimonies from ‘Discipulos de Jesus’

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Yesterday was the day when things really kicked off! Following our hospital visit in the day, we went to an evening meeting of a church in the north of the city, on the way to the airport. I had not been there before, but recognised some of the people from a “healing on the streets” type event last Easter in Palmira, where they basically left us to get on with it, with no translators!
It always intrigues me, having visited over fifty churches here over the years, that the same healing issue will repeat itself again and again in a congregation – in one place it will be back problems, in another headaches, and in yet another, stomach issues, but we find that often over half the people we pray for in a place will have the same problem. I have asked this before, but I wonder if any of you have thoughts as to why this is?

Last night I preached again, and in a meeting with up to 100 people present, we must have prayed for more than two thirds of the congregation. Paul and Wilmar saw three people healed of arthritic conditions, had one woman with ovarian issues who said as they prayed “all of my insides are on fire!” A girl with flat feet was prayed for and they and her mother looked on in amazement as the arches formed as they watched.

Johan and I prayed for a number of people with various social and relational problems, as well as those needing physical healing. One woman, about 5 feet 6 but not far short of my weight Paul: Chris is 6 feet 3 inches, and, er…not light!!) came forward asking for prayer so that she might know God better. I asked her if she had ever been baptised in the Holy Spirit and she said no, so asked if she would like to be and she said yes. I took her by the hands and simply prayed, “receive the Holy Spirit,” and blew gently on the top of her head. Immediately she was under God’s power and started to fall backwards. I looked to Johan to help me support her, or help her gently to the floor – his eyes were shut! In a panic, as she was falling backwards, I managed to nudge Johan with my elbow, and he swiftly placed a chair behind her with about half a second to spare before she fell to the ground with me on top of her! She was out cold for about 15 minutes, completely motionless, with tears streaming down her face.

Another lady came up with her daughter. We prayed for the mother, who started shaking as wave after wave of God’s power pulsates through her. The daughter looked on somewhat anxiously, but she was fine – I prayed that God would give her dreams and visions, and as I prayed this, her eyelids flickered.

An old lady came up with her two grandchildren, who but for her intervention would have been taken away from their mother. The children had obviously been neglected, and although he was eight years old, the boy could not speak properly. He did say amen at the end of my prayer. The girl, Sarah, aged six, was a bundle of joy, and pointed at me, asking her grandmother, “is he Father God that we pray to?”

Tonight we are off to the mountains again, to the church led by the lovely Angela Monndragon Moreno and her husband. We had an amazing time with them last year and I am really looking forward to being with them again, a group of people filled with faith.

I’m addicted to the love of God and the power he blesses his people with

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Paul Bennison Posted in Evangelism, Personal, Testimony, Travel Leave a comment

Busy day today. The whole programme is now like this, apart from Easter Monday, until the last of us leaves on Monday afternoon, 13th April. This morning we went to a top hospital, to pray for the very sick mum of a lovely friend, Maria Helene Bagui. I’ll be honest and say that my flipping knees were so bad I almost considered not going, but I refuse to give in, and met Maria Helene outside. Then we tried to get in… 🙁 . Colombia is the only only place I’ve ever seen a sign on the door with a gun on it, and a diagonal line through it (no guns!) – there wasn’t one here – but there’s ALWAYS obstreperous guards on the door of all hospitals, who are utterly unreasonable. Maria Helene, who is a medic (she was director of a Social Security Hospital when I first met her). She tried ‘these men have come from England to pray for my mum’ but it didn’t work…. so they let one + translator in. Even if my knees had been ok, I’d have wanted Chris to go, as I always want the guys I take with me to have every opportunity to see God move.

It meant I could stay in the car, so God was gracious to me! Turns out they have about five sets of stairs to climb, so I’d made the right decision :). Maria’s mum felt a great measure of healing: other people got prayed for, some feeling distinctly better, and Chris was thrilled to have had the opportunity.

Lunch with Pastors Wilmar and Hendrik, and lovely Carlos Escobar, sorted out the money ‘blockage’ that had occurred for dear Ana Beiba’s abandoned old people’s ministry. It was great to spend time with three really wonderful guys – well, four, counting Chris!

This evening, we were in a church called ‘Discipulos de Jesus’ – pretty translatable into English! – fabulous Pastor and wife, Christian and Carolina. Lovely worship, Chris spoke really well. The pastor spoke about miracles that happened last time I was there: it was fantastic to hear. A little boy, Alejandro, with no arches in his feet, got them. A young man, Diego, who’d had a dreadful motorbike crash – not wearing a helmet – had been healed…. he lost the top of his skull in the crash, and a considerable number of brain cells, and wrecked his neck and throat. Doctors said he’d never recover, never breathe normally, never speak again, never eat again except through a tube. He had a gadget in is throat to help with some sounds. Having prayed for him, I’d heard no more, until now. I’m waiting to receive a video of him giving his testimony: he breathes, he speaks, he eats, he’s perfectly normal….what an amazing God! I want to try and meet up with him before I go home. I videoed the pastor telling the stories – including a prophetic word that this time next year (now!) they’d be in a much bigger building as they’d have grown such a lot. They are….

Here’s the pastor, telling some of the stories that occurred a year ago during my team;s visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6kLi2vU2m0&feature=youtu.be

I think you can hear the translation well enough… hope so!

After Chris had spoken, then the tsunami of people for prayer (almost) overwhelmed us. Fortunately we had two guys, Wilmar and Johan, who could translate, so we were able to split up, but

Lovely mum Carolina, with Sabina and her new arches

Sabina, so beautiful, chronic flat feet from birth...new arches tonight! Mum was in awe... — Sabina, so beautiful, chronic flat feet from birth…new arches tonight! Mum was in awe…

Wilmar reckons we payed for 50 at least…. 2¾ hours of praying is utterly exhausting. BUT – first up, for Wilmar and me, was a lovely young mum, Carolina, and her beautiful daughter, Sabina, 3 years old, who had been born with chronically flat feet. As soon as I started to pray, I had my hand on her foot and it began to move, and in seconds the arch was there, both feet. Mum’s face was utter astonishment and amazement…

Next came a dear man, Guillermo, in terrible pain from – you might guess! – severe arthritic knees (!!), arthritis in his back, pelvis, legs, and hips. He sat and agreed with every word of the prayer, and then I asked him to walk… first time was a bit shaky (I know that feeling), second time was good, third time was perfectly normal! Thank you Father, thank you… takes my faith for my healing of the same problem to a new level. His smile was as wide as the channel tunnel….

Others with pain issues were healed, more arthritic knees, arthritis in other people, a lady whose face suddenly became paralysed 20 days ago, had a large patch over her right eye as the paralysis had left her right eye swollen, unable to close it,and with damage to the tear ducts. The patch was to soak up the tears. Prayed briefly, she said she felt very warm, and I asked her if she’d be willing to remove the patch. She did: blinked, closed her eye, and it was dry. A lady with ovarian/womb pain, failed surgery, had all her pain go.

An older lady, Ana, riddled with arthritis, troubled even to walk a metre from her chair to the one we had for her. I LOVE praying for arthritis: it feels like I poke Satan in the eyes and kick him hard where it hurts most every time when someone is healed. Ana sat there for a moment, I asked how she felt, tingling and hot she replied, AND THE PAIN IS GONE. From her whole body. Then she walked, perfectly, no limp, no delay, perfectly, back and forwards a couple of times. She was blown away….

What an awesome God…

Guillermo, a dear man, totally healed of all arthritic pain in his body tonight

Ana could hardly walk, needed assistance getting out of her seat, totally healed tonight

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