Ned, thanks for your "rambling" as it gives me a chance to get acquainted
with you adn your situation.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ned Benton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: spiritual abuse


When I was about eight or nine years old, my parents took me to Tallahassee
Florida, about 35 miles from Thomasville, Ga where we lived, to a tent
meeting with Oral Roberts. I had to go back a 2nd night to get to him for
the prayer line was so long.  Anyway, he prayed for me and, and when I was
not instantly healed, he told me to go my way and the Lord would finish the
work in me.
Maybe the next year, I was visiting my uncle and his family in Peary Florida
and we had a revival meeting at their little Assemblies of God church where,
on Friday night, they had a healing service.  Again, I was not healed.  I
believe with all my heart in both situations that I would be healed.

Later, in my home town of Thomasville, we attended another tent meeting.  I
don't remember the evangelist's name, but when he prayed for me he had me
say "thank you Jesus" several times.  Then he asked me to follow him around
the stage. At that time, I had light and color perception.  He had on a
white shirt and under thousands of watts of light.  I could have followed
him to New York or to Canada.  (grin)  What I felt that night was that he
deliberately missled the people to think that the Lord had healed me.  He
asked if I believed the Lord would heal me and I said "yes".  Then, after
the walk around the stage, he had me say "thank you Jesus" a few times.
People we knew called or came by thinking I had been healed.

There was once, while I was ministering at the Cleeveland Avenue church in
Atlanta, my driver and I stopped in on a revival meeting in a chuirch one
evening.  While everyone was praying, a gentleman came back to me and my
driver and asked me to come up and be healed.  I told him as kindly as
possible, that I thanked them for their interest but that I believed in the
power of healing and that I believed in the power of prayer and would
continue for the Lord to heal me if He could better use me with sight. I am,
in many ways, thankful for my blindness because it allows me opportunities
with many people that I would have otherwise.  Also, I would not be whom I
am or where I am today had I not lost my sight.  It is a tremendous blessing
in many ways.  Do I want to have sight?  You bet!  But I want to be the
Lord's servant and if I can be a better servant without sight, then Lord let
me remain blind.

Okay, enough of my runnning on as if you all had nothing to do but read my
email.

I love you all and am happy to be a part of your family.
Cindy and Angel, we are always happy to see new people on this list.  You
can rest assured  that we are always here for you and that we actually pray
for your requests and for your needs.

Ned


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