Well, in the Lord's name on your behalf, we do want to welcome
members of the Smith family. We're especially delighted to
have Stephen Smith with us. Going to come in a minute and
testify on his wife Joy and great to see his daughter
Jessica here. And it's good to have Councillor
Dean McCulloch with us. And we've spent some time past
week and having fellowship and meeting down there in the
Belfast City Hall trying to keep the city fathers right.
And we're glad to have his grandson Calvin and his sister
Rhonda. I'm really delighted that
members of the family are here. And we pray you'll have
fellowship together and you'll stay for the cup of tea and that
the Lord will richly bless us. Now I'm going to ask Brother
Stephen if he'll come up now, and then he'll share his word of
testimony with us. And I'll go out of the pulpit
and I'll give you plenty of room and I'll move down to the far
Pew. God bless you, brother.
Thank you very much for coming. Well, first of all, I'd like to
thank the Reverend David McLaughlin for the invitation to
give a word of testimony. I'd also like to thank the Lord
that through the save him and keep him power of the Lord Jesus
Christ that I have a testimony to give.
Mr McLaughlin asked me how long I would be, and I think we're
planning to have a supper about 9:30 before you start heading
for the door. I'm only joking.
Now, physically speaking, I have a few problems with the rare
form of arthritis. I can only hear the 1A ear and
have a bad eye. The good thing here, the good
thing is your ears complement the ears because I can hang a
pair of glasses on so that I can see, but I can see.
I'm here enough to do me. But spiritually I'm perfect as I
have been washed in the precious blood of the Lamb.
Now just before I give him a taste upon me, I would like just
to bow your head and we word a prayer, please.
I would just like to thank. Thank you, Lord, for bringing
everybody here tonight. And you know you're here because
the Lord brought you here and we're all here for a reason.
We just give thanks and this country we have the liberty that
we can come and worship the Lord as and when we please and we
just pray tonight that you'll help me Lord together, true
account of my life, what you've done for me.
And we pray that everything that's done on set in this house
tonight will glorify thy name. And we just pray if there's
anyone here tonight without the Saviour that they will call upon
the Lord while he is near and seek the Lord as their Saviour.
I asked all these things in our Saviour's name, Amen.
Now if you have your Bible with you, please turn to Job the
chapter 14 and must be lovely. He said there Rhonda's my sister
in Christ, but she's not actually to my sister Rhonda.
There was a we had a mission down in the hall and Rhonda's
brother Ian and myself organised that mission and Rhonda came to
know the Lord at that mission. That was a great answer to
prayer. That would just be great tonight
if someone else would seek the Lord.
So we're turning to Job chapter 14, and we're reading from the
verse. One man that was born of a woman
is a few days and full of trouble.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down.
He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
And Dorst, I open thy knees upon such and 1 and bringeth me into
judgement with thee. Who can bring a clean thing out
of an unclean? Not one seeing his days are
determined, the number of his months are with thee, who has a
point at his bounds that he cannot pass.
Turn from him, that he may rest till he shall accomplish as
inheriting his day. For there is hope of a tree, if
it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the
tender branch thereof will not cease through the root thereof.
Wax old in the earth and the stalk are off day in the ground,
yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth
boughs like a plant. But man dieth and wasteth away.
Yeah, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he now?
You turn last me please to Psalm 34, and we read in the 1st 6
verses from Psalm 34, verse one. I will bless the Lord at all
times, as praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord.
The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Will magnify the Lord with me, and let us exult his name
together. I sought the Lord that he heard
me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him and were lightened, and their faces were
not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the
Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Amen. We know the Lord will bless us.
Reading, I hope you can understand me here now, because
I gave him a testimony on Ballymena or Ballymena Free
Presbytery in church last June, and a lady from America put a
comment up on Facebook. She said she couldn't understand
the word I said, but she said it looked good.
So not only did she need an interpreter, she needed her own
spec savers. I would have thought.
But anyway, you'd wonder a woman from America was listening to
me, but you are listening to me tonight.
But I start my testimony tonight with the words of a wee chorus.
I'm so happy. Here's the reason why Jesus took
my burdens all away on the 26th of May 19 and 61.
I was born in the town land of Ballymacoloni, which was between
Killaray and Rasharkin, and I had the preference of me born.
I was a small farm, but I was born in a house with safe
parents. My father was an elder and
resharked in pre presbytery in church and my mother taught in
the Sunday school and she'd done children's work.
She was a teacher betrayed. The night I was born there was a
folks come into her yard and killed a lot in the father's
hens. And he used to say that wasn't a
very profitable day because he says you were born the hens, was
killed by the folks. And then he says you come a
little. So I think I gave my father more
problems than the folks hovered up.
But I'm the younger of two boys and I'll always say I'm the
better looking one. But if he's watching online,
he'd probably tell me about that later.
But I was brought up in Sunday school, church, twice every
Sunday, Friday night meetings, prayer meetings, missions.
I was convicted on many occasions, but I was not
interested at all. The things are gone.
At 16 years of age I got a licence for a motorbike and I
used to go and stay at my aunt's house in Ballymena and I went to
a new Sports Club in Harryville and we played pool, we played
darts, there was gambling, there was drinking, smoking, Anything
I was told not to do, I done it. In 17 years of age I got the
licence for the car and I met a girl I fell in love with, a wee
girl and we got engaged. She bought her wedding dress, we
planned her wedding and we planned to spend our lives
together. On the 6th of February 19 and 82
we were travelling back to her house from a public bar in
Calray and we had a horrific car crash.
There was a crossroads in the Shark and near Hassen
Engineering. It used to be street but it was
staggered now and the car came from the village and I had them
following other following on the main road.
I wasn't sure if it happened it was such a an impact, but my
whole life seemed to flash in front of me on a Strat.
Second, I shouted at Rhondda, but the only response I got from
her was growing sounds. I was in deep distress that I
felt I was dying and yet I had the presence in mind that night
to ask the Lord to save me. So here's a very important
lesson for all parents here tonight.
Proverbs 22 and 6 that says train up outside and the way he
should go and when he was old he will not depart from it.
To cut a Long story short, my leg was trapped between the
pedals and the seat of the car and fight my leg, the hap joint
was broke, I had a fractured skull, was losing a lot of blood
and I wasn't in good shape anyway.
But that vehicle I played it was that night was an active unit of
providing an ARA and the route that night collecting so-called
protection money. Rhonda and some of the occupants
of her car were taken to hospital and the first
ambulance, the drivers of her vehicle and myself went to the
second ambulance. I kept inquiring that night,
asked nurses and doctors about Rhonda, but I was told nothing.
And people would say to you at times that no news, it's good
news, but that's wrong, no news, there's no news.
Because Rhonda had pressure relieved from a head injury, but
such was the impact of the crash, she died later that night
due to a fatal heart attack. The driver of her car had done
internal bleeding and they said they had him sort it out and
because of the shock he died an hour or two later by a fatal
heart attack as well. A minute science was held for
that man at a dance as he was a member of the provision of the
ARA and he was buried with a tray collar and the bury in his
coffin. And in Psalm one verse 6, it
says to the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of
the ungodly shall perish. The royal disputer was a very
sad day for me. I wasn't able to go as I was
confined to bed retraction and there was no fat state to do
anything. My family and friends were very
good to me and they attended me as best they could in the
hospital, but it was a very hard blow for me to contend with.
After a week in the wave in the hospital I was transferred to
the city where they repaired my hat joint and then I was back to
the evening and had to lie in traction for eight weeks.
But once I was in the mend, I wasn't one but interested in the
things I got and I just went back to the old worldly ways.
So me asking the Lord to save me, it wasn't genuine, it wasn't
true. Anyway my brother Sam come in to
see me one evening, they come in and they brought me lastly by
the name of joy I thought nothing about at the time.
But this progressed as time went on and for some unknown reason,
she took a notion to me and she gave her testimony at a prayer
meeting in Randallstown Church last year.
And she said it was love at first sight.
So I'd say there's another woman needed her own to expect savers
as well. But I spent that summer in
crutches. Enjoy it if that's it at me from
time to time. And when I meant I worked at a
local plastering firm and I helped my father and the farm
follow. My family band was reformed and
I'd done it for 15 years or so now.
In the 2nd of February, 19 and 86, there was an ordination
service at elders in Resurgent Free Presbytery and Church at
3:30. And as you know, when the elders
have been ordained, there's a laying on my hands and my
father. After the service, my father and
Doctor Paisley were reminiscing about how many years they've
been friends. And when the election, when the
local elections were been held in our area, Doctor Paisley and
his supporters would always end up in our house for tea.
And that's always ended up at maybe 3:00 and 4:00 in the
morning, which was a great bonus for me for I hate at school.
And that got me a day off school.
But I wasn't at that meeting at that night or that evening at
that ordination service. And when I was in a Curry, there
was a family friend standing early.
And then they says, Stephen, you need to go up to the church for
your father at church is not well.
And I run in the church door and I expect that you see my father
sit, you know, to speak to him and and ask him what was wrong
but lying. And he was lying dead in the
hall. He took a massive heart attack,
if that to me. I hadn't lost in the blackness
and darkness of hell forever. That was another hard blow for
me. But I still didn't on the path
of destruction. But you know, I had never told
this before, but when my father had a day in the church, I was
sat in a man's house playing the cards for money.
And I'm not telling that to glorify that in any way, but
that's just as a warning. That's how far the devil can
take you away from the things of God.
And just let me say that sin, sin will take you farther than
you want to go. It will cost you more than you
want to pay, and it will keep you longer than you want to
stay. Now in the 5th of March, 19 and
87, Joy and I got married. And we got married.
We had a house in Bala Mummy. And the reason for that was the
free first betraying. Church doesn't marry.
I don't know what they call an uneven yoke and that's the
reason for that was joy was saved and I wasn't.
But then we got married and then we started a family in the first
year of Janet came along and then our second child, we knew
something was wrong during the pregnancy and every time we went
and the news got worse. But she at full term, Amy was
born, but she died at birth and we can thank the Lord that she's
in heaven today. But after Amy was born, I
started to work at a local feed mill for 7 1/2 years later it
closed and I went to Hutchins Engineering for a few months and
then I went to McLaren's feed mill in Randall's town or it's
now owned by, well it's Pilgrims Europe.
It's only I'm still there this last 22 years.
Then after his name, we were very anxious when Joy became
pregnant again. But our thanks be to the Lord
Steph who was born and all was well.
We thought our family was complete.
But in 19 and 93 with an RE last yes, it came alone and our
family was now completed, but with shame.
I tell it was Joy who enforced that our children were brought
up the same way as I was and she was Sunday school, church,
Friday night meetings and taught the things of God.
Proverbs 19 verse 14 that says houses and riches are the
inheritance of fathers and their prudent wife is from the Lord.
We started to go to Randallstown Church in 2009 and Joy George
shortly afterwards. I told you earlier about my
mother retiring from Sunday School.
She retired due to L Health. She had developed Alzheimer's on
the 11th of July 2013. She was very near the end of her
life's journey and she was very unsettled.
And Mr Mullen came and read the 23rd Psalm and prayed with her
and her contentment had to be seen to be believed.
And after a few years she stepped peacefully away to
Heaven. And I was well with my soul with
some at her funeral and I sung up.
But I knew fine well it wasn't well with my soul.
But I thank and praise the Lord it has now.
The years ago I raced pigeons, I raced radio controlled cars and
I'd done all these things over in England and here and Sundays
meant nothing to me. It was just another day.
And I went to England to race British championship races and
Sundays I just, after all I was taught, I went through
difference. I just didn't do the things I
should have done. I went to church occasionally,
but for the last few years the gospel never fastened me and I
sought the church and it never just.
I honestly started to think that I had rejected Christ so many
times that as it says in the Bible in Genesis 6 verse 3, my
spirit shall not always thrive as mom.
I thank the Lord this wasn't the case.
On Sunday morning, 1st October 2023, the Reverend Goods and Ron
just to in her own church read Mark chapter 1 and his text was
the last 8 words of that chapter and they came to him from every
quarter. Thus was talking about the
people as Jesus was preaching in the city.
Mr Goods said Jesus never turned anyone away.
I listened to that sermon and since I've got saved he, he said
that he said that in that sermon at least 11 times.
That's where they spoke to me. Why would he turn me away?
He never turned anybody away. I was working that night before
I worked night shift and I didn't attend the mission.
Monday night I was back at the mission and he preached a sermon
in the wreck's young ruler. Tuesday night he preached A
sermon about Lot's life. And I come home that night under
heavy conviction. Wednesday night I was back at
work and I was in bad, bad form. And the boy at work says to me,
what's wrong? Why are you in a bad mood?
And I just told him what was wrong.
I told him what wasn't the happening in the life and he
knew what I meant because I had previously told him that I
didn't love the way I should. He told him our work.
He says Smith's going to turn good 11.
They don't use that phrase but I don't just say good loving, but
I'm now walking with the Lord say it bears wondrous grace.
They joined, I planned a holiday in England and she picked the
dates so we could attend the mission but they changed the
dates of the mission so it meant we were missing the second week.
Then Sunday morning, the 8th September, I went to church and
I never heard a word and we had dinner at David and Steph who
asked my daughter who said have I made away from the church.
And at 3:30 the Reverend McRae preached a sermon on three films
and three kings statements and his first they preached on was
King Saul and Saul. You know Saul's love for David
turned to hate because of jealousy and he made a
confession. This was the King's confession.
He said I have played the fool. The second fool was Abner.
There were six cities of refuge and Joe murdered Abner just
outside the gate of Hebrew. If he had stepped inside that
gate he couldn't have been touched.
I am now inside the gate, since I accepted Christ my Saviour,
and I'm safe for all eternity. The King David was a lower
statement. That was his conclusion.
Second Samuel 3 and 33 Abner date is a full death.
The third he spoke on was the wretched man he was.
That was the third he fully spoke on.
Pulled in. He said he would pull down his
barns and beggared his store. All his goods he drank and be
merry and he had everything or he thought he had everything.
But the king, the third king, this is the king of kings.
The Lord's condemnation said thou filled tonight, thy soul be
required to feed. That evening I couldn't go to
church quick enough and I went home and as we were going to be
holidays the next morning, I had the cattle to feed.
And then there's a diet feeder behind the tractor.
And that for those of you maybe I don't know how he's a farming
background or not, but it's just a big machine for mixing feed
and there's steps to go up and see that it's working right.
And I was that scared that evening.
I wouldn't even go up them steps to see.
I was terrified. I went to bed that night and
sleep wasn't happening. And at 2:30 I took a severe pain
on my chest. When I thought that pain on my
chest was severe, I thought things aren't good here.
And their voice spoke to me as clear as day.
And I said Abner Day, there's a full death, are you going to do
the same? Well, I didn't need a second
invitation. I asked the Lord to save me
there and then. I honestly believe that that was
my final call. The pain subsided and I lay
awake for a long time and eventually I dozed over.
At 5:30 we realised to catch the boat.
I never said a thank to Joy. I took my Bible and I had it in
the motorhome because we were going to weigh and I had to be
sure before I told her. I didn't want to tell her.
But anyway, we got on the boat and we ordered breakfast and I
usually tell people I ordered a slice of them on the yoghurt but
as you'd know it's a fry I get in them.
But I struggled to eat and joining you something was up but
I told her everything was spying.
We parked some black pills for the night and we went for a walk
during the prom. We met a group of men that night
who were dressed up in the colours of the rainbow and the
way they were behaving, the only way I could describe them men
was of Solomon tomorrow. I felt a real burden in my heart
for those men and this was the assurance I was looking for
because previously I hated them people.
I hated them. Now I don't hate them people,
but I hate what they do. Them people has a soul like
everybody else. And that was the change in my
life. I didn't sleep that Sat night
and in the morning I knew it was time I was to tell Joy the good
news. Who better to tell than the
woman who prayed for me for 40 years.
And I said, Joy, I need to speak to you about my spiritual
welfare. She says, do you want to get
saved? And I said no, I already am.
Well, Joy got out of her bed that morning.
I never seen her as fast in my life.
It was a bollock community at a gun Gunbarra that took her by
surprise and she lifted her baby with her red tepee.
And she read to me what you have read to me already.
Romans 10910 And 13 Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God has raised him
from the dead. Thy shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believe us unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confesses made, and unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. She prayed, and I prayed, and I
pray that we sent my prayers. Thank you Lord for saving my
soul. Thank you Lord for making me
whole. Thank you Lord for giving to me
thy rich salvation, so great and so free.
I knew then that I was saved and heaven will be my home for all
eternity. My daughter Stephie prayed in
the prayer meeting the week before the mission.
She said she was so excited that her daddy was going to get
saved. And that's what I call praying
and believing. That's that was great faith but
she her prayers was answered. We had our breakfast and drove
to Ambleside in the Lake District.
We spent the day there. That evening we phoned the girls
and told them the news. I rang Mr Goodson told him and
everyone was overjoyed. Joy's mother was over the moon
as well. We packed up on Wednesday and
come home as we wanted people get back to our family and get
back to the mission. Thursday night we landed to the
mission to the fair meeting. Friday night, pair meeting the
mission. Sunday, both pair meetings, both
services. Monday, Portland Harvest Learn
Mission Hall the next three nights.
The Lord made such a difference. I couldn't wait to go out to
church the week before, and now I couldn't wait to get back in.
Now in the market of seven years, the Angel of death came
and took people, three people very dear to me in 19 and 82, my
fiance, I'm 86, my father and I'm 89, my child.
On any one of these occasions, if that would have been me, I'd
have been lost in hell forever. I have eternal life.
I have contempt and it's the best thing I've done on my life.
Joy and I read together, pray together, we'll be together for
all eternity. I've told neighbours, friends
and family I get saved. The Lord help me do this.
My cousin died shortly after I got saved and his brother-in-law
appointed him to the Lord. That was a great answer to
prayer. I'm not standing up here tonight
thinking that I'm that great righteous man.
I'm only a Sinner save to grace. I was at a mission lately and
the evangelist was Mr Lowell Shadedge and this stuck with me
and I just wanted to share it. Lastly, he read the last verse
of Genesis 50 and 26. So Joseph died being 110 years
old and they embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
There's a company in England that makes 75,000 coffins per
year. That's 15% of the coffins that
need it in the UK. So we need half a million
coffins in the UK in a year. But here's the thing, there's
not one person here the night, including myself that your
coffin or my coffin could be sat in the rack.
I ready for you. I told you earlier about the
sudden death of my father. Now he was a small farmer and he
was coming home last Sunday evening, I have no doubt to
check his livestock. But he didn't come home that
night. He'd take his livestock, he'd
come home the next day and has coffin.
Now I read 2, I read 2 passages with you, and I'll leave you
with this question and Job 14 verse 10.
But man daith and wasteth away. Yeah, man giveth up the ghost,
and where is he? Now you sit the knee and take
that question and answer that question truthfully yourself.
Answer it truthfully, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
My prayer would be that your answer to the question would be
Psalm 34, verse 6, which read this poor man cried, and the
Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
If you're not saved, I urge you to seek the Lord.
You know, the Reverend Mccrae said.
I think on the mission that stayed with me too as well, to
lose your wealth. It's very sad to lose your
health as more to lose your soul of such a loss.
No man can never restore. They, the world in general,
think that success is a big car and a big house and an important
job and they make loads of mummy.
Don't get me wrong, it's good to be prosperous as long as it
doesn't get in the way with your spirit of life.
Prosperity doesn't always set well.
Abraham and Lot prospered so well that their herdsmen fell
out. And Abraham gave Lot the choice
it was because they were two brothers in Christ.
He didn't. He didn't want to be any
disputes with him. He offered Lot wherever he
wanted so that the argument that would stop.
And Lot chose the plain of Jordan that was well watered.
Good pastor, great place for his cattle, but he had no thought
for God or his family. He pitched his tent towards
Sodom. Next thing he was dwelling in
Sodom. Next he was a ruler in Sodom.
The Lord told us he got warned, the Lord warned Lot that he was
going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot told us sons to
get out because the Lord was going to destroy Sodom and
Gomorrah and everything and everybody was in it.
Genesis 19 and 14 it says what? He seemed as one that milked
unto his sons in law. Lot obviously had no testimony.
It's important to live well for God as the Word reads the
Christian and not the Bible. Now I hold my hands up there.
Nobody judge Christians any more than me.
I've done it for years. That boy's doing this and that
boy's doing that. This is a very foolish thing to
do because whenever the judgement day comes, you'll not
be asked what he done. You'll be asked what you done.
That's whatever we do ourselves. And you know, I've been very
erectedly asked daughter saved and my eldest grandson Commons
saved and and has testified publicly in church and he goes
to me every pair meeting and everything and we have a wee
grandson of four and he puts his trust in the Lord there about
four to five weeks ago and I would vanish here.
I would just urge you to put your trust in the Lord.
You know, warns in the Bible on on more than one occasion.
There's two warners in Matthew 24 verse 42.
Watch therefore, for you know not what error your Lord does
come and 40 verse 44 it says, therefore be ye also ready for
in such an error as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
That's my testimony. And I just want to tell you that
I'm not any great upright man. I'm only a Sinner saved by
grace. The words of him.
This is my story to God be the glory.
I'm only a Sinner saved by grace.
Amen. Well, on your behalf, we want to
thank our brother Stephen for this word of testimony tonight.
He has opened up his heart and he has shared with us how that
the Lord bore with him and how the Lord brought him to himself.
And you know, just as we finished this evening, it's not
that long ago, I was sitting speaking to the man and he told
me this. I would love to be saved.
Well, why are you not saved? And then he started telling me
so and so did this. So and so did that.
Years ago, this man professed to be saved and he done that.
And this person done another thing and it went on and on.
And exactly what Stephen has just said.
I said the same thing. I looked him in the eye and I
said, but you're not accountable for any of those men.
The Bible says then every one of us shall give an account of
himself to God. Did you hear the three fools
that he mentioned? Saul said I have played the
fool. He wasn't talking about somebody
else, neither a family member or a friend or neighbour or
somebody else in the Kingdom. He said I have played the fool.
If you're playing the fool, running from God, living and
sin, then you need to face up to that reality.
What do we read about? Abner died.
Abner's a full death. Abner had responsibility.
He could have went in through the gate of the city of Hebron.
He could have stayed there. He came outside it and was
killed outside the gate, the place of safety.
Abner died as a full death, and if you die, it'll be like the
rich man, thy fool. That wasn't it, wasn't it said
to him this night shall thy soul be required of thee?
You see all of us on life's journey, having a lot of time.
You think of this terrible tragedy that we're going to face
tomorrow in Bushmills, this farmer 52 years of age, every
one of us a day when we're born. And every one of us, let me tell
you, we'll have a day when we die.
And I want to tell you worse, that day's already appointed.
God has that day set, and you'll not be here one minute after
your time. And we don't know when that day
is. That's why the Bible says,
behold, now is the accepted thing.
Now is the day of salvation. And more so than that, on that
day of death, everyone of us will stand before God and give
an account of our sins of thought and word and deed.
And that's why you need Jesus Christ.
That's why you need to come and receive him now as your Lord and
Saviour. Now is the accepted time.
Now is the day of salvation, not tomorrow, for tomorrow may never
come. And we would urge you to think
of the words as we're going to sing in closing. 224 Have you
been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?