Andrae Crouch.  Demos Shakarian.  Beth Moore.  And a song…

It started with my dad making me watching Jesus Explo ’72, nearly having to drag me from my room at the time, which I wrote veeeeeery extensively about HERE (click!).

Andrae Crouch and the Disciples sang and oh, I loved their sound, oh yes!  I sang my heart out to many an 8-track or cassette tape of his music.  Andrae is the soundtrack of my spiritual heart and soul from about 1972-1980.

I just completed my first-ever Beth Moore Bible Study(confetti flying through the air- bells and whistles going off, and all that jazz).  In one of the sessions toward the end, she was preaching up a storm about the blood of Jesus and started quoting the lyrics to Andrae’s song,  “The Blood Will Never Lose its’ Power.”  Wow-it brought back a flood of  memories – maybe especially because just that very day, the physical therapist I have been seeing about the Labor-Day-weekend knee-wrenching episode, had said, “You know, it is probably time to get the MRI and look at getting surgery.  And oh how I hated that.  You see, this very same knee had been broken and mangled before and after two+ years of 24/7 pain, God just healed it.  Just like that.  While I was running up and down these massive industrial stairs to the finance office at Heaven Fest 2009.  It was crazy!

So Beth quotes the words to this great song, resisting, she says, the urge to actually sing it out.

And I remember.  1972.  Davenport, Iowa. 

I had the flu, apparently.  Achy beyond comprehension.  A fever of 104.  Sort of delirious.  Just misery.  It was a Sunday, but I was 12, and old enough to be alone in my utter despair, so off to church my parents and family went…me left on the couch, just sort of moaning.  My mom had the left the television on very low, I couldn’t really hear it beyond my whimpering, but it was background noise, as I lay there suspended in a gauzy pain, the kind that makes you cry out to Jesus for relief making you acutely aware that you haven’t been crying out to Him for much of anything recently.  You think about making deals, promises, but haven’t the strength and know He is probably glad for that.

At some point, however, the sound of TV seemed suddenly to have become louder.  I became aware of what was on.  Demos Shakerian was hosting his weekly Full Gospel Buisiness Men’s Fellowship International show.  And his guest?  Andrae Crouch.  I don’t remember what they talked about, but at some point, Andrae moved to a grand piano and started singing this song.  And I am telling you, the Presence rode in on that melody and just poured over me.  That room turned in to a holy place as that song filled the air, the volume somehow mysteriously louder, clearer than it had been (in the days before you could just use a remote to change the volume!). 

“The blood that gives me strength from day to day…”

I started to cry as I heard those words which were etching truth into my very heart.  Andrae sang and I felt healing surge through me as pain just – went!  Gone.  My head stopped throbbing, I started worshiping. It was strong, but tender; it was mighty and powerful, but for me, not against me.  Andrae sang and sang and angels must have been singing along.  I was very suddenly and immediately energized and whole – like not one thing was wrong, not one.  No more pain, moaning, no more achiness – all of it: gone!  I grabbed the thermometer and took my temp, it had instantly fallen to exactly normal!  I felt light as a feather, ready to dance with joy.

I hopped up, got dressed and walked 2 1/2 miles to church.  Didn’t even get a day off school because of that flu.

The knee.

Just finished up a big fundraiser.  About 2/3 of the way through the evening last night in heels (covering lots of area at high speed), it started popping out of place again.  Today it is so very sore.   Today it feels like I will be a cripple forever.  I am on the couch on  a Sunday morning, sort of achy all over from the last few crazy days, wondering: is there a numerical limit to how many healings one knee gets?  Or could He do it again?  Would He?…

Short Version by CeCe Winans

Someday I hope to find the footage of Andrae on that Demos Shakarian show

Isaiah 53.5 

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.