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Chapter 4

SEARCHING FOR FELLOWSHIP

October, December, 2014, HAD past, I had spent these last few months searching for fellowship, visiting Hillsong in London to praise and worship, I made friends with a few guys, Jason and Ryes, they made us feel really welcome. the services were powerful and I wanted others to experience this awesome way of praising Jesus, I hired a minibus one Sunday and filled it up family and friends we drove to the Dominion theatre in London, a few of the lads I had taken were holding their arms in the air and singing along, one lad named Scott gave his life over to Jesus, he suffers from drug, alcohol and gambling addictions and to this day he is still struggling, but he called Jesus into his life and I believe he is saved. I wanted to do more so I ran a kind of Alpha course called “Journeys” at home, an introduction to Christianity, we would put on a film about peoples testimonies, and have a nice meal while it played, a few people turned up but most importantly my Mum and step father Mick came to every session and I Prayer God planted something deep in their hearts and saves them in the name of Jesus amen, I was trying to work for God now and be a fisher of men, I even invited some Jehovah witnesses to a discussion group at my home that I set up to debate Jesus’ deity, I had an Christian African man their too that knew his way round the bible for support, the debate went on for 3 hours! Let’s get back to Hillsong....feeling swallowed up by the masses at Hillsong. I was still suffering from self indulgence, and I felt i wanted to be used more as a testimony.....not knowing that I was not quite ready for the stage! And God was still working in me. In Gods wisdom being so new to the faith I can now see why I wasn’t being used yet in a way i felt i could, but in my search I looked around for a local church that I thought could use my testimony, I did a bit at a homeless drop-in centre and

was a volunteer driver for the local food back delivering food parcels. I was really trying hard to fit in and find my feet and friends in this new strange world of Christianity.

After going to a few churches and not really feeling that I fitted in or could be used, due to my past I felt people were sceptical of my conversion and I now understand they are right to be this way and protect their churches. Wanting to be a part of something special seeking out the kind of companionship and friendship I had know in the criminal underworld my search continued and I remembered the man id meet when I was 13 at the boarding school, Ron Sims the author of Flying Free and Free Indeed, he had visited the school to tell us about Jesus and his life of crime and how he had turned his life around after giving it over to Jesus, I never forgot him all the years since meeting him, and while I was in Spain I bought his book “flying free” from Amazon and had it waiting at home for my return ready for it to be posted to whatever jail I would end up, I had it with me in Jail but never read it until August 2014 after being locked up for 9 months, I was too busy reading the law to read the book yet, however finally when I did read it, exhausted from studying law, I remember crying whilst reading the words, the memories of Ron’s visit to my school flooded back, I remember seeing him standing there, a big powerful man, a father figure, I remember thinking I wonder if my real dads like that? (My step father was a great man but we never got on as a child as I couldn’t accept his love, thankfully we have become great friends and I love him with all my heart, looking back now my step father was a great role model if only I had given him a chance), I prayed to God as I sobbed over the things Ron wrote, “Dear Lord please let me meet Ron”, I prayed, Ron had many heart problems and I didn’t think he would still be around as he must be in his 70s...but as I sat on that prison bed on house block 5 looking at the photo of Ron on the cover of his book “Flying Free” I felt a warmth enter my heart, I felt God was with me, and in February I went to the Kings Centre Aldershot to search for Ron.


They told me Ron now worshipped down the road at Elim church, they must have wondered what we wanted to see him about looking like we did!, I went straight there with my good friend and brother in Christ Rory together with a homeless man Rory was trying to save and we picked up that morning, walking in the church I immediately see Ron although I could only see the back of him I recognised the suit jacket he wore as it was the same one had on when I see him at school and in the photo on the cover of his book. He sat there listening to the preacher, me and the boys sat patiently at the back, then Ron got up to use the toilet and I waited outside for him to come out, “Ron Sims” I said, “Yes” Ron replied, I held my hand out and said id been looking for him for 25 years! He looked surprised and We shook hands, had a little chat and Ron returned to the service, later on Ron told me he had thought we were there to cause him some trouble, I later told him I was going to say that I was looking for him because he was my father ha-ha we laughed at that one!


RON SIMS, FRED LEMON, NICKY CRUZ


Ron Sims, Fred Lemon, (Fred had a visit from Jesus while banged up in Dartmoor prison!) Nicky Cruz. Names I had always known since a child, how and why was it that I knew these names? It must have been God and he had used the school to prepare me for my Christian journey, the school was a Christian school and they did their best to help us unruly lads change our ways, using

ex-cons like Ron, Fred & Nicky to get through to us, their stories lodged deep in the back of my mind, Nicky Cruz the Cross and Switchblade, Fred Lemon Breakout and his encounter with Jesus in his cell in HMP Dartmoor in the 1940s, and Ron Sims his visit to my school when I was 13, I’ll write a chapter later about that visit and my time at St Edwards boarding school.


Getting back to the day I meet Ron for the second time since I first met him aged 13, We stayed for the service and ended up praying over the homeless alcoholic fella with Ron and the leader of the church a man named John, we all laid hands on this man and asked God to help him, I remember thinking what a great way to start off my friendship with Ron! From the start the power of the Holy Spirit was upon us, this was what I had been searching for! Thank you Lord I said, after the service I met Ron’s beautiful wife Maureen, so loving and caring, from the start she welcomed me and made me feel loved, even though they obviously had to have their guard up, they must have wondered who e was and were we genuine!? Questions that must have gone through their minds over and over again, I can only imagine what the conversation was like in the car on their way home!

As the weeks and months went by we meet up regularly and grew closer and closer in the Lord spending time together getting to know each other, I started to attend bible meetings with Ron and Rory at Rons friends house Barry Stevens, he is a great man of God and full of wisdom and love for our lord and saviour Jesus Christ, the meetings were amazing, to see 8-10 men so full of God really blew me away, I learnt alot from the 4 or 5 times I went, only dropping out due to exhaustion of the upcoming court case.

OUR OWN CHURCH

Having struggled to find a church close to me with I started to rent a room at the Basingstoke canal centre in Midchet for praise and worship, it lasted up until the court case. that little service we ran with Ron preaching was beautiful, I learnt so much from having to set it up and be the organiser, I bought a projector and big speakers, i played Hillsongs songs on the big screen, it was a powerful praise and worship session, i would open up with “I surrender” by hillsong and play “lord i give you my heart” during quite pray time, i really enjoyed doing this for God, thank God Ron decided to preach or I would have been in a pickle due to my stage fright i freeze up in front of people! God is working on this! The kids loved it and Siana and I would get up early to go and set up, I enjoyed having half hour of loud praise music on before everyone turned up, the kids would dance and sing on the mic, it was beautiful, the last service we did was Easter and Ron really preached well on the message of salvation, tears flowing while I played clips from the passion of the Christ mixed with music, it was a real emotional service. This chapter is the smallest of them all. Why? Because I think i started up a church without God’s blessing, was it was my idea and not Gods? As i went back to jail only 6 weeks after our first service..

October 2016, i am now a part of Bridge church Newbury, i enjoy the fellowship, and the vision Mark the lead pastor has to further Gods kingdom by reaching out to the lost....

Having built some connections i have been invited into Prisons to give my testimony...exciting times ahead...

into the light ministry

• Prison Ministry
• School Ministry
  
• Street Outreach