Counties Evangelist, Mike Strange, shares how his work at Apple FM reaches people worldwide, and his story of living by faith is just one of them.

“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming: ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock.’” Psalm 92:14-15.

Mike and Su Strange joined Counties in 1989. Over the years they have done many things – starting the Somerset Christian Camps, church planting, running a Christian tent at the Royal Bath and West Show, Children’s missions, etc. Their main focus has been school work, taking assemblies, chairing the Local Authority SACRE Committee responsible for the RE syllabus, and training teachers. Together they set up RE:quest www.request.org,uk which is used by most schools across the UK to resource teaching about Christianity before handing it over to Youth For Christ. The Kindle edition of Mike’s popular book, “Fire Eating Faith” is available on Amazon.

MIKE’S STORY

I was approached by Bob Wood, a Christian presenter on Apple FM to ask if he would provide a weekly “Viewpoint” slot as part of the Sunday Christian “Cross connections” programme. This is an opportunity to give an evangelistic message, often linked to a topic of current interest (see below for a recent example). This is followed by a Christian song linked to the message. Bob also presents weekly Jazz and pop music programmes.

Apple FM grew from the local hospital radio and broadcasts to the Taunton area. It also has a wider audience that listens through the Apple FM app and also its website, www.applefm.co.uk

Some of the station’s statistics for May were:

X (formally Twitter) = 3882 (+6) Facebook = 8328 (+40)
Streaming Analytics – Listener Hours: 9804, Unique Listeners: 4587, Countries Listening in: 108

The website has a listen again button so you can catch up with past programmes at any time.

God Speaks (One of Bob’s radio talks)

The Bible is filled with examples of God speaking to people in all kinds of ways. My most dramatic experience of that happened some years ago when my family was about to be made homeless.

That morning I was kneeling by my bed praying desperately, because time was getting short. I had just started working as a self-employed evangelist with a Christian charity called Counties. I and my colleagues do not ask for money of charge for our work. That is because Jesus promised: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things – the things we need - will be given to you as well.” We call it: “living by faith.”

Well – three months in this was our first big test. Suddenly, as I prayed, God spoke to me. “Do you want my best?” What did that mean? All I could think of was that I needed a house and I really wanted to buy it – not rent. I said – “Yes, God, I do want your best,” knowing that we had no savings and I was living without a salary. I waited for God to say something more, but that was it.

I went downstairs to tell my wife. “What does it mean?” I asked.

“It’s obvious – you have to go into town and buy as house.”

“Are you coming with me?”

“No – God spoke to you, not me. Go on.”

It was a sunny morning as I walked up Taunton High Street looking in the windows of all the estate agents to buy a house without any money. In pre-internet days that was what you did. I felt so stupid. All I had was this unmistakable experience of God speaking to me.

What should I be looking for? I had three small children, so I needed a three-bedroom house. No point looking for less. Eventually, I saw the perfect place. A three-bedroom ex-council house. It had to be the cheapest three-bedroom house in Taunton, but it had a hundred-foot garden and it looked just right. I screwed up my courage and went in to ask for the details and arrange a viewing. “Have you got a mortgage arranged?” The estate agent asked. I thought: “Sunshine, if only you knew.”

That was a Tuesday. By Friday I had bought the house.

I don’t remember telling anyone, but friends at church heard what had happened. Literally, overnight they raised the deposit, and our Christian accountant persuaded a building society that we were good for the mortgage.

Some thirty-five years on my wife and I are still living like that. For us, the heart of the Christian faith isn’t about ritual, good deeds, or wishful thinking. It is about a loving relationship with the creator of the universe, who, Jesus said, we should call “Our Father”.