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"One day we were called to a gorse fire endangering a house. When the fire was almost out I was sent into the house. As I entered, my eyes were drawn to a Scripture hanging on a wall..."
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When I was growing up in Skibbereen, my father came to trust in Jesus as his Saviour, he often spoke to me about God and the Bible, but I did not want to hear what he had to say, in fact I rebelled angrily against it.
By the age of 21 I had a job and a very hectic social life. I came home drunk and would wonder if I would ever recover from the night’s drinking. On Sundays I went to Church but in my life there was no time to think about God. I got a job as a fireman with Skibbereen Fire Brigade. Our work took us all over West Cork.
One day we were called to a gorse fire endangering a house. When the fire was almost out I was sent into the house. As I entered, my eyes were drawn to a Scripture hanging on a wall, this spoke to me about the importance of the Bible for my life. Some months later we were called to a chimney fire near Skibbereen. The people had been on their way out to a Gospel meeting. We had to deal with the fire upstairs and when we finished the owner called us down for tea. The officer in charge said, “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain at the table because these people are Christians”. Some smart comments were made by the fire-crew. One fireman said to me, “we may well laugh but we must admit that they have something we don’t, real faith”. I was taken aback by his comment. Why did the fire crew see this home differently I kept asking myself?
I received an invitation to a Bible meeting in Skibbereen. Despite a conflict in my mind I went to the meeting. Up to this point I had thought that because I did some good work and went to Church I would go to heaven if I died. But that night I heard the Scripture, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23). It became very clear to me that if I died I would go to hell because I was a sinner. But I was told from the Bible how I could have my sins forgiven because Jesus had died on the cross in my place. But I could not accept that it was all done for me by Jesus and decided to read the Bible for myself. As I read the Bible I soon realised that there was nothing for me to do except trust in Jesus and what He had done for me.
One night I dreamt I saw Jesus on the cross. I asked Him, “Jesus why are you suffering so much?” The words that came back to me were, “for you”. That night I was overcome with the realisation of God’s love: it was for me that Jesus had died. At that very moment I fell on my knees and asked Jesus to forgive me for all my sins. I thanked Him for taking my place and my punishment on the cross. Peace and happiness filled me and I shed tears of joy. This experience was without doubt the greatest of my life and I will never forget it. I know that I met Jesus that night.
What I have found is that Jesus is able to do much more than all we could ever ask or think. Shirley (my wife) and I have come through some tough times but knowing that God is with us has been our strength. To everyone that reads this story I want to tell you that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He died in your place in the cross. Admit your need and ask Him into your life. Then you will know the peace and joy that only He can give and heaven as your home.
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Ordinary people in Ireland with Real life Experiences with God
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