Experiencing the Glory Testimony 6
The Dead Man Sneezed 3 Times & Began to Breathe Again
by Rev. John Hamel

“Now when he [Jesus] came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.  And he came and touched the bier: they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.  He that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he [Jesus] delivered him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12-15)

Jesus raised the dead many times while He walked on Planet Earth. (Mark 5:35-43; John 11:1-44)  

The Apostles Peter and Paul raised the dead. (Acts 9:36-43; 20:9-12)  

In the Old Testament the dead were raised. (2 Kings 4:18-37; 13:21)  

Since God is able even to raise the dead, certainly He is able to help you with any obstacle that may stand before you today.

I Saw Jesus Raise the Dead.  A Miraculous Eyewitness Account 

One Sunday afternoon after conducting a church service I walked into a bookstore on the campus of Oklahoma University.  I had been to this particular bookstore many times in the past looking for Bible translations and was familiar with the young manager.  I had spoken with him often. He was quite an oppressed fellow indeed.  

Someone had once told me this young man was very involved in occult practices.  One could tell simply by looking at his countenance and overall appearance that he had given himself over completely to Satan and demon powers.

As I walked into the bookstore that afternoon, he was standing just inside the door, talking to some friends.  I stepped between him and one of his friends to gain access to the store.  As I stepped beyond them I heard a loud, almost inhuman, deep grunting sound.  I turned back to see where the sound was coming from. As I did I noticed this young man had fallen backwards to the floor.  The sound of his head slamming onto the concrete floor sickened me. 

My heart filled with the compassion of God as I dropped to my knees beside him.  His friend did the same.  

As I proceeded to check for a pulse at his wrist, his friend checked for a pulse at his neck.

There was none.  

I kneeled beside the still form to check for evidence of breathing and a heartbeat. 

There was none.

Neither of us could detect heartbeat, breathing or a pulse as this young man turned a most horrible ashen gray.

His friend became hysterical and began shouting, “He’s dead.  He’s dead.  He’s dead.”

As I kneeled there beside him, looking at his breathless, lifeless form, I also believed he was dead. 

He had either died and fallen to the floor, or he died when his head hit the floor.    

Suddenly a mighty force came upon me.  

A supernatural physical strength overtook me. 

For some reason, without even thinking, I found myself dragging this young man, who was much bigger than me, around to the backside of a glass display counter.

It made no sense to me why I was doing this. It just came upon me to do so. I had no known purpose nor destination in mind.  

Once behind the counter I noticed there was a very small footstool sitting in the far corner.  

Again, for some reason and without thinking, I dragged him over to the footstool, sitting him upon it and leaning him into the corner.  

Such a super-human strength came upon me it seemed the big young man was light as a feather.  

Suddenly his head and upper body fell forward lifelessly, back onto the floor like a giant rag doll, his legs and arms stretched out in front of him.

Kneeling in front of him, I grabbed him from underneath his chest, with the intention of pushing his lifeless body back up into the corner.  

I reached under him, grabbing him by the chest with both fists as I heard myself quietly but sternly say, “Satan, loose this man in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

The man then sneezed three times and inhaled so deeply it sounded like a powerful vacuum had been turned on.  Apparently his spirit had just re-entered his body through his mouth. 

As if someone inflated him with air, the young man suddenly pulled himself upright on that footstool, his legs still stretched out in front of him.  

As he came back to life, life came back into his eyes and he stared at me as if I were the first human being he had ever seen. His expression was one of absolute shock and fear.

When he sneezed three times prior to coming back to life, I was reminded of when the Shunamite's son died and she sent for Elisha.  The child, too, sneezed as he was brought back to life.

"And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes." (2 Kings 4:32-35) 

I looked up at his friend from my kneeling position and he, too, was staring at me - in absolute terror!  Convinced, even as I was, that his friend was dead, he seemed to think I had brought him back to life through some intrinsic power of my own.  After all, these young men were involved with Satanism and witchcraft. 

He backed away from me in absolute fear, exiting the store, never even stopping to talk to his stunned, now living again friend!  I was astounded as I watched him back away from me, exiting through the door backwards without even looking where he was going.  He bolted out of there like lightning.  

Little did this young man realize that I wasn’t the one who was supplying the power to perform this miracle.  Jesus, the Giver and Restorer of Life, was.  I did a little thing, speaking the words that came into my heart.  Jesus did a big thing and sent that man’s spirit back into his body.

I was simply a willing vessel as God allowed all three Power Gifts - the Gift of Faith, the Gifts of Healings and the Working of Miracles, to work through me.

I am not telling you I raised a man from the dead that day, independent of the power of God.  

I am not crazy, even though I have been told otherwise more than once.  

I am telling you that I simply went along for the ride while Creator God supplied the power to raise the dead that Sunday afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma.

Did Jesus raise the dead?  Of course He did.  Did Jesus say that His disciples could raise the dead according to the will and the plan of God?  Of course He did.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:12-13) 

Sadly and shockingly, this young former dead man would not allow me to tell him about Jesus after that supernatural event.  I attempted to tell him about Jesus the Miracle Worker and he flat out told me that he did not want to hear it.  

He actually rejected the Miracle Worker who rose him from the dead. 

Say aloud, “Jesus, I receive Your Lordship” and the door to the miraculous will open to you. (Romans 10:13)  Things will stop happening to you and start happening for you. 

If God can raise the dead, He can fix the living, real easy!  If you believe, that is. (Luke 1:37)

Blessed ... John and Barbara Hamel

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