The Gospel or the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ is no ordinary news. It is a message that has the power to transform the lives of those who receive it. That very same power has changed my life–from being self-centered and meaningless to a life full of joy and purpose in kn owing God.
My name is Brother Daniel Graser. I was born and raised in Germany. I spent the first 24 years of my life striving after personal success and somehow in the search of what would finally make my life happy and fulfilled. I dedicated much of my time to my studies in Engineering Physics at the University of Applied Science Münster. I spent my weekends partying, drinking, and hanging out with friends. Despite experiencing considerable success in the world and indulging in various worldly pleasures, I always felt a sense of emptiness and longing for a life of significance and purpose that my accomplishments couldn’t satisfy.
All my life I had been an Agnostic. I had never even considered the possibility that there is a God who created us. I was self-centered. I chased after my goals and happiness so much that I often forgot to consider the needs of those around me, including my own family. When I started traveling and went to New Zealand, I started reflecting more on my life. I spent a lot of time by myself and realized that I was in a great predicament because I had no idea what my purpose in life was. If it was just finding my happiness, it seemed a disappointing task because whenever I achieved something that I thought would make me happy, the initial excitement fades away shortly after, and I would be left with the same old emptiness.
But in my confusion and longing for a more meaningful life, there I started to see a light shining: “What if there is a God who knows what is the purpose of my life?” I couldn’t shake off this question until I delved into studying different philosophies and tried out various religious practices, including Buddhist meditations. Unfortunately, none of these pursuits helped me to gain an understanding of God and His purpose for my life.
By the grace of God, when I lived in Wellington, New Zealand, I first encountered the message of the Gospel and met missionaries from the Pentecostal Missionary CHURCH of CHRIST (4th Watch). When I first talked to a Bible student that I met on the street, I asked her right away the question that I have been bearing within, “How I could know what is God’s purpose for my life.” I was invited to join the Sunday Worship at the local church of Wellington and there I met Pastor Florigen Himongala. During the Worship, I was deeply moved and when kneeling in prayer, I felt the presence of God. Pastor Florigen continued to give me personal Bible studies and invited me to be baptized.
For the first time in my life, I felt a deep joy and peace from knowing that there is a God who loves and cares for me. The emptiness that I so often had struggled was finally filled by the all-surpassing love of God. By the grace of God, it did not take long until I realized that God was calling me also for the work of sharing the Gospel. I began to grasp the importance of salvation and was inspired by the sacrificial lives of the missionaries I encountered, who had forsaken everything for the sake of spreading the Gospel.
I left my work as a Software Engineer and decided to become a volunteer for Christ’s mission. Soon, I was allowed to move to Sydney, Australia where Presbyter Olivia Liamzon warmly welcomed me as part of the pastoral staff. I started to go out for evangelism and found an unprecedented joy in sharing the Good News of Jesus. Indeed, in everything I got to do in the Church–whether evangelism, washing dishes, or attending the services–I found such great joy that I wouldn’t have exchanged for anything else in the world. Now, finally I had found my purpose in my service to God.
In 2016, I was blessed to attend the International Convention and personally meet Apostle Arsenio. T Ferriol. It was his preaching about the urgency of doing God’s work that left no doubt in me that I had to enroll and become a full-time missionary. By the grace of God, now I am looking forward to graduating from the Maranatha Bible School International. I still find my greatest joy in serving the Lord and sharing the Good News of Jesus.
The gospel has changed my life completely. The change is so evident that many of my relatives and old friends noticed that I had changed more than once. They would tell me, “Daniel, somehow you look so happy”, and I answer them, “Yes, because I know God loves me’. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a message that carries great power. The power to transform the life of each one who receives it. It has changed my life and has made me a ‘new creation’. Therefore, I praise God and give Him all the glory!