BELFAST FUNERAL PROCESSIONS USE TO TERRIFY ME!

I was born in Belfast in Ireland, in a religious environment three streets from where C.S. Lewis lived. My dad was saved as a 17 year old. He had been invited to a Four Square Gospel church in the Ravenhill Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was there he heard the gospel and repented, and started following Jesus.

After his marriage to my mother, they attended a Congregational Church for a short while. It was there I was subjected to the totally meaningless, unbibiblical, and unnecessary ritual of infant sprinkling. Later my mother was also saved, and we started attending an Evangelical Church in Belfast.

As an elementary school child I was privileged to hear the gospel, learn scripture verses and have many church friends. I saw many down and outs, drunks and immoral people repent, confess their sins and join the church. But I felt that I was good enough, and didn’t need to repent. I even misunderstood a bible verse to justify my position. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” Luke5:32

However, I found the constant reminder of death by the numerous funeral processions, and Irish wakes that paraded down nearby Milady’s Road, in Belfast Northern Ireland to be very disturbing. I was terrified of nuns in their black attire, especially when they approached me in the street. As a young child this constant exposure to death caused me great fear. I knew I was not prepared for death, but did not think that I needed to repent.

When I was nine years old Mom, Dad, and my two sisters and I went to live in sunny Africa. Dad was called to preach the gospel to the mixed race people. Well! with a two week sea cruise, followed by a land of bright sunshine the “funerals and death” faded and I lived as a very happy chap for three years.

When I was twelve those carefree years ended. I had attended with my family a week long series of gospel meetings in Bulawayo, Rhodesia. A Mr. Lee Spratt was the preacher, and I came under great conviction of sin. Although I had lived a sheltered life, I realized that I was a sinner, by nature as well as by choice. At my bedside that night in November 1956 I believed, repented, and placed my faith and trust in my savior.

Four years later at the age of sixteen I had the joy of following my Lord and was immersed in the waters of baptism, with my two best friends, Royston and John. This was a precious event in my life when I confessed “Jesus is Lord” publicly. My faith was strengthened by attending many Gumtree/Stanger summer camps near Durban in South Africa where gifted expositors impacted my life and faith back then. I learned the importance of daily Bible study and prayer.

It is now many years since I made that momentous decision to trust, and obey – the voice of God. You might well ask, “What difference did it make?” Unending peace of mind, peace with God, and an assurance of sins forgiven, and the hope of eternal life with my Lord and Savior.

I am truly saved for sure and I know it. I am ready to see the master face to face and am currently on social media busy sharing with the religious lost and the pagan lost how to be reconciled to God. I have a special burden for the religious lost . I have shared the good news of the gospel with thousands of folks in Russia, France, and the English speaking world so and am busy carrying out the great commission daily as I look forward to seeing my Lord in glory.

What about you

Brian