Why Not a Leg-Shortening Ministry?

JimB · Aug 9, 2004

During my first pastorate way back in the late 60s an evangelist came through our neck of the pineywoods with a promise to lengthen legs and provide gold fillings for teeth in answer to prayer. I did not witness any teeth filled (and often wondered why he just didnt pray for new teeth) but I did watch closely as he sat people in a chair, knelt before them, held their outstretch feet in one hand and did a voodoo wave over the feet while he prayed. I wondered, skeptic that I am, if every person, even those who werent aware of it, had one leg shorter (or is it longer?) than the other. Sure enough, as he prayed and we stood back in raptured amazement, it appeared that one leg would actually stretch out to meet the others length. I do not ever recall or hearing of one leg growing shorter but, hey, thats just my skeptical observation. It was a good show and the talk of town for some time.

Some time later, I talked to a (Christian) bone-specialist and told him about it. He smiled and said that most people have one leg shorter/longer than the other. He also said that he thought that sitting a person in a chair with their legs extended and with witnesses expecting one leg to grow longer (not shorter) would place them in a very suggestive position and subconsciously they would adjust their spine to accommodate.

I did not hear about the phenomenon for another twenty-five years and suddenly every other healing evangelist was into the leg-lengthening business again. Most (All) of the leg discrepancies were undetectable until the evangelist showed us that they were. I never saw a seriously shorter leg (say three or four inches) lengthened and dont recall every hearing of a shorter leg being lengthened nor every hearing of someones height actually and noticeable being taller or shorter than before.

I am still skeptical, but do not doubt that legs can be lengthened (or shortened) in answer to prayer. Putting it on display like at a magic show is a different matter.

Do you have any experience here? Am I right or just off-base once again?

\o/

cactusj · Aug 9, 2004

Jim,
I agree with you. To me the Pastor is drawing more attention to the himself, and the "gift" than the Giver. People love entertainment. David Copperfield draws large crowds. Just MHO.

riverpastor · Aug 9, 2004

3.2 days....

Jim, I'm a little disappointed... I figured you would have posted something on this a couple of days ago after I wrote about it in another posting...

I also believe that leg growing (or, is it shortening) can be a skeptical issue. I posted about the minister that prayed for the lengthening of a leg and the other leg "shortened" to match the other leg. His point was that God sometimes does what needs to be done despite our "specific" prayers (in this instance).

I have watched this prayer take place many times, as well, and I believe that I have seen a lot of fake stuff out there in this area. I have also talked to many who received this prayer and they had a "noticeable" difference in their gait and low back pain after receiving prayer (days following).

I was "trained" in prayer for the sick years ago and this was one of the tools used to help increase faith for both the pray-ers and the receivers.

I did the "leg" thing (no, not Frances Hunter "Leg Thing") and I saw results in the prayer. I can only vouch for myself that I never manipulated a person to help me in "growing out the leg". I never pulled on shoe heels or swung legs from side to side while together to make one appear to move longer.

Afterwards, I had the privilege for praying for those with deaf/mute spirits and blind eyes and lepers and saw God do some miracles in these folks lives.

When I say miracles, I mean the deaf hearing, the blind seeing, and lepers having feeling restored in nerve damaged areas where they have had no feeling for 5 - 10 years.

Baby & bathwater...

JimB · Aug 9, 2004

riverpastor said:
3.2 days....

Jim, I'm a little disappointed... I figured you would have posted something on this a couple of days ago after I wrote about it in another posting...

I also believe that leg growing (or, is it shortening) can be a skeptical issue. I posted about the minister that prayed for the lengthening of a leg and the other leg "shortened" to match the other leg. His point was that God sometimes does what needs to be done despite our "specific" prayers (in this instance).

I have watched this prayer take place many times, as well, and I believe that I have seen a lot of fake stuff out there in this area. I have also talked to many who received this prayer and they had a "noticeable" difference in their gait and low back pain after receiving prayer (days following).

I was "trained" in prayer for the sick years ago and this was one of the tools used to help increase faith for both the pray-ers and the receivers.

I did the "leg" thing (no, not Frances Hunter "Leg Thing") and I saw results in the prayer. I can only vouch for myself that I never manipulated a person to help me in "growing out the leg". I never pulled on shoe heels or swung legs from side to side while together to make one appear to move longer.

Afterwards, I had the privilege for praying for those with deaf/mute spirits and blind eyes and lepers and saw God do some miracles in these folks lives.

When I say miracles, I mean the deaf hearing, the blind seeing, and lepers having feeling restored in nerve damaged areas where they have had no feeling for 5 - 10 years.

Baby & bathwater...

What a coincidence!!

My points were not aimed at you, please understand. Like I said, I do not doubt this can happen, but I am put off with the way it is displayed (like some sort of Christian magic show). I feel that most/much of it is just fakery and pulling the wool over some sheeps eyes.

Blessings.

Jim

riverpastor · Aug 9, 2004

Amen brother. And I know you weren't out there pulling my leg...

oh... ahhhhhhhhhhH!!!!!!!!! pulling my leg.......

get it??? pulling leg...

I think there is something on the inside of all of us that yearns for the tangible and real manifestation of God's Presence first, and then as a secondary issue, the gifts that He bestows on mankind.

I know that the manipulation of the fake and the phony irks me to the core as well.

God don't need no help... He is God all by Himself!!!

Surprised by joy · Aug 9, 2004

An interesting point: for there to be a counterfeit, doesn't there have to be a real thing? But the correct focus is on God's will, and His ability to make real miracles; NOT on the evangelist/healer.

Jesus healed many people in His ministry, and for those of us who believe that God still grants us power to heal, we should look carefully at how He did it. He never made a big deal of it. He didn't need to. He didn't have to sit the people down in a chair, show everyone (like a magic show) around how they were ill, wave his hands over them . . . He just commanded, and the physical forces of the world obeyed. They knew their master. Now we come in His name, so it should be essentially the same for us.

JimB · Aug 9, 2004

Surprised by joy said:
An interesting point: for there to be a counterfeit, doesn't there have to be a real thing? But the correct focus is on God's will, and His ability to make real miracles; NOT on the evangelist/healer.

I would say that the question has little to do with the evangelist (except to say that a deceiving evangelist is a wolf in sheeps clothing) but it has everything to do with whether it is the truth or not. If it is deception and a lie, it is an instrument of the father of liars and must be resisted by all believers.

IMO

\o/

SavedByGrace3 · Aug 9, 2004

I recall a young man in who lived a few houses down from us. This was 1976(?) He walked with a noticable limp. We prayed for him as you described and watched as the one short leg grew. He stopped limping after that.

I think people always get what they believe... and you never grow or receive beyond the level of your faith.

I would rather believe and risk being a fool than to be a clever sceptic and miss out on all the possibilities.

Trish1947 · Aug 10, 2004

Give me a good reason why God would "put off" doing a "display" such as this, to accomodate our personalities, views, opinions, judgments, or anything man might think about it... All of these, don't matter much when it comes to Him doing exactly what He wants to do.

Duggie · Aug 10, 2004

I once watched a video with a famous teacher giving a call for people to come up and get healed. About 20 people came up and they all stood in a line. As he made his way down the line they whispered their problem in his ear and he then prayed for them. As he proceeded down the line he stopped at this man and shared with us what this particular man needed prayer for. He explained that he had a long scar running down his chest and he wanted it removed. The minister then prayed for the man, out loud and immediately after he undone a couple of buttons on the man's shirt looked into the man's shirt and said "bless God your scar has gone." The minister then went to the next person. The interesting thing, was the response from the man who got healed. He didn't crack a smile or cry or anything, infact he looked slightly bemused. Now I have to admit that a thought immediately entered my mind, I didn't believe this guy got healed, I just wasn't convinced. Initially I felt guilty for thinking that because this is a man of God who has had some incredible relevelations, has a very large ministry and it seems that everyone believes every word he speaks.

Would it have been wrong or inappropriate to ask the man to show his chest so that we could bear witness to this miracle? I must admit I am a sceptic when it comes to certain claims of healing. I would love to see a man who is totally blind recieve his sight, I'm not saying that would increase my faith, it's just something that I would like to see happen.

riverpastor · Aug 10, 2004

Oh, but Doug, it would increase your faith.

Where have we gotten off track that when we see God do the miraculous that we are supposed to say that it doesn't affect our faith any?

"Well, brother, my faith is in the Word and not the miracle!"

Who do we think did the miracle???

The Living Word!!!

I hosted an evangelist once who operated in the gifts of the Spirit like no man you've ever seen.

He operated in words of knowledge and healing and miracles. At our church at that time, we had a television ministry. So they decided to tape the evangelist's message.

When he finished preaching, he noticed that the camera crews started putting away the cameras.

He jolted and rebuked them saying, "If you were going to tape anything, you should tape the miracles that God is about to do!"

The miracles performed there that night were tangible proof of the Kingdom and the King Who rules.

This is Jesus. This is what Jesus does. Here is the evidence. BAM! Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth AS IT IS in Heaven!

JimB · Aug 10, 2004

didaskalos said:
I recall a young man in who lived a few houses down from us. This was 1976(?) He walked with a noticable limp. We prayed for him as you described and watched as the one short leg grew. He stopped limping after that.

I think people always get what they believe... and you never grow or receive beyond the level of your faith.

I would rather believe and risk being a fool than to be a clever sceptic and miss out on all the possibilities.

Me too, Dids.

But these are not the only two options. The best and worst options were not mentioned: the best option is being discerning; the worst is being gullible.

\o/

Suffolk Sean · Aug 10, 2004

Mt 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Joh 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

Ac 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Ac 2:43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles

It seems that signs and wonders are a mixed bag. We shouldn't seek them, but we should expect them perhaps?

Andrew · Aug 10, 2004

Jim M said:
During my first pastorate way back in the late 60s an evangelist came through our neck of the pineywoods with a promise to lengthen legs and provide gold fillings for teeth in answer to prayer. I did not witness any teeth filled (and often wondered why he just didnt pray for new teeth) but I did watch closely as he sat people in a chair, knelt before them, held their outstretch feet in one hand and did a voodoo wave over the feet while he prayed. I wondered, skeptic that I am, if every person, even those who werent aware of it, had one leg shorter (or is it longer?) than the other. Sure enough, as he prayed and we stood back in raptured amazement, it appeared that one leg would actually stretch out to meet the others length. I do not ever recall or hearing of one leg growing shorter but, hey, thats just my skeptical observation. It was a good show and the talk of town for some time.

Some time later, I talked to a (Christian) bone-specialist and told him about it. He smiled and said that most people have one leg shorter/longer than the other. He also said that he thought that sitting a person in a chair with their legs extended and with witnesses expecting one leg to grow longer (not shorter) would place them in a very suggestive position and subconsciously they would adjust their spine to accommodate.

I did not hear about the phenomenon for another twenty-five years and suddenly every other healing evangelist was into the leg-lengthening business again. Most (All) of the leg discrepancies were undetectable until the evangelist showed us that they were. I never saw a seriously shorter leg (say three or four inches) lengthened and dont recall every hearing of a shorter leg being lengthened nor every hearing of someones height actually and noticeable being taller or shorter than before.

I am still skeptical, but do not doubt that legs can be lengthened (or shortened) in answer to prayer. Putting it on display like at a magic show is a different matter.

Do you have any experience here? Am I right or just off-base once again?

\o/

There's a church in Singapore called Lighthouse Evangelism. I saw a video they had on this woman who had her leg lengthened.

Due to an artificial ball socket insertion in her hip bone, one of her legs was about 3 inches longer.

I can't rem what her condition was exactly but she suffered for many years. Her condition caused her extreme pain too. She said it took her like 45 mins just to get out of the car.

At a healing service in church (she was an overseas visitor, brought there by a friend and member of the church), instead of God shortening the lenghtened leg, He lenghthened her other leg to match them, so that she ended up 3 inches taller. I don't think any woman would mind being taller.

Man's way is to shorten the longer leg, but God's way is better.

For the church's website and the testimony in detail, go to

http://www.lighthouse.org.sg/

choose "miracle testimonies" then choose "Leg lengthening" for category of sickness and read about Irene's healing. There are some photos.

riverpastor · Aug 10, 2004

Suffolk Sean said:
It seems that signs and wonders are a mixed bag. We shouldn't seek them, but we should expect them perhaps?

What a paradox! Oh, yeah, the Kingdom is full of them...

TasManOfGod · Aug 10, 2004

Once you believe that God cannot grow short legs you might not believe God could do anything. I seem to recal the "good book" saying "signs and wonders will follow them that believe"

Duggie · Aug 10, 2004

[riverpastor]Oh, but Doug, it would increase your faith.

Where have we gotten off track that when we see God do the miraculous that we are supposed to say that it doesn't affect our faith any?

No it wouldn't because I'm fully aware of the healings and miracles that are recorded in the Bible. I believe they happened and I don't doubt Jesus and the apostles did such things. I have never witnessed such miracles personally, although I have seen other things. I am not seeking a sign because for me that's not necessary, my faith is secure. I was merely stating that I would like to witness such a healing, I don't go seeking one and I wouldn't lose any faith or sleep if I never see one in my life.

Why Not a Leg-Shortening Ministry?

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