Welcome Welkom Chào mừng Soyez le bienvenu خوش آمدید ¡Bienvenido! Bula Vinaka स्वागत हे
Pastor Richard
Pastor Richard and his wife Lesley have been married for over 45 years. Together they have six adult children and eight beautiful grandchildren. Richard has served in ministry for over 45 years, pastoring his first congregation in Zimbabwe in 1974 . Since moving to Australia in 1981, Richard has pastored several congregations in the Newcastle area and accepted the role of Pastor at Church 4 Life in 1994. Over this time the church has served the community in many ways with church plants and outreaches impacting hundreds of people, showing the love of Christ and creates the opportunity for people to be discipled and active in their faith.
Richard’s greatest desire is that his life would be used to share God’s love, truth and the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus with every person he encounters.
Pastor Ba
Pastor Ba is the lead music minister and a missionary for Church 4 Life. After committing her life to Jesus as a young child her heart for God and evangelism consistently grew. She has served the church for many years, leading the music team, preaching, running bible studies, camps, and evangelism training for youth and young adults. She has also connected with many churches both locally and overseas, preaching and ministering through the arts. She shares the love of Jesus both on independent trips and taking teams with her to places including tours around regional New South Wales, to El Salvador in South America, South Africa, Phillipines, Hong Kong, India and Fiji.
Pastor Ba is also part of Retro Cristo, ministering with the band online, at music festivals and events, praying for people and sharing their knowledge and love for God everywhere they go.
How can I know Jesus?
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Who is Jesus?
The answer to this question matters above everything else in life – because it also makes all the difference to what happens after we leave this life – which 10 out of 10 people will do… Therefore, the answer to this question should also matter to you.
Most people who have anything to say about Jesus, including most every religious belief, will agree that Jesus Christ was a good person, a prophet, a miracle worker, and/or a good teacher – there’s got to be something significant in that, but what did Jesus actually say about Himself? And what does that mean for you?
In John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.”
In western culture this doesn’t seem that significant – but if you keep reading on from there, you can tell by the reaction of the people it was extremely significant – to the point where they were going to kill Him for blasphemy – as they explain in verse 33: ‘because You being a Man, make Yourself God’. Jesus said He was God. This is far more than the things listed above.
Jesus lived a perfect life as a human – this meant He was able to represent humankind on the cross when He took our punishment on Himself, to pay the way so we could be set free. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ The only way Jesus could have lived that perfect life was if He was God.
As God, He could also take on all of the wrongdoings of all of mankind from all history as He suffered and died in our place on the cross. Jesus had to be divine to do that. No human could possibly do it. And if somehow, there was a way that one human could be perfectly blameless, he could only have taken the place of one other person’s crime.
He also had to be divine to come back to life three days later, showing He had the power over death – and opening the door for us to now receive the free gift He offers us of eternal life. Romans 6:23: ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ God’s justice is perfect. It demands payment of death. That’s what we deserve – but Jesus came to offer us God’s gift of eternal life.
In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.”
He specifically tells us here that there is no other way to God. He is the only way. If we want to receive the gift God offers, we must trust in Jesus Christ alone. Not Buddha, or Allah, or any other god – and not ourselves. Jesus is the only Way.
So how does this affect you?
You have a decision to make.
In John 8:12 Jesus said, ‘I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”
You need to decide if you believe in Jesus, and if you’re ready to turn from living your own way, walking in darkness and start following Him. Are you ready to admit you’ve done wrong, walked your own way, ignored and turned your back on Him. If you’re ready to ask His forgiveness and start living the way He says, and trust in Him, He is ready and waiting to forgive you and give you the life He already paid for you to have.
If you decide you don’t believe Jesus Christ is God, and choose to continue walking your own way, He will let you. But you now know that it means you also will have to give account to God yourself one day for all the wrong things you have done – and pay the punishment for that yourself… that’s no party. It is punishment forever. It’s worth at least looking further into the truth of the matter if that’s where you’re at.
Jesus said in John 7:37-8, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’
The incredible thing is that God loves us enough to satisfy his perfect standard of justice through the person of Jesus Christ – the ‘visible expression of the invisible God’ (Col 1:15). He loves us enough to open the door and invite us to walk with Him, the Light of life. This is a beautiful thing!
If you’re not yet sure where you’re at, or maybe not yet convinced, please do yourself a favour, and don’t rest until you’re absolutely sure of the Truth about who Jesus Christ is. We would love to explore things further with you, so please reach out if you would like that.
If you’re ready to turn from walking in darkness to following Him – stop right now and tell Him. Tell Him you’re sorry for doing wrong, ask His forgiveness and tell Him you want to follow and walk with Him from now on. Be assured He is listening, and if you mean it, He will respond. Then please let us know as soon as you can and get to church this Sunday where you can be encouraged how to keep going from here.
We would really love to congratulate you and encourage you with further resources that will help you continue to get to know Jesus better, so please click the button below and send us your contact details to receive more information on what step to take next.
We also invite you to come along to any of our meetings or events and let us know so we can share with you in this new life you have begun!
May God bless you richly as you start walking in His glorious Light!
