Baptism At Sea Marks Start Of My New Life

285 Christian beliefs. I knew nothing of his past background although I sensed it had been difficult. I encouraged him to come to church with me and gave him s draft copy of my book Converted on LSD Trip.

I encouraged him to attend Fareham College and enrolled him on an electronics course, as he was very knowledgeable. I also encourage him to repair items that we had bought from Harrod’s and re-sell them to earn pocket money and he was very successful.

I took Steve to church with me and he showed a keen interest in Christianity and got involve with the church, helping out with the PA system. He soon expressed faith and need of God and was baptised in the Sea at Leeon-the-Solent.

I was delighted as this was what I expected from any one who believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was just as it happened to me over 30 years ago.

The News Thursday, June 24, 1999

LEE-ON-THE-SOLENT / Former drug user and thief tells of his new Christian outlook

Baptism At Sea Marks Start Of My New Life

By Lorna Vicars

A reformed Fareham drug user and thief was baptised in the sea to mark the start of a new life. For years Steve Murray, 21, took drugs, stole cars and burgled houses- but when he became a Christian his life changed. Steve of Hayling Close took the plunge, at the slipway at the Lee-on-the Solent Sailing Club. About 30 friends and relatives watched as an elder, from the Church Steve attends, carried out the baptism. Steve left school six years ago at 15 and became qualified in painting and decorating and carpentry. He spent the next four years when he was not working smoking cannabis and taking ecstasy and amphetamine drugs. He said, “I was getting into trouble with the police – thieving cars and motorbikes”. “When I was not working I was rebelling. I did not know why I carried on doing it. I felt comfortable doing it in a way.

Steve Murray baptized in the sea by Rev Peter Jacobs of the Christian Gospel Church

I used to hang about with people who wanted bits fro their houses and it started of with me shop-lifting and petty things. Then people needed cars, and I went on doing it myself because I wanted the stuff. “I wanted to change but I felt there was no way out”.

Steve remembered the first time he prayed two years ago when he was told his then girlfriend Tyrone Finlayson might die giving birth to their daughter Rhiannon.

He said, “I was surprised to find myself praying and they both made it through”.

“It has gone from there”.

Steve became a Christian and has been going to the Christian Gospel Church, which meets in the Hilton National Portsmouth hotel, in Farlington.

He chose to be baptised in the sea following the example of John the Baptist in the bible.

After months of being unemployed Steve is now working as a Bar Steward at the Forte Post House Hotel in Titchfield.

He said,” It is not like my life has stopped. I still go out and drink and have a good laugh – I just go to church every Sunday”.

“It is like an emptiness has been filled and it gives me something to aim for and I have got someone there. I pray and hope every thing to be all right.

“I see a happy future”.

The very next week he got a job as a barman at the Post House Forte, Segensworth and shortly after that he was able to see his own daughter for the first time in months. I gave him my wedding suit as a baptism gift as he needed a suit of cloths.

I took no notice of those people who began to give me evil reports of his past behaviour believing he was a new man in Christ. Unfortunately I became concerned at his continued heavy drinking and gambling and also his miss treatment of girls. I prayed for him and so did our church. I had another young lodger and they both generated a lot of loud noise from their music and the neighbours complained. Later my daughter’s bicycle was stolen and I had to sort things out so I gave my other lodger, called Dan, notice to leave. He soon complained to me that I had given Steve special treatment over him and he felt this was because he had been baptised.

It was soon after this, whilst Steve was helping at the church one Sunday morning, that the collection money (£400) was taken, and shortly after this my motorbike, that I had just purchased, was stolen. It was a 250 cc Honda Super Dream. It was returned however with damaged front forks, a broken lock and missing wing mirrors. It was strange that Steve had asked to ride it the day before and assured me he had a full drivers license to drive it. Steve, Dan and Steve’s friend, denied any knowledge of the bikes disappearance and it return.

The Bad Boys

Steve Murray and Dan Bullimoore They say they did not take my Motorbike

288

I then got a call from Steve’s boss, at the Post House, to say he had not been to work and he now no longer had a job. It was after Steve told me he was going back on housing benefit, as he was not working sufficient hours, that I gave him notice to leave because he was now lying to me.

I received a call on the 27th July 1999, from the cheque-cashing bureau in Fareham, regarding a cheque, apparently issued to Steve Murray, which was not honoured, for £220, so I was advised to go to the police. When reporting this to the police it turned out that Dan also had drawn £100 from my account along with a further Nationwide withdrawal of £380.

Even after this when Steve and Dan had gone I had things stolen from my house. What really got me upset was when my Fender Strata 1983, American Stratocaster, was stolen form my house along with my 8 track digital recorder. The police recovered the Guitar from Steve Murray. When I reported the story to the local News it was reported in the Paper. The only real problem resulting from this was the fact that the senior man at our church had a go at me and was not very happy. He seemed very concerned about the name of the church but showed no concern for the fact that Steve Murray had robbed me and taken advantage of me seeking to help him. I felt that since the scripture mentioned the good and bad events such as the bad conduct of Judas, then I felt it quite OK for the world to know Steve Murray’s conduct.

42 Michael’s Call For Help One Year On And A Change Takes Place

Just after one year I noticed a remarkable change in Michael’s outlook and his state of mind. It was all for the better. I gradually felt able to read and digest the National Bureau of Investigation Report (NBI), which clearly clears Michael of charges made against him. This record goes on to a recommendation that Fr. Shay Cullen, Michael’s Complainant, be deported on the grounds of him being and undesirable alien in the Philippines. (See report appendix 01)

Michael had written to me in 1998 asking me to help him and I could tell from his first letter he was in a very bad way. He told me of another Englishman, Suny Wilson, who had been “set up” for a crime he did not do and was sentenced to death in 1996. Michael use to visit him on Death Row and spend time together. The Philippine Supreme Court acquitted Suny Wilson, on the 19th December 1999 through the help of Alan C. Atkins and Errol Wilkinson and he had given Michael a small paperback entitled “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, on his release. Michael read this book and was later convinced that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God.