WAS IT SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION OR DEMONS?

Have you ever witnessed something weird which had no obvious explanation? In my upcoming How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity memoir, I recounted the following strange tale.

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Most Sunday services were uneventful, but I'll never forget the bizarre events of the third of June. Sister Roberta opened all the doors and windows beforehand that evening to let the warm breeze waft through the house. Cynthia, Brother Bhagan's daughter who lived in Edmonton, arrived with a friend named Sunil. Though he was a Hindu, she wanted to show him how we worshipped.

As Brother Herald delivered the sermon, a thud shook the house. It sounded as if an overweight person jumped off a chair above us.

John raced upstairs to investigate. "Attention everybody," he called from the top of the stairs in his police officer tone of voice. "There's a fire in the kitchen. You'll all have to leave in an orderly fashion out of the side exit."

We stood in the yard as John and Sister Roberta extinguished the flames. Then we filed back into the sanctuary to resume the service. Though all of us felt somewhat rattled, we stayed to hear the end of Brother Herald's sermon.

John called the fire inspector the next morning. Having scrutinized every aspect of the scene of the blaze, the municipal official found no cause of the explosion. It originated amid a small collection of paper bags next to Sister Roberta's stove. The man ruled out spontaneous combustion because the appliance was off.

Furthermore, the inside doors stood wide open and a steady breeze flowed through the house. Spontaneous combustion, according to him, never happens in well-ventilated areas.

In addition, the range had no brown residue on its enamel leading from the pilot lights to the point of the fire. That ruled out ignition from them.

The inspector returned and questioned Sister Roberta later that week. "We didn't find any matches, cigarette butts, or traces of accellerants in the ashes," he concluded. "Are you sure there aren't any disgruntled church members who may have set the fire?"

She pondered his question, then admitted, "I can't think of any."

As the inspector turned to leave, he paused by the back door. "Let me know if you come up with any names or if you remember any
The inspector closed his investigation some months later without reaching a conclusion.
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How I Was Razed is the testimony of how God revealed his true character to me after charismatic house church elders misled me for more than fifteen years. You're welcome to contact me directly for more information about this upcoming paperback.