ALMOST HOME -----------Chapter 3

Chapter 3  -  The beginning of Miracles

Because of God's mercy and grace a new life began for me. On my next trip to Edmonton, Canada, I saw a big sign in Grand Prairie, announcing a meeting which said: "The Blind see, the Deaf hear and the Lame walk." I was curious, but as usual, I didn't want to take time for anything except to make money. However, when I got to Edmonton, I couldn't forget that sign. It seemed that I was compelled to go back right away so I took an airplane and flew back the four hundred (400) miles.

I attended the meeting and saw a totally blind woman get her sight. I also saw some people in wheelchairs get up and walk. Many people were healed of many diseases in that meeting. What struck me most was how the little humble man who led the meeting could tell people in the audience their name and address and the secrets in their hearts. Of course the Bible says that the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, and a reveler of men's hearts. At that time, I didn't know this, and was a little suspicious of this man who prayed for the sick. So that night I told two Indians I met to come to the meeting the following night. I wanted to find out something. I offered to pay the Indians for their trouble. The next night they came and went right up to the platform. William Branham, the evangelist greeted them, and then told them what they had on their hearts and their diseases were - tuberculosis and heart trouble. Those two fellows were aware that someone was there besides that little man. William Branham said: "You are strangers to me. I don't know you, but there is someone here, who does know you." They both started to weep. When they were leaving the platform, he called them back and asked, "Do you know why you are here tonight?" Turning around, he looked right straight at me and said: "The little fellow there shook your hands last night." Then he told them exactly what I had said to them.

That did it! I ran to my motel room, crying bitterly. I asked the Lord to forgive me for my unbelief and all my other sins. I said, "I know now that you are God, and alive today, and knowest every person."

Psalm 139 says, "O Lord, You hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, Thou understand my thoughts afar off."

When I got up from my knees, I knew that my sins were gone. You will know this, too - if you give God a chance. There was such a lovely presence there, I said to the Lord: "Now I want to ask you a question. They say," Watch and pray always, so you will be ready for the Lord's coming - that's hard for me to do. "
I heard an inner voice say: "Take the Bible."
I said, "I don't have any."
The voice said: "Yes, there's one in the drawer. Open it up."

Sure enough, there was a Bible. I opened it up and right where I opened it, it said: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." The Lord was trying to show me that once my name was written in His book of life, I could be working, sleeping or praying, when He would come and because I had entered through Him - the door - I had nothing to worry about.

Then, to show me that this just didn't happen by chance, the voice said: "Don't forget - John" and he showed me two hands with ten fingers and then two hands with nine fingers extended. I didn't catch on until He spoke to me and showed me the third time. I knew then that these words are found in the John Gospel, chapter 10, verse 9. I was discovering that Jesus Christ was the same yesterday, today and forever.

I also learned that He is watches over us - whether we realize it or not. The next day, while walking to my motel, two vicious dogs came racing toward me. I was scared to death. They acted like they were going to tear me to pieces. As they came closer, I said to them: "Lay down." Instantly, the bigger dog laid down, and looked at me with such a defeated look that I felt sorry for him. The other dog just squealed and ran away as fast as he could. I thought that it was sort of strange the way things were happening. I decided I might as well go to my motel and wait there until the evening service.

Then it happened again. I just had to say it, and it happened. I was in the upper story, looking out the window. Then I saw a man in the yard, putting a ladder against a signpost. He was getting ready to take the sign down. But he for some reason couldn't do a thing. He stopped, looked and down so funny, and couldn't go on with his work. Then he started to keep turning around for a long time. Every time he turned to look my way, I ducked so that he wouldn't see me. I was laughing - it seemed so funny face. But all at once, while he was facing the opposite direction from me, he turned his head very quickly, and caught me watching him. Then I said - of course there was no way for him to hear me - "Now you can go ahead, and go to work" and that he did. All these things showed, I believe that Christians are going to have power to overcome when perilous times and difficult circumstances will come in the future.

It was such a strange week. Since the first day that I accepted Jesus Christ as my saviour, what I said just came to pass, and even what I thought came to pass. There was no more doubt in my mind that God was real!

When I was ready to go back to Edmonton to the place where my truck was parked, I took the taxi to the airport. There were three other fellows with the driver; they were having a big time cursing and talking dirty. I was sitting in the corner of the backseat, unnoticed. I though, “Lord, do I have to listen to this for the next half hour?” Then the fellow who was speaking couldn't finish his sentence, and none of the other men could say another word for about the half an hour that it took us to get to the airport. It was really a strange silence in the taxi.

Now, this really shouldn't seem strange or unusual, because Jesus said, “Before you ask, I will answer you.” And the Bible promises, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Toward the end of the great revival meeting in Canada with William Branham, I felt strongly impressed that I must get together with him. I thought, “I am just a truckdriver, and he is a great evangelist; I don't see why, and just keep disregarding the impression. Finally, I decided to get in touch with this evangelist. I went to a hotel to phone the pastor to get William Branham's address. I stood there next to the phone, still hesitating to call. After standing there a long time, I made up my mind not to call. Suddenly it happened. The phone seemed to come right at me, and was shaking and grinding. It took a nickel to call, and a nickel dropped into the coin return. I looked around to see if anybody else was around to see this, or was it just me? There was an elderly man sitting on a couch. His eyes and mouth were wide open – he had seen it, too. I was so amazed! The very second that I decided not to call, this had happened. Then a voice spoke loud and clear, “Why do you hesitate; why do you think I gave you that money?”

I said, “Oh, my!”

Then I heard a thud behind me. That old man had fallen unconscious to the floor. Such a strange Presence was there! I tell you, I obeyed then!.

I know that this may seem far-fetched, but in the Bible (Mathew 17:27) we see that Jesus must have created a piece of money and put it in the fish's mouth for Peter to get, so that he could pay the taxes with it. Well, the coin He gave me I used for that phone call I was supposed to make, to get William Branham's address. This was all for a purpose. God knew what He was doing.

For a week I felt I was in heavenly places, but I had to come back to earth and to to work. I bought another truck and with another driver made many more trips from the states, and also from Edmonton to Fairbanks. Then I bought land to build fifteen unit motel, and along with three partners, determined to get rich. The Bible says, “Have no other gods before Me.” It's not money that's bad, but the love of money. I guess I was guilty of loving money. In time, I got into a project that took years of my time, and again I lost my money.

Following this venture, I went to work in a foundry. I still could work hard. At present time, I am retired and have a little farm in Wisconsin to keep myself busy. I am as contented now as a man can be. The Bible says that our God will supply all our needs – but not all of our wants: Really, I am one of the richest men in the whole world because my Father in Heaven owns everything and His children are His heirs! He owns the cattle on athousand hills and everything else belongs to Him, too.

My spiritual life and experiences all really started when I first met my wife on the West Coast after I had spent my first 13 years in Alaska. Ellen asked me. “ What church do you belong to?”

I replied, “None, I haven't been to church for over 20 years.”

She declared. “ I am Pentecostal.”

I didn't want to show my ignorance so I asked some friends later what Pentecostal meant. They started to laugh and one of them said, “Oh, those people stand on the street corner and preach, and they don't go to theaters and night clubs.”

I thought, “Well, that's good. Then she won't spend my money that way. And as far as church is concerned, I'll have enough time to talk her out of that.”

Every time the church door opened, I was there. I felt that I had to find out what I was going to talk her out of. But those people were friendly and full of joy. I was impressed while listening to them singing and playing such beautiful songs and music. I was there looking for faults, but I couldn't find any.

Well, we were married, and right after the wedding I went back to Fairbanks with my new bride. There I ran into difficulties.

An old buddy I had gambled and drunk with soon found out that I was going to the Pentecostal Church in Fairbanks. Laughing and mocking, he asked, “Are you going to that Holy Roller Church?”

I said, “Oh, not really. I am just taking my wife there.” So every time church was dismissed, I had to watch to make sure none of my old buddies were around. And every time I walked out of the bar and gambling places, I was in danger of running into church people.

But I praised God that the Bible proved itself again! In Acts 1:8, it says, “Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” This meant I would receive power to witness. The Bible says, if you hunger and thirst after God, He will find you. Well, the week that I attended the William Branham meetings I was baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire! I was not only no longer ashamed fo the Gospel – I was proud of it!

The new project I had gotten into caused me to drive all over the United States; this gave me many opportunities to talk to others about Jesus Christ. And I did what most people would probably hesitate to do – I always picked up every hitchhiker I could – until my car was full.

One night I was driving along a desolate stretch in the Dakotas with a carload of hitchhikers, telling them how real God is and how He is a present help in the time of trouble. No sooner had I said this, when the car started to pull over to the right. A tire was going flat. Here it was after midnight, there was no gas station for miles, and I didn't have a spare tire.

We all piled out of the car. I saw the tire was way down. We could hear the air coming out of the tire. I said in my heart, “Lord this is a bad time for this to happen. I just told these fellows that the Scripture says in Psalm 46:1, Gd is a very present help in time of trouble.”

Then something spoke to me, “Get in the car and drive off.”

I though, “What good will that do – just to go 50 feet farther?” But I obeyed the small voice anyway. I told the boys to get into the car. We drove off. What a surprise we got! God fixed the tire! He put air in the tire and we were on the way again. It wasn't my faith that had brought it about – I didn't have any for that kind of situation – God was just backing up His Word! His Word is truth and life. When He says, “He that believeth in Me shall never die, but have everlasting life,” that's the way it is. I tell you, it was easy to talk about the Lord to those fellows after that experience. They didn't mind me praising the Lord.

to be continued ..........Chapter 4   God answers prayer.