TWENTY FIVE YEARS IN THE HEALING MINISTRY
“STRETCH FORTH YOUR HAND…”
Fr. Nigel W.D. Mumford+
9/4/15
“Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:29b-30
Dateline: August 1990, Wilton, Connecticut, USA.
Twenty five years ago this month my life was changed in a blink of an eye. I owned two picture frame shops and had eight employees. Life was good. A woman walked into my store one morning and my entire life changed in a few moments. After she had collected her framing, I opened the door to let the her out, I looked at her and said are you alright? She actually looked green. She told me she had a very bad headache. What happened next was not my plan, not my thought, not my idea, it just happened. It actually felt like someone was gently holding my wrists as I watched my hands slowly lift upwards and then lightly lowered them upon her head. No words spoken, all was totally quiet. I was astonished at this simple act, done without permission and totally inappropriate. It just happened. The woman broke the silence saying,
“What did you do? The pain has gone?”
I knew that I had done nothing but I did know that God had done something. That moment was the pivotal moment when I knew that I knew! To be honest it totally freaked me out. After a very long talk with my father, an Anglican vicar in England, I realized what was going on and things started to happen. I did not seek it you understand, people would walk in to my shop and ask for prayer. The news traveled very fast. My employees were getting very nervous until one hurt his back picking up a pallet of glass. I asked him if we might try something as they had seen what happened to the woman. I put my hand on his lower back and he looked at me with utter astonishment. He was instantly pain free. Now I was getting really nervous!
1 Corinthians 12:29-30 writes, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?”
What is going on?
The next verse 1 Corinthians 12:31 puts this whole thing in perspective, “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.”
When we receive a gift we say thank you and I certainly thank the Lord for that life changing moment. A gift is to be given away by “stretching forth one’s hands to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Eight words changed my life. Six words that you could say to someone might change yours,
“How may I pray for you?”
If I am guilty of anything in the past twenty five years of ministry it is of limiting God. How dare I do such a thing? He can do what every He wishes. Think bigger, prayer bigger, believe bigger… hear the words of Psalm 78:41
“They… limited the Holy One of Israel.”
Dear soul, Stretch forth your hands…
Lord Jesus I pray for you, the person who is reading this letter. I stretch forth my hands as an ambassador of the Lord for your healing and peace. Lord send forth your love, compassion, Grace and majesty to all you have read this letter.
I don’t want to limit you Lord; you know our concerns before we even ask so we leave them at the foot of the Cross for you to deal with as you will. We love you Lord and we thank you in advance. Amen.
Be well, do good works, and for the sake of God love one another.
God bless you
Fr. Nigel+
www.ByHisWoundsMinistry.org
Tag Archives: Nigel Mumford
Your Quantum Leap into the Nanotechnology of Faith.
By Rev. Nigel Mumford+
What is a Quantum leap? A jump over the Grand Canyon? A huge displacement, a leap of untold measure? A huge distance where the mind cannot even begin to fathom how to get from A to B? A distance of such magnitude that even the closest star cannot fit into our continuum of thought?
When it comes to faith many feel it takes a quantum leap of faith to know the love of The Lord. They are actually right. Many feel that there is a huge cost and distance in taking that leap when actually all it takes is a nanometer of faith. Indeed it does take a quantum leap. The thing is that a quantum leap is not a huge length of measure. The nanometer is often used to express dimensions on an atomic scale so small and minute it is not even visible to the naked eye! All it takes is a nanometer of measure to take that quantum leap.
“In physics, a quantum (plural: quanta) is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction. Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be “quantized,” referred to as “the hypothesis of quantization”. This means that the magnitude can take on only certain discrete values.” (Wiki). In fact a nanometer is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a meter. Unseen by the naked eye!
So, all it takes in that leap of faith is a very slight shift. A slight redirection in course. A nanometer of change. The quantum leap is a minute shift of faith to know the presence of God.
To add to this train of thought that I have been pondering for a year or two, is that a photon is a single quantum of light, and is referred to as a “light quantum”. The energy of an electron bound to an atom is quantized, which results in the stability of atoms, and hence of matter in general. Jesus said that He is the light of the world. Therefore every atom has light attached to it creating stability. All it takes is one photon of the light of truth to penetrate the soul and we know the love and presence of God.
“As incorporated into the theory of quantum mechanics, this is regarded by physicists as part of the fundamental framework for understanding and describing nature at the smallest length-scales.” (Wiki)
Perhaps this is the fundamental framework for understanding and describing our relationship with God at the smallest length-scales.
Perhaps we could allow our mind to take a nanometer shift or indeed a quantum leap of faith to invite The Lord into our very being. The Lord being the designer of all this unit of measure and this very universe.
So lets put this nano technology into biblical proportion as we look at Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”
Can we be quantum mechanics in this train of thought?
Have you made that quantum leap, a photon, and nanometer move to invite The Lord into your very being?
“A small step for man, a giant leap for mankind.”
~ Neil Armstrong July 21, 1969
Be well, do good works, and for the sake of God,
Love one another.
© Rev. Nigel Mumford+ all rights reserved.
PERSONAL PRAYER LIFE:
Rationalizing the Dry Spells and the Mountain Tops
I don’t know about you but my prayer life is all over the place.
What do I mean by that?
Sometimes, I am plodding onward like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. Sometimes, I am elated like the Road Runner, bouncing off the walls in total intimacy with The Lord.
Right now, my soul is totally “in the zone”. . . to coin a phrase.
I feel so deeply connected and when I go into prayer; all is very well with my soul. It is so peaceful, so connected, so blissful. I am totally in awe of God, deeply filled with the Holy Spirit and, this is rather tricky to put into words, for Shakespeare I am not!
I just close my eyes and there I am, my soul present with The Lord. Awesome. Words fail me.
I need to tell you that it is not like this all the time. In fact, it is rather rare that I feel so connected.
I just had to write about this in the moment, trying to capture the depth of prayer, as I feel totally immersed and joined with God. Actually, it is a knowing beyond words. I am completely one with His Presence!
My sense is that I want to stay in this place of prayer and in this state of mind
all the time, at all times, totally there. An all-knowing state.
I know in reality there are brief moments of time when one is so at peace with God. One catches glimpses of the perfection of God’s Kingdom for a while, and then, it’s back to asking, “Where are You God? Oh, there You are.”
It is, indeed, a rare mountain top experience to be so in tune.
A momentary glimpse, a true sense of God’s Holy Presence, that all is truly well.
My prayer would be for longer and more frequent times of pure intimacy with The Lord.
My prayer for you is that this experience, this knowing,
this being “in the zone” is difficult to explain, but entirely available to you.
So I just want to encourage you to keep praying, and to know that every prayer you offer is heard by God. Of this I have no doubt.
Is it the feeling I crave or actually the intimacy with God the Father in knowing His Almighty Presence? Clearly the latter.
I pray that as we all go through dry spells of prayer,
where there is aridity and loneliness for days or weeks or months, we would hear God saying, “Keep going, keep going.” The memory of literally crawling along The Valley of the Shadow of Death comes to mind. The sense of going deeper into the relationship is made manifest.
God says,”I will never leave you or forsake you.”
It seems that each one of us has to come to our own personal understanding of God, And what He is all about. I am writing about my experience with the Lord, hoping to encourage and uplift you to do the same. Ultimately, we, as individuals, make up our own mind if this is real or some cosmic joke. Well, as for me, I know my redeemer lives.
Keep praying, dear soul. Keep praying through and through the dry spells knowing that He is with you in every thought and deed. There will be glimpses of His Glory!
Dame Julian of Norwich said these words in the thirteen hundreds,
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” I would add,
Keep praying and all shall be well.
Persevere in prayer, dear souls.
Be well, do good works, and for the sake of God, love one another.
Fr. Nigel Mumford+
Book Review
By The Rev’d. Joseph K. Acton
“After the Trauma, The Battle Begins. Post Trauma Healing.”
Fr. Nigel Mumford has managed to provide a very helpful and unique kind of book called After the Trauma the Battle Begins: Post Trauma Healing. It is both a study and spiritual reflection on PTSD, providing both clinical and historical understanding of this condition. His book is timely in the wake of the Iraqi and Afghan war veterans returning home and our becoming more aware of the level of trauma with which they are dealing. After the Trauma is also a very personal reflection on Mumford’s own experience of trauma and subsequent healing. But perhaps what was most meaningful, was the way he has woven these themes together into a spiritual odyssey, providing insight into God’s wonderfully mysterious work of healing for all of us. It is a book not only for PTSD survivors and their loved ones, but for anyone who has experienced trauma, adversity, loss, fear and desires healing.
There is so much practical help in this book. He provides compassionate encouragement, not only to PTSD sufferers, but to over eaters, the depressed, the anxious, and the doubter. He speaks eloquently of the way words can become “grenades” and illustrates various kinds of interpersonal “terrorism.” While the book speaks a great deal about war, it continues to apply spiritual principles to our own very personal everyday battles.
I am moved by the generosity of this book, as Mumford shares with us the discord and chaos of his personal life as a traumatized Marine, his many near death experiences, and his own “Dark Night” of the soul. Issues of guilt, fear, regret, obsession, are all lifted up into the transforming presence of Christ. Each strand of story telling, each confessed failing, each practical answer, leads to what in the end could be called a Litany of Gratitude, for here is a man who has felt the pain of wounds and the joy of healing. His words clearly focuss the reader on the wounds of Christ, “by which we are healed.”
Finally the book speaks with the authority of a man who had been so close to death he had received last rites three times! Mumford has overcome death most recently by coming out of a coma and what was the final stage of the H1N1 virus. I, along with thousands of others, prayed for Mumford as we heard his condition was going from bad to worse. It is an incredible witness to all of us that today that Nigel Mumford lives and writes, speaks and heals in the name of Jesus. And so with the authority of a modern Lazarus, and the gentle compassion of a lover of Jesus and servant of the Gospel, Mumford has provided a must read for all of us who seek to overcome trauma and adversity, and live in the victory and power of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Fr. Nigel Mumford, for this wonderful book!
—
The Rev’d. Joseph K. Acton
Executive Director
Desert Call Ministries, Inc.
Pastor, ACTS Church Hemet, CA
The book is available at www.nigelmumford.com
Or www.amazon.com
GOD’S WILL
So many people ask me in frustration,
“WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR ME? Can you help me discern it?”
As if I have some all-knowing answer!
Here are some Bible verses for those of us seeking God’s will in our lives.
All are from the NIV. My personal favorite is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18*
I pray that this might help you, as you give your frustration to God.
Be at peace, dear soul.
If you have a project in mind, perhaps start it by praying to God,
“Stop me if You don’t want me to do this, and bless me if You do.”
If there are several things you think God is calling you to do, write them down,
pray over them, then offer up your list to God saying,
“What would You like to bless on my list?”
Put the list in your Bible and then be proactive . . .
This might just change your life!
Remember Grandma Moses. She began her life in her eighties! It’s never too late!
Stop your winging and go for it.
I really pray that this might help you.
Please let me know how it does.
Blessings,
Fr. Nigel Mumford+
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Exodus 18:15
Moses answered his father-in-law, “. . .the people come to me to seek God’s will.”
Mark 3:35
[Jesus said,] “Whoever does God’s will is My brother and My sister and mother.”
Romans 15:32
. . . so that I [Paul] may come to you with joy by the will of God, and in your company be refreshed.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.
* 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 2:15-16
For it is God’s will that by doing good, you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
1 Peter 3:17
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
1 Peter 4:19
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Testimony from M. Canavan
My husband and I were excited to find out that we were expecting our second child after 17 years. On December 9th 2011, while 3 months into my pregnancy I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy; which is a chronic disease of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure. The doctor made it clear to me that I was very sick and immediately I was placed on medication for the condition. I was devastated and scared which made me have more anxiety than I could handle. I didn’t know how I was going to cope with this news.
Later that evening my mother knew how upset I was, and searching for answers reached out to my aunt Patsy, who is a retired nurse. The only thing that she could do was to offer to bring me to a healing service that Sunday evening after. Father Nigel was leading the service and noticed my distress and my aunt filled him in on the diagnosis. He brought me to the front of the service and had everyone who was attending lay hands on me and prayed for my health, and the health of my unborn baby. Father Nigel also prayed for the medication I was taking, and for my pregnancy to be full term and natural. It was an amazing feeling that rushed through me that evening.
The original cardiologist referred me to a heart failure specialist, I seen him the day after attending the healing service. The doctor explained to us about the various options that I could be dealing with, like being sent out of state for treatment, and possibly being put on a heart transplant list. He also made it clear to us that it would be better to treat me if I wasn’t pregnant; suggesting that we might want to consider terminating the pregnancy. If I was going to decide to proceed with the pregnancy then I might have to be put on bed rest and face early delivery depending on the state of my condition. By the end of the visit he noticed how upset I was and suggested running another test. That same day, one hour later, the doctor called me himself saying that he thought I could use some good news. He wasn’t sure if it was the “medication”, but the test results came back better than the first. It showed that my heart was at the low end of normal. Thank you Jesus!
We decided that we were definitely going to have this baby. I continued to go to healing services on Sundays and Tuesdays. I would pray for strength, a complete healing of my heart, and for my baby to be healthy, strong and happy. When the test results kept showing up better than the last, I thought that maybe the cardiomyopathy would be gone after the pregnancy, and I could possibly come off of the medication. But the Doctor insisted that I would be dealing with the condition, and be put on a stronger combination of medication for the rest of my life. As discouraging as it was to hear that news, Father Nigel and the community of Christ the King helped me to sustain my hope and faith.
The pregnancy went full term without any complications or bed rest, and our baby Michael Christopher was born perfectly healthy, strong & happy. He is our true miracle. The next day, my blood pressure was reading on the low side. It was not considered unhealthy, but it was low enough as to where they would not give me my heart medication. I was reluctant and told them that I had to take my medication; I took it every day religiously. They explained that they couldn’t give it to me because my blood pressure would drop even lower. I realized then that this might be a good thing. I was feeling anxious about not taking the meds and I made an appointment with my cardiologist the next day. He told me that the last test on my heart showed no sign of cardiomyopathy and I no longer needed to take any medication.
I was overwhelmed with joy and I thank Jesus everyday all day for my health and my little miracle baby Michael Christopher. I want to also thank Father Nigel for all of his guidance and healing prayers. And thanks to Lynn for her words on that first night of healing, that she sees me giving my testimony holding my baby. Those words definitely helped me to cope. Thank you to everyone that prayed for me, and to my family who were there through this difficult time. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
The Christening of Michael Christopher.
By Fr. Nigel Mumford+
I had the privilege of Christening Michael Christopher. I remember the service so well. As I was about to pour the water over his forehead, he looked at me as if he knew who I was. It was a look of love, joy and recognition. It was as if he was saying I know you!
I not only baptized him with water but with my own tears of joy. I was weeping so much I could not even see the words on the prayer book.
The view from the pulpit.
Climbing the stairs, ascending, looking over the sea of heads.
Parted in the center, was Moses here already?
Preaching the word to so many faces,
Looking.
Expecting.
Some smiling, some sad, some quizzical, some frowning in concentration.
(I pray)
Some just blank… nothing, switched off or sponging up the presence?
(I pray some more)
One face peaking around the pillar! Not really wanting eye contact.
Eyes, looking, wanting to be fed. Yearning…
An ear cupped near the back. Sit closer next time man.
In the zone, such fun and joy. The presence palpable. Yes Lord.
Sometimes its lonely up there.
Where are you God?
Where am I going?
Now, tell ’em about Jesus, the words of a mentor pop up.
If I am struggling I look at the smilers.
If I am riding the wave I look at the frowners… And smile!
A distraction as someone looks at their watch.
Hang in their, my point is just around the corner. Two blocks!
How many sermons has the wall at the back actually heard?
Fishing with words as the message sits and then,
hopefully, prayerfully,
sinks into the Soul.
The takeaway delivered.
Gently, I climb down the stairs.
What just happened?
Jesus…
Is that what it felt like on the cross,
Without the physical pain?
Fr. Nigel Mumford+
A Chance Meeting that Saved a Life.
By The Rev. Nigel Mumford+
The prayer team of “The Welcome Home Initiative” (WHI) and I were having lunch before WHI program number twelve. I saw a man sitting by himself and went up to him. I introduced myself and sat with him for a while. He was not part of the program. The combat vets were arriving later. This man told me he had come to the center for a private retreat. He said he needed to get away and be by himself. I told him we were running a program for combat vets. His eyes opened wide. He said that he was a combat vet and then told me a little about his service in Afghanistan.
I immediately invited him to have “his retreat” with us. At first he declined. I told him just to come, meet the men and women and hang out with us. If you don’t like it then return to your private retreat. After a while he agreed.
He joined in and was an integral part of the retreat. He was very quiet to begin with but made friends and joined in. It was a blessing to see him come alive. He kept thanking me for the invitation. How much is this going to cost? I assured him that the public had funded the program. I told him to thank God for his invitation to the program.
After the closing ceremony he came up to me and gingerly opened his back pack. He privately showed me a pistol. I asked him if it was unloaded. He assured me it was. He then said something that changed my life forever.
“Fr. Nigel” he said. “I had come here for a private retreat. I had planned to walk far into the woods and put the barrel of this pistol in my mouth and blow my brains out. I just could not cope with the haunting trauma of war. I don’t need to use this after all, thank you for saving my life” At this point we both had tears in our eyes…
Again he said, “Thank you for the invitation to join the Welcome Home Initiative. If you had not invited me I would be dead now. Thank you and thank God for the invitation to life. Our meeting stopped the need in me to commit suicide.”
One veteran’s life saved because of the Welcome Home initiative. Thank you God.
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