Owned (2): A Thirsty Faith

"Owned" is a series looking at how faith in Jesus has changed peoples lives. These are real testimonies to the power of God!

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home but my parents sent me to a Christian school (I think because they thought I would get more ‘discipline’ there). At high school I heard about Jesus, believed I needed forgiveness and he was the only one who could provide it …. But I didn’t want to trust or follow Jesus. I thought: if I follow Jesus, I won’t be able to have fun anymore, I can’t drink with my mates and party and God would just crowd my style. As a result I went through high school and my early university days doing what I wanted. Partying hard, pursuing sport and trying to find fulfilment in doing what everyone else was doing. But as a result, I woke up every morning after a big night feeling empty, dirty and wondering why I am on earth, what is my purpose, what happens when I die and all the ‘big questions in life’.

Around this time I met a guy at university who was a follower of Jesus and he told me the Bible had the answers to the questions I was asking. We studied the Bible together and I learnt that God created me, loves me and wants a relationship with me. One day I was at a conference and the speaker described what Jesus went through so I could be forgiven, that God sent his only Son Jesus to die for me, in my place. That he rose from the dead and is coming back to as the judge of the world. I felt like God was speaking to me that night in my Spirit, telling me he loved me, wanted to forgive me and start a relationship with me, but I had to ask for forgiveness, turn back to him and put my trust in him. That night in a cow paddock at Richmond I told God I was sorry for ignoring him and treating him like dirt. I asked him to forgive me and to come into my life. I felt such joy and peace come over me like I have never felt before. I felt Gods presence so strongly, like he was right there with me.

That night changed my life forever. I have now being following Jesus for 8 years. Those years have been full of joy, sorry, confusion, loving God, walking away from God, falling back into sin, repenting and everything in between. Throughout this God has stood by me, showed me mercy and grace and loved me. It is the most wonderful thing in the world to live life with the God of universe on your side.

Resource Review: The Case For A Creator

To order this product:
Click Here

During his academic years, Lee Strobel became convinced that God was outmoded, a belief that coloured his ensuing career as an award-winning journalist at the Chicago Tribune. Science had made the idea of a Creator irrelevant - or so Strobel thought.

But today science is pointing in a different direction. In recent years, a diverse and impressive body of research has increasingly supported the conclusion that the universe was intelligently designed. At the same time, Darwinism has faltered in the face of concrete facts and hard reason.

Has science discovered God? At the very least, it's giving faith an immense boost as new findings emerge about the incredible complexity of our universe. Join Strobel as he re-examines the theories that once led him away from God. Through his compelling and highly readable account, you'll encounter the mind-stretching discoveries from cosmology, cellular biology, DNA research, astronomy, physics, and human consciousness that present astonishing evidence in The Case for a Creator.

448 pages
Price: Approx. $8


A DVD is also available. Has science discovered God? Join investigative journalist Lee Strobel as he examines how the mind-stretching worlds of cosmology, cellular biology, DNA research, astronomy, physics, and human consciousness all present astonishing evidence for the Creator God.

Price: Approx. $19.95

To order this product:
Click Here

Owned (1): A Rocker’s Faith

I’d like to share with you the story of how I came to be a Christian. I hope you find it interesting, I hope it helps you to get to know me more and I also hope it helps you to continue thinking things through so that you too might come to know God. Every Christian has their own unique story of how they came to know God. This is mine.

Regular Young Aussie Guy

Before becoming a Christian I was, in most ways, a regular aussie guy. I had almost no interest in God or Jesus or Church, prayer, religion and so on. And not surprisingly, I had almost no understanding of what being a Christian meant. For me, the thought of God rarely entered my mind; he wasn’t on the radar of my life. I didn’t know Him, I didn’t seek Him and no-one came and told me about Him. I assumed that if he was there, he wasn’t worth paying any attention to, because no-one else seemed to, and so I just continued living life my own way, giving God the cold shoulder & ignoring him.

As a result I drifted through life; through school & sport, uni & relationships, work & music without much direction or purpose. As far as I could see, that was all there was to life. So I just went with the flow – what else was I going to do?

My Problem

But I had a problem. Life was lacking something; I was not satisfied, I was not content. Most things didn’t seem very worthwhile to me. My attitude towards things was often, “What’s the point? That’s not important! Why bother? That doesn’t matter!”. I had a desire to live a meaningful life; I had a thirst for purpose in life. But I didn’t know where to find it. As a result, I could be negative and unmotivated.

However, most people who knew me, wouldn’t have known I felt like this. I still got on with life, got my assignments in on time, earned money, went to parties, had friends… but underneath the surface, I remained unsatisfied with life. Even with music.

Music

For a long time music was a massive part of my life. In fact, playing guitar was the main reason I got out of bed in morning. My weeks consisted of practising, jamming, teaching, writing, recording, rehearsing, improvising and performing. I was doing what I wanted to do. I was flat out with all the musical activities I had filled my life with. I had made music the very centre of my life. And for a time there, I thought, ‘this is great’. But it didn’t last. I became less and less satisfied with music. I had become too ‘serious’ about music because I made it into something it was not meant to be. If music was ever unenjoyable, consequently, almost everything in my life became unenjoyable. So my passion for music began fading. Little did I know at the time, that I was not made to have all my desires met just by music. But I didn’t know where else to turn. So I just kept picking up the guitar, only to be disappointed again and again. This problem turned out to be a good thing.

Brothers invite

One day my brother invited me to church. It wasn’t the first time he’d invited me. I’d said ‘no’ to him plenty of times previously, but this time, I agreed. And to be honest, I only really agreed because I knew he wanted me to go. That and I had the time to go. If I had of been flat out with music, I might of said no again. But that wasn’t the case. So I decided to do my brother a favour and let him take me. And you know what? It wasn’t all that bad. It was all new to me; I didn’t understand everything in the sermon, and it seemed a bit odd that they sang about unusual thing like, ‘the blood of Jesus’, and I was a bit worried someone might corner me and interrogate me – but otherwise, it was alright. I met some of the people and they were alright. So I went back the next week, and the next, and the next… I wasn’t exactly sure why I wanted to go, but I did.

After about six weeks, I decided to go to something the Church was running called ‘Christianity Explored’. Again, I wasn’t even sure why I wanted to go, but I did. I always looked forward to it. Each Wednesday night for 7 weeks people would meet to sit around tables, share a meal together, listen to a talk and discuss what Jesus said in the book of Mark. This is how I came to learn about Jesus. It was as I read about him in the Bible with other people helping me and talking with me. Later on, I realized that the other 6 people sitting around the dinner table were already Christian. It occurred to me that for 7 weeks these Christians were turning up every week, for little other reason than to help me get to know Jesus. They consistently gave up their time on cold nights to share the good news of God’s forgiveness with me. I am still good friends with some of these people today.

Now, at the end of Christianity Explored I gladly agreed to join something called a ‘bible study’. I was too shy to let on that I was actually really glad about this, so, I kind of just said, ‘ok’, but inside, I was secretly disappointed that it wasn’t starting until next fortnight. Again, I didn’t know exactly why I wanted to go, I just did.

Prayer

It was during this time I began praying to God. It was a bit awkward, not having really prayed much before, but I’m glad I did. I asked God to help me believe in him and to take control of my life. I didn’t have any amazing dreams or vision, but you know what? He answered my prayer.

Bible reading

Reading was something I didn’t like and rarely did. Even if I was interested in whatever the subject was, I would rather watch a video or just have someone tell me. But for the first time in my life I was choosing to read on a regular basis. I had a new found desire to read the bible. And thankfully, at that time I was single, and my only job was guitar teaching – so I wasn’t too busy to make this change.

Looking back

As I look back now it amazes me how much happened over those 2-3 months since I went to Church with my brother. I realize now that I wasn’t the active player in the story. God was. Normal 24yr old aussie males don’t just wake up one morning and say to themselves, “hey I think I’ll just start going to church, and reading the bible, and looking into Christianity, and praying and believing in Jesus, and following him and…”.

But that’s not actually what a Christian is. See, if I left it here you might think a person is a Christian just because they go to church, read the bible and pray. It’s possible to do all these things and still not be a Christian.

What it means to be a Christian

This is what it means to be a Christian. I am a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ died for me. He died in my place, to take the punishment for my sin. And by believing in Jesus Christ I am completely forgiven by God and accepted by Him as one of His very own sons. And I am confident that I will be welcomed into eternal life, where I will live forever with God and his people. My life is now filled with the meaning and purpose of and loving God and living for him.

And being a Christian means that I know God loves me because he sent his dearly loved son Jesus to die for me, so I could be reconciled with God. God loves me even though I don’t deserve it. Even though I ignored him, disobeyed him and lived life my own way without him for such a long time, he still forgives me for everything and never stops loving me.

Being a Christian does not make everything easy. I still have to battle sin and temptation everyday, but God helps me to overcome sin. Now that I know the truth that is in Jesus I would not trade being Christian in for anything. With Gods faithfulness to me I know I will be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ until the day I die.

Resource Review: Bright Lights Dark Nights

There are many Christians who are in the public eye. Simon Smart has put together a great book that details the impact Jesus has had on the lives of the famous.

Stories have a way of getting under our skin; they are especially powerful in illuminating life's deepest questions and struggles. This is particularly true in the area of faith. Where a carefully constructed theological explanation of God's existence may leave us cold, one person's account of extraordinary endurance challenges our convictions and stirs our imagination.

In the exciting new book, Bright Lights, Dark Nights, we talk with 13 remarkable Australians and share in their personal stories of faith. Two renowned doctors, a judge, two professional sportsmen, a television newsreader, a policeman, a former prisoner and his wife, a court chaplain, a soldier, the head of an aid organisation, and a mum to many. Some are well known and highly respected; others just 'ordinary' people whose stories you'll never forget.

This book will encourage you to persevere and inspire others to believe.

Contributors:
Tim Costello
Assoc. Professor John Yeo
Carolyn Stedman
Justin Langer
Justice John Gilmour
Major Joyce Harmer
Cameron and Rachel Watt
Andrew Scipione
Leigh Hatcher
Aaron Baddeley
Brigadier (ret.) Jim Wallace
Professor Bruce Robinson

165 pages, Paperback
Price: Approx. $19.96

Resource Review: God’s Undertaker

Does Science and Christianity match up? Are they at odds with each other? Is there any proof for a creator God? Professor John Lennox is a highly qualified Scientist and Mathematician who has debated the likes of Richard Dawkins on topics including the existence of God. God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God is an extremely interesting book, which is also available in DVD format.

Evaluates the evidence of modern science in relation to the debate between the atheistic and theistic interpretations of the universe, and provides a fresh basis for discussion.
Chapters:

• War of the worldviews
• The scope and limits of science
• Reduction, reduction, reduction...
• Designer universe?
• Designer biosphere?
• The nature and scope of evolution
• The origin of life
• The genetic code and its origin
• Matters of information
• The monkey machine
• The origin of information

The book has grown out of the author's lengthy experience of lecturing and debating on this subject in the UK, USA, Germany and Russia, and has been written in response to endless requests for the argumentation in written form.

222 pages, Paperback
Book Price: Approx. $9.95
DVD Price: $19.95

Who was Jesus (1): He is God, the Big Man Upstairs

No other man in person history has made as much of an impact on society as the man Jesus of Nazareth. He has captured the hearts and minds of billions upon billions of people. But why is Jesus so influential? Was it his teachings, or was it his miracles, or was it his sacrifice or was it something even more profound? Today we start a new series that will investigate: Who was Jesus? There are many fantastic resources available to aid in your investigation, which I will alert you to in the forthcoming weeks.

Jesus of the Religions

There are many popular interpretations and constructions of Jesus. Jesus has made appearances on South Park and The Simpson’s. Famous icons like Kanye West and Green Day have sung about Jesus. Leonardo DaVinci has painted about Jesus, leading conspiracy theorists like Daniel Brown to write interesting fiction about him. It is always interesting to see how most people are easily influenced to adopt new perspectives about Jesus, i.e. Jesus the husband and father, without any thought or investigation. I know because I was one of these people.

Liberal “Christians” claim that Jesus was merely a good man. The Jehovah’s Witness believe that Jesus is the Archangel Michael, a created being. New Age spirituality, Buddhism and Hinduism label Jesus as either an enlightened man, someone to be admired, or a god- one of many. Some people believe that Jesus learnt black magic in Egypt between his childhood and the commencement of his ministry. Islam teaches that Jesus was a great prophet but not God. There are many broad ranging views about Jesus and to be honest, some are very questionable with thorough investigation. I remember saying to my friend, “The problem with Christians is that they worship Jesus too much, isn’t it [Christianity] about God?” Have you ever taken the time to investigate Jesus for who he really is? I believe the best way to discover who Jesus really is, is to explore the Bible.

Jesus and the Bible

Jesus, throughout his ministry, claimed emphatically that he is God, come down from heaven to rescue sinners from hell. This claim found mixed responses from those who heard, ranging from crowds of joy to religious officials plotting to murder him. You might be thinking ‘where is the evidence for Jesus divinity’? Let’s look at some passages from the bible.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made........ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth......... For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known (John 1:1-3,14,17-18). This word is God who became a man, the Son who is Jesus. Let’s continue!

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

I and the Father are one.’ Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ‘We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’ (John 10:30-33) Now we know that the bible clearly states the Father is God, but here we see Jesus (the Son) claiming to be equal with God, therefore making the assertion that he is God.

Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27-28). Thomas, after observing the evidence of Jesus resurrection, bowed down and worshipped him as the living God.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son [Jesus], whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:1-3).

I could go on for days but to crystallize this evidence, check out the following video from Mark Driscoll:



Jesus “I Am” statement correlates with God’s statement to Moses in the Old Testament, when God told Moses to tell the Egyptian Pharaoh that “I Am” had sent him. Jesus here is emphatically stating that he is God; the God that spoke to Abraham and Moses!

Jesus and History

Outside of the bible there is evidence to support the claim that Jesus is in fact God. Great historian Josephus, claimed that the early Christians met on Sunday’s to sing praises to their God, Jesus. Stone engravings from early churches dating back to the early 1st, 2nd and 3rd centuries have carved messages stating that Jesus is the one and only God- the picture to the right Inscription reads “Akeptoys who offered this table in memorial of the God Jesus Christ” (Centre for Public Christianity; from Life of Jesus). The fact that millions of Christians were willing to be slaughtered for the belief that Jesus is God stands as an outstanding testimony.

The claim that Jesus is God is without doubt a profound statement. If Jesus is God we must pay close attention to what he says? Furthermore, I believe that it is our responsibility as humans created by God to seek him.

We have all sinned against God (see Christians Believe 2) and therefore have offended him. The only way for our pardon is for God himself to pay our debt. In other words, let’s say that you committed a crime; maybe you stole a car and were caught by the police. You would answer to a judge who would fine you a certain amount of money. As you are escorted out of the courtroom the owner of the car stands up and calls out, I will pay the fine. You wronged the owner by stealing his car and rightfully, should pay the fine but instead, the owner pays your fine for you; in this way we have all wronged God by living a life apart from him and our sentence is death. God, who loves us, steps out of heaven to come to earth to pay the fine in your place (his death instead of yours). Only God can pay our fine; therefore only through faith in Jesus can we be saved from death and the righteous wrath of God. I call you to turn to Jesus today!

Noah and the Ark

For hundreds of years, scientists and historians have searched for evidence of Noah’s Ark. Recently, an archaeological find was made of a possible evidence for the ark dating back thousands of years. If you are interested, here is a link for more information: Noah’s Ark (I don’t necessarily agree with everything at this site, but it is interesting and compelling!)

There are many funny stories made about Noah and here is another:

Noah's Ark: Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark .

ONE: Don't miss the boat.
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Before we go on, I recommend you read what the Bible has to say about Noah: Genesis 6-8

The ten points above, concerning Noah, raise a few interesting things:

Firstly, don’t miss the boat. The Bible clearly states that this world will be ended by God and we will all face judgement. Our only hope is in Jesus (i.e. the boat-simplistic illustration)!

Secondly, don’t listen to critics. I have been a Christian now for three years and the amount of people who claim the bible isn’t true or Jesus didn’t exist or evolution disproves God, is incredible. If you know the truth, then why would you settle for a lie- i.e. a life away from Jesus. Press on in Jesus, or jump on the train with Jesus.

Finally, if you have a relationship with Jesus, no matter what happens, your life today and in the future will be filled with purpose, i.e. to live for the God who created you! Therefore, there is a “rainbow” waiting. All the hard times mean something, fighting for those whom you love.

For the record, I believe the account of Noah is true as is everything claimed in the bible. God showed grace to Noah and gave him a mission. He built the boat and those who trusted God were saved from the flood. Our salvation is on offer through Jesus, turn and trust in him. Don’t merely give lip service but literally jump on the boat!

As I research science and history, my assurance of God and salvation through Jesus is affirmed. Don’t merely take on popular ideas without investigating. As the Bible says, faith come through hearing, so use your mind and deep into the truth. I tell you this, heaven will amazing and I hold it out to you in the death of Jesus in your place. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son (Revelation 21:7).

Don’t waste this life. Find the truth, which is in Jesus! Believe me, it is all worth it!

Resource Review: Life of Jesus

Have you ever considered the historical and real Jesus? Do you believe that Christianity is a myth with no historical proof? The Life of Jesus is a fantastic resource that aims at examining the tangible evidence of the existence of Jesus, his death and resurrection. This is a must!

What really happened back in the first century, in Jerusalem and around the lake of Galilee, that changed the shape of world history? Who is this figure that emerges from history to have a profound impact on culture, ethics, politics and philosophy? Come with historian John Dickson on this six-episode journey through the life of Jesus, from birth to his reported resurrection. Shot on location in Israel, the Life of Jesus documentary includes 25 bonus conversations between John Dickson and Greg Clarke about the philosophical and personal issues arising from Jesus' life and teaching.

Price: Approx. $24.95
There is also a book available by John Dickson on the “Life of Jesus”

New Church in Botany

Please be in prayer for Kurt Peters and the new Church he is planting in Botany. As you may know, churches are an integral part of the Christians life. It is our family and where we meet to celebrate the work of Jesus in our life (see Christians Believe 5; Love; Fellowship).

I absolutely love 1 John 1:1-4:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

We can have an unbreakable relationship with God and each other because of what Jesus has done on the cross for us! So let’s celebrate this fact and pray for the new church Jesus is planting in Botany.