BEN
was born in the
MAI
was born in
MICAIAH
was born in
During
Mai’s pregnancy
with
Micaiah, the first ultrasound technician to examine him as a fetus
identified a
large mass with unusual echogenicity, which appeared to be displacing
his heart
from the normal position. The mass appeared to be tumorous lung tissue,
but the
evidence did not rule out a herniated diaphragm as a possible
diagnosis. The
technician and Mai’s
physician referred us to a fetal imaging center in
Most believers are certain the Lord has the power to heal. We do not doubt his ability to perform a miracle, but we have sometimes doubted the Lord’s will to heal. As touching the Lord’s will, whether it be to heal or not to heal, we believed that he settled this question when the leper came to him and said, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Jesus answered very clearly, “I will; be thou clean.”
There
are some teachers that tell us that the Lord’s
will is always to heal and if someone doesn’t
receive it; the problem is with the person or with those who are
praying. The
Lord’s will is
that none
perish, but that all of us eventually shed this body of death. We talk
about
the holiness of God, but there is a lot of mercy in his driving out the
man and
keeping the way of the tree of life. He told Adam, “Thou shalt surely die.” After he sinned, he
sent him forth from the garden
of Eden “lest he
live for
ever.” The Lord
made a way
for us to escape this corruption. The Lord made a way for us to be
redeemed in
sending his son to suffer for us, to bear our iniquity, to be wounded
for our
transgressions, and to die, and on the third day rise from the dead.
Our
redemption is complete in putting off this tabernacle, and in the
resurrection
from the dead. Jesus said, “Except
a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if
it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the
The Holy Ghost reminded us of many of the things which the Lord Jesus said. We were reminded to pray, and not grow weary, to ask, seek, knock and know that it will be answered, found, and opened. We knew that our Father was a giver of good gifts, and that he would bring forth that which he caused to bring to birth. We knew that the devourer cannot touch our fruit and that our vine would not cast forth her fruit before the time. Amen, amen, we knew that Jesus said that the angels of these little ones, which believe in Jesus, do always behold the face of our Father in heaven. Nevertheless, it is not our Father’s will that one of these little ones perish.
The fetal imaging experts, equipped with more sophisticated equipment confirmed the diaphragm was intact and diagnosed the echogenetic mass as a Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation or CCAM. We were told the prognosis for survival was good, but that he may need the affected lung tissue resected by a surgical procedure a few months after birth. Hydrops was a risk if the mass continued to grow and further displace the heart. Imaging studies were done on Micaiah as a fetus every few weeks to monitor his growth and cardiac function. Mai received a couple injections of betamethasone in hope this would spur the development of the regular lung tissue. Ben and Mai continued to pray for Micaiah and enlisted the elders in the local church to pray also. Ben and Mai prayed, asking the Lord every day for his healing.
Ben explains, “I believed the Lord would heal someone as a testimony so others would believe and be saved. The cross is more than sufficient evidence that the Lord will go the distance to see people saved by grace through faith in Christ. However, I had no confidence in man. If the Lord healed my son, I didn’t believe it would result in one man coming to saving faith in Christ. People have plenty of other explanations, and man is so unworthy of hope. The Lord said, 'If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.' If the Lord’s motivation to heal my son was his confidence that an unbeliever would repent in witnessing this miracle, my son was without much hope. I simply said, 'Lord, if you heal him, no one will believe because of it. Will you heal him anyway?’”
The Lord answered us and showed us how after he healed the leper, he said unto him, “tell no man.” In another place, he healed a couple’s daughter, even raised her from the dead and, “he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” He healed the deaf and made the blind see, and said to them, “tell no man.” Why would the Lord tell these people whom he had healed, not to tell anyone? This wasn’t some kind of reverse psychology to get them to tell all the more. The Lord meant what he said. The Lord did not need to perform those healings to reveal himself as Christ. The scripture tells us that he did these things secretly because his time was not yet come, and he did not yet seek to be known openly.
We know that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” We also know, “the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” If the Lord was sincere when he charged them “tell no man,” why then did the Holy Ghost move men and inspire the scripture that reveals these things to us? The Lord’s intention was not only to reveal to unbelievers that Jesus is the Christ, but also that believers may come to know him.
We learned the most important thing to understand is not whether the Lord heals, but why he heals. If we understand why he heals, then we come to know him and not just the result of his doing. Truly, to know him is worth more than the healing of this temporary body of death. To know him is eternal life.
During subsequent visits to the fetal imaging center, we saw the CCAM become smaller and smaller relative to the normal lung tissue and Micaiah’s heart became less and less displaced. By December 5th, the physician at the fetal imaging center was no longer able to distinguish a CCAM from the normal lung tissue. We praised the Lord and gave mighty thanks for this victory, but we were determined to see that the CCAM not only disappear from ultrasound, but that it would be in fact totally healed in Jesus’s name. After his birth, an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI could prove this. At this point we were resting in faith, knowing that the Lord had answered our prayers and healed him. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not (yet) seen.”
On January 12th, Mai’s labor began and at 4:21 the morning of January 13th, our son was born, he took his first breaths, and we named him Micaiah.[1] Stethoscopy and oximetry confirmed his lungs were functioning well. Later that morning a chest x-ray was taken, proving his complete and total health and healing.
“If we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
[1] Micaiah’s name means, “Who is like the Lord?”
MAMRE was born to Benjamin Karel Maulis and
My Diep
Maulis on the evening of
October 8th, 2007.
After about 24 weeks of pregnancy, Mai went into
labor
in the middle of the night on October 3rd.
She was taken to the hospital in
We were told by the doctors, who expected him to
be
delivered at any moment, that at his gestational age, our child would
have a
forty percent chance of survival and that if he survived at all, there
would be
a 90 percent probability of problems. If
we had to depend on the probabilities, we might as well have been
playing Russian
Roulette with four bullets in the pistol.
The doctors only encouraged us that if his birth were able to be
postponed, it would greatly improve the outcome for him.
Our hearts are fixed, trusting in the Lord. Our hearts are established, we shall not be
afraid. We trust in the word of the Lord
concerning the fruit of our vine, for it is written,
Blessed is every one that
feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
For thou shalt eat the labour of
thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be
well
with thee. Thy wife shall be as a
fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive
plants round
about thy table. Behold, that thus shall
the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.
The LORD shall bless thee out of
Furthermore, the prophet Malachi declares in the
word
of the Lord,
Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough
to
receive it. And I will rebuke the
devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your
ground;
neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field,
saith the
LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:10-11
The Lord is faithful and Mamre was not cast
before the
time came for him to be ready to be delivered on October 8th. At that time the doctors advised delivery due
to impending risks, and we agreed that the time had come.
He did not know whither he was going, but we
knew that
God was calling him to go out to a place which he should after receive
for an
inheritance. We knew that he was coming
into this world. We did not know what
this world would hold for him, but we knew that he would be an heir
with us of
the same promise, because we judge him faithful who has promised. Therefore we determined to endure as seeing
him who is invisible.
Amen, our fruit was not cast before the time,
but he
was delivered after six days. He came
out and took his first breaths. His eyes
were open. He was a healthy boy who was
only younger than many that are born. We
named him Mamre.
Abraham journeyed in the land of promise and
dwelt in
the plain of Mamre (Genesis 13:18). In
Hebrew, it is written “elown (or alon) Mamre,” which is variously
translated “plain,”
“tree,” “great tree,” “terebinth,” or “oak” of Mamre.
The location shares the name of Mamre the
Amorite who was confederate or “ba’al b@riyth” with Abraham the Hebrew
(Genesis
14:13). This is to say that Abraham had
covenant with Mamre and his two brothers.
When Lot was taken captive, Abraham and his
covenant
partners pursued
For this Melchisedec, king of
Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the
slaughter
of the kings, and blessed him; To whom
also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation
King of
righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of
peace; Without father, without mother,
without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made
like unto
the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the
patriarch
Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the
office of
the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people
according to
the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins
of
Abraham: But he whose descent is not
counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had
the
promises. And without all contradiction
the less is blessed of the better. And
here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them,
of whom
it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I
may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father,
when Melchisedec met him. Hebrews 7:1-10
After these things, the word of the Lord came
unto
Abraham in a vision, and the Lord made or cut (“karath”) covenant
(“b@riyth”)
with Abraham (Genesis 15:18). The Lord
gave not only his shield and sword to Abraham as the Amorites did, but
he said
unto him, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward.”
(Genesis 15:1)
The Lord promised Abraham a seed, and showed him
the
stars of heaven and said “So shall thy seed be.” It
is written that Abraham believed in the
Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
And the scripture, foreseeing that
God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel
unto
Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
So then they which be of faith are
blessed with faithful Abraham. Galatians 3:7-9
For the promise, that he should be
the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed,
through the
law, but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 4:13
At the Lord’s direction, Abraham took a heifer,
a she
goat, a ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.
He divided them except the birds.
And it came to pass, that, when the
sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning
lamp
that passed between those pieces. Genesis 15:17
Therefore was this covenant made not only with
Abraham, but with all who were in the loins of him and who would be
heirs of
him whose face is as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps
of
fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, like
unto
fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and whose countenance is as
the sun
that shineth in his strength. For it is
written,
Now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of
one, And
to thy seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16
The Lord appeared unto Abraham in the plains of
Mamre. Three men stood by him, before
whom he set a meal and stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
(Genesis
18:8). The Lord renewed his covenant
with Abraham and said, “At the time appointed I will return unto thee,
according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis
18:14) Now this tree of Mamre stands not
as a memorial to the covenant with the Amorites, but as a memorial to
the
covenant God has made with Abraham and with his Seed.
In the shadow of this tree, the cakes of meal
were broken, and they ate the calf with butter and milk.
The Lord had come to destroy the wickedness of
Sodom
and Gomorrah and turn those cities into ashes, condemning them
with an
overthrow, making them suffer the vengeance of eternal fire as
an
example unto those that after should live ungodly; (2 Pet 2:6, Jude 1:7)
Amen, the Lord shall appear yet again and in the
hour
of his judgment he shall come, for he has appointed a day in the which
he will
judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 9:8, Acts 17:31).
The Lord will save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by Christ (Hebrews 7:25), but the wicked shall perish. For the Lord knows his own as he knows
Abraham (John 8:56) and that he will command his children (Genesis
18:18-19,
Galatians 3:7,9) and his household to keep the way of the Lord, to do
justice
and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon him that which he hath
spoken of
him.
And if ye be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:29
For as
many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on
his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of
the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
For ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians
3:26
The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then
heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; Romans 8:16-17
Amen, this same Jesus, in the shadow of the
tree, took
bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it unto them, saying,
“This is
my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Likewise also the cup after supper, saying,
“This
cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
(Luke
22:19-20)
For this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:28
Amen, amen, He was wounded for our
transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities. The Lord
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5,6)
For he hath made him to be sin for us,
who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. (2 Corinthians
5:21, 1
Peter 2:24)
And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him
in a
sepulchre. God raised him from the dead.Acts 13:29-30
Now this same tree on which Christ hung is today
a
memorial tree of the new covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world
is crucified unto us, and we unto the world.
Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with
patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
the throne
of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
By him all that believe are justified from all
things
(Acts 13:39), for God is the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
(Romans
3:26)
For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish,
but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life. John
5:24