For years I had been playing in different Boston based rock bands. Some of these bands were very popular in the Boston area and I was making a good deal of money from being a rock musician.
I always thought that I would be perfectly happy and complete, once I had made it as a full time musician, this was always what I had wanted to do and I always loved playing my instrument and singing. However now that I had achieved this I realized that I still wasn't happy or complete. As a "rock star" I was also fully involved in the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, which included a lot of sex and drugs. These were things that I also thought would make me happy, but they never did, except perhaps for a few moments now and then.
Then an old friend of mine, who used to be in a rock band with me, shared with me that he had become a Christian. This was surprising, since when we had been in the band together he was a vehement atheist. I can remember thinking that he was going to hell because he didn't believe in God and Jesus and that I was going to heaven because I did.
This friend shared with me that just believing in God and Jesus was not enough to get into heaven, but that what was necessary was a personal relationship with God through Jesus. As he shared with me, something inside me just knew that this was the truth.
This friend shared that it was necessary to rely totally on Jesus and what He did on the cross (not in anything that I had done or could do) in order to get to heaven. He went on to share that a personal relationship with Jesus was not only the only way to get to heaven, but was also the only way to be truly happy in this life.
I just knew that this was the truth and that this is what I truly needed, indeed it is what everyone truly needs. So I asked my friend exactly how I could attain a personal relationship with Jesus. He told me all I had to do was to tell Jesus that I was aware for my need to have Him in my life, that I had done many wrong things and that only He could make up for them, and that I wanted Him in my life. My friend also told me that all I really had to do was ask Jesus to come into my life. This is what I did right away.
I didn't feel anything different at the time, but I knew that I had done the right thing and that my life was going to be a lot different from then on. And it certainly has been.
The first thing that I did was to quit the band that I was in at the time. Being a new Christian, I wasn't yet aware of the evils of secular rock 'n' roll music, but I knew that the lifestyle that I was leading as a rock 'n' roller was wrong. Even though this meant giving up making a lot of money and not knowing if I was ever going to be able to play out again, I had complete peace about my decision.
Since then my life here on earth has gotten better and better, I am truly happy now and I know for certain that I am going to heaven. God has given me many new songs to write and these songs make me truly happy since I know that they are the truth.
After about 6 years, God lead me to start sharing these songs publicly, via concerts, Christian coffeehouses etc. God has even made other opportunities available for me to record some of these songs, and other Christian musicians are also using them
Even though this doesn't make very much money, it is infinitely more satisfying then when I was playing in rock bands. Because God knows my heart and because He knows what is best for me, He has given me the very best life that I could have here on earth, and He has an even better life waiting for me with Him in heaven.
I know that this same completeness, and happiness is available to everyone, no matter what their life's aspirations are. All that is needed is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
I believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I believe that the only way to have a right standing with God and get to heaven is by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son.
I believe that the Bible is the absolute truth.
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