Steve Cherwick

I thank God for that happy day thirty-seven years ago when I was brought through the doors of the Apostolic Faith tabernacle from off the ship, “The Seaboard Star.”

I was a young man who had been reveling in sin, in the big seaport cities of this world, for four years. I wasn’t down and out; I had a job. I played music in the night clubs, the drinking spots, and over the radio stations. But on the inside I was empty and void; I had no purpose in life! I didn’t know what life was about. When the ship would sail away from a port, I would think, ‘Surely there must be something more to life than this.’ And there was.

I thank God for people who visit the deep-sea ships, and I thank God that I was on board “The Seaboard Star” when Brother Art Allen came to visit that ship. Sometime later, he told me that the time allotted for visiting the ships that day was over, but it seemed like a magnet was drawing him to that ship. That was the Lord! Brother Art didn’t know who was on that ship, but Jesus did, and He saw that I had a hungry heart.          

I came to the tabernacle and was told that if I would get honest with myself, pray, and repent, God would save me. I said, “I will put God to the test,” and I prayed, “Please help me. Help me, Lord!” That’s all I could pray, but He saved my soul.

When I got up from prayer, I had that peace in my soul; real joy and happiness down on the inside. I went back to the old ship and it seemed as if somebody had given it a complete paint job. It wasn’t the ship though; it was the condition of my heart. I was a new creature in Christ Jesus.

When it was time for my ship to leave for England I was told, “You don’t need to leave God here in Portland; He will be with you wherever you go, and the Gospel gets better further along.” I had the opportunity to live a Christian life on the ship among the boys I had associated with. They marveled at the change God had made. I did not use tobacco any more, after having used it for twenty years. I was rid of the demon alcohol that ruins so many young lives.

I thank God for His great love and mercy, especially to the seafaring men. I can say that the Gospel is the greatest thing in all the world. God saved me, and He has kept me; over in Japan, in England, in Belgium, and He is keeping me today.

I have had the opportunity to return to the Orient to share the Gospel. I had been longing to go back to Manila where, twenty years before, I had been a merchant seaman in the depths of sin. I had a testimony to give in that very city. When I told the people what Jesus had done for me, they marveled and said they had never heard it like that before. They seemed hungry for more of God and it thrilled my soul. There is a great harvest field to be reaped for the Lord over there.

I love this Gospel. I’ve had a few years now to try it out and I can attest that it is getting better. And the greatest part is still ahead—eternal life! My father, who loved the Portland camp meeting, went on to the great camp meeting over yonder in Heaven and I expect to meet him over there. I have my eyes on the goal and I thank God for the old-time religion.