Author’s Testimony
I Shall Not Die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord…
My right eye first started to droop on November 5, 1996. Curtis (my husband) and I noticed that it looked like a lazy eye. At the time, we were very busy preparing for our first ministry crusade. After the crusade, I went to my Optometrist and he agreed that it did not look normal. By this time, I had no movement of the eyeball in my right eye. My Optometrist recommended that I see a Neurologist.
After a series of tests, I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis on November 26, 1996. Myasthenia Gravis is a disease that attacks your immune system. The side affects are complete loss and use of your limbs. I was instructed to stop driving and I had to be fed and bathed. My speech had become slurred because the disease attacked my vocal cords. Someone else had to brush my teeth because I didn’t have any strength in my hands. Walking had become a very hard task because I would easily get exhausted and I had to take plenty of rest breaks throughout the day. I was also on various medications to help regain my strength.
Of my three physicians, no one knew what caused this disease. One of my doctors (who was a saved, sanctified and Holy Ghost filled man of God) looked me right in the eye one day and said; the only thing I can do for you Leslie is treat you for the symptoms. He said that he was not my healer, but that Jesus was my Healer!
When he spoke those words to me it was as if I woke up from a horrible nightmare and I knew it was time to fight the good fight of faith. During this time, I went before the Lord to examine my heart. I wanted to know if I had opened up this door to Satan in ignorance. If so, I needed to know how to quickly shut this door.
Healing was always an interesting subject to me. Prior to this storm, I had studied God’s word on the subject of healing for six years under one of God’s powerful men, Brother Kenneth Hagin, Sr. I had prayed for people as well as for myself and I saw God’s healing power manifest.
I went before the Lord one afternoon and I said to Him; You created me and I know with all my heart You can and You will heal me. Immediately, the Lord spoke to me: “Leslie it’s already inside of you. I’ve deposited it inside of you, now it is time for you to put the word to work.” I knew exactly what that meant. It was time for me to fight the good fight of faith. It was time for me to pull out every healing scripture, every cassette tape and videotape and pour the word into my spirit like there was no tomorrow.
I began to put the word of God before my eyes. I heard the word and I confessed it all day long. For quite some time I did not go anywhere without the word of God. As far as I was concerned, my life was at stake.
Many people told me that I could learn to cope with this disease and still live. My answer to them was that God’s word does not say that I have to cope with anything that is not from Him. I would tell them, “God’s word says that I AM HEALED; THEREFORE I SAY THAT I AM HEALED!”
In fact, 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Glory to God! I was holding God to His word that He would make a way for me to escape and gain total victory in this storm.
Many Christians do not walk in peace, prosperity, divine health and many other blessings from God because they settle for whatever the enemy throws their way. To put it plainly, we do not stand firm on the word and fight the good fight of faith to ensure that we ultimately see the manifestation of God’s word in our lives.
In order to see manifestation of God’s word, WE MUST STAND AND FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. We must learn to resist Satan and the things that are under the curse. God already warned us in Isaiah 54:15:…they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
You must understand that the enemy is going to attack. But with God and His word we have the victory in Christ Jesus, the Anointed One.
On March 2, 1997 Curtis and I cried out to the Lord together according to Matthew 18:19 and Psalm 30:2. Matthew 18:19 (NKJV) says, Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning ANYTHING that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.Psalm 30:2 (NKJV) says, O Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you healed me.
I told the Father that He was all that I had! He had created me and therefore I AM EXPECTING HIM TO HEAL ME. I told God that I didn’t care how He did it as long as it comes to pass. I told Him that I didn’t care if He used surgery, laying on of hands, His word or medicine because the victory is still healing! I continued to proclaim God’s healing promises. I put the Father in remembrance of His word. I declared that the word of God was true and faithful to me.
It was on March 2, 1997 that my husband and I agreed that it was finished! We declared that I was healed by the stripes of Jesus and that I was the healed protecting my health from Satan. We knew this attack was from Satan. God does not put sickness on His children to teach them anything. Sickness is not from God. It is the enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came that we might have LIFE and have it more abundantly! I thank God that I knew His word because it was His word that anchored my soul and gave me the will to fight for my life. I thank God that I knew the process necessary to regain control of my life.
You may wonder if I looked healed on March 2 when I declared that I was healed by Jesus’ stripes. The answer is, NO! I looked like death rolled over two or three times (smile). I was still very weak at the time and still taking lots of medicine. I still had to be bathed and my teeth had to be brushed. I still needed help from time to time to get dressed.
Faith is not in what we see; it is in what and whom we believe. My faith was in Jesus and the word of God. I proclaimed His word and decided to stand on the word regardless of what I looked like, how I felt, or what the doctor said. There were plenty of opportunities to quit, cave-in and give up because of the doctor’s report.
On several occasions, my legs would collapse and I would fall down as I walked up the stairs in my home. I simply did not have enough strength in my legs to walk up the stairs. I was still determined to stand on God’s word regardless of what I was going through. I made a decision that Psalm 118:17 was going to come to pass in my life. The scripture says, I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. I declared this scripture all day everyday. I made a decision that I was going to live whole, strong and well in, Jesus’ Name.
I believe it was on March 2, 1997 that I really determined in my heart, mind and soul that I was going to fight and win the battle. I continued to confess the word of God day and night. Every time I got a chance, I would speak the word concerning my healing. I would constantly meditate on healing tapes and watch healing videos. At night I would wear earphones to bed and listen to the healing promises. I knew the word was feeding my spirit.
I also know that plenty of people labored and interceded for me in prayer. At various times the Lord spoke to my heart that the saints were praying for me. I appreciated all the prayers, because it truly gave me comfort and peace during the storm. Although others labored in prayer for me, I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that it was Leslie’s faith that was going to restore my body to perfect health.
By June, I wanted to come off the medicine. All three of my doctors encouraged me to have surgery. They wanted to perform a Thymectomy to remove the Thymus-Gland. By having this surgery, I could come off the medicine. After praying and talking with my husband I decided to have the surgery.
My surgery was on August 18, 1997. The doctors said I would have to stay in the hospital for six days. Prior to surgery I had taken the time to once again deposit God’s healing promises into my heart.
The doctors were concerned because I was very weak. So before my surgery, I got every strength scripture I could find and started depositing the word into my heart through confession. Child of God, I reaped a 100-fold harvest. The doctors were amazed at the level of strength that I quickly regained. I was discharged from the hospital in four days instead of six days they had estimated. I give the credit, honor and glory to God because He is faithful to keep His word when we take the time to act on the word. Glory to God and Jesus!
Since my release from the hospital, I have been getting stronger and stronger every day. I declare as part of my daily confessions that my youth is renewed like the eagle and that I have strength to do all things through Christ the Anointed One and His Anointing. I declare that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. I declare that I am whole, strong and healthy in Jesus’ Name. I declare that my immune system is strong, whole and well in Jesus’ Name.
Though I have regained my strength and total use of my limbs, I will continue to confess certain healing scriptures EVERYDAY for as long as I am in the earth, or until Jesus returns. I have made a quality decision to keep the word fresh and alive in my spirit. We never know when the enemy will try to attack. It is wise to prepare our hearts for whatever the battle calls for so that we will be equipped to fight and win. I live healed by taking a daily dose of God’s healing medicine (His anointed word).
To God be the glory for the wonderful things He has done!
Jesus is Lord!
Leslie J. Kimbro
