Wednesday, June 4, 2008

A DAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

I thank God for a new beginning. My life was a mess before I accepted Christ into my life. I had a bad past. I had a great sense of insecurity and loneliness.

[Four photos of Movie World Gold Coast, Australia]

I was born during the Vietnam War so my family moved around to many places in my childhood. When I arrived in Australia, I got involved in a lifestyle of stealing, hanging out at night clubs and I even ran away from home. I felt so empty on the inside because I was searching for meaning, love and acceptance in life, but I could not find it. Many times, I would go for a long walk by myself trying to find a purpose in life. Sometimes I cried in my room because of the emptiness in my life. I found it really hard it when the music stopped and there were no friends around me. Waiting for the next disco party. My next fix.


One sunny day in the summer of 1989, I decided to make a long bus trip to another part of the city. Far away. I was alone again. I was going nowhere sitting on the bus.

Then a thought suddenly dropped into my heart. Find out about God. I immediately rejected this thought. But this thought became stronger and stronger. I went window shopping and on the way home, I saw a church and somehow I decided to walk into the building. The church was empty; no one was around except the receptionist. I asked if I could speak to someone about God. I think she was rather surprised to see someone walk off the street to a church and ask about God.


Then, I was led into an office. A man explained to me about God with a picture.

He said to me that God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life (John 10:10). I said to myself, this is great to have a God that loves me and has a plan for my life. Then he said that everyone has sinned in their life (Roman 3:23). Sin is missing the mark. It’s like a person shooting an arrow and missing the target. We all have missed God’s moral standard.

It really struck me as I reflected on all the bad things that I had done in my life. He continued to say that the consequence of sin is death; separation from God, the bible calls it “hell”. Finally, he said that Jesus came to die for me on the cross two thousand years ago so that I can receive forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. He handed to me his hand watch as an illustration of the gift of God.

Gospel Message in Summary


1) God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our life.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10)

2) The bible said everyone has sinned in their life.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Rom 3:23)

Sin is missing the mark. Missing God’s standards. The consequences of sin is death & separation from God

3) God sent Jesus to die for our sins on the cross

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

4) The gift of God is eternal life

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

Is Christianity true?

I thought to myself, this is a good offer. Free of charge. Then, I questioned him, “What if what you’re saying is not true?

He used another illustration to explain about trusting in Jesus. Before you sit in a chair how did you know that it would support you, you only found out after you sat on it and you discovered that it was good. Likewise you have to take the first step of faith and trust in God and God will prove Himself to you. I said to myself “It won’t do me any harm to try this guy Jesus, if Jesus fails me I can always return to my atheist point of view”.


Walking home a new man

I repeated a prayer with the man to ask Jesus to forgive my sins and be my Lord and Saviour. Immediately, I felt like a new person.

I felt the burden of guilt and shame from all the bad things I had done being lifted from me. I felt so light, like walking on air. Wow, this Jesus thing is working, so far so good. I went home and started to tell my family, relatives and friends about Jesus.

I pray that you will also experience new life in Jesus