Dear Partner,

I am writing this letter to you from Bundang, South Korea. This is my third ministry trip to this lovely city surrounded by mountains near the city of Seoul. We are having services in the morning, afternoon, and evening each day.

After yesterday morning's service a young woman asked the pastor's wife (Soonae) if she could speak with me for a few minutes. As Soonae translated from Korean to English the woman told me that she had attended the services the first year that I came to Bundang back in 2003. During one of the evening services she came and stood in the healing line to stand in proxy for her seventy year old mother. At the time her mother was too ill to attend the services in person. She had been suffering from a severe bladder condition for eighteen years. Much like the woman with the issue of blood in the bible, she had spent much money on many doctors over the years but they had not been able to help her.

She asked me if I remembered praying for her mother while she stood in proxy for her that day. I had to tell her that I did not. The prayer lines that first year were so long that often I would not be finished until after midnight. She continued by telling me that the very next day after she had stood in the prayer line for her mother, her mother's condition was greatly improved. Day by day she got better and soon … she was completely healed. It has now been two and a half years since that first ministry trip and her mother remains completely healed of all bladder trouble. Praise the Name of Jesus!

There have been many people healed during these ministry trips to Korea, but I had not heard about this one until now. As I listened to the woman's testimony concerning her mother I could not help but remember how Jesus healed another woman who also had been afflicted with infirmity for eighteen years:

Luke 13:11-13   And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

One of the signs that Jesus said would follow those who believe is, "They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." (Mark 16:18) Thank God for His Word that does not change. Thank God for Jesus Who does not change. Thank God we can have FAITH in His word because God cannot lie. Jesus healed the sick through His own physical body before He ascended to heaven. Today Jesus continues to heal the sick through His body … but His body on earth today is the body of Christ … the Church … "those who believe."

Heb 13:8   Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Jesus has not changed. His ministry of healing to the sick did not end when He ascended into heaven. His ministry of healing to the sick was to be expanded after He was glorified because in this dispensation He has many bodies through which He can heal, not just one. That is … IF … He can find people who dare to believe the gospel.

I may not remember the individual prayer for her mother, but I well remember those prayer lines during that first ministry trip to Korea back in 2003. I remember that I did not "feel" any special anointing. In fact, what I do remember is feeling very tired physically myself because those services would begin at 7:30PM and often we would not be completely finished and leaving the church until midnight or later. So if it was not some "special" anointing, what was it that caused her mother to be healed? Peter told us the answer when he spoke to the people after the lame man at the Gate Beautiful had been healed:

Acts 3:12-16   And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. AND HIS NAME THROUGH FAITH IN HIS NAME hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. [Emphasis Mine]

It is the Name of Jesus, through faith in His Name, which causes miracles of healing to flow through us when we pray. The Name of Jesus is above every name that is named. His Name has authority over sickness and disease. His Name has authority to "set the captives free."

Let us resolve to be a people strong in faith. Let us resolve to be a people who believe God's Word so that when we lay hands on the sick, they recover. Let us forever be thankful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob Who has glorified His Son … JESUS!

Sue and I love you and appreciate you. We thank God for your generous and giving heart. God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

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