For Liz and I, it all started after we separated ourselves from the family court debacle. Once we started believing, we knew the next step was to get baptised.
As we now had all the children living with us and we only had one car, we needed to do two school runs. Twenty miles in one direction and a few miles in another. The children knew some neighbours went to another school close by theirs and Liz asked if it were possible for our three to get a lift and they'd walk the rest of the way. They obliged, thankfully. Liz explained our predicament, and they invited us all to their house one Friday night. Little did we know it was a regular church fellowship night with pizza and a few beers.
The Invitation
We were invited to attend the church their following Sunday. And whilst List jumped at the offer, I gritted my teeth and agreed to go as well out of politeness. A side note - my parents were Catholics, and I was forced to go to church as a child. I was even pushed in to strumming a guitar on the altar. This was one of the reasons I was driven to want to travel around the world. I left the UK when I was seventeen, with a few quid, a passport, tent, sleeping bag, and rucksack, that's another blog to be fair, but I did it and would recommend it to anyone in their late teens.
Back to church: we went to this evangelical church on the Sunday. I remember it like it was yesterday. Apart from them being very welcoming, I felt seriously strange and to the point of tears.
After attending a church a few times, I had an extremely heavy sense that I was supposed to do something or at least be more significant than just an observer. It felt like I was supposed to build a church. This is when I started experiencing visions both at the church and other people's houses, who were also part of the church. Or made this even more strange was that others saw the same things as me, such as a vision of Jesus and giant beings looking in through the windows of the school hall where the services were being held.
Now Baptism
It became apparent to Liz and I that we should get baptised, much to the annoyance of my parents who repeatedly stated there was no need to as I was baptised as a baby. FYI, No, I was christened but was not baptised. My adult baptism was an acknowledgement that I knew I was a sinner and needed redemption and salvation by a Saviour, and the remission of my sins can only be granted by believing in Jesus and being baptised. As a baby I couldn't even walk, let alone sin.
We're all fallen short. We've all sinned and the only way out is to be saved. Many people ask "saved from what?" Here's the deal; if one refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and saviour, when you die you will be forever separated from God and for those people they will experience God's wrath for eternity. Yes, we're talking eternal lakes of fire.
If you'd like to read a bit more about the basics, take a look at this page Christianity for Beginners.
I started experiencing visions. I then began, after getting baptised, to experience the most intense grief that felt like a parent for their child. I had not felt like this since my daughter died back in 1993. Yet this also felt like it was the grief of God for His Son. It was seriously intense and deep. Liz believed it was about my daughter Lauren and about the sadness about her death, my family, and all the things that had happened in the past and this was God's way of helping me 'let go', from somewhere deep inside of me. Perhaps it was God showing me how he felt, knowing what His Son had to go through and that the feelings of grief are the same. Seriously I was in bits and unconsolable for a few days. Although it passed, I became more and more curious.
After a business trip to Scotland I had a prophecy just before I go on the plane to come back down to London. I had this sense that I would build a business but eventually hand it over to my son, and then evangelise, preaching the gospel to businesspeople.
Whilst nothing happened immediately, these things not only stay with you but become part of you, especially as they are new experiences.
As with many Christians, we believed in our early days that the grass was greener and we moved and experienced different churches. Our journey of faith took us to watch and evaluate all things visible in Christianity, from the social side, to attending every event going. We were also asked to help at an Alpha course and guide others! Seriously, we were new at all this, and they had us volunteering already.
We went on to attend the Marriage Course, and same again, they asked us to help at the next marriage course. We attended healing courses, naturally supernatural courses, education lessons, you name it, we were like sponges, We both wanted to consume anything going.
We also had Sky TV and so we watched the US prosperity gospel preachers too. Some had some very interesting and genuinely insightful lessons, but we all know the caveat was the money. It seemed so convincing... and then it wasn't (fortunately for us). The more we read and understood the Bible, we gradually saw them for what they were, wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Having dipped add toes in different churches, listened to different preachers and attended multiple events, and of course got to hear and see much of the positive and negative side of church life, I was even told by a pastor I would 'fly for Christ'. We had prophecies spoken over us, from others saying we would be welcoming people into our house and engaging with believers in a big way. Even though this seemed so positive and apparently 'uplifting', it wasn't. We began to withdraw. And this is when we really started to understand what was going on. But I'll save that for later.
Until next time, bye for now,
Nigel
