Healed, then Not!

      It was early in our ministry in the village of Pelican on the Island of Chichagof in Southeast Alaska that I came to know a deck hand named Dennis. Like many of the fisherman and deckhands we met in town, Dennis had a drinking problem.  An elderly man we all called “Oscar”, whom Dennis would often come up the hill to drink with, lived up the trail in a small cabin just past the church. One day as I was working on rebuilding the ancient staircase that spanned the two-story hillside in front of the church, Dennis stopped to visit as he was on his way to Oscar’s.  Our conversation sooneventually turned to his life and I asked him if he understood how Jesus Christ came to display God’s love forGod’s love for him.  This instigated a very lively conversation.

            I soon learned that although Dennis spent much of his life under the influence of alcohol, he was a very bright man. He spoke of Christianity with some knowledge but did not claim to be a Christian.  Over the next few weeks, Dennis and I had numerous conversations.  I even shared a book with him, “More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowel”,  that I thought might help him better understand just who Jesus was. Our growing relationship was what lead Dennis and another deck hand to barge into my bedroom at 1 am one night. The story of that night is told in another testimony called “The Raven Spirit in Pelican”.

            Dennis eventually made the decision to give his life to Jesus, praying with me in what I believe was a very sincere prayer.  He began attending our services when he was in town, and several times we had him into our parsonage home for dinner. However, Dennis still faced an obstacle that was a ever present stumbling block for many whom we shared Christ with in Pelican. Dennis lived down on the docks on a boat. He lived around dozens of other deckhands and ship’s captains, most of whom were still living a life controlled by alcohol and other godless activities.  Dennis lived around the daily temptations to return to his former life.

            One Sunday service Dennis showed up to the church in pain. When he opened his mouth to point out the source of the pain, we could see several black teeth.  At this service, we had numerous other new believers present.  Knowing their need to see more of God’s healing power, we invited those at the service to all look at the black teeth in Dennis’ mouth.  Once they had seen the source of Dennis’ pain, it was time to pray. 

            We all gathered around Dennis to pray, asking the Lord to heal those black teeth and take aways the pain. We simply prayed believing God’s Word.  When we were done, we asked Dennis to open his mouth. With a smile that was motivated by the absence of pain, Dennis opened his mouth to display a healthy set of white teeth. There were no black teeth at all!  Only those who have experienced this sort of healing can conceive the joy that filled all or our hearts and the excitement that continued throughout that service that day.  Noone in that service could deny that we all had seen a miracle.

      It was when Dennis left the church that day that the influence of his old life slithered back into his mind.  He admitted later that as he walked down the steep set of stairs leading up to the church, thoughts of doubt and fear filled his mind.  Although he knew he was healed, he feared the return of the pain he had previously experienced. Instead of turning left and going back down the hill to his boat, he turned right and went up to Oscar’s cabin. Once there, he joined Oscar in drinking his fears away.  When Dennis woke up the next morning, black teeth and the pain accompanied his hangover.    

    Over the following months Dennis came back to the Lord and often attended our services when the boat he worked on was in harbor.  We stayed friends and brothers in Christ, but I cannot testify to Dennis again being healed of his black teeth.  As the book of Job says “the Lord gives, but the Lord also takes away”.  The fact that Dennis so quickly lost his healing because of his lack of faith was an even greater testimony to those who had seen his black teeth, and then seen them turned white. They had seen Dennis healed, then saw those black teeth reappear in his mouth. From this they learned that the Lord is a God of power, but more importantly, that He is a God who is more concerned with the faith we have in our hearts that brings eternal life, than the teeth we have in our mouths during this natural life.