A “nice bloke” living what the world would call a good life had an encounter with God which highlighted the dark reality of his current life versus what his life would look like if he said yes to Jesus.
After saying Yes to Jesus, he was instantly filled with an indescribable love, joy and peace. Followed by an experience of the unconditional love of God and a demonstration of how forgiveness has the power to diffuse anger, hate and revenge and mend even the most broken relationships.
Paul Blanksby speaking. I would like to share my hope story.
When I was young, about 20. I went along to a church because my mum
had basically dragged me along. And at that time, I thought I was a pretty
good bloke, did not smoke, did not drink, did not swear. If I died, I was
going to go to heaven because I was a nice person.
Basically, I went along to church and I saw these people lifting up their
hands and enjoying religion and enjoying church. I asked my mum, I said,
is it okay if I lift up my hands? And she said, only if you mean it? So, I lifted
up my hands. And like that God showed me what I was really like. He
showed me how black and terrible I was inside. And then like that, he
showed me what I would be like if I said yes to Jesus.
So, I said yes. And he instantly filled me with this indescribable joy and
peace and happiness and love. And I have never been the same since. So,
I ask you, what would you say? What would you say? Would you say yes to
Jesus?
A few weeks after that, while my father had left and I was 12 and I was
pretty full of anger towards him, and if he had walked into the church or a
room, I would have killed him for what he did to my family, to my life. But at
a time in church, I was just out the front and I was on my face and I was
weeping and God really dealt with me, really showed me that if I couldn't
love my father that had done this to me. If I couldn't forgive him, I could not
have a good relationship with God as my father. And in that 10 or 15
minutes on my face, on the floor, God took all that anger and hate and
revenge away from me. And I got out there, got up knowing that if my father
then walked in the door, I would go up to him and look him in the eye and I
would hug him and say Dad, I love you and I will forgive you. That is my
story.