The night I "left" Ats and why

Why I left ATS almost 7 years ago,


I was a pretty ardent ATSer awhile ago, almost 7 years ago that stopped. Its a long story but the gist of which, I felt compelled to post on the forum I once frequented often. I’ve lurked and watched throughout these years off and on occasionally commenting or posting once in a great while.

Im sure many can guess by the general state of the world and nation why I’ve decided to post here.


You see, I found myself 7 years ago with a job loss, after buying a new home in a major city and my marriage was falling apart as well. I found myself alone, 1200 miles from family and friends in a fairly new city. I was alone and honestly desperate, I had nothing left in my mind. So I wandered off late one night in December by myself.

I was determined to make it to the bridges in town, in the middle of winter, before I could get there I was approached. By what seemed to be a homeless man, He called me by name, walked right up to me.

He told me many things, and walked with me for miles, he told me about my life, my past, the people in my life. He told me, God had woken him up to find me by Name, he told me many things, things I later confirmed matched the Judeo-christian view of the bible, including gods love and forgiveness in Christ.

He told me, I would be a Chaplain. Which happened quickly after, randomly encountering a chaplain who upon first meeting me told me I wanted to be one… He took me under his wing and I ended up going into Jails and Mental wards.

The man that night told me I would be a Pastor in the town next to mine, years later that came true too. He told me more,

Most importantly, He told me time was short, that I didn’t know how little time there was left, that it was time for me to “work the harvest”. He warned me that many things would be happening, these past years seeing things I never thought I would, doing things and going places I’d never dreamed. (prisons, hospitals, out with the homeless etc) Things I had only intellectuallized in the past I was seeing in person.


But these past 18 months has just pressed upon me the truth of what happened that night, and well, 7 matters as a biblical number, this december is the anniversary of the night I was warned that there was so very little time left.

I’ve posted elsewhere, mostly on christian forums over the past 7 years, I’ve served in numerous ministries, across many denominations. But as you can imagine, watching the world and knowing my bible, added to what I experienced that night and warning I got.


I just feel, I should post this here. Believe or don’t, christian or atheist, theist of any faith. Just consider what I’ve written. That is much more going on in the world at the moment than any of us know, powers and principalities. I somehow feel this is meant for someone out there.

Thanks for sharing bro. Hope all is well

a reply to: Brotherman

Never better, Marriage restored, never been with out work since, house almost paid off now.

Truly blessed.

a reply to: benrl

Hi, believe what or not?

Any soul remotely in touch with itself is aware time is short, is aware of the biblical significance of the belief in christ.

What are you actually alluding to about December this year??? What are you alluding to in relation to it being the 7th anniversary of your walk?

Why the determination to reach the bridges????? Was there going to be a bunji jump without the cord?

All I'm getting so far is a admission of becoming a chaplain and doing a chaplains normal work.

Failing to see any significance in your story.

Welcome back, benri. I remember you from back in the day.

Thanks for sharing---that's a profound testimony.

We are on a time schedule. This is the decade of destiny. We have appointments quickly approaching. Its difficult to calculate things because of the calendars, but we suspected there will be some major happenings this year or next.

Im glad to hear your marriage was restored. I remember you. How are the pups?

Did you find out Who was that man and how Did he get those information about you (in dream maybe?)? Did you have any specific message while you were preching? Thanks for sharing.

a reply to: The GUT

And I you as well,

Yea, its been a hell of a ride these past 6 years. I've looked with anticipation and dread for this coming Dec, previous to 18 months ago, I thought the experince was much more about my personal experince to come. The town im in (as much related to unrest and death in the streets of this town which I've seen come to pass).

a reply to: visitedbythem

Older lol, they have turned into grumpy old men, still cute, just grumpy .

a reply to: benrl

I remember you from back then. I'm glad to hear you're doing well.

I'm not religious or even spiritual at all and I can tell a tipping point is coming, or already has and we're just waiting for the drop.

a reply to: alomaha

Well, we walked for miles, one of the things he told me was that he was waking up every night to find me... and that night he was very happy, that was the extremly odd part of it all, the thought God was waking him up from roughly the time I moved here. To find me, theres more to that, Including a period were I was being woken up to go out and help people...


But that Night, he made it clear he was just a dude being faithful, he spoke in very "ghetto" terms (hence the message he gave, was the Gospel, just in street venacular) But key in this was he walked with me for litteral miles in the night, to his home. Where I found he had stocked it with supplies for the homeless.


I could never find the house after that night, UNTIL as a chaplain, years later, Im serving at the local jail. Im driving home and realize everything on that street seemed strangely familar, I had been passing his house for years with out seeing it was the one.


By that point, he was long gone, Im sure hes out there helping another loss soul.


He made sure to tell me, He didn't know me, that what he was saying he was getting from the "spirit" in the moment.

That is much more going on in the world at the moment than any of us know, powers and principalities. I somehow feel this is meant for someone out there.

a reply to: benrl

I know Right can you possibly imagine what the people on Earth felt back in the 1940's during WW2 ?

Can you Imagine how many times through out the history of Human beings people have looked at one another and said " Yep this is it , its Armageddon the signs are all around us " .

I must say I respect your faith and ability to turn your life around , but I grow tired of the End Times Signs talk.

Thank you benrl.

I, for one, will pay attention to what you have come back to share.

Congratulations on your encouraging encounter.

a reply to: benrl

originally posted by: asabuvsobelow

That is much more going on in the world at the moment than any of us know, powers and principalities. I somehow feel this is meant for someone out there.

a reply to: benrl

I know Right can you possibly imagine what the people on Earth felt back in the 1940's during WW2 ?

Can you Imagine how many times through out the history of Human beings people have looked at one another and said " Yep this is it , its Armageddon the signs are all around us " .

I must say I respect your faith and ability to turn your life around , but I grow tired of the End Times Signs talk.

I dont have to imagine anything. My dad was there. He had a Turret lathe in his grandfathers garage while he was in high school. They would drop off materials, and when he got home from school each day, he went right to work making parts for bombers. His dad worked 8 hours at a bank, then went right to work for another 8 hours in a company making fighter planes. He joined the Army at 17. No. He didnt think that was a prelude to Armageddon.

But now! He is watching very carefully, the events unfolding right before our eyes.
Buckle up Buttercup!

Sorry wrong thread.

a reply to: benrl

Thanks for sharing this experience!
It’s all so interesting to me.

Do you think this man could have been
Jesus Christ?

Did he predict Your death?
Or was it more The Worlds Death?

Did this experience freak you out?
Because you sound very relaxed.

It’s just amazing that his predictions
About your life actually became fruitful.

I would love to read more of your events.
Thank you

a reply to: benrl

That is amazing. I believe you. The Lord does these things and is greatly interested in all human beings. Some times I don't understand why that is, but he is the greatest. He loves us all dearly. He told me to tell people that in a vision I had many years ago. I don't feel I have told enough people so far. Time is indeed short.

IT must have been a real shock when that man walked up knowing your name I'm betting, especially after he told you why he was there.
People have to be told, and they should believe. If not, that's a choice. Since knowing the Lord was actually real and he is involved with us people in many ways, has opened up an entirely new way of seeing things.

Enheartening to hear your testimony.

a reply to: FreeFalling

He told me I was blind, and that I would see, that I was asleep and was waking up,

He told me Happy Birthday (which I now know was being born of the spirit).


He talked about percentages, that I didn't know how close we were (Implying the last person to "get it") He walked up to several people we encountered, Including walking up to a random trailer at 3 am knocking on the window and asking for a Cig from a stranger... Who though confused, gave him one and said good night, Other people scorned his "Howdy" he would tell them, who he seemed genuiensly saddened, saying things like "they will never get it".


He warned me of sprayed symbols in portland to avoid that they were dangerous (the sprial spray paint, I would learn was to be avoided, in my homeless ministry I encountered true evil on the streets... What we do to them...) People vanish all the time.


He told me to avoid injury and hospitals (as a chaplain, I saw mistreatment of people, by medical staff, espically the homeless)


He spoke about the police... (long before portlands recent problems... I saw it in person, abused, mistreated, beaten homeless).


He specificly told me get over "church" and "buidlings" he seemed disgusted with every church he passed, saying who built that? (each time he got more insistant ) and I didn't get it... Until he said , Man built that, God didn't, God cares about his creation (pointing at me.)



He told me very personal things about my life, my mariage, my relationships. He stressed I could not hurt becuase I was hurt, no one should ever do that.


I had fled into the night bare foot after a fight with my wife, he took of his shoes and gave them to me, telling me it was because who he was not who I was (stressing an example)


He told me, that Time was very short, that it was too short for me to remain asleep, he said I had to work the harvest (a term I knew meant Going to the lost)


He said I would be coming a Chaplain (Which, I went on a theology search, for reading the bible, and going to various denominations) And when I went to what ended up becoming my home church. A little old man who had been a Chaplain for thirty years walked up to me and said I wanted to be a chaplain and handed me his card.


The things he spoke of, in street vanacular and discription, matched the what I now view as what seems to occur in the book of Revelation. agin much of what he said Personally has happened theres not much left that could happen that he told me would happen to me.



Most of all he stressed to me, the urgency of working and being faithful. I always took it as a more overview personally that look this thing will eventually happen, so you personally better get on it.


When it happened, Everything changed, my materialist intellecutal view of the bible, changed. So many things have been confirmed in my personal life. Too many things lined up, and as I said in the OP, these past few months have made me think far more of the upcoming Dec, I was "born again" on Xmas... Ived looked at this date as special personally, but now more than ever I wonder.


He made sure though, I knew one thing, he, was just a Man, walking in the "spirit" and that God would do the same for everyone, that I wasn't special, that God would do what it takes to reach anyone.

That Night, shook me to the core. I had to re-evaluate some things... I went to my doctor and volentarial had my mental health checked out. Then, I went to sources for all denominations, and hit the bible, critical and textual sources, looking at it not from an intellectual perspective, but from a more open minded one.

I went on search, from cults to any denomination, seeing which seemed near what I thought matched what had happened. Point being, the Chaplain connection came at the home I now find myself, but before that I had found a similar role in a homeless church (very near what some would call an "acts" church)... Where much of what I was told about the streets that night was confirmed.

Portland, is a dark town. People are disposable, its a long history here, the shanghi tunnels etc, always a home to human trafficking.

That Night, started my new life, doing my best not to hurt, even when mad, and trying to help when I can. AS a chaplain, I've seen meds not calm a person, and a simple prayer said outside their door calm them with no one knowing but myself. To a Jail bible study, and a man slaming into a wall that wasn't their trying to get in but couldn't... I've seen to much and had wittness, from jail guards, to nurses and doctors, it gets shrugged off some knew and saw, many Guards, espicially among the homless that would get arrested know theres a fine line between insanity and spiritual.


Point being, I had my own bout of "mania" at suddenly seeing the Bible, as the litteral word of god, that perhaps all the conspiracy and situations in the world... well, True evil exisit. BUT, I know one thing, there is only one winner in whats to come.


I no longer have doubts of the validity of what happened to me, nor what I've been told, I've seen too much, gone too many places to know otherwise. I could list encounters with Homeless, both on the streets and in wards, I could talk on inmates.

I could go on, but thats not the Point really, Someone told me the truth, and I've done it in my personal life, on the streets, in the jails, on the pulpit. It just never really occured to me to post this here, until i felt a pressing urge to.

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

He does, Yea it was extremely alarming, he kept his distance at first, and made sure to show me he was unarmed and "Just a man"

That was key in that night, "Your not special, this isn't happening because of you, ITS because of his love for everybody, he would do it for all if theyd listen" It was humbling,


Ive told many in my life (from the pulpit as well), And even on some forums, really don't know why not here, but Really why Not?



I find myself being much bolder in my life. I look at it as, as like As long as I did what he did for me (that man) for someone else, just out of gratitude. I know I have, so its just on to the next one.