I just recently experienced the most extraordinary ten days of my life. I have tried to find words to describe it, such as incredible, wonderful, amazing, but none of them seem adequate. I’ve been on a mission trip to Belize. Perhaps certain images are conjured up in your mind’s eye when I say the words “mission trip” – building an orphanage, assisting in a feeding program for starving children, doing a vacation bible school, constructing a church building, etc.
None of the above.
We laid hands on people and prayed. Most of them were in need of physical healing. Many of them were healed. We conducted healing crusades in four places – Orange Walk, San Ignacio, Dangriga, and in the Toledo Disrtict near Punta Gorda. We travelled over 900 miles in two passenger vans, one of which I was called upon to drive the entire time. Let me just say that I may never complain about road conditions in my own country again.
Having covered the nation of Belize from top to bottom (literally), I can say that there is no lack of presentation of the gospel. The gospel of salvation, that is. There are billboards, signs, and bumper stickers galore proclaiming man’s need to turn from his sin and accept Christ. There are also a great number of missionaries in Belize. As we were travelling out of the city of Belmopan toward San Ignacio, my friend Danny, who lives in Belize, pointed out that this stretch of road is called “Missionary Row” because so many missionaries and ministries are stationed on it. There is no shortage of the gospel in Belize.
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples and later seventy, he specifically told them to heal the sick among other things, such as raising the dead and casting out demons. He told them to preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. They were to preach the gospel of the kingdom.
Jesus spoke a lot about the kingdom of God. Most of us are familiar with these words Jesus taught us to pray – “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” I’ve never been to heaven, but I’m confident there is no sickness there.
Jesus didn’t come just so that we could go to heaven when we die. He brought heaven with him. Now he commissions us to bring heaven wherever we go.
Why did Jesus tell his disciples to heal the sick? Physical healing is a tangible sign of the kingdom. It is an undeniable sign that the kingdom of God is present. Healing seemed to be so easy those ten days in Belize. Was it because we were travelling with a man who operates regularly in a powerful gift of healing? Was it because we were in a country where most of the citizens have fewer options than we do when it comes to physical needs being met? Maybe.
Recently I asked the Lord about this, and for me personally the answer was simply, compassion. A few weeks before the trip, I began asking God to give me a love for the people of Belize. As I laid my hands on and prayed for each person, I could literally feel the love of God go out from me. It is indescribable.
One night in San Ignacio a young man, probably 18-19 years old, came to me for prayer. I asked him what was wrong and he said he had injured his right knee playing football (soccer). I put my hand on his knee and prayed. Then I asked him how he felt. He said “better”, but still had some pain. I thanked God and prayed again. This time his pain was completely gone. There were many people I prayed for who were healed, but this one was a little unusual. I’ll tell you why.
A few hours earlier, some of us had visited the Xunantunich Mayan ruins and while climbing up the steep steps, I tweaked my right knee. What started out as slight discomfort had become severe pain by the time the young man came to me for prayer. He was healed, but my pain was getting worse by the minute. As the ministry time was coming to a close I asked three different team members to pray for my knee. Each time my pain got worse until I could not take a step without wincing in pain. By the time we arrived back at the place we were staying, I could barely make it up the flight of stairs to my room. To my surprise, I resisted the natural inclination to be upset with God for not healing my knee. His grace is so good! Instead, I was remembering the smile on that young man’s face when the pain left his knee. When I woke up the next morning my pain was gone completely and never returned.
But what about the ones who weren’t healed? I don’t have an answer except to say this – they went away knowing someone loved them enough to come all the way from Texas to pray for them.
I really don’t understand why everybody is not healed when I pray for them, but I do understand this – it’s not about healing. It is about releasing the love of God to someone who needs to know they’re loved.
I’ve never been to heaven, but I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of love there.
On earth, as it is in heaven.
Kevin