RE: Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?
August 20, 2014 at 8:59 pm
(This post was last modified: August 20, 2014 at 9:04 pm by professor.)
None of the categories in the poll connect to my most striking experiences.
These being subsequent to my becoming a believer.
We were on a hilltop overlooking most of a Jesus '79 event area, it was nearly dusk and had a little campfire started when I noticed a metal roofed pavilion in the distance below on fire.
The flames were shooting 2 to 3 times the height of it.
I thought it very odd, especially considering the construction, and said to my wife. "Look at that building down there on fire!"
She said- I don't see anything.
I said, It's right there, pointing at the structure.
She said- there's no fire.
Gradually the flames got smaller until it went out completely.
Still wondering the next morning what went on, I walked down to inspect the pine trees beyond the building, no sign of fire.
Besides, this was Pennsylvania -well watered.
It was a vision.
I had asked for something special for the occasion.
Two people were using the open sided building- CJ Mahaney and Iverna Tomkins for their seminars.
My take was that, just as the Disciples observed fire upon the heads of one another- God was giving His approval to what was said there.
The other outstanding weird experience was many years later.
We were preparing to go to a believers meeting in Toronto
(the Toronto Blessing meetings were ongoing).
It was 20 minutes after 6 Pm and I was finishing dinner, when I said to my wife, "We will never get there in an hour and ten minutes", figuring we would just be late.
Toronto is just over 100 miles from home, across the border, and I purposely delayed leaving for the 7:30 beginning of the meeting because the Queen E is brutal with traffic during rush hour.
All the clocks (including the car's) were set the week before for Daylight savings (I set them to the minute).
We loaded up the car after I ate and left, that would have been around 6:30.
All the way up into Canada I favored the passing lane going about 80 along with the fast traffic.
Getting down the 427 just past the airport, I looked at the clock, it showed 7:30. Very strange.
We rolled into the parking lot at 7:40, exactly an hour and ten minutes from departure.
The meeting had just begun with the clock inside showing about 7:45.
I thought to myself- "So it really only takes this long to get here?
I thought Toronto was a couple of hours away, we may as well go home after the meeting rather than staying in a hotel"
The ride home was a mile shorter at 103 and took the normal time to get back- driving the same speed - a bit under 2 hours.
Later, I calculated the average speed of the trip there- 89 mph.
Impossible.
I had heard of other guys who were due to speak at meetings experiencing a time/distance warp- hours late suddenly being at the exit for their destination and making it on time.
But not an ordinary believer.
But again, I had asked for something special to happen ( I really had healing in mind).
I remember all the towns we drove thru, Hamilton, over the canal and the increasing cities all the way up.
I never figured out how God did it.
These being subsequent to my becoming a believer.
We were on a hilltop overlooking most of a Jesus '79 event area, it was nearly dusk and had a little campfire started when I noticed a metal roofed pavilion in the distance below on fire.
The flames were shooting 2 to 3 times the height of it.
I thought it very odd, especially considering the construction, and said to my wife. "Look at that building down there on fire!"
She said- I don't see anything.
I said, It's right there, pointing at the structure.
She said- there's no fire.
Gradually the flames got smaller until it went out completely.
Still wondering the next morning what went on, I walked down to inspect the pine trees beyond the building, no sign of fire.
Besides, this was Pennsylvania -well watered.
It was a vision.
I had asked for something special for the occasion.
Two people were using the open sided building- CJ Mahaney and Iverna Tomkins for their seminars.
My take was that, just as the Disciples observed fire upon the heads of one another- God was giving His approval to what was said there.
The other outstanding weird experience was many years later.
We were preparing to go to a believers meeting in Toronto
(the Toronto Blessing meetings were ongoing).
It was 20 minutes after 6 Pm and I was finishing dinner, when I said to my wife, "We will never get there in an hour and ten minutes", figuring we would just be late.
Toronto is just over 100 miles from home, across the border, and I purposely delayed leaving for the 7:30 beginning of the meeting because the Queen E is brutal with traffic during rush hour.
All the clocks (including the car's) were set the week before for Daylight savings (I set them to the minute).
We loaded up the car after I ate and left, that would have been around 6:30.
All the way up into Canada I favored the passing lane going about 80 along with the fast traffic.
Getting down the 427 just past the airport, I looked at the clock, it showed 7:30. Very strange.
We rolled into the parking lot at 7:40, exactly an hour and ten minutes from departure.
The meeting had just begun with the clock inside showing about 7:45.
I thought to myself- "So it really only takes this long to get here?
I thought Toronto was a couple of hours away, we may as well go home after the meeting rather than staying in a hotel"
The ride home was a mile shorter at 103 and took the normal time to get back- driving the same speed - a bit under 2 hours.
Later, I calculated the average speed of the trip there- 89 mph.
Impossible.
I had heard of other guys who were due to speak at meetings experiencing a time/distance warp- hours late suddenly being at the exit for their destination and making it on time.
But not an ordinary believer.
But again, I had asked for something special to happen ( I really had healing in mind).
I remember all the towns we drove thru, Hamilton, over the canal and the increasing cities all the way up.
I never figured out how God did it.