Anthony Tell Us!

I was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1965. From an early age I loved to read and write. In year four I learned how to swear and obscenity became a part of my life from then on. At the age of 12 I became interested in drugs. However, after reading about them, I figured the only safe one to use was marijuana. I don't recall ever thinking about the dangers of alcohol. I started to drink at the age of 14. At 16 I developed severe cystic acne and I continued getting drunk as often as possible because it helped me to overcome my fears and insecurities (while I was drunk anyway).

 

At 16 I also heard about Jesus for the first time - actually I had heard about him most of my life but this time was different. The guy who told me about Jesus was a regular guy. He didn't wear a robe like the 'brothers' who taught me at school. He also talked about Jesus as if he had some really good news to share. I prayed with this Christian man while in Hungry Jacks and I asked Jesus to forgive my sin. He did! And the Holy Spirit came to live inside me. Not long after, when I was reading my Bible at home I read the following; 'Narrow is the gate and strait is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it' - Matthew 7:14. I did not continue to follow Jesus at that time but went back to my own way of doing things. Alcohol and rock and roll were the two main influences in my life for the next five years.

 

When I was 20 I came to Geraldton and again I met some Christians. I did not and could not believe them when they told me that they knew Jesus. I asked them, 'what has he done to prove to you that he is even real?' I asked this because I could not believe in Jesus without some good, hard evidence. I began asking God to prove himself to me many times but nothing convinced me that he was real.

 

A couple of months went by and I found myself having lunch with a Christian family. There was a single mum there also - a new Christian - and she told me her story. One night, before she had ever read the Bible or been to a church, she had a dream. She dreamed that she was walking in a cloud with her son when they came to a small gate. It stood open and a loving Father's voice was beckoning to her to come through the gate. It was a very narrow gate and they could only go through it one at a time. As the woman was telling me this a Presence came into the room and God started speaking to me. He was telliing me that he knew me and that he was real and that he knew me five years earlier when I read that part of the Bible about the gate that leads to life.

 

Not long after I knelt on the floor and prayed a simple prayer. I said, 'Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that you di ed for my sin and I believe that you rose from the dead. I ask you to forgive me and I invite you to come into my heart. I thank you that you have done this for me. Amen!'

 

When I walked out of the house that day I was filled with an incredible joy and I knew that there was a God. I was also immediately set free from my alcohol and nicotine addictions. I truly was forgiven. Perhaps this story doesn't do much for you. Don't just take my word for it. Call out to him yourself. The Bible tells us that 'if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved' and that 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved' - Romans 10:9, 13;