Written on May 3, 2023.

 

I'm not exactly sure which year it was, but I believe it was around 1988. It happened shortly after I received my call to Christian ministry. At the time, we were living in Long Island, New York. That night, I was sleeping in my bedroom, and I couldn’t tell whether I was dreaming or awake. When I opened my eyes, I saw a dark figure lurking in the corner of the room. Its full form wasn’t visible, only its silhouette. The sight of it made my heart sink with fear.

 

Then, the figure started approaching me, holding a dark sword. I wanted to run away, but I was completely paralyzed. As it reached me, it began cutting my neck with the sword—slowly. I could actually feel the pain, but I couldn’t move at all. My body trembled in terror as half of my neck was severed. Imagine how horrifying that was! The overwhelming fear had gripped me so tightly that I couldn’t even scream. I was trapped in sleep paralysis.

 

Yet, even in that moment, a thought came to me: 'This is serious. I have to do something.' So, I mustered all my strength and began to shout, despite the words barely coming out: 'In the name of Jesus, I command you, evil spirit, leave!' At that moment, the entity fled through the window. That’s when I snapped out of it, turned on the light, and saw that the window was closed and my neck was perfectly fine.

 

 

Looking back, I believe that if I had just stayed there and let my neck be fully severed, I might have died in my sleep. But instead, I saw it as a clear sign confirming my call, so I immediately took steps toward seminary. The devil tried to scare me, but in the end, this only strengthened my faith.