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My Testimony

   Whilst this story may be sounding like many a Testimony, it’s personal to me. After all these years I have seen, that I have never shared with you all what/who led me to give my life to Jesus. Also I’ ll share certain moments that can only show how God moved at that moment.

   So like all history you need to know the key factors that led up to me being on my knees. I first heard from God, I now understand it was Him, when I was around 11/12 years old, but just dismissed the notion as foolishness, and so carried on with growing up. When I was young loved music and had those I liked and those not. After leaving School I got into my local night club, in Milton Keynes, very quickly found that I going 5 nights a week. Buying music when I could afford. I was slowly building up a collection, until I moved to the south coast and lived with my sister. Her boss wanted someone to play some music in his bar she recommended me, this was the first time I worked the music desk and I was hooked.

   After I few months I was DJing in their club, after a couple of years I jumped at the chance of going to Hamburg, this was in the May of 1990 – so just after the wall came down. Whilst the I had a fiancee, but that broke down, which was a mess and so sort solace in the bottle, within 3mths I was drinking like a fish, from a person who hardy drank.

   After returning home to stay in my parents hotel, then bounced around a lot for a few years living here and there till got my own place. Still not happy, I then embarked on a relationship with a lady who had a young daughter, whom both of which I loved a lot, and thought this is it paradise. Then boom whilst looking after her daughter one night I discovered she was having an affair. This shattered me like a pain of glass, into a thousand bits. Oh boy did the bottle get hit hard, This happened right on Christmas , it was whilst visiting my parents that a member of the family mid-Christmas morning said to me ‘so fish how many have you had?’ Which pushed me further down that dark rabbit hole.

   It was just after New Years celebration, I wondered what was there in the coming in the New Year to be happy about, NOTHING from what I could see. In all the years since my childhood I had not heard God calling me, instead there was just silence, until that night I found myself walking along Torquay sea front heading to a place called Berry-Head (some 5 miles round the bay). It was wild weather, but just as I was walking past a phone, yes they were a thing still then, when there it was again – Gods voice. I can only think I had not heard of our Lord till then because of a song by CeCe Winans where she sang about someone who would not receive God because they were not on their knees yet, meaning it was the only way of them hearing God’s voice, like me. . .

#CeCe Winans:- Album: Alabaster box

Song: He’s not on his knees yet

(This song will tell you more. Having had many years of love of lots of different music from Queen through to Opera. Favourite songs like Jerry Rafferty:- Baker Street, to Christian songs now When the music fades, meaning everything else goes away you (Jesus Christ) will always be there. I still love my music but now I praise God for all His done, is doing and going to do for us)… Yes I said ‘US’, meaning Betty & Me. God directed my feet to the phone booth and before I knew what was happening I was calling the Samaritans, telling them of what I was going to do. I still don’t know how long I talking to them? Suddenly I was back home in my apartment, in the morning I called my Doctor, and told him I could not go home, as I had booze & tabs waiting for me, so we talked and I sign myself into a secure until for 3days. To this day my parents never knew what had transpired. Once back home I remembered I knew of a guy that went to a local Church in Torquay, so I knocked his door and asked if I can come with him and his family that next Sunday, as I needed solace from the Church, he had agreed.

   It transpired after a short while a lady was just going to start an ‘Alpha-Course’, (this link is for the UK but I’m sure there will be one close to you in your country, just copy and paste Alpha-Course, and should pop up near to you. . . https://alpha.org.uk/) She put me in touch with a wonderful couple call Graham & Margaret, who ran a group for those of above a certain age, called ‘Cameo’. She would call often, to try and get me to meet the group and come to her Church. Eventually I made it to Living Water Church, in spite of the devil trying to stop me from going, every time she invited me, and on the 1st of May 1998 in the evening I gave my heart to Christ Jesus.

   As I walked through the doors that evening It felt like I had just been freed. Just like a Shire horse being let loose in a field after all it’s restrictive harnesses were removed, when they run and jump and kick, because of the freedom they feel. What I remember the most from that evening was that at the end Mike Symonds gave an ‘alter call’, asking is there anyone wishing to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus. Paster Mike had not finished giving the call, I shot out of my chair past Graham & Margaret and down the front of the Church, like a regular jack-in-the-box.

    I must admit I was never one for being able to save, how things have changed praise God, I was that on fire for God saving me when the next baptismal service in June came around I wanted nothing more than to go through the waters. At this time Mum & Dad were living just out side Midhurst I Sussex, I wanted them to come and be witness, as it was a good distance I said I would pick them up in the morning, and run the home after in the evening. There was just one drawback being being able to afford this. I was down to my last pound which was to feed me for the month, as well as lighting/heating & fuel for the car for the moth. So as the offering plate came around I prayed to God asked for His help, citing. . . Ephesians 2:7 “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” … I found I never had to do a proper food shop until mid September, or with draw money from the bank at the same time, that following week I spoke to my bank manger, he wrote of all my debt and gave me a fresh start, praise God.

Part 2 will follow next week show at every turn how Jesus Christ has had influence in my life up to today, so stay tuned.

God peace and blessings be upon you your family and friends.