But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”– 2 Kings 5:11-15

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That’s it. I’m going!

I wasn’t sure because of other commitments how I would get there, but I was going.

It’s called ‘A Night of Hope and Healing’ – an event in South Florida being hosted by Dr. Chauncey Crandall. Dr. Crandall is a highly-regarded cardiologist and surgeon – a man of science. He is also a dynamic Christian who has diligently and passionately pursued the power of God and has (as promised in Hebrews 11:6) been rewarded by God to be used in miraculous ways.

I’d never been to a major healing event before but this one was being organized by my Brother-in-Christ, Tim, who I have known for years (He officiated my Daughter’s wedding). Tim had called out of the blue one day and filled me in on the continued movement of the Holy Spirit in new ways across churches in South Florida. Knowing Tim, there was no doubt that what He was describing was new to him. I had been seeing God begin moving in new ways in my dynamic but fairly conservative New England church. So, I had to check this out.

As I prayed in advance of going, excited by what I had heard and in anticipation of great things a memory flooded into my mind:

Years ago, I visited one of my brothers in Hawaii. He took me on a tour of Oahu and as we toured we checked out the powerful and infamous surf of North Shore. When we arrived, due to a recent storm, the surf was even more monstrous than usual. Yet, there were no surfers. I was surprised and confused when I saw signs on the beach well away from the water’s edge warning to not go any further. What? Come on! The shore line seemed a mile away.

I didn’t see any lifeguards so I decided that the warning must have been for high tide. I crossed the line to get closer and to just dip my toes into the famous waters. I didn’t want to surf or swim or wade into the waters, just to dip my toes in.

Immediately, a life guard popped up from out of nowhere and came running at me screaming to get back.

He startled me and I threw my hands up calling out, “Really? Okay, okay.” I shook my head in disgust at his ‘overreaction’ but complied and went back.

Sure enough, moments later a huge, thunderous wave rose up and dropped onto the beach like a bomb exploding. The spray shot high into the air. The churning, swirling waters raced up to the signs I had just passed. The monster swirled for a bit and then receded, sucking everything that had been on the beach out to sea.

The power, the speed and the havoc of it all took my breath away.

Resisting the Spirit of Naaman

While praying with that memory filling my mind, it struck me that for most of my life while walking with Jesus, I have wanted to just dip my toes into the power of God’s Holy Spirit but afraid that I may be caught up and dragged away to a place I was fearful of going. To find myself isolated and bobbing in a sea of the supernatural. I lived something like the spirit of King Naaman, who wanted God’s healing touch but wanted it his way – resisting how God would dictate.

But, now I believe I’m at the point where my heart is more willing to go where God directs and willing to see what God will do in whatever way he wants to do it.

After all, what’s to be afraid of, if it’s truly God’s doing?

The event was located near West Palm Beach, Florida where my Daughter and Son-In-Law live. They are familiar with Dr. Crandall’s reputation for medical excellence (In fact he is a client of my Son-in-Law’s firm) and when they heard about this side of Dr. Crandall, they were surprised and intrigued.

Both my daughter and I attend wonderful churches where God is moving in amazing ways but where the sign gifts aren’t particularly emphasized. I called my Daughter only to ask if she would give me a ride to the event and she and my Son-in-law immediately said they wanted to join me. Awesome!

The event was at 6pm on a Sunday. So that Sunday, I attended worship and taught a class on the ‘Character of Christ’ at my church in Connecticut. From there I hustled off to catch the flight to Florida and had my daughter and Son-in-Law pick me up to go learn something of the ‘Charisma of Christ’. We went straight to the campground where it was being held – old tent revival style. After walking with Christ for almost 40 years, this was the first event of its kind I had ever attended. For all of us this was our “First Rodeo”.

We were late and missed the worship and the testimony by Todd Shoemaker – a man I’ve met who thrives on God’s sustenance in the midst of a seemingly never-ending string of life-threatening illnesses.

We approached the huge tent packed with a crowd that spilled out beyond its perimeter. The night was clear with a full moon and a cool breeze that I’d swear accelerated and swirled every time Dr. Crandall called on the Holy Spirit.

My anticipation and excitement for what God was going to do kept building. We settled in at the back of the crowd. I prayed as I fixated on a strange glow that seemed to hang over the tent.

I will admit that I went with some reservation knowing there would likely be certain things that, theologically, I’d be uncomfortable with. Indeed, there were a few things that caught my attention. But, I resisted the attitude of Naaman and decided to not pre-judge but to let God’s truth reign in me.

Dr. Crandall took the stage just as we arrived and shared stories of the amazing healing God has worked in people’s lives through him. It struck me as all due to his willing faithfulness to stretch himself in pursuit of all God wants to do through him. He made it clear that any ministry of healing was the avenue for those to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He then gave a clear message of the Gospel highlighting how sin drags us down to the lowest level and how God’s grace rescues us. He then extended an invitation to those who didn’t know Christ. To God’s glory and to their joy several accepted that invitation.

Then Dr. Crandall invited those who wanted prayer for healing to come forward. One of the reasons I felt led to race down from Connecticut to attend the event was because I was asked by Tim to do a “write-up” documenting the experience. I moved up front, but off to the side, with the mindset of a journalist, not for my own healing but to soak in and absorb the overall experience.

The Doctor asked that the sickest and most needy would be allowed to come forward first. He began praying for those who were brought right up front in wheel chairs and suffering from ALS, neurological disorders and mental issues.

The rest of the crowd couldn’t resist and pressed forward. Dr. Crandall tried to organize the group asking them to line up but the swirling desire of those wanting to be touched by God was too great. They pressed in. He would pray and move on and His team would continue to pray.

I was feeling overwhelmed by the crush of the crowd and the tremendous need of the people. It made me think of the crush of the desperate crowds that Jesus ministered to.

Then the image of that North Shore beach and the churning waters that swirled and lingered for a moment came back fresh into my mind. It was the power of the Holy Spirit mixing with the people, churning like frothy living water. It ebbed and flowed and sloshed following Dr. Crandall as he moved. The great, frothy tidal pool swirled around him.

Then my eyes were drawn to one head bobbing above the churning sea of spirit and humanity. A face filled with emotion crying out to God. I adjusted my focus and to my shock, it was a friend named Joe, from my church in Connecticut. Joe was suffering from early onset dementia. His deepest desire was to have his mind set straight by God’s power. Friends drew him out of the crowd and continued praying for him. They led him away before I could get across the crowd to join him.

The prayers continued. Here and there I would hear people crying out their thanks for God’s healing touch. A few people stumbled away after Dr. Crandall’s prayer and I asked how they were. They beamed. Some couldn’t even speak, unable to come up with words that could adequately describe what God had just done and they simply hugged me. Others declared their joy with simple superlatives like, “Great”, “Awesome”, “Fantastic”.

I watched as periodically, Dr. Crandall would put his hand on someone’s forehead and they would drop below the surface gently floating to lie on the soft seabed. (of course, there was a team there ready to catch those falling, being overcome by the instantaneous power and peace of God).

I had to laugh as I watched one particular woman who appeared to be simply trying to move past Dr. Crandall through the crowd. He reached up, placing his hand on her forehead as she passed. She dropped like a stone. The team was quick to catch her and after a few minutes she was helped up shaking her head and beaming with joy.

As the tide receded and the crowd began to thin, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the smaller tidal pool puddles of prayer that were left behind – groups gathering to pray for those that lingered. The Lord generously gave me some words of hope and encouragement for others.

When Dr. Crandall had a moment, Tim introduced me. The doctor placed his hand on my forehead and began to pray. He blessed me with my heart’s desire that God would use my writing in ways that would further His Kingdom. I’ll admit I was hoping that the Spirit would knock me down and turn me inside out. That didn’t happen. All I sensed as he prayed was a feeling of deep relaxation as if resting on a comfortable couch.

After Dr. Crandall prayed for me I realized that I had lost track of my family and went to locate them. I was concerned I would find them pointing at their watch, anxious to leave. But, when I came up to them they were peacefully sitting and taking it all in – in awe of watching so many desperate souls desiring to be touched by God.

I waved them forward, “Come on. Let’s go meet Dr. Crandall and be touched by the Holy Spirit.” I could see each with a mixed look of fear and excitement – an expression like, “Who me?”

We went forward and came up to Dr. Crandall. I chuckled when the Doctor asked them, “What’s wrong with you?” They were stumped and shrugged their shoulders saying, “Nothing. We just want to experience God.” He complied and prayed wonderful prayers over them.

Once again, there were no lightning bolts, no fainting, no falling over, just a sweet sense of peace and comfort as if the hand of God was messaging their neck and shoulders.

As things were wrapping up, we headed out and went to grab a bite to eat. In the restaurant, we shared about God’s movement in our lives and debriefed on what the evening meant to each of us. There was a lot to unpack.

Now, a few days later the results of the meeting are still yet to be fully known. Testimonies of God’s healing were beginning to surface.

I came to the meeting with hopes of seeing people walk away from wheelchairs, physical deformities restored, Blind and deaf healed, etc. Honestly, I did not see any of that though that’s not to say it didn’t happen and still won’t. Yet, I came away fully satisfied. God was present and He was working in powerful ways. For me, the fact that God has my daughter and her family in a place to desire to go to such an event borders on the miraculous. That I could enjoy sharing the things of God in this way with them was a source of more joy than I could have imagined in that place.

While I was kind of hoping to experience the Holy Spirit knocking me down and turning me inside out, I’m guessing God knew I didn’t need that. What He provided for me was a fullness of joy that was more than enough. And one more thing I know . . . I’ll take another dose of that!

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Follow-up on my friend Joe

I just recently spoke with Joe. He was excited and the memory of the Night of Hope and Healing has stayed clear in his mind. Joe exclaimed that it was the most powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit he had ever experienced. He went to the event with no intention to be ministered to, but only to assist in the setup for the evening. But, when Dr. Crandall began to minister in prayer, Joe found himself in the middle of the swirling tide.

In the midst of his crumbling personal life and the fading reality of Alzheimers, Joe was overcome by God’s presence – reassuring Joe of how much God values him and loves him, and will be there to care for him. What I had hoped for, for myself, is what God did for Joe. He was left feeling turned inside out – spiritually and emotionally healed from the inside out.

I also spoke with Joe’s close friend who had invited him down to the event. Since then she has had almost daily phone calls with him, and said that while he is still dealing with his dementia, she attests that ever since that evening his speech pattern has changed – no more stammering and stuttering. He’s more clear-headed and his speech is smoother. She surmized that it was God’s healing touch from that evening.

God’s healing is not always what we expect. But, God heard the cry of Joe’s heart and God poured His love into Joe’s life and for good measure – He touched Joe’s tongue.

“At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” Mark 7:35