PIERRE AWAD
** CONTENT WARNING: some readers may find content disturbing with references to drugs.
"I come from a life that was totally absent from God. A life with no vision or purpose". Born in Melbourne to a Lebanese Catholic family but CEO Christians [Christmas and Easter only] Pierre was youngest of 4. "My dad passed away when I was 6 and I have just 2 memories of him. I never had a conversation with him. I knew nothing about him other than he was well known and respected. I remember when I was about 16 years old, and recently expelled from school, when my brother and I were hanging out at a local swimming pool. He said to me 'Pierre, do you actually know who our dad was?' No I admitted. His reply hit me. 'He was a big time drug dealer'. From that day, because I knew who my father was and what he was about, I felt forced to be like him. I had this innate desire to be like him, to deal drugs and be a criminal. My whole family were affected by his influence and all were into drugs and crime. War crime, Christian militia, drug dealers and all kinds of shady people made up most of my family from both Mum and Dad's side.
"The Bible says that the inequity of the Father's is carried down to the third and fourth generations, I am well aware of the doors that have been opened by those that have come before me. However I am also aware of the promise of God that follows, “He shows mercy unto thousands of them that love Him and follow His commandments.
"I was a drug addict, drug dealer and criminal for 14 years. I was on heavy drugs for 10-12 years of my life. My routine for years was to be awake, high on drugs for 3 days then sleep for 24 hours. This was my life, searching for a high, searching for something to fill me and satisfy me. I would do whatever I could to get what I needed. I was an absolute mess. This went on for years and years. I remember one night looking into the mirror and not recognising myself, I could not believe what I looked like. I could not believe I had fallen that far. I was a mess but that was simply life.
"Throughout all the years of destruction I did have some sort of faith in God, I knew that He existed, I knew He was out there somewhere. Anytime I would call out to Him and ask Him to reveal Himself He would, in small ways but also in big and unexplainable ways.
"I remember one night I was in bed and it was probably the lowest point in my life, I was broken. I said to God, 'I've had enough'. I said to Him 'I need you to put me in your hands and take me to another place. I need a new life'. The next day people were knocking on my door telling me about Jesus. Within days of the door knocking, I was finding things in my letterbox about heaven and hell. People would randomly talk to me about Jesus. I was having these strange and crazy encounters along the way. I began searching and trying to find out about this Jesus. At a pivotal moment I was smoking a joint with a friend and he said to me, 'what do you think about Jesus?'. I went to answer him and as I began to speak, I realised I had no idea what I was talking about. That realisation shook my world, this caused me to start reading the Bible and researching about this Jesus. I searched the Bible for answers and looked at debates between Christians and Muslims and the so called contradictions in the Bible. The more I searched the more intrigued I was and in the searching and conversations about Jesus I attempted to start to live better. I became more conscious about wrong and right. I had so much guilt and shame attached because of the life I had been involved in.
"This went on for months and months.
There have been some defining moments in my life, the first was calling out to God in my bed. I believe that single act of desperation literally saved my life. The Bible says in Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of The Lord WILL be saved.
"Another defining moment was the first conversation about Jesus whilst smoking a joint with a friend.
"Another was an invitation I received to a birthday I did not want to go to. It was at this birthday I met an old friend and witnessed a transformed life for the first time. He was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to attend the birthday. As the night wound down I began to speak with him. At the time I was attempting to live this life with God, I was praying and reading the Bible but I knew there was something missing and it was this conversation with this old friend that confirmed this. This guy was a new person, completely different, full of life and love. It was miraculous. He invited me to his church, I agreed that I would go but later ignored his calls. I knew I needed to get Baptised and take the next step in my spiritual journey but the thought of going to a 'born again church' made me feel a little uncomfortable and I questioned if it was the right thing to do. Was it what God wanted me to do?
"Another defining moment was a night I was at home in the backyard smoking a joint. As I put it out to go inside, I felt a darkness like never before, it was like God had taken His eyes off me. I was terrified. I felt alone and so small and in such a dark world. I started thinking about my life and all the bad and evil I had done. 'What have you done with your life Pierre'? I asked myself. As I began to question and analyse my life I said to myself, Pierre sit down and read the Bible but I heard another voice say ,watch TV or play the PlayStation. I understood where that voice came from, I recognised the voice. I sat on the couch debating with myself about what to do and decided to read my Bible. A friend was coming over and his name was John, so I thought there's a good place to start, John chapters 1 or 2. Then I started to read John chapter 3: 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2:This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him' at that very moment a question entered my mind, 'should I get Baptised, should I go to this born again church' and what I read next changed my life. 3: Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'.
"I was frozen on the couch. I felt every hair on my body stand up and knew God was speaking to me. I lived without Him for so long but I knew I had to change. I knew I needed to get Baptised and go to this church.
"Another defining moment was on the 8th day in September of 2013. When I came out of the waters of Baptism, for the first time in my life I was a free person. I didn’t feel anything in the Baptism. But as I went under clean chlorinated water I heard this voice say 'open your eyes'. When I looked I could see murky muddy waters, although at the time I did not know the significance of this moment. I was prayed I would receive the Holy Spirit and again I didn’t feel anything. It was the next day however when I woke up, I felt so different, all the shame, guilt and condemnation was gone, I was free, a new man. I felt alive and new. God radically changed my life. God transformed my life. I knew what it was like to live without him. I knew. I committed my life to learning about Jesus and sharing my faith. I joined Bible college, joined Bible study small groups and fully immersed myself with this new life.
"His promise is freedom, true freedom, He calls it free indeed. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36
"I’ve come to realise that. The most satisfying thing in life, is being used by God and seeing your life impact others. When you step out in faith and share what God has done in your life, and that person or a family member comes to faith, that is the most fulfilling thing. When you see a life radically changed by God. Its the ultimate victory and in your face to darkness.
"I humbly say that God made me a different person and He has used my life to impact others. I have seen so many of my family and friends come to faith in Jesus.
"I have now Baptised every member of my family, each one has come to believe and trust in God. My brothers, my Mum my 2 sisters, my sister in-law, my family have all come to know Jesus. Relationships healed and the chains of addiction and generational crime broken in Jesus name. My family dynamic has never been so good. They know the power of God's love and by His grace He has transformed their lives.
"We need to open our mouths so others will hear and know of His grace and love for every man, women and child. I choose to live with the attitude of remembrance of where I was and how I lived, to now, how God has transformed me.
"If you are reading this and don’t know Jesus then you need to! He is the only one that can fulfil you, satisfy your soul, lift you out of years of brokenness and darkness and transform your whole world.
"Your defining moment is closer than you think. Just a call away".
Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of The Lord WILL be saved.