Jeff Austin

I am nobody, telling everybody, about Somebody, Who can save anybody. I was born a sinner, but now I walk this earth as a prince to the King thanks to Jesus as my Christ. I was born with a kidney disease and it became one of my greatest blessings in life because it helped me understand the depravity of mankind. We are all born with a disease called sin. Sin brings death. Jesus came and defeated death. Not the physical stoppage of life but the eternal damnation of your soul. All people are born with a ticket to hell. Jesus exchanges that bad ticket for a good ticket to heaven if you will just look to Him. Salvation is just that simple. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent on a rod, so the Son of Man was lifted up. Anyone who looks to Him will be saved. If you do not know that reference about Moses, then open your bibles to Numbers 21:9. Jesus references it in John 3:14.

I am a Realtor, a small business owner of a modular general contracting firm, husband for over thirty years, father of two magnificent young men, and 'Big Daddy' to my grandbaby who has not been born yet. I have made three covenants in my life. When I was twelve, I professed Jesus as my Lord. In my youth and as a young man, I was not a shining example of a disciple. In my late thirties, God drew me inside prison ministry and that is where I started to see the Living God in a whole new way. I discovered the love of God that I really never understood. God opened my mind to understand Him. See Luke 24:45 or Daniel 2:30 for what I am talking about because God gets the glory.

My second covenant was when I was seventeen and joined the Texas Army National Guard. I swore to protect the constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic. This is a pledge to die. When you make a pledge like that, you should reflect upon your life here on earth and your eternal existence afterwards. Is life all about money, houses, cars and stuff? Or is it about finding out who I am in Christ? As a soldier, I loved the description of the Living God as a warrior such as in Joshua 5:13-15. Life as a soldier can be tough. Life here on this earth can be tough because this is not heaven. This earth and this life is my desert to travel over until I am called home by my Lord.

My third covenant was when I got married and made my wedding vows. Ephesians 5:25 is my guideline to marriage. It has always amazed me how God uses the marriage relationship as an example of His relationship with His church. Marriage can be tough just like life as a soldier can be tough. Again, this is not heaven. Marriage is simply two people struggling with life issues as they proceed to the next milestone while holding hands. Love is the glue that holds a marriage together. Love is more than just a feeling. Love is an action. Understanding exactually what love is, will be a lifelong journey. This is the same with your relationship with the Living God. Your relationship will grow and develop over time. In your youth, you thought you knew what love was because you had a feeling. That feeling is true, but understanding what love really is takes time. In your old age, hopefully you will finally see love for what it really is. And hopefully you did not mess up your marriage relationship along the way because you did not understand real love. God is love. And I was pleasantly surprised to find out that love is an action. God expressed His love to mankind by giving us His Son. Jesus expressed His love for us by giving Himself which meant setting aside His glory in heaven to submit to His life and death on earth. Jesus agreed to be slain for our benefit and His glory.

He arose on the third day showing mankind the ultimate example of love in action.