by Walter Beuttler
The trip to Germany where I ministered in my sister’s Church was the beginning of a ministry that reached around the world. The pastor had said, “Just think, God sent a man from America to answer my prayers.”
While this was taking place, the Lord had something further in mind. One morning, He spoke to me. These words stood within me exactly as I am saying here. “About the middle of the afternoon on New Year’s Day, go by air to Amsterdam.” I responded, “Lord, New Year’s Day is a holiday and I would like to spend it with my mother. I have been away for many years.”
Again the impression became strong. “Go to Amsterdam by air on New Year’s Day in the middle of the afternoon.” Again I said, “Lord, I have never been in Amsterdam and I would like to spend New Year’s Eve with my mother, as this is special in Germany.”
The Lord spoke the same a third time. Then I remembered the time I had been told by the Lord to get a passport. I said to myself, “Beuttler, are you going to miss God again?” Then I said, “yes” to the Lord.
I went to the airport at Stuttgart and asked about a flight to Amsterdam on New Year’s Day. They told me there were no flights that day. I went to KLM and they told me it was a holiday and that absolutely nothing would be flying to Amsterdam on New Year’s Day. Now I was in trouble, as I had taught much on “Divine guidance,” and I was stumped.
I went outside into a miserable mixture of rain, snow, and sleet, and stood on the sidewalk. I shut my eyes and spoke to God, “Father, do you know the airline schedules?” There was no answer, and I was almost in panic. I thought how can I ever again teach people about “knowing the will of God,” if I make a mistake like this?
Then a thought came, “Go to the American Express Company and see what they say.” I will never forget the man at their counter. There was a huge book of airline schedules, and he went back and forth through it. He asked the second time where I was going. Again, he went back and forth in the book. Then he asked which afternoon I wanted to go. Again, he went back and forth in the book.
He said, “You are fortunate. There is a special non-stop flight going from Stuttgart to Amsterdam on New Year’s Day at 4:10 in the afternoon.” The Spirit so strongly bore witness within me that I shouted, “That is it!” I purchased my ticket and on New Year’s Day, I went to Amsterdam.
When I arrived, I had no idea as to what I was to do and stood there, feeling nothing. So I prayed, “Father, this is the airport in Amsterdam and I am here. Unless you speak, I will go into the city, check into a hotel, and tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, I will go to London.” I had an appointment in London on that day. I still heard nothing, so I went into the city and found a hotel room.
Before I went to bed, I said, “Father, I am here in the hotel. I am going to bed now, and if you do not tell me what I am to do, then tomorrow morning at eight o’clock I will go to the airport and fly to London.”
In the morning I was up early and prayed, “Father, I am still in Amsterdam and I am getting ready to go to the airport.” The Lord did not speak. So I went to the airport and bought a ticket for a British European Airlines flight to London.
I went to my seat on the plane, and at eight o’clock we were ready to depart. We sat there, and the plane did not move. About fifteen minutes later an announcement was made, “Will all passengers please return to the terminal building as a heavy fog has settling over the airport and it is too dangerous to take off.”
I went into the lounge and suddenly, an enveloping presence of God came upon me. Oh, what a presence this was. Within and without – I was in a cloud of God’s presence. A spirit of worship and prayer came upon me, so I found a comfortable chair in a corner and sat there. There was such an intense presence that I sat in an attitude of worship and prayer and lost track of everything.
After some time, I thought I should check and see about the flight to London. I was amazed that it was now one o’clock in the afternoon and that I had been sitting there all that time. I walked over to the window and the fog was still so heavy that only the barest outline of things could be seen. They had cancelled all flights and nothing was coming in or going out.
As I stood there, two men were in front of me. One worked at the airport and the other appeared to be a passenger. The airport worker said, “We do not understand this fog. There is no fog anywhere, except at this airport.” At first I thought nothing of it, but later the understanding came.
I stood there and figured how many dollars I was wasting per hour while sitting at this airport, doing nothing. Then the presence lifted and I felt empty, confused, and alone. I felt that I had somehow failed the Lord. I walked some and noticed a long table, like a dining room table. No one was there, so I went to one corner of it and sat down.
The following details are very important. I sat there wondering where I had made my mistake. Then I looked to my left and a man, immaculately dressed in a black suit, was walking toward me. He appeared to be an unusual man as he walked very erect, yet not stilted. His bearing was regal and he was an unusually good-looking man. I wondered who he could be. I thought he must be a member of a royal family.
Then he sat down just opposite where I sat. Paying no more attention to him, I closed my eyes and spoke to God, “Father, where am I?” I felt I had gone astray and wanted the Lord to let me know what had happened. For no reason that I can explain, I then looked at the man opposite me. At that very moment, he lifted a book from his attaché case. He opened it before me as though he would read it. I saw the title of the book, which said, “I AM leading you where you do not wish to go.” Then he closed the book and returned it to his attaché case, as though he had changed his mind. I had my answer from God.
A waiter came and asked us both if we would move, as they needed the table to feed some passengers. I went one way, and this “man” went out of the building into the fog, and disappeared. Since this incident, the Lord has twice born witness to me (once publicly and once privately) that he was the Angel of the Lord whom God had sent to the airport to bring me back into His will.
As I continued to walk and look for a seat, I apologized and asked the Lord to forgive me. Then His presence returned. All I wanted was to sit in His presence as I had before, but my chair was taken. I noticed a nice comfortable chair next to a round table. There was a black man sitting on one side, and the opposite chair was empty. I quickly sat down before someone else got it.
As I shut my eyes to let my spirit go up to commune with God, this man interrupted me. He said, “Sir, tell me your secret.” I opened my eyes and found him leaning across the table toward me. I said, “What secret?” He said, “Sir, I have been watching you as you sat in that chair all morning. What was that light on your face?”
I said, “What light?” He responded, “You had a light on your face and I wondered to myself if you had what I am seeking. Sir, if you have what I am seeking, will you please tell me your secret. I am a businessman from East Africa, and I was brought up in the Mohammedan faith. But, Mohammed has never given me peace. I need my sins forgiven and I do not know how. I desire true peace.”
He told me that he had tried many different religions, but had not found what he sought for. Then he said, “I have given up all religions and every day for many years I have prayed one prayer. ‘Oh God, if there is a God, show me the way to true peace’. Sir, do you know the way to true peace and if you do, will you please tell me your secret?”
During this time, the Lord put within me what I should say. I shared with him the story of my conversion in New York, when I had looked for peace. Now, at this airport in Amsterdam, it was my privilege to lead this man to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
The fog had continued to be so thick that nothing moved. As I finished my testimony, and for the second time used the Scripture, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” an announcement was made, “We will depart in ten minutes, the fog has lifted.” I finished my testimony and we said good-bye.
The Lord heard this man praying in East Africa and in His providence brought him to Amsterdam. He also brought me to Germany and gave me the time I should go to Amsterdam. When we were both there at the same time, He used a fog to close the Airport so He could answer this man’s prayer. And when I lost my way, He sent His angel to turn me back into His presence. Then, He brought us together in that busy airport. As soon as the testimony was given, God lifted the fog and the planes were flying again. He went his way, and I went to London.
This is a testimony of an “outworking of the personal knowledge of God” that I had received while praying in a motel room. Again, Satan had tried to destroy it, but it was saved through the intervention of the Angel of the Lord. If we will allow ourselves to be led into this area of the “knowledge of God” and “His manifest presence,” we will have experiences, which will confirm the Scripture that Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
“…Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9
This is quoted from Isaiah, which reads,
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside You, what He has prepared for him that waits for Him.” Isaiah 64:4
If we will give ourselves to God and His purposes, things we have never seen, heard of, or even imagined, will be waiting for us “in His presence.”