Senior Minister - Dave Pickett - share his personal story.......
I remember the first time I had an experience of Jesus Christ. I had been to see the movie 'South Pacific', the first movie I had ever seen. Although it seems unlikely now, it gave me nightmares! It seemed to me that 'Bloody Mary' was coming to get me! (Steven King eat your heart out!) I woke in the night, frozen with fear. I couldn't even wake my brother who was laying asleep in the bed right next to mine. Suddenly, I was aware of a presence in the room. It was as if Jesus was right there with his hands on my shoulders. He brought me peace, and I was able to sleep again. From that day on I knew that Jesus was real, but as I grew older, I had nothing more to do with him.
My parents didn't go to church, but sent my brothers and I to Sunday school to give them some space. We played havoc with the folks there, they were so nice, and we tested their patience to the limits. One day when I was about 11, we were in the Salvation Army citadel in Nunhead, South London, my older brother went forward unexpectedly at the end of a service we'd had to go to. He wanted to become a Christian. I sat there, bored and waiting for him to finish so that we could go home. All at once, I had the impression that God and I were separated. I could see that God wanted me to come to him, but there was a great chasm between us. He was on one side, and I was on the other. There was nothing that I could do to cross the gap. I knew that the gap was created by all the wrong things that I had done in my life, and that no matter how hard I tried, I could never, ever cross that gap. Nobody could help me understand what I had seen, and I went home deeply puzzled.
Six years later, I joined the Royal Marines. I served for 12 years and saw service all over the world, including active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and Cyprus. I put all thoughts of God away and set out to 'enjoy' myself. But God did not give up.
During the war in the Falklands, I saw quite a bit of death, but there was one particular dead Argentinean soldier that really stuck in my mind. After the last skirmish on Sapper Hill we were approaching Port Stanley. The war was over, the Argentineans were flying the white flag.
As I crouched down I found myself looking at a dead man, I couldn't have cared less. I realised just how hard I had become in my heart. This wasn't the way that God had made me! I remembered the gap between me and God and I recalled the time when Jesus had given me peace. I also remember the soldier's prayer that I had prayed every day... 'God get me out of this in one piece, and I will come to church!'
I came home and once again put thoughts of God away as service in the Marines took me away from home for the next two and a half years. During that time my marriage to Alice was under severe pressure. We had been married for four years by the time I was discharged, and separated for more than three. We had three wonderful children, Paul, Henry and Mary, and they were growing up fast without me. During a period of leave, Alice told me that she had become a Christian. I was relieved. I could see that she was radically different, and thought that she must be having an affair! But the change in her was because of the impact of Jesus in her life.
I still put all thought of God aside. To give my life to God meant that I would have to change, and I did not want to. Even when Henry and Mary were miraculously healed through prayer, I kept my distance. Then I was medically discharged from the Marines.
My whole life was changing, and I wasn't in control. I began to look for something that was real and meaningful. The changes in Alice were real enough and I began to talk to other Christians about their faith. Eventually I understood the truth. The gap between God and I was real. The Bible calls it sin. It was true that I could never cross the gulf, but the same Jesus that brought peace to a frightened boy had crossed the gap for me. He could bring me peace again. I gave my life to him and I have never looked back.
Did I have to change? to follow all those rules?
No! Christianity is not about laws and religion, it is about grace, freedom and relationship with God. But the truth is I did change—for the good– as I let God lead me in my life.
My prayer is that you too will find truth, freedom and peace as you give your life to him.
Ian Miles - Associate Minister - shares his story ....
Looking back it seems hard to imagine that my life was a million miles from where it is now. I became a Christian in April 1998 after battling for 24 years to overcome drug and alcohol addiction.
I grew up in a non-Christian home and was the eldest of three children. My parents were good people, hard working and honest. The thing I remember most from my childhood was that I was an insecure lad who longed for notability among my peers. I just wanted to fit in. By the age of nine I was smoking. This progressed to alcohol at the age of 13, and by the time I was 15 I was introduced to the world of illegal drugs. I decided that this was something to pursue-for pleasure and in order to escape from my insecurities and low self-esteem. But the bottom line was I enjoyed the ‘buzz’ of getting high.
Over seven years I tried one drug after another until eventually at the age of 18 I decided to quit working for a living and began to invest in drug dealing, and so began a career in criminal activities. In 1981 I found myself being charged with conspiracy to supply LSD in large quantities and received an 18 month prison sentence.
In 1983 my life entered a living nightmare. I discovered heroin and it soon became part of my everyday life. Within three months I had a physical dependency on heroin, and from it dictated my life.
Over the next 15 years I tried to kick the habit but always went back because without the drugs I felt empty and lost. On the other hand the longer I remained in the drug culture the more lonely, anxious, depressed, and isolated I became. I went into a number of re-habs, done detox, went cold turkey-but always went back. Eventually the veins throughout my entire body began to collapse. No matter how much I had, or how many drugs I managed to put by it was never enough.
Eventually after numerous near deaths, and a growing criminal record I reached the end. I had been visiting a church on and off that my parents had become involved with at the time of my prison sentence. Here I was told that Jesus could set me free from my addictions, and give me the security, significance and acceptance I was so desperately seeking in life. I thought they were all mad, but these people loved me for who I was and tried to support me and encourage me throughout the last few years of my addiction.
In April 1998 I tried to take my own life. I came around some seven hours later and realised I needed to sort my life out. I began to think of all the things Christians had been telling me, that Jesus was real, that he loved me, that he not only wanted to, but could set me free. With nowhere else to go I prayed from the bottom of my heart that if Jesus was real he would come and help me get my life in order.
At that moment I felt for the first time in my life loved and accepted for who I was. I felt warmth and arms that simply held me as I spent the next couple of hours crying like a baby. Within four months I entered into a Christian drug programme called Teen Challenge. For 12 months I learnt to live my life on biblical principles as I embraced the new love of my life-Jesus. If he was willing to die for me it wasn’t too much for me to give him myself. After finishing the programme I remained with Teen Challenge for two more years, working in the centre and travelling the UK to tell all that Jesus had done for me. It was here I met my wife-Lisa. I went to Bible College to do a degree in Theology, and Lisa entered the Teen Challenge girls programme. In 2003 Lisa joined me at the college where we both continued to prepare ourselves for Christian ministry.
In July 2004 I took up the post of Associate Minister at TCC, where I continue to work . Lisa and I are now proud parents of Melisha 4 and Esther 3. It never ceases to amaze me just how much Jesus loves me in spite of all the rubbish I have had in my life. I have been drug free for 11 years and every year has been a blessing as I have seen God’s hand at work within His church and among the people I meet.
Thank you Jesus for loving me, thank you Jesus for giving me “fullness of life” through your death and praise God your resurrection.