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Chris Kokenos  ~  Vocals / Guitars / Piano / Songwriting
Jesus changed my life.

I was born in Detroit, MI, but pretty much grew up in Redford. My parents divorced when I was an infant and I would not even meet my dad until I was about thirty years old. My mom soon remarried and I got two younger brothers. My older brothers and I didn't get along with our stepfather and developed a lot of bitterness and anger over the years. They got divorced when I was 13, mom had to work, so we hit the streets.

Before long I was drinking and doing drugs, among other destructive things. I got a girl pregnant when I was fifteen. We had our first son and were married at sixteen. Life went from bad to worse. The drug use increased, I got thrown out of school, and we were absolutely miserable. I began thinking about killing myself to escape the pressure and to punish everyone for what they had done to me.

But, my oldest brother had become a Christian and had been telling us about Jesus. We couldn't believe the change in him.  He was the one that gave me my first beer and my first joint. Now he was going to church, reading the Bible, and always talking about the end of the world. He scared us to death. We'd hide the beers and pot when he pulled in the driveway so he wouldn't have an excuse to start preaching. But, even though we knew he was right, we kept running from God.

After three years of marriage, my wife and I split up, with no hope in sight. I thought life would be better but it wasn't. I began to realize that I really did need Jesus. One day on my way home from work, while listening to a gospel tape my brother had given to me, I gave my life to Jesus, and bawled my eyes out. Man, did that feel good. I felt like a new person.

Within a month or so, Jesus had delivered me from drinking & drugs and my wife and I were back together trying to work things out. We started going to church, I couldn't get enough of the Bible, and life just wasn't the same, it was so much better. God changed me. I didn't want to do bad things anymore. I wanted to do what pleased Jesus. He also started healing me from the deep rooted anger that was inside me. Also, about a year later, my wife also gave her life to Jesus. Since then, we've had two more children and have been serving the Lord together ever since. We have a wonderful marriage of over 26 years, and it keeps getting better. We are best of friends.

If you're running from Jesus, or if you've never heard about Him, I would highly recommend that you consider what Jesus said...

             "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who 
             believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the 
             name of the only begotten Son of God."   John 3:17-18 (NKJV)

           "The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they
             may have it more abundantly."       John 10:10  (NKJV)

Jesus wants to give you eternal life in Heaven and a much fuller, abundant life, right here and now. It doesn't take a fancy prayer and you don't have to get all cleaned up before you come to Him. But, you do need to believe that He is who He said He is and be willing to turn from your life of sin, and then begin a new life of following in Jesus' footsteps. I guarantee you one thing, you'll never be sorry.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He always was and always will be. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect sinless life, then died upon a cross for the sins of the world. Three days later He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father making intercession for the saints.

Jesus loves you, and He is waiting for you to come to Him. He won't turn you away. What are you waiting for???


Chris Kokenos
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