Stones Hurt
In September, 1979, I had been endeavoring to enter into the kingdom of God for nearly fifteen months, and God had blessed me graciously in all things. I was being nurtured and established in the gospel, and God was revealing new scripture in my heart literally at work every day. I had been taught about God's healing power, but since I was healthy at this point, I had not experienced this need. Well, one morning on my way to work, I noticed a sharp twinge of pain in the lower part of my back. I shrugged it off as nothing and went about my work. As I continued to work, the pain got stronger, and what started like a pin in my back, soon grew to feeling like a knife in my back. My minimal concern turned to fear, which only intensified the pain. By now, I knew I needed some help. I wanted to believe God, but obviously, I wasn't. I had never experienced anything like this, nor did I want it. I now know the devil attacked me to discourage me from continuing in the kingdom of God. Here was an opportunity to prove God would work in my life. I left work and headed for Doyle Davidson's office. He had been teaching me about the things of the kingdom of God, and I had come to trust he had some faith even if I didn't. As I was flying down the freeway toward his office, I passed by a hospital, and I was tempted to take the exit. I thought, "No, I want to prove God heals me!" Thank God, I made that decision, because I was traveling too fast to make the exit. When I reached Doyle's office, I was soaking wet with perspiration from the fear and the pain. The pain began in my kidneys, and it had progressed like a wide band completely across my back. There were continuous sharp pains like someone with a long wide-bladed barbed knife stabbing and twisting it into my kidneys. Doyle said, "Go home, and I'll be right there!" He called Jack Turquette, a brother in the Lord, and they and Kathy, my wife, prayed with me. Doyle broke 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation curses over my life, which I didn't understand, but frankly, I didn't care. By now, I just wanted relieved of the pain! In Exodus 20:5 when God delivered the law to Moses, it states,
...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the 3rd and 4th generation of them that hate me.
After nearly two hours, I reluctantly told Doyle, "I can't take anymore of this!" He said, "It's okay. Call the hospital." I was disappointed, because I wanted to experience God's power heal my body. However, I didn't know God was working in my heart even then. On our way to the hospital, God's mercy and power came upon me, and he delivered me two blocks before we got there. No, the pain was not completely gone, but I knew God had delivered me. We continued to the hospital, and the preliminary tests showed kidney stones. However, the x-rays were completely negative. There were no stones to be found. The doctor was totally baffled, but we knew what had occurred. By the next morning, I went back to work with no pain. Praise God! God had taken generation curses of witchcraft out of my life. It was confirmed several months later as the pain tried to return, but I resisted according to Luke 10:19,
Behold, I give you power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing by any means shall hurt you.
I bound the works of devil against my life in Jesus' name, and the devil fled. (James 4:7)
In continuance, I'll share with you how my disobedience brought recurrence of this attack. I Samuel 15:22-23 says,
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is witchcraft, and stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath rejected thee.
God had been dealing with me for several months about obeying him in a minimal task, and I foolishly ignored many warnings. Thank God, he was longsuffering with me, which is his nature. However God does have an end. For your welfare as one speaking from experience, "Don't wait that long! It's not profitable!" Finally, God turned his back on my rebellion and stubbornness, and I was opened to attack of the devil! The pain returned even worse than before, which I could not have imagined. By now, I had learned to humble myself and pray for God's mercy, and he brought my heart to repentance to obey him. When I obeyed his voice and did what he asked me, the pain subsided, and I was completely healed. Praise God! I have experienced this recurrence of the devil since then several times (not because of disobedience, just attacks of the devil) in myself and in others with triumphant success every time. Each time, God reminded me of the previous success, which established hope to always overcome. (Romans 5:1-5). Thank God for the gospel! It's the power of God unto salvation.