My Father's Journey - Part 1

Over the next weeks, my father (Paul Collins) will also be sharing his own journey of prayer and faith, from the moment he first heard the news of my cancer.

Here is the first installment...

When crises strike in life we are struck to the very core of our being. When Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 received word of a great multitude that was coming against Judah, the immediate reaction was to fear, but then Jehoshaphat and all the people set themselves to seek the Lord. Then they began to hear from God, and the Lord spoke through the prophet Jahaziel, telling the people to set themselves...to stand still and they would see the salvation of the Lord. He went on to declare to them "the battle is not yours but it is mine, says the Lord".

When we heard of David's condition we also, of course, together with hundreds around the world, began to seek the Lord. Because of many years of experience and many trials of faith and seeing many miracles, even in healing over cancer, we always are driven to look to the foundations of our faith.

So we felt some things very clearly. Firstly, that David's life and ministry is not yet finished for he has works to do prepared since before the creation of the world (Ephesians 2:10). Secondly, the finished work of the Cross provides all of the declarations of the total defeat of Satanic forces and the salvation of our lives by faith.

In Romans 1:17 it says that we receive righteousness from God (as a gift) and we receive this by faith and it is "from first to last", in other words, our total life-span.

The provisions of the Cross and the atonement provide total deliverance from sin, sickness and the curse. This was all taken by Jesus on the Cross, including cancer. Matthew 8:17 says "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases". Jesus also took the judgment for all that is involved in these things so that we might be free.

Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32) and "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).

This glorious provision is made for all believers and has been kept in Heaven for our use when needed (Hebrews 4:16).

The enemy is on the search for ways that he can destroy our lives but Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

In the case of David he has been overworked for the last six years, doing the job of several people in relation to the writing, developing and maintaining The Online Bible College which reaches out into 155 countries. Cancer can take hold because of a breakdown of the immune system. I believe this is what has happened to David and the enemy has taken advantage.

So the provision for David's healing is not in question and God promises that "...if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you" (Romans 8:11). One translation puts it this way, he will "give life to your death-doomed body".

In order to minister this heavenly provision, Bunty and I went to Melbourne, laid hands upon David and anointed him liberally with oil (James 5:14). It ran down all over him and he decided he didn't want to wash it off until that night. We also brought before the Father the hundreds who have been praying for David around the world, and we also know that angels were in attendance...

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14.

Several real physical indications of the beginning of healing followed this, which gave us strong encouragement.

It is a wonderful thing to realise that in John 17:9, Jesus said "I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you [Father] have given me for they are yours".

The multiplying cancer cells are an evil invasion bearing the spirit of death and seeking to destroy living cells. We believe the glory and the anointing of the Lord is destroying these carriers of death.

I also believe that we are living in the day when God is going to manifest His miracle-working power in the Body of Christ in a way that has never been seen upon the face of the earth. It has been our experience over 45 years of ministry to see many times the manifested power of God in miracles of all kinds, but this is nothing compared with what is coming.

We are standing with David on the threshold of a miracle. We love you David.

"Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" 2 Chronicles 20:17.

For the next installment, read "My Father's Journey - Part 2"