I decided to attend a very large Charismatic conference. I was ministered to by the Praise and worship, but something nightmarish happened to me after I left the meeting .
Reading for Day 29
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We were in the Eastern part of England, attending a large charismatic conference. It was Summer 1994.
One evening, I left my family resting at a high rated 5 star hotel and I decided to attend the evening charismatic meeting, on my own, which was held in a big tent. The tent was just about 3 to 4 miles from where we were staying. It was during those days when we did not use our car and relied on British Transport. The location where we were staying was in the countryside, this meant that the transport was not excellent. So I decided to walk up to the conference. Given the fact, it was still bright, I mean the sun was still shining, I felt confident and secure to walk in this strange and unknown place to me. My walk to the conference tent took me along some farm roads. Thankfully, I managed to find the tent where the conference was taking place. Making a guess, I will say there were about 3000-4000 people sitting in the tent. The praise and worship was moving and inspiring and the preaching of the Word of God was electrifying and challenging, followed by some signs and wonders.
When the meeting came to end, I knew I had to make my way back to the hotel. As I left the tent, an idea suddenly bloomed somewhere in my Cerebral Cortex. Maybe I should ask someone, from this gathering, to give me a lift, to a location nearby the hotel. My eyes were transfixed on an elderly, ( matured) couple, driving a grand car. I ran up towards them and asked them very kindly whether they could give me a lift to the hotel I was staying in. They said sure and asked me to jump in. I joyfully got into the car.
There is something I need to mention here, a particular aspect in my life, where the Holy Ghost is still working, although I must say there has been a tremendous improvement since 1994--- it’s to do with my sense of location.( I need a gifting in Geography or Map reading!)
I mentioned the name of the hotel to the couple, but they had no recollection and neither of them knew the whereabouts of the hotel. At that moment they were actually more concerned about locating the exact wave length of a Christian radio broadcast that was being relayed from the camp of the Christian conference.
Guess what they did? They dumped me near a big round about and asked me to find my way back to the hotel. I was completely lost. The only salvation point here was, that I could still hear the singing of the songs from the camp site. So I decided to follow the route of where the singing was coming from. I got dreadfully lost. I saw myself in pitch darkness. The only time I could see anything was, when I saw a car passing by. The head lights of the car, showed me exactly where I was, surrounded by trees and wild hedges. I tried to stop a couple of cars, but they were reluctant to stop. Obviously too frightened to stop, for they might be wondering what am I doing in this deserted place! It was a good possibility that some of these cars passing by were some of the Charismatic Christians coming from the camp site.
( Sometimes I wonder, whether I would have stopped, if I saw a stranger trying to stop me in the middle of a very dark road. It would have needed an authentic Word from God The Holy Ghost to stop.) I gave up on stopping these cars, for I felt it was a waste of time. Suddenly, out of the blue, a horrible Presence of fear, attacked me viciously. A very sad newspaper article , which I read on the 31st of July 1994, in the Sunday Times, the contents of the article overwhelmed me with fear. I remembered the headline, “ Where do you come from my lovely”, it was referring to a body of a young beautiful lady who was discovered in a ditch just outside the Lincolnshire village of Coleby. The police noted that she had been severely beaten before she was dumped in the ditch, wrapped in a duvet, but apparently she had not died as the blows rained down. Death came several hours later from aspirational pneumonia brought on by her injuries and by lying face-down in the dry dirt at the bottom of the 4ft-deep ditch beside a country lane. As this presence of Fear overwhelmed me, all the symptoms of fear enveloped me. My mouth was parched, my hands were clammy and my heart beat faster.I heard the sound of many footsteps. I was also very aware of ditches all around me. Remember the whole surrounding was in complete darkness. A car came along. From the car lights I noticed, there were three young man, coming my way. I did not like the look of them. A few words came forth from my mouth, “ Oh, Jesus, please do not let them see me”! Thank God, the Presence of God, blinded them, they did not see me. It was during this juncture the Holy Ghost must have known that my being could not take any more tension. For all kind of thoughts was swirling all around me. For one moment I felt I would not see my family again. For the second time again I heard some voices. I tried to look at the direction these voices were coming from. At the same time praying a thought into fruition, that a car might come along. For I needed the car lights to see who these people were. My prayer was answered instantly. As the lights flashed from the car, I observed that there were two young men driving their bicycles along this road. I was so glad to see them, I was so excited to see their complexion. They were similar to me. I saw them as friendly. I ran up towards them. I told them I was so happy to see them. I said I was completely lost in this “ jungle area”. Could they please help me to find my way back to the hotel. Blessed be the Name OF Jesus, they helped me. In all my excitement I forgot to ask them their names. Later on I was wondering what on earth they were doing in this place of darkness. Were they angels sent by our Lord to help me! I was sure glad to see my family again.
Isaiah 58
9) Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;