Are you searching for God? Do you have a reason for living? Have you been searching for a meaning to life? Are you in constant pain? Have you just lost your job? Do you feel miserable? Are you unhappy with your present lifestyle? Has someone close to you recently died? Do you feel suicidal? Do you need PEACE?

Perhaps none of these questions may concern you and you are satisfied with life, being totally contented? I suspect not, for it is the condition of man that he is not contented with what he has. He usually wants more, and is beset with the conundrum of life. What is it all about?

Whatever your situation, unless you have discovered Jesus, or He has found you, you will not know of the riches laid up in Heaven for those whom He loves. Neither will you know of the possibility that those riches could be for you! Equally, it is quite likely you will not know of the torment which awaits those who do not believe in Him! Whatever your condition of life, until you have experienced His love with forgiveness of sins and a clear conscience, you will not know of His PEACE - even now in this life!

To find that PEACE you need to discover the cleansing power of JESUS who died for all who believe in Him, that they might have eternal life. You can know of Heaven in this life, and experience it to the full in the life to come. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (These are the words of Jesus in John's Gospel, chapter 14, verse 27.)

The secret of finding the PEACE of JESUS is to 'hear' God's word, which is the Bible. The only way in which one can be 'born' into this new life of empowerment is by receiving the word of God.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

(John's Gospel. Chapter 14, verse 6.)

How can you find Jesus? Or let's put that in a more correct perspective, how does He first find you? He is most likely to find you when you are at your lowest, just as I was when He found me. I was in an abject, miserable condition of despair - almost suicidal.

All of my life had been geared around getting those things such as money, position and status that most of us are led to believe are desirable. Having spent more than fifty years struggling for these things, and to a certain extent, I had achieved them, I still lacked satisfaction. Yet I was in a stable marriage with a loving wife and children. I owned a house and I had a nice boat. However, none of these things brought real satisfaction, or what people call fulfilment.

At that time I was a teacher, and I experienced a period of high stress which caused a nervous breakdown, resulting in a bout of deep depression. Some of you will know what I am talking about, because you will have experienced the same thing, or will have known a person close to you under similar circumstances. Worst of all, during that period, was a consciousness that my life had been mainly one of self-centredness and I became deeply despondent about my own lack of consideration for others, my outbursts of anger, my frustration at the unsatisfactory conduct of my life.

Some people would call this a 'mid-life crisis' through which many go. They have a time of reflection looking back on what they believe they have actually done with their lives and they sense a dissatisfaction. They know that something is missing. At such a time God often intervenes and reveals the missing element, His Son Jesus. That was my providential experience.

After one of my bouts of anger I was so abjectly miserable and at the end of my tether, not knowing where to turn. I asked God for His help. A few days later, on my way to work as a professional yacht skipper, I saw an advert in the tube station with the words, 'Power for Living'. That was what I most wanted.

I had given up my teaching job which was causing me so much stress and I sought a more enjoyable occupation in which I could be in control. Having qualified as an ocean yachtmaster I had been offered employment as skipper of the yacht Speedwell, operating for the Discovery Dockland Trust out of Brighton. This was a charitable organization aimed at giving unemployed people training in the skills of yacht management. But that week, as I worked on the Speedwell, I couldn't wait to return home so that I could get my hands on the package which contained the secret of the 'Power for Living'.

When I opened the expected envelope I found a paraphrased 'Gospel According to John'.

God Himself had managed the whole affair. He had arranged that I should receive the Gospel when I was confined to my bed, after having broken a rib whilst aboard the Speedwell. The rib had broken outwards, and because of this complication I experienced acute pain. Every breath was accompanied by a stabbing throb. "Why me, God? Why me?" What had I done to deserve this? I had not been a murderer. Since my youth I had not made a habit of stealing, and I very seldom used swear words, but I did dislike certain people and I was acutely jealous of some. I coveted what they had, or I disliked the way they controlled my life, or had power over me. I needed 'power' to control my own destiny. I reasoned I was no worse than anybody else, but God showed me I was a sinner; that I had sinned against Him.

The Book of Romans, chapter 3, verse 23 proclaims, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Confined to my bed and dosed with pain killing tablets I had much time to reflect. What could John's Gospel do for me? Nevertheless, I opened the pages and read. As I read, the more engrossed I became. It was as though God were speaking to me personally. These words spoke powerfully to me. I found that Jesus had died on the cross for the sins of many. That He had been the willing Scapegoat to be killed on Calvary's hill by the very people He had loved, in order that He might give that 'power for living' I so much desired.

I knew He had died for me personally, even though He had done it about two thousand years ago! I knew He had lived that perfect life I was unable to do and that He had laid it down in place of my imperfectness. Furthermore He had overcome death, giving proof He could give me eternal life too!

The force and conviction of this truism left no other action than to confess my wretchedness and sinful nature to God and to ask for forgiveness. There was no waiting around; the result was spontaneous. A great burden was lifted from my shoulders. My pain became insignificant, particularly as I recognized the physical and spiritual pain Jesus had suffered on my behalf. God had rejected His Son totally and made Him my sin and the sin of others.

I had a joy in my heart I had never before experienced. A great sense of freedom and lack of anxiety. It was my desire to give thanks to God and to ask Him for His guiding in my future life. He revealed to me that it was not I who controlled my destiny. I was but like a puff of wind, or a wisp of smoke by comparison with His awesome greatness. It was He who controlled all things, and in His time, He had brought me to Himself. That is not to say that I am His 'cloned puppet', but He has been gracious to make me His 'willing servant'.

In a most remarkable way since that time God has always shown Himself faithful, despite my backslidings, despite my weak faith, despite my poor witness, despite my inadequacy; but He comforts me, guides me, feeds me and attends to all of my needs. He is my Good Shepherd. (Psalm 23)

He has shown me that the true 'power for living' is the indwelling Jesus. He assures me by His word that, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' (These words come from the Epistle of the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 13.) That of course does not mean I can literally do anything, but it does mean that I am enabled to do all those things in the furtherance of God's kingdom He would have me do.

The mission of Christians is firstly to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Gospel of Matthew , chapter 28, verses 19 and 20.)

Their mission is to introduce people to Jesus so that they may know and experience His love, as He has shown His own love to them. This is done by a practical outworking in the lives of Christians - because of their God-given faith. (The Epistle of James, chapter 2, verse 17 states, 'Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.')

Not only does God endow 'power for living', but He freely gives His PEACE to those who love Him. Furthermore, He gives everlasting life to all who believe in Him.

Jesus Himself best sums it up, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John's Gospel, chapter 3, verse 16.)