Just Wonderin’

I have a few questions that I can’t seem to get answers for.

When we have a healing line, sometimes I can feel the Holy Spirit flow into them as they get healed, and sometimes I can’t. Why is that?

We just had another healing line today. This time in the church in Ozoro, and this was one of those times I couldn’t feel anything.

There were probably around thirty people in line, and every one of them said the pain was gone, or their back was fixed, or whatever was wrong was now right. One lady had bad vision and now she could see. I stopped a couple times to admonish them not to say they were healed if they were not. Sure enough, a few of them would tell me that one problem got healed, but that I would have to pray over another problem. Then they would twist around or shake their hands and jump up and shout, “Praise the Lord, the pain is gone”. I’m pretty sure they weren’t faking it.

There was one lady that had “something in her stomach”. Immediately I thought of a lady in Uganda who had what felt like a huge snake rolling around inside her as soon as I laid hands on her. Sure enough, as soon as I laid hands on this lady, she started rolling around screaming. And then we went to tussling. Took a few minutes, but I think I got it. You can never tell with those things. Demons know how to hide so you think they are cast out, but usually you can feel a whoosh when they are gone.

There were a couple like her in the lineup, but mostly just aches and pains which were real enough to them to come up to get healed.

But I didn’t feel anything when they got healed.  Well, I take that back. There times I did feel it, but only faintly. There have been times in the past that it would feel like electricity or like a river of oil, so why not now?  Shouldn’t I feel something?

And another thing – if the Spirit of the Lord is flowing through me to heal all these people, what about me? Shouldn’t I be getting healed too? Or is this like a “pass-through” thing where It totally ignores you while it’s passing through? Not even a “Hi, how are you?” while it’s rushing through you?

The nearest I can figure is that the anointing is like a laser. It only affects the spot that it is focused on. But not always. Maybe. I think. Sort of.

I’ve listened to several so-called experts who have analyzed all this stuff and have lots of answers about how the healing power of God works. The problem is that most of them have never actually healed anybody. Why is it that those who know the least act like they know the most?

The older I get, the more I realize that the more I learn, the less I understand. Creation is that big and eternal things are that mysterious.

I know He’s looking down at me while I’m asking these questions. Maybe He thinks it’s funny. Maybe He could use a good laugh, so he lets me go on in my quandary. In the end, He is going to do it His way anyway.  Maybe we’re not supposed to know.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.”
(Proverbs 25:2)

Brother Dale

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Services in Uganda

I know everyone’s been expecting some exciting stories of what we are doing here in Uganda, but after three days of services, I don’t know what to write.

After visiting the Ladies of Hope in several of the villages around Mbarara, we had a service in the village where we chased out of the witchdoctors.

For such a small village, the place was packed. As we entered into the services, we watched a young man leading the kids in wild dancing and singing about Jesus. They were having so much fun that you couldn’t help laughing as you clapped along with them. And it struck me – these were the kids that were slated for death to be butchered on a Satanic altar.

But now they were dancing.

Yeah, did that get you? This was one of those moments that gets caught in your throat and you catch a glimpse into something deeper than our daily, comfortable lives. Something horrible was destroyed and something wonderful was restored to the Life of Jesus.

Then we went to a series of churches in small villages north of Kampala. It was the same program for us – Cindy with the women, me with the men, and then a service in the evening. Then move on to the next church.

I have done close to 1,000 services in 14 years, so after a while, they all seem the same. It’s not the message that I preach that is memorable – it’s the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I’m thinking that this should be standard for everyone, but the truth is, they haven’t experienced it anymore than we have in America. So when the evening service starts lighting up with the Spirit, it leaves them jumping up and down excited!

In one of the afternoon sessions with the men, I heard something new for me. A young man stood up and said that they had heard the false prophets telling them about how God was going to pour out all kinds of blessings all over them – and they believed it! – but now they realized that they actually had to do something! Revival was not free and there was a price to pay for it. For me to hear that is such a great relief. They get it. There’s hope.

You never know what will happen in a service, which person will be affected, and what fruit will come forth. Sometimes you never hear about it, but sometimes the Lord will allow you to catch a glimpse of what He is doing. I got one of those the other day when Noah told me about a young man who attended one of our services several years ago and was inspired to take the gospel out to his people and start a church. He now pastors a church of 700 people. He has been trying to find us so we would come and see what God has done.

What was it that lit that young pastor up? What is causing the celebration in the village of orphans? What creates such a fire that spreads in so many directions that we can’t begin to keep track of it? It’s not the words of the message. It’s not a great speaking eloquence. It’s certainly not my personality!

It’s Him. The Holy Spirit. He moves with invisible power, filling the air and igniting hearts. He takes them and fills them with vision and sends them forth, holding up the torch that was lit in that service, and shining Light into the world.

So yeah, a thousand services later, they all seem the same and there’s not much to say. It’s the anointing that makes the difference. That’s what changes the monotonous into the miraculous.

Brother Dale

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