Laying Hands on Justin

 

An Interview of Dick Hopkins Concerning

The Extraordinary Events of Nov. 18, 2007

Recorded in Late Nov. 2007 at Pascal’s Cafe

 

Also Included: Justin’s Statements Regarding

The Events Before and After His Healing

 

And begged Him earnestly, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may be healed and live. Mark 5:23 Amp

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Mark 6:5 NIV

Now at the setting of the sun [indicating the end of the Sabbath], all those who had any [who were] sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands upon every one of them and cured them. Luke 4:40 Amp

Then He laid [His] hands on her, and instantly she was made straight, and she recognized and thanked and praised God. Luke 13:13 Amp

His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. Acts 28:8 NIV

Then he [Jesus] said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all. Whoever believes and is baptized is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned. These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, ... they will lay hands on the sick and make them well." Mark 16:16-18 (The Message)

Justin is 27, just turned 27, lives in Sacramento and a year ago he was down to our house for a party between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2006. He is a fantastic volleyball player, in fact both his dad and grandfather were both champion tennis players. He was healthy and physically fit. We have a relationship, I didn't know him in prison, I knew David Pack who lead him to the Lord in prison and discipled him. When Justin got out he asked me to follow-up and I did.

 

Freedom

I have been up to Sacramento perhaps 8 times during a year. The last time (before the incident I am about to describe took place) I took him and his girl friend out, it was probably in September 2007, we went to church and then took them out to Red Lobster. He treated me before and this was my time to treat him. He had just gotten of parole (a real celebration, the last stage of experiencing freedom from the penal system). Everything was fine when I left him.

 

Almost Certain Death

Sometime later he called me and I could tell by the tremor in his voice that he was really really shaken. He had just gotten back from the doctor and he had been diagnosed as having a form of lung cancer that is very aggressive with a 13% [5 year] survival rate(1). He was going to start chemo therapy soon. He was also distressed because in addition to this almost certain death sentence being pronounced over him, his apartment had been burglarized, his car had been stolen and all the medicine (maybe a good thing, causing him to focus on trusting the Lord)  that he had been given by the doctor along with a lot of important papers.

 

Overwhelmed By Troubles

Later (not during the phone call) I found out that he had to quit his job because of this health problem, he was the key worker so his employer had gone out of business and actually ended up owing him $5,000 of unpaid salary. He was running out of money and very depressed and both he and his girl friend had relapsed temporarily back into taking drugs over this thing, but that was only temporarily. The relapse was a very brief period, he and she had gotten back on track.

 

The Distress Call To A Brother

His parents, mainly his mom since his father was not around, had washed her hands (see Justin’s clarification) of his situation even though his mother lives just a mile or so away. I got the call, realized his level of distress and said "I'm coming up there." We set a date for Sunday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2007. We continued to talk on the phone.

 

His Life Was In Shambles and He Had Cancer

He went over the whole thing, he was crying. He was obviously disoriented; he was trying to get rid of his stuff and trying to move out of his apartment. His mentor in prison had offered to come forward and pay 3 months’ rent. That seemed to be the only bit of good news. He had all kinds of unfinished paperwork; he had to apply for Medical because of his health insurance running out at the end of the month. He had to apply for disability insurance because he couldn't work. He was trying to figure out how to get rid of his stuff; he couldn't have a yard sale because of there no room at the apartment complex to stage the sale. Like I said his car had been stolen so he was without wheels. Anyway, his whole life was in shambles in addition to this cancer.

 

Anointed Hands

After this distress call, the next Sunday morning November 18, 2007 at CPC Danville, after the 2nd services (Dick had been in the sanctuary and this other brother had been in the Video Cafe), Dick stopped this brother and gave a brief description of who Justin was and why he was leaving in a few minutes to see Justin in Sacramento. Dick asked for prayer and the brother complied, laying hands on Dick and asking God to anoint Dick so that he might lay hands on Justin for healing.

 

Hugging Qualifies As Laying “Hands On The Sick”

An hour or two later in Sacramento, I prayed for him I think twice. (Interviewer: did you lay hands on him?) He was crying and falling onto me (he had lost a lot of weight) so I hugged him. I guess that qualifies as laying hands on him. I just can't say any more. (Interviewer: So you put both your hands on him.) Yeah, I put my hands on him.

 

Interviewer: That's the promise. And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons;  …  they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. [Mark 16:17 & 18 Amplified] )

 

I didn't put my hands on his head or anoint him.

 

Interviewer: Dick is referring to the promise for Elders, but Dick is no longer an Elder, just another believer like the rest of us. The promise for us is "they will lay hands on the sick and they will get well." Dick did that, maybe not intentionally, but nevertheless he did that.)

 

Jesus Never Prayed For Healing

(Interviewer: Jesus never prayed for healing. He prayed, but never for God to heal some one, Jesus just acted, just healed them.) I guess that's right, but didn't He ...

 

Prayer is mentioned several times in the healing accounts in the Gospels. Once with Lazarus [John 11:1-45] and once concerning a son with an evil spirit [Mark 9:14-29], the one about the disciples not being able to cast out a demon. The prayer Jesus offered before turning to the tomb and calling Lazarus out, that prayer was to the Father and it could be paraphrased as "It's show time Father." He did not pray or fast (like a religious ritual) in the healing account of the demon possessed son, but His mentioning it was probably a reference to a life style Jesus had of prayer and fasting, which then resulted in demons obeying His command.

 

Anticipating Dying – Why Pay The Phone Bill

During my visit on Sunday, Nov. 18, the last thing Justin said was that he had given my name and phone number to somebody who would, if the worst thing came upon him, would call me and let me know. I knew that he meant that he was anticipating dying and that I would be notified because his phone bill had not been paid, and he didn't know how long his phone would work.

 

 

That was Sunday, and I think it was Tuesday or Thursday when he called me and as he started talking there was a different voice there. He had just gotten back from the doctor and the doctor said the cancer had gone into remission. Then he told me later that the cancer was still there, but it had shrunk. So he was hopeful. I just praised God with him about that. [Interviewer: God knows the faithfulness of this brother and could be sure that all the credit and praise would go to Him. "... I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God ..." Exodus 20:5]

 

Since then I haven't had a chance to talk to him about his healing. His phone is not operational. I know that he was going to move to another place because these friends were going to pay for another place for him to move into. I think I had one more conversation with him since I was up there. Right now I just don't know. I pray for him every day and I am trusting that God is going to do great things in his life. I know he had questions, why would God allow this thing to happen. I understood from talking to him that this really wasn't an academic question, he just wanted to be reassured and comforted. I do remember that he said he had gone to church that Sunday night, I think it was the next Sunday (after the doctors pronounced remission).

 

Update - Friday, 1 Feb 2008

   

As you know, Justin called tonight. He has a brother who was into drugs and went to Teen Challenge and finished the program and is now home and he goes to a church called Southern Hills, Salem Indiana, where he is now working as an assistant preacher.

 

This brother, whose name is Robert Klinglesmith, came out Christmas to see Justin and invited him to go back to Indiana with him. (Justin's mother is still hostile and angry and is not communicating with Justin or  Robert). So Justin went. He said that ever since the day, or week, I cannot remember, that we prayed for him, his cancer has been in remission. I told you that the doctor was surprised. He had told Justin he has less than six months to live and should consider going into a hostel soon. He had been loosing weight and was weak.

 

Anyway Justin is now gaining weight, has a good appetite, is stronger. He has been constantly in prayer, and Bible reading. He gave a 15 minute testimony in church the other day. His church is Southern Hills Church (about 250 people). He is passing out tracts, is going into the jail to minister to people, and has a Thursday night Bible study. He is witnessing to people and feels the intense joy of the Lord.

 

He apologized for not responding to our calls. He got my phone number off the Internet because most of his papers are in storage still in Sacramento.

 

He said it would be fine for the interviewer to call him on his cell phone. He called to ask for some Bible courses, but mainly to share the things God has been doing in his life, and to personally thank me for caring and for showing the love of Christ.

 

I [the Interviewer] have been privileged to know Dick for some years and if I believe what the Bible says about visiting Jesus in prison, this man actually is in the very presence of Jesus at least on a monthly basis, in the flesh.

 

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Matthew 25 (New Living Translation)

 

Notes:

(1) According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death for men and women. It kills more individuals than prostate, breast, and colon cancer combined. [Associated Content (AC) The People's Media Company].

 

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths among men and women in the industrialized countries. According to the 1986 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Fact Book, the five-year relative survival rate for lung and bronchus cancer in white patients was 13% and it was 11% in black patients. According to the 2006 NCI Fact Book those percentages were 15% and 12% respectively. In other words, the survival rate improved 2% for white patients and 1% for black patients over a 20 year period. [Cancer Monthly]

 

My Healing Testimony

by Justin Klinglesmith

 

Concerning Dick Hopkin's Visit

on Sunday November 18, 2007

 

A Loving Brother Visits

When Dick came out it was a normal visit. I was in a terrible state of mind because I was not really wanting to hear what Dick had to say or anything else. I love Dick with all my heart. I was totally down in the dumps, I had lost my job, I was sick, I had lost 57 pounds, I was not doing well at all. I wasn't going to church, I couldn’t find what I needed because I was searching for the perfect church and it got to the point where in the Bible it says that God will not put more on a person than what they can handle. I, myself felt that He had done that, put more than I could bear. So I just claimed the Bible must be wrong and Dick and I had a discussion and he tried to explain to me how I was wrong as far as believing (that I couldn't bear what God had put on me) and I still wasn't hearing it, what Dick was saying.

 

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  [1 Corinthians 10:13 Amplified]

 

I was in a whole different world. I was saying the Devil had snuck in through my back door and I sat down (with him) for a minute. Every time I am around Dick I feel love all around that man. So, he came to visit.

 

I Am Ashamed, but My Brother Visits

After Dick’s visit, it didn't effect me at all at first, then, probably about a week later or less, my brother called and said he was coming down to visit for Christmas and in my mind I was like Oh my God! At this point I am ashamed about my physical looks, having to go to the doctor, not being able to eat. I am just ashamed, I don't really know why, but I was. I tried to convince him not to come, but in the end my brother ended up coming to visit. I was going through chemo therapy and I had a chemo drug delivery tube in my chest and another one coming out the bottom of my ribs which was to drain any fluids that were collecting in my lungs so I wouldn't drowned.

 

My Cancer In Remission

So I went back to the doctor I was seeing at UC Davis medical Center, 3 days before my brother was going home, and they told me that my cancer had gone into remission. This was the Tuesday following the Sunday Dick Hopkins had visited. 2 months before that, one of the tumors had shrunk about 2 cm, not much, but things were kind of getting better at that time. They said the other tumor was still a threat and that I might get better or I might not. I did not know, at that time I had left all that in God's hands to decide on my life.

 

The Decision To Leave Sacramento

My brother asked me if I would consider going with him. He said there were great doctors in Louisville, Kentucky that I could go see and there was a good Bible school that I could go through to learn more about the Bible. My brother knew my train of thought (concerning the word of God on healing) was not correct at that time as far as health and God's purposes in my state of mind. So, on a whim, I said "OK, I'll go." So I packed my bags, left all my things, my car everything in my house, everything and came to Indiana where I was going to begin studying the Bible in a more thorough way. I had always been in Bible study courses 2 years prior to that, but had not focused.

 

A New Life, A New Creation

I started going to this church and all of a sudden my appetite is back. I'm eating like 5, 6 or even 7 times a day, literally anything I could get my hands on to eat. I am getting back up to my normal weight in the process and regaining my health. My chest pains were gone, not completely, every once in awhile I do have chest pains, but not the constant pains I had before. I stopped going to the doctor. I have not gone to see the doctor since I left Sacramento, except for my shoulder, because I could not deal with the pain. I had shoulder problems also.

 

Ministering To Jesus’ Body

God lead me to a church in town called Southern Hills, I am now helping to lead a Bible study on Thursday night called Curious. People from any church and any background are invited. We show videos on dealing with addiction and we invite people to talk that have been delivered from addiction by God. We had a gentleman out the other night that spoke, he had been healed from hepatitis C (1), an incurable disease, and it is now gone. Now doctors are very baffled because they can not find any trace of the disease they had previously documented in this man.

 

I am also involved in jail ministry here in Austin County. Thursday I go in to jail with a few other guys and read the Bible to everyone in jail. I am involved in my church 5 days a week now, I just now got a new job. Hopefully I will be able to work, I'm up to it, I feel good I don't feel like I have cancer as before, I feel good. I definitely don't feel like I have cancer. I feel that if I stay in prayer and I stay in the word of God, He will take care of me, period. And He is taking care of me. He gave me a car as soon as I got here. He has blessed me with a home. He has blessed me with a great church family. He is blessing me with a good relationship with my family that is now mended and fixed. My life is doing nothing but going forward.

 

He Works In Miraculous Ways

I believe the whole thing of me getting sick was just a lesson that was being taught to me by God. And the lesson is that He teaches you and shows you things and that He works in miraculous and understanding ways. You may go through pain and strife and you may not know why you are going through these things, but in the long run, these things are for a purpose. It might not even be about you. You may go through pain and anger and strife or have a death in the family, whatever, and it may be to help someone else.

 

Another Brother’s Story

My brother Robert was hooked on cocaine living here in Indiana. From California, I got him into a program with Teen Challenge. He went there for 6 months and he is now pastoring a 15 person church on Sundays. He loves God. I thank God for putting me through what He put me through, for having me go through these life situations I have experienced. It has done nothing but help me learn about Him. I actually did my first teaching about 2 1/2 or 3 weeks ago, I had never gotten up in front of a group and preached. I just got up there and the Holy Spirit lead me. It is the best thing in the world. There is nothing else better than experiencing the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Jesus Christ and God.

 

My Medical History

In Sacramento, I initially went to see our family doctor, Dr. Greenberg and he sent me to UC Davis Medical Center. He said he didn't have the equipment or expertise to properly diagnose anything wrong with me. He had taken X-rays of my chest, but he didn't really see anything. I went to the hospital in Davis California at UC Davis and they could see 2 tumors as clear as day. I had a tumor on my right lung about the size of my fist and a smaller one on the lower part of my left lung. They wanted to cut out my right lung and the lower part of my left lung and I would be on a respirator the rest of my life. I was going to have that.

 

At the very beginning they (the doctors) were telling me I had 9 months to live. I had to deal with that. I was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, which is a cancer of the lungs and the cells actually attack the good cells in your body. It started to spread up into my throat. They changed my medication and it actually stopped spreading. That was a blessing in itself because it was getting really bad and it gave me a little time to collect some of my thoughts.

 

Stopped Treatments Half Way Through

Concerning the chemo I was taking while I was living in Sacramento and going to the UC Davis Medical Center for treatment. At the time I left Sacramento, I had been taking chemo for 6 months. The treatment was supposed to last for 13 months, but I did not continue treatments when I got to Indiana. I had decide that Jesus Christ ruled over my whole life and no matter what these medical experts said concerning my body or what kind of treatment they could put me through, if God had a purpose for me here on earth, which He does, He will keep me here and keep me healthy. So I stopped.

 

Not Doing the “Responsible” Thing

It was complicated at the beginning when I was deciding this. When I moved to Indiana I didn't want anyone to know because I knew that as soon as they heard they would urge me to do what they thought the responsible thing was to do, continue seeing the doctor and continue the treatments. I just did not want to deal with that and explain to people why I was doing something that seemed so irresponsible to them. I wanted to leave it in God's hands. God is going to take care of me. Some people think that is crazy, but they don't understand what the Holy Spirit can do. That's how I feel.

 

Double Grief, Me And Mom

My relationship with my mother right now is on the rocks because she was going with me to my treatment. When I was in Sacramento and getting treated, the chemo treatments I was getting were sort of a trial. The type I went through involved getting 3 shots in my spine, one in the upper part, one in the middle and one in the lower part. She was going with me during these treatments and this was a very emotional time for me, facing a life crippling disease or even death.

 

I was very upset at God plus having to go through these treatments, I was just totally sad. She was driving me home because the treatment was causing me to see double or even loose vision and I couldn't drive home, so my mom would drive me. I would get out of the treatment and mom would be there crying and I couldn't handle that. I couldn't deal with my emotional problems and her emotional distress over my cancer, so I told her she was not allowed to come anymore. She was very upset and from that point on she wouldn't talk to me anymore. She wouldn't have anything to do with me anymore, wouldn't have anything to do with me. To this day our relationship is the same, she won't talk to me she won't have anything to do with me. It is hard to understand where she is coming from and I am sure she didn't understand where I was coming from.

 

 

Notes:

1. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne, infectious, viral disease that is caused by a hepatotropic virus called Hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection can cause liver inflammation (hepatitis) that is often asymptomatic, but ensuing chronic hepatitis can result later in cirrhosis (fibrotic scarring of the liver) and liver cancer.

 

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. The symptoms can be medically managed, and a proportion of patients can be cleared of the virus by a long course of anti-viral medicines. Although early medical intervention is helpful, people with HCV infection often experience mild symptoms, and consequently do not seek treatment. An estimated 150-200 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C. In the U.S., those with a history of intravenous drug use, nasally inhaled drug usage, tattoos, or who have been exposed to blood via unsafe sex or social practices are increased risk for this disease. Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplant in the United States.