I grew up in a small Mennonite community in central Saskatchewan. I was raised in a place that was full of faith where neighbours for the most part went to school and church together and held a similar set of beliefs and values centered around Christ. I was instilled with an Evangelical faith that embraces a socially minded conscience. Faith and Action go hand-in-hand, with special attention paid to those who have been marginalized by society.I became a Christian when I was 3yrs old. I remember sitting at the kitchen table and talking with my mother about whether I wanted to be a "good boy" or not? At that simple starting point, I knew I wanted to do what was right, even though I soon found out that this was impossible. I quickly came to the conclusion that I needed the Grace of God and the Blood of Christ to cover over my sin and allow me to walk in a place of forgiveness. I know that I NEED Christ at all times in my life, and am blessed by a growing relationship with Him.
When I was 12yrs old, two significant spiritual things happened. First I was confronted with the passion to share a message of hope for the hopeless. I remember seeing a skit performed at Bible Camp about a young girl who committed suicide.
I was emotionally overwhelmed and cried out to God for answers. I asked God "why did this girl kill herself?" and I believe He answered "because she had no hope". Hope is found in the Lord, and although there are many messages found in the Word of God, I believe this is one of the messages God has given me to specifically share.
The second significant thing that happened was that I felt the call to be a missionary. Our community has an annual summer missions conference that the local churches work together on. We come together and help support various projects for missionaries that have left our area of the world to work in a cross-cultural setting. At this particular conference when the main speaker prayed and asked if anyone believed that God was calling them to be a missionary, I responded to the prompting in my heart and stood up. From this point on, I have had a passion and a burning desire to share the hopeful message of Christ. God continues to affirm that for me, this message is best communicated cross-culturally.
These experiences have led to a worldview that sees everything revolving around a spiritual center. I recall as a teenager one of my non-Christian friends stating in frustration:
"Why does everything about you always have to 'be about God' all the time?!"
The answer continues to be "Because everything really is all about God all the time!". The choices I make, the job I have, the wife I married, the children I raise, the church I attend and the digital footprint I leave all starts with a Spiritual consideration.
This is not to say that I am free from hypocrisy because I'm just as rotten a sinner as anyone. I battle with sin and lose. I struggle through sinful addictions and at the same time point to a Biblical Morality that is impossible for me to follow! The fact is on the inside we're all rotten and we all need Jesus. Some of us choose to accept this because God has revealed it to us, while other's have their own opinions.
I've been given so much! I come from generations of Christian faith. I come from a strong community of faith that actively follows a saviour that is alive right now. God has blessed me with a beautiful family and strong connections of faith wherever I've gone. Because of this, I feel the reality of:
To him whom much is given...MUCH is expected.
So, this Blog (and all my social media) is one of the ways I choose to share the message God has given us in general and myself in particular. It is simply another way to say the same thing: Jesus is alive - Hope can be found in Him - We need to admit to everyone that we need Him to forgive us of our sins and save us from the effects of Evil in this world. Jesus really is the ultimate answer to all of life's problems and anyone who turns to Him will never be turned away. There IS hope.
If something in this story is impacting your own story - why not do something about it right now? Life is too short - If you haven't done so already, it's time to turn your life to the only one who can save us. Why not pray this prayer?
Hello God,
I know that I can't do this on my own
I'm a failure and I need you
Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for all the sin in this world - especially my own.
I'm thankful that He conquered sin and rose from the dead and is alive right now - could you please teach me how to follow you? Would you come into my life and lead me with the power of your Spirit?
Send your Spirit to live in me today - I give my life to you.
Amen.
If you prayed this prayer and meant it, tell someone! You are not alone. If you don't know or trust any other people, you can contact me and we can walk together on this journey of Hope. I pray that God will bless you and seal his Love in your heart.
Rob Kroeker
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Twitter @RobKroeker
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