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I Saw Jesus Raise the Dead
A Miraculous Eyewitness Account
by Pastor 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. (2Kings 4:18-37; 13:21) Since God
is able to raise the dead, certainly He is able to help you with any
obstacle that may stand before you today.
One Sunday
afternoon after conducting a church service I walked into a bookstore on
the campus of a large University in the Midwestern United States. I
had been to this particular bookstore many times in the past looking for
old Bible translations and was familiar with the young manager. He
was quite an oppressed fellow indeed. Someone had once told me he was
very involved in occult practices. One could tell by
looking that he had given himself over completely to Satan and demon powers.
As I walked into
the bookstore, he was standing and talking to some friends. I stepped
between him and one of his friends to gain access to the store. As I
did so, I heard a loud, almost inhuman grunting sound. I turned back
to see where it was coming from when I noticed this young man had fallen
backwards to the floor. The sound of his head slamming on the floor
was sickening.
My heart filled
with compassion 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 did the same at his neck. I leaned over to check for evidence
of breathing and a heartbeat. There was none. His friend began shouting
hysterically, “He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead.”
Neither of us could
detect heartbeat, breathing or a pulse as he turned a most horrible ashen
gray. Suddenly a mighty force came upon me.
I found myself dragging him around the counter and sitting him on a little
footstool in the corner. Such a super human strength came upon me it
seemed the man was light as a feather.
His head and arms fell forward lifelessly back onto the floor like a
giant rag doll as I balanced him there.
I then heard myself say, “Satan, loose this man in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The man sneezed
three times and inhaled so deeply that it sounded like a powerful vacuum
had been turned on. (2Kings 4:35) As if
someone inflated him with air, he sat suddenly upright on that footstool,
staring at me as if I were the first human being he’d ever seen.
I looked up at his
friend from my kneeling position and he, too, was staring at me -- in
absolute terror! He backed away from me in fear, exiting the store,
never even stopping to talk to his stunned living friend! Little did
he 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’m not telling you
I raised a man from the dead that day, independent of the power of
God. I’m not crazy! I’m telling you that I simply went along for
the ride while Creator God supplied the power to raise the dead that day.
(John 14:10,12)
I’m also suggesting
that you not make the same mistake that former dead man made. He
would not allow me to tell him about Jesus after that supernatural event.
He actually rejected the Miracle Worker.
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)
Be Blessed … John and
Barbara Hamel
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