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My Walk With God

by Wes Guy

by Wes Guy

 
My Walk With God - How I became a Seventh-day Adventist

 
Text     Romans 8:28

Reading Psalm 23

 
Introduction

There was a knock at the door of 63 Orange Avenue Mildura. When Mrs. Fisher opened the door the gentleman introduced himself as Pastor Rosendahl.

He asked, "Do you have a Bible?"

"Yes I do," was the reply.

"Do you know or understand the Bible?"

The reply, "No, I don't"

"Would you like to know more about it?" Oh, yes I would."

So the studies started and Mrs. Fisher was baptised in 1941.

Mrs. Fisher came down from Mildura nearly every year to attend the Victorian Camp meeting. On one occasion, Pearl, her daughter (my future wife) decided to attend the Camp meeting with her mother. When Pastor Naden snr. made an altar call , Pearl immediately accepted.  Pastor Keith Parmenter studied with Pearl and she was baptised on 28th July, 1956.

 
My Tale of Woe

In June 1959 I was sent to Port Moresby as the Examiner for Airmen with the Department of Civil Aviation. Pearl and our two sons, Peter and Paul, attended the Seventh-day Adventist church at Ela Beach. As I had been born and bred a Methodist, I decided to attend the Uniting Church, but not very often. One Sunday evening the preacher extended an altar call and I accepted. It was an emotional feeling and it did not last many days.  I went back to what I had been doing, drinking, smoking and gambling.

As President of the Aviat Club I felt responsible for the club to make a profit so encouraged the members to smoke and drink more and more. I also organised and ran gambling nights. I had no time for religion.

Several times Pearl and the boys would ask me to go to church with them, but I was too busy playing cricket.

One week-end Pearl suggested I go with them to the Bisiatabu Camp Meeting. As I did not have a cricket match then I went rather reluctantly. I took with me my small transistor and my ear clips so that I could listen to the races.  Whilst listening, Pastors Colin Winch and Elwyn Martin came over to talk with me. Oh, no, I thought do I have to stop listening and make some sort of conversation with them~ I found them very likeable and spent some time with them - not missing my races.

 
The Turning Point

I returned from the gambling night about 2 o'clock in the morning. As   I got into bed Pearl sat up and said, "I have had enough. You have a choice - me and the boys or your Aviat Club!" I started to think seriously about what Pearl had said.

At about this time Pastor Syd Stocken came into my life. Syd had a Private Pilot Licence and he used to come and visit me in my office. As he entered I would ask him what he wanted. He told me that he wanted to talk with me about flying. "Now, Syd," I would say, "you probably do want to talk about flying, but I suppose you also want to talk religion."

One day after we had talk a while Syd said "Why don't we go outside to my car and continue our conversation?"

Once seated Syd suggested we have prayer. Well, I thought, what will my friends think about this. Me praying with a pastor! As Syd bowed his head and began to pray I looked around hoping that no one would see me. It was not long before the Holy Spirit worked on my heart. Thereafter, when Syd called I would say to him, "Let's go out to your car and have prayer.

Syd often asked me why I smoked. Because I like to, I said many times. I knew this disappointed him. One day he came to my house with some 33rpm records under his arm. He suggested that I might like to listen to these records. I said I would if I could buy them. He left the records with me and I placed them alongside the radiogram and virtually forgot them.

One Sabbath morning, when Pearl and the boys went to Sabbath School and Church I sat listening to the races. In the interval when there was no racing my eyes glanced at the records. I thought, I have paid for these so I suppose I should listen to one. I selected one at random, put it on, sat back in my chair with a glass of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Suddenly a phrase caught my attention. Vanderman had said something about having something in my life which I would like to get rid of. I sat up and took notice. Vanderman said something to the effect that there was only one thing to do. He said to get on your knees and ask the Lord to help. I butted my cigarette, poured out my beer in the sink and got down on my knees asking the Lord to help me! From that day to this I have never had another beer or cigarette and have never had another bet or gambled in any way.

A few days later Syd called in carrying in his hand a small booklet.  He said that he had something for me which he hoped I would read. He gave me the small booklet and I saw the title. It stated "The Five Day Plan". "What does it mean, Syd?" I asked. "It is a plan to help you to stop smoking," was the reply.

"I'm sorry , Syd," I said. "It is too late."

You should have seen his face!

"But, how can it be too late."

Then I told him the experience I had had.

"But how can you give up smoking when you haven't read the book."

We eventually had a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for God's wonderful way and timing.

 
The Sequel

I decided to study the Bible for myself to find out why Pearl had accepted the Seventh-day message. So, I asked the Media centre to send me their correspondence courses. I completed all the courses they had. Syd and I had many discussions and as a  result he baptised me at Ela Beach church on 10th December 1966

 
Conclusion - John 12;35

All aircraft but one had landed at Goroka airport. Dusk was falling and I, as the Operations Manager of Talair, realised that it was one of our aircraft which was late. I went up to the Control Tower and asked Frank, the Senior Air Traffic Controller on duty, if he had heard any calls from the missing aircraft. The answer was in the negative. He and I continued to monitor the airways. After a period of time we heard the aircraft calling Goroka tower.

Frank asked him his position. The pilot stated that he had passed Chimbu and estimated that he was abeam Goroka on the other side of the cloud, which had built up rapidly and had covered the ranges surrounding the airport. I suggested that Frank ask him if he could return to Chimbu. The answer was no as the cloud was now covering the Wahgi Valley in which was situated Chimbu airstrip. The pilot told us that he was in clear skies but did not know how long this would last. Frank told him to orbit his position until notified. I then suggested that we contact Madang where Mandated Airlines had several DC3 aircraft based there. We would ask MAL to supply an aircraft and fly over Goroka airstrip. Within a few minutes we heard the DC3 pilot tell us that he was over Goroka. We checked and saw his lights. I told Frank to tell the pilot of the DC3 to fly towards the cloud separating the Goroka Valley from the small Cessna 206 aircraft. We then told this pilot to fly towards the Goroka Valley and let us know when he could see the lights of the DC3. The pilot of the DC3 was told to put his landing lights on FULL. Both pilots acknowledged us. Then we waited

After some minutes had passed we heard the Cessna pilot calling out, "I can see the lights. I can see the lights." We told him to fly directly to the lights, through the thin layer of cloud until he was in the Goroka Valley. This he did and soon was in the circuit area and landing safely.

Friends, in John 8:12 Jesus tells us that He is the light. We are in darkness and unless we do something about it we may not come through our life safely. So my friends, can you see the Light?

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