The story of Rev Morris Dutch
I met and received Jesus as my Lord and Saviour at the age of 17 on the evening of Saturday 29 March 1969. On my way to meet my pals and have a night out in Glasgow, I was walking up Renfield St. when I was stopped by a girl and given an invitation to visit St George’s Tron (Church of Scotland) Café on Bath St.
In the course of chatting, I was asked if I was a Christian, to this I said yes not realising that attending Sunday School as a child and later very rare visits to a church service on Sunday was not what she meant. Saying goodbye and shortly arriving at the Majestic Dance Hall at the top of Hope St., I was most upset when the bouncers at the door refused me entry.
Bewildered and feeling quite insulted I began to make my way back to the Central Station when I remembered about the Café invitation I had received earlier.
Entering the Café I met a Christian fellow who engaged me in discussion about Christianity.
At that point I became very aware that he had a living faith and also talked about God in a personal way. To my surprise I heard that God not only loved me but also He answered prayer. Wow!!!!
I had never met someone around my own age that could share this stuff with me.
Always believing in God’s existence, I could never understand where Jesus fitted in and it was at this point that I was shown 'The Bridge' Illustration.
Seeing in picture form Jesus’ cross bridging the gap of my sin to bring me into relationship with God our loving heavenly Father, I knew immediately that this was for me.
Arriving home later that night I prayed and asked God to forgive me and to enter my life.
I had a very real inner experience of the love and security of God with me.
What a weekend!
Packing up my tools and putting away my overalls into my big green toolbox at work on the Friday night I entered the weekend not knowing that God’s hand would be guiding everything ahead.
Opening the same big green toolbox at 7.30am on Monday morning was an incredible experience.
As the Apostle Paul said so well in 2 Corinthians 5:17, ‘the old had passed away and the new had come’
I felt completely clean and fresh and knew a deep peace and joy in my heart.
Innocently telling all my mates at work on Monday morning that I became a Christian on Saturday evening catapulted me into the world of sharing and defending my newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a privilege!
Life from that point was a quest to learn, understand and grow more in my new Christian life. Some years later, working in engineering, I began to appreciate that I was actually a Minister doing the wrong job. This realisation eventually led me pursue formal theological study which opened the door to serve my Lord as a Minister of a Church.
“God does move in mysterious ways and His wonders to perform.”
Wouldn’t change any of it for a moment!!!!
Amen