Enjoy!
On May 9th 1993.
I am writing this not so as to attract any attention to myself or any particular Charismatic or non-Charismatic doctrine.
My only purpose is to share a phenomenal happening as accurately as I can and allow you to draw whatever conclusions you should desire.
Most of you will declare that what happened was purely a coincidence. And I have no way of disputing that except by what I know in my spirit and what I am sharing with you as what I believe it was a miraculous demonstration of the power of God.
After preaching and teaching in a Sunday morning service @ “Church Place Church; my wife and my Youth Pastor settled for a huge overindulging lunch at Furr’s Cafeteria in Garland/North Dallas area.
We left Furr’s and proceeded East on Hwy. 78. The expression “it was raining cats and dogs.” might have under described the weather. The sky’s were ominous and it was difficult to see more much more that the taillights of the vehicle in front of us. (Broad daylight)
We arrived at 504 W Jefferson ST. in Wylie, TX and as usual, entered the alley which led to the rear entry garage.
The garage door opener would not respond. I suggested that rather that all of us getting soaked, I would drive around to the front of the house, get out of the car and go through the house and manually open the garage door. Rene’ and my Youth Pastor, Steve Kozak, could then drive around to the back and into the garage.
We had one small umbrella which was useless against the rain and wind.
As I reached my home’s entry way and watched as they pulled away from the curb and headed down Jefferson; an amazing thing happened.
My front door faces the South with a slight Westerly angle.
I was distracted by what sounded like a freight train. (I know this is a common description but that is what it sounded like) (An over amplification of a train, banging the tracks)
The sound was coming from behind me and sounded like it was coming towards me. Knowing that there were no train tracks leading to my doorstep, I turned to determine what was causing the commotion.
I later learned that a tornado had touched down just Southwest of my home. The tornado destroyed part of a Mobile home park (killing one individual) and proceeded toward Brookshire’s where it turned an automobile upside down in its parking lot, destroyed a major portion of a brand new building housing a drug store. It then crossed Hwy. 78 and destroyed two businesses; it was approaching some apartments about two blocks south of my home when I turned around to face it.
I have seen pictures of tornados and have even witnessed a couple of funnel clouds before. But I had never seen anything like what I was seeing when I turned around.
The whole sky in front of me was dark and huge objects were flying around in the whirling wind. It was huge. It was already too close for me to distinguish any sort of funnel. It literally filled the Southern sky in front of me.
Many times I have studied and even taught about the anointing and the God given powers that we as believers in Christ possess because of Jesus, who He is in us, and the authority established as a result of His life, death, burial and resurrection.
I was not thinking about the legality or authority of my situation. My mind instead went to a testimony I once heard in a small Bible study. A young friend of mine was a house painter. He testified that he entered a back yard surprised a Doberman Pincher ready and able to protect his domain.
The Doberman approached growling and with fangs flashing. Russell said that all he could think of was to invoke the name of Jesus. He said he looked the approaching menace in the eyes and with a loud and stern voice commanded the dog to stop in Jesus name. He said the dog stopped in his tracks, and sat down while Russell back tracked his steps out of the backyard unharmed.
I suppose it may have been the Lord’s way of instructing me at the moment. I looked the storm in the eye. I raised my left hand to the air and waived it over my head towards the Northeast and said; “In the name of Jesus, I command you to cease and desist, and get out of here!”
It did! It picked up right in front of me without touching a hair on my head or a shingle on my roof. It went over us, high in the air. We found out later that it touched down following in the same path it took over my house, on Lavon Lake where it also did damage. (Northeast of my home)
This actually happened to me as God is my witness. No one was present except Him, to hear what I spoke. But the circumstantial evidence of the path of the storm and where it hit will back me up.
Coincidence? I personally do not think so. I believe in the power in the name of Jesus, afforded to the overcomer.
I am sharing this in light of the recent tornados that hit the DFW area yesterday and also because we are about celebrating the power of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, this Sunday.
I am a believer in putting God of remembrance of His Word when I pray. For I believe that God is no respecter of persons and what he will do for one, (as He did for David in the 91st Psalm) He will do for another. And I believe that His Word is power filled and will not return unto Him void but will accomplish that which if was sent to perform as I speak it, by His inspiration, from my mouth.
So yesterday; as Rene’ and I were watching the TV and radar and reports of the tornados touching down around us; we thought about Mother’s day 1993 and we prayed these words from the ninety-first Psalm.
Again; although it may have been coincidence, not a single shingle was touched on our roof. We received a much needed inch and a quarter of rain but no high winds and no hail. Praise the Lord.
Ps 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. KJV
I did not share this with the intention of converting any of you that may read it to my way of thinking.
I am merely thankful that me and my house were spared.
This weekend I hope and pray that you might want to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ with your friends and other believers.
The death had to happen because God is a just God. The burial had to happen as proof of the death and resurrection. But the power is in the resurrected Christ. He is alive and dwells in us. As a result; His resurrected power and authority also resides in us and is made available to us.
It is my observation that Jesus did this, not so we could have a religious celebration. I have nothing against religious celebrations, I enjoy them. But He did it so that we might enjoy abundant life. He did it in order to defeat the works of the devil. And he did it so that we might have power over all of the power of the enemy, no matter what the enemy uses for destruction.
Scripture specifically spells out the enemy’s mission. The enemy came “but for” one purpose and one purpose only; to kill, to steal, and to destroy His enemy, God, and the followers of God. (I think that a tornado might very well fit that description)
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore… (I gave you the power, now your go!)
John 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
I believe that if Son of God was manifested in order that He might destroy the works of the devil, then that is exactly what He did. And I believe that He is still doing that through us and in us.
It is my hope and prayer that this testimony has been of some help for whoever reads it. I pray that we may all become more than just conquerors in this life. That we may through Him, and in Him, become overcomers in this life.
And remember; Jesus loves you and so do i.
Love ya
Curtis Shelton
