Making Waves
Pastor Demitri's Testimony
One of the greatest privileges any child can have in life is the blessing of being raised by godly parents. This was the privilege I enjoyed as the eldest of three children born to my parents, Constantine and Lorna Nikiforos. Like the young pastor Timothy, I was taught the word of God from an early age and grew up in a home where both my mom and dad loved the Lord and loved each other.
Demitri and daughter, Shiloh.
Growing up in Alexandria, Egypt, and later immigrating to South Africa in the 1950's, my dad was raised in difficult circumstances. His father was a drunkard and a gambler, and money was often scarce and food in short supply. Furthermore, World War II was in progress and Alexandria was being bombed by the German Luftwaffe; air raids took place almost nightly. However, it was in these difficult times that my father came to place his faith in Christ.
At the age of six, I followed in my father's footsteps, and personally received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. At the time I was taking a bath and called for my mother to lead me in praying the sinner's prayer. Although it was an unusual place to be born again, the Lord truly heard my prayer and from that moment I was a brand new child of God!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17
From the moment I received Christ my eyes were opened and I began to grow in my relationship with Jesus. All through my childhood and into my early teenage years I continued to seek the Lord, growing in my knowledge of His Word.
However, all was not smooth sailing. At the age of sixteen my focus slowly began to turn from the Lord and onto a newfound love in my life: surfing. Growing up in Cape Town, I have always enjoyed the outdoors and especially the ocean, and I began to dedicate all of my free-time to surfing. As I grew older and advanced in the sport, my passion intensified, and although I would not admit it at the time, surfing was an idol to me, standing in the way of my love for Christ.
"Nevertheless I have this against you,
that you have left your first love."
Revelation 2:4
While my love for surfing was a major challenge to my faith, it was by no means the only obstacle in the path of my commitment. In 1987, after graduating from high school, I left home and joined the navy. With no forewarning, I found myself falling headlong into yet another serious sin: Friendship with the world. As one of the only Christians on the military base where I served, I started socializing with unbelievers, and slowly began to imitate their immoral ways. No longer seeking to live my life according to God's righteous standards, I was a lukewarm Christian no better off than those to whom James declared: "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." - James 4:4
In 1989 I left the navy, took a year off, and then went to college for four years to study engineering. All along, I continued to practice my pet sins, putting surfing before Christ and befriending the world. However, over time I began to see the emptiness of my ways and like the Prodigal Son, I yearned more and more to be back in my Father's arms. Feeling disillusioned and helpless, I cried out to the Lord, asking Him to deliver me from my awful sins and bring me back into His presence.
Thankfully the Lord heard my prayer and sent someone to help me get back on track. His name was Roy, a close friend and fellow-surfer who was also an on-fire believer. Roy challenged me to sacrifice my surfing and go all out in my commitment to Jesus Christ. On April 4th 1993 I responded, and on my knees I confessed my sin and yielded my life fully to Christ. At the time it was as though a huge weight was lifted off me. I began to experience afresh the joy of forgiveness the Bible speaks of, and once again I sensed God's presence in my life.
In yielding myself, I also gave up my surfing to the Lord; but in that same year He gave it back to me. This time, however, I desired to use my sport for God's glory, and not my own. In 1994 Roy and I started a national surfing ministry, Christian Surfers, and began to hold regular beach outreaches and Christian surf camps. The Lord's blessing was upon us, and over the years many young surfers came to faith in Christ. As the ministry continued to flourish and grow, I eventually quit my job in 1995 and became a fulltime "surfing missionary" until 1997, when Karen and I were married.
After our marriage came a new calling. As newlyweds, both Karen and I sensed God's Spirit leading us into a life of fulltime service. At the time we realized that we needed to equip ourselves for ministry, and enrolled at a Bible college in California. Completing our Biblical studies degrees, we returned to South Africa in 1999 and started the church I presently pastor in Cape Town, Calvary Chapel Christian Fellowship.
As I look back on all that God has done in my life, I am eternally grateful to Him for His great faithfulness and lovingkindness toward me. In so many ways my life resembles the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son who foolishly left his father's house and squandered his wealth in a faraway city. Later on, he came to his senses and returned home. Expecting the worst, he was pleasantly surprised when his father saw him, ran to him and received his wayward son back with open arms! What a powerful picture of God's grace this is, and one that truly touches my heart as I see my life through the eyes of my Saviour Jesus.
"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet... For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
Luke 15:21-24
Why not...
