Recently, Dave Tims (UNOH, NZ) was interviewed for an article about discipleship in the New Zealand Baptist Magazine. Below is an excerpt and link to complete article.
Dave, what is your story with God?
Dave: I’ve always known God, even as a little child: I have Mum and Dad to thank for that. I think I made my first commitment when I was eight years old, but Jesus became very real when I was baptised in the Holy Spirit six years later. Suddenly, my prayer life came alive. Yet by seventeen, my faith grew stale. I was running a youth group and was involved in the worship team, but I just felt that I was missing something. I got involved in Te Ora Hou and Youth for Christ, and it was these groups that opened a new door for me in the area of justice and poverty. At this time, I was sharing a room with a couple of guys who sniffed glue, I was learning about our New Zealand history and the injustices of the past, and I was exploring what Scripture said about the word ‘poor’ or ‘poverty’ compared to what it said about ‘rich’ or ‘wealthy’ – I was shocked! I discovered that Scripture had harsh words towards the rich (and I am included as ‘rich’), but there was compassion and love, God’s heart, for the poor. The contrast was massive. I came to see that those who were involved in Te Ora Hou and Youth for Christ lived what they preached and within me was awoken a strong sense of God’s heart for the poor, and his desire to see justice rolling through our land like a river (Amos 5:24).
It has been almost thirty years since this revelation. My wife Denise and I together have chosen to seek God’s heart and we are passionate to see Christ-justice outlived in neighbourhoods like Randwick Park. We have been invited to live intentionally loving our neighbours (literally) and to share God’s love with our local friends.