Editor’s note: February 11th marks the 40th year that Mike Joens (Theo’s creator) has been in Christ. On February 11th, 40 years ago, in a Marine Barracks, Mike came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  In commemoration of that night, we have asked Mike to share his testimony.

I was a 20 year old Marine in Naples, Italy, where I served as a NATO guard. The truth is, I was a blasphemer of God’s Name and a practicing atheist; that is, my lifestyle had no room for any thoughts about God.  I actually hated Christians and mocked them openly.  To me, they were weird, weak, and despicable hypocrites.

A fellow Marine had shared the Gospel with me on two previous occasions, but I had told him (in hostile terms) to keep it to himself.

However, on the night of Feb 10, at 9:00 pm, I was on Liberty in downtown Naples with my Marine buddies.  We were making the bar circuit that would conclude in the wee hours of the morning.  Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming compulsion to go back to the barracks.  Something I NEVER did.

I got to the barracks at 9:30 and walked straight into the room of the Marine who had shared the Gospel with me. It was like I had a hook in my nose yanking me straight into his room.  He was alone, sitting on the edge of his bed on Liberty night. He appeared to be waiting for someone.

I told him what a great time I was having and just stood there looking down at the floor.  But after about 20 minutes, when I finally looked over at him, his face was wet with tears.  He was sobbing!  Then he told me four words that changed my life.  He said, “Mike, Jesus loves you!”  When he said those words I literally became stone-sober!  This scared me.

Next thing I know he was taking me into another Marine’s room, this other Marine was also a Christian who had just come to the Barracks a week earlier. The two men shared the Gospel with me for an hour and a half.  I had NEVER heard the Gospel presented to me as they did that night.  But of course the Holy Spirit was moving in me in powerful ways!

Finally, I went into my room across the hall to be alone.  The lights were off, the door shut.  I looked up at the ceiling, and I remember praying, “God, if you’re really there, I’d be a fool not to want you.”  Then I got into bed and immediately I was back into an altered state of mind.  God had opened a window in my mind for an hour and a half to hear what His two servants had to say, then He let me suffer the consequences of what I had put into my system.

The next day, Feb 11th, they invited me to the Serviceman’s Center in downtown Naples, which was run by Jessie and Nettie Miller, missionaries to servicemen.  This was a place like a Christian USO, where servicemen could come and receive a home-cooked meal, play guitars or board games, and hear the Bible taught by Jesse.  Truly an amazing place with amazing, godly people serving there.

I was blown away.  The Biblical metaphors for spiritual darkness and light are so apt.  When I walked into the Center that night, I felt as though I had walked out of Darkness into a roomful of Light.  I knew immediately that these men and women were different from me.  They had something truly beautiful.  The men were engaging, the meal was superb. Later Jessie taught from the Epistle to the Ephesians and I was enthralled with the message.  These people had Something that I desperately wanted.

Later that night in the Barracks I came to trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.   It was 11:00 pm on February 11, 1972!

I have never looked back.

Editor’s note: The months following Mike’s conversion were quite eventful. Mike saw God do some extraordinary things both through and around him.  But that, as the saying goes, is for another story; one we hope to share with you soon.

This installment will include our 9th-12th episode. A Day in Prayer, Abiding in Christ, Light Unto My Path, and What is the Church?. It will also include our bonus episode The Good News.

CLICK HERE: Theo Church Edition: Foundations of the Christian Life – $39.99

By: Michael Anderson

My wife and I recently started a new family Christmas tradition. This year we put out our nativity set without the Jesus figurine. Then, on Christmas morning, we will add the Jesus figurine together as a family. So it’s been several days that I have walked past our Jesus-less nativity and I am amazed how big a difference this tiny little figurine (or lack thereof) makes to the rest of the scene. You have Joseph whose arms are supposed to be extended in adoration, but instead he looks like a man who can’t find his car in a parking lot. You have the wise men who are supposed to be approaching with reverence but instead they are waiting around and you get the feeling that at any moment one is going to turn to the others and say “Uhhh, where is He?”. The animals, who are supposed to be bowed in humility, instead look like they collapsed out of exhaustion from waiting. Then there is Mary, whose hands are together as she is supposed to be peaceably praising God. But instead she seems to be desperately begging God for the Promised One.

But the wonderful truth, for which we celebrate Christmas, is that Jesus did come. There was a shocking moment in history when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. It actually happened; the God of the universe chose to be born in a small little town as a small little baby to a teenage girl. Just as that little Jesus figurine gives new meaning to the rest of the scene, so the fact of Jesus’ birth gives new meaning to everything else. Without Jesus there is no Christmas. In the chaos of the season, we must not forget Jesus Christ is the central figure.

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In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul commands believers to “give thanks in all circumstances”. That is, we are to give thanks during/in the midst of every circumstance; even the tough ones. So how do we do it? How do we remain thankful, even in those tough circumstances? When life’s storms are threatening to capsize me in despair, where is my anchor? I need something solid to hold on to and say, “this is why I am thankful to God; in the midst of my suffering and pain, this still remains true”. Fortunately, Scripture provides just that. Here are some truths that we can hold on to:

-There is a God
-He loves us very much
-He is unchanging
-He answers prayer
-Christ died for us
-We have new life through Him
-The Holy Spirit intercedes for us
-And much much more

As we approach this Thanksgiving, believers in Christ can be thankful because these truths will never change. They remain true even when our present circumstances are bleak. For this reason, we can sing to God:

“Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name”

and even sing:

“Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name”
-Matt Redman