God spared my life when I should have or could have died by booksbybrendan

God spared my life when I should have, or could have,

BrendandiedMc

God spared my life when I should have, or could have, died

Crossan

17 18 how precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me.[a] And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

Brendan Mc Crossan

God made me and this I know for the bible tells me so, I wish to share with you the miraculous times God spared my life from possible death, not to boast or pat myself on the back, but only one thing I have in mind is= to ‘’glorify my God’ and him alone’’ for I had no control over the incidents that happened to me.

6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.

Psalm 139-1- Living Bible (TLB)

Epilog

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought; 3 you chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head.

I got better from that disease, and then no sooner were they all gone when I took ‘’whoopingcough,’’andinthosedayschildrendiedfromtheseinfectiousdiseases,soback theycame,timeaftertimeuntilIwentthroughallthechildren’sdiseasesbackthen,thenI began to put on weight and started to get well, I couldn’t walk very well and it took me a long while to gain friends. It was nothing but prayer that went up to God for me by my auntsthatsavedmylifeinananswerfromGodandsohesparedmylife,Prayerworks.

My second escape from death

A Hymn of Thanksgiving

My first escape from death

When I was about three or four, my parents bought me a little tricycle and I loved it, and paddled around the street outside my house as it had acircle onthepavement with trees growinginthemiddleofit.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

I was born to Pat and Mary Mc Crossan on the 12 june 1947, Northern Ireland; and from thefirstdayIbegantogetveryill,sobadmyauntscameandprayedformewithmymum, asmyfatherwasawayworkingasaplastererinSouthernIreland,theyallsupportedheras she lay ill from having me, and they, her sisters, came at different times to help her, they said I was never expected to live, and after months of praying for me, and helping my mother to try and cope, I started to get well, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, but no soonerdidtheystepbackIbegantogetsickwithanotherdeadlydisease,andsoeveryone camebackagaintohelp.

136 Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good; his love is eternal. 2 Give thanks to the greatest of all gods; his love is eternal. 3 Give thanks to the mightiest of all lords; his love is eternal.

Psalm 136 Good News Translation (GNT)

Once again God spared my life where I could have or should have died in this serious accident.Godisgood,allthetime.

The third time I escaped death

Psalm 116 Good News Translation (GNT) Someone Saved from Death Praises God

6 The LORD protects the helpless; when I was in danger, he saved me.7 Be confident, my heart, because the LORD has been good to me. 8 The LORD saved me from death; he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat. 9 And so I walk in the presence of the LORD in the world of the living.

MythirdtimeIescapeddeathwaswhenIwasinbedsleeping,andduringthenightIbegan tochokewithbloodrunningdownmythroat,stoppingmefrombreathingalittlelatermy fathersuddenlywokeupandheardmechokingandrunningintotheroomhetriedwaking me,thenhedonewhathecouldtostopthebloodflowingdownmynose,thenmumranga doctorwhocameoutimmediately,whowantedtoputmeInhospitalashebelievedthere wassomethingelse moreunderlying thereandnotjustthebloodynose problem, butmy parents didn’t wish for me to go into hospital and said no. later I suffered a lot from a

116 I love the LORD, because he hears me; he listens to my prayers2 He listens to me every time I call to him. 3 The danger of death was all around me; the horrors of the grave closed in on me; I was filled with fear and anxiety.4 Then I called to the LORD, “I beg you, LORD, save me!” 5 The LORD is merciful and good; our God is compassionate.

OnedayIdecidedthatIwantedtogodownthehilloppositeourhousedownastreetcalled Dunaffgarden

AndsoIpaddleddownmylittlehillanddroveoffthefootpathandheadedtowardsDunaff gardens but as I got to the middle of the road a milk car came up the hill and headed straighttowardsme,asIwassosmallthedriverdidn’tnoticemeatfirstthenhepanicked asheslammedonhisbrakesjustasIturnedmytricyclerightinfrontofhiscarandheaded downthehill.Hejumpedoutofhismilkcartandrunaroundthepassengersidewherehe caughtmejustasIwassettlingofftogodownthisreallysteepstreet,andhegrabbedme and my tricycle and marched me right up to my front door and called for my father and Mother, who came to the door really shaken for they recognized his voice and could hear his voice was much higher than normal. So thinking something bad had happened they rushed to the door to find the milkman holding me by the neck of my clothes, and when they recovered enough they invited him in, and shockingly he told them his story, and I receivedthehottestredbuminhistory.SomuchsoIstillrememberittodayseventythree yearslater.Lol

4 Who can forget the wonders he performs—deeds of mercy and of grace? 5 He gives food to those who trust him; he never forgets his promises. 6 He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the land of Israel, though it was the home of many nations living there. 7 All he does is just and good, and all his laws are right, 8 for they are formed from truth and goodness and stand firm forever. 9 He has paid a full ransom for his people; now they are always free to come to Jehovah (what a holy, aweinspiring name that is).

Through the grace of God and nothing else I escaped a terrible death from being burned alive by a vat of tar. I was working on the roof of this two story building that I was renovating putting in a new dormer window. The night before therewas a storm and the building got flooded, and the joists on the roof got very wet and slippery, but I had

My Fourth time to escape death

sickness called Rheumatic fever where I Lay in bed and could not walk or even move my legs, and the pain wasawful, I was paralyzed for almost a year, and later in life I suffered thisterriblediseasetwicemorewhereIwasimbeddedforalmostayearat atime, during thosetimeswithRheumaticfever,I‘’couldhave’’ or ‘’shouldhavedied;’’andofcourseIhad noeducation.

111 1 2 Hallelujah! I want to express publicly before his people my heartfelt thanks to God for his mighty miracles. All who are thankful should ponder them with me. 3 For his miracles demonstrate his honor, majesty, and eternal goodness.

10 How can men be wise? The only way to begin is by reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying his laws. Praise his name forever.

BeforelongIwasgivenatypewriter,byagirlwhoworkedinColumbaHousewhereIalso workedparttime,anditwasafteralongtimetryingtogetthetypewritertowork,whenI met a priest, Called Father Lagan, he later on became bishop of Derry; Bishop lagan, a lovelymanwhoofferedmetheservicesofthechurch,whichItookhimupon,thenImeta friendwhoofferedmeacomputer,soItookhimuponthisofferandIboughtitverycheap and then I met a former school friend of mine who told me he was into computers, and wouldhelpmeandhedidso,nowIknowwhatIamdoingwhenusingmycomputer,andto dateIhaveneverstoppedwritingbooks,sotodayIhavewritten‘’345books,’’andI’mstill writingexplainingthebible,andteachinghealingandmiraclesinthem.

It was only years later when God spoke to me one day asI was walking up a street called ‘’Green Walk’’ that God spoke and said about writing this book, called ‘’Healing of overeating, smoking, and drinking,’’ and said, ‘’I want you to write a book,’’ I explained to himIcouldnotspellorwriteandhadnothingtowriteitonanyway.

Psalm 111 Living Bible (TLB)

employedarooferfortoday,andtheywantedthisroofreadysotheycouldsealitwithtar and Myselffelt.and

Arriving at the house at the same time as Albert I exited the car and we went into the houseandItoldhimwhatjusthappenedtome,andwewentstraightouttotherearofthe house where the foundations of the new extension were waiting to be examined, after passingthefoundations,Albertsaidcouldheseetheupstairsastherewerealotofworkto bedoneupthere.

With him following I began walking up the stairs and as I got to the third stair, I felt this invisible hand pressing firmly on my chest stopping me from going any further, andI felt a strange feeling come over me, and I turned to Albert and said, ‘‘could we leave this untillaterasIwasn’tfeelingwellandtoldhimagainaboutfallingofftheroof;’’soagreeing withmewedecidedtoleaveandleftthebuilding.ItoldhimthatIwasgoingonaMarriage Encounter weekend leaving at Five, so we parted, me breathing a sigh of relief, for whateverreasonI feltthisinvisiblehandonmychest andeventoday asIwritethisIcan feel that full hand on my body stopping me from going up the stairs, I never gave any thoughtaboutwhatthathandcouldbeuntillateroninmyMarriageEncounterweekend.

Thisstoryisnotyetover,foralittlelaterIwastomeetwithaclerkofworksinahousein Maureen Avenue, up the town as they say, and as I entered my car at the house where I almostfell,Ireverseditintoawall,mynerveswerealmostshot,butIhadtomeetwiththis importantman,AlbertBrownsothathecouldpasstheworkdoneuptillnow.

FiveoClocklaterthatday,RoseandIleftthekidswithourbabysitterlookingafterthem, wehadarrangedaliftfromanothercouplewithwhomwesharedtheexpenseratherthan twocarsdriving.Peoplewereaskedtolinkupwithotherscomingontheweekendandso wedid. Afterwhathappenedearlierthat morningitwasnicetojustsit thereandrelaxas Billydrovehiscar.ArrivingatthehotelIwasdisappointedtodiscoverwhatthisweekend

Joe Gallagher were attending to the roof together and he walked on the roof first, andaswewalked overtheroof Isteppedonajoist whichasI saidwassoakingwet, andthenailscameout,asthejoistgaveway,andIbeganfallingofftherooffeetfirst.Justas Ifellofftheroofandwasfallingovertheedge,JoecaughtmepraiseGod,andbeganpulling me back on to the roof again, so he saved my life. First from falling over the roof of the houseandontotheground,butevenmore,aterribleadeathawaitedme,forbelowmewas alargevatoftaronfire,andhadIfallendownIwouldhavefallenstraightintoitfeetfirst, butbyGod’sgrace,HeusedJoetosaveme,notonlyfromthevatofflamingtar,butfroma fall from the dormer window. I know I should or could have died, and through long and hardthinkingaboutthatterribledeathjustwaitingme,IlearnedtothankGodwith‘’allof mybeing.’’IkeptthinkingeverytimeIwenttopray,thattherebutforthegraceof God *I should have died or could have died,* and though of the horrible death I would have suffered from falling into that vat of tar, with shivers of reality flooding through my body andevenasIwriteaboutthis,IfeelthecoldcomfortthatGodsavedmylife.

was all about, as posters were displayed around the foyer giving time for the sessions as theycalledthem.

AndasthefirstsessionbegantheresentmentroseupinmeandImutteredincomplaintas poor Rose shivered at my sarcastic comments. Not only did Rose hear me so did half the peoplethere Iwasso loudin mybitterness; thesessionendedthank Godand we wentto dinnerwhichwasabsolutelylovely,andItsortofcalmedmedownasIseenpeoplewalking alongthebeachbelongingtothehotel,asweateIwasthinkingwecouldgoforawalkon thebeachafterdinner Iasked‘howdowegetdowntothebeach’onlytodiscoverthatwe werenotallowedtogetdowntothebeachthatthosepeoplewalkingalongitwerelocals.

Thatthrewmeintoanotherlonghuff,andIbegantocomplainagaintopoorRosesdisgust, andshetriedtoshutmeupwhichmademeworse.Cuttingalongstoryshort,thesessions endedandweweretoldtogoandwriteourfeelingsabouttheweekendandourmarriage and to take ninety minutes talking about what we had written to each other. That is where I was earlier deceived by my brother in law, who told me it was about a ‘’ninety, ninety,’’ minutes of new sex ways, that were great, soyoucanimaginethatwhenwegot tothebedroomandhadtosharewitheachother,thethingswehadwritten.

In Roses letter she wrote how much she loved me and so on, and I wrote on mine that I resentedhermother,andhowshetreatedmeinregardstomemarryingRose,soweended up having a usual row which for once Rose ended, and we began talking, me telling Rose my feelings in being ‘’locked up in her mother’s home’’ and having to live by her rules, whereasayoungmarriedcoupleIwantedfreedomtoliveasanewlymarriedcouple,and didn’t get it, so we talked for ninety minutes, Rose doing most of the talking but allowing metospeakmymindout.

Thenextdaytook achangein thesituationsforduringthe service, a young priest, Father Mc Goldrick stood up and began talking about Jesus, now I knew about him, ‘Jesus,’ but had no respect or desire to know him, but asFather Mc Goldrick talked about Jesus I got thisfeelingtoopenmyheartuptohim,andnotreallyknowingwhatIwasdoing,Isaidto Jesus, ‘’right if your genuine I’ll give you a chance, ’’ heenteredmeimmediately.Lol.And that was the beginning of my walk with God through Jesus. That was the moment of my salvationthoughIneverrealizeditthenuntilmuchlater.

Now my family and I were taught that if you had anything to do with God, he killed your firstchildlikehedidtothe Egyptians families, to test you, andthatwasoneofthemain reasonsthat Istayed awayfromanythingto dowithGod; Ithought that hewasa terrible vicious God, thankfully not true; but anyway, as it was to be, that when the weekend was overandasRoseandIstoodinthefoyerwaitingonourlift.

Thetruthbeing,ifIhadhaveknownitwasaboutreligioninthemarriageIwouldhaverun ifIhadhadmyowncar,butasGodwouldhaveit,Ihadnowayofescaping,soIamstuck hereresentingwhatwasgoingon.

I noticed the leaders talking about something and keep looking up in our direction, and I knewimmediatelythat someonehaddied,sowhentheleaders finallyapproachedus,and asked could they talk to us privately, and moving to a quieter area, they said ‘’someone had died,’’ and in my mind I cursed God for his awful trap, I asked, ‘’was it one of our children,’’ and he replied no!, so I asked about the baby sitter and again the answer was ‘ no, ’ so I said, ‘’is it my, or Roses parents or family? And he whispered no!’’ Then I said, ‘’what the hell you are telling me for,’’ and he replied that ‘’do you work in a house in Maureen Avenue’ and ‘I said, I do,’’ ‘so what,’ and my heart sank as he told us that a man had been shot dead in that house of Friday night, a few hours after I tried to go up those stairs, nowIrealizedthatthishandmusthavebeen‘’either the hand of God or an angels hand,’’ stopping me from going any further, Ijustdidn’tknow.

ForupthestairswereundercoverSASsoldiershidingthere,andtheyalsohidintwoother housesinthestreet,andthismanhadgoneupthestairs,tocollectsomeguns.Unknownto methehousewas filled with guns, explosives, and petrol for the making of bombs, and there were those soldiers hiding upstairs, and if I had ignored that awesome hand on my chestandgoneupthosestairs,wewouldhavebeentheonestohavedied,poorAlbertand me, there but for the grace of God, whose son I became on that weekend, We would definitely have died. For the woman next door told me she heard everything and that includedtwoshotskillingthismanashelaydyingonthefloor.

This was my first personal touch with the supernatural hand of almighty God! I didn’t realize that when I said to Jesus, ‘’ok I’ll give you a chance;’’ he entered my heart and startedfromthatmoment,workingmoreandmoremiraclesthroughme,andforme,over thenextfortyplusyears.

Whentheweekendwasover,andtheseleaderstalkedwithusIdiscoveredthatmyfather and Joe had come to the hotel where we were staying and talked to the leaders of the weekend; who decided to not let us know that the police and army had been raiding our home looking for me, and asked him not to disturb me as they seen that I was having a toughtimeregardingtheprogram,andaskediftheywouldcomebacktomorrow,towhich Joe and my father agreed and they stayed in a neighboring hotel and came later in the morningaftertheweekendwasoverbeforetheytoldmewhathadbeenhappening. My father wanted me to go into hiding down in Southern Ireland in a hideout where my youngerbrotherwashidingoutashewaswantedbytheBritisharmy.

Idecidedno!Ihavenothingtohideanddecidedtoseethepoliceofficerswhowerelooking forme,astheygavemyeldestdaughtertheirnames.

SoarrivinghomelaterthatnightIwentandseen the local IRA commander forthatarea, and was told ‘’too bad’’ ‘’you will just have to take your chances.’’ So cursing him and the IRA of which I had spent so many years in it, and supporting it, leaving them I went to a localpolitician,andarrangedtogotothepolicestationandconfrontthesepolicemenlater thatnight;sogoingtothepolicestationItalkedwiththecopondutyandsurprisedhimby giving myself up to these police detectives. Again cutting a long story short for that is not

Ame.little

whatthisisabout,itendedupwithmepossiblygettingsenttoprison,andasItalkedwith the police officer staying with me as the other went to see his main officer to arrange for metobedetainedfor prison. Ichattedwiththepolicemanandtold himI knewthe army washidinginthehousedownthebackyardandinahouseacrossthestreet,andalsoinan empty house at the end of the street below, and I was able to tell him that soldiers were hidinginallofthesehouses,asIjustchattedandtoldhimIwasmoreafraidofthemtelling the dole I was doing the double working and claiming benefits, than I was of them jailing

A few years later I met Albert whohadresignedfromhisJob,hewouldnevergointoan empty house again, and so resigned that job and got another one. Albert told me what happened to him as I went up those stairs first. He said that a feeling of unknown terror hadgrippedhisheartandthathewantedtoturnandrunoutthedoorwhenItoldhimthat I wasn’t feeling well; hebreathedasighofreliefwhenIsaid,‘’couldweleaveittillanother day,’’andweleftthehouse.

timelatertheothercopcameto theroomandIseenanotherpolicemanwearinga white shirtstandingwithhimoutsidethedoorthroughasmallwindow in thedoor, andI knewthatIwasgoingtobesenttoprison.

Then the officer staying with me got up and went outside to talk with them, and a little whilelaterhecamebackinagainandsaid, ‘’you’re a lucky man,’’ ‘’you can go now,’’ and toldmethatthecopinthewhiteshirtwasaseniorpolicemanwhosignedtheorderforms togotojail.ThenhetoldmethatIwaslucky,thatheconfirmedtheplaceswhereItoldhim where the undercover soldiers were all hiding, and that I was right; and knew that I was onlyinterestedinthebuildingworkandnotpoliticalinvolved,orparamilitaryinvolved.

BeforethatIhadbeenaterrorist,andhadresignedafewmonthsearliersoItoldthetruth andasGodswordsays, ‘’you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.’’ Ihad turnedmybackonviolence,andnowIhadJesusinmylifehelpingme,andasIwalkedout of that police station, I knew that it was only through Jesus entering my heart that night, thathesparedmefromgoingtoprison,andsoIbegangivingthanksforsparingmylifeon thatFridaymorning,whereifAlbertandIenteredthathouse,andgoneupthosestairswe wouldhavebeenkilled;theywouldn’thaveletusgowhenweseenthem.

Another terrifying time when I faced death, for the fifth time

I had known the IRA stashed their weaponsand explosives in the wardrobe of that house earlierandIstupidlyenoughtookoutthoseriflesandcleanedeveryoneofthemincaseof fingerprints,itwasanactofmadnesstohavedonethat;whatifthosesoldierswerealready in the house, then they would have shot me dead no doubt. This was one of the most horrificeventsinmylifeandIcouldnotgetthathousefinishedquickenough,Ienteredthis buildingeverydaymakingasmuchnoiseasIcould,terrifiedthatthosesoldierswerestill there.IthelpedmetolearntotrustinGod.

Hungry and thirsty, They fainted.

The LORD Rescues People from Many Troubles

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,

Because they had rebelled against the precepts of God And spurned the counsel of the Most High.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving kindness, And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

107 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His compassion and loving kindness endure forever!

Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep (deathly) darkness, Prisoners [bound] in misery and chains,

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them from their distresses.

He brought them out of darkness and the deep (deathly) darkness and broke their bonds apart.

For He satisfies the parched throat, And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He rescued them from their distresses.

Therefore He humbled their heart with hard labor; They stumbled and there was no one to help.

They wandered in the wilderness in a [solitary] desert region; And did not find a way to an inhabited city.

He led them by the straightway, To an inhabited city [where they could establish their homes].

And gathered them from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.

Iwasingreatspiritsandsingingalongwiththecrowdaswemarchedupanotherstreettill wegottoWilliamstreet,andaswewalkedalongIseensoldiersstandingondifferentlevels on an bombed out building, which used to be an old bakery, then as I watched them, cautiouslykeepinganeyeonthem.Isawasoldiergettingdownoffoneroofandkneeling down on another; he was about three hundred feet away from me, when suddenly I seen intothisman’seyes,andIshiveredbecauseitwasimpossibletoactuallyseetheman’sface nevermindseeintohiseyes,andIknewthissoldierwasgoingtomurderme,anddropping a stick that I had been carrying inside my coat I stepped in beside an elderly man, and a momentlaterIheardashotandthe manIwashidingbesidedroppedtothegroundfatally wounded. This is how I remembered this incident,butwhathadactuallyhappenedwas ayoungmanwasshotaboutfiftyfeetawayfromme,InmymindIbelieveditwastheman besidemethatwasshot;foralotofconfusionhappenedandsomeonesentmetoruntoa houseinthenearbystreetandgethelp;fortheywereoneonthepeopleshospitalandsoI ranandonmywayImetamancalledRaymondRogan,andItoldhimwhathappenedand hetoldmetogotothehouseandwarnthem,andherantothecrowd.

‘’

Anyway as the march took off away from the front of the Creggan shops, and walking up Iniscarn Road and down towards South way. I was at the front and looked back and I couldn’t believe my eyes, there were thousands and thousands winding down the very steep mountain road, then bit by bit people joined the march and I realized that I was pushedawayfromthefrontofthemarchaswecontinued.

There was a march organized to walk for civil rights. People come from everywhere in IrelandtoprotestagainstthetreatmentofCatholicsinthispartofNorthernIreland,where gerrymanderingwastakingplaceforcenturies.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving-kindness, And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

ArrivingatthishouseItoldthemwhatjusthappened,andasItalkedsomepeoplearrived carryingthisyoungmanwhowasbleedingprofusely,andImovedoutoftheway,justthen adoctorarrived withsomemorepeoplecarryingan elderlyman whohadbeenshotalso. And at this stage the doctor asked everyone to leave, and I did so, and joined the march telling everyone there, ‘that two men had been shot and wounded;’ people didn’t believe me for some reason or other. Then all hell broke loose as British *first paras* paratroopers began shooting into the crowd as they chased after those running away fromthem.Theymanagedtokillthirteenpeopleandwoundingthirteenmore,theyfinally stopped as they realized no one was shooting at them as expected, for they didn’t know thatthelocalIRAhaddecidedtoputawayallguns,andnothaveashootoutbetweenthem and the British army with maybe hundreds being killed or wounded; and so it emerged years later that the British I’st Paratroopers had deliberately shot into a crowd of men women, and children, hoping to kill as many young people as they could, later those marchers were declared innocent by a British court, and the soldiers guilty. And their

’’

Thenis.the

Those were bad days in those times of troubles we went through, Sixth time I could have or should have died.

shooting stopped and the soldiers withdrew after dragging bodies into the Saracens, throwing living ones on the bottom, and the dead ones on top of them. I had to forgivethosesoldiers,whomurderedthoseinnocentmarchers,treatinginnocentbodiesin suchahorribleway

DuringtheturmoilIranintoanalleywaywheresomesoldiershadpursuedsomemenand akidrunningwithmeintothis,inwhatwethoughtwassafety,Threesoldiersenteredthe alleyway and one of them stopped and lay back like someone acting cool. Then he turned hisrifleinourdirectioncockeditandbeganshootingintothecrowdwherehekilledthree peopleoneaftertheother,andoneofthemrunningwithhishandsupinsurrender.

But to date not even one has been charged with killing so many people. Sorry, at this timeinhistoryonesoldierhasbeenchargedwithkillingthreepeople,andhehasbeenkept in hospital prison; we know that this man is dying and will never go to the actual court. Imagineallthosepeopleshotandthesoldierstoldtheircommandingofficerwhotheyshot and their lying reason why they shot them, and their prime minister saying on television theywereinnocentandnooneexceptthisonesoldiercharged.

WhenthissoldierturnedandcockedhisrifleIturnedandranoutthebackofthealleyway intoanareawhenIthoughtwassafe,IlookedoveratthislittleopeningandIsawascout car with a machine gun mounted on the roof and it turned my direction and I began runningacrossawalledgreencirclewithbulletsflyingaroundme,thenIgottotheendof the grassy section and I jumped down behind the little wall, right on top of a young girl wearing a white Dexter coat, and she began screaming ‘get him off me he’s dead,’ they werestillshootingatthepeopleallhidingbehindthislittlewallandIsaidtoherto ‘’shut upI’mnotdead’’andslidoffofher.IwillneverforgetthatDextercoatforIneverseenthe girlsfaceasawomanopenedherbackdoorshoutingforpeopletocomeinquickbetween theshooting,andIwasoneofthosewhogottosafetyinherhome,Godblessherwhoever she

prime minister at that time came out on television saying that all those people shot were innocent marchers except for one young teenager, who had been shot earlier in the marching;andashewasbeingtakentohospitalsoldierssearchedhiminthecarashelay dyinganddeclaredthathehadnothinginhispockets. Ashorttimelaterapolicemansaid hefoundnailbombsinhisjeanspocketwhichwerethattightyoucouldn’tgetatenpiecein there, and that soldier at court contradicted that evil cop who planted the nail bombs, which from a photo shown in court showed the nail bombs sticking out of his pockets, at theedgeofthepocket.

8 He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. 9 He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. 10 He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, 11 for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. 14 For he knows we are but dust 15 and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, 16 blown by the wind and gone forever.

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;

I went to visit my nun friend in Larne one day and after having a great time with her she broughtpeopleinformetopraywiththemforhealing.AfterIfinishedprayingwiththemI headed home just as it was getting dark, and as I got to a place called Dungiven, I came roundacornerandstraighttoapolicemanstandinginthemiddleoftheroadwithhisgun drawn, andpointingdirectlyat me. Ijumpedonthebrakesandstoppeddirectlywithhim besideme,hedirectedmetorolldownmywindowandaskedformydrivinglicense,andI handedittohim,ThenIrealizedthatthismanandsomeothersdressedinpoliceclothing were the false police that had been killing Catholics these last few months, he took my licenseroundthebackofthecarliketherealpolicedowhensuddenlyIfeltthepressureof hisgunatthenapeofmyneckpushinghardintomyneck,andIknewIwasgoingtodie!

3 ‘’He forgives *all* my sins ’’ He heals me 4 ‘’He ransoms me from hell.’’ He surrounds me with loving kindness and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 6 He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel.

I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. 2 Yes, I will bless the Lord and ‘’not forget’’ the glorious things he does for me.

Psalm 103 Living Bible (TLB)

17 18 But the loving kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who reverence him; his salvation is to children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him!

I could feel the gun even though there was the back window between me and him, but I could feel supernaturally his gun pressing into the nape of my neck. Even though I could feelthegunpressingintomyneckIknewitwasn’tpossibleforthattohappen.AsIbriefly lookedattheotherpolicemen,Isawthattheywerecarryingweaponsthatwerenotpolice issue, and I knew then for certain that these were the murder squad from the UVF, a protestantterroristorganizationthatkilledCatholicsalloverNorthernIreland,andasIsat thereinthecarfeelingthisgunagainstmyneckIknewthatIwasgoingtodie,andItalked with God, offering my wife Rose up to him to take care of, and my children also, and my onlypossessions,mycar,bibleandmyguitar,thenIbegantosingundermybreath;‘’Iwill

7 My protection and success come from God alone. He is my refuge, a Rock where no enemy can reach me. 8 O my people, trust him all the time. Pour out your longings before him, for he can help!

62 I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. 2 Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?

ThenextthingwasIfeltthegunwithdrawnfrommyneck,andtheboguspolicemancame round to my window and threw the license at me, and said ‘’get the hell out of here.” I tookthis manathisword, andIpressedthepaddledownhardandspedawayfromthem not stopping until I got home, I drove home at top speed, and I remembered that I had offered the lord my death a few weeks ago, andIrealizedthatIhadbeenputtothetest to see if I truly meant it, and I knew that I had passed that test praise God, for I was still alive.PraiseGodindeed.

Psalm 62 Living Bible (TLB)

enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter his courts with praise,’’ for I thoughtthatIfIamgoingtodiethenatleastIwillenterheavensingingpraisetoGod.

5 But I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. 6 Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense, and fortress why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?

3 4 But what is this? They pick on me at a time when my throne[a] is tottering; they plot my death and use lies and deceit to try to force me from the throne. They are so friendly to my face while cursing in their hearts!

Seventh time that the good lord saved me from imminent death

WasontheI’stdayoftheNewYearthisyear2020; I had a thing called ‘’halli co bactor,’’ I don’t know how to spell this properly so please ignore my spelling, I felt really bad pain in my stomach for a few weeks and then on boxing day the pain was so bad I couldn’tbreathe,soattwooclockinthemorningIgotupoutofbedforIfelttophonethe ambulanceimmediately,soafterringingtheAmbulance,IrangmydaughterMargaretwho livedjustafewstreetsawayfromwhereIlived,ItoldherIwasdying,asIbelievedthis.So she and some other family members arrived for they mostly lived close by. After the ambulancearrivedandtheparamedicsweretalkingwithme, otherfamilybeganarriving. Tellingtheparamedicswhatwashappeningwithme,oneofthemsaidhedidn’tbelieveit wasmystomachbutmyheart,andIsaid ‘’no, my heart feels ok.’’ ArrivingatthehospitalI joinedthequeue,butbeforelongIwastakenintoaprivateroomandadoctorarrivedand

IttookawhileforthenewmedicationtosettleintomysystemandnowIamfeelinggood againuntilafewweeksagotheenemyattackedmeagain.

Now it is eight times he saved me from dying.

7 The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us.

Psalm 46 Living Bible (TLB)

OverthenextfewweeksIwastestedforeverythingtodowiththeheart, theydiscovered that after I was taken to Omagh hospital, an hour and a half away from Derry. Arriving there I was supposed to sit for about seven hours but instead I was rushed through everything, because of a cancellation, and eventually I was sent back home in the same ambulancewhichissomethingthatrarelyhappens,butGodhadhis handsuponmethat I wastaken intotheMRIheartmachineandwithinfifteen minutesthenursetoldmethat I only had twenty four percent of my heart working, andIwasastonishedtosaytheleast wondering how I am supposed to be alive and active, doing all the things that I had been doingforsolong, but everything lives by the grace of God,and he covered me with his grace,andyoubythewayarealsocoveredbyhisgrace,asallhischildrenare.

46 God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. 2 And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!

4 There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God the sacred home of the God above all gods. 5 God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. 6 The nations rant and rave in anger but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.

sent me for tests regarding my heart, and said he didn’t believe either that it was my stomach,soaftermanytestshetoldmehewassendingmetoward44aheartwardinmy hospital.Ithoughtthatthiswasallsostrange,foranytimebeforewhenIwenttohospitalI spenthourswaitingtobeseen,tobutthistimeeverytestwasdonewithinfifteenminutes eachandarrivingbacktotheroomanothertestwastaken,andsoasIsaidIarrivedupat theheartwardandwastreatedformyheartnotmystomach,andtheyhelpedmewithmy breathingwhichslowlygotbetter.

WhenIgotbackintothewardagainthedoctorslookedatthereportandcameandtoldme andtheyhaddiscussedmymedicationandgavemeanewbunchoftabletsandsaidthatI candowhatIhadbeendoingbeforeIfoundoutwhatwaswrongwithme,andwhenIfelt tiredoranythingnotrighttojustsitdown,andrest,orlaydownonmybed,andstaythere untilIfeltbetteragain.

I never was a water drinker, but all I could do was drink water by the pint glass every couple of hours; but the doctors told me that water in itself would not have hydrated me, andIwouldhavediedoverthosenextcoupleofdaysathome,but ‘’praise God,’’ assoonas theybegantreatingmeIbegantorecover,andbeganeating,andtakingcustardandfruitin whichIamstilltakingaftermydinnereachnight,andafewdayslaterIwasfeelinggreat, andaskedtogetoutofhospital,whichtheyagreedwithmeandreleasedmeearly.

NextmorningafterIhadstartedtakenmyfullmedicationagain,Icollapsedinaheaptothe floor,andthishappenedtomefourtimes,asIwastalkingwithRose,andIfelldownonmy tail bone each time apparently, and left myself with a terrible pain there that just doesn’t shiftyet.Ishouldhavegonetohospitalagain,butIdidn’twantanotherlongsitinA&E,so I haven’t gone I know I shouldto see what damage there has been done but I don’t think thereisanythingtheycandoforthis,theycan’tplasterandParisit becauseofwhereitis andtheycannotbandageiteitherlol,sothisiswhereIamuptillnowinmylife,andIwas seventythreethereonthe twelfth of June solet’sseewhatthelordisplanningformylife now,for he has my death in ‘’his’’ hands and it’s not on mine; soIcanonlydiewhenhe callsmehome,halleluiah.

casualtywhoafterexaminingmedecidedtosendmetoward24.

Arrivingat‘ward24’eventuallyIwasseenwithdoctorswhoprescribedmedicationformy stomach, in which they said that there was a serious bug attacking my medication, and sending them haywire, and they attacked my hydration and left me dehydrated, and they beganattackingmykidneyswhichwerenotworkingverywell,andthatwascausingmeto feel so very bad, that If I had tried to stay in my own bed for another two days, my kidneys would have been destroyed forever, and I would have died.

Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world 9 and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon 10 “Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!”

As I just wrote the enemy tried to kill me once again and I began to get sick with vomiting and dioreagh, then with nothing in my stomach, I just had dry retching and that was a terrible feeling; for two weeks I spent my time with my arms wrapped around the toiletbowlorwheninbed,abasinbesidethebed,andIcouldn’tevenwalk,forwhenItried to walk I had to stop every few feet as I couldn’t hold myself up. Then after two weeks of justlayinginthebedandnotwashingmyselforshavingandhavinglostastoneandahalf, our house cleaner said to our daughter Maria how bad she seen that I was. Maria and Ambroseherhusbandphonedanambulancethencamedowntoourhomeandenteredthe room, and told me there was an ambulance outside the door, I almost passed out with shock, but was too sick to argue with them, and when the ambulance crew entered the house they came intomy bedroom and examined me, and said I need to go in to casualty immediately.Iwastakento

Romans 3 Living Bible (TLB)

29 And does God save only the Jews in this way? No, the Gentiles, too, may come to him in this same manner. 30 God treats us all the same; all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are acquitted if they have faith. 31 Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey God’s laws? Just the opposite! In fact, only when we trust Jesus can we truly obey him.

27 Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? ‘’Nothing at all’’ Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him. 28 So it is that we are saved[h] by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do.

But isn’t this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins.

Glory to my God and yours, giveyourdeathtothelordandyouwillonlydiewhenhecalls you home and not when the enemy decides to try and kill you, for he can’t take anything fromthehandsofGod.

21 22 But now God has shown us a different way to heaven[f] not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. 23 Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; 24 yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.

Amen

25 For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath In this way he was being entirely fair, even though he did not punish those who sinned in former times. For he was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins; 26 and now in these days also he can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins.

20 Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.