I want to thank Reverend Murray for his kind words of welcome. I'm not that good at reading texts or sending them, but sometimes when you catch on to stuff, it settles your own nerves. So we're very glad to be here with a few friends here and familiar faces. Always good to see some going back quite a long way to youth council days. And some of us are, her was darker. And we maybe had her back then. I'm looking down her bottom. We had good days serving the Lord on the Youth Council, but with some very familiar faces and good friends here in Lurgan. So it's a joy to be with you. I've been giving my testimony. I don't know why these men are phoning me. They could phone far better people to come and testify. But sometimes these ministers, they get in touch with each other. And I was over in Drumore. lately, and the Reverend Johnson, of course, is there, and he passed on, and we were in Hillsborough, and somebody found it in Hillsborough and passed that on to Mr. Johnson, and so these things go round, and this is what happens. But we didn't realize we had a little bit of history with Dr. Johnson, because I didn't know until that night. Both, well, when I was testifying in Hillsborough, The Reverend Kenny and I went to school together, and I knew that we went to school together at Leicestershire, but then Dr. Johnson said he was at Leicestershire also. Now, he's a lot older than I am, of course, but he went to the primary school, and so we had that little connection as we started to go around. But it's a great joy to be here just to share what the Lord has done and continues to do in my life, and a testimony. Really, I know we can tell the backstory to our lives and different matters, but listen, there's nothing special about the testimony of Paul Roberts, but I have one who is special to tell about, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's important, it's vitally important that we bring all the honor and glory to His name, for He alone is worthy for all He has done in our lives. I just want to commence by reading a few verses. They're very familiar verses. It's over in Proverbs and the chapter 3. Proverbs and the chapter 3. And just as we turn to this little portion, I always turn to these verses, and I'll relate why. in a particular way, but I have little cards, just a few cards, and a brother just printed some of these little cards off for me with these verses in it, and I only have a very few. But if you would like, maybe some of our young people here, and it's so good to see so many young people out at the Lord's house on a Sunday evening. Tremendous encouragement. And we trust the Lord will continue to bless your fellowship here, and seeing so many out on the Lord's Day evening, and again, seeing so many young people as well. So if you'd like one of those little cards, just approach me, and I'll hand one to you at the end of the service. But these verses are very, very precious in my life, and for very particular reasons. And so we'll read them together. Proverbs chapter 3. In the verses 5 and 6, the Word of God reads, "'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, and all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.'" We'll read that again, "'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, and all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct Let's just seek the Lord just for a very few moments, asking for the Lord's help both in the speaking and in the hearing of what the Lord will say to us through His Word tonight. Our Father, we do thank Thee for all of Thy goodness and every blessing that Thou hast bestowed upon us even to this moment. We thank Thee, dear Father, for these moments that we can share of what the Lord Jesus Christ has wrought. And we just pray, dear Father, that every word of man will just fall to the ground, but that the Word of God will abide, and abide in hearts and bear much fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ. So help us tonight, both in the speaking and in the hearing, and grant it all honor and glory. will be brought to our Savior's great name. We ask for our Savior's sake. Amen. Amen. I was born and brought up not far off the Newtonards Road in East Belfast. I've lived very close to all around that area all my life, just moved a few times, but always within that local area, not far from the Newtonards Road. Of course, it's a very loyalist area, very staunch area. And I was born and grew up not far off the Utenards Road. We had a little hall. It wasn't a gospel hall. It was a boxing club just around the corner. And I never really tried my hand at the boxing, but others tried their hands at boxing me. And this was a rough area that I was born into and grew up in. But I was born into a very good home, a very happy home. And certainly one of the things about growing up in this particular home was, and it's probably no different for so many in our meeting tonight, I idolized my father. Absolutely idolized him in all that he did. My father was a football player. in his younger days. And I got to know a little bit more about that, maybe more so when I started to grow up, when he was playing more so in the amateur league for the post office. But he played for Bangor back in his younger days. And then he became a postman as his job and played for the post office in the amateur leagues. And I absolutely idolized my father on those two fronts, because all I ever wanted to do was to play football. And all I ever wanted to be was a postman, just like my dad. And I know maybe there's many young lads here tonight and girls as well, and we just have that dream of what we wanted to be. Well, I just wanted to be like dad when I was growing up. Football played a very massive, massive part in my life. Now, as I said a little earlier on, I attended Lysaneshire. I was at Avonlea Primary School, and then when we moved up into a place called Clondoff Estate, we started to go then to Lysaneshire Primary, and then to Lysaneshire Secondary School, which was a redeemed high school. The school didn't change, just the name changed. But of course, Lysaneshire has a very famous history. And a very famous footballer went to Listerney Shire High School by the name of George Best. And so football played a massive part. Now, just by saying the name George Best, please don't be drawing any conclusions that I am anyway a supporter of Manchester United. You would be very, very wrong in that, very wrong indeed. But nevertheless, George Best's name It was very, very big, of course, in East Belfast, around the Craigie Estate. Leicestershire was very close to that, in between Clondagh and the Craigie Estates. And those were tough estates we were growing up in and going to school. But sad to say, there was no Christian influence in my life as a young person. No Christian influence. Mom and Dad, of course, brought us up well. But they weren't saved. They weren't saved till later in life, thank the Lord. And God was good in our home, saving both our parents and I with a family, all saved. And we just rejoice in that. But growing up, I had no influence. And as a little boy, and certainly growing up into those later years and into teenage years, I never went to a Sunday school. Never went to a children's meeting. So good to hear just before the service talking about the children's mission here. I never attended anything like that growing up. Never once went to Sunday school, heard the Word of God, heard the gospel. Never once attended children's meetings or any such thing. And you know, young people, you're maybe sitting in church tonight here, and you have a tremendous privilege If you're growing up in a Christian home, or you're attending Sunday school, Bible class and young people's meetings, and Sunday school, it's tremendous privilege, and you see it as that. I know sometimes for our children and our young people, whenever they get into school and maybe the fun starts to be poked at them for going to Sunday school or going to children's meetings or young people's meetings, well, can I assure you young people tonight, you'd be thankful. You'd be thankful that you had that influence. I never had that, never went along to a Sunday school class or a children's meeting, but we had A tremendous influence in the wider family. I had an aunt and an uncle who were godly, godly people, and they endeavored time and time again to bring that influence of the gospel into our lives, oftentimes to absolutely no avail. And there was really no response at all to their pleading. to their prayers, but the Lord certainly was hearing and going to answer the cry of their heart. Joe and Ella were a tremendous influence on our family's life, and what a godly example they were before us. And the time came, and I suppose I was in around 14, 15 years of age, And the invitations then started to be given. You know, would Paul come down to the church? They attended a little church called Church of the Nazarene, and they had their own uniformed organization, like the Boys Brigade, girls' brigade, campaigners, and the such like. Well, the Nazarene Church had their own particular organization. We always laughed at the name of it. It was called the Caravaners, but we didn't go anywhere in a caravan, but that's just what the name of it was. But time and time again, they would ask, and the invitation would go out to come down to the church or come down to the organization and join in. And I hadn't the least bit of interest. 14, 15, what interest would I have? I was running around the estate doing whatever I wanted to do. And folks, the one thing, of course, that I wanted to do was always to play football. And that was the only passion in my life. Of course, I'd known my dad to play and then watched him week after week. I was playing in different teams myself and just loving this. And football was the driving passion. Sadly, school was not a driving passion. in my work. And I've often said, when I've passed on a word of testimony, that if I had have looked after my schoolwork, or even looked after my school uniform, the way I looked after my football kits, well, then I might have come out of school with a bit of a better education. But I could tell you I was home from school, and the uniform was straight into the corner, and the football kit was straight on, because No interest. No interest. I wasn't a bad pupil, but I really had no interest. But football was such a passion, such a drive, wanted to succeed in everything about football. We went across to Liverpool with the school, and what a thing that was to travel as a young lad going across to play for your school, across against other Liverpool schools. And don't mistake me again, I'm not a Liverpool supporter either. Everybody's maybe sitting trying to work out, but who does he like? Well, a great idol of mine, of course, in football was Ray Clements. And my dad was a goalkeeper all his life. And that's, of course, what I wanted to be. And the school uniform, no. But whenever I got the England kit that Ray Clements wore, all my Christmases, it seemed, had come all at once. The passion for football was such a drive. Nothing else mattered. Invited down to church. No. No interest whatsoever with church. Not an interest at all. But then it was said, you know, in the hall at the church, they play football. Well, of course, the ears went up. Well, if there's football, I'll go. Doesn't matter where it is. If there's a football there, that's where I'll be. And so I went down every Friday night to the youth organization. No interest in anything else about it, only that there was football in the hall, and that was me. I was very, very happy. But the Scriptures were opened, and we had to learn portions of the Word of God. And at 14, 15 years of age, those two verses in Proverbs were the first Bible verses that I ever read. that I ever learned, and I memorized them. Had to memorize them, but I still did. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Week after week, I was reciting those Bible verses along with other Bible verses as well. We did different badges and different things within the organization, but the Word of God was central. I was only there for the football. That's all I was there for. But the Word of God was being planted into this heart and into this life. And the Word of God was beginning, was beginning to take root and convict this young fellow of his sin and of his need of a Savior. My folks, I had absolutely no interest in becoming a Christian. That was the last thing on my mind was to become a Christian. because I was going along to listen to Shara, didn't mind going down to the church, didn't mind doing these things as long as the football was played. But I was growing up in an area and in an estate there, and it was a rough place, and boys were getting involved in all sorts of stuff. Now, I thank God to this day that I didn't go into the depths of where I could have gone. Because I've seen other lads who were the same age as myself, and they get caught up in all sorts. That's not to excuse the things that I get caught up in, not whatsoever. I'm not saying that Paul Roberts was a clean sinner compared to some people. But I've seen lads go into the depths. and they're still in the depths now. And sadly, some of them are not even with us any longer because of the depths that they went into where the devil brought them down, brought them down to terrible places, and their lives were such a mess. And folks, that could have been me. That could have been me. But I had this influence. My aunt and uncle praying constantly for us, the Word of God now being brought into my life and into my heart, and the Lord beginning to take a dealing in this life of mine, 14 or 15 years of age, first confrontation with the Word of God. Very sad that, isn't it? It's a very sad thing. I have only one recollection of being at a meeting when I was younger. It was a tent meeting in the Ormond Park. That's the only recollection I have as a young person. Never been to anything else. Fourteen or fifteen and I confronted with the Word of God, and the Word of God was taking root, and the Spirit of God was taking a dealing in this life. And I knew now deep down that I needed to be saved and needed to repent, needed to repent. But you know, folks, the devil is such a liar, and he is such a deceiver, and he had a grip on this life because all the time racing through my mind and through my heart was, Paul, if you ever become a Christian, you're in for it. You're really in for it. Think of what you would have to give up You may forget about the football for a start. You'll not be able to pursue that. And I have nothing against people pursuing a career in football. But that's the battle that was raging in my heart. The devil was coming in with his lies. Look at everything you're going to have to give up. Look at who you're going to give up. Running around the estate with all different types of characters, some older than us. And they were able to do and get things for us that were younger. And what a sad and wicked life I was living. And yet, week after week, and back down to church. And now we were having to attend Sunday services, and that was a struggle. That was a struggle. Me sitting in a meeting, that wasn't for me. But we had to go down on Sundays, and now we were attending the Sunday school as well. fourteen, fifteen years of age. I had no interest at all. I wasn't there for that. I was there for the football, what Paul could get out of going down. But now the Word of God is seeking Paul Roberts out, but the devil is coming with his lies. And what are you going to have to give up? Look at all your mates. What are they going to say? They'll probably give you a digging, probably give you a beating, for even thinking about it. What are they going to do in school? This Nashara wasn't a bad school, it was a rough school. What's going to happen when you go into school? Paul, you're making the wrong choice. Don't go down that route. You have so much to live for. Don't have anything to do with becoming a Christian. But the Spirit of God was working constantly in my life, convicting me of my sin. Throughout our lives, there's been different people that have been brought across our paths that God has used. And there was a young couple already coupled down in the Nazarene church there, Paul and Lorraine, and they were such an influence to that group of young people. They would have had us back up to their homes for supper as a group of young people, and they had a tremendous, tremendous influence on our lives. They were good company, and they were good people. And they had us back and forward, and Paul would have brought us to the Sunday services. Paul, they lived up in the Branwell estate, and I was very friendly with David, a lad just about the same age, and he was related to Paul. And Paul would have come and picked us up in the car and taken us to the Sunday services. One Sunday, we were there, and Paul, of course, had to get into the middle of us, messing about and footing about and just making a nuisance of ourselves, as usual. And Paul got in the middle, and that was broke up, and there wasn't that communication anymore. But throughout the service, Paul kept handing me his Bible and just pointing at a little verse. Read that. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And I was reading it, giving it back. Not a bit of interest. After another couple of minutes, the Bible handed across again, you must be born again. Different verses showing them to me. I wasn't listening to the preacher. I really should have been, but I wasn't listening to the preacher. He was faithful. He was preaching the gospel. Paul was pointing out these little Bible verses, great gospel verses, and I started to be troubled in my own heart. You know, Paul, that's you. You need to call upon the name of the Lord. And those verses, first verses that I ever learned kept coming back, trust in the Lord. Paul, that's what you need to do. You need to trust in the Lord. But the battle was raging. The meeting was over, and out we went, as quick as lightning, into the car, up home. I'm getting dropped off first. And we're sitting in the car, having the usual yarn that we always did. And Paul turned around, and he said to me, you know, I know there was somebody in the meeting tonight, and they wanted to get saved. They wanted to become a Christian. And we're two teenage lads. And of course, I'm being very brash, thinking, I'm Jack the Lad. And I just went, oh, who was that then? Who was that? You know, just trying to be smart. And Paul just pointed his finger, and he said to me, it was you, Paul. And my goodness, I was shaken right to my shoes. He was right. He was right. The Spirit of God was convicting me of my sin in need of a Savior. But I didn't want to hear that. I didn't want to hear him say that. But he was very much right. And folks, I was out of that car. I don't even know if the door opened. I wanted to get out as quick as I could. I get out of that car and run into the house and went straight up to my room. And I tried to shut it all out. Paul, this is not for you. This is not for you. Look at what you're going to lose out on. That was the devil's lie constantly battling in my life. You know, you wanted to be somebody. You wanted to really do something, and now it's all gone ago, and your life will be miserable. Don't become a Christian, whatever you do. And folks, that week there was such a battle raged in my life. I knew deep down that I needed to be saved. I knew that, and I wanted to become a Christian. I enjoyed going down to the meetings, but I also enjoyed running about with the crowd. going on a Sunday and then living like a rogue all those other days, and then run up to next Sunday again and then just looking like an angel. But the battle was raging on. I wanted to become a Christian. And what a week that was. What a week of battling. Paul, you know you need to be saved. You know that, Paul. the devil bringing his lies. And maybe you're here tonight, and you've known that battle in your own life. You know you need to be saved, but you're trying to put all the ducks in order, aren't you? What about this, and what about that? I could never be a Christian. Well, folks, it's the devil's lie. It's the devil's lie. Trust, trust in the Lord is what the Word of God kept saying to my life. The following Sunday, we were back down at church, and folks, I was 16, and I knew I needed to be saved that next Sunday. I knew it. If I'd have put this off, I might have put it off forever. And I knew I needed to trust Christ, and thank God I did. Thank God I did. And I asked the Lord to come into my life. A pastor and my uncle were there, and I trusted the Lord as my own and personal Savior. I have never once regretted doing that. Not once. Now, folks, as a young teenager and a young Christian, I still had many battles to face. It wasn't easy. It wasn't easy. Growing up in a home, while it was a good home, and I'm the only Christian, I'm the only Christian, younger brother, and it wasn't easy in school. It wasn't easy at all. And it certainly wasn't easy in Clondagh Estate. It wasn't easy being a Christian at all. But the Word of God says, "'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.'" And that's the promise that God made and that God kept in my life because I did trust And he continued and continues to lead in every way. Now, as I've said, I never liked school. I really was not a good student in school. And when I came to school, leaving age, what did Paul Roberts do? But he went back into school. It was such a thing. I never thought I would do it. I couldn't wait to leave school. And then I wanted to go back. I wanted to do a particular A-level in school. And it was going to be quite a short thing, because it was being done in Lysaneshire. There was another school not far away that I could have done it in two years. But it's not a school coming from Clondove Estate that I wanted to be found in. I might never have seen the end of the two years. But I went back in, and I stayed in school for a while. And then the Lord opened up doors. You see, whenever we trust in the Lord, He directs our paths. He directs our paths. And so he did. And through different connections and conversations, I went along for an interview for Every Home Crusade, Mr. Allen, Ernie Allen. And we began to work there in Every Home Crusade. And the Lord has done some marvelous things and wonderful things in our lives. and in the ministry of the printed page, we were singing that hymn, The Way of the Cross Leads Home, and that was one of the first little publications. It was called The Way of the Cross Booklet, and it just brought me back to those early days of printing and publishing in the work. I've been in the work of Every Home Crusade for over 42 years now, and continued to see the Lord lead and direct in my life, because He has never failed. He has never failed. And the devil's lies are always there, but never to be heeded. The devil is a liar, and he's a father of lies. But our God, our God is the author of all truth. And when He says, trust in the Lord, that's what we must do, and that's what I did. And when He says that we acknowledge Him in all of our ways, and we do that, He directs our paths, and the Lord directed my path into printing the gospel in every home crusade. And again, influences were brought on this young Christian's life. Ernie Allen was a godly, godly man, a godly man that he was. He took time to pray with us young fellows. And he helped us and guided us in so many ways. But also our late brother Fred Starrett. Fred was the same age as myself. Of course, many here are familiar with the story of Fred. Fred was murdered by the IRA. And we miss Fred day every day. in the work. And we had such a bond. We had such a bond. We got into desperate trouble together in the work. Mr. Allen was always coming in to us, what he is at now, what he is doing now. But he was such a godly influence, Mr. Allen. And Fred and I With such a bond, two young lads growing up, both came from unconverted homes. But Fred was a godly young man, cut down in the prime of life by the enemies of our land. And what an influence he was. I would have come in every morning, and Fred would have checked up, did you do your Bible reading? you said your prayers?" And he'd always been like that, but such an encouragement that he was. And the Lord just brings people across our paths and helps us in so many ways. And Fred and Mr. Allen were such an influence in my young Christian life that I really needed that I really needed. In difficult days, they were there to pray with and to encourage one another. And the Lord does that, doesn't He? He brings people into our lives and across our paths that enrich us and encourage us in our walk with God. And that's a tremendous thing. And we're now printing in every home crusader in over 95 languages. You know, I was in the work just at some of those early, early years, and the little small machines. And then we started to print in one foreign language. And then more languages started to be translated. And now we're sending to over 170 countries, printing in over 95 different languages, seeing the Word of God go out among the nations. And folks, God is working in our world. God is at work in our world. Some people, we get tremendous correspondence coming back into the work. And folks, it's remarkable to hear that some people who are hearing and reading the gospel for the first time are trusting Christ for the first time in these days. And maybe you're here tonight, and you've heard the gospel week after week, and you've yet to trust in the Lord. I wonder, is that your position tonight, that you're familiar with the gospel? These people are getting a copy of a portion of the Scriptures, and they're reading of the Savior, and they're trusting Him, reading and hearing about Him for the first time. But what about you tonight? Maybe you hear week after week, and yet you still haven't trusted in the Lord. And that's why those verses are very precious to me, trust in the Lord. I did. And what a wonderful, wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart. What a wonderful Savior He is, a wonderful Friend, and He keeps us day and daily. I want just in the closing few moments that lie before us, just to think on those verses in Proverbs. I believe certainly that in the gospel they speak of the certainty of the Scriptures, the certainty of the Scriptures. And folks, we all know that ever since the fall of Adam in the garden, that mankind's cry has constantly been against God. We will not have this man to reign or to rule over us. You know, the devil's lie to our first parents was, hath God said? hath God said, deceiving, deceiving our first parents. But the certainty of the Scriptures is that we must trust in the Lord. There's a certainty about that. And friends, if you do trust, He will save. What does the little courtesan say? Only trust Him. Only trust Him now. He will save you. He will save you now. And only the Lord can bring pardon for your sin. We printed a little booklet away in the early days, and we're still doing it. Pardon for your sin and assurance of peace. with God." Tremendous, tremendous book, wonderful title, Encapsulating the Gospel. Pardon for your sin and an assurance of peace with God, because the Bible tells us in Acts 4 and 12, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. So there's certainty in the Scriptures, trust in the Lord, but there's also the counsel of the Savior. It's wonderful to have a counselor, someone who speaks on our behalf, someone who draws alongside to give good guidance and good counsel. And the Word of God goes on to say in those little verses in Proverbs, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." There's a wonderful little verse in the next chapter in Proverbs 4, Proverbs 4 and 26, and it says, ponder the path of thy feet. Tremendous words, ponder the path of thy feet. Now, Paul could have taken a completely different path. I could have taken a path of my own making, and where would it have led? I can tell you now of an assurance. It would have led down a road where I seen so many friends, and those that I grew up with go down, and their lives are in a mess. They're in a mess. Ponder the path of thy feet. Young people here tonight, you've got youth on your side, and in the will of God, you have many days ahead of you. But ponder the path of your feet. Where will your feet take you? And I trust that they will take you where God leads you. And always have that mind to walk where God leads, not where you want to go. I had my life set out I was trying to be in charge of my own fate and where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, but the Lord had a different path. Now, I never became a postman just like Dad, but in another way I did. Because when I began to work in Every Home Crusade, I started to work, first of all, in the dispatch room, the post room. And I wasn't just seeing letters delivered around to people. We were getting letters in and reading them from seeking souls and young converts. And what a privilege that was to send little gospel tracts and leaflets and booklets out to those people in so many different countries who were seeking the Lord. And the Lord did direct my paths, not where I thought, but where He had planned. And what a joy that is. But what a path I could have taken like many others. But thank God He stepped in. Thank God He stepped in. Quite some time ago, a young man came and spoke in Sandown. And I'll close with this. Our time is really gone. And I thought it was just a tremendous way just to present the truth of the gospel. And he began to speak about the days that we're living in. And they are horrendous days. We know that. We're living in sick and sorrowful times. And the days are so dark. And the hearts of men and women and young people, boys and girls, they're just black with sin. And there seems to be no depths that mankind will plunge into. And oftentimes the question arises, you know, in such a terrible time, why has God not showed Himself? If we're living in such a horrendous and dark time, why has God not showed Himself? And this is what the speaker was bringing out to us. And then, of course, He answered it. Well, He has. He has showed Himself. He showed Himself in the person of His dear Son. The Bible tells us that God sent forth His Son, and so He has. He has sent His Son into this world to be our Savior. And then another question oftentimes is spoken, And he says, well, why doesn't God do something? Why doesn't God do something? We're living in such sinful times. Why hasn't God done something? Well, He did. He did, because Christ died for our sins. Christ died. God has done something. He sent forth His Son, and His Son went to the cross and He died in your place, and He died in mine, and He shed His blood that you could have your sins forgiven." And then the last thing he closed with was, well, why does God not say something? Why does God not say something today? And the young man just held up his Bible, and he said, he has. He has said something. He has given us His Word, and His Word says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. He has said something. He has said, trust in the Lord. I thank God that I did. I rejoice every day that I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as my own and personal Savior. And I have failed Him. so many times, but He has never once failed me. He's a gracious and a wonderful Savior, and I recommend Him to you. And maybe you've come here tonight, and you're not saved. Well, friends, could I encourage you tonight, trust in the Lord. Amen.