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| Samuel Ntumy |
First it is the birthday of our son, Samuel Kofi Ansong NTUMY, affectionately named after Apostle Samuel Kofi Ansong Rtd., one of the veteran apostles of The Church of Pentecost, and one of my mentors in the ministry.
Samuel, now 27 has grown into a handsome gentleman, an electrical engineer, a Deacon in COP and Presiding Leader of an assembly he actively helped to start in England. This has been the joy of the day which has been prudently celebrated at the family level.
July 26th however nearly became a day of tragedy for our family, church and others. That was the day when unknown assailants attacked me when I was jogging with some of my children near our North Ridge Residence in Accra.
My assailants had trailed us on a motor bike. Beside the fence wall of our residence, they overtook me (some of the children had already entered the house), turned and stopped right in front of me. My readiness to help or answer their questions turned into a nightmare when I saw the passenger behind the rider jump down, wielding a machete. Within a twinkle, when my mind processed what was happening, I knew my life was over when I saw his machete descending on my head.
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| Observe how the phone was slashed |
Meanwhile my screaming attracted the attention of the security guards in both my residence and the German Embassy, our neighbors. The assailants jumped on their motor bike and sped away. They pulled me out of the concrete gutter into which I had fallen, with bleeding all over.
They examined me hurriedly and found me clinching to my Nokia Phone which had been slit from the top-right corner. They rushed me to hospital where my wounds were sutured, treated and was discharged.
Analyzing the whole incident, we discovered the miracle of how the LORD worked out my rescue from my assailants! When I reflexively raised up my hands, the LORD directed the machete to land on the Nokia phone, instead of my head, hacking the metal casing of the phone all the way down by a few centimeters. The impact caused the phone to explode.
What would have happened if the full force of the descending machete had landed on my head? ........
The next few days, Ghana responded in an amazing way. Our political and religious leaders, Christians and many others from civil society paid us visits, including the Vice President of the Republic, H.E Aliu Mahama. The electronic and print media reported and analyzed the incident. The questions on everybody's mouth were, "Was it an assassination attempt; a case of mistaken identity; a robbery; what? Who would want to kill Apostle Ntumy?'
My sixth book, STRUCK DOWN BUT NOT KILLED, details that incident.
As I reflect on this event, my mind races down memory lane and recollect some of the great deliverances of God in my life:
1. Survived two wars in Northern Ghana between the Konkomba and Nanumba tribes while I was serving as a teacher in Yendi (1980-1982);
2. When the "Sword of Damocles" hung poignantly over us during the atrocious civil war in Liberia while we served as missionaries in that country (1989-1991);
3. When I spent 165 days as a hostage with my wife and four of our children, in the company of about 2,200 others in the dense forest of Lower Nimba County in Liberia during the civil war in that country (August 1990-February 1991). Many of our compatriots were executed while others died of starvation and disease.
4. During an uprising against Ghanaians in Ivory Coast following a football match between two teams of those countries. I escaped lynching by the skin of the tooth while driving to teach some Pastor-Students in our Bible School at Adiake, 60 km from Abidjan. My wife and family at home in Abidjan were miraculously rescued from a similar fate by the timely arrival of the Police on the scene.
5. Survived two food-poisoning attacks.
6. Accidents on the road as well as stormy waves on the Volta Lake
7. When I was engaged in a couple of direct encounters with spirit beings at Yendi, Osramani and Krachi Nkwanta.
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| Adorned in my national award sash, the OVC |
As I reflected on these and other great acts of God in my life, I recollected young David's positive declaration as he stood before King Saul, ready to go and fight Goliath:
"The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine" (I Sam. 17:37 KJV).
As I reflect and meditate on what happened to me seven years ago, and the many other mighty acts of God in my life, I draw strength from the LORD and heave a sigh of certitude and say within me that "The LORD who has been my helper, and who has delivered me from all attacks, troubles and dangers to this day will also see me through my present paralyzed condition and perfect His will in me at His appointed time.
LET ALL WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO STAND WITH ME IN PRAYER DECLARE, "AMEN."
