Santa Barbara Cemetery

By Nathan D. Pietsch

Santa Barbara Cemetery
Neck and back healed

August 17, 2010

Dawn and I are currently staying in Santa Barbara for a few days. Dawn has had a small bookkeeping job for the past several years with a company, and we are here for Dawn to update the books. Dawn has been busy, so I have been sightseeing and hitting the streets by myself.

Our friends whom we are staying with, let me borrow one of their bikes. I rode down the beach and went to the bird refuge. I stayed at the bird refuge for a couple of hours talking with the Lord.

On my bike ride to the bird refuge, I noticed the Santa Barbara Cemetery. The Lord gave me a name of a person whom I thought was buried in the cemetery. I heard the name, “John Hopkins.” A moment later, I heard in a smaller voice, “Joseph (Hopkins).” I have no idea who this person is, or if they even exist. I have never even been to this cemetery before.

I have heard stories of modern day people going to cemeteries to pick up “mantles” that have fallen at gravesides of the deceased. This concept is taken directly from II Kings chapters 2 and 13. In the book of II Kings 2:8-14, the Bible says—

8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

The Bible says in II Kings 13:20-21—

20 Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. 21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

Many scholars believe Elisha’s “mantle” fell at his grave, because he did not have a protege. This is why the dead man whom touched Elisha’s dry bones revived and stood on his feet.

I don’t know who, John Hopkins is, but it was worth my effort to ride the bike up the hill to the cemetery. I decided to ask some workers if they knew of any gravestones with the name, John Hopkins on it. They didn’t, but they called the office. The reply was, “There aren’t any John Hopkins buried here, but there is a Joseph and Jesse Hopkins.”

Joseph was the other name I heard, so I decided to go to that grave. The workers took me right to the spot. It continued to get more and more interesting. Buried on Joseph’s immediate right was probably his wife named, Edith N. Hopkins (1882-1978). Buried right next to Edith was John Lowery (June 14, 1892-January 23, 1976). Then buried on Joseph’s immediate left was Edna M. St. John (1893-1961), and next to her was Harry St. John (1882-1963). Joseph was surrounded by “Johns.”

I felt as if the Lord instructed me to jump on Joseph Hopkins’ grave four times, and then yell as loud as I could, “Wakey, wakey!” I did this, and waited for something to happen. I didn’t experience anything in the natural. I have no idea what any of this meant, but surely the Lord had brought me to this spot. When I got home, I did a minimal search on Joseph E. Hopkins, but I didn’t find anything. I still don’t know who he was.

After my experience at the cemetery, I rode to the skateboard park down by the beach. I am very impressed with the skill of skateboarders. These guys do amazing tricks, and oftentimes eat it hard on the pavement.

A young skater kid around 15 years, was sitting on the outside of the board park. I decided to go over and talk with him. I asked him, “Do you ever get injured skateboarding?”

“Ya, pretty much everyday.”

“What’s the worst injury you have every had?”

“Several years ago, I basically did a head dive on the pavement. I actually cracked a vertebrae in my neck.”

“Does it still hurt you?” I asked.

“Ya, it still hurts, and is always stiff.”

“Do you ever get numbness, or shooting down your arms?”

“Oh ya, I will move my head and an electrical shock thing will shoot down my arm.”

“Is there anything else that hurts? How’s your back?”

“My back hurts too.”

“Hey, do you mind if I speak healing into your body?”

“What? What does that mean?”

“I’m going to command instant healing in your body right now, if that’s ok with you.”

“Sure, I guess so.”

“In the name of Jesus I command healing in your body right now. I command all the pain to go to the cross. Are you feeling anything going on in your body?”

He moved his head around a little and said, “Wow, my neck just popped. My neck feels way looser, and so does my back. Thanks a lot. I think I’m going to go test it out on my board.”

Lord, we pray a huge blessing over Santa Barbara, California. Let these skateboarders all come to know You as their personal Lord and Savior. In the name of Jesus, Amen.