"Peace may be translated harmony - harmony with God is faith"
There is much more to health and wholeness than just looking after the body. We are more than a "meat machine", more than flesh and blood alone.
Tending to the needs and maturity of the mind and soul/spirit parts of our make-up makes us whole beings. Searchers and seekers of the truth have debated, argued and philosophised the state of man since time began.
Teachers and great prophets have come and gone, passing their understanding and principles onto followers who in turn pass the wisdom on to us.
Among all the worlds great religious leaders and teachers we have only one pure unchanging example of right living in God - and that is what we want to share with you on this page.
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important." - C.S. Lewis
Mankind is in a lost fallen state in sin and cannot do anything about it in his own strength and no matter what we do we'll never be good enough. No matter how hard we try, we'll always make a mess of it in some way.
The greatest revelation of all time is finding out that we don't have to come up to some impossible standard or align ourselves to perfection - because somebody else already did that. If we believe that he did that then he welcomes us into exactly the same status that he has with God.
The man who did it was Jesus Christ the son of God. The Bible says that through one man (Adam), - sin, death and darkness came into the world but through one man (Jesus Christ), the way was made to the Father - the God of everything that is, the one creator.
We can see it like this: between us (humankind) and God is a big chasm and no matter how hard we try we can't get across it. We may obey all the laws, and try with everything we have to live as pure and righteous a life as we can. We might have been the greatest, we may be the top long jumper in high school, but if we can't make the distance, even if we miss by an inch, we still miss.
Jesus is the bridge between us and God. He made the way clear to eternal life to those who believe by dying on the cross once for all mankind's sin - all the sin of the world, past present and future sin. Your sin, my sin, everyone's sin.
The slate has been wiped clean.
This doesn't mean that we can just go on sinning like nothing happened or like there are no consequences, no tomorrow ... but what it does mean is that no matter who we are, where we're from, how bad we think we are, or any of the wrong things we have done, God loves us as we are and proved that by sending his own son - in essence his very self - to earth to live here in the flesh, to live here with us experiencing everything we go through, and yet allowing himself to die a sinless death on the cross.
The good news is that Jesus not only died for your sins and my sins, he also came alive again. We can celebrate - because Jesus is now alive and now seated at the right hand of God. He now offers to you the sacrifice that he made in your place.
The Bible says that the payment for sin is death! But the gift of God is eternal life. What this is saying is that we have all sinned, all have fallen short and the ultimate punishment is death... But because of the finished work of the cross we are now free from the law of sin and death. We still die a physical death, but we are reborn into new life which is eternal. As Jesus is resurrected, so are we.
So what do you do to gain this new life?
If you believe in what Jesus has done for you, and you want to have assurance of eternal life, you can pray this prayer:
"Father, I know I'm a sinner and I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me of my sins and transform me into a new person. I surrender control of my life to You today in Jesus' name. Amen"
Do you want to know more? Click here.
"If we do not radiate the light of Christ around us, the sense of the darkness that prevails in the world will increase." - Mother Teresa
And here's another way to look at it:
Think about a cloth - a clean new white cloth. That's how we all began, with the best of intentions, doing our best to please those people around us and grow up like them. As we grow, choices are presented to us and our lives are determined as a result of the choices we make.
Everyone makes wrong choices - does things they knew they shouldn't have, or doesn't do things they knew they should have. Some of us have done this more often than others - but the nicest people and the nastiest share the same burden - we've all made choices that we wish we hadn't - we've all sinned.
That white, new cloth that is the substance of our lives becomes soiled.
Now some people cover up the dirty patches - they may even make a focus of the patch put over the marks. Others try to wash them out, make up for it by doing the best they can now. The trouble is, we can't make the cloth of who we are brand new again - like the innocence and purity of a newborn babe. We all need it, want it, but none of us can do it.
Good news! Someone can! God, our father - the one who made and loves us so much, couldn't bear that we couldn't be close to him because of the marks of sin that separate us from him. He sent his son Jesus from heaven in the form of a baby - a tiny helpless being, subject to the same desires and longings that we are, to live on earth.
As a human being, Jesus was without sin - he didn't do the things he knew he shouldn't; he did do the things he knew he should - following the direction of God, his father. As a man, after travelling around teaching people about the kingdom of God, he was crucified by the religeous leaders of his day.
Nailed to a wooden cross because he taught that we should forgive one another, love one another, encourage and be true to the things we know are right - that's how the son of God died. His blood flowed and his life was given - not taken, given - because he knew a higher law than that of punishment.
He gave his life for you. (and me!) Not you plural, though he did that also, but you singular. You - mother, you father, you criminal, you servant, you lonely, you rich or poor in life, friends or opportunities. You matter to God so much that he made a way for you to get close to him.
Now the joyous part - Jesus didn't stay dead!
Yes - he really was dead - there's a ton of proof. But three days later when his body should've been stinking in a tomb, women who went to mourn found the tomb opened and an angel told them that Jesus was alive. Yes alive - he didn't deserve death and giving his life enabled him to overcome death. It's kind of like a grain of wheat - unless you plant it and it dies, it can't grow and produce more wheat.
Jesus' death was a payment - it paid the price it took to wash the sin out of our lives.
How does this work in with the cloth analogy? Well what if someone told you that you could be born again and become as new and pure as a minute old baby? Start afresh? Get your old rag made new?
You can.
Talk to God - its easy, just open your mouth and say the words.
God is everywhere - he'll hear you. He's been waiting to hear from you. Say - "Hey God," or "Dear God," whatever. "I know I've stuffed up." or "I've done things wrong." or "I haven't done what I should've and have done what I shouldn't have." Get specific if you need to. He knows anyway, and he loves you still. Then tell him you've heard about Jesus. What he did. And why.
"Jesus died - gave his life so that I could sort mine out and get close to you, God."
Then tell him you believe and receive the new life as he promised to give those who believe. "I believe that Jesus is the son of God, that he died and rose again, and I receive him into my life." Thank him.
Some people finish praying by saying amen - that just means "let the words I've said be so."
You're welcome to email us if you want some direction. Or find someone you can trust and tell them you've become a Christian. If you don't want to do either, get your hands on a bible and read it, asking God to open your eyes to the things he wants to teach you. Also, keep on talking to him, telling him your joys and struggles and listening for his answers. You will also find it real helpful to get to a Christian church where others who have been where you are can encourage you.
Do you want to know more?
Would you like a day-by-day source of encouragement and teaching for your new-found faith walk? I suggest you take a look at In Touch and ask for a copy of their free monthly magazine. This has been a daily inspiration to me for a number of years.
Another resource of infinite benefit is a Bible School course developed by my friend Ralph.
May the peace of God and the richness of his blessings be yours as you grow in him.
Andrew and Kiri