1 00:00:02,710 --> 00:00:04,130 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,900 Speaker 2: You are listening to The Beckett Cook Show with your host, 3 00:00:13,140 --> 00:00:17,100 Speaker 2: Beckett Cook. For more information about Beckett and his ministry, 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 2: visit his website at beckettcook.com. To help support the podcast, 5 00:00:23,380 --> 00:00:29,950 Speaker 2: visit patreon.com slash thebeckettcookshow. Please consider subscribing to the podcast 6 00:00:30,410 --> 00:00:31,890 Speaker 2: and leaving a five-star rating. 7 00:00:39,050 --> 00:00:40,390 Speaker 1: Hey guys, welcome to the show. 8 00:00:40,570 --> 00:00:44,730 Speaker 3: Today we're going to look at Aaron Edwards, who was 9 00:00:45,070 --> 00:00:45,870 Speaker 3: recently on. 10 00:00:46,470 --> 00:00:48,650 Speaker 1: We're going to look at his testimony. 11 00:00:49,650 --> 00:00:53,610 Speaker 3: We actually went into overtime in the last episode with 12 00:00:53,650 --> 00:00:57,139 Speaker 3: him where he talked about his testimony of coming to Christ, 13 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:58,140 Speaker 3: coming to faith in Christ. 14 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: He doesn't struggle with same-sex attraction. He was never gay. 15 00:01:03,340 --> 00:01:06,459 Speaker 3: He's a heterosexual man married with five kids, I think. 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:12,950 Speaker 3: So We're going to look at that testimony because it's 17 00:01:13,130 --> 00:01:16,890 Speaker 3: really great. And I think it'll be very encouraging to you. 18 00:01:16,990 --> 00:01:19,730 Speaker 3: But first, a word from our sponsor. Please welcome back 19 00:01:20,050 --> 00:01:20,610 Speaker 3: Aaron Edwards. 20 00:01:21,250 --> 00:01:21,569 Speaker 1: Okay. 21 00:01:21,610 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 3: So you mentioned on a previous... Or you mentioned off 22 00:01:28,540 --> 00:01:31,780 Speaker 3: camera to me that you... Something about your testimony. And 23 00:01:32,420 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 3: I would love to hear your testimony. And I think 24 00:01:34,780 --> 00:01:35,869 Speaker 3: my audience would love to hear it. 25 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:36,220 Speaker 4: So.... 26 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:39,380 Speaker 1: Take it away. 27 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,500 Speaker 4: I'll take it away. Okay. If you or I fall 28 00:01:43,540 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 4: asleep at some point, then, you know. It's very late 29 00:01:47,260 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 4: in London. 30 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: It's very late in England. 31 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:53,730 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, but don't worry. It's good. So 32 00:01:53,750 --> 00:01:58,990 Speaker 4: my testimony starts really in the 1970s. I know you're 33 00:01:59,010 --> 00:02:02,770 Speaker 4: thinking I wasn't alive in the 1970s, but my dad was, 34 00:02:03,050 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 4: and he was working. in an island called Jersey, which 35 00:02:08,460 --> 00:02:12,139 Speaker 4: is in the English Channel. That's where Henry Cavill is from. 36 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,620 Speaker 1: Henry Cavill's an old friend of mine. He's from Jersey. 37 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,269 Speaker 4: Oh, there you go, Jersey. And they've got great milk there. 38 00:02:18,330 --> 00:02:21,090 Speaker 4: Jersey cows are great. So Jersey's like a– I think 39 00:02:21,110 --> 00:02:23,130 Speaker 4: it was while Dad was working there in a hotel, 40 00:02:24,650 --> 00:02:28,010 Speaker 4: which where– they happened to be coming to this hotel 41 00:02:28,290 --> 00:02:31,420 Speaker 4: this week. There was a bunch of Anglican chaplains. And 42 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 4: whoever the guests were in the hospitality industry, my dad, 43 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:40,049 Speaker 4: as a Liverpudlian, a chancer, he would just pretend to 44 00:02:40,070 --> 00:02:41,710 Speaker 4: be into whatever they were into that week. 45 00:02:41,790 --> 00:02:44,570 Speaker 1: By the way, Liverpudlian means from Liverpool. 46 00:02:45,010 --> 00:02:47,510 Speaker 4: Yeah, from Liverpool. The Beatles, et cetera. We called them 47 00:02:47,530 --> 00:02:51,050 Speaker 4: a scouser over there. So my dad's a scouser, a Liverpudlian, 48 00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:55,100 Speaker 4: as was my mom. So he was working there in 49 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:00,650 Speaker 4: the hotel. This one particular chaplain, a Christian minister, is 50 00:03:00,710 --> 00:03:02,940 Speaker 4: trying to evangelize my dad for the whole week. And 51 00:03:02,970 --> 00:03:05,570 Speaker 4: my dad has to, with his, like, I'm looking to 52 00:03:05,610 --> 00:03:07,750 Speaker 4: forget for a good tip. I'm going to, at the 53 00:03:07,770 --> 00:03:09,010 Speaker 4: end of the week, I'm going to get a good tip. 54 00:03:09,030 --> 00:03:11,430 Speaker 4: Like a good American. I mean, Americans understand tipping. We 55 00:03:11,470 --> 00:03:14,570 Speaker 4: don't ever bring, we're terrible tippers. And we're not good 56 00:03:14,590 --> 00:03:16,810 Speaker 4: at the service industry in general, but in America, you 57 00:03:16,850 --> 00:03:20,130 Speaker 4: can't do it. And so he was like, whatever, whatever 58 00:03:20,150 --> 00:03:22,450 Speaker 4: you're into, I'm into it. If it's pride or whatever, 59 00:03:22,710 --> 00:03:25,130 Speaker 4: whatever he's into, he'll be into it for that week. 60 00:03:26,150 --> 00:03:29,470 Speaker 4: And so this guy was talking to him about biblical prophecy. And, 61 00:03:30,770 --> 00:03:33,790 Speaker 4: he was, you know, kind of whatever, feigning interest for 62 00:03:33,830 --> 00:03:35,530 Speaker 4: like a whole week, every time he's serving him at 63 00:03:35,590 --> 00:03:38,470 Speaker 4: breakfast or lunch or dinner, whatever. At the end of 64 00:03:38,490 --> 00:03:40,180 Speaker 4: the week, the guy comes up to him as they're 65 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 4: all leaving and gives him a book and says, I 66 00:03:42,260 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 4: think you'll find what you're looking for in here, kind 67 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,740 Speaker 4: of gives him a wink. And my dad's like, oh, excellent. 68 00:03:46,780 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 4: He's obviously given me like a note, cash note, you know, 69 00:03:50,460 --> 00:03:53,870 Speaker 4: not just a few coins. He doesn't want to embarrass 70 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:55,710 Speaker 4: me in front of my colleagues. I'll take it back 71 00:03:55,750 --> 00:03:57,830 Speaker 4: to my room and I'll see how much he's given me. 72 00:03:57,870 --> 00:04:00,170 Speaker 4: And so he goes back, he's like, rifles to this book. 73 00:04:00,190 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 4: And he's like, Where's the money? There's no money. Can 74 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 4: I just waste a whole week talking about biblical prophecy? 75 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,620 Speaker 4: What on earth was that? He was really frustrated. But 76 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 4: then he just sat there in his room, annoyed, and 77 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 4: of course he then reads this book, and it's a 78 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,100 Speaker 4: book about biblical prophecy. He reads it all the way through. 79 00:04:16,020 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 4: He doesn't become a Christian, but he has this weird 80 00:04:18,550 --> 00:04:22,870 Speaker 4: seed planted there, where he then has this sort of 81 00:04:22,950 --> 00:04:26,430 Speaker 4: fear of God. He has this sense that God is real, 82 00:04:26,550 --> 00:04:29,450 Speaker 4: and the sense that Jesus is coming back one day, 83 00:04:29,470 --> 00:04:34,250 Speaker 4: and We need to think about that. And Jesus, there's 84 00:04:34,290 --> 00:04:37,230 Speaker 4: something about the Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled in Jesus, 85 00:04:37,290 --> 00:04:40,610 Speaker 4: et cetera. There's also some weird dispensational stuff, which is 86 00:04:40,630 --> 00:04:43,490 Speaker 4: a bit odd about it. But he had, he just like, 87 00:04:43,690 --> 00:04:48,339 Speaker 4: I remember him occasionally, like every like few years, he 88 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 4: would just randomly talk about something about like the book 89 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 4: of Revelation or something. It would be like, oh, dad's 90 00:04:53,580 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 4: doing his like thing. But it was more like just 91 00:04:56,380 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 4: a general once every three or four years fatherly thing. 92 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 4: Like sit us down and talk to us about the 93 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,140 Speaker 4: end of the world or something. 94 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:07,060 Speaker 1: Has he read the Bible at this point? 95 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:11,010 Speaker 4: No, I think he'd only read the parts of the 96 00:05:11,050 --> 00:05:14,650 Speaker 4: Book of Revelation the dispensationalists talk about. So he'd really 97 00:05:14,670 --> 00:05:17,110 Speaker 4: be talking about things like, you know, you've got to 98 00:05:17,130 --> 00:05:21,070 Speaker 4: watch the news. watch out for like ID cards that 99 00:05:21,089 --> 00:05:22,550 Speaker 4: might be the mark of the beast and that kind 100 00:05:22,570 --> 00:05:25,490 Speaker 4: of thing. No Christianity actually in it. Like Jesus wasn't 101 00:05:25,529 --> 00:05:27,850 Speaker 4: really like, there was obviously a sense in which Jesus 102 00:05:28,310 --> 00:05:30,620 Speaker 4: is part of it. But like, we had never heard 103 00:05:30,650 --> 00:05:32,820 Speaker 4: about that. We didn't hear the gospel or anything. And 104 00:05:32,860 --> 00:05:35,180 Speaker 4: it wasn't really a big thing. So we weren't, it 105 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 4: didn't really take over. He would just do it in 106 00:05:36,660 --> 00:05:38,260 Speaker 4: this fatherly way. Like, I'm going to sit you all 107 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 4: down and talk to you about the future. Cause like 108 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:40,979 Speaker 4: one day the world is going to end and you 109 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,419 Speaker 4: need to watch out for the signs or whatever. So that's, 110 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 4: that's probably why I think you could say dispensationalism is, 111 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 4: flawed that you can be one without being a Christian. 112 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 4: And so he had this, this was all the fruit 113 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:55,580 Speaker 4: of this like random book that this guy had given him. 114 00:05:56,380 --> 00:05:57,820 Speaker 4: But it just wasn't really a big thing. It didn't 115 00:05:57,839 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 4: really take over his life. It's just this like interest 116 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:01,860 Speaker 4: he had in like current affairs. And it kind of 117 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 4: spilled over to this like pseudo biblical, but only really 118 00:06:04,790 --> 00:06:08,670 Speaker 4: about the book of Revelation and selectively. And then one 119 00:06:08,710 --> 00:06:11,810 Speaker 4: day we had a really hard time. So my parents 120 00:06:11,830 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 4: got divorced in the mid 90s. when I was seven. 121 00:06:18,420 --> 00:06:23,690 Speaker 4: Then when I was 12, I had one of my 122 00:06:23,750 --> 00:06:28,589 Speaker 4: older sisters who was 16, completely suddenly died of meningitis. 123 00:06:28,630 --> 00:06:31,950 Speaker 4: She had like a horrible strain that came that they 124 00:06:31,970 --> 00:06:35,430 Speaker 4: didn't have a cure for. And she just had the flu, basically. 125 00:06:35,450 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 4: I remember her sat, not feeling very well, watching TV 126 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 4: with a blanket over her in the lounge. And like 127 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,390 Speaker 4: that evening, she was rushed to hospital and the next 128 00:06:44,430 --> 00:06:46,130 Speaker 4: day she was like dead. It was insane. Like it 129 00:06:46,150 --> 00:06:48,770 Speaker 4: was so, it was completely shocking to our whole family 130 00:06:48,810 --> 00:06:51,470 Speaker 4: and it completely, it crushed all of us in lots 131 00:06:51,490 --> 00:06:54,810 Speaker 4: of ways, but it crushed my mother in particular. Um, 132 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 4: and my dad responded to it very stoically. And by 133 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 4: the way, at this point, none of the revelation stuff 134 00:07:01,380 --> 00:07:04,540 Speaker 4: had like happened. I think that probably happened more after 135 00:07:04,580 --> 00:07:10,460 Speaker 4: she died. Um, but it was interesting that, um, Yeah, 136 00:07:10,500 --> 00:07:12,750 Speaker 4: the way that he responded, my mum was just completely broken, 137 00:07:12,810 --> 00:07:15,050 Speaker 4: as she would be. My dad was very stoic and 138 00:07:15,070 --> 00:07:18,250 Speaker 4: trying to hold everything together for us, which was good 139 00:07:18,270 --> 00:07:21,750 Speaker 4: of him. But he was kind of dying on the inside, 140 00:07:22,550 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 4: not showing us that. So we'd go and visit him 141 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 4: on the weekend, because, of course, we'd stay with our 142 00:07:27,540 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 4: mum on the weekend, go and visit dad on the weekend, 143 00:07:29,260 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 4: me and my siblings. And he would just clean himself up. 144 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 4: He was actually on... drugs, lots of cocaine and getting 145 00:07:38,420 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 4: drunk and stuff during the week. And then he'd come 146 00:07:40,180 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 4: with his friends and he'd clean himself up for the 147 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 4: weekend when we'd visit him. And then one day, like 148 00:07:45,140 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 4: a few years in, I think it would be three 149 00:07:47,250 --> 00:07:50,490 Speaker 4: years after Kerry died, he just announced to us one 150 00:07:50,530 --> 00:07:54,890 Speaker 4: weekend that he'd become a born again Christian. And we're like, whoa, okay, 151 00:07:54,930 --> 00:08:00,710 Speaker 4: this is crazy. Is this the revelation cocktail? And he 152 00:08:00,790 --> 00:08:03,260 Speaker 4: was just like, I've become a born again Christian. I mean, 153 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 4: I don't know. Dad's kind of gone mad. He's got 154 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 4: religion and like, this is going to be awkward now. 155 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:10,420 Speaker 4: What are we going to do? Um, and it was 156 00:08:10,740 --> 00:08:13,810 Speaker 4: bizarre that like that we did see this fundamental change 157 00:08:13,870 --> 00:08:16,710 Speaker 4: in him. I was by that time, 16, my, uh, 158 00:08:17,310 --> 00:08:20,430 Speaker 4: younger siblings who were twins were, I would, I think 159 00:08:20,530 --> 00:08:24,230 Speaker 4: were 12. And then I had an older sibling who's 160 00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:26,590 Speaker 4: completely off the rails and had like been disowned by 161 00:08:26,630 --> 00:08:29,830 Speaker 4: my dad. He was like on drugs in Ibiza, uh, 162 00:08:29,850 --> 00:08:32,210 Speaker 4: which is an Island you go to in, Yes, and 163 00:08:32,230 --> 00:08:35,060 Speaker 4: do drugs and dance. Yeah, do drugs and raving. So 164 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 4: he like, literally, I didn't see my older brother for 165 00:08:37,420 --> 00:08:40,540 Speaker 4: a long time. And he would steal from us. He 166 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:45,590 Speaker 4: was like a textbook prodigal brother in many ways. I'm 167 00:08:45,610 --> 00:08:48,110 Speaker 4: probably doing him slight disservice, but he probably didn't see that. 168 00:08:49,010 --> 00:08:51,469 Speaker 4: And so we had a bit of a, it was 169 00:08:51,490 --> 00:08:53,770 Speaker 4: a bit of a messed up situation. My dad's born 170 00:08:53,790 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 4: again Christian. He announces this has like changed his life. 171 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,060 Speaker 4: And then he invites us to church with him. We 172 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:00,710 Speaker 4: go along to his church with him and it's like 173 00:09:00,730 --> 00:09:03,110 Speaker 4: a charismatic evangelical church. Everyone's holding their hands in the 174 00:09:03,230 --> 00:09:05,970 Speaker 4: air and, um, prophetic words and things like that. It's 175 00:09:05,990 --> 00:09:08,250 Speaker 4: really weird for us. And we were like, this is 176 00:09:08,330 --> 00:09:11,670 Speaker 4: like crazy, but dad's we're happy for dad. He's like 177 00:09:11,770 --> 00:09:15,230 Speaker 4: less upright. And he's, you know, he used to find 178 00:09:15,290 --> 00:09:17,290 Speaker 4: us our pocket money for like the most tiny things, 179 00:09:17,330 --> 00:09:19,270 Speaker 4: like not having a drink on a coaster or something. 180 00:09:20,429 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 4: And so, and so like, it wasn't actually very fun 181 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,660 Speaker 4: going to his house at the weekend. This is like, 182 00:09:24,700 --> 00:09:27,540 Speaker 4: that's like a slave driver. And so he suddenly like 183 00:09:27,580 --> 00:09:29,590 Speaker 4: lightened up and was like a lot, he was still himself, 184 00:09:29,620 --> 00:09:32,130 Speaker 4: but he was like a much more loving, gentle person. 185 00:09:32,170 --> 00:09:34,010 Speaker 4: It was like, okay, this Christian thing is kind of 186 00:09:34,170 --> 00:09:37,429 Speaker 4: working out well for us. We'll let him have his Christianity. 187 00:09:37,610 --> 00:09:39,310 Speaker 1: We'll be right back after this short break. 188 00:09:40,330 --> 00:09:42,030 Speaker 4: And then he, then we said, after a while we said, 189 00:09:42,050 --> 00:09:44,870 Speaker 4: look dad, like, you know, I'm a teenager now. I 190 00:09:45,910 --> 00:09:49,709 Speaker 4: was 15. That was it. And it, it's getting a 191 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 4: bit embarrassing to tell our friends why we can't come 192 00:09:52,059 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 4: and hang out with them on a Sunday. Cause they're 193 00:09:53,540 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 4: going to our dad's church and they're like, why are 194 00:09:55,740 --> 00:09:57,510 Speaker 4: you going to your dad's church if you're not a Christian? 195 00:09:57,530 --> 00:09:59,230 Speaker 4: It's like, yeah, okay. So we all just said, we 196 00:09:59,250 --> 00:10:00,260 Speaker 4: don't want to go to the church. with you. Is 197 00:10:00,270 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 4: that okay? And he said, that's fine. I don't want 198 00:10:01,780 --> 00:10:04,740 Speaker 4: to force you. But there's this one week in the 199 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 4: summer where your mum's going to Portugal for a week. 200 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,660 Speaker 4: And so I'm looking after you for that week. And 201 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,380 Speaker 4: I happen to be going to this thing called Stonely, 202 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 4: which is a Bible week. And I was like, ah, okay, 203 00:10:17,820 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 4: a Bible week. And it's like it's the largest gathering 204 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 4: of Christians in Europe. It's going to be great. They 205 00:10:23,420 --> 00:10:27,890 Speaker 4: have like football and badminton and coffee shops and, you know, 206 00:10:27,929 --> 00:10:30,270 Speaker 4: music and things. So, you know, you'll have a great time. 207 00:10:30,290 --> 00:10:32,070 Speaker 4: You don't have to go to any of the festival, 208 00:10:32,090 --> 00:10:34,830 Speaker 4: the Christian stuff. Just come along and we're going to 209 00:10:34,850 --> 00:10:38,470 Speaker 4: be camping. Oh, dear. I was like, well, I'm turning 210 00:10:38,470 --> 00:10:40,829 Speaker 4: 16 the next week. I'm allowed to just be on 211 00:10:40,850 --> 00:10:43,210 Speaker 4: my own, aren't I? So I'll just stay home. He said, well, 212 00:10:43,850 --> 00:10:47,089 Speaker 4: you're not technically 16 until the following week. So by law, 213 00:10:47,150 --> 00:10:50,660 Speaker 4: you actually have to be under my supervision. So he 214 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 4: has to be with me. So I'm going to gain 215 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,420 Speaker 4: some magical maturity. I can just gain this ability to 216 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 4: live on my own and not kill myself without, you know, 217 00:10:59,540 --> 00:11:02,219 Speaker 4: and the following week I'll just magically be there. It 218 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,979 Speaker 4: was before that I'm totally untrustworthy. So, yeah, I came 219 00:11:05,020 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 4: to him with my siblings, not the older one. He 220 00:11:09,780 --> 00:11:12,670 Speaker 4: was off the rails somewhere. But me and Heather and Stephen, 221 00:11:12,929 --> 00:11:14,370 Speaker 4: we made a pact and we said, okay, we're not 222 00:11:14,390 --> 00:11:16,130 Speaker 4: going to let the Christians get to us, okay? That's 223 00:11:16,150 --> 00:11:18,870 Speaker 4: like a pact to make. and they were like okay 224 00:11:18,890 --> 00:11:20,929 Speaker 4: we'll do that we all shook on it and then 225 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:22,890 Speaker 4: over the course of after the first day i think 226 00:11:22,910 --> 00:11:25,780 Speaker 4: we all got separated and and divided into the different 227 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 4: youth groups that were hanging out and meeting i got 228 00:11:28,179 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 4: so loads of people at the church that my dad 229 00:11:29,860 --> 00:11:33,260 Speaker 4: would go to because they would camp as churches as 230 00:11:33,420 --> 00:11:36,220 Speaker 4: of 26 000 christians which for us in in old 231 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 4: blighty is quite a lot in america that's just like 232 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,740 Speaker 4: one of many mega churches whatever. 233 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: Yeah that's like every Sunday. 234 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 4: That's Yeah, at the time, that was the largest gathering 235 00:11:45,460 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 4: of Christians in Europe in one place. So it tells 236 00:11:48,140 --> 00:11:51,530 Speaker 4: you how crazily secular Europe has become. And it was 237 00:11:51,550 --> 00:11:53,390 Speaker 4: the last ever one of these things because they'd felt 238 00:11:53,429 --> 00:11:56,530 Speaker 4: God tell them, this is, you know, this is, we 239 00:11:56,670 --> 00:11:58,990 Speaker 4: ought to just spread out like dandelion seeds and not 240 00:11:59,030 --> 00:12:02,530 Speaker 4: gather in this way anymore. And so you're going to 241 00:12:02,550 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 4: bless all the places you are. So again, I didn't 242 00:12:04,780 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 4: care about that. My dad said, this is the last 243 00:12:06,260 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 4: ever one. You've got to come to the last ever one. 244 00:12:07,780 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 4: It's going to be momentous. But then he wasn't pushy 245 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,300 Speaker 4: at all. And he got on with whatever he was 246 00:12:13,340 --> 00:12:14,980 Speaker 4: doing that week. I didn't even see my dad the 247 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 4: whole week. I hardly saw Heather and Stephen either. I 248 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,500 Speaker 4: just got to hang out with the Christians who were there. 249 00:12:20,540 --> 00:12:22,750 Speaker 4: And I was really struck by the love I saw 250 00:12:22,790 --> 00:12:25,270 Speaker 4: between them, that they were very down to earth. They 251 00:12:25,309 --> 00:12:29,030 Speaker 4: were very much culturally connected in lots of ways, which 252 00:12:29,050 --> 00:12:32,010 Speaker 4: were appealing and normal, but also they were really different 253 00:12:32,070 --> 00:12:34,670 Speaker 4: and radically different in ways that none of my friends 254 00:12:34,730 --> 00:12:36,719 Speaker 4: at school were, not just how they loved one another, 255 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:39,990 Speaker 4: how they'd express love for one another, in ways that 256 00:12:40,010 --> 00:12:45,210 Speaker 4: I just don't see in repressive teenagers normally. And so 257 00:12:45,230 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 4: it was quite amazing really. And they were really mature 258 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 4: in their faith. They were challenging each other in their faith, 259 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,940 Speaker 4: et cetera. I think they, yeah. So I just hung 260 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 4: out with them. I played football and whatever. And I 261 00:12:56,660 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 4: went to some, I went along to some of the 262 00:12:58,500 --> 00:13:01,219 Speaker 4: meetings with them cause they were going the, you know, 263 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,830 Speaker 4: evening worship services. And I just have to like hang 264 00:13:04,870 --> 00:13:07,630 Speaker 4: back whenever there was some like gospel appeal or something or, 265 00:13:08,150 --> 00:13:10,870 Speaker 4: I think even at one point they asked people to like, 266 00:13:11,590 --> 00:13:13,929 Speaker 4: just lay hands to pray on the people around you 267 00:13:13,990 --> 00:13:15,809 Speaker 4: in groups. So I had to just like pretend I 268 00:13:15,850 --> 00:13:17,349 Speaker 4: was part of it and just be like, Oh, I 269 00:13:17,370 --> 00:13:19,150 Speaker 4: put my hand on someone's shoulder. Like this is just, 270 00:13:20,790 --> 00:13:23,490 Speaker 4: but the great thing is like no one, no one, 271 00:13:23,530 --> 00:13:25,449 Speaker 4: you can't be embarrassed because no one that everyone else 272 00:13:25,470 --> 00:13:27,330 Speaker 4: there is a Christian except you. So you could be like, Oh, 273 00:13:27,370 --> 00:13:31,030 Speaker 4: I'll pretend. And so that's what happened. So I had 274 00:13:31,050 --> 00:13:32,429 Speaker 4: a good week with them. Got to the end of 275 00:13:32,450 --> 00:13:34,050 Speaker 4: the week. My dad comes up to me on the 276 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,069 Speaker 4: football field. I've been playing and said, Oh, Just so 277 00:13:37,090 --> 00:13:38,870 Speaker 4: you know, we're packing the car to go home tomorrow. 278 00:13:38,890 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 4: But some of the guys you got to know this week, 279 00:13:41,250 --> 00:13:43,780 Speaker 4: they're actually staying for another week. There's a second week 280 00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 4: of this. And they're serving in the tent shop. But 281 00:13:46,740 --> 00:13:48,980 Speaker 4: they just asked me, are you staying or are you going? 282 00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 4: So I'm happy for you to stay. It's like, hang on, 283 00:13:50,980 --> 00:13:54,300 Speaker 4: I don't turn 16 for another few days. Are you 284 00:13:54,340 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 4: saying that the parental supervision is no longer necessary? I said, yeah, 285 00:13:58,500 --> 00:14:03,070 Speaker 4: you'll be fine here. I divulge my authority to the camp. 286 00:14:03,210 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 4: It's legitimate. I was like, oh, okay, that's interesting. As 287 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 4: I said, well, to be honest, I have had a 288 00:14:07,940 --> 00:14:10,740 Speaker 4: great week, but I'm not going to miss my 16th birthday. 289 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 4: Because in England, I don't know if it's like in 290 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,340 Speaker 4: the US, but you don't get to drink until you're 291 00:14:14,340 --> 00:14:16,579 Speaker 4: 21 there. But we're not allowed to drink until we're 292 00:14:16,580 --> 00:14:19,590 Speaker 4: 18 in Britain. But really, the 16th birthday is when 293 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,710 Speaker 4: someone gets absolutely hammered. And that's just the thing you 294 00:14:22,750 --> 00:14:24,990 Speaker 4: do at the end of what you would call high school. 295 00:14:25,850 --> 00:14:28,210 Speaker 4: And I've been to these parties all year with the 296 00:14:28,230 --> 00:14:32,030 Speaker 4: people in my year group at school and gotten blind 297 00:14:32,050 --> 00:14:35,810 Speaker 4: drunk at lots of them. And It would be really 298 00:14:35,830 --> 00:14:37,830 Speaker 4: weird to tell my friends who are expecting me to 299 00:14:37,870 --> 00:14:40,860 Speaker 4: have one of these like lock-in house parties, I'm not 300 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,220 Speaker 4: going to do that because I've just chosen to go 301 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,660 Speaker 4: to a Bible week that my dad isn't even at. 302 00:14:46,420 --> 00:14:48,100 Speaker 4: So I can't even use the excuse of like, oh, 303 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:49,940 Speaker 4: I have to go because my dad, like I'm choosing 304 00:14:49,980 --> 00:14:53,060 Speaker 4: to stay on my own. He's back home, but I'm not, 305 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,580 Speaker 4: and I'm not having my party. That would be like 306 00:14:55,710 --> 00:14:57,670 Speaker 4: unthinkable to say to my friends. So I was like, 307 00:14:57,770 --> 00:15:00,010 Speaker 4: I'm so sorry, I can't do that. So I'll go 308 00:15:00,070 --> 00:15:02,810 Speaker 4: home and have my party. And then basically he said, 309 00:15:02,830 --> 00:15:06,830 Speaker 4: that's totally fine. I'll start packing the car, get your 310 00:15:06,850 --> 00:15:10,590 Speaker 4: stuff in. And then I don't really have a memory 311 00:15:10,610 --> 00:15:12,780 Speaker 4: of what happened next. I just remember walking from the 312 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 4: football field kind of with the people I was with. 313 00:15:15,180 --> 00:15:17,180 Speaker 4: I think they were going to queue up to fill 314 00:15:17,220 --> 00:15:20,660 Speaker 4: in the form to serve in the tent shop, which 315 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:24,100 Speaker 4: meant working for free, I soon learned. That's what a 316 00:15:24,100 --> 00:15:26,990 Speaker 4: Christian term was to a non-Christian. Serving means just you 317 00:15:27,020 --> 00:15:31,030 Speaker 4: don't get paid for what you're doing. And this is 318 00:15:31,050 --> 00:15:34,210 Speaker 4: all new to me. And so I was with them 319 00:15:34,250 --> 00:15:36,750 Speaker 4: and then I found myself just going forward to the counter, 320 00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:39,620 Speaker 4: getting a form and like filling it in and like 321 00:15:39,630 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 4: kind of half processing. It's like, I don't really understand 322 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 4: how am I going to explain this? I don't really 323 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,500 Speaker 4: know what I'm doing right now. I'm just like, there's 324 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,940 Speaker 4: something greater part of me that was compelled to fill 325 00:15:49,980 --> 00:15:54,350 Speaker 4: this form in than, than like my rational faculties of like, 326 00:15:54,390 --> 00:15:56,940 Speaker 4: but how will I, how does this make sense? I 327 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:58,460 Speaker 4: don't know what I'm doing, but I feel like there's 328 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 4: a stronger part of me that just wants to be here. 329 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 4: And so I fill it in, not knowing how it's 330 00:16:02,780 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 4: going to make sense at all for the rest of 331 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,420 Speaker 4: my life. I still wasn't a Christian. And then I 332 00:16:07,470 --> 00:16:09,090 Speaker 4: worked in the tent shop. We had to pretend to 333 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,690 Speaker 4: be a Christian for a whole other week. They have 334 00:16:11,730 --> 00:16:14,890 Speaker 4: prayer meetings at the beginning of the day, the tent staff. 335 00:16:16,110 --> 00:16:19,090 Speaker 4: I'm just like quietly just hanging back, just don't know anything. 336 00:16:19,750 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 4: And then. even more like gospel appeals in the evening. 337 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,900 Speaker 4: Maybe you're here. Maybe you've been here two weeks. Maybe 338 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 4: you're here and, you know, you know the Lord is 339 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,610 Speaker 4: speaking to you and, you know, you've not quite made 340 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,370 Speaker 4: that commitment yet. I just love my heart palpitations there. 341 00:16:33,670 --> 00:16:35,710 Speaker 4: And I'm still resisting it because I'm a faithful man 342 00:16:35,750 --> 00:16:37,970 Speaker 4: of my word to the pact, of course. So I 343 00:16:38,010 --> 00:16:41,050 Speaker 4: didn't want the Christians to get to us. And so 344 00:16:41,210 --> 00:16:42,550 Speaker 4: I managed to get through that whole week. I got 345 00:16:42,590 --> 00:16:45,229 Speaker 4: to know all these people even more. And I was very, 346 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:49,500 Speaker 4: even more sort of great sense of the Holy Spirit 347 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,180 Speaker 4: really in their life. And I knew that this was 348 00:16:52,220 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 4: all true, but I was still just being a coward 349 00:16:54,780 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 4: and didn't want to like change my life. I didn't 350 00:16:56,700 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 4: know how to explain it. It's just wildly embarrassing to 351 00:16:59,460 --> 00:17:03,180 Speaker 4: become a Christian. So how could I do that? And 352 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 4: I'm not going to, I'm just going to do the 353 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 4: Bart Simpson approach of the, you know, when he says, 354 00:17:07,260 --> 00:17:10,770 Speaker 4: what was it? The life of debauchery and sin and then, 355 00:17:10,790 --> 00:17:14,470 Speaker 4: you know, hey presto, kind of deathbed repentance kind of 356 00:17:14,490 --> 00:17:15,110 Speaker 4: thing at the end. 357 00:17:15,210 --> 00:17:16,330 Speaker 1: It's like Augustine, yeah. 358 00:17:17,070 --> 00:17:19,929 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly. So I'll do that because then I can 359 00:17:19,950 --> 00:17:21,890 Speaker 4: have a more fun, free life and I don't have 360 00:17:21,910 --> 00:17:27,209 Speaker 4: to be worried about religious constraints. Not really realising, of course, 361 00:17:27,340 --> 00:17:30,139 Speaker 4: the constraints of sin and the enslavery to sin, which 362 00:17:30,180 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 4: is so much more powerful and debilitating. And so I 363 00:17:35,580 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 4: managed to get through the week not being a Christian. 364 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,980 Speaker 4: The people I was with, these friends of these fellow 365 00:17:40,030 --> 00:17:43,270 Speaker 4: teenagers who are Christians, they threw me a surprise 16th 366 00:17:43,310 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 4: birthday party, which was very nice of them. and so 367 00:17:46,020 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 4: I did I did get my 16th birthday but it 368 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 4: was very different to the kind of 16th birthdays that 369 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:54,700 Speaker 4: we'd had with my school friends I got home after 370 00:17:54,740 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 4: the second week and of course you imagine my dad 371 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,220 Speaker 4: is raving to everyone saying you know Aaron stayed a 372 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:02,300 Speaker 4: second week all on his own I dragged him there 373 00:18:02,340 --> 00:18:04,900 Speaker 4: kicking and screaming and then he's there you know without 374 00:18:04,940 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 4: me even being there missed his 16th birthday would you 375 00:18:07,150 --> 00:18:10,520 Speaker 4: believe it um And he wanted us to come, me 376 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,810 Speaker 4: and my siblings, to come to church one more time 377 00:18:12,850 --> 00:18:16,330 Speaker 4: on the Sunday because they were giving testimonies about, stonely, 378 00:18:16,369 --> 00:18:18,710 Speaker 4: about the things that happened that week. And so he said, 379 00:18:18,730 --> 00:18:20,310 Speaker 4: you were there, so you should come along and you 380 00:18:20,350 --> 00:18:21,850 Speaker 4: might see the friends that you met. So I was like, okay, 381 00:18:21,869 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 4: I'll come along to one more church thing with you 382 00:18:23,859 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 4: on an evening meeting. So we went there and there 383 00:18:26,780 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 4: was an open mic for anyone to share anything God 384 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,420 Speaker 4: had done that week. And he said, he nudges me 385 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 4: and he's like, why don't you go to the microphone 386 00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:34,980 Speaker 4: and tell them that you stayed a second week? And 387 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,820 Speaker 4: I was like, why would I do that? I'm not, 388 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,060 Speaker 4: I'm not, I'm not one of you people. I'm not 389 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,980 Speaker 4: going to go to the microphone and talk. I get 390 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,699 Speaker 4: this ridiculous. And so he's like, okay. And then he 391 00:18:43,740 --> 00:18:45,780 Speaker 4: just leaves a couple of seconds. He just up, he gets, 392 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:47,980 Speaker 4: and he walks forward. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 393 00:18:48,340 --> 00:18:50,020 Speaker 4: So he goes to the microphone. So I say, I'll, 394 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:52,290 Speaker 4: I'll tell them then. It's like, great. So he goes forward. 395 00:18:52,330 --> 00:18:54,630 Speaker 4: He tells his testimony. I became a Christian last year. 396 00:18:54,670 --> 00:18:57,350 Speaker 4: This has happened in my life, et cetera. Um, he'd 397 00:18:57,369 --> 00:18:59,250 Speaker 4: been on an alpha thing called an alpha course. And 398 00:18:59,330 --> 00:19:02,230 Speaker 4: he's telling the story about that. He, um, and he 399 00:19:02,450 --> 00:19:04,250 Speaker 4: was very cynical by the way, when he became a Christian, 400 00:19:04,270 --> 00:19:06,550 Speaker 4: he was very, he's very, um, he thought they were 401 00:19:06,570 --> 00:19:08,470 Speaker 4: kind of after his money and stuff. So he was like, 402 00:19:08,510 --> 00:19:10,639 Speaker 4: he secretly went on this alpha course without telling us. 403 00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:12,150 Speaker 4: That's why he just announced that he'd become a born 404 00:19:12,170 --> 00:19:15,850 Speaker 4: again Christian. He'd actually had a, uh, his testimony is 405 00:19:15,890 --> 00:19:17,990 Speaker 4: quite amazing that he, on one of these vendors of 406 00:19:18,030 --> 00:19:21,780 Speaker 4: like on cocaine, he woke up in, in, in his chair, 407 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 4: hung over in the morning, tried to try to turn 408 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,220 Speaker 4: the TV on, but you couldn't find the sky, the 409 00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:31,139 Speaker 4: kind of cable you call it remote. And, um, So 410 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 4: he just had whatever was on the TV was what 411 00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 4: he had to watch. He couldn't change the actual channel. 412 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 4: And it was the God channel. The God TV happened 413 00:19:38,540 --> 00:19:40,020 Speaker 4: to be on. He's never been on God TV. So 414 00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:42,459 Speaker 4: I don't know how that was on. And it was 415 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:46,530 Speaker 4: a program about biblical prophecy. That seed that been planted 416 00:19:46,770 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 4: you know back in the 1970s 30 years later having 417 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 4: it been lying dormant laying dormant for many years occasionally 418 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 4: rearing its head in some weird way but very really 419 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 4: making no significant effect on his life his whole thing 420 00:19:59,780 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 4: is half hung over it's all about biblical prophecy he 421 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:03,620 Speaker 4: says you know if you want to know more ring 422 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,300 Speaker 4: this number it goes to a local church alpha course 423 00:20:06,340 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 4: he goes on the alpha course he's cynical he thinks 424 00:20:09,060 --> 00:20:11,590 Speaker 4: that after his money And then he realizes it's real. 425 00:20:11,730 --> 00:20:14,629 Speaker 4: He realizes that they're open to him asking questions. He 426 00:20:14,670 --> 00:20:17,690 Speaker 4: asks all his questions and he realizes, you know, this 427 00:20:17,730 --> 00:20:19,669 Speaker 4: is what I want. This is true. I need to 428 00:20:19,710 --> 00:20:23,050 Speaker 4: embrace this and recognizing that this is God having been 429 00:20:23,090 --> 00:20:26,149 Speaker 4: working on him for like decades. And so he, it 430 00:20:26,210 --> 00:20:27,950 Speaker 4: all comes to us. It's like, I'm a born again Christian, 431 00:20:27,970 --> 00:20:30,260 Speaker 4: but actually there's this whole backstory of what had happened 432 00:20:30,340 --> 00:20:34,179 Speaker 4: from all those years ago. He tells his testimony and 433 00:20:34,220 --> 00:20:37,179 Speaker 4: then he says, and you know, my children, you know, 434 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,540 Speaker 4: they brought, came along to Stonely with me, which was amazing. 435 00:20:40,820 --> 00:20:44,540 Speaker 4: my younger two children, Heather and Steve, they both became 436 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,990 Speaker 4: Christians at the week. And I was like looking along 437 00:20:47,010 --> 00:20:50,190 Speaker 4: the road and I'm like, you absolute wimps. You broke 438 00:20:50,210 --> 00:20:52,490 Speaker 4: the pact. We broke the pact. I stayed strong. I 439 00:20:52,530 --> 00:20:55,450 Speaker 4: was there another week. You said you wouldn't let the 440 00:20:55,490 --> 00:20:58,170 Speaker 4: Christians get to you. They're like, they're really sheepish. Like, yeah, sorry. 441 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:03,260 Speaker 4: Became Christians. Outrageous. And then he said, my other son 442 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,379 Speaker 4: came along to the week, stayed a second week, which 443 00:21:06,420 --> 00:21:07,940 Speaker 4: was amazing because he didn't even want to go in 444 00:21:07,980 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 4: the first place. Um, he's not quite over the line yet, 445 00:21:10,820 --> 00:21:13,100 Speaker 4: but I know that God's working on his life. It's 446 00:21:13,140 --> 00:21:18,540 Speaker 4: a great outing me, kicking me out of the closet. 447 00:21:18,980 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 4: And then there's a worship song comes after this. And 448 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 4: during that worship song, a load of the people that 449 00:21:23,740 --> 00:21:24,959 Speaker 4: I got to know who were on the other side 450 00:21:24,980 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 4: of the room, sidled over to it. Like, Oh, you're 451 00:21:26,820 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 4: not actually a Christian. We didn't realize. Do you help? 452 00:21:29,820 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 4: You hit it really well. So thank you very much. 453 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:33,580 Speaker 4: And then, and then they say, do you want to 454 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 4: come outside for a chat? And I was like, that 455 00:21:35,020 --> 00:21:37,379 Speaker 4: sounds a bit ominous. So I'll come outside for a 456 00:21:37,420 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 4: chat in the corridor. And they're like, oh, well, why 457 00:21:40,380 --> 00:21:47,780 Speaker 4: aren't you a Christian? This is ridiculous. So I don't know. 458 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:49,850 Speaker 4: I don't really want to. I just want to keep 459 00:21:49,869 --> 00:21:52,190 Speaker 4: my options open. I'll do one of those nice long 460 00:21:52,270 --> 00:21:54,450 Speaker 4: alpha courses I've heard so much about. They can just 461 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:57,050 Speaker 4: go and have dinner and ask loads of questions. No, no, 462 00:21:57,090 --> 00:21:58,490 Speaker 4: you don't have to do that. That's a waste of 463 00:21:58,530 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 4: time for you. Let's just pray about it. I was like, oh, 464 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:02,820 Speaker 4: I'll pray about whether or not I can do an 465 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,610 Speaker 4: alpha course or not. And they're like, just repeat after me. 466 00:22:05,930 --> 00:22:08,070 Speaker 4: And they start praying the sinner's prayer. And I'm like, 467 00:22:08,130 --> 00:22:09,330 Speaker 4: in my head, I'm like, I'm not, I didn't sign 468 00:22:09,369 --> 00:22:11,890 Speaker 4: up for this. What is this? Like, I'm the same 469 00:22:11,950 --> 00:22:13,300 Speaker 4: as on a filling in the form. Like, I don't 470 00:22:13,340 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 4: really know what's going on here. It feels like this 471 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:20,500 Speaker 4: predestination live in action. And so I find myself accidentally, 472 00:22:20,580 --> 00:22:24,149 Speaker 4: like reluctantly praying the sinner's prayer because they said they 473 00:22:24,170 --> 00:22:25,950 Speaker 4: wanted to do it. And then like, that's kind of 474 00:22:25,990 --> 00:22:30,450 Speaker 4: how I became a Christian. Like, I found myself doing 475 00:22:30,510 --> 00:22:33,379 Speaker 4: something I didn't want to do. But actually, really, it 476 00:22:33,420 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 4: was the exterior. And there's a deeper part of me 477 00:22:35,980 --> 00:22:37,460 Speaker 4: that did want to do it and needed to be 478 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 4: sort of coaxed out of it. And I think that's 479 00:22:39,580 --> 00:22:41,370 Speaker 4: kind of how it happened. So that's how I accidentally 480 00:22:41,380 --> 00:22:44,010 Speaker 4: became a Christian, basically. And then, of course, Heather and 481 00:22:44,030 --> 00:22:47,930 Speaker 4: Stephen had become Christians. And then my older brother, about 482 00:22:47,970 --> 00:22:52,610 Speaker 4: a year later, there was this kind of prophetic guy 483 00:22:52,630 --> 00:22:54,330 Speaker 4: who came to the church. And he sort of had 484 00:22:54,369 --> 00:22:57,490 Speaker 4: this particular gift. If you've got any cessationist listeners, I'll 485 00:22:57,510 --> 00:23:00,780 Speaker 4: weird them out, but I don't care. He was just like, 486 00:23:00,820 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 4: you know, there's someone up on the balcony up here. 487 00:23:02,859 --> 00:23:04,900 Speaker 4: There's a thousand people in the room. It's like, you're 488 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 4: deaf in your left ear. Jesus wants to heal you. 489 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,619 Speaker 4: Come forward. And he was even like pushy. He was like, 490 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,010 Speaker 4: come on. He's from India. He's like, come on. I 491 00:23:11,090 --> 00:23:12,850 Speaker 4: haven't got all day. Come on. Get down to the front. 492 00:23:12,869 --> 00:23:15,409 Speaker 4: You're going to miss out on your healing. Don't be stupid. 493 00:23:15,450 --> 00:23:19,750 Speaker 4: Come on. I know you've got all day. Come on. 494 00:23:19,930 --> 00:23:21,910 Speaker 4: And then up jumps my brother who's on the other side. 495 00:23:21,930 --> 00:23:23,260 Speaker 4: I didn't even know he was there. This is my 496 00:23:23,300 --> 00:23:25,700 Speaker 4: older brother. I was like, wow, what's Mark doing here? Crazy. 497 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 4: And he comes down to the front. And he gets 498 00:23:28,740 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 4: his hand laid on him and he falls on the ground. 499 00:23:31,820 --> 00:23:35,159 Speaker 4: He's like immediately healed. And he's like, because he went 500 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 4: to raves from the age of 12 and he gets 501 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:39,140 Speaker 4: these thudding speakers. So he's like, he was like deaf 502 00:23:39,220 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 4: because of going to raves. And it was crazy. He 503 00:23:42,820 --> 00:23:45,460 Speaker 4: was a rapper, a kind of drum and bass rapper. 504 00:23:45,500 --> 00:23:48,850 Speaker 4: So it was crazy to see him get healed. Then 505 00:23:48,869 --> 00:23:52,210 Speaker 4: he became this immediate like tub thumping evangelist. And it 506 00:23:52,250 --> 00:23:55,310 Speaker 4: still is to this day, like a massive evangelist. um 507 00:23:55,790 --> 00:23:58,210 Speaker 4: with loads of people get saved from hearing his testimony 508 00:23:58,230 --> 00:24:00,109 Speaker 4: because he was so in deep in the kind of 509 00:24:00,190 --> 00:24:02,710 Speaker 4: underground world of the club scene he used to sneak 510 00:24:02,730 --> 00:24:05,500 Speaker 4: me into clubs in Brighton where we grew up when 511 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 4: I was 15 um and so it was crazy because 512 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:11,340 Speaker 4: when I first told him that I'd become a Christian 513 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:13,420 Speaker 4: I was a bit like my younger brother's sister sheepishly 514 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 4: yeah sorry I became a Christian um and yeah he 515 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 4: when he became met the Lord it was just an 516 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 4: amazing like transformation so then my dad's incredible this like 517 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 4: seed that been sown and when my dad got baptized 518 00:24:25,619 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 4: and shared his testimony again with the church he talked 519 00:24:28,619 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 4: about that that chaplain who came to that hotel and 520 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:36,900 Speaker 4: amazingly someone in the audience was listening and said just 521 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 4: like nudging the person next to him like didn't your 522 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,070 Speaker 4: didn't your uncle used to work as a chaplain in 523 00:24:42,090 --> 00:24:45,270 Speaker 4: that area i wonder if that's him he said and 524 00:24:45,290 --> 00:24:48,149 Speaker 4: this guy was called uh i think his topping was 525 00:24:48,190 --> 00:24:51,189 Speaker 4: the surname and he said uh any chance that that 526 00:24:51,230 --> 00:24:52,889 Speaker 4: person's name was Graham Topping? And my dad was like, 527 00:24:52,950 --> 00:24:55,389 Speaker 4: it was Graham Topping. He's like, do you want to 528 00:24:55,430 --> 00:24:57,730 Speaker 4: meet him? I'd love to meet him. I haven't seen, 529 00:24:57,770 --> 00:24:59,449 Speaker 4: you know, that was, that's amazing. I'd love to meet 530 00:24:59,470 --> 00:25:01,389 Speaker 4: the guy who gave me that book that set all 531 00:25:01,410 --> 00:25:04,130 Speaker 4: of this in motion and said, yeah, we can go 532 00:25:04,150 --> 00:25:06,610 Speaker 4: meet you. He's still a chaplain. He's down working down 533 00:25:06,650 --> 00:25:09,850 Speaker 4: further down the west side of the South English coast 534 00:25:10,010 --> 00:25:13,490 Speaker 4: in Plymouth. We'll travel down there and we'll meet up 535 00:25:13,510 --> 00:25:17,010 Speaker 4: with him. It'll be great. And when they finally met him, he, 536 00:25:17,090 --> 00:25:20,850 Speaker 4: this guy, this chaplain was on the verge of giving 537 00:25:20,910 --> 00:25:23,889 Speaker 4: up his entire ministry and even his faith. He had 538 00:25:23,910 --> 00:25:25,970 Speaker 4: been through divorce. He'd been through like a horrible time 539 00:25:26,010 --> 00:25:28,609 Speaker 4: in his life, loads of setbacks and difficulties. And he 540 00:25:28,630 --> 00:25:31,900 Speaker 4: was literally that week, like on the verge of jacking 541 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 4: it all in. And then he meets my dad who said, 542 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 4: because of what you did 30 years ago, I became 543 00:25:37,859 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 4: a Christian. My children have all become Christians. I sent 544 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,369 Speaker 4: a tract in the post to my brother in Cambridge. 545 00:25:45,690 --> 00:25:47,550 Speaker 4: He just read the tract and became a Christian. Like 546 00:25:47,570 --> 00:25:49,619 Speaker 4: when does that happen? then he shared the gospel with 547 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,580 Speaker 4: two of his neighbors immediately. They became Christians. And like 548 00:25:52,619 --> 00:25:55,659 Speaker 4: this guy, he was just like, oh my gosh, that's 549 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,500 Speaker 4: the most incredible encouragement. He's like, I want to thank 550 00:25:57,540 --> 00:26:00,010 Speaker 4: you so much for what you did in that hotel 551 00:26:00,050 --> 00:26:04,129 Speaker 4: in Jersey back in the seventies. Like incredible. And, and 552 00:26:04,170 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 4: so like this guy was totally like, buoyant and like 553 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,619 Speaker 4: totally re-revved up in his ministry and like it had 554 00:26:09,660 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 4: a real you think of the way that god organizes 555 00:26:12,460 --> 00:26:15,940 Speaker 4: like history in providence it's just unbelievable all those different 556 00:26:15,980 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 4: events coming together and for him to meet my dad 557 00:26:17,820 --> 00:26:19,820 Speaker 4: with all of those ducks in a row at that 558 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,820 Speaker 4: time so we had a kind of amazing holistic uh 559 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,379 Speaker 4: testimony and the and the final epilogue of it there 560 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 4: used to be a kind of sad note like what 561 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 4: about your mum and because my mum of course dad 562 00:26:30,460 --> 00:26:33,130 Speaker 4: were divorced and when we kind of, it looked like 563 00:26:33,150 --> 00:26:34,919 Speaker 4: that we sort of followed dad, even though we'd all 564 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:38,180 Speaker 4: independently become Christians and like kind of reluctantly, it still 565 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:39,940 Speaker 4: kind of looked like we just followed his new weird 566 00:26:40,020 --> 00:26:43,980 Speaker 4: born again religion rather than the sort of dead nominal 567 00:26:44,180 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 4: Catholicism of everyone who lives in Liverpool or has an 568 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 4: Irish heritage in some way. And so, which isn't everyone, 569 00:26:51,740 --> 00:26:54,740 Speaker 4: but like, I think my grandma was definitely a solid 570 00:26:55,050 --> 00:26:57,689 Speaker 4: devout Catholic and the rest of our family, not at all, 571 00:26:57,730 --> 00:27:01,149 Speaker 4: but would still feel that they're born and will die Catholic. And, 572 00:27:02,869 --> 00:27:05,510 Speaker 4: she was really resistant, found it really difficult that we'd 573 00:27:05,550 --> 00:27:08,030 Speaker 4: become Christians. I think she would be like, obviously nice. 574 00:27:08,050 --> 00:27:09,659 Speaker 4: So she's still a mother and was a lovely, a 575 00:27:10,230 --> 00:27:14,739 Speaker 4: lovely woman, um, most gentle soul. And she eventually got 576 00:27:14,780 --> 00:27:19,979 Speaker 4: cancer later on. Um, and she was dying, staying with 577 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 4: my sister, my younger sister, one of the, one of 578 00:27:21,980 --> 00:27:25,050 Speaker 4: the twins by this point is married with young children. 579 00:27:25,070 --> 00:27:27,390 Speaker 4: And she was looking after mom when she was going 580 00:27:27,410 --> 00:27:30,430 Speaker 4: through real pain and difficulty through the final like weeks 581 00:27:30,470 --> 00:27:34,450 Speaker 4: of her life. And she was militant about reading the 582 00:27:34,470 --> 00:27:39,830 Speaker 4: Bible with mum and, and like proclaiming the gospel to 583 00:27:39,890 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 4: her and, and bringing her over the line. And it 584 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,180 Speaker 4: was kind of amazing because she'd been so resistant because 585 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,020 Speaker 4: of the connection to my dad and the history of 586 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 4: the divorce and the brokenness of losing her daughter. It 587 00:27:49,740 --> 00:27:51,460 Speaker 4: like felt like she could never get over that. You 588 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 4: could never really get in a conversation with mum without 589 00:27:54,060 --> 00:27:56,340 Speaker 4: her breaking down in some way because of all this 590 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:01,050 Speaker 4: past trauma. And suddenly she, it completely changed. And of course, yes, 591 00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:03,310 Speaker 4: she had cancer and she was dying, but it was like, 592 00:28:03,330 --> 00:28:05,980 Speaker 4: I was amazed to hear that this had happened. And 593 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 4: I went to stay with Heather while my mum was there, 594 00:28:08,580 --> 00:28:10,540 Speaker 4: which was a real blessed time because we didn't know 595 00:28:10,580 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 4: how long she had. And I remember walking into a 596 00:28:13,140 --> 00:28:14,900 Speaker 4: room where she was doing the dishes. I mean, she's 597 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:17,940 Speaker 4: like in agony in between painkillers, but like one of 598 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 4: those motherly things to do, like I'm still going to 599 00:28:19,780 --> 00:28:21,330 Speaker 4: do the washing up in the kitchen and you're not 600 00:28:21,369 --> 00:28:23,470 Speaker 4: going to stop me. And so she's there doing the 601 00:28:23,490 --> 00:28:26,790 Speaker 4: washing up and she's praying on her own out loud. 602 00:28:27,210 --> 00:28:29,770 Speaker 4: And I was so amazed to hear that because it's hard. 603 00:28:30,030 --> 00:28:31,330 Speaker 4: The amount of times that we as the rest of 604 00:28:31,350 --> 00:28:34,330 Speaker 4: the family prayed for her to get saved, we've basically 605 00:28:34,350 --> 00:28:36,949 Speaker 4: given up because there have been so many setbacks. You 606 00:28:36,970 --> 00:28:39,020 Speaker 4: just feel like you can't keep going and you want 607 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:41,300 Speaker 4: someone else to come and help. Some other evangelists from 608 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 4: somewhere else, her own children, you lose faith almost for 609 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 4: your own family sometimes. And to hear her praying out 610 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 4: loud was an amazing thing. So she did sadly die 611 00:28:49,220 --> 00:28:51,660 Speaker 4: a week later, but it was such an amazing thing 612 00:28:51,700 --> 00:28:54,380 Speaker 4: for us when she died that we had that testimony 613 00:28:55,180 --> 00:28:57,370 Speaker 4: of her giving her life to Christ and that really 614 00:28:57,410 --> 00:28:59,890 Speaker 4: meaning something. And I was able to preach at her funeral, 615 00:28:59,930 --> 00:29:03,070 Speaker 4: which was quite challenging, to all of her non-Christian friends 616 00:29:03,330 --> 00:29:07,170 Speaker 4: who turned up, who loved her, adored her and her family, 617 00:29:07,750 --> 00:29:09,450 Speaker 4: who of course found it very offensive that I was 618 00:29:09,490 --> 00:29:11,390 Speaker 4: saying that my mum became a Christian because they were 619 00:29:11,430 --> 00:29:14,380 Speaker 4: thinking that she already was. We're already Christians, aren't we? 620 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,340 Speaker 4: And so that was there. And I think actually within 621 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 4: a Catholic church as well. And so I think they 622 00:29:18,620 --> 00:29:20,620 Speaker 4: didn't realise what they were letting themselves in for. I 623 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,340 Speaker 4: could play the compassion card and say, you know, I'm 624 00:29:23,380 --> 00:29:25,739 Speaker 4: grieving so I can preach an evangelical sermon in your 625 00:29:26,620 --> 00:29:29,930 Speaker 4: But yeah, so it's quite amazing that it's hard to 626 00:29:29,970 --> 00:29:32,570 Speaker 4: tell any of us our testimonies of how we became 627 00:29:32,610 --> 00:29:36,900 Speaker 4: Christian without telling the whole family saga. But God is 628 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 4: certainly very glorified in how he brought us all to faith. Wow. 629 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:44,780 Speaker 1: Well, thanks to Chaplain Topping. You're here on my show today. 630 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,820 Speaker 4: Yeah. Amen. 631 00:29:48,020 --> 00:29:50,620 Speaker 1: That's amazing. Praise God. 632 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 2: Wow. 633 00:29:52,310 --> 00:29:54,290 Speaker 1: Okay. Well, thank you for sharing that. 634 00:29:54,310 --> 00:29:58,390 Speaker 3: And And I hope you can get some sleep tonight 635 00:29:58,450 --> 00:30:00,530 Speaker 3: because it's like 11 o'clock there, 11.15. 636 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:04,260 Speaker 4: That's right. That's right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're good with 637 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 4: the time conversion. That's right. We are getting to the 638 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 4: witching hour. And in fact, my son behind me, who's 639 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,350 Speaker 4: been sleeping this whole time, amazingly, in the buggy. Not buggy, 640 00:30:15,410 --> 00:30:18,230 Speaker 4: in the cot behind. We've had him set up in 641 00:30:18,250 --> 00:30:21,570 Speaker 4: my office, so he's just stirring now for his late feed, 642 00:30:21,650 --> 00:30:24,730 Speaker 4: which I certainly won't be providing because we're not. weird 643 00:30:24,790 --> 00:30:27,390 Speaker 4: like that with our kind of weird fake breast milk 644 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:28,980 Speaker 4: or anything. So I'll be, I'll be sending them through 645 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:29,820 Speaker 4: to my wife soon. 646 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,180 Speaker 3: Well, I thank you so much for staying up this 647 00:30:33,260 --> 00:30:36,060 Speaker 3: late and chatting with us and telling that story. 648 00:30:36,100 --> 00:30:38,220 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 649 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,290 Speaker 4: It's a pleasure to be here and to hear from 650 00:30:41,330 --> 00:30:41,690 Speaker 4: you always. 651 00:30:42,290 --> 00:30:45,490 Speaker 3: Wait, don't touch that dial. Please like and subscribe. And 652 00:30:45,530 --> 00:30:49,490 Speaker 3: also please consider becoming a patron on Patreon for as 653 00:30:49,530 --> 00:30:51,530 Speaker 3: little as $ 5 a month. You can really help us 654 00:30:51,630 --> 00:30:55,460 Speaker 3: out on the show. The link is below, and we so, 655 00:30:55,540 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 3: so appreciate it. 656 00:30:56,340 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: Thank you. 657 00:30:59,810 --> 00:31:02,170 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to this episode of The Beckett 658 00:31:02,190 --> 00:31:07,510 Speaker 2: Cook Show. Your support makes this content possible. All episodes 659 00:31:07,550 --> 00:31:10,390 Speaker 2: of The Beckett Cook Show are also available on YouTube. 660 00:31:11,570 --> 00:31:14,739 Speaker 2: For more information about Beckett and his ministry, visit his 661 00:31:14,780 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 2: website at beckettcook.com.