My Testimony

How it all started

How the the desire to have my precious daughter baptised into the Church of England faith led to personal meeting with King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the Armies of Heaven.

How God introduced Himself to me…Part I

Every great journey begins with a story. Mine began with an unexpected question at a coffee morning.

I came from an un-churched background in a small town in the middle of England. I did have a brief brush with the Church of England by dint of joining my cousins at their Sunday School for a couple of months one summer when I was about 10. I have no recollection about that time other than it was a long way to walk … and we coloured in pictures.

Moving forward another 15 years, by this time I was married with children. I hadn’t read the bible; didn’t own a bible. Despite this, my eldest was baptised when he just a few months old at our then local church – because – that is what a ‘good parent did’ – rather than because we attended church and had a ‘faith’. By the time our daughter arrived, we had moved house, a new area and didn’t know anyone. There were a number of churches in our local area and I thought to check them out to see which one to approach to arrange having my daughter baptised. Also, it gave me the opportunity to socialise with someone other than a non-talking two year old. This in mind, I looked around for some sort of ladies group / activity to join. I came across a postcard in a local post office advertising a ‘Coffee Morning for ladies – children welcome’.

So the next Wednesday, I turned up with the daughter in tow. A bit anxious, and just assuming there would be a couple of hours of sociable chatting whilst sipping hot tea and eating biscuits. You can imagine my surprise when the lovely host opened the conversation with a rather show stopping conversational piece:

“How do you see Jesus? Do you see Him as a man? A real person?”

My First Encounter with God

¹³ The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 

Biblegateway: Ezekiel 1:13

This was not the type of question I had ever been asked before – and apart from a desire to make some polite excuse and leave – which would have been difficult as I was trapped in a cramped corner of the room, and I would have to maneuver over half a dozen legs or so to effect my escape. As the panic subsided, I figured I would have time to think of something suitable and polite. Happily for me – there were a number of other ladies in the room, and I would be the last one to be asked.

The morning then took an interesting turn.

It was at this point, that I noticed a small oscillating ball of flames (maybe 7-8″ in diameter) hovering just to the left of the hosts’ fireplace. Literally.. hovering right there, in a suburban semi front room – in England. My first thought was that we were on fire – but then I noticed that despite the oscillating ‘fire ball’ being a 3D image – there was no heat emanating from it. The fireball in itself was quite fascinating. I watched with interest as it spun slowly on some unseen axis, and as it spun, flashes of lightening seem to be intermittently ejected from its center. I glanced carefully around – it appeared no one else present could see this ‘image’.

Just then it was my turn and all eyes turned on me.

Not entirely sure how to proceed on this matter – and also not wishing to sound like I had lost my marbles… I carefully described the ‘ball of fire’ that was still hovering and turning slowly and emitting flashes of lightening right their in front of their unseeing eyes.

In hindsight – maybe I should have mentioned this phenomenon – rather than adopt the polite English stiff upper lip to the situation and say nothing. Well, it just wasn’t cricket was it? So perhaps it should have come as no surprise when our host replied:

“Ohh no, no no… now do promise me when you get home tonight you will pray earnestly to God to show you Jesus as a man. Please promise.”

To this day I still have no idea why I agreed.

My First Encounter with Jesus

I thought about this as I walked home.

I walked everywhere in those days, rain or shine. So I had plenty of time to think about the events of the morning and to ponder in the meaning of the ‘fireball’. Then of course, children and preparing dinner, reading stories, bath time, and so on filled the rest of my day and the odd encounter faded.

It wasn’t until I was nearly asleep that I remembered my earlier promise – so said the prayer I had been given out loud – well under my breath – because everyone else was asleep. There was absolutely no expectation on my part that what happened next would take place.

Let me see if I can recall the details.. it happened so long ago now.

At first, as I expected nothing happened. I lay contemplating the day and thinking just how dark the room was. Indeed, the room was in pitch black darkness, thanks to the blackout curtains. The bed faced the curtains and as I lay snuggled under the covers waiting for sleep to overtake me… I was somewhat surprised to see a narrow vertical shaft of bright light suddenly appear about the size of a finger, splitting the darkness. It was as though the curtain was being ripped from behind and the light was showing through into the bedroom. The shaft of light grew in size and as I continued to watch I had a sense of an army on the march…. the rhythmic thump of feet, the clattering of armour and banners… lots an lots of pennants. My attention was arrested by the appearance out of the clouds of light by a horse. A truly, truly magnificent white horse. Powerful, graceful and beautiful and as I studied the horse who was slowly coming towards me I noticed the legs of his rider.. there was some writing on the riders thigh – but I couldn’t quite read it. As I looked up at the advancing horse and rider, I noticed the riders cloak, and he had some sort of weird hat on his head. And as I watched this vision unfold before my very eyes, the tear of light grew wider, and I could see that behind the rider and the horse there was an enormous army that was innumerable, following steadily on behind carrying pennants that were flowing in the gentle breeze.

The rider and horse, nor the growing army that was following them, didn’t appear to be in any sort of rush. They came forward at a very slow walk but as they grew closer I became aware of the growing sense of unimaginable and absolute power, which was slowly beginning to fill the room. This, I decided, was not a person to be messed with. No, not ever. A true King, in the old fashioned sense of the word. One who held the power of life and death over his subjects. This was no helpless baby, lying in a stable manager. This was no meek and humble person, spending countless hours teaching us how to be good to each other, or how to follow the Torah, or patiently telling us stories so that we could understand the basic principles of what the Father has been trying to teach His Children over the millennia. This was a full grown man and had come into his own strength and majesty. He came riding a war horse, splendid and terrible, and as he drew closer to me the intense feeling of fear began to over whelm me.. I wanted to hide under the bed… I wanted to dive under the covers…. I wanted to shut my eyes.. but instead I was riveted to the spot where I was lying, helpless and growing more afraid by the minute….

It was when the white horse and rider reached the end of the bed that I realised what He wanted. Indeed, was was needed. My confession of who He was. And I whispered the sanctifying words into the darkness of my bedroom light by the presence of the Son of God:

“Yes, Jesus I acknowledge you as a person.”

“Revelation 19: 11-16

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of Kings and Lord of Lords

”

— Biblegateway