|
Fresh from the 'witness' box! God came to the rescue of scores of people threatened by a runaway fire in a Durban (South Africa) hotel on the eve of 25 January 2007. People called upon God to help them – He did. No newspaper mentioned God's role; even some of those airlifted from the rooftop neglected to credit and honor Him for saving them. But that is not what this is about, let's listen to the account of three Christians who through their faith, automatically applying the concepts of L10T, managed to call on God and in so doing allowed Him to intercede and reveal Himself to both believers and non-believers. “Hi, I am Harry, my wife is Willemien and our pregnant daughter is Liana, her husband, Nick, was in Cape Town at the time of this incident. It was about 19:00 on the 25th January and we were in our apartment on the 26th floor when a hotel official alarmed us of an approaching fire from downstairs. We grabbed some necessities and our mobile phones whilst I indicated to Willemien and Liana that everything will be all right – not having the faintest idea of what still lay ahead! The supervisor indicated to us that we should descend with the fire escape to safety. Willemien started to pray to God to bless and protect us and all those in the building whilst we and others scrambled through thickening smoke down to the 14th floor. Here by the grace of God our descent was halted by a locked door. At this stage the gravity of the calamity became evident as fire, sparks, smoke and intense heat manifested themselves all around us. There was no water pressure in the fire hydrants and several men were able to wrest fire-extinguishers from the wall. At this stage disbelief and fear (not trusting God) took hold of the people surrounding us. We turned around, went to the 16th floor where we took another fire escape down to the 14th floor – again the door was closed. In retrospect this was ordained to be so as we would surely have all stepped right into the jaws of hell. With Liana leading we rushed upward to the roof (32nd floor) as there is a swimming pool which, we reasoned, would protect us against the worst flames and smoke. Whilst we were rushing upward by means of various staircases to the top floor we were followed by a chaotic and panicky crowd, becoming worse so as the windows downstairs started exploding from the intense heat. On the roof already some people had congregated. There was smoke all over and sparks where zipping past us from below – many people where using wet pieces of clothing to lessen the effect of inhaling the noxious smoke. There was chaos and pandemonium. People were shouting and crying. Then it happened. Willemien, who is a teacher and can (if the need arises) call a rowdy bunch to order, calls for silence and requests everybody to pray to God for safe deliverance through this ordeal. She led in prayer and requests God not only to save everybody but also to safeguard all. Spontaneously hands rise skyward and those present, from all walks of life, regardless of faith, nationality, gender or age, pray in their own language that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit deliver us from this plight. There and then the four steps of L10T culminate in the peace that is only possible in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Gone was the chaos, gone was the panic for which Satan is responsible – it was replaced, nay, usurped, by the comfort only God can bring.
After Willemien's initial prayer, smaller groups form, sit down and pray. Many individuals approach us for personal prayers – it is both wonderful and amazing. The golden thread of prayer connects us together and with God.
Whilst the drama unfolding itself on the lower floors due to insufficient water pressure and other problems was in progress, hundreds of mobile calls and SMS messages were made and received – from family and friends, including members of our congregation and small-group, hundreds of kilometers away. Calls of prayer and support were coming in, our daughter Annelien said “God will make a way where there seems no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for you. We love u and pray for you!” More and more people united in prayer all over South Africa as the news of the fire spread. Harry and Willemien receive a SMS from an unknown person :
By the time the first helicopter arrives just before 20:00 there are already about 100 people on the roof. and the up to now calm crowd again erupts in chaos as some want to get to safety in a hurry. The 2nd helicopter delivers the chief of the emergency services Netcare 911, Gary Paul, and he takes control of the evacuation from the roof top – calm and order are re-established.. Winds exceeding 50kmph buffeting the sea side hotel coupled with the thermals created by the fire and low visibility make rescue operations on the rooftop extremely dangerous for the helicopter pilots. Nonetheless they manage to utilize the 6m² open space throughout the ordeal to airlift everyone. After initial unwillingness by an East African Muslim to follow his wife and baby son with a helicopter to safety and staying behind, Willemien approaches him with the assurance that she will pray for his safe evacuation – only then does he join the row for the those ascending. It was a profound experience for her to be able to boldly proclaim her faith in such a direct manner. What a privilege to be able to approach others with faith in the Living God! At about 21:30 more than 30 people from our prayer group at our congregation in Linden, Johannesburg, as well as prayer groups from other churches in Linden, Umhlanga and most probably many others are praying for us and the other victims of this inferno. And then it happened, the wonder – the fire started to die down; something Gary Paul later attributes to “a Higher Hand”; Werner, my (Harry) grandson's version was “...it's really quite simple, God sent an angel who killed the fire by holding it's wings over it...” We were amongst the last to leave the roof top. Willemien, who is not able to handle heights at all, received the peace and assurance from God to calmly face the distressing procedure of being hoisted to safety into an airborne helicopter Not a single person was killed that night.
Glory be to God as we can praise with Paul in Ephesians 3:14 – 21: This is the reason I kneel in the presence of the Father from whom all the family in heaven and on earth receives its name. I'm asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. This way, with all of God's people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is. You will know Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God. Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory belongs to God in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time and eternity! Amen. May God bless and keep you! Harry, Willemien and Liana” |
|
|
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. قَالَ لَهُ يَسُوعُ: «أَنَا هُوَ الطَّرِيقُ وَالْحَقُّ وَالْحَيَاةُ. لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَأْتِي إِلَى الآبِ إِلاَّ بِي. 耶稣说「我就是道 路、真理、生命；若不藉著我，没有人能到父那里去。 "Ich bin der Weg!", antwortete Jesus. "Ich bin die Wahrheit und das Leben! Zum Vater kommt man nur durch mich. |
|