pulled out of te pit parts 5 and 6

Chapter 5


Psalm 40

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

2
He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.
3

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.

PULLED OUT OF THE PIT

I have said in previous chapters, that I was a churchgoer, and so I was, but not because I wanted to, but because I was forced to.

We got prizes for going, I still have a book with photos of the UK gives as Sunday school prize in 1971, all I was interested in was getting things, it was all about Me and I.

Arriving in class 4s I looked around and wondered who I could upset first, the lucky person was a rather stout boy who sat by the window, often I could be found by his desk teasing and tormenting him, and he was more religious than me, he went to church youth groups on Friday night, Saturday night and church twice on Sunday, talk about fanatical, you need to get yourself a life Andrew!.

So he became the butt of all my anger, I punched him, pulled his hair and did other really bad things, hit out and shouted at him and yet, no response. Everyone else responded, but not him, what is up with this guy?

Our class became 5s and yes we were in the same class.. how annoying. Mr Scott said to Andrew, you will never get Keith to become a Christian, how wrong he was!

He was getting under my skin, he started to invite me to meetings on Saturday night, are you joking...I would rather cut my toe nails.. with a hacksaw!.

He's at it again, come on Saturday Night, I'll pick you up at the bus station, oh ok, anything to shut him up.

So on this Saturday night, I was let out of the house, my parents should of known better, so off I went.

We met up and went up to Moorlands gospel hall, the place was packed, what's happening, all these religious nutters.

So we started the meeting, hymns were sung, some people stood up and said how Jesus had changed their life, Good for them, but it went over my head.

The preacher stood up, Victor Jack from Suffolk, he spoke about what would happen if Jesus came back tonight, I remember being a little scared, I had not heard anything like this, he talked of Jesus being the only answer, at the end he said I'm going into a side room, if anyone wants to come and talk to me, knock on that door.

All I remember is closing my eyes and it was a curtain going up, my eyes had been opened, I turned to Andrew and said "I'm going into that room", his jaw dropped, we arrived just before someone else did, if they had got their first, I wouldn't of gone through with it, but I was ushered in, Victor took my through the book Journey into life by Norman warren, I said the prayer at the end and meant it, I remember going home and blurted out to my parents "I've become a Christian", my fathers retort was "you should of been home earlier".

So life changed on that night, I passed from death to life on that night.

Back in 2024, I was able to see my beloved friend Andrew and also to meet Victor again, now 87, he welcomed me and my family into his home and his home church.

I owe them both a debt, I can never repay, on that night, I was truly PULLED OUTOF THE PIT.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Salvation from sin through Christ is a miracle, it cannot be accomplished through our good works or any other man made religion.

I should know, I tried. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, you can sit in Burger king and change your name to Mr A Hamburger, but you aren' t and can't be a hamburger.

It is what Christ has done for you on the cross, he brings you to God, he is the saviour, he is the divine substitute, the one who had to die in your place.

I wasn't good enough to come to God on my own, someone had to take my sin and that one was God's perfect son Jesus.

As soon as I trusted Him, he made me justified and accepted by God the Father, I was sealed by the precious Holy Spirit, he was the one who opened my eyes and my heart that cold February night, he alone can do that.

We can witness and share the gospel till we are blue in the face, we can convince people of the existence of God and the reality of the cross and the resurrection, but it is only when the Holy Spirit, opens someone's eyes and heart can they be saved.

Every true born again believer is a trophy of God's grace, they have a new heart, a new nature, a new focus.

They are now on the pilgrim road, I thank God, that I am on that pilgrim road.

I am a living walking, talking miracle of God's grace.

Are you?


Chapter 6

Ezekiel 36:31
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.


College, Church and Cars

I was now a Christian and I became a member of Andrew's church, and also of his youth group.

My Christian faith started to grow and in 1980,just past my 21st birthday, I was baptised by immersion to signify my commitment to Christ.

During this time, I had a wonderful Pastor David Green, who spent many hours counselling me, likewise my dear brother Kevin.

Just before I came to China, I was able to phone Pastor David and apologise and tell him, that I was walking with the Lord, he was as usual very gracious.

Kevin died of cancer in 2024, whilst in the UK, I was able to phone him and talk with him, I owe you a great debt my friend.

Just before my 21st birthday, I lost my dear father, he died right in front of my eyes, just quietly passing away, he had given up as his will to live was gone.

This was a terrible blow to mum as she blamed herself, he had been retired for six months and had no chance to enjoy his retirement.

After school, I went to the local college to get more GCE O levels and then to another college in Preston to get accounting qualifications, this is hoped was the door to working in an office, but due to my stammer, employers felt, I would be unable to communicate, especially when answering the phone.

So, in late 1979, I took a job as a storeman at the local mental hospital, I only took this job on a short-term basis, but it lasted ten years. This was not the happiest time of my life, I was living at home and working full time, I was fully involved in church activities, but was still a rebel.

This was a very manual job, our store had everything from food to furniture in it. Fifty kg bags of rice, sugar and flour had to lifted off wagons every day, It was certainly no job for the weak hearted.

I ended up in the medical store as this was the best job in the store, but the stores closed in 1989 as all the stores in Lancashire were centralised in one central location forty miles away.

Although my time there was not particularly happy, I paid into the National health pension scheme and now I receive that pension here in China, so God knew exactly what I needed in the future, he prepares everything for us.

As a Christian, I was in the church, but still with one foot in the world.

During this time, I was able to buy a car, my first car was a little lime green mini, which got the nickname "the lime green terror", I used to love driving this little car, I had it for nearly 8 years and was so much fun, not so much when driving it down the aptly called Cemetery road in Bradford, where pothole avoidance meant it was like an obstacle course.

Sadly by the mid 80's my faith was waning, I left membership of the Baptist church, this was no one else's fault but mine, I had chosen my own way and the penalty I paid was very severe, the scars remain.

Have I been forgiven completely by God?

Yes of course I have, but the regret for the nearly two decades I wasted still sting.


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

I say this with shame, I have wasted large swathes of my life, this is something I am not proud of, I write it because I don't want anyone else making the same mistakes.

Even thinking about these things leave a bitter taste in one's mouth, you get lots of things you lose in your life, clothes, furniture etc, but you can never replace time.

The time is lost, I can never reclaim it, it is gone.

The wasted years, and to be honest in my case, it was because of my bad sinful choices, the devil had his way for too many years, the years I lost were between the ages of 25-40, these are the best years of our lives and what did I do, I wasted them on frivolities and things that did not matter.

There is always a price to pay for sin and disobedience, sure God will restore and totally heal, like he did with David but scars and consequences remain.

So please don't waste a minute of your life on things that don't truly satisfy and don't let bitterness, anger or selfishness take over your life.

I am a prodigal, the prodigal, thank God did return and was restored.

Praise God for his forgiveness , mercy and grace.

Maybe I am speaking to one who has made bad choices and strayed far away from God, there is restoration and healing at the foot of the cross.

Coming back to God took many years, the time in-between took me to places I rather wouldn't of gone too and to see things, I shouldn't of seen.

The Lord is very patient, slow to anger, the words of Psalm 103 come to mind.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.


Come and receive that healing.