Different Color, Kindred Hearts

"To all M'sians, welcome home"... the standard greeting was announced as we touched down on M'sian soil after a gruelling 10 days journey in and around Bangalore, India. Now I can go back to being a 'normal' person after having been totally immersed in another and very different world over the past 1 1/2 weeks. It will take me some time to fit back into the ordinary routine of  life once again, for though my body is back in Malaysia, part of my heart is stuck in India. There and then, I had no thought about what to cook, where to go, what about the kids.... everything about "home" was so far away from mind and eye, because being in India meant 1 and only 1 thing... getting the job done. And the job was simply to proclaim the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light, to preach the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere we went.
I lost count of the number of kilometers we traveled over the days and nites. I can't remember the names of the places we went to. I jumble up the faces of the people we met. In fact I have long ceased keeping track of how many trips I have made to India over the past 12 years. But one thing has never changed throughout. India puts my life on hold for just enough time to remind me of why I am kept alive by the grace of God; which is no longer to live for myself but for Him who died for me and rose again. India renews, recharges and refreshes my soul, even though it tires out my body like crazy. 
On the last day the 3 of us in 1 team sat through 6 hours of church stretched over 3 services. That must be a record. Admittedly it was taxing on the mind, but the worship that preceded every session made it all worthwhile. Something very deep touches the human heart when it's seeking God; in keeping with His promise that " you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). I didn't understand the lyrics, nor did I know the tunes of the songs they sang. They didn't have a perfectly-synchronized choir or the latest hi-tech sound equipment. In fact some sang way off-pitch . But I am very sure God didn't care about all that; because in spite of our failings, His presence was so palpable in our midst as we all, differently colored, came together in worship, united in 1 spirit, in 1 voice, as 1 kindred heart totally devoted to Him. It wasn't about 'psyching' up or playing on people's feelings, it wasn't mass hysteria, mob mentality, spiritual 'hype', religious fanaticism or emotional extremism. It was simply a very personal encounter with a very real and loving God. Nothing like pure worship that blows the mind and fires up the heart and makes one realize that truly human beings were made to worship. As someone puts it well, if we don't worship God, it's inevitable we will worship (the wrong) 'stuff'...things, money, power, good ideas, religion, noble causes, work, other people, the devil and ultimately (the most deluded worship of all) ourselves placed high on the altar of humanism. When the worship is 'right', we get 'it' right - we know who we are (sinners one and all covered in the dirty rags of our self-righteousness) and we know who God is - in all the awesome beauty of His holiness, grace, mercy and love.

The previous nite's healing service had seen such an explosion of God's power touching people. Testimonies of healing were immediate. To read about angels and dark forces in the Bible is one thing, but for me to see them in visions is an absolutely indescribable experience of the spiritual realm. And no, I wasn't on drugs, drunk or emotionally high. I wasn't even the one preaching at the time. The simple truth is when God shows up, you just know it's for real, and that such things called miracles happen. It shouldn't be a surprise, after all, that's what is supposed to happen, as already stated in the Bible, that as the disciples of Jesus "went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs" (Mark 16:20). We can talk and theorize so much about God, but ultimately, it's the visible manifestation of His power that proves He is very much alive today, in our world; when we who believe in Jesus dare to put into action our faith by calling on His name and exercising our given authority to do exactly as He did. The results should be the same - healing and deliverance of broken hearts, sick bodies and afflicted souls.

We had prayed hard, worked hard and I had enjoyed preaching, teaching and ministering to our Indian brothers and sisters in the faith. Personally I had been much blessed to experience the presence and the power of God. Yet, as much as these 'encounters' thrilled me, I have to confess I had desired more; my heart was just a wee bit disappointed that there were not as many as I had hoped would come, hear and believe the good news of the one and only true living God.

But as I sat cooped up for 3+ hours in the plane, I realized it was actually 2 little incidents which counted as the greatest blessing of this trip. And it didn't even happen in a church service. The sweetest words I can ever hear from anyone and everyone I share with is "Yes, I want Jesus". A hotel manager and his cousin listened to the greatest love story of all time when Jesus came to live amongst men and die for their sin, and said Yes. Our bus driver thought all religions the same until he felt God touch his heart, as day in day out he heard us singing, preaching, praying and talking about Jesus; and he said Yes. Those simple words, Yes, I want Jesus, satisfy me in a way no other thing in this world can.

As the flight stewardess announced Welcome home, for a moment, the faces of the 3 men who had said Yes to Jesus flitted across my mind's eye; and I knew it doesn't matter how many or how few times I hear it uttered, nor who utters it. For when they said it, God was welcoming them home to Himself. What a fantastic home-coming for all who say Yes to Jesus....returning to the place where we belong, body spirit and soul; eternally blessed to live forever with the Creator who loves us. If it were possible, I think my heart would literally explode with joy as I imagine God throwing a party up in heaven as His angels recorded down 3 more names in the book of life. At times such as these, I understand perfectly well what Jesus meant when He said....  

"I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" - Luke 15:10

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