1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,640 Well, it's a privilege to be here and it's a privilege to 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,280 have a testimony to give of God's saving grace. 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,960 And you know, we we have heard tonight already very much has 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,080 been made of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 5 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,840 And I want to start off by saying one thing. 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,880 I stand here on the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:31,160 Christ and that alone the Bible says in first John chapter 1 and 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,040 verse 7. And there's a part of that verse 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,920 that says, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses 10 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,200 from all sin. And our desire tonight is not 11 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,120 that man would be glorified, but that the Lord would be 12 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,040 glorified. And you know, I'm saved over 50 13 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,720 years. And if I was to tell you what 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,520 the Lord has done for me, I can keep you here till next year 15 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,800 because the Lord has been so good to me and I want to give 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,680 him all the glory, honour and praise. 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,760 There's a recourse that says is when I think of the goodness of 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,960 Jesus and all that he's done for me, my very soul cries out 19 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:11,240 Hallelujah, praise God for saving me and I'm standing here 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,080 saved by the blood of the Lamb. And just to give you a wee 21 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,600 background about myself and how I grew up, well, I was born in 22 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,840 East Belfast and we were a typical E Belfast family. 23 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,080 We lived in A2 up two Down House and my daddy, well he would have 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,200 been a typical E Belfast man all these years ago. 25 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,080 He would have worked very, very hard during the week and then at 26 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,000 the weekend he would have gambled on the horses and he 27 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,800 would have drank terribly and at times you know he was such a 28 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,200 good husband and father. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 29 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,680 Thursday, Friday but come Saturday when the drink went in 30 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,080 our home would have been very sad at times the tears would 31 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,160 have been flowing and the furniture could have been broken 32 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,800 and my mummy maybe would have got hit now and again. 33 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,640 But, you know, the Lord kept our family together and that is 34 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,080 typical. It was typical of the East 35 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,600 Belfast sort of background in families. 36 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:09,759 But you know, the Lord kept us together. 37 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,600 And I can truly say that we prayed for my daddy once we get 38 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,360 saved, we prayed for him for over 30 years and the times he 39 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,760 really came to church. But, you know, it's a wonderful 40 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,000 thing to be able to share with you that two weeks before my dad 41 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,560 died that the Reverend David Mcilvain had the privilege of 42 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,960 leading my dad, that old drunkard, to the Lord. 43 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,400 So we became a converted drunkard. 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,920 And there's going to be a reunion day, you know, and we're 45 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:37,920 so thankful for the mercy of God. 46 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:43,160 Well, I grew up in the home. And my sister, she is three 47 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:44,840 years older than me. You call her airing. 48 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,000 And I've been praying for her for 50 years, more than 50 years 49 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,920 and she's not saved yet. But we just claim the promises 50 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:56,200 of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in Acts chapter 16, 51 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:00,320 verse 31, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be 52 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,400 saved on thy house. So we're going to keep on 53 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,760 praying that she'll come to know the Lord. 54 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,760 And if you've been praying for somebody member, your family, a 55 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,680 friend, father, mother, husband, wife, child, keep praying. 56 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,120 Keep praying. We've been praying for over 50 57 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:16,760 years. And Iring was at our family 58 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,880 night a few weeks ago and our next family night is going to be 59 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,680 next week. And by God's mercy, I'm hoping 60 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:26,000 that she will respond to the invitation again to come along 61 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,280 to hear the glorious gospel. It's the power of God unto 62 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,320 salvation. That's all we can do as people 63 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,040 of God, get them under the sound of the gospel. 64 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,600 It is the power of God unto salvation. 65 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,080 It's God's way that the gospel would be preached on to them. 66 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,920 So Iring is 3 years older than me mum she was in the house too, 67 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,800 but only the one sister and mummy, well she was a 68 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,440 backslider. She had come to know the Lord at 69 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:55,080 about 17 years of age and then the call of the world attracted 70 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,080 her and she left her first love and she entered into. 71 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,760 Well, it was a heartbroken, a broken home at times with the 72 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,160 alcohol and all. But you know, the Lord 73 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,680 graciously restored her. And in my testimony tonight, 74 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,800 you're going to hear about how the Lord wondrously restored my 75 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,640 mother and to himself. But the first person I remember 76 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,720 getting saved in my family was my granny. 77 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,320 And my granny was invited to go along to the Martyrs Memorial 78 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,480 Free Presbyterian Church. And Doctor Paisley was preaching 79 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:27,720 and she sat somewhere in the balcony. 80 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,440 And as Doctor Paisley preached the gospel and told that she 81 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,160 needed the Lord to be her Saviour, she'll never make it to 82 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,120 heaven on her own good works. There was only one way, and the 83 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,680 Lord Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, And no 84 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,960 man can come on to the Father but by him. 85 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:48,680 And as she sat in that balcony, the Holy Spirit began to knock 86 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,400 on her heart's door. She realised that she was a 87 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,560 Sinner and she needed to get right with God. 88 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,800 And, you know, she left the balcony and she came down the 89 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,360 middle aisle of the church and the martyrs. 90 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,200 And I see it every week. It's just a lovely thought to 91 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,640 think my grandmother walked up that aisle into the inquiry 92 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,320 room. And you know, it wasn't the 93 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,440 inquiry room or the minister that saved her. 94 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,960 It was a person of the Son of God who loved her and gave 95 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,920 himself for her. And she met the Saviour and he 96 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,360 transformed her life and saved her soul. 97 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,440 And you know, after granny gets saved, well she began to pray 98 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,560 for her family and she put action to her prayers. 99 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,720 She would have invited me and my mummy along to church. 100 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,280 And I remember so many times when she said would you come to 101 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:36,560 church? They said no, no, no. 102 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:40,440 But you know, on this occasion when she asked us said yes. 103 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,400 So I would encourage you if you're giving that invitation to 104 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,120 your family and friends, keep on giving the invitation because 105 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,360 the next time could be the time whenever they say yes and it 106 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,840 could transform their lives and get them on the way to glory 107 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,840 through the blood of the Lamb. And I thank God that Granny 108 00:05:57,840 --> 00:05:59,600 invited me and my mummy in particular. 109 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,600 We had a wee bit of an interest and we went along and how it 110 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:10,280 came about was it was a wee church hall in Red Car St, the 111 00:06:10,280 --> 00:06:12,240 Bible Pattern Church she called it. 112 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,720 And Ernie Allen took it over years later to become part of 113 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,840 the Every Home Crusade where the printed tracks from all over the 114 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:22,840 world in that wee building in Red Car Street just facing 115 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:26,360 Houston St School. That's where I came to know the 116 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,800 Lord as my Saviour. That's where the Lord saved my 117 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,800 soul. So anyway, what had happened was 118 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,200 there was a headline in Belfast Telegraph and it went like this 119 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:40,320 from headhunters to Christ. What a headline and the message 120 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:44,120 was, or the group that was there and coming to that church, they 121 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:45,640 were from the Philippine Islands. 122 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,280 They'd come all the way from the Philippines to share what the 123 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:52,520 Lord had done for them and how the Lord had transformed their 124 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,120 lives from headhunters to Christ. 125 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,320 And I was 13 years of age and I was so curious. 126 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,600 I was wondering what they were going to say, what they were 127 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:02,480 going to look like. Didn't even know where the 128 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,200 Philippines were. But me and mum, we went along 129 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,720 with that invitation and we sat somewhere in the middle and the 130 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,320 place was jam packed. And whenever that we group got 131 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,800 up and they stood there with their feathers and their tribal 132 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,440 regalia, they stood with their shield and they stood with their 133 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,200 spear and they stood there before us and they told us about 134 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,080 being bound by darkness, being bound by the occult, how that 135 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,200 they were used to worship demon spirits. 136 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,920 To appease them, they would have sacrificed the blood of 137 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,640 chickens. And that we group of Filipinos, 138 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,320 seven were headhunters, one was from a cannibal tribe. 139 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,680 They told how the gospel came, that missionaries went into 140 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,840 their tribe and brought the message of the great Creator, 141 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,680 the Almighty God, who loved them and made a way for them to have 142 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:53,680 peace in their mind and peace with God. 143 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,400 They heard the gospel and it transformed their lives and they 144 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,520 were travelling the whole world telling people how what the Lord 145 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,600 had done for them. And I remember that group 146 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,520 standing there with all the markings of their tribal gear, 147 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:10,560 and the missionary put it like this. 148 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:14,920 And then the gospel came and the light began to shine in the 149 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,800 darkness, and the light of the world shone into their hearts. 150 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,320 And you could really feel the presence of the Lord, the light 151 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,640 of the gospel. What a powerful thing the gospel 152 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,080 is. Jesus died that we could be 153 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,560 saved. He took the punishment for our 154 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,440 sin. And those people believed it and 155 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,200 were transformed by it. And they stood forward. 156 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:39,200 The chief headhunter stood forward and he sang. 157 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,240 His name is higher than any other. 158 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,560 His name is Jesus, His name is Lord, His name is wonderful, His 159 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:51,840 name is Counsellor, His name is Prince of Peace, the mighty God 160 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,160 they had come to know the Lord God Almighty, and the Lord had 161 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,200 changed and made them new creations. 162 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:02,120 Well, as I sat in that meeting, I realised for the first time in 163 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:06,840 my life that I was a Sinner. I realised that even though 164 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,200 those people were full of darkness in the occult, my soul 165 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,440 was dark in sin and I needed the Saviour to their Saviour to be 166 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,840 my Saviour too. And if you're in this meeting 167 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:18,680 tonight, that's the same message for you. 168 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,320 You need the Saviour to be your Saviour personally. 169 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,200 And I bowed my head in that meeting and I simply prayed Lord 170 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:31,040 Jesus come into my heart, wash me from my sin and cleanse me 171 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,000 from mine iniquity. I just cried unto the Lord for 172 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,760 salvation. And the Bible says in Acts 173 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:41,080 chapter 2 and verse 21 And it shall come to pass, that 174 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:46,240 whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 175 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,240 And I can tell you tonight that that night, whenever I was 13 176 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,320 years of age, when I bowed my head and I called upon the name 177 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,640 of the Lord, it came to pass as the Scripture says it. 178 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:00,200 Sure, it is a rock. It will never fail. 179 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,240 And it didn't fail me that night when I called upon the name of 180 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,920 the Lord, the Lord save my soul. And I knew it immediately. 181 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:11,080 I knew that the burden of sin had been lifted and I was 182 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,120 reconciled to God. It was remarkable and you know 183 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,880 that we group, they sang another song 5 minutes after getting 184 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:23,560 saved that we group sang a song to the east and to the West, to 185 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:27,760 the north and to the South. You must go, I must go with the 186 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:32,040 gospel of Christ to the black and to the white, to the yellow 187 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,200 and to the brown. You must go. 188 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,240 I must go with the gospel of Christ. 189 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,400 I was only saved 2 minutes and I'm telling you, I was 190 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,640 challenged. I've never heard about 191 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,320 dedicating your life for service to the Lord. 2 minutes after 192 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,200 getting saved. I bowed my head and I said, Lord 193 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,520 Jesus, I'll go where you want me to go. 194 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,200 I'll do what you want me to do, and I'll say what you want me to 195 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,640 say. The Lord gave me two calls that 196 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:02,040 night, one to salvation and one to service. 2 minutes. 197 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,080 So young people, you know, you don't have to wait until you're 198 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,200 older to dedicate your life to the Lord. 199 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,800 I'm encouraging you. Whenever I was 13, I didn't wait 200 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,680 until the circumstances are knew more about God. 201 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,520 I simply made that prayer and I would encourage young people 202 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,280 tonight, make that prayer your prayer. 203 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,880 Give your life to the Lord and he can do more with it than you 204 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,840 could ever do with it. Just give it all into his hands. 205 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:33,520 I surrender all to Jesus. I surrender and you know, after 206 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,160 the service I didn't tell anybody in the meeting that I 207 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,360 got saved. And Mummy, I don't know whether 208 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,840 I mentioned this Mummy, the backslider was in the meeting 209 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:43,320 too. The two of us were in the 210 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,640 meeting. And so we're walking up Red Car 211 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,640 St after the service and I turned round and I said to my 212 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:53,080 granny, tonight I got saved. It's wonderful. 213 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,720 Her heart was overjoyed because her granddaughter had come to 214 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,280 know the Lord as her Saviour. Her prayer had been answered. 215 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,000 And you know the Lord does more abundantly, doesn't he? 216 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,760 Mummy was a backslider and she turned round and said tonight I 217 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,080 have returned to the Lord. So she was restored the same 218 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,160 night. 2 souls in one night, 2 calls in one night. 219 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:18,840 One to salvation, one to service, 2 souls. 220 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,160 God is able to do great and mighty things. 221 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,600 Let's be faithful. Keep giving the invitation out. 222 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,200 I'm so glad my granny persevered and just kept doing that. 223 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,920 And obviously the prayer closet plays a great and important 224 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,680 part. Well, you know, that was the 225 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,160 Tuesday night I get saved. And on the Saturday night, my 226 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,680 best friend, she came knocking my door. 227 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:43,240 Of course that happens, doesn't it? 228 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,520 And she said, are you going to the disco? 229 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,040 And I says, Oh no, I'm not going to the disco. 230 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,880 I get saved on Tuesday night. I'm going to church. 231 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,920 You see, I had a new appetite. I tasted and saw that the Lord 232 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,120 was good. I didn't want to do those things 233 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,960 anymore, but I'd done before. I had a new appetite and it was 234 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,720 for the things of God born again, the Spirit of God. 235 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,160 What does the Bible say in Second Corinthians chapter 5 and 236 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,520 17? Therefore, if any man be in 237 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:13,080 Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. 238 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,640 Behold, all things are become you. 239 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,040 And you know, that's what repentance means. 240 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:19,680 That's what it means to be saved. 241 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,200 Repentance means turning away from your life of sin and 242 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,080 following the Lord. And that night I had experienced 243 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,480 that new birth experience. I was born again of the Spirit 244 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,600 of God. And you know, I went through my 245 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:37,000 school years and it can be challenging and trying, 246 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,160 especially in today's situation. All you can do is be faithful 247 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,160 and seek the Lord to help you to shine for him in the corner 248 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,320 where the Lord has put you. Just be faithful in the 249 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,560 workplace. Too many challenges. 250 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,800 But you know, he did grow up and he got married. 251 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,520 And I thought my husband was saved and he wasn't genuinely 252 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,960 saved. He didn't bear fruit. 253 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:03,920 It became apparent later there was no big, big sin in his life 254 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,640 that you could identify, but he wasn't genuinely saved. 255 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,360 But, you know, we weren't married six months and Morris, 256 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,280 we were both about 22 years of age at that time. 257 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:18,000 Morris began to get very weak in his legs and over a period of a 258 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,000 few weeks or whatever he became. So I'll that he was really in a 259 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:27,040 wheelchair very, very quickly. He took multiple sclerosis and 260 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:31,240 he took it very rampantly. So there you had 222 year olds. 261 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:34,200 And at that time I just found out I was pregnant and I was 262 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,920 going to have a wee baby. And I did have Laura. 263 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,960 And you know, those times were very, very difficult to go 264 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,640 through and sickness is very hard to deal with. 265 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,640 But I did know the presence and the help of the Lord whenever I 266 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,640 went in the hospital to have Laura was, she was born the 29th 267 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,760 of November. And whenever I went into 268 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,200 hospital, Morris had to go in too because he took sick and he 269 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,040 did need care. So we were in hospital and Laura 270 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,960 was a section. So it was coming up to Christmas 271 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,520 time and I'd just really got out of hospital after the section 272 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:14,360 and Morris was still in because he wasn't very well and that 273 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,160 Christmas was going to be very, very precious to us. 274 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:22,360 So Maurice was permitted to get out of hospital for two days, 275 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,680 Christmas Day and Boxing Day. And I remember I brought him to 276 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,760 our house and he couldn't get up the stairs because he couldn't 277 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,760 walk and he lay in the settee. Laura was in a carry cut beside 278 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:39,120 us on the floor and I lay on the floor and that was our 279 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,680 situation. And Maurice said to me, I want 280 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,000 to go and see the minister that visited me in hospital. 281 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,040 Thank God for hot faithful hospital visits. 282 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,640 My dad was reached with the gospel and now the Lord was 283 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:57,440 working through those visits by our ministers. 284 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,160 We're so grateful for that ministry. 285 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,600 It's precious. But the young lad said Morris 286 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,960 2223, by now I want to see that minister. 287 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,400 And of course, what did I say? I said no, you're not. 288 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,240 I said, well, you're only at a hospital for two days and I've 289 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,400 just had a section. How on earth are you going to 290 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,400 get into the car and but he insisted because the Holy Spirit 291 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:23,200 was working on his heart. Conviction was coming into his 292 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,800 soul. He realised that he needed to 293 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,040 prepare to meet God. The Bible says in Amos chapter 4 294 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,400 and verse 12, prepare to meet thy God. 295 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:36,800 The Holy Spirit was working in Morris's heart. 296 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,560 I didn't know much about it, but he knew that and the Lord was 297 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,640 dealing with him. There was an urgency in his soul 298 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,160 to get the matter of a soul salvation settled. 299 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,200 And I didn't even know what was going on. 300 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:54,200 And you know, I did lift him into the front of a Ford Fiesta, 301 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,960 6 feet 2 of him, by the way, he was like a stick. 302 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,480 He was thin. And I lifted him into the front 303 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:05,760 of the Ford Fiesta and we drove round to Sandown Rd Free 304 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,599 Presbyterian Church and the Reverend David Mcilvain had a 305 00:17:09,599 --> 00:17:12,720 part to play as God's servant in my family again. 306 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:16,160 And he climbed under the wee Ford Fiesta and he led my 307 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,599 husband to the Lord. Isn't the Lord good? 308 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,960 Isn't the Lord merciful to save the Lords hand? 309 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:26,359 Isn't everything If we just look for him in every situation, we 310 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,960 can certainly see the light in, in the dark places and I'm so 311 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,840 grateful for that. And you know, that was a 312 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,640 precious Christmas we had together, Laura, me and Maurice, 313 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,400 because we never saw another Christmas. 314 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,280 By the 13th of October the following year, Maurice went to 315 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,240 be with the Lord and it was a very hard time. 316 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,080 Laura was 11 months old. She was born on the 29th of 317 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,600 November, so she wasn't even one year old. 318 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,520 And at that time I went home and I lived with Mummy and Daddy and 319 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:57,520 I went back to my own home place. 320 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:03,080 And you know, I remember there was a low point and whenever I 321 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,640 was in my bedroom, I looked around and I began to feel as 322 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,280 though I'd lost an awful lot. I cried on to the Lord and I 323 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,200 said Lord, I didn't ask the Lord why, but I did say, Lord, I've 324 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,240 lost so much. And I began to have a bit of a 325 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,320 pity party, as you do sometimes. It's so easy to look at the 326 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:25,640 situation and keep down, but the Lord doesn't want us to be down. 327 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,440 He wants us to lift her head and look unto him. 328 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,720 And you know at that time the Lord brought a wee verse to me 329 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:37,720 and it was, can't find it there, but it was, it was the Lord 330 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,480 reminded me that He had nowhere to lay his head. 331 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,720 And you know the Saviour left Heaven's glory, the King of 332 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,400 glory. He left everything for you and 333 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,160 me and need nowhere to lay his head. 334 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:54,040 And I looked around my bedroom and I saw my pillow and I saw my 335 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,520 blanket and I saw the roof over my head. 336 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,000 And I remembered I've got food in the in the kitchen and family 337 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,960 around me, and I began to have a thankful heart and give thanks 338 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,760 for what the Lord has given to me for all his benefits. 339 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,840 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? 340 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:14,040 And the Bible says in Isaiah 61 and verse 3, the garment of 341 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,000 praise for the spirit of heaviness, that he may be 342 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,160 glorified. This is when we can glorify God. 343 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,000 Whenever there's that spirit of heaviness and it is real, it is 344 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,000 real. But whenever you begin to praise 345 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,280 the Lord, even when you don't feel like it, you know it brings 346 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:36,640 a victory and the burden lifted. As I began to praise the Lord 347 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:42,000 and have that thankful heart, I really did see how the Lord 348 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,640 lifted that. And I was able to go on. 349 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:50,160 I began to train as a nurse, and all of a sudden I took a desire 350 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,920 to learn to play the guitar as you do. 351 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,320 We all take notions, don't we? And I began to learn to play the 352 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,720 guitar. And then about the same time, I 353 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,240 got a tremendous burden for the Philippines. 354 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,280 And I asked, Lord, why is this a a great love for the 355 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,400 Philippines? Of course, I loved the group 356 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,280 that came and gave me the greatest message you could ever 357 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,360 hear. You know, I loved them and I was 358 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:16,320 grateful for you sending them all around halfway around the 359 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,400 world to come to Belfast. Thank you, Lord, for that. 360 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,840 But this burden was different. It was a tremendous burden for 361 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,520 the Filipinos. And I prayed and I prayed, I 362 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,000 says Lord. Do you want me to go to the 363 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:29,840 Philippines? What is your plan? 364 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:34,000 I'm willing to do remember the we the We chorus. 365 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,680 I'm willing to go where you want me to go and do what you want me 366 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,320 to do. I just rededicated my life and I 367 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,800 said, Lord and I prayed for three days and three nights 368 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,760 specifically over this. And then I left it with the 369 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:47,880 Lord. And that's the best thing you 370 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:49,960 can do. Just leave it with the Lord. 371 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,800 And you know, I didn't have long to wait after that. 372 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,040 Burden was on my heart. About six weeks later, I was in 373 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,040 front of the City Hall at the Youth Council, Young Peoples. 374 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:01,560 We were taking an open air meeting. 375 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:06,920 I was given my testimony and a man that I had met and told him 376 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:10,800 just how it got saved through the testimony of Filipinos came 377 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:13,160 through the crowd. And he walked up to me and he 378 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,040 said, Marian, there's a boat in Belfast harbour. 379 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,920 There's 19 Filipinos on that ship. 380 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,880 They're hungry for God and they want Bibles. 381 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,120 Well, that's what the burden was all about. 382 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:30,080 The Lord was opening a door. And you know, that gentleman 383 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,240 told me the name of the ship. He told me the Wharf where it 384 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:34,920 was docked. Because I'd never been in the 385 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,920 port of Belfast, I didn't know where to go. 386 00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:41,160 And I phoned my best friend Sharon. 387 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,200 We had met each other when we were 13, met each other in 388 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:45,680 England. She lived in Glengormley. 389 00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:49,200 The Lord had His hand upon everything, even our friendship. 390 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,760 And so I phoned Sharon and the two of us went down to the port 391 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:59,680 of Belfast with 19 Bibles for that Filipino crew, and we 392 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:01,720 thought this was a tremendous opportunity. 393 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,960 Well, when we arrived at the ship, there was a Filipino 394 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,640 walking on the deck, and you called him Freddy Barcelona. 395 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,160 And we looked at him and we shouted, hello, we believe 396 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:13,840 someone wants Bibles on this ship. 397 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:19,160 And he said, I want the Bibles. The very man that put the call 398 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,800 out for those Bibles was walking on the deck. 399 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,920 You couldn't plan it. This was the Lord's doing. 400 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,960 And you know, we were thrilled to give Bibles into the hands of 401 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,000 that servant of God. We were privileged to give 402 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,240 Tagalog Filipino literature, which we got from Mary Allen's 403 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,280 place. Remember the place where I got 404 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,440 saved? Ernie Allen printed Filipino 405 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,960 literature in the same spot where that group had reached me 406 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,920 with the gospel, and they were Filipinos. 407 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,720 You couldn't write the script. The very place where we stood 408 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,160 and that we group stood was printing Filipino language. 409 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,840 Years later. It's wonderful what the Lord is 410 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,960 doing even before our eyes. And you know, we have the 411 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,200 privilege of giving that literature into their hands, 412 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,240 into his hands. And we thought mission 413 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:07,960 accomplished. That's wonderful. 414 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,160 Wasn't that wonderful given 19 Bibles? 415 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,080 Thank you, Lord. Well, the next thing he said 416 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,120 nearly floored us. He says thank you very much for 417 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:19,080 this. I tell you what I will tell the 418 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,160 captain. I will tell the crew. 419 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,840 You, you too, will come back at 7 O clock tonight. 420 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,840 You will share the gospel with my crew and my crew will get 421 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,240 saved. You couldn't plan it. 422 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,760 We said yes. Sharon and I had never taken a 423 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,040 meeting together. Maybe we'd have some together at 424 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,960 a testimony meeting. And we said yes, because the 425 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:45,360 Lord had planted a love in our hearts for this people. 426 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:49,720 When we were 13, she met the same group, and then we met a 427 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,760 few years later. So I mean, it's just remarkable 428 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:54,480 how the Lord brought us together. 429 00:23:54,720 --> 00:24:01,440 And so we went to the port later on at 7:00 and we shared lovely 430 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:05,520 gospel hymns. What can wash away my sin? 431 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:10,600 Nothing but the blood of Jesus. He is Lord, He is Lord and 432 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,040 verses from the Bible. And you know we faithfully 433 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,840 shared the gospel that the church cannot save you. 434 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:20,160 There are 99% Roman Catholics, mostly in the Philippines, and 435 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,120 we were just faithful to share the the the word of God with 436 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:27,600 them as much as best we could. And with tears running down his 437 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,480 face, the captain said I would like to believe as on Jesus 438 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,920 Christ as my Saviour. And that launched a work in the 439 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:39,480 port of Belfast that lasted more than 25 years. 440 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,080 We didn't imagine the Lord was going to open such a door that 441 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,960 would lead us to reaching many Filipinos and other 442 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:51,480 nationalities with the Gospel. And you know, we would have been 443 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,000 on the ships night after night after night. 444 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,680 We got the literature from Mary Allen's place. 445 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,560 We met the crew during the day, casually giving out some gospel 446 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,120 tracts in their language. And if they were interested and 447 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,200 wanted a service on board, well then we were going back that 448 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,320 night to share the gospel with the crew. 449 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,920 And we would have stood on those ships and at times there would 450 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,600 have been opposition. I remember one time there was 451 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,280 other ladies present and they weren't there to share the 452 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,240 gospel. They had a different mission and 453 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,080 really they were prostitutes. They were trying to take the men 454 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:25,000 out of the meeting but the men were wanting to stay in the 455 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,280 meeting. And I remember 1 occasion that 456 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:31,960 one of those ladies stepped forward toe to toe with us and 457 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,440 looked into your face and we thought she was going to hit us 458 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:37,240 to be honest. But she looked into our faces 459 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:43,680 and she would say, sing Jesus loves me, Sing Jesus loves me. 460 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,560 She had been in a children's meeting, obviously our Christian 461 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,000 parents, grandparents. She had been maybe a faithful 462 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,960 Sunday school teacher. But what she heard as a child 463 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,720 never left her in her sin. She was standing there pleading 464 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:03,480 with us, saying Jesus loves me in that environment. 465 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,840 And we just stood there with tears running down our face and 466 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,120 we said we'll sing. Jesus loves, loves you. 467 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,800 And we really want you to know he really loves you and he can 468 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,640 transform your life. Only the Lord knows whether that 469 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,360 woman has got saved or not. We don't know, but we've signed 470 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:23,160 Jesus loves me too. The children's work isn't this, 471 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:25,960 it's that it's fast. It stays with them. 472 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,240 Those seeds, you know, maybe they're raking about in the 473 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,640 meetings and jumping about here, there and everywhere but the 474 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,000 word of God, the word of God, so on. 475 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,400 And they that sow in tears will reap with joy, isn't it? 476 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,480 It's a privilege to speak to children. 477 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:44,920 So, but there you had it. And you know, we would have been 478 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,720 not only on Filipino ships because when we went round the 479 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:51,040 harbour, there was many nationalities. 480 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,640 There could have been Russian, Romanian, Korean, Tuvoluvians, 481 00:26:55,640 --> 00:27:01,680 Kiribati, German, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, you name the 482 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,720 nationality. We had the privilege of getting 483 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,040 that literature from Ernie Allen's place and putting it 484 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,560 into their hands. But more than that, we had the 485 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,200 opportunity of going on many of these ships, Indian included. 486 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,440 We were a multi nationality cruise as well. 487 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:22,040 Do you remember the WE course when it was 12/13 to the east 488 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,240 and to the West, to the north and to the South? 489 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:29,280 You must go, I must go with the gospel of Christ, to the black 490 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,560 and to the white, to the yellow and to the brown. 491 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,720 You must go. I must go with the gospel of 492 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,160 Christ. That was a call that was 493 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,720 fulfilled in my life. I didn't know when I was 13 494 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:46,080 saying yes, I'll do what you want me to do and I'll go where 495 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,400 you want me to go. I didn't realise the Lord was 496 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,080 going to open up those opportunities for all those 497 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,600 multinationalities. I've been satisfied with the 498 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,920 Filipinos, but you know, it's wonderful that the Lord even 499 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,640 give us that opportunity with all the glory to the Lord. 500 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,640 The Lord did it and He did it for His glory. 501 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,000 And you know, we went to other ports as well. 502 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:07,960 We were in Port Talbot and Wales. 503 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:13,280 We were in Red Car and Tees, Southampton, Liverpool, Dublin 504 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,360 Port and you know with the privilege of going to the port 505 00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:19,360 of Dunkirk, France. And what had happened was we 506 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:24,320 Filipino called Noel, got saved in Belfast, and then he signed 507 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,760 off and joined another ship and we got a letter from him and it 508 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:31,640 said, please pray that somebody will come to my ship. 509 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,560 The crew on this ship, they're so sinful. 510 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,400 I can't stick the sin on this ship. 511 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,080 Will you pray that somebody will come and share the gospel with 512 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,480 my crew? So we prayed and we prayed every 513 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,320 single day that the Lord would send somebody to reach that 514 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,560 crew. And we prayed nearly to the end 515 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,600 of his contract because it lasts a year. 516 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,880 And, you know, near the end of that contract, we really felt 517 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,440 impressed that we should go. So Sharon and I went to Dunkirk, 518 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,960 France, to meet Noel and to share the gospel with that we 519 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,520 crew. And, you know, we sang a chorus 520 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,520 just to open up the meeting on board. 521 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,080 And it went. Mercy rewrote my life. 522 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:16,160 God's mercy rewrote my life. I should have fallen, my soul 523 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:21,200 cast out, but God's mercy rewrote my life. 524 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,200 And there was an old sea man called Veer, and he left to his 525 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:30,000 feet and he said, stop. I need God's mercy to rewrite my 526 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,640 life now. I need it now. 527 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,880 And before we could even share any messages from the Word of 528 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:40,560 God, fear was led to the Lord. The Lord had already prepared 529 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:43,960 his heart. You know, if the Lord puts 530 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,760 something on your heart, keep praying over it because the Holy 531 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,600 Spirit will do that work. And we believe it was the 532 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:54,640 prayerfulness and the burden of that dear brother and the Lord 533 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:58,440 Noel as well for the souls of those men that brought them 534 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,400 through. And many of that crew get saved 535 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,040 and they're going on with the Lord and fear himself is with 536 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:07,000 the Lord. He he he died a few few years 537 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:08,840 later and we got worried about that. 538 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,680 But you know, back in Belfast we were on a ship called the Anna 539 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,320 Lynheart and it was very much a mixed bag. 540 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,480 There were a rough crew and whenever we went in to have a 541 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:24,080 service on board the the mess room table was full of alcohol 542 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:28,640 and we were going into that environment 2 girls and you 543 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,320 wouldn't do it, you wouldn't plan for 2 girls to go into the 544 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,880 port of Belfast. It has to be the Lord Slayton 545 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,760 and there we were standing there in that environment and we just 546 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,360 shared faithfully the message of salvation. 547 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,720 And many of the crew responded. We did feel and feel led to to 548 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,880 have an altar call and and pressing those men that they 549 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,920 needed the Lord to be their Saviour, that they the Lord was 550 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,360 the only one to die on the cross for them and the unsaved need to 551 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,600 hear that message, the message of the gospel. 552 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:00,880 And you know we faithfully shared that. 553 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,920 And while some of the crew were praying to ask the Lord into 554 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,560 their hearts, other members of the crew who had rejected the 555 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:11,800 Lord were standing drinking vodka like this, so 556 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,840 disrespectful, while the others prayed. 557 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:18,040 Well, we went back the next night and the others had 558 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,680 departed. They didn't want anything to do 559 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,200 with God. And there was the brethren then 560 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,440 had believed upon the Lord, and they wanted to learn more about 561 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,120 God. And do you know what was on the 562 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,920 table? Coca-Cola, new creations, we 563 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:34,000 didn't tell them they shouldn't be drinking. 564 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,480 The Holy Spirit does this work, doesn't it? 565 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,640 When you taste and see that the Lord is good, the the world 566 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,680 loses it at its attraction. And so there we were. 567 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,640 And we had a blessed time encouraging those brothers in 568 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:48,880 the Lord. And you know that ship sailed 569 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,800 and about six weeks later a sister ship of that company came 570 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,560 to Belfast and you called it The Beatles Slain Heart. 571 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:59,160 And you know, the crew said to us, did you hear about the 572 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:03,000 Annalene Heart? We said yes, the Annalene Heart 573 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,240 was here. We had a, a lovely time with the 574 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,600 crew, very grateful for that. They said no, but did you hear 575 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,760 about them? And what had happened was 576 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,200 whenever the Annalene Heart sailed from Belfast, it sailed 577 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,920 to one more port and then it sailed on. 578 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,960 And whenever that ship sailed on that ship sank with no 579 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:28,240 survivors, the place where we shared the gospel was under the 580 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:29,920 sea. And we've seen pictures of the 581 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,040 Titanic under the sea. Annalene Heart was under the 582 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:35,040 sea. We didn't realise when we were 583 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:40,080 speaking to that crew that those men would perish in the sea a 584 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:41,960 few weeks later. We had no idea. 585 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,480 We were talking literally to dying men. 586 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,680 And you know, we have to consider we have to consider 587 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:54,080 that if this meeting house was the Annalene Heart tonight and 588 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:57,760 it was about to sink, where would your soul be in eternity? 589 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,440 Prepare to meet thy God. Are you ready? 590 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,520 Are you ready? We thank God we had the 591 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,720 privilege to tell that crew one more time. 592 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:10,880 Maybe the last message they ever heard was the one that we shared 593 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:15,360 about salvation. And you know, it breaks our 594 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,640 hearts. But you hear about the Reverend 595 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:23,080 John Harper on the Titanic high that whenever the men and women 596 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:27,240 were perishing around him when the Titanic sank and how that he 597 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,680 drifted from one person to the next and said believe in the 598 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,240 Lord Jesus Christ and I shall be saved. 599 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,760 The desire of our hearts would be that the men who heard the 600 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,000 gospel on the Annalene heart when their Co crew were 601 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:44,080 perishing around them, that they were crying out to the men. 602 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,760 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and I shall be saved. 603 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,080 There's only one way to heaven and Jesus is the way, the truth 604 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,400 and the life. No man can come to the Father 605 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,160 but by him. Men are perishing around us. 606 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,160 Nobody knows what a day may bring forth. 607 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:00,600 Again. We didn't realise when we were 608 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:05,240 sharing the gospel that that would be the last message many 609 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:09,199 of them would have heard. Well, nearly a year passed and 610 00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:13,280 another sister ship of that company came to Belfast called 611 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:17,120 the Angelian Heart, and out of the Sea of Brown Faces we saw 612 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:22,719 one man, and it was Roman, and he was one of the men who lifted 613 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:25,440 the vodka glass and did that while the others were praying. 614 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:30,360 Remember, when it sailed from Belfast, it went to one more 615 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:35,159 port and then it sailed on. Roman signed off on that port 616 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:38,679 and went home. And I can tell you that whenever 617 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:43,239 the gospel was shared on the Angelian Heart, that Roman gave 618 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,320 his heart to the Lord, he got through. 619 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:47,679 He came to know the Lord as his Saviour. 620 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,920 The Lord saved his soul. And we have a photograph of him 621 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:54,960 in the Annalean heart and we have a photograph of him on the 622 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,240 other ship. And the two are such a contrast. 623 00:34:58,240 --> 00:35:01,160 You can see the work of grace even in his face. 624 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:07,280 So we're very grateful for the, the, the opportunity we had to 625 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,280 share the gospel. And there is an urgency for 626 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:15,320 salvation, not thyself of tomorrow, for no man knows what 627 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,800 a day may bring forth. And you know, just to bring you 628 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:23,000 up to date, the last three years of my life has been the most 629 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:24,760 difficult. You would think if you're a 630 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,520 widowed at 23, that would be hard. 631 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,480 But you know, the last three years has been the greatest 632 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:33,000 burdens of all. I thought it was going to sink 633 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,080 myself, to be honest. And life can be very 634 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:40,920 overwhelming. And just to put it in context, I 635 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,400 never imagined that my own daughter Laura, remember, I 636 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,960 wrote only the one me girl. I never imagined that Laura 637 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:51,560 would lose her husband at 39 years of age, that my own one 638 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:54,840 daughter would be a widow so young with four children. 639 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,440 Christopher Stalford was well known in the province. 640 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:03,880 He was he was a public figure. And our mourning would have been 641 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,280 very, very public out in the open. 642 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,480 It was really a hard time for our family. 643 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:16,080 And I remember when Christopher died that Laura came to my home. 644 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,560 She lived with me for a year after Christopher went to be 645 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:24,240 with the Lord. And she lined up the children on 646 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:26,720 the settee and she sat on the coffee table. 647 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:31,880 And the day, the morning that Christopher died, she just said 648 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:35,480 to the children, your daddy has gone to be with the Lord. 649 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:42,160 The youngest was 5. And I remember Cameron looked at 650 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,640 our faces and he said these words. 651 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:47,720 I think we I think we should pray. 652 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:52,560 Isn't it wonderful that even in the times of greatest sorrow, 653 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,400 the Lord shows you the answer for your need. 654 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:00,040 In the darkest of sorrow, the only person we can turn to is 655 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,160 the Lord. And even that we child knew 656 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,240 where our hope was built based upon. 657 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:11,600 And you know, the Bible says in Psalm 61 and verse 2, when my 658 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:16,200 heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 659 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,600 And if you're feeling overwhelmed, and I've known what 660 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:25,600 that has been like, there's a course that says, because he 661 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:29,480 lives, I can face tomorrow. Sometimes you don't know if 662 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,520 you're going to be able to face the next moment. 663 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:36,280 Life can be that difficult. Life can be that heavy, the 664 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,000 burdens can be heavy, but you know when your heart is 665 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:44,080 overwhelmed within you, lead me to the rock that is higher than 666 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:48,640 I and I would exhort you believers, just shelter yourself 667 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:50,920 in his loving arms and his loving wings. 668 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:55,800 Doesn't it say in Psalm 91 and verse four that we can shelter 669 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,320 beneath his feathers and under his wings? 670 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:03,400 We can have that console, that console for for our very hearts. 671 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:05,480 The burdens are left to the Calvary. 672 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,120 I can only point you to the one that's helped me and brought me 673 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,760 through every situation. When I walk us through the fire, 674 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:16,000 Thy shalt not be burned. Remember the garment of praise 675 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,240 for the spirit of heaviness. You know, it's when you begin to 676 00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:24,000 praise the Lord in the darkest times, in the darkest times that 677 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,920 he is glorified. And we can glorify the Lord in 678 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:29,240 our hard times. And I want to encourage you 679 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:33,040 tonight, if you're unsaved, prepare to meet the Lord. 680 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:36,360 You don't know what a day may bring forth for the backslider. 681 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:40,800 I thank God my mum was restored to Himself, and he loves you, 682 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:45,680 and he waits with open arms to receive you unto himself. 683 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:50,920 And one more thing, remember the the verse that I got whenever I 684 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:55,320 was 23 that the Lord had nowhere to lay his head on this 685 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:58,760 occasion, whenever the burdens were heavy. 686 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:02,240 Again, the Lord reminded me of the beloved disciple. 687 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:07,000 Where did John lay his head? He laid his head in the loving 688 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:11,840 arms of the loving Saviour, and he rested in the sovereignty of 689 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:13,840 God. And if you're struggling tonight 690 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:18,480 with questions and burdens, leave it with the Lord and thank 691 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:23,240 God for what you have and follow hard after him and do the will 692 00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:28,200 of God. Sinner, this is your hour of 693 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,240 decision. What will you do with Jesus? 694 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:36,520 Will you come to him now? Backslider, come to Christ, be 695 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:42,120 restored, and he will replace the years that the locusts have 696 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:43,240 eaten. Thank you.