A journey of discovery from Bedford to southern California

Always in the look out for things that will inspire and build my faith for supernatural healing I was excited to stumble upon the "Heaven touches earth" conference at Bedford recently. I just went to their web site today to find out more about it and read that the main speakers are Julian Adams and a man called James Maloney. Not having heard of the later before I listened to one of his talks on you tube. He's a great story teller and an engaging speaking. He told of a man with a hand but no arm whose got healed in the he name of Jesus. His hand shot out from his shoulder with an brand new arm behind it!

Another of his stores was about a man who came to speak to them at bible collage. He was freckled, had no teeth and so sprayed saliva all over the from row where he was sitting. He didn't give the name but said he was one of the original "Little rascals" (not the 1994 remake). Well google led me to a man named "Holy Hubert Linsey" who was indeed one of the original little rascals. He has been threatened, stabbed, blinded and had his teeth kicked out, all for preaching the gospel. I've just watched a video of him preaching in a 1987 outreach at Bowling Green State University. I can see why he got into trouble. He's very "in your face"; challenging, even rude and aggressive. His style is definitely what you would call "hell fire and brimstone" but he clearly holds out the gospel to people. The many students who gather round him alternate between mocking and anger in their response.

Apparently he's been doing this sort of things for years. In the 60s he preached to the radical hippies in Berkley California, some of whom got saved and went to southern California to tell their hippy friends. They in turn got saved and pitched up to a church called Calvary Chapel run by Chuck Smith (who had been the campaign manager for Paul Cain - but that's another story). Chuck Smith Had been praying for hippies and his church became the centre of the Jesus movement. Their preaching was bible based, simple but expository and their informal style and worship has apparent had a big influence on contemporary Christian music.

Going to his web site I discovered that he has preached through the whole bible! Wow. It looks like he does several chapters at once. I'm just listening to his preach on the bit I am speaking on this Sunday; Matthew 8:17. In contrast to Dr Martin Lloyd Jones verse by verse, even word by word preaching he preaches on whole paragraphs at a time. It's actually quite a refreshing style. Read a short passage, make a few observations, then move on. Here we go he's reading out the Isaiah quote now.

"'He took up our infirmities and carried out sorrows' There are those bible scholars today who want that to make that apply only to spiritual healing. But really the finest commentary you have on the old testament is not always those who declare themselves to be bible scholars today. The finest commentary you have on the OT is the inspired NT. And here Matthew writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit declares that the physical healing upon all of these people that were brought to Jesus as he was there in Peters house in the evening, and as Jesus healed them all he was doing that that the prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled. So Matthew extends the prophecy of Isaiah to include physical haling as well as spiritual healing."

I think he's right. He goes on to say some things I'm not so sure about but I'm going to explore this verse more in the next few days. Its been an interesting journey so far.