(an excerpt from Encounters with Angels – The Presence)
A few years ago, I came across my father’s small pocket testament, which had his written confession of faith. It was comforting to know that he had been born again in the Spirit. What struck me the most, however, was that my father’s spiritual birth date and death date were on the same day of the month – December 19, 1937, and December 19, 1962, respectively.
While studying the numbers 25 and 37, I discovered some exciting revelations about and connections between significant life events in my father’s life – his physical birth, spiritual rebirth, and death.
In 1925, which I will refer to as ‘25’ from here on, my father was born. In ‘37, he experienced a spiritual rebirth into the Kingdom of Christ according to his confession of faith. In 1962, he passed away and entered the heavenly embrace of the Father’s arms. He was 37 years old when he died, exactly 25 years after his spiritual rebirth.
It’s interesting to note that when you add 25 and 37, the sum is 62, which happens to be the same year my father passed away. What’s also interesting to note is that this realization occurred in 2024, which is precisely 62 years after his death.
The number 25 also symbolizes “grace upon grace” in the Bible. The number combines 20, meaning redemption, and five, meaning grace or grace multiplied (5 times 5). It’s amazing to see how all these numbers align providentially in my father’s life as if it were meant to be.
I don’t believe that these dates were a coincidence, and I don’t have an explanation for his untimely death. However, it is not a matter of chance or accident when someone passes away. The Bible clearly tells us that our lives are in God’s hands, and He knows the time of our death, having already appointed it. The Bible says, “Man’s days are determined; God has decreed the number of his months and has set limits he cannot exceed.”
Ever wonder if that voice in your head is a sign you are losing it? Some might say that hearing voices no one else does could be a sign of losing one’s sanity. Good news: I have a different perspective, mainly when it involves a personal relationship with an omnipresent God. In this post, I’ll share an encounter with God that might make you reconsider before seeking medical advice. And before you write me off as a quack, I recommend you read on.
Are you ready to embark on a journey of faith and discovery? Join me as we unravel the mystery of hearing from God.
Here’s a true story. Not long ago, I found myself overwhelmed by the stress of a broken wrist, right as I was preparing for an impending storm. Little did I know, God was about to lead me on an incredible journey of faith-building and healing.
The next day, I attended church. As I sang songs of praise in the 3rd row from the front of the auditorium on the right with my right arm in a sling, I suddenly heard “Bill, you are healed!” I immediately whirled around to see who said that to me, but no one made eye contact nor acknowledged me. A little while later, I heard it again. “Is that you, God?” Or was I just one step away from a straightjacket? Better err on the side of believing and take that check to the bank and cash it, metaphorically speaking.
Over the next week, I wrestled with doubts as I rolled over on my fractured wrist in my sleep, three times to be exact. Ouch!#&!!! Was I really healed? I would not see the surgeon for another week due to a state of emergency imposed upon New Jersey following Storm Sandy. Electricity was out and travel was restricted. But God was faithful to continually send me assurances that I was healed. So now, join me as we unravel the mystery of hearing from God – Read “Into the Storm.”
The story didn’t end there. Talk about perfect timing, and just as I was questioning my sanity for the umpteenth time, an email pops up from my brother Jamie entitled “The Voice in My Head.” Jamie is the owner and CEO of EDC Communications. His opener? “I hear a voice in my head. No, I am not crazy.” Reading his article felt like he was speaking directly to me, and it was so reassuring to realize that he gets it, he really does. Phew! A huge sigh of relief. He totally gets it! So, I concluded that I was not crazy after all.
Later that evening as I am pondering the timing of my brother’s email, I tune into Daystar Christian TV. Jesse Duplantis is sharing how he narrowly escaped an uncomfortable and perhaps potential disaster because of a divine premonition – he felt God telling him to skip the flight he was scheduled to take. Skeptical, exhausted, and itchy to get home, he hears it again and tells the boarding attendants he is changing his flight. Despite his initial hesitance and uncomfortableness, he heeded God’s still, small voice. The boarding attendants were probably rolling their eyes, but who’s chuckling now? As the plane was taxiing on the runway, one of the plane’s engines exploded. Jesse had heard correctly and acted on God’s instruction obediently. Sometimes decisions such as this are very difficult to make and require thoughtful discernment.
Reflecting on similar episodes over time, it struck me that such encounters aren’t random happenstance but are akin to divine affirmations. These God winks rejuvenate and build my faith.
Over the years God has increasingly shown me his intervention; a random Bible verse, a quiet voice in my spirit, a feeling. These moments are affirmations of encouragement, fueling my faith. They are manifestations of God’s desire to rekindle once bright promises within me, to ignite belief in the boundless possibilities through Him, to draw me closer, to be a light in the darkness. He wants to renew a fire in me to believe that all things are possible with Him. He wants to be my beacon light, always shining in the darkness.
Here’s a tip: Pay attention to those heavenly voices in your mind and think twice before calling the shrink!
Lately, I have felt more like the tree on the right, withered, dry, brittle lacking any life. Sometimes we let things, circumstances, and even people drain us of our vitality. What might have taken days, weeks, and months to turn us into a shriveled mess in an instant can be changed around. When I turn my attention away from myself, and my circumstances, and instead turn towards the source of life and water, I begin to perk up, to look more like the fruit-bearing tree on the left. In the natural world, it takes buckets of water to get the tree looking more life-like, but in the supernatural, in the Spirit, with just a simple turning of my gaze off self, to Christ Jesus, I’m alive again!
Refreshed, Renewed, Restored back to Vibrant life.
Isn’t this really where we want to be, living our lives, vibrant, sparkling, and energetic so anyone who comes into contact with us can glean life, hope, joy, and peace? Instead of sensing a dull lifeless person, I am grateful, that there’s fruit for them to taste and see how good My God is.
I hope and pray that this simple reminder and visual of a fruitful tree versus a withered tree brings you to the point where you too question, today, at this moment, which am I resembling more? And then you drink in the magnificence of who God has been for you in your life. How He rescued you from dark places; how He gave and gives you all you need; How He has protected you from situations perhaps too painful to recount, yet He was there in the midst of it, lifting you up and seeing you into the future; how He has lead you to greener, richer soil.
In the natural, a plant needs a handful of things to flourish. 1. Good soil 2. Plenty of water 3. Adequate sunlight 4. Proper care 5. Time and patience.
James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. I believe God designed us already to be Good soil. He says we are Good soil, He placed a multitude of perfect giftings, talents, ideas, and richness inside of us. He said it is perfect, we are not only Good soil, but we are also perfect soil. Do we believe it? Do we believe Him? Perhaps to believe it, it’s easier if we say it like this – I am perfectly good soil. Your turn, say it out loud a few times, emphasizing each word, I am perfectly good soil. I AM perfectly good soil. I am PERFECTLY good soil. I am perfectly GOOD soil. I am perfectly good SOIL Now, turn your face away from what has your attention, whatever is distracting you, and face the God of the universe, watch Him pour out buckets full of Living water that will Renew, Refresh, and Revitalize you to be Fruitful.
Did you know? Johann Sebastian Bach fathered 20 children, only of which 10 survived, all having tragically died before adulthood. In total, he lost three children to his first wife and seven children to his second wife. Illness, plagues, and the limited medical care of the times meant many didn’t make it past their young years. Then, in 1720, after 13 years of marriage, his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach, suddenly died while Bach was traveling and before he could say goodbye. Bach was distraught with grief. Just over a year later, he remarried, and with his second wife, Anna-Magdalena, they lost four more daughters and three sons—ten beloved children. I can hardly imagine how he was able to go on. And yet he continued to write some of the most beautiful music the world has heard.
In 2016, I composed and uploaded a song on YouTube entitled “We Cry Of / In Quiet Faithfulness.” The song is original, except for some lyrics borrowed from J.S. Bach. It’s a personal testimony of mine. You can click the link below to listen to it.
The world was in turmoil when I wrote the opening segment titled “We Cry Of” in the early 1970s. The Beatles, public demonstrations, disorder (sound familiar?), gas shortage lines, and the Vietnam War were in full swing. In 1971, the Jesus Revolution was Time magazine’s featured front cover. It was a period in history of soul searching, of looking inward. It was a time when I was trying to find my identity. Although my struggles were hardly as tragic as Bach’s circumstances, I, too, experienced life’s trials – the death of a loved one, the unfaithfulness of a friend, a feeling of insecurity, a lack of understanding, and personal problems.
Christmas in 1962 was to be a joyous time with family and friends. The Christmas tree was adorned with glistening balls and lights, and we were looking forward to opening gifts and enjoying homemade cookies and milk by the fireplace. However, this year would be different, as tragedy struck 6-days before Christmas. My father was 37 years old, young, and I was 11 years old when he tragically passed away.
Growing up without a dad had a profound effect on me as a boy of 11 into young adulthood. It was life-changing. As my father was absent for half of my schooling, I was not able to go to him for emotional support, so emotional instability and complex relationships were the norm throughout my middle school and high school years and even into my college years. I needed my father because they play a role in every child’s life that others cannot fill. An interesting study showed that fathers significantly impact a child and help shape them into the person they become, not only on the inside but on the outside, as well as how others perceive them and how they have relationships with others as they grow.
By the time I attended college in 1969, instead of being in touch with the joys of my past, I often had negative thoughts. Unresolved trauma and emotional pain from my high school years still followed me. I felt vulnerable and insecure, felt shame for my past, and was often anxious. So, in search of a new way to live, I became a part of the ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’ long-haired hippie counterculture that was sweeping America.
You might ask, what is anyone to do when unfortunate circumstances happen to you, none of which you can control? The Bible says one must look to Jesus and the comfort He can give. And so, in my trouble, I cried to the Lord, and He answered me (Psalm 120:1). Like many “long beautiful hair, shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen, give me down to there hair, shoulder length or longer”2 haired hippies, I began to question the gospel. I would eventually discover my identity in Christ, the Father who extravagantly loves and gives, the God of mercy and all comfort, a Father whose heart was for me to return to His loving embrace and find solace in Him.
O Lord, please rescue me. Come quickly to help me, O Lord (Ps. 40:13)
Took Wings and went to heaven
During the Bridge of the song, I took wings and went to heaven, got saved, and came back to earth. That was in 1972. Although we really don’t take wings and go to heaven, get saved, and come back to earth, it’s merely a figure of speech that shows one’s need to transcend our worldly life to a higher spiritual realm in which we meet Christ as our savior and lover. It is one’s faith in Christ that rescues us from controlling our destiny and prepares us to live “In Quiet Faithfulness.”
In Quiet Faithfulness
IIn this last song segment, God is my refuge, safe and sure, my staff and rod in trouble, need, and stress. I am content, and in patience, I endure. And like Bach, through it all, I find solace for “God is my refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1 New Living Translation).
“In quiet faithfulness, I love and serve my God.
In trouble, need, and stress, He is my Staff and Rod. (Ps. 23:4)
In God, I am content, In patience I endure, In Him my house and I find refuge safe and sure (Nahum 1:7)”
“I therefore thank my God and love and serve Him still;
What happens in this world must ever be God’s will.
I place in child-like trust my life into His care.
In God, I am content, what’ere my sphere or share.“
I, too, have made these lyrics my prayer.
Do you truly understand who God is, as revealed in the Bible? For faith in God to be genuine, we must accept Him as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. Have you surrendered your life to His care? It’s resigning your life into his hands to do with you as he pleases. Is He your refuge safe and sure, your staff and rod in trouble, need, and stress? Can you place in child-like trust your life into God’s care? Can you give thanks in all circumstances? And in any and in every circumstance, have you learned the secret of contentment? The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
So, take a few minutes now, call upon Him, for He is your helper, and make Psalm 46:1-3 below your declaration, then listen to “We Cry Of / In Quiet Faithfulness,” and make the song’s words your prayer and declaration. See the YouTube link below.
Prayer/Declaration: God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in times of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you. I will never fear even if every support structure crumbles. I will not fear even when the earthquakes and shakes, moving mountains and casting them into the sea. For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode my faith in you.
Copyright 2023 by Bill Hutzel
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