I have been blessed that I have had so many devote Christians praying for me, my Mother spending many hours on her knees for me.
 

Throughout my life, I think I must have done everything to get away from God and do things for God to leave me alone, but the one thing I have never done was say to God "leave me alone", as this is where man and God separate their relationship, and God is a Gentleman, and does not stay where He is not wanted.

In my earlier years it didn’t matter how far I tried to get away from God, God was always there and I could not get Him out of my mind.

I would repent many times going forward to what the Salvation Army calls the Penitent Form. This is a long wooden seat that is in front of the congregation that we would kneel at in coming before God in repentance.

I remember on at least one occasion, that I surprised a particular Salvation Army Officer, as in the questions I would ask in my younger years.

At the age of 9, I was given a Holy Bible from my Mother, and I still have that Bible; it is well used, as my other Holy Bibles are well used also. Now I mostly use and read the Word of God that is on my computer and what is on the Internet, King James being my favorite edition.

At the age of 15, it was the first time God spoke to me, and He said He wanted me to be a Salvation Army Officer, in other words a Minister of the Gospel.

I kept on with my schooling even though I was not much good at it. I was never good at anything until later in life I started to have my own Plant Nursery, and I did quite good at growing, buying and selling Plants. I knew this was not what God wanted me to do for the rest of my life, but to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I did not prepare my life as I should have done, for being a Minister for God, I did go into the Salvation Army College, but only stayed there for a bit over two months, before leaving.

I grew up from birth in the Salvation Army, until I was at the age of forty years of age. In November of that year my family left me. I went back to the Salvation Army, as I had stopped going to church, and had got right away from God, doing my own thing, and had been away from God for some years at this stage.

In going back to the Salvation Army, one night of November I went forward to the Penitent Form, and repented real good, and so not wanting to go backward again, I wanted more from God so I went looking for a Pentecostal Church, as I had heard there was more power in one’s life by praying in tongues, and of course I found this to be true, when I started going to the Assembly Of God Church.

 I not only had and have more power in my life but I started to learn so much more of the Word of God. There were about 50 people who went to this Church and it would seem that Love would be coming out of the wooden walls of the Church. There was so much of God’s Love coming from the Christians in this particular Church, and of course I needed that love.

It was here that I really got serious for God, as I knew I could not make it staying in the church I grew up and I needed to move on.

Since then I have moved on; not staying in one church or another, but I wanted what God has for me.

I heard of a Deliverance and Restoration Ministry in Sydney.  I knew I needed deliverance, so found out where it was and I would travel 160 Klms each Sunday, just to go there.

I have never gone back since then, but I have had my falls but never stayed down, always got up and kept going on for God.

I have been writing for God now for around ten years, and about three years ago the Holy Spirit placed on my heart to write about "Love", that is the Love of God, and I have done just that, and still doing it.

Ivan Pattison

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