I gave my life to the Lord when I was 9 years old but later fell into bad company.
I began playing the bass for a band at the age of 14.
All through my days of backsliding, I was moving from bad to worse. I was always telling myself that I must come back to the Lord soon. One day at the age of 19 when I was playing in a music competition, I was given the best instrumentalist award.
This was my definite encounter with God. When I was on stage performing before a crowd that was high on drugs and alcohol, I suddenly heard an audible voice of the Lord, which was clearly undisturbed by all the other noises, asking me "Joe, are you using your talent constructively or destructively?"
I was not able to say anything positive to God as I had only then walked around the auditorium just to survey the audience that I would be playing to. Some of them were violent and not in their senses.
After I heard this voice, all that I wanted to do was to leave that place and get back home. I left the place very disturbed.
The following week while still in the state of disturbance, a person from the church requested if I would be willing to play for the church outreach.
In truth, I wanted to do something for God because of my gratitude to Him for the many saving acts of God in my life and my family. But for the very first time in my life, I had a realization that I will be mocking God for being part of a ministry team when I was not in right relationship with God. I was torn between these two feelings and finally I said NO to the person. The person left. I closed the door. I sat on my sofa and I shouted in desperation praying "Jesus! If you are really alive why don't you change me and I will do anything for you?"
Believe me. I didn't know that Jesus Christ would have taken my prayers so seriously.
That night all my sins came to my mind like a movie. As I addressed each sin and asked Jesus to forgive me and cleanse my heart with His precious blood, I felt a huge burden or heaviness leave my heart. I felt so light. I enjoyed everything around me, even the very air was so nice. I couldn't believe that I have been living with such a heavy heart all these years.
The Lord reminded me about certain things that I needed to get right with people whom I hurt. It was very difficult to say sorry to those people, but I did and it did so much good to me on the inside, as the bible tell us to keep our conscience clean before God and man.
I thank God for His saving Grace. I am now actively serving God as an accomplished singer, lead guitarist, effective communicator and role model to South Asian young people locally and regionally.
Eph 2:8-9.For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (NKJ)
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