One for All, All for One
September/October 1989
In the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians, verses 4-7, the Apostle Paul taught that individual spiritual gifts, ministries, effects and manifestations are to be used for the benefit of the whole body. The most dramatic and dynamic example of corporate body life I have ever experienced happened a few years ago. It was an incident involving Milt Green, who was a member of our church and lived in our neighborhood.
One morning after I returned home from jogging, I received an urgent telephone call for prayer. The caller relayed, “After waking and as he was getting out of bed, Milt fell to the floor.” (His wife Joyce later described the occurrence “as if he had been shot”) I immediately began to pray and before I realized it, was in the car on the way to the Green’s house.
When I arrived Milt was lying in a narrow passageway at the foot of the bed, Tim, a young Christian who had been saved as an adult and did not have a life of church tradition to overcome, was kneeling at Milt’s head loudly reading the Bible. We had been learning that the word heals and brings faith. Charlie, another fairly new Christian with no backlog of tradition, had his hand lifted in praise to the Lord. We were also learning how praise drives the enemy away.
Shirley, Tim’s wife, was answering the phone, taking calls and relaying messages of prayer. Joyce and Jesse McElreath, our co-pastor, were in and out of the room, alternately praying and handling affairs outside the room. Because of lack of space, I lay down across the foot of the bed, placed my hand on Milt and began to pray.
An ambulance came to administer oxygen and take Milt to the hospital. He took the oxygen but refused to go to the hospital. The ambulance team was made up of volunteers from our neighborhood. Other neighbors had gathered at the sound of the ambulance siren and were looking in the open windows, hearing all that was taking place. You could tell they all thought we were a little crazy as the ambulance drove away without Milt.
It was time to “put up or shut up,” as the saying goes. In fact, it was almost the only thing to do, since Milt would not go to the hospital. For four hours we prayed but it seemed like only thirty minutes.
At one particular instance he became very still, clammy and cold and we knew his condition was grave. I sensed something else must be done. So, turning in the Bible to Psalm 2, I received some direction from the Lord. Further instruction followed in Proverbs 2:9-10. “Then you will discern. . .every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart. . .”
In my spirit I knew this had specific meaning. In my pre-medical studies, I had studied the circulatory system and knew the paths of the blood flow through the body. I began to trace the “course” of Milt’s blood with my fingers, driving out the enemy and claiming healing. Color began to return. Others came, placed him up on the bed and anointed him with oil. Milt began to improve.
As he continued to improve hourly, we realized we had seen a miracle take place before our very eyes—and yet it had almost seemed normal. We had not shared among ourselves while we were in the room. It was as if Jesus, the Head, was telling the body what to do and it worked. This is real corporateness.
September/October 1989
In the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians, verses 4-7, the Apostle Paul taught that individual spiritual gifts, ministries, effects and manifestations are to be used for the benefit of the whole body. The most dramatic and dynamic example of corporate body life I have ever experienced happened a few years ago. It was an incident involving Milt Green, who was a member of our church and lived in our neighborhood.
One morning after I returned home from jogging, I received an urgent telephone call for prayer. The caller relayed, “After waking and as he was getting out of bed, Milt fell to the floor.” (His wife Joyce later described the occurrence “as if he had been shot”) I immediately began to pray and before I realized it, was in the car on the way to the Green’s house.
When I arrived Milt was lying in a narrow passageway at the foot of the bed, Tim, a young Christian who had been saved as an adult and did not have a life of church tradition to overcome, was kneeling at Milt’s head loudly reading the Bible. We had been learning that the word heals and brings faith. Charlie, another fairly new Christian with no backlog of tradition, had his hand lifted in praise to the Lord. We were also learning how praise drives the enemy away.
Shirley, Tim’s wife, was answering the phone, taking calls and relaying messages of prayer. Joyce and Jesse McElreath, our co-pastor, were in and out of the room, alternately praying and handling affairs outside the room. Because of lack of space, I lay down across the foot of the bed, placed my hand on Milt and began to pray.
An ambulance came to administer oxygen and take Milt to the hospital. He took the oxygen but refused to go to the hospital. The ambulance team was made up of volunteers from our neighborhood. Other neighbors had gathered at the sound of the ambulance siren and were looking in the open windows, hearing all that was taking place. You could tell they all thought we were a little crazy as the ambulance drove away without Milt.
It was time to “put up or shut up,” as the saying goes. In fact, it was almost the only thing to do, since Milt would not go to the hospital. For four hours we prayed but it seemed like only thirty minutes.
At one particular instance he became very still, clammy and cold and we knew his condition was grave. I sensed something else must be done. So, turning in the Bible to Psalm 2, I received some direction from the Lord. Further instruction followed in Proverbs 2:9-10. “Then you will discern. . .every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart. . .”
In my spirit I knew this had specific meaning. In my pre-medical studies, I had studied the circulatory system and knew the paths of the blood flow through the body. I began to trace the “course” of Milt’s blood with my fingers, driving out the enemy and claiming healing. Color began to return. Others came, placed him up on the bed and anointed him with oil. Milt began to improve.
As he continued to improve hourly, we realized we had seen a miracle take place before our very eyes—and yet it had almost seemed normal. We had not shared among ourselves while we were in the room. It was as if Jesus, the Head, was telling the body what to do and it worked. This is real corporateness.