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THE
SOLDIER BEHIND 
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from the Good
Report June/July
2000
Page 2 of 4
John
G. Ridley - Australia's beloved
evangelist
The following is an excerpt
from a book on the 53rd Battalion entitled "The Whale Oil Guards" by J.
J. Kennedy, D.S.O., C.F.: "Another
officer, whose influence
for good was immense,
was Lieutenant
Ridley. I do not belong to the same persuasion as Jack's. He is a
Baptist.
I am a Roman Catholic, but I say of him most sincerely that he is one
of
the most perfect Christians I have ever met. Brave as the bravest, cool
and manly in action, Jack Ridley was beloved by officers and men. There
are many chaplains with the A.I.F., but I doubt if any of them has been
a more successful teacher among the men of those virtues that make
mortals
Christ-like and heroic. Would to God we had many more such as he."
After
returning from the war Lieutenant Ridley's life long military ambition
changed focus but not passion
when a friend
challenged him about his direction
in life. He asked John whether it was better to be a soldier for this
world
or for Jesus Christ alone? He chose to be a soldier for Christ alone;
to
fight the spiritual battle of rescuing souls from Satan's kingdom of
darkness
into God's eternal Kingdom of love and light. Not with man made weapons
but by the power of God's word. His heartfelt resolve led him into the
Baptist ministry.
For
some 18 months John was pastor of the Maroubra Church, but he crashed
in
a shocking nervous breakdown, the reaction of war and wound which
lasted
for six years. He then went west as a jackeroo, which led to bush
mission
work in ahorse-drawn wagon
after the call of
Christ, "Cast thy
bread upon the waters and thou shalt find it after many days." 1,000
miles
were covered in three months sowing the good
seed beside all waters.
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