Testimonies Blog

Of the many healings that were published there were two that received considerable attention by some of the churches. These healings influenced a number of leaders and congregations who thought deeply and prayerfully about the ministry of Divine Healing. The first one was the case of Miss F. Lammas, a member of the Baptist Church in Nelson.

Miss Lammas had been encased in a steel frame from head to foot for 19 years and had received the best of medical care during this period. In 1921 she wrote to Ratana and after receiving his reply spent a long season in prayer. While thus engaged the power of God enabled her to sit up, stand and then walk unaided. All who knew her were amazed. Her own local Doctor confirmed that she had been healed. Miss Lammas undertook to share her testimony of healing and only six months after her healing spent 6 months traveling, visiting many Baptist churches, including the Tabernacle in Auckland, speaking of God’s power to heal and bringing a quickened interest in the teaching of Divine Healing.

The story of her healing was told fully to the Rev. Joseph Kemp’ who published
her testimony in a remarkable booklet that went through four editions, the first
being sold out three weeks’ after its publication. Her description of the events, which led up to the actual healing follows: ”My Doctor told me the result of the consultation and said nothing could be done. I was quite beyond hope. I asked him if he had heard of Ratana the miracle man. He said “just a little.” Then I told him of the wonderful man and the wonderful cures and I gave him the papers to read. He sat by my bed and
read them all. He was so deeply impressed that he finally urged me to write. He
said if I had faith enough to believe he did not see why I should not be cured too
… almost too weak to hold a pen I managed to write to Ratana by degrees briefly explaining my case . . . I did nothing further until I received Ratana’s reply a week later. He told me to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul and in His power to heal, to pray fervently and untiringly, and to repeat my prayers. He said he would pray for me also. He quoted a verse — “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” It wasn’t the kind of letter I expected but the more I read it the more there seemed to be in it. I determined to do my part, so spent almost the whole day in earnest prayer. I prayed every moment that I was alone, prayed and prayed with all my heart and soul until I agonized in prayer . . . Night came and I felt worse than ever. I was so utterly exhausted
with praying so earnestly I just told God it was His work and I left it entirely with Him. Then I went to sleep. Each time I awoke I prayed and early next morning I took up the burden again for I was determined to do my part. It was good to know that miles away Ratana was praying for me. I prayed desperately, agonizingly beseeching Him to heal me. The last few words I remember well.  ” O  God, Thou art great, the Almighty; the omnipotent.  Thou canst do all things. Oh if it is thy will cure me even now.”

All at once the great miracle happened. Life and strength flowed into me. From a feeling of utter weakness and illness I was immediately STRONG AND WELL. So tremendous was the change that I raised myself up in bed without pain and without support! ! I put my feet out of bed and praying for strength I stood up and walked with perfect ease and freedom. I was not even giddy. I knew, instantly that I was indeed cured; just as Jesus Christ made the people whole when He was on earth, so did He make me whole. Though as weak as a baby and a perfect skeleton, when the great power came into me I felt perfectly well. I looked at my watch to record the time of such an amazing deed. It was exactly 5.30 on February 24th, 1921. It is all too wonderful to write about, words could never tell or pen write of anything so marvelous. It happened exactly nineteen hours after I received Ratana’s letter. I immediately thanked and praised God for His wonderful goodness to me. “Then walking to the door I called to my parents that I was cured. They got up and hurried in just beaming with joy and gratitude. I will never forget their dear shining faces as long as I live . . . The strongest man living, even were he in perfect health, had he been lying flat on his back for almost a year could not have got up and walked without a sense of giddiness and weakness for it is against the laws of nature. Yet though I had been at death’s door up to that never-to-be-forgotten moment, I was immediately so well that this alone shows how great the miracle.’

Excerpt from “The History of the Charismatic Movements in New Zealand” by Rev.
J. E. Worsfold.  Original account published as “How I Was Healed, a New Zealand Miracle” by Rev. Joseph Kemp. 1921