My Walk with Christ
Walking Together in Faith
How My Journey Started
A shot out of the blue, totally unexpected, which changed my life forever.
On a crisp Monday morning in the early 1990s, I sat in my office in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, working as a software contractor. I recall being baffled by my manager, John, whose change included swearing so much. I wondered if he had had a difficult weekend, but soon a startling realisation hit me: John hadn’t changed at all - he was using the language he probably always had - I was the one who had changed.
That morning, I also felt an inexplicable, almost overwhelming sense of love for every single person I met. This shift began three weeks prior when my then wife, Sue, invited me to a church in Winchcombe that her friend Trina recommended. Entering the service felt more like arriving at a concert; the music was vibrant and the lead singer possessed a voice that sounded truly heavenly.
When the pastor, Peter, began his message, it felt as though he was speaking directly to my soul, knowing things about my life that he couldn't possibly have known. I returned the following week, though I found myself feeling restless and disconnected. I nearly skipped the third week, but with no other plans, I decided to go one more time. That day, something profound happened. Seeking clarity, I spoke with Peter afterward. He simply smiled, handed me a Bible, and suggested I start with the Book of John to understand who Jesus really was.
Later that afternoon, I reached the 21st chapter of John, and the truth crashed over me like a wave. I realised this wasn't just a collection of stories or ancient myths; it was historical reality. I had thought about the disciples—a group of people whose leader had been brutally executed. They should have been hiding in fear, totally demotivated yet clearly something happened which resulted in them going out and changing the world to the extent today of over 3 billion followers of Jesus.
They faced persecution and death to share a message of hope. It was in that room where it all started. To my logical mind it just made no sense that a fearful gang, having had their leader so cruely murdered would end up doing such a thing. The shocking truth was that Jesus was truly alive. In that quiet moment, the weight of this truth became real to me. I remember whispering to myself in utter shock, 'This is actually true.' In an instant, my perspective on life was permanently altered. The realisation that the Word of God was living and true was almost more than I could grasp, yet it was the most beautiful and profound thing I had ever discovered.
The implications were enormous.
The Heart Behind the Walk
My journey is not just about the destination, but about the daily grace that walks beside me. I share my experiences and insights on how Christ's love initially made itself known to me and then remains relevant and fulfilling in todays modern world.
I invite you to walk with me in faith.
If you don't have a faith then consider carrying on anyway - you're in for a shock if you do!
The Truth, Love and Faith
Did Jesus Christ Really Walk This Earth?
Discover the Evidence of His Historical Life
Well, believe it or not, there is plenty of evidence to prove that He did:
The Historical Records
Beyond the biblical accounts, numerous secular sources confirm Jesus existed. These scholars are the bedrock of classical historiography and essentially invented the way we record and analyse human history:
Roman Historians:
Respected figures like Tacitus and Suetonius recorded His life in their annals.
Josephus:
This first-century scholar documented Jesus as a miracle-worker and detailed His crucifixion under Pilate.
The Integrity of Scripture
While non-religious history provides a foundation, the New Testament offers the most vivid details. To ensure these texts remained unchanged over two millennia, scholars use Textual Criticism — a rigorous scientific method used to verify the reliability of ancient documents through physical evidence.
Understanding Textual Criticism
This field evaluates authenticity based on two primary standards:
Manuscript Volume:
The sheer quantity of surviving early copies.
The Time Interval:
The brevity of the gap between the original writing and our oldest fragment. A shorter gap and more copies prove we are reading the original words.
Historical Authenticity
Just as we accept the validity of other famous classical works from antiquity (English Literature taught in our Universities), we can place our confidence in the New Testament.
Whilst no sensible scholar questions the works of the secular historians The Bible stands head and shoulders above these great works.
Not 20, the largest number of copies of our classical works, but a total of 24,600 manuscripts - WOW!
The overwhelming physical evidence gathered through Textual Criticism confirms that the records we have today are historically accurate and remarkably preserved.
A Real Human History
The evidence leads us to a powerful and shocking certainty: Jesus was not a myth, but a living person who walked this earth 2,000 years ago, exactly as the scriptures present Him.
The core question is not whether He existed, but whether He is the Son of God. If you are seeking answers, the Alpha Course is a wonderful place to explore this mystery and deepen your faith.
https://alpha.org.uk
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