Isabella : Dead to Alive!

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Miracle in Cebu, Philippines

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Guest Post: by Doug Maxwell.

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Tuesday, March 2nd at 2am, Isabella is pronounced dead by doctor in Toledo General Hospital, Cebu Province, Philippines. Her mother rejected this verdict, and takes lifeless Isabella home from the hospital, then calls her close friend, Abby.

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Within 25 hours, Isabelle is alive!

Last week this news spread across the Hope House Facebook community. After hearing and reading the account, I and many others wanted to learn about the faith Abby applied though prayer.

Bringing a lifeless body back to life is an event very seldom seen, and few accounts are written.

I learned that Isabella’s Mom called Abby who lives many miles away with the news. Abby comforted a very distraught mother over the phone, telling her to pray, keep believing and keep up hope.

They agree to pray and hope, having faith to wait up to 24 hours. During the 25th hour, Isabella comes back to life.

So, where does this faith come?

Abby knows.

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Abby heard the Word at Hope House, Cebu City, Philippines and believes the Word. She’s also seen miracles during her 10 years with Hope House. She’s witnessed His power to heal and restore.

Hope House is a small ministry to children living in the slums of Cebu City, providing meals, clothes, aid to enroll very poor children into public school, providing food to take back home and sharing the Gospel though bible study and worship services.

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“Where is your faith?”

Jesus asked this question to His disciples. Let’s explore this passage in the book of Luke.

“And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’

Then, He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’

And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!’” (Luke 8:25).

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What’s the answer to the Lord’s question?

I see that those 12 Hebrew men don’t know Him because they said, “Who can this be?”

If those Hebrews at that time and place knew Him as their Messiah [Christ], if they knew Him through His Word (see Psalm 107:23-30), if they knew Him in a personal spiritual connection, being born again, they would have Faith. Faith “in” Him.

Abby knows her Messiah. He is her Savor, which is to say, He is her Sozo. Abby is spiritually born again. But, there’s more.

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James writes,

“Don’t just listen to the word. You fool yourselves if you do that. You must do what it says” (James 1:22).

Abby applies the Word she heard and faith in the Lord because she is in a relationship. This isn’t theological. It’s not religious. It’s personal and comfortable to know Him and rest “in” Him ~ like He was resting in that boat during a very rough storm. 24+ hours with a lifeless baby is a very rough storm.

How do we apply faith, expecting a lifeless baby to come back to life?

Abby knew the application.

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Let’s read Acts 3:16.

“and on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all (Acts 3:16).

Peter tells us the key ~ “faith in His name.”

His name is Emmanuel, (Jehovah with us).

He was named Jesus (Jehovah-bring salvation). Salvation (Sozo) means: healing, delivering, making whole.

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By the Spirit (John 15:26), Abby knows His complete, full name that brings Sozo into what is dead.

Do we realize there’s power in His name? What does Scripture tell us?

“Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, so that He might make His power known” (Psalm 106:8).

His power is directly connected to His name.

“And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.’ So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled” (2 Chronicles 14:10-12, KJV).

Asa leans on Jehovah, and acts in His name.

The key to Faith seems to be to “know” (personal relationship) Him and the power of His name.

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Abby knows (understands) it’s not theological (book study) or religion (ritual practice) that bring her into a relationship with Jesus.

She didn’t attend a Bible College or Seminary to learn how to pray, to have faith, hope and love. Abby simply has a relationship Him, the author of Faith, Hope and Love. He is in a relationship with her. That’s communion and by the Spirit she knows (understands, comprehends) Him.

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“However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, for whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:12-14).

“Now may the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

As I see the account of Isabella going from dead to being alive begins with her Mom not accept the death sentence from a doctor. She was led by the Spirit to contact Abby.

Abby knew to apply the Word because she knows (has a personal relationship with) Jesus. Abby then connected with her faithful believing sisters and they prayed in the mighty, powerful name of Jesus.

They prayed in the powerful name of Jesus that Isabella will live. They prayed, and they proclaimed in the powerful name of Jesus, and had faith in Him. Abby said to her friend, “keep hoping and praying.”

Within 25 hours, Mom’s precious baby Isabella comes back from lifeless, dead to being alive.

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Now let’s read Acts 3:16 with what we’ve learned above.

“on the basis of faith in His name [Jehovah with us], it is the name of Jesus [Jehovah-bring salvation] which has strengthened [Isabella] whom you see and [many in the Philippines] know; and the Faith which comes through Him [not through Abby, her sisters or Mom] has given [Isabella] this perfect health in the presence of you all.”

Personally, I’m praying to move to Cebu City, joining Hope House and this wonderful group of Believers who abide “in” Jesus, as they abide in Faith, in Hope and in Love.

Thank you LORD, Psalm 103:1-5.

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