Sunday, May 28, 2006
The Norbreck Castle Hotel
It was the year 1976. The dining room, of the Norbreck Castle Hotel was full - eight hundred people, sitting at circular tables. The keynote speaker was Demos Shakarian, President of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship. My friend, a motor dealer, was sitting beside me, with two special friends of his. He was silently hoping that nothing too extravagant would happen to disturb his guests. As I listened to Demos speaking, I felt a strong desire to raise my arms and hands to the Lord, and had a vision. I felt as if I was no longer at that table. No longer attached to things. Free from everything that would hold me down. It was a different dimension.
Soon I heard Demos say,
“Some of you will have had a fresh experience of the Lord. If so, look around you, and if you see someone in need, go to that person and help them.”
I looked around and saw two girls in their early twenties, kneeling on the floor, weeping. I found myself getting up and going down to the girls. I asked each of them what they needed prayer for. As I prayed for each of them in turn, they slipped into unconsciousness. I laid each one down on the floor, asleep. I was shaking. Was this “the Power” that James White had talked about years ago?
As I made my way to the door to the main corridor, after the session, I suddenly found I had great difficulty moving my legs. I lurched over to the corridor wall, and leant against it. Was this the same kind of loss of power, that James White had experienced, after praying for the sick? As I stood there waiting for the paralysis to pass, I saw two young, well-dressed women, striding with great excitement down the corridor. They seemed fulfilled. They were the same two girls I had prayed for.
They had received something. I had lost something. From that moment, I know more than ever that I had to “explore and discover” this mysterious energy which can change us, from the inside out, and transform our thinking about God. He is nearer than we know.
Soon I heard Demos say,
“Some of you will have had a fresh experience of the Lord. If so, look around you, and if you see someone in need, go to that person and help them.”
I looked around and saw two girls in their early twenties, kneeling on the floor, weeping. I found myself getting up and going down to the girls. I asked each of them what they needed prayer for. As I prayed for each of them in turn, they slipped into unconsciousness. I laid each one down on the floor, asleep. I was shaking. Was this “the Power” that James White had talked about years ago?
As I made my way to the door to the main corridor, after the session, I suddenly found I had great difficulty moving my legs. I lurched over to the corridor wall, and leant against it. Was this the same kind of loss of power, that James White had experienced, after praying for the sick? As I stood there waiting for the paralysis to pass, I saw two young, well-dressed women, striding with great excitement down the corridor. They seemed fulfilled. They were the same two girls I had prayed for.
They had received something. I had lost something. From that moment, I know more than ever that I had to “explore and discover” this mysterious energy which can change us, from the inside out, and transform our thinking about God. He is nearer than we know.
# posted by Alex Weir @ 7:04 PM 
