I’ve had three conversions thus far.
The first was when I was 14 and heard clearly for the first time the story of Jesus Christ, that every human is flawed. Try as we may, no one is able to meet God’s perfect standard of love – for God and for each other. But because of God’s unrelenting love for us Jesus came from God, suffered, died, rose again from the dead and returned to God. By doing this He created the way for all of humanity to be reconnected in a loving relationship to God, our Creator. I decided then that I believed Jesus is who he said he is. He became my Saviour.
The second was around the age of 24 when I met some Christians my age who had made rather radical decisions to become short-term missionaries. I wanted to be radical too and also decided to be a short-term missionary – right out of university. It was during that period that I realized I hadn’t really made as full a relinquishment of my life to God as I had thought. I needed to, because he deserved it. Jesus had been, as it were, my co-pilot and I needed to make him the Captain. That’s when I made that conscious decision.
The third was when I was 34 and encountered revolutionary teaching about God as a Loving Father. This conversion has in a sense been ongoing because my heart (the real me deep down) is still learning that I don’t have to live as if I were an orphan. I have a Good Father who provides, protects and has my best interest in the centre of his heart. This understanding of God revealed in the Bible is making all the difference in the world to me! I am becoming more comfortable in my own skin. I am less pushed around by the opinions of others. I am living more deliberately in God’s affection for and approval of me as his beloved son.
My deepest desire is that I help people to embark on a similar journey as I did – moving from embracing Jesus Christ as Saviour to discovering God as a Loving Father; from intellectual assent about the truth of the Gospel to radical devotion to the Person of the God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This plays out in a much richer life, full of joy, peace, love and laughter!
My wife, Elsie, and I are happy leaders of a local church in Toronto.
We also travel under the auspices of The Peniel Mission to take the good news of Jesus, the love of the Father and the friendship of the Holy Spirit to the nations of the world. We love to minister transparently, humorously and prophetically using scriptures and sharing our personal stories of encountering God’s transforming presence.
We love movies, good storytelling and hanging out with friends over a nice meal. I have a love-hate relationship with golf. Elsie is a professional watercolour landscape artist.
Contact us if you would like to invite us to minister to your local church or conference. See what we can offer here.