Chapter 1 6th Entry

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 6th Entry

Holidays were over and it was now time for some forced responsibility in my life. It was the time most South African young men leaving school were force by the government to give their country two years of their lives. I received South African Marine call up papers from a division of the navy. My surroundings and lifestyle were about to change and believe me the change was radical. Yet, the same desire to achieve drove me. I was not looking for an easy out, like lots of the others from my intake, I wanted to give it a full go as long as I was not forced to leave the navy and join the army. Therefore I volunteered to go on an offices’ course at Oudtshoorn Infantry School. It did not start well for me, but here we see pride once again working in my life to my advantage, but keeping me far from the glorious gospel message of salvation.

I had finished basic training in Saldanha Bay; all the navy divisions began here for initial training, and then from there were deploy to the various divisions in the navy. The marines finished their training is Simon’s Town and the selected few picked for offices course trained as an independent group and not with the rest of the marines. The reason they did this was to prepare us for Infantry School. They needed to have us super fit so that we could fly the marines flag with pride. What some of us did to cool down after running up and down Red Hill; the mountain in Simon's Town, we would lie on the cold tiled floor in our barracks before chow time. I ended getting pneumonia a couple of days before we were literally trained off to Oudtshoorn. One of my instructors said to me that I was weak and I would never survive Infantry School, here it was again, all I needed to fuel me to get through what was a long tough haul. Ten months of hard slog! I remember arriving with a sick note, but as we were already looked down on because of our black boots and black berets there was no way when they called for any sick note that I was going to step forward, I had far to much pride for that. I had age on my side and I think all the running we did that I ran the virus to death. After ten months in Oudtshoorn I eventually qualified as a Platoon instructor. I was now left with a choice when I got back to Simon's Town, I could instruct troops (soldiers) and train them through their basic training or I could fight for a position and become a Coxswain. What that meant is I would have a crew under me and we would patrol the harbours of South Africa on a Namacurra (harbour patrol boat). I even lied to get them to except me on the course and said they I had yachting experience, I had never even been on a yacht let alone sailed one. The lie clinched me a position, only ten of us from our entire intake that year were chosen for the course, and nine of us eventually qualified as Coxswain. I spent my final year patrolling the East London Harbour. Again sin fuelling my passion to achieve my goal, but who in their right mind outside of Christ would ever view it like that. These were all decoys in my life to keep me from searching out the truth to my life and God’s call upon it. Many things will keep us from repentance, may God give us eyes to see!

Two years had passed and my military life was officially over. However for seven years I would still be in debt to the government for service, one month out of a year would be claimed by them. It never quite panned out like that I think I did three camps in total.

I asked myself what now? I decided it was now time to travel abroad to see and experience what I had not seen. Living in South Africa had shielded me from a lot of what the world had to offer and had limited my choices. It was with this thought in mind that the bright lights of Amsterdam beckoned and called my name. I responded to the call and ended up in the Red Light District, known as the freedom capital of the world, how God has not destroyed that city like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah must imply that there are some righteous saints spreading the good news of the Gospel to that area and hopefully some are being saved. It is a wicked place; the world and liberal society tell us that as adults we have the right to “choose”. This thought is devilish and comes from the pit of hell. Obviously, due to my blindness, I found myself not only being sucked into the realm of pornography and condoning it, but I also found myself becoming part of this debauched and perverse section of society that has destroyed so many people and even many Christians have been continuously lure by this filth. I confess I have also been amongst that number, but by the grace of God, we must all stand against this evil, finding grace to overcome. This battle rages on, but one thing I am sure of, the Lord Jesus has destroyed even this overpowering lure used by the devil, when he defeated him on the cross of Calvary. Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved! Do not be fooled that whatever we process today will be gone tomorrow. Our brain is far more complex than that! I believe that is why in the bible, the apostle Paul makes it so clear, that we need to have our minds renewed.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Through our experiences in life our minds process and store information that more often than not will lead us in the opposite direction to the truth and the call God has placed on all, but especially for those whom He has chosen before the foundation of the earth. God has prepared good works for them to walk in. Sin will endeavour to keep us from accomplishing God’s will in our lives. Nevertheless He will accomplish all He has set up to achieve, even obedience in our lives He will cause all “the chosen” and even those who have so often walked disobediently, will eventually learn the lesson of obedience, the sooner we sit up and pay attention the less scars we will have to pamper in our lives. I am just so grateful to God my Father for His endurance with me; His name alone will be praised! I praise and bend my knee to Him today, what will you do? Have you drifted from what was once a wonderful relationship with the only true and almighty God, has sin robbed you of that relationship and have you been chosen from before the creation and is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life, if this is true, repent I plead with you, for God will have His way and death may even be on the cards if you will not yield to the call of obedience, we must bring glory to an awesome God, His name alone be praised!

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

There will come a time in the not to distant future where God will display all of the chosen as trophies of His grace and we will be forever thankful, while other will in the ages to come stand back in awe and look upon us, the trophies of God’s grace and marvel. Wakeup you who slumber, hear the call of your name, the great shepherd has left the ninety nine in search of you, repent I pray and call on the name of the Lord and you shall be saved.

“So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)

From Amsterdam I made my way by ferry to London. It was there that I found a job in construction, breaking down old buildings and at night I worked as a door attendant in a night club in Earls court. I did not have a work permit, but that did not stop me from keeping this apparent wonderful experience alive.

I must recall an evening that could have gone in another direction, but for the grace of God. Again prior to repentance I had been covered by this merciful gracious God. There were four South African working on the door in a dingy club in Earls Court. One of the doormen now lived in England as he was on the run from the South African police for a serious crime. We ended up in a brawl and Garth and I spent the night in jail. Somehow pushing the envelope of life seemed to be the norm. Yet a week or two earlier is what I would like to highlight. One night Sean and I were on the door alone. A customer ended up making trouble in the club, he had been drinking, I confronted him and we exchanged words but I seemed to bring the situation under control. I thought nothing more of it. As I sat with Sean in the entrance hall talking about whatever it was we use to talk about in order to pass time and get through the night. I saw the door on the club side open and at exactly the same time, perfect timing, so perfect it was that in hindsight it could not have been a chance event. Sean jumped off the seat He had been sitting on and bumped the person I had words with earlier. In the collision he staggered colliding with the wall, Sean apologised and that was the end of that, he continued passed me muttering something under his breath and out of the club and then into the street. The good news was the trouble maker was out of the club without any further incident.

It was about five minutes later that I noticed something on the floor. It was a homemade shank about 6” in length. After giving it some thought I realised that Sean had bumped the guy coming through the door, causing him to drop the knife, obviously the shank was intended for me, but it never found me. I was only twenty-one years old and I had not yet found repentance for my life. Could this of been the mercy of God? If I was stabbed I could have died, I would be in hell today as an unrepentant sinner. However I was not lying on my back with a knife protruding from it, I was still breathing and while there is breath there is hope, thank you Lord Jesus!

I remember seeing all these massive bill boards warning all to have safe sex as HIV was a real and deadly virus looking for its next victim. I paid it some mind, but soon forgot the warning.

After a couple of months in London the work and the cold weather was getting to me, it was at this point that a dream opportunity presented itself and I jumped at it, I was now destined for the Greek Islands, Mykonos would be my home for the next three months.