Jesus said "Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to my Father."John 14:10

This is the Hendersons, your long term missionaries in the Philippines. We are now on a 30 day outreach in and around Manila.

We are rejoicing at the results of these two crusades, but at the second, God performed miracles and people were dramatically healed of diseases and deformities. In the first crusade, eleven people made public commitments to follow Christ. In the second, nine people were healed, five came to Christ, and two were restored to the faith.

Of the nine healed, one was a paralyzed stroke victim (the entire left side of his body was locked and frozen and his hand was drawn up to his side), he also could not walk very well or talk, as a result of the stroke. We also had a deaf and dumb boy, restored to hearing and able to speak; and a woman with a goiter, that made it hard for her to breath and speak, also healed. The goiter softened and shrunk (I could feel and see the difference). We also had a wheel chair bound boy, who stood up for the first time. Fevers, stomach aches, several back injuries, and a frozen shoulder joint, which could not be moved at all; were healed. In the end, the shoulder joint could be moved in any direction, pain free. God showed up and it was powerful.

It all started when our YWAM team went to help a small church in Baseco (a crime ridden harbor area) conduct a crusade. I have preached on the outreach frequently, 23 times now in the last 27 days. The church we were working together with, put up a banner saying there would be a "Salvation, Healing and Deliverance Crusade."

I was asked by the YWAM leader, "Do you know how to do a healing crusade?"

I had seen the banner before he had, and I had already been praying about it since I was the main speaker. I told him, "Sure, I could do it!"

He replied, "You know what to do?"

I told him I could do it, I would just add it to end of my evangelistic message. He seemed shocked at the matter-of-fact, way I said it. My confidence came from the Elijah Challenge training my family and I, had completed back in Houston, before we came to the Philippines.

I spent that morning in prayer and built up my faith before the service began. I also mentally reviewed the things we had been taught.

I used the Way of the Master evangelism method (as I always do) and closed with the method we were introduced to in Houston. First, I prayed for general healing for members of the crowd (the long range method) and I told them if anyone was healed they should come and testify about their healing. We had several people come up and several small miracles, (a four day malaria-like fever ended, back injuries, and stomach problems were healed).

Those who were healed were profoundly moved by the experience and powerfully testified about what God had just done and how much better they felt. We asked for others to come forward if they wanted specific prayer for healing. Those that came forward, were not healed the first time we prayed for them, but as we persevered in continuous private and public prayer, God showed Himself strong by healing the crippled stroke victim and the crippled boy, who stood for the first time in his life.

The stroke victim was a depressed old cripple who could barely walk, could not talk, move his hand or arm, or get out of a chair by himself. When he was healed, he became a radiant, joyous man, marching in place, raising his knees high, swinging his arms, opening and closing his hand with great enthusiasm. These were all things, he could not do just a few minutes earlier. We asked his name and he pointed to his mouth and explained to my interperter, that he could not talk because of his stroke. She told him, "You just talked to me!"

Then he realized he could talk and he became even more excited. His wife could not contain her joy; she alternated between screams of joy, clapping, turning in circles and looking to heaven while shouting prayers of thanksgiving. In the Philippines, if the man of the family (the primary earner), is unable to work; the family, which frequently lives on the edge of "real" poverty (not what we Americans call poverty), immediately falls into deep poverty... which means they go without food and shelter. She had powerful economic as well as personal reasons for her joy!

After this healing, more people came for prayer and more people were healed, finally a group of kids brought a deaf and dumb boy. He was their friend. He didn't want to be with us, because he didn't know what was going on. He was both shy and afraid of all the excited people and the big white preacher in front of him. This boy doesn't communicate with official sign language, but by hand gestures and reading lips to some extent. When we (my interpreter and I) figured out what was going on and understood his fear, we reassured him and I laid hands on him and prayed. At first he could only hear a little bit; by the second time we prayed, he was trying to talk and he would cock his head from side to side, like a cat or dog listening to a strange sound. He was obviously hearing something and he was trying to hear more. By the third prayer, when the other boys shouted in his ears, he would jerk away from them and cover his ears! He indicated to us and showed us he could hear. He would stop talking to us, to listen to the guitar playing behind us on the stage. My interpreter asked him, "What is your name?"

He told us with difficulty, that he did not know. He was born deaf and dumb and had never heard his own name. He began answering our questions with simple answers. While we were with him, his language skills continued to improve. By the time we left, he was able to talk in a understandable manner.

Another woman (who I thought was a man) came up for prayer and could only whisper to us and breath very slowly. She told us she had a goiter (growth in her throat), which was affecting her ability to speak and breath, as well as her hormones. The second time I prayed for her, she could speak and she told our interpreter, "Tell him that I am a woman."

The goiter had so effected her hormones, that she looked like a male to me. The next time I touched her goiter in order to pray for her, it was soft and not hard as it had previously been. I prayed for her two more times and the goiter seemed to disappear and I was no longer able to feel it. She started rejoicing and I asked her how she could tell for sure it was completely gone. She told us with great joy, "Because I can talk and breath now. It is gone!"

She also testified to God’s glory, and His miracle working power in her life.

The whole community was jumping and praising God, the excitement was everywhere. This led to five people making commitments to follow Christ, and two Christians who recommitted their lives to God. Several members of the Baseco Church made commitments to go into full time ministry at this crusade.

Many people wanted prayer. One of those was a young man who had a necklace around his neck with a large marijuana leaf on it. I asked him what it was and he said he knew it was a drug plant, but he explained he did not use drugs. I told him it was a symbol of rebellion and resistance to authority. I told him he could not submit to Christ and wear a symbol of rebellion at the same time. I told him to take it off or I would not pray for him. I expected him to unhook the chain and remove it; instead he reached up, grabbed it, and jerked it from his neck, breaking the chain. This chain was an expensive necklace, especially by Filipino standards, but he destroyed it instantly when he realized it stood between him and God! He clearly wanted to get right with The Lord.

I cannot tell how exciting and powerful this evening was with mere words. Suffice it to say, "The hand of The Lord" has not been shortened in the 21st century. He still loves to show His power, and authority over sin, illness, injury and death. He came into that tent and used a no-name evangelist and missionary like me; and He destroyed the works of the evil one powerfully. Everyone there knew that they had experienced the power and authority of God. Those who were healed went on their way rejoicing and praising the name of Jesus.

I reminded everyone who was healed, "No church has healed you, no saint has healed you, Mother Mary has not healed you, no spirit has healed you, and that I (an American) have not healed them, either. Jesus has healed you."

I told those who were healed, "Jesus healed you so that you will tell others about Him."

It is the name of Jesus who heals, restores, forgives, and sets the captives free. It is His kingdom which had come with power into their village that night. It was Jesus' name and person, that had healed them.

The ultimate authority in any power encounter, is God himself. When He shows up and speaks; things are changed forever. He showed His authority, power and mercy that night. We were like Jacob when he stopped at Bethel and had the vision of the ladder leading to heaven. As Jacob said, "Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it." We, like Jacob, discovered that the Lord was with us in that tent. By the end of the evening everyone knew it.

The Lord is the same today, yesterday, and forever; and when I say forever, I mean FOREVER!!! He is our Savior, healer and deliverer. Too often, our lack of faith restricts Him. "According to your faith, be it unto you" this is what the master still says.

Praise the Lord, His love and His mercy endures FOREVER!

"Whatever city you enter,... Heal the sick there and say to them, the Kingdom of God has come near to you." Luke 10:9

In Christ service,
Carl Henderson and family;

PS. We have photos of some of those healed and of the crowd of between 150 and 250 people. We did not document things with the camera as well as we should have, because we were overly excited, we did not expect to be taking before and after photos, and we forgot about the camera until the end. We do have pictures of the crowd, the deaf and dumb boy, and the healed stroke victim, Robert, and the women with the goiter.

Click here to see the new ministry photos.


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