A Very Personal Story Which Is A Significant Part Of My Spiritual Journey And Testimony

This is a very personal story. It is part of mya blessing.
spiritual journey and testimony - yes, only part -I saw exactly the same vision - and I remember
but as one significant experience took place 39saying to myself - well if you weren't making up
years ago this month, I thought it expedient tospeaking in tongues last night you are certainly
put it down in back and white. What I share withmaking this up - until I heard God speak to me -
you is real and it lasts!"Son, look at the water."
It brought me amongst leaders from variousIn my vision - in my picture - the water was
parts of the world. These were men of God whoflowing uphill to the summit! It was like holding up
knew what leadership was all about and what wasa hose and the water was sprinkling all over the
involved, and it has been a tremendous privilegeplace - the same consequences but a different
to have learned from these men, particularly inmethod.
the 1970's and 80's.Then came the voice again - "From now on your
Let me take you back to one Sunday night whenministry will be uphill."
I was 8 years of age. I was in bed but playing atI move forward two years to Guildford University
ministers, announcing Psalms and Hymns andin 1971 - a superb Fountain Trust Conference. On
reading the Bible. My mother came through andthe Saturday morning at the final meeting we
told me to "Go to sleep." I asked for "Fivewere to meet in denominations. "Oh NO!" My wife,
minutes more" which was granted.Elspeth, said, "We have been at everything - let's
In that period of five minutes I had a vision ofgo along."
God - a vision of Jesus Christ - when I was calledThere were five Presbyterians present - but one
to the Ministry. Yes, these are rather adult words.was one of the main speakers - Rev Professor
I knew I was called to be a minister. I told no-oneRodman Williams, from Austin, Texas.
for 9 years.In 1972 there was to be the first European
Let me now jump forward to 15th June 1959Charismatic Leaders Conference in Germany -
when my examination results at Perth Academywith five representatives from each nation and
came out and I had failed. My father was lyingdenomination. Around three months after
dangerously ill.Guildford, Rod Williams asked me to choose and
On 17th June at 3.10am Perth Police came to ourlead the Scottish delegation.
door to inform my mother and me that myThere was some money available at that time
father had died. One Friday he was at his work -and I was later informed that following the
the next Friday he was in his grave.German Conference, I could travel to any part of
When I went back to School on the Monday Ithe world and tell of what was happening in
discovered that to go into the Ministry you had toEurope!
do six years at University. We had no money. IIn this interim period, Jim and Val Kincaid had gone
completed Sixth Year at Perth Academy, but stillfrom Crossgates in Fife, as missionaries to South
not have sufficient passes to get into University.Africa. I chose to go to South Africa and a three
My problem subject was French. I failed it threeweek preaching tour was arranged, which later
times.incorporated, as I travelled home, a brief visit to
I had to get job and was offered two. One withIsrael, and a week's teaching in Cyprus.
the Gas Board at £320 a year and anotherGermany, South Africa, Israel, Cyprus - what was
with a leading Motor Insurance Company athappening in the life of a wee boy brought up, up
£230 a year - yes - a year!a close, in Perth? Various international ministry
Knowing I had to go to night classes and that thevisits followed.
Motor Insurance Company was only 300 metresIn 1984, we moved north to Ardclach and
from our home I chose Motor Insurance, and thatAuldearn Churches. I came up north to die. I
first morning with the General Accident I wasthought I was finished and that God was putting
informed that there had been a typing error andme out to grass.
the 230 ought to have read 320. I went to nightBut I now had another problem. I could no longer
classes and finally gained entrance to Edinburghsprinkle babies with water and call it baptism and
University.do so with integrity. This became so clear in the
On 1st May 1968 I was ordained in CowdenbeathScriptures. I had been baptised in the Galilee.
West Church, but by December I became drierEvents moved on, until in 1991 on the Isle of
and drier. Christmas and New Year was terrible.Colonsay, where I was preaching for two
In January 1969 at our local Fraternal Meeting,Sundays, I met a man who had a problem. He
which was held in Kinross, a colleague who was tocame to see me - and then I told him my
become a very close friend, Jim Kincaid, walkedproblem - he said "Tell your church authorities"
into the room and said, "I have just been baptisedand that ended up in being deposed.
in the Holy Spirit." Well five or six of us met withOne more thing - going back to 1973 - I was
him, at the close of the Fraternal. "This is whatpreparing for the second European Leaders
we need."Charismatic Conference, back in Germany - when
I always knew there was more but I did notI was invited to speak at a Conference in Holland
know what it was.before the Conference - then the British Airways
We met over these next Monday mornings. WeManager phoned me and asked if I would preach
were seeking, searching, hungering and thirsting.in Frankfurt on the Sunday - Baptist Church in the
Jim took us through the Scriptures. Nothingmorning - American Army Base in the afternoon
happened.and the American Air Force Base at night - I said
On 16th March 1969 - 39 years ago - I came out"YES". They each paid travelling expenses and
of the pulpit in Cowdenbeath, saying, "That is it!" Igave a gift - and Americans pay well.
was preaching that afternoon in Edinburgh at aI caught the train in Frankfurt, on the Monday to
Crusader Rally for young people, and Godgo to Wurzburg and Schweinfurt and then onto
wonderfully upheld. I have never reneged on aSchloss Craheim. I was 'locked' in a compartment
meeting.with David DuPlessis the Co-Chairman of the
On our way to Edinburgh I called in at Jim's Manse.Conference and World Pentecostal Leader -
"Jim, it either happens to-night or I go to thepeople would have paid money for that privilege. I
Forth Road Bridge to-morrow and in the Name oftold him my problem about the money. What a
Jesus Christ take off my collar and drop it intoreply he gave. "Pay all your expenses - buy a
the water and return to Motor Insurance fromnew suit - you have to be neat if you are up
whence I came.front - and whatever money is left over - put it
Around 7.30 that night, Jim came in. He prayed -in the offering. Never touch the gold or the glory."
spoke with me - read from the Bible - nothing.Usually, I start with Scripture, but let me close
"Jim - I've got it all wrong - this call thing - I've gotwith words from the Word of God as we have it
it all so very wrong!" Let me pray with you oncein the Bible, part of which I have read every day
more.since the age of eight.
"There are words in your mind which are notWe have in the book of Acts the record of Paul's
English - in the Name of Jesus speak them out."life and ministry, and we have his testimony three
This I did - two words - and I know what it wastimes. He never changed. He never modified it. He
like to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It was likenever suggested that he had moved on from
someone putting two cycle pumps on my toesthat and what happened was too simplistic. In
and blowing me up and the Spirit of God came upActs Chapter 26 Paul tells us that he was not
my legs and body, and I overflowed. I started todisobedient to the vision from heaven.
'speak in tongues'. I could not stop speaking inIn II Timothy Chapter 4 verse 7 and 3 verse 10,
tongues - praising God in that language I hadPaul has a word for the world and a word for the
never learned. Jim got up and left - saying - "seeChurch. Paul was faithful to the end. He fought the
you in the morning" - and I went over to mygood fight - finished the race - and kept the faith.
desk and began to write in tongues.If we do not keep the faith it is unlikely that we
When we met on the Monday morning - Jim saidwill be able to fight the good fight or finish the
- "Tell them - tell them what happened last night."race. With Paul too it was real and it lasted!
This I did.On my first morning in Uganda I asked God for a
Now - we always had a Prayer Time - and Jimword for the period I was to be preaching and
Kincaid is a man who is always receiving visionsteaching there. My Bible reading that Friday
from God. On this occasion, he saw a mountainmorning "just happened to be" Romans Chapter 9
with a source of water in the centre of it and theand verse 1 - "I speak the truth in Christ". It is
water was flowing down - rivulets of blessing -more important that I say what is true than what
and his word was - wherever you go you will beis new.