Sunday 21 May 2017

Surf Lifesaver Healed!

In February 1981, a friend of mine participated in a Surf Lifesaving competition at Newport Beach, NSW.
It was the day after Cyclone Cliff. Beaches were closed all over, and they really shouldn't have been in the surf, he said.
His surfboat was pounded by a large wave, and everyone - oars and everything - were thrown out. The surfboat hit a sandbank and sprung back hitting him in the face, smashing his front teeth. He sustained a compound fracture of the jaw, and was knocked out cold, in heavy surf.
He was dragged ashore unconscious, not breathing, but with a pulse. He couldn't be brought-to. A chopper arrived from Long Reef Beach, with life-saving equipment.
The competition was closed. Meanwhile he was rushed to Mona Vale hospital, where he remained in the Intensive Care Unit for a day-and-a-half, before undergoing surgery. His jaw was wired-up. And he was released from hospital five days later.
But his jaw wasn't healing very well. It was still in two parts. The sight of it prompted his friends at Manly Surf Club to nickname him 'Jaws'.
Several days later he was invited to attend a meeting held by Pastor Phil Pringle, in a hired hall at St Kevin's Catholic Church, Dee Why. My friend said it was his first time to attend one of Phil Pringle's meetings. About 80 people were present.
He sat at the back, feeling quite skeptical about such meetings. He had a background in science - biology and Physical Education. He'd been teaching for two years.
During the meeting he saw a woman dancing for joy with a tambourine - and he thought to himself, "She's either crazy, or she's for real".
Then Pastor Phil received a "word of knowledge" (see the scripture below).
"Someone here is suffering excruciating pain in front of their teeth," Pastor Phil said.
He felt that the way Phil described his injury was more accurate than even his friends at the Surf Club knew, he said.
So he went forward, still wondering within himself whether this was God or the devil.
But Pastor Phil said, "Look away to Jesus".
So my friend trusted the Lord.
Phil lifted his hand, and without touching him, my friend said he felt power - limitless power, but also gentle - like honey it slowly came all over him. He tried bracing himself against it, but ended up falling backwards to the floor!
When he stood up again, Pastor Phil asked him whether the pain was gone. And he answered, Yes.
But my friend still didn't think much of it. He thought maybe it was just the atmosphere of the place that made him momentarily forget the pain and next morning it would be back again.
But when he got home that night, he yawned - and realised his jaw moved normally.
Three days later he went to an appointment, referred by the surgeon, to a reconstructive dentist, a friend of the surgeon's - they played squash together - a practising Jew.
"One of the worst broken jaws I've seen," was the surgeon's message to the dentist.
The dentist took an x-ray. Then another x-ray. After some time he asked, "Didn't you have a broken jaw?"
The dentist said he could see no evidence of it at all!
"I got prayed for on Sunday night," my friend told him.
Just four weeks later, my friend competed again at the World Championships in Bali.
As a newly converted young person, still a little bit in-and-out of church, my friend said he felt the gift of healing that night was God's way of showing him "I'm here".
My friend saw others come to the Lord, and still more people through them.
Today his own daughter and son-in-law are pastors - missionaries in northern Thailand.
He said Pastor Phil's meetings grew to a couple of thousand people in a few short years. Many others were healed and many more were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Today to God's glory the movement has grown to some 450 churches in 64 countries.
And today is Doctor Phil Pringle's 65th birthday!
ACTS 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
MARK 16:20
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
I CORINTHIANS 12:7-11
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the WORD OF KNOWLEDGE by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the GIFTS OF HEALING by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

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