About Jeff Stacey and this website

I am married and live near Sydney, Australia.

As a child and teenager I attended church activities weekly. But Christian concerns were a “compartment” in my life, alongside other things like sport that were my main interests.

I had a personal crisis as a 20 year old university student. It resulted in my deciding to make God my highest priority. I just couldn’t cope any other way. I became a committed, “born again” Christian – a life-changing event. This probably saved me from a deeply troubled, fruitless life. I was surprised by joy! The Bible was suddenly enthralling reading, instead of being boring and obscure. I remember these words of Jesus Christ becoming true for me:

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, they will find out whether my teaching comes from God.” [John 7:17]

Yet for a while I struggled to live out my new commitment. After another crisis three years later, I began to read a bit of the Bible and pray every morning. My living as a Christian then became more stable and positive. I was also more open about my faith.

In my life since then there have been some tough situations and also many wonderful outcomes. Yet my learning to live as a Christian has always been “a work in progress”. Many are better at it than me. But really the only comparison I can make is with myself. God is real to me and I am a changed, better, fulfilled person.

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After graduating in civil engineering (BE) from the University of Sydney I worked as a highways engineer for about 25 years in Sydney and some regional centres in south eastern Australia. During this time I also studied in Sydney at the Baptist (Morling) Theological College and gained a BD(hons) degree awarded by the Melbourne College of Divinity.

Later I left engineering and did part-time lecturing for about 10 years in a theological college and several Bible schools. I gained an MTh degree awarded by the Australian College of Theology and also began developing this website (see “Building this website” above).

Working on this website is an inspiring and creatively satisfying project. The experience has been a bit like John Bunyan’s description of producing his 1678 classic, “The Pilgrim’s Progress”:

More than twenty things which I set down.

This done, I twenty more had in my crown;

And they again began to multiply…

… I only thought to make

I knew not what: nor did I undertake

Thereby to please my neighbour: no, not I;

I did it my own self to gratify …

… Thus I set pen to paper with delight,

And quickly had my thoughts in black and white.

For having now my method by the end,

Still as I pulled it came; and so I penned

It down, until at last it came to be,

For length and breadth, the bigness which you see.

Well, when I had put my ends together,

I showed them others, that I might see whether

They would condemn them, or them justify

And some said, let him live; some, let him die;

Some said: John print it; others said, not so.

Some said, it might do good; others said, no.

Now I was in a strait, and did not see

Which was the best thing to be done by me;

At last I thought, since you are thus divided,

I print it will; and so the case decided.

[Quoted from The Complete Works of John Bunyan (Brantford, Ontario, 1877), page 85. Our old leather-bound copy of this volume is a treasured heirloom of my wife’s family, who are direct descendants of Bunyan.]

So I too have “set my pen to paper with delight”, then said to my website “let it live”! But unlike Bunyan’s masterpiece, my efforts will always be a work in progress.

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Although I am not an ordained minister I have various church responsibilities and continue to be involved with other Christian organisations.

I am now 80 and I thank God my health is still fairly good. Yet some major things are shifting. The energy levels of my wife and myself are declining, many of our life-long friends are in poor health and a few have died. So there’s more thinking about death and beyond. What’s up ahead? How can we know?

Based on the Bible, I know that when I die I will go to live with God forever! I have had this God-given inner assurance all my adult life, because I have definitely accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness and a new life through Jesus Christ. This is available to anyone.

Jesus Christ said: “Any person who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” [John 11:25-26]

The Apostle Paul wrote: “. . . for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain . . . to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” [Philippians 1:21,23]

BUT, since I believe and know all this is TRUE, what kind of a person would I be if I didn’t try to let others know? Often not easy to do, but it is my responsibility. Some find it irritating or embarrassing, even upsetting or invading their privacy. Others have discovered it is enlightening and life-changing, as I did.

In our free and prosperous country it’s all too easy to feel no need of God or give Him any serious thought. This is really sad for fellow Australians, because God loves all people and wants His best for each of us. But only if we want Him and His ways more than our own. He respects our freedom to choose and doesn’t force us to submit to Him. But He “owns the game” and ultimately will hold each of us responsible and accountable for how we have responded to Him.

Obviously, this is very serious and urgent. After all, it’s about GOD, life, death and eternity – and you, and me . . .

Sincerely,

Jeff Stacey