Second Chances

It was a day and nite of second chances. God answers prayers, even those I have stopped praying for, even when I am of little faith. Uncle J had disappeared from my life some 5 months ago, leaving me with a bad 'hang-over' case of regret (http://convent76.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-tears-of-god.html) Now and then I would pray about it again, asking God to please bring him back so that I could make amends personally. Not that I doubted God's forgiveness, but it was uncle J I wanted forgiveness from, so that if I dropped dead suddenly, I wouldn't have an 'unfinished business' left on earth. After so long, I have to confess I really didn't have much hope in that prayer anymore. But as always, God is faithful even when I am faithless. 
That Saturday as my eyes scanned the 'street' folks seated under the make-shift awning in the alley where our weekly feeding of the poor was conducted, I almost jumped for joy when I saw him. For a second, I wondered if my eyes were playing tricks on me, for the guy seated at the far end seemed thinner than the uncle J I knew. But as I neared his seat, he waved and smiled at me - there was no mistake. It was him. So finally I got to say what I had to say. This time my tears were tears of joy at having been given a second chance by God and by man.


That nite, I joined some 13,000 people packed into Putra Stadium to hear a man talk about his trip to hell. Our small group of 5 were already late starting out from church. We were told to go upstairs when we arrived at the counter, but every door was already closed. There were young ushers around, but they all said no more seats available. So we simply 'door-crashed' into one of the closed entrances and found ourselves on the top gallery, at the centre rear, with a bird's eye-view of the entire stadium. What's more, somehow, we had ended up at the right place after all - at the Bahasa M'sia section, and directly behind the other 5 of our church members who had arrived an hour before. I have no doubt God's angel must have directed us to that particular entrance, late as we were. It didn't matter we had to sit on the stairs. When the worship started, no one was sitting anyway; for it was an ear-splitting, eye-popping and feet-stamping joyful exuberant noise.


What made it different from the typical pulsating psychedelic pop concert was simply the object to which it was directed; not to bring pleasure to man, but to God, the Originator of music. Like the preacher said, it's not about the show, the music or the lights; it's all about Jesus. Then he started talking about hell for 1 1/2 hours. Man. What a topic. My ears, and I am sure, many other ears, were tingling by the time he finished. People always think Christianity is all about love and heaven. Hell is never a popular topic; in fact it's downright taboo to some. Yet here is this guy going into excruciating detail about how he was literally taken on a tour by Jesus to that dreaded place many years ago. And no, he didn't have to die to get there. That's why he's still around talking about it, to anyone and everyone who would listen. It's obviously not a pretty story.

We can argue all we want about the theory of God. But no one can argue with someone's  personal experience. We can only choose to believe that his testimony is true or write him off as a crazy nut-case. And just like God, if it's the truth, it's the truth, irrespective of our belief anyway. Especially when he roars out repeatedly our blood is on our own heads if we don't want to listen. Put point blank another way - if God keeps telling us that He loves us and doesn't want us to go to hell, yet we choose not to believe Him, then we deserve to be doomed. We can't say we have not been warned. It is as simple as that. There's no doubting the preacher's seriousness; no one would go down on his knees in a public stadium filled with thousands of strangers to beg for their souls, unless he cared... a lot.

From my vantage point, that nite, I watched in amazement as more than a thousand people surged forward when he ended with a call to  believe and receive Jesus Christ, the only One who can rescue man from hell.  As I looked down row upon row upon row of people who had dared step out to grab the second chance at life which God was offering that nite, my heart was bursting; even as the strains of the familiar hymn filled the air ... "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound...that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.. My chains are gone, I've been set free....My God, my Savior hath ransomed me....and like a flood, His mercy reigns...unending love, amazing grace... "

Second chances - that's what my God specializes in. And all that's required of us is to believe and take it.
  
Jesus said,

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief 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 10:9-10