Rapid Life
their Lord and Saviour soon. During his tenth grade as an unbeliever Abraham Job was not a boy who respects Christians. He made it his mission to mock at Christians those who share the Gospel to him, even though he was studying in a Christian school. He had an infatuation, but the girl rejected her. He became sorrowful and started smoking. He used to smoke various brands of cigarettes. He took it as a job to tempt Christians also. He managed to get through tenth grade. The few things that he never did in his life include getting drunk, sex, taking drugs; he never did these since he felt he shouldn’t ruin the reputation of his dad. His dad was a man well known among the society because of his uprightness. During eleventh grade Abraham had lung agitation. He was diagnosed and he felt that he might be developing tuberculosis which might lead to cancer. The lung agitation became severe, and he wasn’t able to drink or eat anything casually. His food pipe was also affected. Abraham Job tried enough to quit smoking but he couldn’t. In spite his parent’s advice he continued to smoke.
But he always had many thoughts about God, the universe. He was already reading many religious books to find few answers. He wasn’t convinced, he felt everything lacked the substance, and felt that he was not worthy to know about God. Sometimes he even justified that there was no God. But he couldn’t prove himself that he is an atheist. He tried yoga, meditation, he found that yoga might solve physical problems, but it will not provide any solution to spiritual problem.
Finally he touched a New Testament which was gifted to him by his tenth grade teacher. He hesitated to open the New Testament. The Holy Bible was the only book which he hated. He opened the New Testament and started reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. He found that no other gods had a genealogy. And he found it good to read the Bible. Within 3 weeks he started to read the Gospel according to John. And then he met his Christian neighbour. And they explained him from the Bible, that he can’t do anything to save himself, and he could be saved only by grace and through faith in Jesus Christ.
He was reading the Holy Bible as usual, and read John 3:16. For the first time in his life he experienced love. He realized that he shouldn’t have cursed Jesus Christ. He then repented of his sin and received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. He understood what it is meant to be born again. One day when he prayed to be healed of lung agitation; he received the healing power of Jesus Christ immediately. And he started to hate smoking. He never touched the cigarette again.
He started praying and he enjoyed the Bible. He was not allowed by his parents to go to any church. But he would manage them and attend church whenever possible. He finished his high school with good grade. He finished his graduation successfully and started working. He had the freedom to attend church while working.
Abigail heard everything that Abraham Job said patiently. She had already said her testimony in the music college several times. She was in her early teens, and she felt that she had come short of the glory of the Lord. Any thought against the Almighty God was sin according to her. She was angry with God during her early teen age, as she used to think that it’s God’s fault that her friend committed suicide. Later, during a church service while listening to a message, she realised that it’s not God’s fault, and she learned that the Bible never encouraged suicide. She confessed her sin, and received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour.
Abigail’s dad arrived, and she introduced Abraham Job to her dad. Abraham Job and Abigail became friends. And Abraham Job invited her for his birthday, which was five days before the music concert. And Abigail said that she was in love with him on his birthday.
Music Concert
Everyone arrived early for the concert. Some tickets were sold online, and people started coming and buying tickets. The seats were almost full. Abigail had invited a Pastor to deliver a message, and he had promised her to deliver a message on the love of God. But he informed that he was busy and not coming. Abigail was nervous. She asked the musicians whether anybody could deliver a message on the love of God. Everyone hesitated. It was already mentioned in the schedule that during the concert a message on the love of God would be given.
The concert was about to start within fifteen minutes. Abraham Job said to her that he could give a message on the love of God. Abigail said to him that he needs to open up the Bible and give a message for within the allotted time of ten to fifteen minutes, and he needed 10 minutes to prepare the message; the message would be followed by the introductory song.
As planned Abigail would start the concert with an introduction song. She started the concert with the song composed by her.
You have called me your bride
With your Spirit I say come Jesus....
You are He who says
Surely I am coming quickly….
With your Spirit I say come Lord Jesus….
You are the God of love
You are my first love….
When I was yet a sinner
You chose to die for me….
I saw you on the cross
You led me to the empty tomb….
I love to comprehend your love
Its never-ending length, width, height, and depth……
Your Blood shed on the cross
Speaks of your everlasting love…..
You sent forth your Spirit
Into those who believe in You….
You have shed your abundant love
Through the Holy Spirit…..Into my heart….
You invited me to be your friend
To experience your abundant love…..
There is no greater love
Than the love that lay down life for a friend….
You are my only friend
Who redeemed me by your blood….
You are the God who so loved the world
that you gave your only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in You shall not perish
but have everlasting life…..
I invite You Lord Jesus to come quickly
I am sure You are coming quickly…..
The song was followed by message by Abraham Job.
I am going to ask that we all pray within a minute or two. I am going to preach on the love of God.
We shall pray. Our Father we thank you for your love. You so loved the world that You gave your only begotten that that whosoever believes in You shall not perish but have everlasting life. I ask that You open our eyes of understanding to know You more and your love for us. Help us to experience your abundant love. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God’s love is eternal since He is eternal, and He is love. God loves each and every one of us. He is in love with the human race before the foundation of the world was laid. The whole creation testifies to the revelation of God’s love toward the human race. God has created us in His likeness.
There are many verses in the Bible with the word eternal. But unless we have experienced John 3:16 we may not experience eternal hope, abundance of grace and mercy. God loves us since He is the gracious God. God’s love alone is true. His love never disappoints. His love fails not. Human love may fail, but God’s love won’t.
God has revealed His love at the cross of Jesus Christ. Some may find it difficult to understand and experience God’s love if they look at the problems of the world. We may not find good news in the newspapers, television channels, and radio stations. You may even prove that the Bible also doesn’t contain everything that’s good. We could see David who committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah. We could see Abraham who had external marital relationship with Hagar and gave birth to Ishmael. The list goes on and on. All these show the failure of men and woman. It s
hows our failure to live a perfect life. Everything could be summarized as sin.
Sin separates us from God. It is the middle wall that keeps us away from God and His love. Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve yielded themselves to satan. Some may even argue that it’s God who separated Adam and Eve and that’s why we can’t experience true love. God didn’t separate Adam and Eve, in fact they said no to God, and forsook Him when they disobeyed God’s command.
John 3:16 is a command in itself. Only those who have experienced John 3:16 shall obey the two greatest commands. Only those who experience John 3:16 shall have an understanding of how humans should be, and they shall do to others what they want others to do to them.
Only the Lord Jesus Christ obeyed God fully. And He alone lived a life without any sin. He took the form of sinful flesh to carry our sins on His flesh. But our sins were defeated before the power of His blood. His blood turns the wrath of God away from those who believe in Him, and helps everyone in Jesus Christ to experience God’s love; through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
God loves us to the extent that at the Second Advent, we all shall rise. Those who believe in Jesus Christ will go to heaven with new body. But those who have decided not to believe in Jesus Christ shall perish. This might seem injustice to many. But we need to understand that there is no other way to God except Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible is the only book that promises that God is always present. The third person of the Trinity – The Holy Spirit is in the earth right now.