MR. HICKSON AT OTAKI.

Otaki Mail, 5 November 1923, Page 3

MR. HICKSON AT OTAKI.

Mr. Hickson visited Otaki on Saturday in connection with his healing mission. and treated a nuhiber of patients at the Sanatorium. His address was as follows:—

“AVe must till clearly understand the milure of this service and it helps us to do so if you feel that spiritual healing is healing through Jesus Christ and it is to Him we look and to Him alone, because it is only our Lord Jesus Christ who can give us the comfort and help we are needing. Don’t think for one moment that I have conic here with rhe idea that I have the power in myself, no man has the power, and God uses us as channels through which lie winks. I lay my hands on you, but only as a channel through which Christ is working and healing, ami as I do so .1 want you to pray in your hearts tlinl you will yield yourself to Him and "feel that He is able to help you. Spiritual healing is a transference, of life.

lieto was (lie woman \\ lio touched tlu Item nl' Christ's garment, and when .six did mi our Lord perceived that life had gone out of Him into her troubled body and killed the life of demise. So His life entering inlo up gives us purity am! health of soul and body—liv the power of His life our bodies are made clean. As 1 pray for you just yield yourself to Him and ns easily as you take in your breath so vou can receive Him. Ac can all in faith to-day touch the hem of Christ’s garment, liecause, remember this, there is the premise our Lord gave as and we believe it to be true. ‘1 will never leave nor forsake you—T will be with you always;’ and He promised that when we met in His name He would be present. If I did not believe that. I would not lay my hands on .anyone here—l know He will bless this act of faith and I dure to lay my hands on you because I am no! trusting myself tit nil. We are looking to Jesus and T want you to remember that Jesus Christ himself —your eyes could be opened—is here present with us—the man of Galilee —the man who went about doing good—healing the sick. His hands art* outstretched to everyone in love and compassion. He knows till our difficulties, and can give us faith to desire His help. lie is hero to meet you, that is our faith — our belief. We have been singing for years ttiat beautiful hymn “Thy touch hath its ancient power,” but howfew of us have the realization of that divine presence. Our religion has had too much of sentiment instead of fact in our lives. We arc going to make our eorporn’te act of faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Whatever your difficulty, just know that Christ has the power oxer it. Wo are told He had power over till sickness and disease of old. He is not Almighty if lie has not. He understands till our trials and difficulties and He loves us still. There is no use praying unless we believe this. And there is another thing in connection with spiritual healing', which is healing through Christ, ami that is how are we coming to Him; Are wo coming to Christ to-day. just to In* rid of some bodily disease? or have we the desire in our hearts to be heller as well as healthier; because, remember this, although Christ healed the body, it was not the only thing. He came to redeem and save us. We are only using these bodies to live in on earth, but the real self cannot die — it has to go on through eternity, and the healing of Jesus Christ was us 'much to secure n hen'jjMiy, njitul—A healthy body, and above all things* He wanted to sVc a clean and pure soul. Healing of the body alone will not make life more worth living. It must go deeper than your personal body. ] God wants to heal your minds as well. He healed bodies because He had compassion on the suffering of the people | and wanted their bodies to be comfortable to live in. If the roof of your house leaks you put on a n'cw one to make it comfortable to live in. In His love and pity He healed and helped 'out after all is was the soul He iwjis 'redeeming and* ‘^koepinfjJ- l want you to remember these few things: Jesus loves you —He healed the sick and had compassion on them —-He shed il is blood to save our souls, therefore we should want to he better, and wc can by 'confessing our sins, and asking Him to make us food to help us keep His commandments and walk [ in His holy ways—so will all else be added, and as you go on from day io I dnv trusting Jesus, that keeps you in I touch with Him. It is like sowing the seed, the beginning of the cure, and please God it shall be the beginning of something deeper in your souls which will go on ns you keep in touch with Him. for so He will be able to keep in touch with you and give you day"by clay fresh inspiration and power! Healing is often gradual because we arc- not quite ready to receive it. things hinder us, and so God has to work according to our faith and limitations. But He is working and helping, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t

feel the Divine presence at once, if you don 't feel at once h'oaled and well. There are instantaneous cures. At one mission in South Africa among the natives and Zulus, we had 36 blind people cured, but in my experience the healing that is gradual is best, and one said to mo 'thank God I did not get it at once—as I have been receiving so I got n'earer to Christ. I can pray now ns I never could before and if T had had all this at once I might not have gained so much. ’ But God won t keep it. from you longer than is necessary. He wants to make you well now

OUT Jtl. t* Citu i cuiitj'ii « iiictii «>> | Him. ‘Oil God wo want to bo bettor.’ There is no true conversion till wo can earnestly pray for this and that is, all He is working for. so we are asking Him to-day and you must s'eek Him in this wav with the faith of a little child.”’ ; 20 J A fter The Laying Oil Of Hands. ‘‘Continue your faith —keep your faith. The world tries sometimes to discourage vou. People don »t always mean to but often do. It is not themselves —they don’t really understand.) but it is tiie power of the devil using them. Don’t be discouraged, lust say.’ I have mv faith in God'. I know that ! God does‘not change. I have made my act of fait*. If I can’t trust God. can I "trust what you are saying to me? I am a child of God and I believe in Him. . I I believe in His promises and am going ■ , to continue in a dark day as well as a i | bright day to keep my faith and trust in Him. Tf that is your attitude God i will stand by you. Don >t waver, don "f fear, don’t look back. You have made on act of faith, go forward in rhnt faith with hope and courage. Continue in prayer and hope that you will get t’njr more than personal benefit.

something that is j*ointo lift you fur above the personal plane ami you will feel the nearness of Christ in ymir • troubles. One thins nlso I want you to do. prnv for each other, evorv day i. to Cod to loess everyone here, who took par! in this little service: and i prav to ftim to bless all in this home 1 n n'd "11 who are ministering to vou. . To Mess the doctor and overshadow j. in hi ! work, When iou t»k.. your f „, r i: e lnO thank Ro.t for u. i.] m oim - I'k uvs of keems'g us. Air. food, r medicine is nil God's work. The doctor alohe can’t Koal-ho is only nvatpor; a to you the gifts of God, and lm e the r.ursos give the medoome to vou 6 with e pm-cr Phut God will Ple=? ?. l- for vou. Take if in,tent altitude youi•s self and let. ' it bo a spiritual blessing, for after all it is only the power of

God's spirit that helps us. Th’erc is no healing, no matter how you get it, that does not come from God. Look up all the time, give praise and thanks for every good gift and God will surely be able to help. Let ibis home be a home of prayer and'don’t forget those oat in the world with their trials and temptations. Let this faith in .'the great power of God overflow to their homes. Don’t be just thinking of yourselves, get above that. Think — ‘I am a child of God; my spirit is not diseased —let the divine life of God flow through me to others.’ And as you are praying for others God is taking care of you. I’ray for others and you will go to bed feeling you have not lived that day in vain because God is using you as a channel through which llis own life is flowing. Surely it is going In be helpful. I can assure von tluit is how I keep going. Doctors have often asked me how I have gone on day by day. I could not do if in my own strength without God working through me.

God and ns von Id lli> healing blond flow through you so you are being blessed, puii lied, ami cleansed. That is wlml is going lo help us. Don’t be thinking always of yourself. get on to a high"!* plane. Do as Cod wan's you to. 11" is going to help you and give you th" victory. Wealth is to a great extent, coni ml. and ihat conics from God alone.” While in Otaki Air. Hickson treated some -Id patients, and allhough no great improvement lias been reported several claim lo have been ben'elitted to a certain extent. • Last night the Rev. G. K. I’etrie. ALA., delivered a very lim> address to a crowded congregation, while during Ihe service A 1 iss Elderton sting a solo in :i nlonsiiic’ manner. ,