A welcome victory for freedom of speech – and commonsense!

Paul Skelton of Healing On The Streets Bath, has updated me with welcome news of a substantial flaw in the ASA dictat against statements and testimonies of healing on  his website. The ruling has been officially reviewed and over-ruled and thus vindicates HOTS’ stance and their claims about ulterior motives to this issue, which many others could discern too – see previous update, and ASA tags in this blog for more.

The official statement has yet to be appear but it seems to confirm HOTS’ concerns,  which the original complainant described as, ‘bizarre’. This young lady claims to be a ‘paranormal investigator’ and yet admits to not having spoken to anyone or to making enquires other than visiting the website, or having done any open-minded research.  Her reasons arise from personal medical experiences, which is understandable, and so wishes to protect vulnerable people – but they’re mixed motives. Consequently, a very  strong ‘crusading’ bias contributed to a hasty, incomplete assessment and conclusion. When I presented her with undeniable evidence of my wife’s healing the ‘lady’ didn’t want to accept its validity. Her claims to being an objective investigator are thereby shown as being, at best, delusion or, at worst, downright fraudulent.

[I was once on her side of the ‘fence’ – even having contempt for contemporary Christian belief – but how utterly shocked I was to discover I was ‘gravely’ wrong (deliberate pun) and that the Gospel really IS wholly true – see Death of Destiny?.  I was devasted but what could I do but acknowledge the Truth Himself as my personal Lord and Saviour?]

Now, after my aside, here’s Paul’s published announcement.:

Advertising Standards Authority admit there was

 a substantial flaw in their judgement

Early this year the ASA ruled that HOTS Bath was in breach of advertising standards in expressing our belief that God can heal physically as well as spiritually and emotionally.

However, the official review process has now been completed and has identified a substantial flaw in the ASA’s Adjudication.

The ASA has subsequently accepted the official reviewers recommendation that the HOTS Bath website is actually outside of their remit and therefore beyond their jurisdiction.

This is great news and sets a clear precedent for Christian websites to be able to share testimonies of Gods goodness through physical healing with out opposition from official bodies.
Below is our official statement regarding this news :-

We are grateful to the ASA’s Independent Reviewer and the ASA Council for reviewing and amending this decision, and confirming that there was a fundamental flaw in the original assessment of the complaint about our website.

The ASA has now confirmed that our website is not within its remit because the statements made on it reflects our beliefs and relate to a cause or idea – the website explains our belief that God can heal and provides information about prayer offered by our volunteers and therefore the ASA has confirmed that nothing on the website is in breach of the advertising regulations.

The ASA still considered that leaflets handed out could be in breach of the advertising regulations, however we changed the leaflets several months ago to reflect the concerns which the ASA had previously expressed.

The ASA is due to re-publish the adjudication confirming its views on the leaflets, but the revised adjudication does not apply to what is on our website, meaning we can continue to express our beliefs that God can and does heal, as well as providing information and testimonies explaining all about Healing on the Streets.

HOTS Bath will continue to fulfill its commitment to demonstrate the love of God through healing of body, mind and spirit on the streets of Bath and elsewhere.

Visit our website at www.hotsbath.org

See update for recent news about ASA Chairman’s unwarranted political interference.

Follow-up on healings in the UK

Recently (here and here), I’ve tried to convey our own great excitement over March’s revival meeting in Hull. At last, I can share it better with you on this 10 minute clip, which also features a short song in the middle Note: no longer available but see this 3 min clip:

These miraculous healings of folk from Hemel Hempstead, Chesterfield and Tiverton strongly enthused a packed auditorium of Americans in Alabama a week ago. Nathan Morris was also excited to announce that BBC local radio had interviewed Michael about his amazing triple miracle and that Lasette’s astounding appearance in her hotel, which I reported in “Now we know God is real”, brought a Muslim to salvation!

[A friend who directs a national healing ministry says Muslims are keen to learn about God’s healing power. It’s a pity for those atheists with whom two fellow bloggers and I have been in debate but who steadfastly refuse to accept such signs of salvation – Lord, bless them with a personal revelation and true contrition.]

Next, Nathan’s fresh preaching entitled Have You Defiled Your Robes? on holiness and repentance, as in John 8.34-36 and Revelation 3:2-6, was truly outstanding.  It was exceptionally rare preaching on the ‘offensive message’ of the Gospel – that is, upon all sin, even in believers!, and the power of Jesus’ blood – “it is the lifeline“. For example:

“I’m tired of this gospel that won’t get in peoples’ faces. Let me tell you the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ offends – get used to it!  People don’t want to be offended anymore…without the Blood there are no miracles, without preaching the shed Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, there is no salvation…one of the biggest lies you ever received is ‘once saved always saved’…you can’t live how you want… “

Many believers flocked forward, blocked the aisles in repentance and then received a fresh fire. The whole was preceded by an hour’s ascending worship as the Holy Spirit filled Lydia Stanley’s fingers with fire on the keyboard. (Join the worship here – news of the UK starts at 1hr20 and Nathan starts preaching at 1hr54.)

On his blog, Hull’s New Life Church leader Jarrod Cooper also includes a video clip of a lady and her husband telling what it’s like to be disabled for 6 years and then being healed at the church.

Jarrod also provides additional photos of Lasette and of extra footage with a follow-up of Michael, who declares, “God’s just amazing. He’s given me my life back and I thank God”. Oh, yes indeed that’s such a tremendous blessing.

I trust you will take time to watch these signs of God’s wonderful healing grace.

“I asked God to protect me…He didn’t let me down”

Thus ran yesterday’s Sun on Sunday ‘world exclusive’ front-page headline about Fabrice Muamba’s recovery from ‘death’ after a heart attack. Click here to read his down-to-earth personal account of being grateful not to be left brain damaged. The follow-up story of who inspired Fabrice’s recovery is on this link.

I’d previously mused in the email below as to whether God’s hand could be discerned in this event as it followed upon the heels of the ASA’s decision to ban any statements about our Lord’s healing power.  We can rejoice in His ‘cocking a snook’ at the thought control behind authoritiarian political correctness.

As before, Gillan Scott quickly reported upon this news and sensitively discusses its appearance in this particular journal. His own conclusion is well worth noting:

This weekend God’s greatest evangelist was a footballer who used a tabloid to tell the world just how amazing God is. God knows what He’s doing and we need to learn to follow His lead.

Amen.

Copy of earlier email:

From: Richard Barker
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 4:05 PM
To: Undisclosed Recipients
Subject: Fw: Christians in Parliament challenge ASA’s ‘God can heal’ ban

…Thank you to Paul for having alerted me, to Gillan for this news, and to three Christian MPs dealing with this important issue. (You may recall my emails of early February and  my blog’s post on this issue.)

Gillan reports (link) that the All-Party Parliamentary Group, Christians in Parliament, has asked the Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority to provide scientific substantiation for the ASA ruling against Healing On The Streets, failing which the matter will be raised in Parliament. The ASA decision sought NOT ONLY to ban claims that God can and does heal physically, BUT ALSO TO SUPPRESS PUBLICATION OF TESTIMONIES of such healings!!

In case you may not understand the footballer reference, see Gillan’s post God is in control and Peter Kirk’s post about the BBC’s suggesting prayers for him!  Is the Lord using that unfortunate incident to state, Who says I cannot heal?”..?

Evidence for physical healing

For quick reference purposes I’ve listed 10 short video clips of testimonies of notable healings – at least a couple of which are not only medically impossible but are also creative miracles. These clips can be found under this website’s header God Heals Today, or by clicking here.

Also, three clips on the disappearance of surgically implanted metal rods, screws and plates during Global Awakening ministry tours, are separately referred to here.

News roundup on healings

Thank you Jonathan for alerting me to the Lord’s recent activities in North Kent, and to NK Community Church’s pastor Pete Carter for permission to publish his remarks that:

Amazing things are happening in these days. In the last two weeks we have seen more healings at NKCC: a badly sprained hand healed and returned to full function, … Also someone’s car miraculously repaired, regular sightings of angels,

Also, these are additional to his posting on healings last December.

Ashton Parker Update – earlier post refers.

On Sunday we heard an update on Ashton Parker’s eyesight from John Kilpatrick at that morning’s service in Alabama. The boy’s astonished doctor reports that his right eye can now see as far as 20 feet instead of only 3 inches. The left eye had such bad glaucoma that he couldn’t go outside without thick, wrap-around goggles and sun-glasses to protect him from the daylight. But the day after prayer he could watch an outdoor game without them. His doctor confirms the glaucoma has completely gone.   [Update is at 1hr38 of video: click to run/load, then advance by clicking in gray bar.]

Dutch Sheets – Sunday, March 25, 2012 from Church of His Presence on Vimeo.

Another Remarkable Healing – watch clip here

As a drunken driver David had a bad crash, ending up with a broken neck and completely paralysed from the accident. Doctors hoped that by extensive surgery there’d be a chance he would regain feeling and movement to his upper body. That worked but they said, “There was absolutely no hope that he would ever walk again”. They told him to stop worrying about his leges and even refused to authorise  physiotherapy because it would be medically impossible for him to ever walk again,or to move or have feeling in his lower body; ie. he would be paralysed for life and limited to a wheelchair.

David heard about Delia Knox’s miraculous healing but he said it was all faked!  His wife believed he would be saved and healed and, eventually, he decided he had nothing to lose by going to the revival. Around midnight last Friday night the Lord gave him back the use of his legs and then on Sunday morning David managed to climb the stairs onto the stage. A fantastic weekend – thank you Lord!  (See via above video link at 52 minutes onwards).

At 1hr 15 Nathan Morris explains that in such cases of atrophied limbs we need to help those being healed to walk into their full healing, as with Delia and Erin. (Although the wife of a doctor, she was beyond a medical cure. She freely admitted, as a Baptist, to not believing God heals today; but then she saw the clip about Delia – click here for Erin’s own astounding story of what God can do today).

“Doctors may say David’s never going to walk – but guess what, guess what, guess what – WITH GOD, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE…”  (Nathan Morris, at 1hr16min of video)

Dutch Sheets’ observations, and very instructive teaching upon the significance of this outpouring and on the various occurrences of the miraculous, follow on at 1hr40mins.  He’s of the opinion there’s evidence that this is now going up a phase, to a new level of signs and wonders.

Be mightily blessed as you watch and listen…

“Now we know God IS REAL!”

Friends – some more about revival in the UK:

First, there’s something different in a NE Hampshire church to when we were last there. We were fired up after Hull and expected Fleet Baptist church to be quiet, but when we went in I sensed the Lord was going to raise the roof.

And He did! All the congregation was excited with their birthday weekend with visiting speaker from New Wine and they worshipped as never before! Also, there were a few testimonies, including healing of a badly frozen shoulder.

For Such A Time As This

In view of what happened in Hull (read here) we wanted to know what Nathan Morris thought about his visit there. The following Thursday he excitedly recounted the main highlights to a large audience in New Jersey.:

Bay Revival New Jersey, March 15, 2012 from Bay Revival on Vimeo.

You could wait for the video to load and advance to 1hr27min to hear this fantastic 15 minute report – OR, if your internet connection is slow, here’s just the first account given that evening of Nathan’s visit home:

“I wasn’t ready for the response (for) the nations are crying out..not only out of the Bride but coming out of the world. They’re desperate and hungry for the real, the genuine.”

There were 200-250 leaders awaiting him and who were amazed that one of the UK’s largest city halls was fully booked. They pointed out the last time there was such a huge gathering in Hull was in the 1800s, when crutches were cast away and blind eyes opened – no pressure! What could a young man tell them they don’t already know?

So he was rather nervous and prayed that God do something amongst the leaders that only He can do. As he was talking to them about the miracle of paralysed Delia Knox’s healing (see herein under ‘after 22yrs paralysis’), Nathan walked by a lady in a wheel-chair. Unbeknown to him, she and her friends had gate-crashed the meeting because she couldn’t get a ticket for the later public sessions.

“I was speaking and walking up the aisle towards a man… then looked down at a woman sat in a wheelchair. I’d never met her but you could see the paralysis in her face and down one side. She was wearing a bag because they had to lift her everywhere…It was as if God set me up – what I was preaching, it was now time to live it!!

“I said, ‘Do you want to walk?’ We laid hands on her and within five minutes she started vibrating in the chair…from a paralysed state she straightened in the chair and started screaming.

“I tell you there’s nothing like the power of God to wake up leaders…within five minutes that lady popped out of her chair…she started walking down the aisle like this (Nathan staggered, legs akimbo). Within ten minutes she was lifting her hands, falling on her knees, rising up, praising.”

Amidst cheers from the NJ congregation, he carried on, “The leaders had woken up and were ready to listen!”

Nathan explained, it was a Luke 5 situation (see vv 18-19), like the man lowered though a roof by friends, because her two friends said they’d take her from Hemel Hempstead:

“Even though she didn’t have a ticket, they said, “We’ll get you in”. So they chose a service they may be more successful and the ushers didn’t want to question the pastors and slipped her in.”

Their hotel had promised it had accessibility for the disabled – but upon arrival the lift mechanism had broken down. So they promised staff would carry her physically when required to/from her room – “No matter when, we’ll be there”.

But this proved extremely painful (I recall this with Nina) and because of this and the affect upon her nerves, they unfortunately caused an accident on the first attempt.

“And when they got to the room they were asked why they’d come. Her friends said they’d come to a revival where God’s going to heal this woman. The staff said, “God’s going to do what?”

“Her friends said, “I’m telling you, we’ll see this woman walk!”.

“The hotel staff said this: “If we see her walk, we’ll know God is real”.”

So that afternoon they put her into the car and the wheelchair into the car boot.

“She’d only been gone about three hours…and when she came back, she got the wheelchair out of the boot and pushed it into Reception!!!

Those hotel workers gave their lives to Jesus Christ !!”

Elsewhere, Nathan said the staff got to their knees in awe at what they saw! Thank you and praise you Lord!

Pastor Jarrod Cooper provides a photo of the lady in his daily blog and tells how those leaders went wild over her miracle.  Also, Nathan reported that many leaders had told him about miracles breaking out across the UK. (See pastor’s later post with video, as below)

Upon chatting to Nina the next day, Lasette reported the first night’s proper sleep for ages, which is what Nina was greatly relieved about after receiving her own healing for a broken spine (read here).

Back down to Earth…

…with a soft landing after Nina and I drove up north to Hull, Yorkshire, for a 3-day church event that MORE than met our expectations. As mentioned in January, we went to check out on someone and something we’d been watching regularly by satellite TV since Autumn 2010 – Nathan Morris and ‘revival’.

Where and how can we begin to convey the effect of those days?  They tied in not only with what we’d heard and been taught in recent weeks but also directly into my train of thoughts since starting this blog last November.  If you, too, have been blessed with special times and encounters in walking with the Lord then you may understand.

First, however, let me backtrack a little. The week after we had confirmations of our individual callings at a conference in Torquay, a pastor’s wife spoke about a picture she’d received during worship. The impulse and timing behind launching this blog were thus confirmed by the date and nature of that picture, as were personal reminders of the encouraging words given to the Bible’s Esther; that is, “For such a time as this”.

In fact, that was the title of the event in Hull – but, when the local pastor planned it at the end of last year, he didn’t know it was scheduled for the actual dates of the Jewish feast of Purim, which celebrates Queen Esther’s intervention in the plot of her Persian king’s prime minister to murder all their Jewish residents.

(NB: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s gift to President Obama during their meeting on 5th March was a scroll of the book of Esther – read full story here)

Bookings for Such A Time As This had sold so rapidly that we two and our travelling companion had to sit right at the back of the 1200-plus auditorium for two nights and then, for Saturday, in the gallery above the balcony!  But way up ‘in the gods’  the worship was heavenly – the presence of the Lord was such that two hours into the service everyone entered (and maintained!) a hush of reverential awe for over an hour!

Afterwards, everyone received impartation prayer from evangelist Nathan.  Is it any wonder then that the Holy Spirit visited one of the city’s Anglican churches during their Sunday service?  (Read about it here)

On the first (Thurs) evening of his return to Hull Nathan preached upon and ministered into the need for repentance, and on Friday focused more upon healing.  Nina and our companion were mightily affected by the power of the Holy Spirit that night and this carried over into the next day, and beyond!

Saturday morning was ‘free time’ and we visited the nearby attractive market town of Beverley.  As we approached the Minster it’s bells started to peal out a deep, sonorous song.  Immediately this magnified the strong, physical weight of Holy Spirit’s presence in both ladies – they were ‘blasted’!   Upon trying to take a photo of the Minster I found the actual wind to be so strong I had to hold onto the metal railings for support!

That afternoon was a time for healing on the streets in Victoria Square outside Hull City Hall and many youngsters received prayer and were healed – see photo and pastor Cooper’s blog.

Healings had commenced from the outset on Thursday afternoon with a lady paralysed down her right side being healed. Her  accompanying carer became redundant and the wheelchair no longer necessary!  It was a delight to find them sitting on the row in front of us for the daytime teaching programme in the church hall.  So, as well as the excellent teaching, we had a lot in common to talk about in view of Nina’s healing from immobility.

Also noteworthy were the dramatic healings of a lady from cerebral palsy and a man in a wheelchair from the paralysing effects of a stroke. For more see the pastor’s 11-part daily blogs, Behind the Scenes.

We were particularly touched by noisy Nathan’s gentleness when he sensed a lady wasn’t a believer.  He broke from ministering to those who’d come forward to speak quietly to her about Jesus and how he’d been rescued from a life of addiction as an unbeliever. Thus, this nurse received the best miracle – salvation – as well as healing for a hearing problem.

Nathan updated us on the healing of young Ashton Parker’s blind eyes. It’s deep effect upon him was plainly visible.  We had wondered how the boy could speak about the colours of clothes and Nathan explained that his mother had taught him what they’re like by holding coloured cards up against his eyes.

IF YOU’VE NOT SEEN IT, DO WATCH IT HAPPENING on ‘Latest Video’ on the Bay Revival home page. (Ashton is at 3min40 into the short clip.)  See also this posting.

Incidentally, for those who don’t know, Nathan’s grimaces and soaked shirt and jacket are a result of the Lord’s fire within him.  Right after Hull he went to New Jersey, where he told those assembled, “When I speak about Jesus, my belly boils!“.  No wonder he’s an exceptionally passionate preacher.

Read also >> Follow-up on Healings in the UK

Healing versus Human Rights ??

Dear Friends – a couple of today’s news items may seem unconnected, but probably not so from the Lord’s perspective:

The Blind ARE Healed – UPDATED in posting 28 March

On Sunday we heard Rev John Kilpatrick speaking excitedly about 8 year old Ashton Parker who received his sight last Friday during a revival service in Dallas and showed a photo of the boy between him and Nathan Morris. Continue reading

Special Update from HOTS

Thank you to Paul Skelton, founder of Healing On The Streets in Bath, for permission to post his recent Special E-News Update, which reads as follows:

HOTS_Bath_Logo_2

The facts behind the story

Over the last few weeks “HOTS Bath” has been thrust into the media spotlight after the ASA ruling against our website and down-loadable leaflet in which we say that God can heal, physically as well as emotionally and spiritually.
Today, we met as a Trust to discuss where we felt Father was leading us from here and feel that it is important for us to do three things at this time.

1. To clarify the facts behind the story.
2. To clearly communicate our own position and response.
3. To give some guidance as to how the Christian community could respond.

We are therefore sending out this special E-News Update to cover these three areas: Continue reading

E-petition and minister of healing on ASA’s ruling on HOTS-Bath

Please consider joining me in signing an official e-petition ‘I believe that God can heal’, which reads as follows:

Whether or not we believe that God can heal, we call on the Government to ensure that publishing statements of faith is not banned. This petition is put forward following cases where the Advertising Standards Agency has banned Christian groups from publishing material with the words ‘God can heal’, for example in Bath.

Just a reminder: the issue is not over HOTS compliance with 8 requirements of an advertising code but is about the ASA’s refusal to allow statements of faith. Furthermore, as previously mentioned and now confirmed at point 3 below, this could be construed as the ‘militant secularism’ which the Conservative party’s chairwoman Baroness Warsi referred to in her recent speech.

Thank you Peter for this tip, and pointing out overseas residents may sign too. Thank you also to Martin for drawing attention to a report on The New Street Preachers from Reachout Trust (connected to RevelationTV) and which includes a scriptural assessment of HOTS activity.

Secondly, whilst taking a friend to the airport last night I mentioned this matter to him. As he directs an Anglican healing ministry you may like to know the drift of his remarks, which were as follows: Continue reading

From ‘Disabled’ to ‘enabled’ – Nina tells how Jesus healed her spine:

One morning in October 2005 I woke up and turned to say “Good morning” to Richard, my husband, only to find that I couldn’t speak – my throat was closing and I was having difficulty breathing!

I was rushed into hospital and spent nine life-threatening days in the high dependency unit. It was discovered that I had a blood disorder of unknown origin and unknown cure with an antibody in my DNA!

All the specialist could give me was a dangerously high dose of steroids to control what was happening in my body. The most a body can take before it collapses is 120mg daily and I was on 100mg a day!  What happened to my body was almost unbelievable but I lived to tell the tale.

In an effort to get going again I started walking and gently exercising but suddenly pains in my left leg started and pains in the base of my spine. The doctor discovered that I had a small tear in the Achilles tendon and that was possibly why my back was hurting.

In January 2006 I had a bone density scan and another MRI scan and was diagnosed with steroid induced osteoporosis but the scans showed that all was well – no cracks or anything to worry about.  We’d booked to go on a Catch the Wave conference in that February and so off we went.  We arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with friends the day before sailing.  After breakfast that day, I stood up to leave the table and as I turned I also screamed and it felt as if my back gave way.  In those few seconds my entire life changed. Continue reading

Muhammed knows more than the ASA!

Radiologist Muhammed knows what the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) cannot comprehend – GOD REALLY DOES PHYSICAL HEALING!

How come?  Nina needed a checkup with a 3D scanner recently and, trying to lie back-wards onto the scanner table, she asked the radiologist for assistance because of her spine’s lack of flexibility.  She told him this was due to a vertebroplasty performed at that hospital.  (This procedure inserts bone cement into one of the spine’s vertebrae.) Whilst two cameras slowly orbited Nina’s chest the radiologist delved into her large, paper file.

So I took the opportunity to explain briefly what had miraculously happened 6 years ago after the procedure had left her as officially registered ‘disabled’.  (As she couldn’t walk across a room, a wheelchair plus ‘blue badge’ parking facility was necessary outdoors.)  I told Muhammed that God healed her immediately after Nina had forgiven the surgeon – thereupon she could dance and walk and, thus, fully praise the Lord!

Thinking Muhammed is probably a Muslim, I stressed that forgiveness was key to her healing and twice that ‘God is good’.  He must have been impressed because he said on our departure, “It’s good to meet people of faith – there aren’t many around!”.

‘God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform’ – as averred by the opening lines of William Cowper’s hymn.  Indeed He does, for had Nina’s vertebra been fully restored, or even replaced, then she would not have needed Mohammed’s help, but he would have been the poorer for not seeing first-hand an example of God’s goodness!

1. ASA Adjudication against Healing On The Streets – Bath

A team from many churches across Bath city has been setting up ‘shop’ near the Abbey for three years. As in several towns and cities across Britain, they offer to pray in Jesus’ name for passers by and hand out leaflets listing a variety of medical conditions and  stating the team believes God loves everyone and can heal sickness.  As my friend Gillan Scott reports in God and Politics in the UK:

Their leaflets and website caught the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) last summer after a complaint was made by a single member of the public.   The complaint centred around the claim that God could heal the named conditions as a result of the prayer offered and also that the claims were irresponsible and could lead to false hope to those suffering from those conditions.

[For more see: Complainant – Christian wisdom – secular journalistpolitical columnist.]

The ASA noted, ‘We acknowledged that HOTS volunteers believed that prayer could treat illness and medical conditions, and that therefore the ads did not promote false hope. However, we noted we had not seen evidence that people had been healed through the prayer of HOTS volunteers, and concluded that the ads could encourage false hope in those suffering from the named conditions and therefore were irrespons-ible.’

They ruled: ‘The ads must not appear again in their current form. We told HOTS not to make claims which stated or implied that, by receiving prayer from their volunteers, people could be healed of medical conditions. We also told them not to refer in their ads to medical conditions for which medical supervision should be sought.’ (My emphasis)

Although one can be rather stirred up over their banning the HOTS-Bath’s adverts of  prayers for healing, some of the reasoning seems sensible.  However, some elements give cause for concern because they belie not so much an apparent rejection of God but suggest an over-arching policy of political control.

First, on casting my eye over the ASA assessment there clearly is a bias in favour of the complainant’s claim that HOTS-Bath volunteers themselves heal medical conditions, and that HOTS’ testimonials are misleading.  Although the ASA discussed the issues with HOTS and their responses are reported upon, an unreasonableness is evident in a close reading of the adjudication document itself: no leeway whatsoever is entertained.  All four complaints are upheld.  No compromise is allowed – isn’t this dictatorship?

Also, there appears to have been outrageous demands to kowtow to ASA’s denial of God’s ability to heal sickness, as may be inferred from HOTS-Bath’s initial response     (also, see here for later and here for latest news):

We are disappointed with the ASA’s decision, and will appeal against it because it seems very odd to us that the ASA wants to prevent us from stating on our website the basic Christian belief that God can heal illness.

The ASA has even demanded that we sign a document agreeing not to say this, which is unacceptable to us – as it no doubt would be for anyone ordered not to make certain statements about their conventional religious or philosophical beliefs. (My emphases)

2. Proof of Political Direction

This issue has unsettling similarities with my own experience with the North Somerset Primary Care Trust three years ago this month.  I wrote to its CEO objecting over the decision to suspend a nurse on the grounds of having prayed for a patient.  Nurses were then ordered not to pray for patients and so I wrote that this directive could put lives in jeopardy, and gave a real-life example, as follows:

Had such an edict been in force during my wife’s emergency admittance to hospital in 2005 she would possibly have lost her life!!

Nina had been in a life-threatening situation where she could suffer an anaphylactic attack at any time and her immunologist was trying to get this under control by means of an extremely high, and thereby dangerous, dose of steroids. But one night her throat closed up and the staff had quickly made preparations for a possible emergency trache-otomy to open her up in order to breathe – a dangerous situation!

A nurse who’d not served in that unit asked Nina if she could pray and Nina nodded as an orderly hooked up the heart monitor. The nurse began praying and right away Nina’s throat opened up and she could breath properly again: wildly oscillating readings quickly calmed down and stabilised.  Afterwards, over an early morning tea the night nurse confided she was there only for that night and had been asking the Lord who she should help – an angel indeed. Thank you Lord.

My concern over the PCT’s directive was ignored by the CEO’s standard reply for he proudly proclaimed adherence to diversity and equality policies – THAT SAYS IT ALL!

Furthermore, since publishing this post I’ve heard that another national Christian body has also been unable to agree to the ASA’s demands over statements of physical healing. Thus, on the face of it, I ask: is the ASA deliberately trying to gag the Gospel of Christ?

3. Proof of Healing

The ASA Adjudication noted, ‘testimonials on the website and in the video…were insufficient as evidence for claims of healing. We therefore concluded the ads were misleading.’ I assume this would have been because there was no ‘proper’ medical evidence.

Paucity of documentary proof has admittedly been a weakness of various ministries involved with Christian healing, yet such documentation compiled by New Age practi-tioners has enabled them to be permitted to work in recognised medical facilities.

In order for Christians to gain better recognition by the medical profession the renowned Randy Clark has launched a Christian Healing Certification Program.  No doubt this will include their astounding videos of a number of people from whom surgically implanted metal rods, pins and screws have miraculously disappeared!!  As there was no ill effect then their bodies were sufficiently healed to enable full physical activity!

At last September’s Revival Alliance Gathering John Arnott of Catch The Fire spoke about dvds he’s produced of medically verified accounts of healings in services.  As Nina’s healing was during one she agreed to go on video. Unfortunately however, no footage was available because her ministry took place off-camera.

In The Bay of The Holy Spirit Revival most healings are evident in their ‘before’ and ‘after’ manifestation, and a number people have returned with medical confirmation of their healing. For example, Crystal Caro brought a medical statement to there being  no known medical explanation for her miracle!!  Her surgically constructed bladder had been replaced by a real one after prayer at the revival meeting.

One mother spoke about the disappearance of a tumour the size of a golf ball from her son Caleb’s brain!  ‘Before’ and ‘after’ scans were shown on a later broadcast. Don’t we have a good God?

In the revival’s early days 18 months ago, the first to receive sight was a man who’d had eight operations to restore his sight, but all failed. He went home from the revival and returned with his whole family of unbelievers who ackowledged that God does heal and wanted to get right with him!  Then there’s the young lady who could only hear through  a digital box on her skull but which is no longer needed.  An older lady who’d had five strokes and whose family were thus unable to look after her, was collected by her sister and driven 500 miles to the revival – she returned home healed, and to save her family!

Have you wept with a young boy upon regaining sight in a blind eye?  Or seen Alanna’s tears at being the butt of kid’s jokes at her limp? She cried, “I can’t take it any more” but upon receiving prayer was healed of cerebral palsy, then walked properly and was soon to run and use a trampoline. Praise you Lord!

We’ll NEVER forget Delia Knox, getting out of a wheelchair after 22 yrs of paralysis and learning to walk again into her healing, which was seen around the world by satellite tv – what an awesome, MIGHTY testimony! (Evangelist Nathan Morris and her husband, a bishop, said they both felt an immense power surge around them during the service.)   This miracle was also reported in the UK press’ tabloid Daily Mail – but they twisted its truth by failing to acknowledge it was done through Jesus Christ!  Did they not realise the high cost of refusing to acknowledge him before men? (See Matthew 10:32-33)

So take your pick from many more testimonies on The Bay website. Would the ASA be able to watch anyone being deeply moved upon their receiving God’s healing grace?

Also, let’s be aware that local doctors occasionally send patients to revival services in Mobile, who then testify to receiving a healing.

PRAISE THE LORD THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTARY PROOF OF NINA’S HEALING FROM PERMANENT DISABILITY!

Click here to read her full story

A media turnaround: part 2

COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’):

Bay of The Holy Spirit Revival

The miraculous healing in Mobile I informed everyone about in early November has now appeared in one of our tabloids Daily Mail, as well as being a hit on YouTube.

It’s especially encouraging to hear Nathan Morris preaching on the blood of Jesus and cross of Calvary. And signs and wonders follow. He’s very fired up with the Holy Spirit’s anointing. His in-depth discussion with Delia Knox about her healing after 22 years paralysis was particularly poignant, and reminded us of Nina’s healing from permanent disability.

Also memorable from the dozens of testimonies were those where terminal cancers were radically corrected – the deaf nun who regained hearing and now ministering in the Spirit – the lady with congenital heart defect who amazed doctors by gaining a third, missing aortal valve! – written medical statement that a woman’s surgically segmented bladder should not be functioning normally! – etc, etc.  Choose from the video archives to see people being healed and heal their testimonies.

A Theological Concern

Sadly, some brethren claim the revival is a deception and miracles are false because Jesus Christ warned against false teachers and that we should guard ourselves against deception.  Paul explained that satan masquerades as a angel of light and can perform miracles (2 Corinthians 11.13-15).

Yes, quite so and we should perform a ‘Berean check’ to ensure actual events align with and are scripturally sound.  BUT let’s be sure to look at whole scripture and not single out odd verses! Check out Matthew 24.24, 2 Thessalonians 2.3 and other New testament letters undoubtedly cover the same theme and events, but read their whole context – the events as described have not quite arrived yet!

Furthermore, Paul clearly teaches that all the counterfeits are accepted by those who are perishing ‘because they refused to love the truth and so be saved’ (2Thess 2.10). Then he writes, ’the Lord is faithful and will strengthen and protect you from the evil one’ (2Thess 3.3).

Also, one needs be careful not to serve the accuser of the brethren in condemning what is of God as being of satan, thereby blaspheming the Holy Spirit – the unforgiveable sin!

Under an intense burden Nathan Morris gave a direct word from the Lord about what is coming upon the world and urging his people to turn their gaze upon Him and thus not be deceived. This Englishman preaches salvation and forgiveness of sin through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, whom he deeply loves, as does the congregation. According to scriptural definition, therefore, what has been happening in Alabama is not from the evil one – he hates the Blood and the Glorious Presence!!  And how can satan ever preach Christ crucified??

So, let’s keep our eyes upon Jesus…