My name is Cesare, and I am 63 years old and from Italy.
My family and I moved to Sydney in 2016. I grew up in a Roman Catholic family, in name only, but not practising. I did not know anything about God and much less about salvation in Jesus. My relationship with religion was to going now and then to church or for special events, such as weddings, baptisms, etc.… I listened to the priest, but empty I went in and emptied I came out. I was trying to fill this void inside of me in the pleasures that this world could give me. Life went on like so many others, in rebellion and against the will of the Lord, but I could not fill the emptiness of my heart. I was dissatisfied and full of sadness. I felt that my life made no sense, and I found satisfaction in nothing. I said to myself, “I’ll get old, and I’ll die, but where will I go? What will happen to me after death?”. At the age of 20, there was a turning point in my life. Some people from a certain church asked my father who owned a private television station, for permission to broadcast weekly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
My father was enthusiastic at first, but later when I became interested in what was being taught, he was not happy and it ended up with me being kicked out of home. These Christians came weekly and read passages from the Bible explaining who God is and why humanity is under God’s wrath because of our disobedience to Him. That we are dead in trespasses and sins and without any hope! However, God, in his great love, has carried out His great plan of redemption for all humanity, and our only hope and salvation is found in Christ if we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. I noticed the love they had for God and for those around them. This love impressed me a lot. I had never seen people who loved God so much and my wife and I became interested in their preaching. They encouraged us to read the Bible, starting with the New Testament and later invited us to their worship services and Bible studies, which we accepted. I don’t remember exactly when, but one Sunday, while the pastor was preaching his sermon, the Holy Spirit convicted me on how I had offended the holiness of God in every way and how I had been rebellious to Him.
I felt dirty and wretched and poor before Him, and I prayed and asked for His forgiveness.
I can say that the Lord totally changed my way of seeing things in life. I will never be able to understand how great God’s love is for me. He died for my sins, and He rose again to justify me and now He sits at the right hand of God as my Intercessor.
43 years have passed since the Lord converted me and gave me a new heart. He has always been faithful and good to me despite my deserving none of His love and grace in my imperfections. I very much hope that whoever reads this testimony of how the Lord Jesus has saved me may take a step towards God, repent and believe in Christ
Think about it!
God bless you.