Oh my word, this is really interesting Keith but my mind is so anallytical
it's difficult. Ps, will you give me a new mind someone grin.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith P Hodges" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 9:15 AM
Subject: Re: It Felt Like Death


Kerri wrote:

>     Your article on sleep apnea was exceptional, clear very well
explained,
>I'm impressed but I do not understand the connection between it and demons.
>But then again, I don't understand demons. Kerri.

Dear Kerri,

I can understand your confusion, I do not think that anyone has the
full picture as to why sleep apnea which appears to have some
physical causes may be related to the activity of the demonic. I
think we can try to understand bits of what is going on from our
experiences, and the scriptures.

The connection between the physical world and the spiritual world can
be very mysterious at times, but I am sure there is a connection, at
some times that connection may be stronger than others.

One time I had a limp, my foot was very sore. As we prayed for it to
be healed nothing much happened. One day I was walking in a park and
it was agony I could not go on. We sat down on a bench and I took off
my shoes and nursed my foot. My friend who is gifted in hearing the
Lord clearly asked me if I had ever declared "I cant go on I cant do
this any more".

Funnily enough I remembered that due to some very stressful times I
had said just that. I may even have kicked something hard in anger at
the time, to be honest I cant remember. I was told that I needed to
repent of that declaration, it was a spiritual vow, like a negative
prayer over my life. Since I have authority over my own life and
body, physically my body was reflecting and experiencing the fruit of
that statement and my declared desires.

I repented, after all the Lord says that I can do all things through
him, and immediately after prayer for my foot to be healed I could
walk again. It was not completely healed but the intense agony had
gone.

Some weeks later, still limping, I was being dragged around a
shopping center (I think you call them malls ), and my foot was
beginning to hurt again. I realised that I had verbally, emotionally
and in every way my heart had grumbled about being dragged around
shopping day after day. This shopping was something I needed to do
gladly unto the Lord, as I am called by the Lord to care for someone,
and they like shopping.

Again I understood that my body was in some way physically responding
to my emotional desire not to be subjected to all this tiresome
walking. Once more I repented, and after that my foot steadily
improved to the point where it is now healed and pain free.

Physically speaking I think that I had a fracture and it healed over
time. I believe that the Lord ministers in both the natural healing
processes and in miraculous healings. Spiritually I think that my
prayers positive and grumbles negative effected the progress of the
Lord's natural healing for my foot.

There is one other part to this story. When we prayed about how to
get my foot healed the Lord told my prophetic friend to get a stick
and to whack my foot very hard with it. I on the other hand took some
convincing. I do not like pain but I do trust the Lord and my friend,
even with a big stick!

I have limited medical knowledge. I could be wrong but what I believe
was happening here was that the Lord was arranging for the ill formed
painful fracture to be broken and re-set so that natural healing
processes could take place properly. I would not say that the healing
of my foot was a creative miracle, but I did experience a connection
between the physical world and the spiritual one, that of my emotions
and prayers. Positive prayer, and obedience (the stick!) produced
physical healing, negative vows and disobedience tended to make
things worse. I believe that in general the Lords will is for us to
be saved healed and restored, but he will not override our free
choices.

What role do demons play in all this you may ask. I visualise demons
to be like mosquitoes, small and easily squished. I prefer to play
down the powerful scarey hollywood image that they have. Indeed from
pictures people draw of them they are ugly, but they are spiritual
entities, they have no real bodies and limited power.

What they can do is attempt to effect our emotions and our thinking.
Would it be the Holy Spirit, myself or a demonic spirit that
suggested to my heart to grumble against God. "Did God really say you
can do all things if you allow him to strengthen you, you feel very
weak now why not give up". I think that was a demons idea whispered
in my head, as a result I kicked something and hurt my foot. Whenever
we prayed to God asking for healing, I can imagine a demonic spirit
standing there saying, "but he wants to limp to avoid shopping."
The demons operate mainly through whatever lies they can get us to believe.

I do not think that the Lord allowed me this time of physical pain,
as some might say. I think it would be more valid to say that I had
brought it on myself. Nevertheless the Lord has this ability to bring
forth something good out of even the worse situations and I think he
used my situation in order to get me to question my attitudes and
bring me to repentance and a greater understanding of his purposes.
As the scripture says "all things work together for good".

I find that in my heart the loud noisy voice is often the enemy,
while the strong firm quiet, persistent voice in our hearts is the
Lord.

may the Lord have victory

your servant in Christ

Keith