Healing Ministry

Welcome. Greetings. Glad you're here. Us especially, we're glad that the Lord Jesus Christ is here tonight. And we're excited about what He wants to do. Some of you may not be familiar with the way we do things around North Way. So I just wanted to greet you and make you feel at home and speak a word to you. That nothing is going to happen here tonight. That Jesus isn't in control of you. That isn't spoken about in the Word. And that isn't or that would embarrass you or hurt you. So relax, enjoy Him, enjoy being together. We're going to start with some praise, singing of songs, choruses. We found that the best way to experience God in our midst is just to thank Him and praise Him for who He is. Ken's going to lead us, just join in. Let's sing that great song that says, Nothing is too difficult for thee, Our Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens. Our Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens And the earth by Thy great power. Our Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens And the earth by Thy outstretched hand. Nothing is too difficult for thee, Nothing is too difficult for thee, O great and mighty God, Great in counsel and mighty in deed. Nothing, nothing, nothing, Lucy, nothing, Nothing is too difficult for thee. Our Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens And the earth by Thy great power. Our Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens And the earth by Thy outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for thee, Nothing is too difficult for thee, O great and mighty God, Great in counsel and mighty in deed. Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, Nothing is too difficult for thee. What a mighty God, what a mighty God you are, What a mighty God you are. Angels bow before you, heaven and earth adore you, What a mighty God you are, we serve, What a mighty God we serve, What a mighty God we serve. Angels bow before you, heaven and earth adore you, What a mighty God we serve. What a mighty God you are, What a mighty God you are. Angels bow before you, heaven and earth adore you, What a mighty God you are, we serve, What a mighty God we serve! Oh, what a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before you, Heaven and earth adore you, What a mighty God we serve! And it's our Lord God, You have made the heavens and the earth By Thy great power. Our Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth By Thy outstretched arm. Oh, nothing is too difficult for Thee! Nothing is too difficult for Thee! Great and mighty God, Great in counsel and mighty indeed! Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, Nothing is too difficult for Thee! Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, Nothing is too difficult for thee. Let's sing that again. Nothing, nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, nothing is too difficult for thee. You know, sometimes we clap in the Spirit as well as sing in the Spirit. So let's do as we do, O magnify the Lord. Let's start clapping on the second beat. We sing one, two, one, two, one, two, one, two. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. O magnify, O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. O magnify the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. Hosanna, blessed be the rock, blessed be the rock of my salvation. We praise you, Lord, hallelujah. We praise you, worship you, Lord, hallelujah. Praise your wonderful name. You're greatly worthy to be praised. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Hallelujah. There's none higher than you. We worship you, we praise you, we worship and adore you. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Oh, Father, we thank you for your presence. You say you inhabit the presence of your people and, Lord, we have faith to believe that and we sense your presence here right now, Lord. We welcome you into our presence. We welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for what you're going to do tonight, Lord. Thank you for that anointing. Thank you, Lord. Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. We worship you, Lord. Hallelujah, Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah, praise the Lord. You are welcome in. Thou art welcome in. Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in. O dear, potent Father of mercy and grace, Thou art welcome in this place. Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in. Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in. O dear, potent Father of mercy and grace, Thou art welcome in this place. Eyes to see, make my mouth to speak, make my heart to seek, and my hands to reach out and touch the world with your love. Holy Spirit, come, make my ears to hear, make my eyes to see, make my mouth to speak, make my heart to seek, and my hands to reach out and touch the world with your love. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. I am the Lord that healeth thee. I am the Lord that healeth thee. I am the Lord that healeth thee. I am the Lord that healeth thee. Be still and know, be still and know that I am, be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. of the God that is the healing God that does heal us, Lord. Heal us in every way, our spirit, our soul, and our body. Give ourselves into your hands this night, Lord. We thank you for your presence, Lord. Thank you for the ministry that you do. Thank you for being such a good God and a faithful God. May none of us leave tonight the same as we arrived, but leave changed because you are in the life-changing business, Lord. Would you please be seated and remain in the spirit of prayer? Just a word of explanation. While we were singing, there was spontaneous singing. Paul speaks of that in the letter to the Corinthians. He said that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my understanding. I will sing with my spirit, and I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing with understanding. We were singing in the spirit as the Holy Spirit led. The word just given by our sister is a word of prophecy. It is a speaking out of what God wants to say. Also spoken of in the Bible, in the New Testament, mostly in Acts. Check it out. It's there. Welcome again. Many of you that I recognize from North Way, many of you heard a testimony on Sunday by a little Julie Vestio. Do you remember that? Encouraged by that. Little nine-year-old girl who, three weeks ago, God healed her. Really sweet thing. He's such a loving God. We promised you some other testimonies tonight. I've only invited one. I don't want to run this. I want you to be able to give glory to God for what he's done in your life. That would be an encouragement to us also. But Paul and Lucy Detter here, you've been anxious to hear what God did. And as I explained on Sunday, if Paul gave his testimony, it would be very short. But Lucy's coming along, and she'll fill in the blank spots to tell you what Paul didn't know about. But just receive this into your hearts that the same God that did this miracle for Paul wants to do a miracle for you, too. So just listen and hear with your heart as well as with your ears. Needless to say, I believe in healing this evening. When I was a young fellow, I was healed also. But at that time, I had to use my own faith, along with others praying for me also. And the Lord miraculously healed me when I was young. But this time, I was just the object of it. And the thing that I think about is I don't remember any pain. I had passed out. And I guess I remember the pain, but the memory of it is not with me. The Lord took that away. I have not remembered any of the instances. So people will ask me, well, how did it feel like? And I really can't tell them, because I just don't remember. But then this thing brings to mind, though. I really stress the importance of being in a body of believers like we have here at North Way. When I couldn't pray for myself, there was just an army of believers that were praying around me, visiting me in the hospital, praying over me, anointing me with oil. There was even a lady that formerly worshipped here in the North Way community and had moved to Florida and happened to be talking to a lady on the phone from here. And they did the prayer chain. And you know how the phone clicks when there's another person on the line, and they have to hit the receiver to get this other party. And anyhow, this lady said it was a prayer chain, and it was activated for Paul Doody. He had a heart attack this evening. Well, this friend of ours walked all over the Tampa, I believe it was, that night. Just interceding for me. So I really appreciate all of you. Other than that, I passed out at the, I told my wife and my daughter, that right at the intersection of the hospital is where I said I'm going to pass out now, and I did. This is what they tell me, I said. I can't remember it. So Lucy's going to have to tell most of the story this evening. But then I'll finish up by telling you how I feel and how the Lord's blessed me since my healing. That day started out like any other Monday for Paul. I need to raise it up. He worked for about three hours. That's his day off, Monday. And he comes in to work with me because I'm afraid it's dark, and I'm afraid to come by myself. So he comes in and works those hours, and then he leaves me. And the next time I saw him was at night when we were home together. He came down from upstairs and told me that he was going out to dig some sod up in the grass for planting of bulbs. He went out to plant, or to dig, and he came back in in about 10 or 15 minutes. And he told us he was having chest pains. He said something different than I've ever felt before. And so I said, well, come in and sit down. And he sat down, and he'd stand up, and he'd say, maybe we should call an ambulance. And then he'd say, no, don't do that. I'll feel foolish going in an ambulance if nothing's wrong. And then he'd say, this is different, though. And he'd say, maybe if I walk. And we went through this for about 15 minutes. So finally, Allison, our daughter, she had come home from Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband, Bill Christie. He's a medical student at Oral Roberts University, and they were home for three months for rotations in some of the hospitals here in Pittsburgh. So they had just come home the night before another of God's miracles so I wouldn't be alone. But she was there, and she finally just took it into her own hands. She said, I'm gonna pull the car out. She said, I'll drive you down, and you can be examined and not feel embarrassed if it's all right. So we did that, and as we drove down, I could see Paul getting sicker and sicker. He was in the front seat of the car, told Allison to slow down because she was driving too fast. And then he told her there were police there. You better watch out. So he was still all right, too. We got to that red light, and he turned to us, and he said, I think I'm, he says, I'm going unconscious. He announced it. He can't remember doing that at all. So we got to the intersection, and there were cars coming north. Cars, there were no cars coming south. The light was red, so Allison pulled right out. As we got in there, we had to wait for about six or eight cars because they didn't understand why she was beeping the horn. I was waving my hands, but they wouldn't let us through. So we had to wait there. He was unconscious. We got over to the hospital, and out came two little wee nurses about this big. There was Paul, dead weight, and a wheelchair, and they couldn't do a thing with him. So I ran in to get help, and no one was there. An emergency, I ran into the lobby and yelled for help. It's amazing what you'll do when you need help. And I got two men from there, and those guards that are always there were not there. And I ran back, and these two girls had gotten him out of the car, and he was flat on his back on the cement, just about floored me. So we got these two men and the guards, and they finally got him in, and got him on a stretcher, and inside. When we got in, they asked us to come into this little room on the side to wait, and we prayed. And then Allison called her mother-in-law, Norma Christie. We called our other children. And we had this private place, and they told us we could use the phone or anything we wanted to, and that sounded a little suspicious. We waited a while, and Norma came very quickly, and we were just so delighted to have her because she was with us the whole time, stood by us and prayed with us. And in came a nurse running, and she said, Do you have a pastor? You better call your pastor. And I said, Well, somebody please call Jay. And I believe Norma did. I'm not even sure who did. But the thing I did want to tell you about myself was I'd heard so many times about peace and how you have peace, and I've even said that. As Christians, we say we have peace. I didn't know peace like I knew that day. I was not rattled. I didn't shed a tear. I just felt a peace all over my body, and I was in control. I just knew exactly what I wanted to do. The doctors came out and asked us if he had taken any medication of any kind that day, and I didn't really know. And they said, Is there anything that he takes? So we will have to see what medicines he had. So I went home, and I had to go home and get them. The kids said, Oh, don't worry. We'll go. And I knew if they went, they'd have to just go back because they wouldn't find it. So I knew his eyedrops and things that he had. So I brought back, so I went with Norma. But before I left, I asked them if I could see him. And they said yes, and I walked in. They all moved away, and that surprised me. They just all stepped back, and I just bent down, and I said, I don't know if you hear me or not, but I just want to tell you that I love you and that being Christians and believing in healing, we don't have to accept this. We're not accepting this, and I just want you to know that we'll be praying. And then I left, and they all moved back in. And I found out later that all this accommodating was because they just didn't expect him to live. So Norma and I left, and we both prayed separately together. She was praying, and I was praying, and she said that one of the things I prayed about was I asked the Lord to confound the doctors with what he was going to do that night. We got back and found that he was no longer in emergency, but he was up in intensive care now, and I was encouraged by that. We went up, and again, they gave us a little room where we could wait and all the use of the phone that we wanted, and we were able to go in and see him. And every time we'd go in, they'd all move aside and let us see him. We found the Franks there and the Gunthers, and Shirley Boyd had been there and had left already. And that was such a comfort, I can't tell you, seeing people, friends, and I think Jay was under the weather when they called him, and he had sent out the elders. And they prayed with us, and then the cardiologist came in that they had assigned to us. He came in that room, we were sitting around, and he said, just very bluntly, right out, he said, he's had a massive heart attack. We don't give him much chance. If he lives within the next few hours, there's a strong possibility that he'll be brain damaged. I couldn't even imagine it. You have to know about Paul's brain. It's my computer. So I just said, well, I just don't accept that. I believe in healing, and I just don't accept that. And Norma raised her hand, and she said, Jesus is Lord. And as if you're not the final word, she doesn't know why she said it herself. But he left us then, and we went in to pray. Roy anointed Paul with oil, according to the Bible. And there must have been six or eight of us around the bed. And Paul was, he just was wild, like an animal almost. He just thrashed all over the bed, and they had his hands tied down. And as we prayed, he just sort of raised up and just raised up toward us, almost as if to acknowledge that he was hearing the word. This is what Roy thought, that he was acknowledging that he was hearing us. So we went back then into the waiting room, and Gene Rink came, and he read the word that night and stayed with us till midnight after the others had left. And we waited, just the family then, and got together and decided we would have to do something about work the next day, because we have a business and we do so much of our own work. So we planned who would go home and sleep and who would work and when. And so I went at four in the morning to work, and I worked till about eight. Again, I left him there, which was kind of unheard of, but I just felt like he was in God's hands. And I had this piece, and when I came back, the cardiologist was waiting for me. He took me into, the other thing he had told us was that his heart was severely damaged that night. So the next morning when he was waiting there for me, he called me onto the side. And I had forgotten till now that when we were talking today that Allison did come along with me. And he said, I just want to tell you, oh, I got to tell you about the night before. I was afraid I'd do this without notes. But let's see, how did it go? The night before, I can't remember what it was. Yeah, no, it was something else. But it'll come to me. I prayed that the Lord would only let me say what he wanted me to say. So he called me to the side and he said, I don't know what it is, but he said, last night I was sure that I saw the whole bottom of his heart damaged. And he said, and he was whispering so no one else would hear him. He says, but it just doesn't seem to be there now. The thing I did want to tell you was that the night before, there was about an hour and a half after we had prayed around his bed and anointed him with oil. The cardiologist came in at that time. This was the second time for him to come in. And he said, I can't explain this. He says, but in the last hour and a half, there's been a remarkable change and a remarkable improvement. So we all smiled. Then the next morning, he told me that the damage was not what he thought it was. So then a little later that day, I met him again in Paul's room and Paul was sitting, Paul was eating. It was a liquid diet. And he was telling me that, you know, he had improved so much every time we'd meet. Then the following morning, I met him again after work. I knew what time he'd be there. So I was sure to be there. And he said, I just can't explain this. He said, there's been a 90% change overnight. And the day before when he had spoken to me, he said, he just went like that. I just can't understand it. And I said, well, you know about how our friends were here praying. He said, well, I wish it would work like that for everyone. It would certainly make my work easier. So then he said the next morning, the 90% improvement. And that day I went in and Paul was eating again, the liquid lunch. And he said, Paul, would you like to eat something solid? And Paul said, oh, it doesn't matter. It was fine. And he said, you can start having anything you want. The day before, I'm getting my facts wrong. The day before, we went home for showers. And Jay, this would be the morning after, we went home for showers, Allison and I. And Jay went up and he was there alone with Paul a while. So he went in and he felt pretty free. And he said to him in his ear, now this is, he was still unconscious. And he says, dad, we've been telling you that we love you and we've been praying for you. And we've been reading scripture in your ear, but we don't know if you can hear us or not. He says, if you can hear us, would you just please let us know by shaking your head or blinking your eyes? And Paul went like that and he blinked his eyes. So Jay ran to the phone and called us and we ran right over and we were so happy that he was back and that the time that elapsed wasn't as bad as they thought. They didn't know, he could have been out for months. Let's see now, where was I? At the second day, well, really the morning after they started to take all these hoses and things away from him and they said, take one away, everything would work, you know, without the hose. One after the other and he was fine. And he began to eat solid foods. The hospital was just buzzing with the events of this case. For some reason, the nurses, some of my girls know the nurses and they'd run up and they'd tell them little things that we couldn't have known otherwise, like his neurological signs are really bad and we don't expect, you know, much here. And then later on they'd say, everybody's buzzing because of how this is going. And, you know, it's not like what they expected at all. My friend who works in the emergency room asked me where we waited. And when I told her that we waited in this little room, she said, where is it? And I said, well, you go through the double doors and you turn right and then right again. And she said, oh, I see. And I said, what do you see? And she says, that's the room where they give you the news. So we knew that he was not expected to live and also that we were never allowed into the intensive care unit the way we were that night. We freely went in and out for really about two days. And then the third day when they told us not to do it anymore, we knew it was good. Wanted to tell you about one of the nurses who came in to see Paul and to ask him, to talk to him. And she said, how many daughters do you have, four? And he said, no, I have three daughters and one daughter-in-law who I love as much as my daughters. And she said, how old are they? She said, I just wanted to ask you because I have four daughters. And he said, well, see, this is when they were still telling us that he might have brain damage and he'd tell us not to get too excited yet. He didn't want us to get excited, didn't want us to say anything about religion for sure. Paul said, well, Paula was born on October the 24th, 1956 and Jay was born on January the 8th, 1958. And I looked over at my kids standing around the bed and I went, because I knew he was back and his mind is good. And I just really thank God because the dearest person on earth was given another chance to live. And I just pray that this word, as Norma prayed the other day and she kept little notes coming to us the whole time with scripture verses on it. And as she prayed the other day, she said, she prayed that it would be, that our testimony would be a thank offering to the Lord. And she said, she never really thought about it ahead or anything, but it just came out that way. And I just thank the Lord. And I just do give it to him as a thank offering. I just praise him. And I know that healing is real. We stood there and watched Paul's color come back by the hour and people that came to visit would say, I can't believe this is the same man. I saw a few hours ago. He does a wonderful job when he does it. You know, you've come a long, long way, haven't you? And I said, yes, I do. In such a short time, as she said. And he was going to another examining room to examine someone else. I suppose maybe he might've reprimanded her for it. I hope not. But I just do want to thank you again for all your prayers and everything. I know that I wouldn't be here today. I'd be with the Lord if it wasn't for that. Something else. I just wanted to tell you that when we were praying and anointing with oil, I reached out and touched Paul's hand. And his hand was cold, just like a block of cement on a cold day. It was cold and frozen. And Norma reached out and touched it too. And I lifted the covers on the bottom of the bed and his feet were the same way. And they were blue. And I just wondered when I felt that, was this going to be the worst night of my life? After we prayed and went back in, I reached and touched his hand again. And it was just as warm as toast. Hearing something like that, you gotta do something, don't you? I think it'd be appropriate to give the Lord Jesus a thank offering with our hands. Let's just clap for the Lord. Thank you. Lucy let out one part, believe it or not. The doctor, one of those days, actually said with his mouth, I am confounded. He used that very word that Norma had prayed in faith just a couple of days before. I am confounded. I'm glad. The Bible says that he has made the wisdom of man as foolishness. And the foolishness as of God. He confounds the wise, but makes wise the simple. Boy, I'm glad for that. That breathes hope to me, I'll tell you what. As I was saying, Paul, that wasn't the only one that's been healed lately through prayer, through faith, ministry. And you heard very little there in that testimony about the healing ministry of North Lake Christian Community. And I'm glad. Sure, we were praying, but it's God. It's God. And in so many faithful people, there was an army of people praying that night, all over this area and all over the city. And you've heard of even as far away as Florida. Yes, dear. Testimonies, keep them short, but so that they give glory to God. That night, I have two small boys. And let me just say, they know us on a first name basis when we go to the emergency room for stitches. They say, where's Anne and your kids? And we were there that night for stitches. And it was really an honor to be. I had Paula Ruth Dawson in the prayer immediately. And my son was hurt. And she said, well, she'd said that Paula was there in the prayer. And it was such an honor, because it gave me an opportunity to explain to the children what was going on. And we came in shortly after you did, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was just everywhere. And I was observing with my eyes, watching the emergency room people being kind of amazed. And I was explaining to the children that all the traffic coming in and all the people with the Bibles and all the people who were praying, these were Christians from our church who were praying for Mr. Dutt, who was very sick, and that the Lord was going to heal him. And it was an excellent lesson for my children. It was a privilege to be there, to be praying, to be in the same facility. After we were done, we were able to go upstairs and just kind of peek in. And I was able to explain to the children that those people are not waiting, they're not praying. And they're all here praying for Mr. Dutt to get well. And it was just such a privilege to be in that facility in prayer and feeling and seeing the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen, we all learned. My three-year-old knows that when Jesus healed his poison ivy and he had a huge burn on his hand and he healed it within a few days, my three-year-old knows that Jesus healed him. Hallelujah. Jesus heals. In the intensive care unit, we actually had to take authority over the spirit of death. It was there and he wanted Paul. But we're not afraid of him because the Bible says that nothing, no weapon formed against you can prosper if God wants it otherwise. And God wanted Paul's spirit. He gave faith to believe for it. And we just exercised our faith in agreement with what God wanted to do. Somebody else want to give a word of encouragement? Okay. Perhaps later. Jay has a word for us from the word, word of encouragement, a word to build faith. Let's just attend to that. Move, doesn't it? It just makes you expectant. God who set himself to do that kind of a work would be just anxious to move on behalf of his people. Stand up for just a second, would you? Let's lift our heads and close our eyes for just a moment. Of every negative and unbelieving thought and attitude and condition, Lord, that we've come with tonight, and similarly, Lord, may these open hands be a representation to you of our willingness to have you place in them the very words of life to set us free, Lord. And I pray, Father, that in the next moments, many of us will be transformed in our thinking and in our spirit and in our body. Give you praise, Lord. Thank you. The spirit of the Lord is definitely present to heal tonight. I have a very strong confirmation in my own heart about that. Let me ask you to be seated just for a moment again because I need to do this for the sake, principally, of those of you who might be here who are not familiar with healing ministry. Perhaps you're visiting or we trust that some of you were invited to come tonight, especially to be prayed for and to hear about the power of God to heal. And this is only gonna take a few minutes because I think the Lord wants us to move into a time of ministry together. But I think it's important. Testimonies have a wonderful way of quickening our faith, but we need to have a faith that's established on an authority. We all may have a story, but we need an authority. And the authority that we come to tonight is the greatest authority in the face of the earth. That is the living word of God that he's left to us in the form of the holy scriptures. It'd be one thing if someone could convince you that God's healing today by virtue of what happened to them, but that may not happen to you. And as the doctor said in Paul's case, I wish this would happen to everybody. Now, all of us know that not everybody that's prayed for gets healed, at least that's been my experience. Does that mean then that there's something wrong with what God says in this book? No, it simply means that we haven't yet fully discovered how to appropriate what God says in this book by the power of his Holy Spirit. I just wanna leave you with a couple of thoughts tonight in terms of establishing the authority of the word of God in your life in the person of Jesus Christ. Now, how many of you brought a Bible? Most of you? Okay, if you don't have one, maybe you can look on with somebody. I want you to see these scriptures for yourself for the sake of reinforcement. I thought it was really very special that we called this time of prayer and healing tonight so close to Christmas. Christmas is only three weeks away. Three weeks from tomorrow? No, from today. Right, three weeks from today. I would have missed it by a day, I guess. I'm sorry. I'd have been here on Christmas Eve tonight. That's a day of Christmas. Well, but Christmas is the time that we as believers in Jesus celebrate the incarnation. When God became flesh, when the full power and the entire range of quality that exists in a deity, in the Godhead, became flesh in a living human being. God himself became flesh. I think of a lot of mysteries in life. I don't know one any greater than that. But do you know, it's so significant tonight that we see that this person, this man, Jesus Christ, is God's statement about mankind. It's telling us in no uncertain terms what God thinks about man and what God wants to do for men and women on the face of the earth. He's saying that all my love and all my power and all my resources are given to you and this man, Jesus Christ. He's saying that I will withhold nothing from you. For in Jesus, the ultimate gift of God was given. No healing, no deliverance, no release, no miracle, no expression of the power of God will ever come close to saying what God said in the person of the