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[0:00] I love to hear testimonies. I love to hear how God changed people's lives. And David asked me just to share 10, 15 minutes a night. And that's what I'd like to share with you.

[0:10] I'd like to share with you some other people's testimonies, what's happened in 2019. We had an amazing year, how God stepped in and touched people's lives and changed them and transformed them.

[0:25] And they're doing amazing things for God. And that's what God can do in people's lives. But I want to tell the young people something. Because the Lord's yellow up here in the Testament, and says, 9, 10, how God changed their life.

[0:40] I want to tell the young people, before they read a verse and talk to the adults and themselves, I want to tell you a story that happened to me down in a country, a wee country village in England.

[0:53] I was down in England preaching. I had to really slow down with my speech. And actually try and speak a wee bit better. And there I was doing this wee country village.

[1:05] And where it was, it was a farming village, right? And it was, what do you call it? Harvest. The harvest weekend. And I was down taking the harvest. We were giving God thanks for all the food.

[1:18] And there was a man in the Sunday, who was at David College, and he was giving his testimony. And reaching out to this, it was absolutely brilliant what happened to this man.

[1:32] This man, his life ended up a mess, right? He ended up an alcoholic. And an alcoholic, he was just somebody who drinks alcohol, and keeps on drinking alcohol, and they're addicted to it.

[1:45] They've got to have alcohol, right? This young man started drinking, and he thought he'd be okay. But anyway, he ended up, what you call it, an alcoholic. He could not stop drinking.

[1:57] Ended up losing his house, and losing everything. And ended up sleeping in the street. Ended up sleeping on the bridges. And ended up just lying on benches, and parked benches, and sleeping.

[2:11] And one day, right, he was sitting on a parked bench. Just, he'd nothing. Nothing in his life. He'd lost everything.

[2:22] Lost his family. Lost talk. Lost everything. And he's sitting there, and a boss, just regretting his whole life. And all these adults, are walking by.

[2:35] All these people are walking by, and looking at him. Because he was dirty. He was smelly. He never cleaned clothes on. Just looked rough as anything.

[2:46] Right? And wait to hear this. You listening, young people? You listening? A wee boy, the age of 11, comes along, with two bags of messages.

[2:58] And he puts his two bags of messages down. And he goes up to this grown man, and says to him, you don't need to live the way you're living.

[3:10] You don't need to live like that. Jesus died for you, and the cross, and you don't need to live like that. Isn't that brave? A wee boy. How many adults would do that?

[3:22] How many of us would just, won't die a drunk person, and there are no stuffed up there? But anyway, this wee living year old boy, stopped, and says to this, man who was dirty, and smelly, and you don't need to drink, you don't need to live like that.

[3:38] And then, the wee boy picked up his two messages, bags of messages, and then he says, I need to go, because I'm doing my granny's shopping. And he went away, and that was it.

[3:52] And that man started to think about that. I don't need to know about this, because Jesus died for me on the cross. And that man became a Christian.

[4:04] And not only a Christian, well he's probably finished now, he studied to become a minister. Isn't that great? I thought, well, I was the preacher, and I had tears in my eyes.

[4:17] Absolutely wonderful. And the reason I tell you that, young people, because there's a few young people in here, I want to tell you something. God wants to use you. God has got a great plan for your life.

[4:31] And it's when you come and say, God, what do you want me to do in my life? And just let that loving little boy, God can use you. You know, God doesn't need any of us. He doesn't need us.

[4:44] But he wants us. And he wants to use you in your life. So you pray, and you ask God to use you in your life, that you'll speak into other people's lives.

[4:57] There's a verse, you don't really look it up, it's St. Chronicles chapter 5, in verse 17, and it says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, and the new is coming.

[5:12] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, and the new is coming. And then, in another verse, it says, any man be in Christ, he's a brand new person.

[5:25] And it is wonderful, that tonight, you know, the Bible tells us, that when we come to God, God changes our lives. God changes our lives.

[5:38] And, I remember when I was in Drum Chapel. Drum Chapel is a big house estate. It's known as a deprived area of Glasgow.

[5:49] Big, massive house estate. It's a lot better now, beautiful houses now. But where the church was, the church was here, we'll see this was the church, just straight across the road, was rows and rows and rows, a blocks of flats, right?

[6:06] They call them three up. There's three levels. And, I used to stand the Sunday night outside the church. In the summer, we were one of the deacons, Hugh and I usually stand outside, and welcome people to come in.

[6:21] And we're chatting, Hugh and I were talking about things, the God. And there was a lady who lived one up in the left, that means she lived up one close up in the left hand side. And so, she was standing, and she was like this.

[6:35] That's looking behind her curtains. Right? She's drawing her curtains back, and looking. And the window was open, and we knew that she was listening. So, we started to talk louder, so she could, so she could hear us.

[6:51] And we started to talk about the things of God, and all that sort of stuff. And for weeks, you'd get the window pulled back. Because of all the laws and all that, I can't even tell you, I mean, it's shocking.

[7:03] You can't even, you have to miss it all that air. Anyway, she used to pull the curtain back, and look. And then, one Sunday night, who came into the church?

[7:16] This lady came into the church, and the Sunday night, I used to see, we'd have testimony nights. Anyone give their testimony? William Booth used to write, write a match. And then when the match was lit, you could talk.

[7:29] And then when the match went out, you had to go. You had to stop talking, it was like a match testimony. Anyway, some folk use a boots and armor. But anyway, I used to say, we'd like to give a couple of minutes testimony.

[7:42] And some of the folk would stand up, and tell them how God saved them, tell them how God encouraged them. Well, this girl was the event, and she stood up, and I thought, wow. And I had a quick scan, around the congregation, and it was all the wrong folk, so there wasn't any hassle, no matter what she said.

[8:00] And this woman stood up, and Melissa says, I've been listening to you, I've been listening to you, and what you've got, I want it.

[8:13] I've been listening to you, and what you've got, I wanted it. And I started to chat to this lady, and talk to her, and this lady's life was absolutely shocking, because there's so many kids, I can't get into detail.

[8:28] But things happened that shouldn't have happened. She had three brothers. Things happened that shouldn't have happened. Her dad was a bad man. Her brothers were bad to her. And her life had been damaged.

[8:40] You want the rest out for yourself. And she's just a broken person, but she heard about the love of Jesus, and she wanted it. And God was doing something in her heart.

[8:54] You know, what I tell you about somebody else, a place called Moody'sburn. We were over doing a meeting in a place called Moody'sburn, and this girl started coming to church.

[9:08] And this girl was loving a man. She took instant. They weren't married. And she started coming into church, and God spoke to her.

[9:18] And she became a Christian. She got saved. But she's got a man in the house. I'm sorry, careful kids here. And she thought, right, what do we got to do now?

[9:30] So the man started going to the church. And God touched his hand. He got saved. But the two of them are skint. There's no way. And the two of them are Christians, and they wanted to get married.

[9:43] And you know what happened? The church put up the sole wedding. The church married them, and the church provided the feet. The church done everything.

[9:54] And their family came along to the wedding, and the girl who gets saved, who's a lovely rough diamond, gets saved, and her husband's saved, and they're a Christian couple.

[10:11] Her mum comes to the church, right? And then the daughter's actually baptized, and at the baptism service, the mum says, I want to become a Christian.

[10:25] And she gave her life to Jesus. Absolutely wonderful. But then what happened is, you've got the daughter who gets saved, then you've got her mum, okay?

[10:36] And then, so you've got the mum's mum. So that's the granny. Right? So, or the great-granda, depends what we look at it. She starts to come to church.

[10:49] But she got up in the church's room, and stuck with the Dawkins, started to come to church. And then it happened, when the mother gets saved, the daughter gets saved, and the mother gets saved, three weeks into her salvation.

[11:06] Her 24-year-old daughter took drugs, and they were bad drugs. All drugs, lawful drugs are bad. And she died, at 21 years of age.

[11:19] 21 years of age, and they're just broken-hearted. But they were trusting in the Lord. And that's when you went alone. The great-granda was at the church, so you've got the daughter who gets saved, her mum gets saved, and then the granny who was caught up in the church's room, she comes along.

[11:35] And on the Sunday morning, with the wonderful privilege of leading her to the Lord Jesus Christ, she came and gave her life to the Lord.

[11:47] And God changed her life, and God transformed her life, and helped her in her broken situation. Also, in a place called Greenock, there was a man who came along to lead a gospel mission there.

[12:03] And this man came along to gospel mission, and this man was in the army, and he became a Christian. And he was used of God in Northern Ireland.

[12:14] God was used of him, he was a good preacher, and shared his testimony, and he led people to Christ. And then, I know people have different views about what I'm just going to say to you, but I'm just going to say, I can take whatever you want.

[12:29] Somebody says to him, would you like a wee drink? And the man took a wee drink. But the problem is, he took another wee drink. And he took another wee drink.

[12:42] And then this man who was in the army, who was getting used of God, got chucked out of the army. And lost his testimony. Because he became addicted to alcohol, and totally wasted his life, and his testimony.

[13:01] And then we read a question in Greenock. And who turns up in the mission, but this man. And he'd been off a drink for six weeks. And after one of the night meetings, he came, and he says, I talked to you, because I went to the week in the vestry.

[13:19] And he told us his story. And he says, I want to come back. I want to come back, and get right with God. And that night he came, and he prayed, and he asked God to just touch his heart afresh.

[13:32] And I don't believe God can use him in a mighty way. And I'm telling you that story because that happens to so many people. That man's life, it was drink.

[13:43] Sometimes in people's life, it can be not reading the Bible. Sometimes in people's lives, it can be not proper. And maybe you're in here tonight, and maybe you can look to a time in your life, when spiritually, things were good.

[14:04] Things were fresh. But now, if you be honest, the way we had an honest testament tonight, if you be honest, maybe things are not going so well, spiritually.

[14:16] Maybe you could look into your life and say, I remember days, when my walk with God was fresher. I remember days, when I used to sit, enjoy reading the Word of God.

[14:33] And wouldn't it be great, this communion weekend, before we come to the Sunday, that you had to come, like that man in green, and say, I want to come back.

[14:43] I want to come back. I want to tell you something. Failure is never final with Christ. Failure is never final with Christ.

[14:57] And there's always a way home. There's always a way home, when it comes to God. And I thought it was wonderful, that wee boy, who spoke to that man, the Jackie, well Jackie, I won't tell you your name, Jackie from Drum Chapel.

[15:12] It was just amazing, what happened in her life. And then the man down at Greenock, and then there was a lady, in Hope Hall, in Paisley, we were over doing a meeting, and this lady was busy.

[15:27] She was a Martha. She was busy, busy, busy. And we just shared the gospel, and after we chat, we went to this hall actually, and chatted to her, and she just started crying, breaking her heart crying, and do you know why?

[15:43] Because she was busy, and self-righteousness. And she realised, the only good work that she was doing, will never save her.

[15:55] She wasn't a Christian. She was just doing a lot of good work. And she thought that was enough. And that Wednesday afternoon, in fact I'm back there, this Wednesday, that Wednesday afternoon, she said, I want to become a Christian.

[16:14] And it's so sad today, there are many people, who live good lives, there are many people, who go to church, and they live a nice, clean, tidy life, but they're still in the broad road, that's leading to destruction.

[16:32] And that's sad. There's people who have life, they live a good, upright life, but yet, they're still in the broad road, that's leading to destruction, because only they can go on the narrow path, is coming to God's way.

[16:51] And God's way, is through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when it be again, maybe you're here, and you're religious, but you've not got a relationship.

[17:05] And you're just as distant, from the man who's, lying in the street gutter, in Glasgow. You're just the same. Because you're in the broad road, that is leading to destruction, but praise God is in, for mercy, and forgiveness, tonight.

[17:23] I want to tell you, about a woman, it was at another meeting, where that, it was called, the foundry boys. And this was lovely, what happened. Never judged numbers, at a meeting.

[17:37] Don't think, a meeting's a success, because the place is full, or it's a failure, because there's a lot of them there. I was doing this meeting, there's only 11 women, because there's a women's meeting.

[17:50] Right? And there's 11 women, at this meeting. And I'll be honest, I thought, I've been doing 110 things, this afternoon. But here I was, there's 11 ladies there, and I spoke on, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

[18:05] And then after, she and Jesus, I just sat down in front, where David was sitting, chatting to the minister, and this woman came, and planked herself, down beside us, and this is the way she says it.

[18:18] She says, what do you say to do is the truth, I'm not a Christian. I said, sorry. She says, what do you say to do is the truth, I'm not a Christian. And we started to chat.

[18:28] And I says, well, when do you, how come you're a Christian? And, what would God say to you, if you wanted to get into heaven? And God says, why should I, what do you say? And she says, I would tell God about all the good things I'm doing, and everything I'm involved in.

[18:44] I said, is that what you think, it's got to get you to heaven? Yes. And then we went into the vestry with her, with the minister, and went over everything. And this woman thought she was a Christian. She's a member of the church.

[18:56] She lives a good life, but her life is built upon sand. And there and then I says, well, you know, we explained to her, you're not a Christian. You're trusting in yourself, rather than Jesus Christ.

[19:08] I says, would you like to become a Christian? She says, I've got one. I thought I was one. And she gave her life to Christ. And what happened is, we had another mission somewhere else, and the minister from that church came to, and the minister's wife was telling us, now this lady, I'm just going to tell you her name, because it mucks me up, and mixes up, and Morag her name is, and Morag says, to the minister's wife, I think I'm overdoing it.

[19:38] I think she's either, she's either 74 or 84. She says, I think I'm overdoing it. And the minister's wife says, what do you mean? Are you walking too much?

[19:49] She says, no, I think I'm overdoing it. I think I'm overreading the Bible. And what happened is, her son had moved back in, I think his marriage collapsed, and her son says, Mum, when I leave, do you want to walk in the morning?

[20:03] You're reading the Bible. When I come home, you're reading the Bible. And Morag says, I just cannot stop reading the Bible. I love it. He says, I've become a Christian.

[20:13] I can't stop reading the Bible. Isn't that wonderful? That's what will keep her fresh. And I like to say, before I tell you about the last person, maybe you're in here tonight, and maybe you can look, and you can say, I remember when I became a Christian.

[20:31] I remember when I walked with him, and when I talked with him, and when I loved for him. But tonight, that's not what you're saying.

[20:43] You may be distant from God. There may be a dryness in your heart. But tonight, you can come, and ask God to touch you afresh, to refresh your heart.

[20:59] Because the further that you get away from God, the more doubt, and the more you don't believe in things, the more you're screwed up in your mind, and mixed up in your mind.

[21:11] But the closer you come back, things become fresh in your heart, with a designer soul. Or maybe, before I share this next person, maybe you're here tonight, and you're not a Christian.

[21:26] Maybe you're here tonight, and you love mixing, and mingling with Christians, but you're here, and you're not a Christian. I believe all my heart, the Bible says, who shall call upon the name, and the world shall be saved.

[21:39] I believe that. And I believe you all my heart, that you could call upon the name, of the Lord tonight, and God will save you. You maybe come in here tonight, with a wrath of God, bind upon your head, here that believes in him, is not condemned, but here that believes not, stands condemned already.

[21:57] And you maybe have walked in here tonight, and if you're bound to rest, be spent eternity in heaven, that I believe I can change, when you go out, if you come and give your life to Christ.

[22:07] A believer. Because that's what the Word of God says. And tonight, you can become a believer, and put faith and trust, in the Lord Jesus Christ. God changes people.

[22:19] Any man, any person, be Christ, is a brand new person. I'm going to finish, by telling you about the last person. Have you got the first photograph up please?

[22:31] Thank you very much. Can you see that photograph? I'm not going to tell you a name.

[22:45] My name's down here, but I'm not telling you. You see that lady up there? Everybody see her face okay? We had a mission, right?

[22:58] In Springburn, Assemblies of God. No, sorry, it was in, a church in Glasgow. It's her auntie goes to Springburn, Assemblies of God. And that lady, that woman, came into the meeting, right?

[23:12] And you know where she lived? She lived in the streets. She was addicted to cocaine. She was a drug addict. And she lived in the streets.

[23:24] And she behaved in a way you have to behave in the streets to get your drugs. She lived rough. Right?

[23:34] She came out to the gospel mission, a few nights. And one night, she went, we want to talk. And we chatted to her.

[23:47] And we knew about life. And she says, I want to get right with God. This is the short version. I want God to come into my life. And with the privilege of sitting down with her, privilege of sharing the gospel with her, the privilege of praying with her, the privilege of praying with her, and God saved her.

[24:08] And God came into her life. And remember what the Bible says, any man, any person being Christ, is a brand new person. Well, she gets saved.

[24:19] She gave her life to Christ. And we're doing, God was involved in. And goes back to the church. And her auntie Flew, who's a lovely lady, says, Gordon, this is so-so.

[24:33] And she's all pleased to meet you. How are you? She says, we're pleased to meet you, Gordon. That's who trusted the Lord at the gospel mission. Now I'm looking at her. No.

[24:44] That's not her. She's, I, it is. That's where I put her, trusted Christ. Can I have the next photograph, please? Yes, she has. Can you, any chance of blowing it up a wee bit?

[24:58] No? Well, thank you for your straight answer. Appreciate that. Didn't need to work that one out. That's her name. You know what happened?

[25:10] She was in crack cocaine, drugs, living in the street. Things happening to her. And God saved her. She cried out to God for, God to save her.

[25:24] And God came into her life. She got back into her, her parents, whoever. And then she went to college, to study, to be a counselor. And that's her now.

[25:36] And what she does now? And on Monday night, at half past seven, spring morning, assemblies of God, she runs a beating for people who are caught up with drugs.

[25:50] And she says, come in. Because what Jesus has done for me, he can do for you. Can you see the difference? Well, I'll tell you something.

[26:01] When I get into my car, do you know what happened when I get into my car, heading home? I wept. I cried my eyes out. Because that's what God can do in somebody's life.

[26:12] And I want to tell you, you may be here tonight, and you may think, oh, she needs that. The state of her life. You may have a nice life.

[26:24] You may have a nice house. You may have a nice job. You may have a nice car. You may have a nice cash in the bank. But you need Jesus. We need Christ just the way that she needed Christ.

[26:37] And wouldn't it be sad if you were in here tonight, you've heard how God saved Jillian, you've heard how God saved these people, and you're sitting, not saved, rejecting, rejecting the gift of God.

[26:54] Whereas tonight, you could come, David's here, the elders are here, they would love to speak to you. Wouldn't it be wonderful as Hannah's taking communion tomorrow?

[27:04] Wouldn't it be lovely if that was your first communion tomorrow? It'd be wonderful. And that can happen. Not because of you, but because of Christ. Because those who take communion, none of us are worthy.

[27:18] We're only worthy because we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you're here and you're distant from God because God knows your heart.

[27:30] I only see your face. You only see my face. But God knows our heart. And he knows those who are distant. Distant from God. And tonight, you can come and say, God, I don't want to be distant anymore.

[27:45] Like the man in green up could blow it. The man in the army. But he came back and says, I don't want to live like this anymore. And he wanted God to do something in his life.

[27:58] Well, that can happen tonight if you come and surrender. Surrender by giving your life to him. I want to finish before I hand over to David to tell you something.

[28:09] My dad was a black belt second dan at judo. I was a green belt but I gave it up because I got fed up with getting through my belt like a rag doll.

[28:22] I was rubbish at it. But my dad was good. He was good at it. And at judo, what happens if you find someone and they're choking someone in an arm lock and they want to give in, they go like that.

[28:35] They hit the mat twice or they hit you twice. And if they go like that, you have to let them go because they're saying I surrender. They're hit the mat twice, I've hit you twice and whatever you're doing you have to let them go because you're saying I surrender.

[28:52] And maybe you need to come tonight and go. God, I surrender. I'm surrendering tonight. I'm surrendering because I want salvation.

[29:04] I want to know that I'm saved. I want to know that I'm your child. I want to know that I'm in your family. or maybe you're distant and you say God, I surrender.

[29:15] I want to come home. I want you to do something in my heart tonight. I want to be living a fresh walk with you.

[29:26] Father, we thank you and praise you that this is not killing, that this is real, that we can come and give our life to you tonight.

[29:40] We thank you for those who know you, love you, and are working with you. But we pray for you for what we have tonight. And as the scripture that David read, they believed in God but they followed you from a distance because of fear.

[30:01] And whatever is causing someone to have fear and doubt and lack of love in their heart for you, I pray for you to make their surrender. Surrender their life afresh to you.

[30:13] And we pray for anyone here that's not a Christian from the youngest to the oldest. We pray for whoever allow the devil to feed them. We pray that tonight they come and surrender their life to you.

[30:29] In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Just as David has come up just to say if you're here tonight and you know there's something going on in your heart and you need to deal with it, David would love to speak to you, the elders would love to speak to you, I would love to speak to you and the only person we'll talk about is not church, it's Christ.

[30:48]  Amen.