The following is from an email request I received from Clive Nevell which I posted on the old, old server, and is now being re-posted here:
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 septicaemia, 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-AV 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 stabalised, 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 30% 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. Also consistent with the vision of Ellen White regarding a city being
destroyed by balls of fire. 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 11:6-AV 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.
