Pastor Peter Rahme
I once was blind, but now I see
Lebanese by birth... Australian by allegiance... & Heaven bound.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, into a loving Roman Catholic/Maronite family. The youngest of four boys, my week consisted basically of school, scooters, seeing movies and Sunday church (occasionally I rang the bells).
Summer was a favourite time. For three months of the year our family went to our mountain home in Becharre, located up north from the old city of Tripoli and down from the majestic Cedars of Lebanon.
In the late sixties, Australia was seen as the land of milk and honey and migration took off. So in 1970 my dad and I followed in the steps of my two older brothers Cliff and Elie, who had left Lebanon few years earlier and prepared the way for us to live here.
Our whole family eventually settled in Ashfield –an inner western suburb of Sydney. At the age of fifteen I was back in school learning English and sitting for the Year 10/School Certificate.
Growing up in my new adopted country, music was my comfort and the guitar was my companion. I began to play in rock bands, which led me to a life style of sin, self and sensuality. Usually we performed till late and then spent the rest of the night at some nightspot.
In 1976, I was seriously searching for purpose in life while sincerely seeking to find my path thru music and personal relationships. Trying to keep up with those whom I highly esteemed and looked up to as my heroes, I was turning every which way to follow closely in their footsteps.
On the work front, I was carving a promising career in the sales industry and steadily working my way up the ladder of success. In short I was lost, lonely and looking.
Four months before my twenty-first birthday - on the 25th of March, a most amazing event took place that challenged my desire here on earth and changed my destiny hereafter in eternity.
That blessed Thursday evening I was confronted with the eternal truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The choice before me, from the Holy Bible, was simple and clear:
In the sight of the Holiness of God, I stood eternally condemned and hopelessly lost. But In the light of His grace and mercy I could be redeemed, released and really set free.
That night, for the first time in my life, I realised a truth, which I either had never heard in all of my religious instruction days or it had not registered in my heart before. This gospel truth was simply this: God, in HIS precious word, was graciously and
mercifully extending HIS offer of salvation in exchange for my offence of sin.
In bookkeeping terms - my debt of sin, which is an overdue unpaid account, can be immediately settled upon repentance of my sin and faith in HIS Son.
I also learned that the Saviour when He died in my place on the cross of Calvary had already paid in full the debt of my sin, a debt, which I could not even
service, nor take care of its interest repayment. In other words, God was saying thru His saving word that all of my sin will be put into Christ's account, and all His goodness will be placed into mine. WOW what an offer!
His eternal word assured my heart that, as I turn away and repent from sin and self and turn to and receive the Saviour in sincere faith, I will be saved. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”(Romans 10:13).
Because of my sinful lifestyle, which amongst other dark activities and destructive habits included living in a defacto marriage relationship at the time, I was easily convicted of my need for a Saviour and quickly called upon his name for salvation. That night, as the Spirit of God, through the word of God, revealed the Son of God to my heart, I trusted my soul to the Saviour’s grace and mercy and totally rested in the love of Christ on Calvary. I received freely God’s gift of everlasting life, as I believed his promise of eternal salvation.
In short, according to God’s precious word and because of what Jesus has done for me, I was accepted on the merits of Christ alone, and like millions before me, I too entered into a new and dynamic relationship with the true and Living God.
Hallelujah, Eternity was secured, and my heart rejoiced and gave thanks!
The Lord Jesus Christ is still inviting people, just like you, today. He says: “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”(John 5:24)
The invitation is still open for all to receive His free and forever grace. Do not delay; call on God’s mercy today because the book one day will close and tomorrow may be too late.
You know what is really amazing is that once you are In Christ; His sustaining joy will continue to faithfully
lead you in your spiritual journey until you reach your final destination in Heaven.
The Bible clearly teaches that it is not in, by or through religious works, great talents, sincere feelings, natural abilities, personal strength or any self-righteous act and man-made effort that we are saved by; it is only by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. This is because it is neither from the goodness of our souls nor the greatness of ourselves, it is the gift of God.
The Bible also warns us not to rely on the rite of circumcision or the ritual of christening to set things right with God. The only means by which we can be made acceptable with God is thru the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ.
Therefore do not barter with the Almighty or try to buy His salvation, for if you do, you will miss out altogether on a Father in heaven and meet up instead with a Judge in eternity!
You can confidently trust your eternal soul to Jesus Christ who paid for your sins in full, provided your salvation for free, and promised your security forever.
Your decision here and now on earth will determine your destiny there and then in Eternity!
If you refuse and reject The Lord Jesus Christ, you are choosing to spend Eternity in hell, If you receive HIM you will spend Eternity in heaven and rejoice evermore.
Source: eternity.org.au (used with permission)