Page 27 - News Spring-Summer 2025

At the end of the service, I turned to the grumpy man and
AT THE DARKEST POINT asked if he was okay. “Gosh I hate this church; in fact, I'm
not coming again ever! Anyway,” he said, “why are you
IS WHEN WE STARTED here?” I briefly explained I was trying to find God and he
TO SEE GOD MOVE told me of a lively spirit filled church just a few miles down
the road. “That's the church for you” he said, sounding very
sure and he promptly left the church. The next Sunday I
went along to the church he told me about and I knew very
give 60% of his financial assets to her. These were rather quickly it was where God wanted me to be.
bleak and dark times, we were short of money, we had
low levels of confidence, and our family was crushed and The seed that God had planted some 18 years before
almost destroyed. I realise now how much Dad must have started to germinate. I picked up that little red New
struggled, he was probably out his depth. Testament on the shelf where I placed it as a schoolboy
and started to read. Soon enough I was gripped by it, and
During this time, we hardly saw my Mother, who was I noticed very quickly that something odd was going on.
jetting off business class to China and various other On numerous occasions, I would read something that
foreign holidays while we were struggling. But just at the leapt off the page for me, think about it all week turning
darkest point is when we started to see God move. it over in my head, and when I reached church on Sunday,
Having seen the very real spiritual thoughts at work the Pastor would be speaking about that very same verse.
in my upbringing, I wondered how and where the God It was that church that brought me to faith and in 2016
of the Bible fitted into all of this. God kept sending I got baptised there, which for me felt very significant –
people across my path, people who seemed positive and a separation and a cleansing from the Spiritualism and
encouraging and spoke with passion about what God Freemasonry and into a brand-new start.
had done in their own lives. This culminated in a work
trip to Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in
the world. I was walking down a side street when I met a
man sitting on some steps and looking directly at me. He I KNEW VERY QUICKLY IT
seemed eager to strike a conversation, and, with much WAS WHERE GOD WANTED
enthusiasm, he told me he was a Christian and, as such,
was very much a minority in Indonesia. “But you must ME TO BE
be a Christian, we have it hard in this country, you must
be able to share some insight.” He invited me to visit his
church down a dirt path and at the side of some shacks.
It was small, corrugated iron rather tin-pot church on I reached out to my Mum who I hadn't spoken to
the outskirts of the town. He enthusiastically told me the for over seven years. I found a rather sad, poor and
numerous Sunday services would be packed full. It was disappointed older lady, still waiting for the promises
something about that encounter that not only humbled and opportunities and wealth that never came and still
me but also convicted me to go to church when I got refusing Christ. Our relationship was initially okay, but
back home. she became more hostile when she knew I was attending
I kept that promise to myself; not really knowing which church. I started receiving offensive and unpleasant
church to choose I found the nearest to my home and messages from her – abusive text messages and nasty
went along. When I arrived, I found a friendly group of letters. I noticed she often quoted Scripture but it was
elderly people in a half - empty church, who seemed meant to offend. One such message in capital letters
rather surprised that I had appeared at all. In fact, their first threatened that God would repay me for all that I had
impression was to ask if I was lost! Another lady suggested done – even though I was never quite sure what this was.
that this might not been the right church for me so, slightly She even threatened to call the police if I ever came near
confused, I sat through the service, which was okay. her home.
I attended this church for a few weeks and began We still pray for her as I see in her life loneliness,
to wonder if I was in the right place. I felt a sense emptiness, bitterness and envy. It reminds me how.
of disappointment. I thought maybe God had more God has done so much behind the scenes, changing
for me than this, more than being stood on my own my attitude and circumstances.
at the back of a half-empty church and not fitting in.
I prayed possibly my first serious prayer: “God, I kind I'm married and we have two sons. I’m currently
of expected more; is this where you want me to be?” completing a 2-year course at Ellel Ministries UK to
I finished that prayer by saying: “Look, I'll come next better equip me to help others. My dad had a parallel
week and, if everything stays the same, perhaps church journey of his own and he's now also saved and a
isn't for me”. member of a thriving church.
The next Sunday I went along to the church. Everything I thank God for a little red Testament, a seed of a book
was much the same, the same friendly group of older donated by this wonderful organisation - please don't
people that had been there before. I sat at the back, on ever stop - and I thank God for that grumpy man who
my own once again. Just as the service started, a man came to the church.
came in and selected the seat immediately behind me, If you are feeling far from God, He will do for you
despite the fact there were probably 10 seats free in what He did for me - just ask Him.”
all directions around me. I could hear him huffing and
puffing through the surface; he even growled loudly at Chris shared his testimony at the Region 2 Convention
one point! 2024.

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News Spring_Summer 2025.indd 27 18/03/2025 16:35