T
toughern
Guest
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Cor 6:20
Last time; I found that when time was spent before God that, courage was given to me to stand against the wrongs which I saw, even though others who were of my age were doing them.
Now I continue;
In my place of work Jackson the Tailors which used to be on the corner of Brian street and Church street, the boss had a habit of saying to us, if some one came in whom he didn’t want to see “tell him I’m not in†I saw this as lying and didn’t comply. He didn’t like it but said nothing. There were other things that he wanted me to do that were underhand and when I refused saying that it was wrong and that I would not do it, he finally got the message and stopped asking me to do these wrongs.
Again in my own home which is the most difficult place to witness. My father used to buy the ‘News of the World’, which came out on a Sunday, and when I got to know the contents of the paper, I said to him one day “Dad that’s not a good paper to bring into the house†I remember him and my mother looking at each other, he said nothing but he never brought it into the house again. On another occasion, when he was sending me to the wee shop to buy cigarettes for him, I said “Dad I would prefer that you wouldn’t ask me to go for cigarettes any more†Now my father was a big man and not one to contrary with, so I stood well back hoping I could escape if he got mad, but he just nodded his head and never asked me again. As I obeyed the Lord in these small things my faith was getting stronger.
I cannot accept that the Christian should let things like this slide and treat them as not important, turning a blind eye to them so as not to rock the boat. If we have a conviction before God about something and yet don’t stand up for it, then it’s no conviction at all. A Christian does this to their detriment and certainly will not progress in the Christian life.
Take ye the foxes the little foxes that spoil the vines for our vines have tender grapes. Song 2:15
At this time also there was a yearning in my heart to do outreach work, so I got a few books from a bible shop that was in Thomas Street run by the late Sandy Watson and his wife. They let me have bibles, small books and tracts on trust and I did some visitation around Ballymena. I also went to the bars and gave out tracts, helped in the Faith Mission open-air meetings, testified in different meetings, then started bit by bit to preach in different mission halls.
As regards giving, the Lord taught me early in my Christian life that nothing was mine. If He asked me to give all that I had, I gave all. This came to me forcefully as I sat in a in a missionary meeting and when the offering was being lifted, well I had my tithe to give but then I thought, “that’s not much I’ll add another shillingâ€Â. The offering basket was still a few rows away, the thought came again “that’s still not much†so I put my hand in my pocket again and brought out all that was there, which really wasn’t much, but it was all I had. From then on money or possessions have never been a concern of mine.
I have always been interested in athletics, since I saw a fellow running round a worn track that he made for himself in the ‘Big Moat Field’ (only those who were born in Harryville and are my age will know where I’m talking about.) but to enlighten you all, it’s where Ballykeel 1 and 2 are built. Then it was part of our playground as it was joined to the ‘Moat’. I must have been about ten at the time, when one day I along with two or three of my friends were playing in ‘Big Moat Field’ we saw at the far end of the field a man running. Of course we were wondering what he was doing so we went across to him. This was the first time I had spoken to him (Billy Johnston). I suppose he must have been about twenty at the time, I had seen him before, because he passed by our door in James Street going to the BB in 1st. Ballymena. He asked if any of us could run, and of course I volunteered and raced against him for about 100yds. When we finished, he turned to me and said ‘boys you can run well why don’t you start training?’ So from then on the ‘big moat field’ became my training ground.
I continued training mostly on my own and in a few years I became been the school’s athletic champion in 100,200,400, 800 meters, putting the shot and throwing the discus. When I was sixteen I entered for the Northern Ireland Youth championships for the shot and discus, and although I was the youngest there I got first in the discus and third in the shot. When the winning discus throw was announced over the loud speakers and that I unattached (that is I didn’t belong to any club, there was none in Ballymena) I had many invites to join the big clubs around Belfast but they were all too far away from home and I had no way of getting there. The next big athletic event was the All Ireland championships in Dublin. I couldn’t afford the fare, also my father and mother would never agreed to let me go to Dublin on my own. It was to my dismay that the throw with which I won the N. Ireland Championships, was about nine feet further than the winning throw of the all Ireland.
I had at that time wanted to go further in athletics but it wasn’t to be. God had other plans for me, but the physical training, which I had done, was a great help in the work of God where ever I went. In West Africa I found that the good physical fitness stood me in good stead, when the African brethren and I went out on track (on foot) covering 30km. in a day, in a temperature of 35-40. So it became a daily routine wherever we went I would always exercise my body and look after it nutritional wise. Drinks like tea, coffee and Cola never entered my mouth since I was fifteen. Cigarettes and alcohol never, because I knew these to be drugs and harmful to the body and wanting to follow the scriptures and glorify God in my body as well as in my spirit. Does Scripture not pose us the question in 1 Cor 6:19-20. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
I would emphasize to all no matter what age but especially to young Christians don't let your body become obese, this is not glorifying to God. It is not carnal to look after the body but it is a sin to neglect it. I take many young people every week for physical exercise and find that the majority are very unfit. There are great benefits in keeping the body fit for God. Many forget that spirit, soul and body is one unit. 1 Thess 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I hardly need to remind you of the many times we read of the physical prowess of men in scriptures. 1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. (About 30 miles)
Josh 14:10-11 I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
I was sixteen when I met Betty who was also a Christian. The first time I walked her home was from a missionary meeting in Cromkill old school. She had cycled the two miles from Rosses Factory, so I wheeled the bike as I walked her home. We went together for five years before we got married. She had a wonderful effect on my life, but in this time I had to ask myself the question was this God’s will for me? I prayed about it and I remember the word that the Lord gave me at that time.
Eccl 7:18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
So I knew that this girl Betty Hill was the one that God had for me for me. I’m so glad that I left my choice with God. As I look back over the years from our courtship till today which is over fifty years, I praise God for bringing us together. I say to all the unmarried this is the only way for a happy marriage, let God bring you together. Anything else is a receipt for heartache.
At a Christian Endeavour meeting I saw a notice on the board saying that the Irish Mission was in need of a colporteur. I thought and prayed about it. After some time I felt that I should write to the secretary of the mission – the late Rev. Gibson-, but unknown to me my mother had also written to him, persuading him to discourage me from having any further interest. The reply I received from him was that I was still young. So I was, but as a young person I thought I knew everything. Now as I look back I realise how painfully immature, thoughtless and ignorant I was, but I still had this in my mind that God wanted me to do this work.
Not too long after that my mother took sick and went to be with the Lord.
One thing I regret is my thoughtlessness to the needs of my sick mother and afterwards to a grieving father, I never seemed to have any time, in for meals out again, running to this and that meeting, being very spiritual or so I thought. I never thought to help in the washing-up of the dishes or do any the other wee jobs about the house. Never thought they needed the help of my company until it was too late and they were gone. Don’t make this mistake, give time to your parents, cherish them, and obey them for this is right in the Lord. To any young person still living at home, don’t keep them awake for half of the night wondering where you are, be home at least an hour before midnight and witness a good confession by your actions, for the time will come when they will be taken away from you. Then as you look back, you will miss them but you will have no regrets.
I remember the day the letter came saying that the Irish Mission had accepted me. I had just passed my twentieth birthday at the time. I had to tell my father and as my mother had died about two years previous, that would leave my father and younger brother alone. I saw Betty that evening and told her. I arrived home before my father went out to work. He would go out about 11pm. every night as he was permanently on the night shift as fireman in the Braid Water Mill. I was not looking forward to this at all and was hesitant in telling him. He had his hand on the door to go out to work when I got the courage to speak. I said to him “Dad you know how I wanted to go intossion work, well I’ve been accepted by the Irish mission.†He looked at me and with a tremor in his voice said “Ernest must you go?†I replied “Yes Dad I must go†There were no more words as he turned and went out. I felt like a heel, like I was letting him down in not staying with him and my brother. Then on the other hand I had to obey the Lord.
toughern
Last time; I found that when time was spent before God that, courage was given to me to stand against the wrongs which I saw, even though others who were of my age were doing them.
Now I continue;
In my place of work Jackson the Tailors which used to be on the corner of Brian street and Church street, the boss had a habit of saying to us, if some one came in whom he didn’t want to see “tell him I’m not in†I saw this as lying and didn’t comply. He didn’t like it but said nothing. There were other things that he wanted me to do that were underhand and when I refused saying that it was wrong and that I would not do it, he finally got the message and stopped asking me to do these wrongs.
Again in my own home which is the most difficult place to witness. My father used to buy the ‘News of the World’, which came out on a Sunday, and when I got to know the contents of the paper, I said to him one day “Dad that’s not a good paper to bring into the house†I remember him and my mother looking at each other, he said nothing but he never brought it into the house again. On another occasion, when he was sending me to the wee shop to buy cigarettes for him, I said “Dad I would prefer that you wouldn’t ask me to go for cigarettes any more†Now my father was a big man and not one to contrary with, so I stood well back hoping I could escape if he got mad, but he just nodded his head and never asked me again. As I obeyed the Lord in these small things my faith was getting stronger.
I cannot accept that the Christian should let things like this slide and treat them as not important, turning a blind eye to them so as not to rock the boat. If we have a conviction before God about something and yet don’t stand up for it, then it’s no conviction at all. A Christian does this to their detriment and certainly will not progress in the Christian life.
Take ye the foxes the little foxes that spoil the vines for our vines have tender grapes. Song 2:15
At this time also there was a yearning in my heart to do outreach work, so I got a few books from a bible shop that was in Thomas Street run by the late Sandy Watson and his wife. They let me have bibles, small books and tracts on trust and I did some visitation around Ballymena. I also went to the bars and gave out tracts, helped in the Faith Mission open-air meetings, testified in different meetings, then started bit by bit to preach in different mission halls.
As regards giving, the Lord taught me early in my Christian life that nothing was mine. If He asked me to give all that I had, I gave all. This came to me forcefully as I sat in a in a missionary meeting and when the offering was being lifted, well I had my tithe to give but then I thought, “that’s not much I’ll add another shillingâ€Â. The offering basket was still a few rows away, the thought came again “that’s still not much†so I put my hand in my pocket again and brought out all that was there, which really wasn’t much, but it was all I had. From then on money or possessions have never been a concern of mine.
I have always been interested in athletics, since I saw a fellow running round a worn track that he made for himself in the ‘Big Moat Field’ (only those who were born in Harryville and are my age will know where I’m talking about.) but to enlighten you all, it’s where Ballykeel 1 and 2 are built. Then it was part of our playground as it was joined to the ‘Moat’. I must have been about ten at the time, when one day I along with two or three of my friends were playing in ‘Big Moat Field’ we saw at the far end of the field a man running. Of course we were wondering what he was doing so we went across to him. This was the first time I had spoken to him (Billy Johnston). I suppose he must have been about twenty at the time, I had seen him before, because he passed by our door in James Street going to the BB in 1st. Ballymena. He asked if any of us could run, and of course I volunteered and raced against him for about 100yds. When we finished, he turned to me and said ‘boys you can run well why don’t you start training?’ So from then on the ‘big moat field’ became my training ground.
I continued training mostly on my own and in a few years I became been the school’s athletic champion in 100,200,400, 800 meters, putting the shot and throwing the discus. When I was sixteen I entered for the Northern Ireland Youth championships for the shot and discus, and although I was the youngest there I got first in the discus and third in the shot. When the winning discus throw was announced over the loud speakers and that I unattached (that is I didn’t belong to any club, there was none in Ballymena) I had many invites to join the big clubs around Belfast but they were all too far away from home and I had no way of getting there. The next big athletic event was the All Ireland championships in Dublin. I couldn’t afford the fare, also my father and mother would never agreed to let me go to Dublin on my own. It was to my dismay that the throw with which I won the N. Ireland Championships, was about nine feet further than the winning throw of the all Ireland.
I had at that time wanted to go further in athletics but it wasn’t to be. God had other plans for me, but the physical training, which I had done, was a great help in the work of God where ever I went. In West Africa I found that the good physical fitness stood me in good stead, when the African brethren and I went out on track (on foot) covering 30km. in a day, in a temperature of 35-40. So it became a daily routine wherever we went I would always exercise my body and look after it nutritional wise. Drinks like tea, coffee and Cola never entered my mouth since I was fifteen. Cigarettes and alcohol never, because I knew these to be drugs and harmful to the body and wanting to follow the scriptures and glorify God in my body as well as in my spirit. Does Scripture not pose us the question in 1 Cor 6:19-20. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
I would emphasize to all no matter what age but especially to young Christians don't let your body become obese, this is not glorifying to God. It is not carnal to look after the body but it is a sin to neglect it. I take many young people every week for physical exercise and find that the majority are very unfit. There are great benefits in keeping the body fit for God. Many forget that spirit, soul and body is one unit. 1 Thess 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I hardly need to remind you of the many times we read of the physical prowess of men in scriptures. 1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. (About 30 miles)
Josh 14:10-11 I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
I was sixteen when I met Betty who was also a Christian. The first time I walked her home was from a missionary meeting in Cromkill old school. She had cycled the two miles from Rosses Factory, so I wheeled the bike as I walked her home. We went together for five years before we got married. She had a wonderful effect on my life, but in this time I had to ask myself the question was this God’s will for me? I prayed about it and I remember the word that the Lord gave me at that time.
Eccl 7:18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
So I knew that this girl Betty Hill was the one that God had for me for me. I’m so glad that I left my choice with God. As I look back over the years from our courtship till today which is over fifty years, I praise God for bringing us together. I say to all the unmarried this is the only way for a happy marriage, let God bring you together. Anything else is a receipt for heartache.
At a Christian Endeavour meeting I saw a notice on the board saying that the Irish Mission was in need of a colporteur. I thought and prayed about it. After some time I felt that I should write to the secretary of the mission – the late Rev. Gibson-, but unknown to me my mother had also written to him, persuading him to discourage me from having any further interest. The reply I received from him was that I was still young. So I was, but as a young person I thought I knew everything. Now as I look back I realise how painfully immature, thoughtless and ignorant I was, but I still had this in my mind that God wanted me to do this work.
Not too long after that my mother took sick and went to be with the Lord.
One thing I regret is my thoughtlessness to the needs of my sick mother and afterwards to a grieving father, I never seemed to have any time, in for meals out again, running to this and that meeting, being very spiritual or so I thought. I never thought to help in the washing-up of the dishes or do any the other wee jobs about the house. Never thought they needed the help of my company until it was too late and they were gone. Don’t make this mistake, give time to your parents, cherish them, and obey them for this is right in the Lord. To any young person still living at home, don’t keep them awake for half of the night wondering where you are, be home at least an hour before midnight and witness a good confession by your actions, for the time will come when they will be taken away from you. Then as you look back, you will miss them but you will have no regrets.
I remember the day the letter came saying that the Irish Mission had accepted me. I had just passed my twentieth birthday at the time. I had to tell my father and as my mother had died about two years previous, that would leave my father and younger brother alone. I saw Betty that evening and told her. I arrived home before my father went out to work. He would go out about 11pm. every night as he was permanently on the night shift as fireman in the Braid Water Mill. I was not looking forward to this at all and was hesitant in telling him. He had his hand on the door to go out to work when I got the courage to speak. I said to him “Dad you know how I wanted to go intossion work, well I’ve been accepted by the Irish mission.†He looked at me and with a tremor in his voice said “Ernest must you go?†I replied “Yes Dad I must go†There were no more words as he turned and went out. I felt like a heel, like I was letting him down in not staying with him and my brother. Then on the other hand I had to obey the Lord.
toughern