December 5th, 2023
Scripture
12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’
but you are making it a den of robbers.”
14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did and heard the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself’?”
17 He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
18 In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”
--Matthew 21: 12-22
Reflection
Here is an excerpt from T.L. Osborn which is one of many from his diary notes through decades of mass healing evangelism gatherings he led all over the world. I chose this passage because it relates to Jesus’ healing ministry from Matthew here.
From Our Witness (2011), February, 1960, Lucknow, India: Two men who were blind found their way to the crusade together. Both were healed. Then a girl was healed of blindness and could see everything. A 70-year old woman, who had been nearly blind for seven years, was healed and could see clearly. How thankful we are to have come again to India. There were at least 20 blind people healed tonight. Fourteen years ago we left India because we were incapable of convincing Hindus and Muslims that Jesus is the Son of God, risen from the dead and alive today. Now we have come in the power of the Holy Ghost and God is confirming His gospel with mighty signs and wonders.
In this context of Osborn’s witness, I share here a memorable personal experience of Advent.
I attended a Sunday worship service in December of 2017 at International Gospel Center in Tulsa. I have known Pastor Chyanna Mull-Anthony there for many years. The multi-cultural congregation is the headquarters of The T.L. Osborn Ministries. I have come to know T.L.’s daughter Ladonna, who still conducts such healing missions every year.
The service started with many songs of praise, and I was soon aware of a pervasive presence of the Holy Spirit, more so than other times I had worshipped there. Chyanna said she was not going to preach because of such presence of the Holy Spirit there that day, asking people to continue to move with the anointing in the assembly. I prayed and sang and began to see the room filled with angels, and with tongues of fire over many people’s heads, seen in the Spirit. I saw T.L. and Daisy Osborn standing behind their daughter. I have known the “communion of the saints before,” but never like this, and never angels like this. In tears I went to Ladonna and told her of the presence of her parents.
Worshiping there, I often come into a profound rest of mind and body, and simply sit and receive. Gregory of Sinai calls it the “calm variety” of exultation. I could only sit in awe at the Lord’s Presence that day. In 1981 I heard Abbot David Geraets tell of such a thick glory he experienced in worship in South America. Canon Andrew White offers vivid, multiple witnesses to the Shekinah glory, and healing miracles in Iraq.
These are some of the “thrilling voices” who have sounded to me and to whom I have harkened in the Holy Spirit’s continuing inbreaking in the Advent of the Kingdom.
The Rev. Clyde Glandon
Retired Clergy, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma