“A special touch for a special task” I once heard one of my favorite preachers (now deceased), Dr. Adrian Rogers, describe anointing as this. I would add to that, “for a special time”. Actually, it is much more than that, but I want to share a special moment that happened in Corpus Christi a few years ago. I was scheduled to preach in several area prisons and decided Corpus was the most convenient to the prisons in Beeville, Three Rivers and San Diego, Texas. I love to fish but didn’t think I would have time because of the many services I had planned. I took my rod and reel…just in case.
I got there and called Chaplain David Villareal at the Garza East unit where I was to be that evening. “I’m so glad you called. I tried to reach you, but you had already left home. Brother Don, we got a new warden on the unit today and he canceled all week night activities. I’m so sorry, but we can’t have church tonight. ” Well, I know those things happen, it’s just part of prison ministry. So, I said to myself, I’ll just go fishing. I have fished many times in Corpus Christi.
Absent-Minedly Drove Right Past It
Today would be different. Generally, I fish from the marina area where there are “T” heads and “L” heads that allow you to drive out and fish from the park like area. I bought my bait from one of the shrimp boats in the area and headed for my fishing spot…but I “absent-mindedly” drove right past it. When I realized what I had done, I was already a few blocks past and decided to continue along the bay side drive for a while because I had spotted a pier in the distance. I thought I would try the pier first and when I arrived at the little public park, I could see one person on the pier. I gathered up my fishing gear and headed to the end of the pier. As I got closer to the end, I could see that it was a woman and she had no fishing gear, she was just gazing into the Bay waters.
I wondered why a woman would be out there alone and with no fishing equipment, but I didn’t want to know, I just wanted to fish. I went to the opposite side of the pier about 100′ from where she was. As I began to fish and was reeling in one small fish after the other, I could see her making her way little by little over to where I was. I just wanted to fish so I “sort of” ignored her. In a moment she started a conversation, “You sure are catching a lot of fish, do you always put them back?” I confess I was not overly friendly, I told her I always put the fish back. I didn’t know at this time that this was an anointed, appointed, ordained moment from God. I just kept fishing. She continued to talk and as she did I began to listen with more interest. She told me she was a doctor. I just listened but in my mind, I was saying, “Yeah, you’re a doctor.” She told me she couldn’t practice because she had been admitted to an institution for psychosis about a year ago. She told me she had attempted suicide a couple of times. I listened more intently. I asked her why she was on the pier. She said, “I seem just ‘drawn’ to the water, there’s something final about the water. You can cut your wrist and survive; you can overdose and survive…but there’s something final about the water.” I looked at the choppy bay waters and glanced back at the shoreline…a pretty long swim. She explained how despondent she was and how terribly depressed because of her situation. She was there to commit suicide!
I Knew This Was an Ordained Moment
I began to put away my fishing gear, because now I knew why the service had been canceled, now I knew why I had “absent-mindedly” driven past my fishing spot. I knew this was an ordained moment! Just as I was ready to witness to her, other people began to show up and spoiled the private moment. I understood that, too.
I said, “Ma’am, I don’t want you to misunderstand but would you mind walking back to my car with me and sit for a few minutes in the front seat of the car…I want to talk with you and pray for you.” She did not hesitate stating that she knew she needed prayer.
As we walked toward the car, I found out that she was saved and was confident of her relationship to Christ. Even though she did not attend an evangelistic church, she remembered the day she asked Christ to be her Savior. I asked her if she believed in angels. “Oh, yes, I do. I believe they have intervened many times in my life…” I then asked her if she believed in demons…she hesitated a moment. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
We arrived at the car and sat in the front seat. I said, “I don’t think you are psychotic though that may have been your diagnosis, I believe you are tormented with evil spirits of depression and suicide, and I further believe, God has heard your cry for help. I believe that’s why we are seated here at this moment. I told her if she wanted to be free, if she had no unforgiveness or unconfessed sin in her life that in the Name of Jesus Christ I could rebuke the demons. She was ready! “Please do it!” She said. First, I had a word of prayer acknowledging and thanking God for His Presence. I ask the Holy Spirit to give me direction and accomplish her freedom through biblical deliverance. I explained to her that I was going to bind evil spirits in the Name of Jesus Christ and when I did so she might experience some physical sensations, symptoms such a nausea, stomach tightness, tingling sensations, eyes fluttering, burning in parts of her body, etc. She nodded that she understood. I took authority over the evil spirits and bound them in the Name of Jesus Christ. I commanded that they could not split, divide, multiply, fragment or clone…they couldn’t hide nor use any form of trickery, that they could not harm her, nor go to anyone else, I commanded them to attention and that when commanded to go they would go immediately and into the abyss. After the evil spirits were bound I asked if she experienced any unusual feelings or symptoms. “Oh, yes, my lips are burning, and my hands, both hands are tingling and burning.”
They were there and they were nervous about what was to follow. They manifested through the discomfort she described. I told her she might feel them come up and out of her mouth when I commanded them to go. I could see her body heaving from deep exhaling as the demons were expelled. I could see and hear the deep sigh of relief! I asked her what she was feeling.
“Oh, the fog is gone. (It wasn’t foggy). Oh, I can even see more clearly, things are sharp and distinct” she remarked, “I have never felt such peace in all of my life!” I talked with her briefly about what had happened, I encouraged her to go to a bible teaching church and had prayer with her again. She was free in the Name of Jesus Christ! Appointed, anointed, ordained time!
I sent her some materials to read and a letter of encouragement. A few weeks after that she called our home and spoke to my wife, (I was out of town), telling her what had happened to her life as a result of this moment ordained by God. She called again a few weeks after that to let me know she was doing fine. I was recently back in Corpus Christi and I called to check on her. This is now two years later. Her husband answered, I introduced myself and said, “I don’t know if you know who I am…” He interrupted me with, “Yes, yes, I know who you are.” He told me his wife was not at home, but that she was a different person. “Thank God, her life is different now…”
I believe this happens more than we know, it’s important to recognize these times.
Blessings!
Just for Jesus,
Don