Acts chapter 26, and we read verse 19. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coast of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works for repentance. For these causes, the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue on to this day, witnessing both to small and great. saying none other things than those things which the prophet and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show forth light unto the people and to the Gentiles. And then we'll move on down to read at verse, sorry, verse 24, and as he does speak for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad. And here's Paul answering, he says, I'm not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness, for the king knoweth these things. before whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know thou believest. And Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou, but all that hear me this day, where both almost and altogether, such as I am, accept these bonds. Amen. And we know the Lord will add his blessing to the reading of his own precious word tonight. As I come to share my testimony tonight, it's always good to reflect on the faithfulness of God, isn't it? And on what God has done for us. It's great to know that we have a Savior who's precious to us. And Paul here, in this portion of Scripture, Paul recounts his past experience in 26 and verse 4. My manner of life from my youth which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews." So Paul here was going back and telling his story about the grace of God and the faithfulness of God to him. And that's what I purpose to do tonight. My manner of life, from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem. And as I think back, we go right back to the fact that I was the oldest of four boys born into a Christian home down yonder in County Monaghan. And what a privilege to have parents that loved us and parents that prayed for us, and they never were in a public platform, but they faithfully prayed for us, and we praise God and we thank Him for that. I remember as a young boy being somewhat concerned and somewhat afraid of the Lord's return, and I knew my parents were saved and I wasn't, and so I was always afraid in case the Lord would come back and I would be left behind. But sometimes I can remember going down the stairs quietly and listening and hearing my parents praying for us as children. And that was reassuring to me. And I would go back home, back up to bed and fall asleep and feel content that Jesus hadn't come back and that I was still the opportunity to get saved. There came a mission to our district conducted by two faith mission workers when I was a boy of nine. And when they came, they presented the gospel. And of course, we as a family, and they being the oldest, we were around there nearly every night at the mission. And I can remember going night after night and knowing the Lord was speaking to me. And there was one of the men, was a man called Billy Campbell, and he was speaking this particular night on John 10 in verse 9. I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. Well, that night I remember waiting behind to speak to the evangelist, and he pointed me to some scriptures. And one of the verses that he pointed me to was, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out, in John 6 and 37. And that was reassuring that if I would come to him, he wouldn't cast me out. So the inference is there. He would accept me, He would take me in, He would save me by His grace. And I thank God for that night. And you know, from that night to this, I have never been concerned about the Lord's return, personally, because I knew I was ready. Whenever the Lord would come, I'm sure in the days in which we live, we must be getting close to His return. because the days are sinful, men are increasingly wicked, and there's every evidence that the coming of the Lord is not too far away. But I never had any fear concerning that, because I knew I was prepared. I knew my sins were forgiven, and I knew I was on my way to heaven. As a boy and as a teenager growing up, I had only one thought, And that was to farm, to be a farmer as my father was. And I never thought of anything else, only that. But you know, God had other plans for my life. And those other plans were his work. I remember as a teenager of 16, God speaking to me at the Faith Mission Bangor Convention. And as God spoke to me at that convention, I knew God was wanting me to go further and deeper with Himself. And I remember surrendering my life to the Lord just after I came home from the convention and asking God to fill me with His Spirit and to do all that He wanted to do in this life of mine. And I look back to that time as a time when God really met with me in a very special way. Well, it was very shortly after that that God called me to go to Bible College. I had just turned 17 on the 30th of May. And as I say, I had just turned 17. And I headed off that September for the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh. Looking back, I realize I was very young to be heading off, never been away from home really, and it was a big step. you know, God kept his hand upon me and God was faithful. When I started to study, I had terrible problems with headaches, and I remember just one day in particular going up to a little room that there was for prayer, and I just poured out my heart to the Lord and I said, Lord, if I'm going to stay here, You've got to touch me. You've got to relieve these headaches, for I can't study." And you know, God really answered that prayer. Right away, those headaches were lifted. And thank God, all down through my life, I never really knew what it was to have a headache. God, in his mercy, touched me and wonderfully healed me and wonderfully delivered me, and I just praise him from the depths of my heart. I spent three years there in the Faith Mission Bible College. Those were very precious years, years of developing as a young Christian, going forth and going on with God and prayer meetings and all of that. that really had a profound effect upon my life. And then I remember going out, my first summer work was to the island of Lewis, and that was in 1972. And the revival had just been there over 1949, 1950. And so there was a great continuing sense of God's presence and blessing upon the island in those days. And it was another development in my Christian life. Then when I went out into the faith mission work, I also landed to the island of Lewis for mission work. And again, God helped me and God went before me Up there, they always wanted a sermon to be at least 40 minutes, and starting off, that wasn't so easy to get it to string out that long. It might do that quicker nowadays, but in those days, it was very difficult. But the Lord helped us, and those were very precious times. in ministry and in ministering the word of the Lord. And God then had a year there in the south of Scotland, and it was so different because there was very little interest in the things of God around the Falkirk area. I spent a year around that area, and God did save souls, but it was pretty hard going at the same time. but thank God he was with us and he helped us. Well then, at that time, God called me into the work of the pastorate and the independent Methodist denomination, and I joined in 1976, and we were down in Irvingstown, and then in 1977, we got married. and that was a great blessing to have the two of us in the work together with the same mindset. We met at Bible College, and we had the same love for the Lord and the same love for souls, and that was a tremendous blessing, and I ever thank God for that. Well, then, of course, we came here to New Buildings. back in 1979 and started up in Cullion with a mission up there and with the Reverend Park and then down here to New Buildings and had a mission down the road there and at the back of the hedge. The hedge is gone now. It's all built up but at that time we had a portable hall there and then the church started back there and at that time just after the mission. And then I did a mission at the opening of Dunganan Church, and they were wanting me to come there, but I felt that here was the place that God was leading me at that time, and the Lord helped us back in those days, and we praise God. We can look back to knowing those of you who are there in those days. They were good days and days when we knew the Lord's help and good fellowship together in the things of the Lord and that was indeed very precious. After we moved to Dungannon, in 88, April 88. We were there and the call had come for us to go there to Don Gannon and it wasn't easy for leaving here. Naturally we wouldn't have wanted to leave, only we felt that definitely God was calling us at that time and there was no other option but to go. But that was quite heart-wrenching to leave here and to go to Dungannon. So, but the Lord had called and so that's where we ended up. We had two girls, Cherith and Olivia, both born here in Altenegelvin, the youngest one Olivia was just about four months old when we moved down to Dungannon. We went long in Dungannon until Cherith was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. And at that time, we didn't know much about cystic fibrosis. That was in April 91. And the only person that we knew that had cystic fibrosis was the choir master in the Bible college, his son. And he died at the age of 15. And that's all we knew about cystic fibrosis. And so it wasn't a very good outlook. And we sensed that. And it was a tough time, that. But God helped us. We then, on the 4th of June, 1991, the same year, the Belfast City Hospital phoned us to say that Olivia also had cystic fibrosis. That was really heart-wrenching. It was tough going for us at that time. I remember standing in the minister's room in the church and really not feeling able to go out to preach because our hearts were breaking because of this sickness that had come to our two girls. But the Lord helped us through it. God was faithful and God helped us through those trying and those very, very, difficult circumstances. Well, after some time, or short time after that actually, there came a motto card from every home crusade, from Ernie Allen. He'd sent them out. He'd sent out other little mottos in the past. but never about healing. And this is the text that was on it, I am the Lord that healeth thee. And we felt that this was God giving us an answer for our two girls, and it brought great relief to us. We had hospital visits, all the rest of it. It was a time of change in our lives. But nevertheless, the Lord went before us, and we claimed that promise. And it took over 30 years for that promise to be fulfilled. Back in 21, 2021, there came a new drug You probably heard about it. There was talk about it on the news and so on, this new drug for cystic fibrosis sufferers to replace the faulty gene. And our two girls were both suitable for that, and so they received that drug in 21, January 21. Charles, when she sat in church, She sat through the service every day, coughing, coughing, coughing, coughing. And that's how it went on. Sunday after Sunday, day after day, she constantly was coughing. And I used to think, that must be so hard on her, to have such a cough just all the time. Well, when she got that drug, the cough completely disappeared. completely disappeared. What a change was made in her life as a result of that. Gereth was always much worse than Olivia because Gereth took ME when she was 14 and she never was a full day at school at the Royal School there in Dunedin. She never was a full day until the school term was over. and she did her A-levels, and she, as I say, never was in there a full day. But God helped her, and God was with her in exams. Sometimes Ruth had to arm her in to an exam. That was how difficult it was for her. But remarkably, God answered prayer, and even her three A-levels were three A's, and that was certainly the Lord that brought her through. to such an extent, and we just give him all the praise and all the glory. And he brought her through university as a speech therapist, and thank God for his hand that has been upon her. She didn't have any family of her own, but she adopted two children just about three years ago now in August, and what a tremendous blessing they have been, even to our family. Olivia, our youngest girl, she has two children and they are actually away in the Philippines at the moment, they're in Manila. Her husband is responsible for them from the factory there in Kilkeel where they make airplane seats and so he's out there, they're setting up a factory there in Manila to do that. And they're away from us at the moment, but thank God just for his hand that has been upon them. And in fact, they surprised us there a couple of weeks ago. It was my 70th birthday. I know you wouldn't think that, but that's the way it is. And who walked in through the back door of the house? Only Olivia and the two children after traveling for 42 hours. to be with us and it was just, we never thought they were coming at all, we had no idea, but thank God just for his love and for his faithfulness to them. So that's my background. Paul also acknowledged God's enabling. He says, having obtained help of God, having obtained help of God, he says there in verse 22, Paul knew something of the enabling power of God in his life, and he says, having obtained help of God, I continue on to this day, witnessing both to small and great. Paul had received help from God, and you read there in Corinthians, you'll see that he certainly needed help, for he suffered much for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I have discovered that there is not much to this body of ours because, as you will know, that almost 16 years ago, 16 years now, on the 29th of July, I had an accident where I fell from a roof. And, of course, that changed my life in a big way at that time. I was up on the roof down in the family farm. It was holiday time. And just in an instant, I was paralyzed from the waist down. Fit and healthy, 54-year-old running about, all the rest of it, no problem whatsoever. Didn't know what it was to really have a day's sickness in life. and end up for 13 and a half weeks in hospital. But you know, God helped us even at that time. But it did show to me how frail our bodies really are. That just in an instant, a body that was fit and healthy, if it was left on the floor, it couldn't really move. You see, that's how frail we are. We think ourselves young and healthy and all the rest of it, but so often that can change so very quickly. But the presence of Jesus was with Paul, and the presence of Jesus enabled him. I don't stand here tonight and say it's easy to stand up on a wheelchair. It's not easy. It's difficult. Life changed completely for me. But I remember after having been brought to Dublin for surgery because the accident happened in Monaghan, so therefore I went to the Mater Hospital in Dublin. And you know, God had no mistakes in that because the surgeon and the royal that would have been performing the operation was on holiday that time. And they said that the stand-in wouldn't have been a great surgeon, but I had a great surgeon in the Mater Hospital in Dublin, and he put my back together, and I thank God for that surgery. It was good. It didn't make me walk, but it did make me that I could sit up. I remember Ruth coming down one day to me, and I said to her, Ruth, do you think could the two of us make one that was for to continue in the Lord's work? So that's what happened. The two of us made one. What I couldn't do, she did. And I remember us going out to visit and taking these ramps with us. And Ruth would help me into houses. There was only a couple of steps. She'd pull me up the steps. Thank God for somebody who was strong and able to do that kind of thing. And it was great just to be able to continue in the Lord's work. put our lift into the pulpit there at the church and made the necessary adjustments in the vans, and so we were able to continue in the work. And we just give God praise. He was with us. He helped us. It wasn't easy. It wasn't easy. When I went out to visit at night, I usually phoned up the house and asked the man to make sure the man of the house was there, and then he would pull me into the house. But God helped us. right throughout these years. And we just praise him and thank him just for the help that he did give to us over a difficult time. God never promised life would be easy, but he did promise he would be with us. And friends, if you don't know the Savior tonight, you don't know what you're missing. To know the Savior with you, through the ups and downs of life. If life has been good for you to this present time, well, that's good. But friend, it might not always be good. There can come the difficult times, they do come to all of us, the difficult times. But the brilliant thing is to know that Jesus walks with us and talks with us every passing day. What a a great blessing. I woke up from the operation with a lot of pain, which I suffered for a lot of years, nerve pain in my leg, and that wasn't easy to cope with. I remember sometimes going out at night to a meeting or to visit or something like that, and the pain was just really bad, and you had to grit your teeth and just go on. through it all. And God helped us to do that, to persevere through the difficulties. But God did indeed help us in a wonderful way. And I remember thinking when I was going through the pain there in Dublin, the hospital, I remember thinking of the pain Jesus went through at Calvary for me. How he suffered, how he bled and how he died. I suffered because of an accident. He went willingly to Calvary's cross and bled and died for my salvation. He did the same for you, friend. He bled and died for your salvation, that you might be saved and that you might indeed be made a child of God. We're on holiday in the Lake District before the accident. And there was this little hymn sung. It said, there is a hope that lifts my weary head, a consolation strong against despair, that when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit, I find the Savior there. Through present suffering, future fear, he whispers courage in my ear, for I am safe in everlasting arms. and they will lead me home. You know, friends, I didn't know when I said to Ruth, would you take a note of that hymn and we'll teach it to the folks when we get home. I didn't know that I wouldn't be teaching it to them because they did sing it when I was in hospital. But you know, also when I was in hospital at that time, Harold Vaughan, who was from America, he's with us a couple of times in the church there in Dunedin, and he sent a book to me to the Royal Hospital, he sent a book to me, and it was When Heaven is Silent by Ronald Dunn. I read that book, I read it through, and you know as I read it, Ronald Dunn's son had died as a result of suicide. He was a full-time Christian worker himself, Ronald Dunn, and this is the book he wrote. And you know, the sum and substance of that book was simply this, don't ask why, ask what now. And God helped me to do that through my accident. Don't ask why it happened, Ask what now? Where do I go from here? What's the future? And that, friend, is something that's very precious. If you can do that in a difficult situation, don't ask why, because if you ask why these things happen, you'll only get yourself all twisted up, and your mind all twisted up, and you'll be depressed, and you'll have all sorts of problems if you ask the why question, because we'll not know why, and I don't know why. But we will know, I believe, when we get to the other side. But you know, God helped us not to ask the why question, but to just go forward and to know the Lord's help day by day. Of course, I had the operation in Liverpool back on the 31st of October, 23, for the pain. Thank God it did bring a lot of relief. Didn't take it away, but it did bring a lot of relief to me. And I thank God you are praying for me here. Appreciate that very much indeed. And I thank God just for how he helped and how he did ease that pain in my body. Lots of people have bad things happen to them, and we don't know why. but we just have to accept it and go forward, go forward for his glory. You know, friends, can I ask you, are you an enemy or are you a friend of the saviors? What were the purposes of God that compelled Paul to preach the gospel? Calvary, that was the theme of his message. Calvary, the theme of his message. Friends, tonight, Calvary is the theme of our message, the message that Jesus saves, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. If you will but come to him and trust him as your own and personal savior. His passion was the salvation of the lost. He says in verse 18, to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God. That's our message, friend, to turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan onto God. Thank God he's still doing that tonight. He's still doing that tonight. I was down giving my testimony at a mission of John Weir's down in Kilkeedle, just passed there on Wednesday night, a tent mission. And you know, it was absolutely amazing to be there because there was actually about 720 people gathered there night after night. All that week was round about the 700 mark. The first week was round about 4,500. And it's wonderful. Good number of people have got saved and backsliders have come back to the Lord. And that's great to see that in our day. Tremendous. It gives you a tremendous lift in your spirit. Certainly did that to me. A tremendous blessing to see people getting saved. And the thing was, there were lots of young people. at that mission. Lots of young people, young men in particular, and some of them had trusted the Lord. And friends, thank God, we have a Savior who's still saving souls and is still bringing people and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan onto God. Paul proclaimed his future expectation. He proclaimed that those whose sins were forgiven that there was an inheritance, an inheritance awaiting them. Verse 18 says, an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Paul had a wonderful inheritance to look forward to. Child of God, you have a wonderful inheritance to look forward to. It's better on ahead. It's only gonna get better for the child of God. And so friends, even though we have our pains and our aches and our problems down here, friend, as we get older particularly, but look, friend, don't focus on that. Focus on Him and on seeing Him and being with Him and being, sharing the great eternity in that beautiful place called heaven. But friend, you're here and you're not saved tonight. You're not going there. You're not going there. That's why you need to repent tonight and believe the gospel and trust the Savior. Yes, Paul had this wonderful, wonderful experience. God says the end of it all is home, home. What a place home is. Home is where Jesus is. That's our eternal home. Are you going, friend? Are you parked? of that great company of people that are going home to glory soon, to see the city bright, to walk the golden streets of heaven and bask in God's own light. But some of you are out of Christ and held by many a snare. We cannot leave you lost and lone. Why? Because we want you over there. We want you over there, friends. And then finally, Paul's final entreaty, he says in verse 29, I would to God that all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. Paul wanted them to be completely persuaded, and that was his response to Agrippa when Agrippa said, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And you know what I would say tonight? I would just rephrase it a little bit. I would to God that all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether, such as I am, except this wheelchair. I wouldn't wish that on you. But I wish that you were all such as I am, fully persuaded that Christ is our Savior, that Christ is our hope, that Christ is the one whom we love and serve. Some will say, I'm with you, Paul. I'm that group of people that's ready, prepared, ready for the Lord's coming. That's great. If you're one of that group tonight, praise God. Praise God that he ever reached down and saved you by his marvelous grace. Lift your heart to him in thanksgiving for what he has done for you. But then some will be like Festus. It says in verse 24, And as he thus spake for himself, Faustus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself. Much learning doth make thee mad. Paul, you're making a fool of yourself. There's plenty of people who would say that. about those of us who love the Lord Jesus. What a fool you are serving the Lord when you could be living, living for this world and the things of it. But friend, I don't agree with that. I wouldn't change Jesus. I wouldn't change him for anything. Some will say like Agrippa, I believe Lots of what you say. I agree with many things. I believe the Bible. I understand. I'm almost there. Sometimes I'm almost persuaded to become a Christian. That's what Agrippa said to Paul. Almost I persuaded me to be a Christian. Maybe there's somebody here tonight like that and you're almost persuaded. As you hear the gospel, you say, well, you know, I think what that man's saying is right. Almost persuaded, almost there, almost in the kingdom, but still outside the door. Almost now persuades me to be a Christian. You know, I often think of people who say, I'll get saved, but not tonight. I'll get saved sometime. Is there somebody like that here tonight? And you're saying, I'll get saved sometime. I know that it's the right thing to do, but I'm not going to get saved now. What a foolish way to live, friend. What a foolish way to live. Give your heart and life to the Lord now. And then friend, you'll be sure that whenever the call comes, and it can come very sudden, can come very sudden, and you're not ready for it. You're not ready for it. What if the call were to come tonight? Would you be ready? Would you be saved? Would you be prepared, ready for heaven? I would to God that all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am. I'm fully persuaded. and there's many others here tonight and they're fully persuaded. But are you all fully persuaded? Is there somebody here and you're not persuaded? You're almost, you think about it, but you're not persuaded. Oh friend, that you would be persuaded tonight and that you would give your heart and life to Jesus Christ and be born again of his Holy Spirit. Yes, his friends, would have caused him to be only almost. Ah, there was Festus sitting there and he thought Paul was mad. Agrippa knew that his friends weren't saved. Agrippa was in a very important position. The cost was going to be too high for Agrippa to make that decision. Is there somebody here tonight, and you say, I could say it all right, but what about this, and what about that? What about my friends, and what about the habits that I have that would hold me back? Oh, friend, if you'd only let the Lord into your life tonight, he'd change you. He'd give you the strength to live for him. He'd give you the strength to follow him. Be altogether persuaded, not almost, but altogether. Agrippa was almost, but the fact remains Agrippa almost is still outside. Almost is still outside. Almost saved is still lost. Almost doesn't make heaven. Almost doesn't make heaven. Some people think they govern their own affairs and their own masters. But friends, I tell you, God is the one who is supreme. God is the one who is in control. You're not the master of your own destiny. Heaven is God's home. In your short time here on earth, God can stop giving you life. And if God were to stop giving you life, where would you be in eternity? Oh, come to the Savior. I plead with you, friend, if you're not right, come to the Savior, trust Him, be born again, have your sins forgiven, and get ready for heaven. May the Lord bless His word to us. Let's just bow together for a word of prayer. Our Father, we want to thank you tonight for the wonderful gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, We thank you, Father, that we have a message to tell, a message, Lord, that can change the hearts and lives of men and women and young people, boys and girls. And we thank you, Lord, that you have a message for everyone tonight in this church, a message, Lord, that can prepare them and equip them for heaven. Oh, God, we pray that if there's someone here tonight and they're not saved, and perhaps, Lord, they're considering this matter. Help them, Lord, to think wisely tonight. And, O God, we pray that they would be altogether persuaded that Christ is the answer to our every need. O Spirit of God, gather precious souls into your kingdom, even this evening. Ma, Father, make it a great evening for someone, even in this church this evening. that they might be truly born again of the Spirit of God. So, Lord, we commend ourselves to you and pray your blessing upon us this evening. And we ask you, Lord, that we would know the assurance of sins forgiven and peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask all this in the name of our dear Saviour, the Lord Jesus.