Hanging On By A Thread
Testimony of Lance Wearmouth (Snr)
"The following is my testimony concerning a recent serious
illness and miraculous recovery.
Recently I gave a testimony about these events at my church
in Harrisville and because some missed out on hearing it I
was asked to prepare a tape. I did that and this is a
written version.
As well as those close to me, relatives and friends in
far-flung places and church congregations I don’t even know
about were praying for me. Even some who don’t go to church
were involved. All this concern for me leaves me quite
touched and if this is being read by an individual or in a
church that was involved, please accept the gratitude of
myself and family for both your concern and your efforts on
my behalf.
At the end of April 1999 I was admitted to the Ipswich
hospital with a kidney stone. Not very pleasant, but no big
deal for modern medicine. They did the usual things, filled
me up with fluids and pain killers and kept me under
observation. That was the 28th. By the morning of the 29th I
had developed septicemia, toxic shock, complete renal
failure and right sided heart failure. Instead of dying
straight away I was hanging on by a thread.
Given the serious condition I was in and an estimated
survival chance of 3%, the family was called in and
permission sought of my wife, Lorraine, to turn off life
support. To survive at all I would require renal dialysis
which was not available in Ipswich at the time and would
require transport to the P.A. It was thought that my chances
of surviving transport were negligible, and in the event
that I did survive the trip and the subsequent treatment, I
would be a vegetable.
Lorraine couldn’t bring herself to switch me off and instead
contacted the Pastor who arrived with the elders. In
accordance with the instructions in James they prayed over
me and anointed me with oil.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the
elders
of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil
in the name of the Lord.
Well, I did survive the trip to the P.A. despite the
ambulance having to stop twice to have me stabilized, and I
woke up about two weeks later. I discovered that my toes
were black and that I would lose some of them - I eventually
lost five off the left foot - I had difficulty seeing and
discovered my left eye was blind and my right eye had only
6% vision left.
So I didn’t get off scot free. However, my mind and memory seem to be virtually unaffected. Doctors who treated me and earlier made their grim predictions are amazed. I have been told by several that my survival is a medical impossibility and to do so with my marbles intact is quite unreal.
People as sick as I was just do not survive. My apparent
return to good health is also leaving them wondering.
Although I have lost some bits and pieces all vital organs
seem to be intact and functioning properly. There is no
doubt in my mind and in the minds of any who were close to
the action that a miracle of healing has occurred.
One doctor asked me did I have any ‘near death experiences’
such as people often talk about and I told him, yes, and
related the story of a dream.
There were no bright lights or angels waiting but there was
this dream. There were several dreams actually. With one
exception they were all recognizable as dreams on waking.
Bits and pieces of reality mixed up with fantasy - things
out of sequence, etc. Such is normal under the
circumstances. But this one dream was different. It had a
different quality - it was more like an experience than a
dream. Also it was completely unrelated to anything that was
happening to me. I have considered it may have been a
vision.
I saw Sydney burn. There was a gay Mardi Gras in progress
and this huge obelisk shaped mountain of burning rock slowly
descended from the sky and hovered over the place. Round
about this burning obelisk was a mighty cyclonic wind,
revving it up like a huge open air blast furnace. At the
same time this wind was knocking off pieces of the rock and
hurling them in all directions. Wherever they went fires
broke out, buildings were destroyed, steel melted and
concrete crumbled. Human life was snuffed out like insects
on an electric zapper. This engine of destruction did not
work quickly like a bomb, it just continued methodically
until the job was done.
I was watching this from a safe vantage point and I could
smell it and feel the heat. It seemed to me to be real. At
the same time as this was going on a voice was telling me
things. I cannot repeat the exact words but three things are
clear:
• God will destroy the second Sodom in the same manner as
the first,
• Christians were to stop resisting this evil, (meaning I
assume the gay Mardi Gras) and get out of Sydney,
• The whole world should witness the shame of Sydney.
With regard to the first point we are told Sodom was
destroyed by a rain of fire and brimstone out of heaven
(sky) - no vivid details are given but it could have been as
in my dream. Consistent too with the archaeological
discoveries of the remains of balls of fire buried in the
ruins of Sodom - made of a sulphur/metal mixture which burns
exceedingly hot. The following also has reference.
Psalms 11:6NAV Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire
and
brimstone, and an horrible tempest: [this shall be] the
portion
of their cup.
Concerning the second point - this troubles me somewhat.
There seems to be implied a task of informing Sydney people
of impending doom. Do I take this as real or treat it as a
dream generated by a mind affected by narcotic drugs? I have
discussed this question with several including two Pastors
(different religions), a Salvation Army Officer and a
psychiatrist. The best advice I can get is that it is
probably dangerous to proceed given the circumstances but
that if it was in fact a vision, there should be some
confirmation. It was suggested by someone close to me that I
might do well to keep my mouth shut and avoid possible
embarrassment. It has occurred to me that the confirmation I
need may in fact be with someone else who also had a dream
and is keeping his or her mouth shut too. So I am talking
about it.
The third point tends to point towards 2000 (Olympics) which
is the only time in the foreseeable future when the whole
world will be focused on Sydney. I was not given a specific
time but have assumed 2000 may be intended.
Confirmation is important not only to allay my own doubts
but to convince others. I doubt if anyone would be likely to
take me seriously given the circumstances I was in at the
time. It is however, a dream unlike any other I have had -
and as I said - it troubles me. I feel a need to talk about
it.
No doubt God has some task yet for me to complete. Probably
several. I know from many people I have spoken to that the
obvious answer to prayer has been a blessing to them
personally. One man, a farmer in Kingaroy who I have been
good friends with since our school days and who has not
always been on the best of terms with God, often blaming him
for no rain or other things gone wrong at the worst time,
confessed to me that he put in a word for me and is
particularly encouraged by my survival.
A couple of points are worth mentioning. Firstly, prayer
works, and the volume in this case humbles me. Whilst
individuals have no doubt been blessed, it is not uncommon
for friends and relations to resort to prayer in such
circumstances. The action of my wife in calling on the
elders and their following of the instructions given by
inspiration of God, and my subsequent recovery, is a witness
to all. It may not be within the abilities of ordinary
people to undertake faith healing in a dramatic way as Jesus
did, but this method of using the elders is the prescribed
method for ordinary people. If the volume of prayer needed a
seal, this was it, use it with confidence.
The other point is that I went to sleep on the evening of
the 27th and was found by my wife unconscious the next
morning when she came off night duty. I woke up 2 weeks
later in the P.A. hospital. I might just as well have woken
up at the resurrection. None of us knows when our end is
coming. It is not the return of Jesus and whether we will be
right with him by then that we have to concern ourselves
with, it is whether we are right with him now. I call on all
who read this to consider that their next heartbeat might be
their last and that if they want to be in the Kingdom of God
they may only have moments to make it possible."
Lance
lance@hypermax.net.au
Send by Clive
cnevell@hypermax.net.au (Sunday December 19th, 1999)
