Pastor Peter Rahme, the author of 'The Life and Legacy of Mr Eternity', is reminding Christians in Australia the historical happenings on September 23, 1786, which is outlined in his book 'The man and the story behind Amazing Grace'.
"As leader of the Eclectic Society, 'a small group of evangelical clergy and laymen' focused on and committed to 'the practical outworking of the Christian faith' with a particular emphasis on the new birth and the preaching of the Gospel, John Newton approached Rev. Richard Johnson on September 23, 1786 with a visionary proposal to be the chaplain and missionary on the first fleet to the land Down Under," he wrote in his book.
"Newton was crystal clear about the cost involved to embark on such a grand journey, and the call required to undertake such a glorious mission. He wrote: 'A minister who should go to Botany Bay without a call from the Lord, and without receiving from Him an apostolic spirit, the spirit of a missionary, enabling him to forsake all, to give up all, to venture all, to put himself into the Lord's hands without reserve, to sink or swim, had better run his head against a brick wall.'"
"As a result of the encounter between John Newton and Rev. Richard Johnson, God blessed Newton's ministry and enlarged its boundaries from England's banking district to Australia's Botany Bay. Rev. Johnson accepted Newton's proposal, and the rest is Australian history. The Rev. N. K. Macintosh wrote: "Richard Johnson conducted the first Christian service on Australian soil at 10 a.m. on Sunday 3 February 1788….The good Bishop of Botany Bay, as one of his friends (in England) jokingly called him', went on to become 'the first clergyman to minister in the Parramatta district of the infant colony of New South Wales'."
Pastor Rahme outlined three suggestions that he has for Australian Christians as to how they can celebrate and commemorate September 23.
"Christians should firstly express our praise and thanks to Almighty God for His amazing great grace. Secondly, Christians ought to experience God's amazing grace ourselves by making sure that each one of us, trusts Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Finally, we should exercise grace towards others in our daily relationships by sharing the gospel with others today and serving their needs ahead of ours."
Pastor Peter Rahme's best selling book 'The man & the story behind Amazing Grace' is available from local bookstores.
For more information visit: www.amazinggrace.org.au