This happened in my life.

Luke 9:26 New International Version (NIV)

26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Many of you know that I came from Hindu family background.

I became born again through God TV, watching 700 club. Pat Robertson. Everyday he could give a call for salvation. I would pray everyday the prayer of salvation with him. I didn’t know any better.

My now wife gave me a Bible back then.

This is what, I would do everyday. After work I would visit my friends and spend some time with them. Then I would go to Barista. It is equivalent of Starbucks. (Starbucks had not yet come to India.)

Every day I would go there and read my Bible. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. That’s it. Again I will start Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. I did not read other books.

Let me tell about Barista. It is like Starbucks. Only young people come there. Lovers and it is also a good place to hang out to flirt, you get the idea. Young happening place.

I did not want people to know that I am reading Bible. 🙂 So I would take secular book or a Novel and would place bible inside it and read it with Cappuccino.

The people knew me there. When I go, I would get my cappuccino even when I never order. I am a regular there. So I kept reading Bible, inside another book.

And one day, as i was reading. I read Luke 9:26

Luke 9:26 New International Version (NIV)

26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Hmmm… I put the Bible on the table and thought to myself. I am ashamed of Jesus. So that day, I took the secular book away. And started reading the Bible openly.

Just within a week. Wait a minute. Did I tell you, I became christian watching God TV. And I never went to church and I didn’t want anything to do with church. As an outsider, I could see these church goers are bunch of hypocrites. That is the general opinion and there is valid reason for that.

So I had nothing to with church and their fake religion.

A week later, as I was reading the Bible in Barista, (this time openly) sitting at the counter, ofcourse with the Cappuccino. A young couple walked towards me. They were not married, too young for that. The guy was Jonathan and name of the girl I forgot. I am sorry. I thought about them as  another couple on date.

They came excited to me and said. “Hey it is good to see someone reading Bible here.” Next thing they asked, which church do I go to?

I said, I don’t go to any church and do not want to. They seemed very happy to see me reading. They had the joy, genuine joy. They said, “just give it a shot, if you are free this sunday, come to our church.” And they wrote the address on napkin. And they went and sat in another corner of the coffee shop.

I usually throw out stuff like that. But I was looking at the napkin and the Bible next to it.

I thought, “last week, I obeyed the Word and now because I have Bible openly, this couple of nowhere come and tell me to come to their church. There should be something more to it.” I decided to go to that church.

I went back to them and said, this sunday I will come.

And the sunday, I did go. I do not like Indian churches, the Bible was translated to my mother tongue (Tamil) by a foreigner, every time some one reads that, it would sound like they are killing the language. So I read the Bible in English.

Sunday, I walk into this church, which is near to my house back then. It is a office building. Few people were welcoming and by steps it went downstairs to a basement. Friendly welcoming people. Worship starts and it was in English. Ok I said I am happy, this is relatable. After the pastor comes to preach. Mike Fischer, an American. I am thinking what is this guy doing in Chennai, india. He is the pastor if the church, I learn that. After the service, I go up to him and say hi and thank you and bye. Not much.

The next week, Abey a guy from church calls, I had filled a newcomer form . Abey calls and says “can we meet.” I say let’s meet, Barista (where else can be) 🙂

After 2 meetings. Abey says, “this Friday can you come, Mike the pastor wants to talk to you.”

So I go there, that evening.

Wait a minute. I have fill in one more detail. I was searching on life questions for a long time. The journey took me in different directions. I attended a course at Isha Yoga of Sadhguru to learn meditation. And I had bought a rudrash malai, a beed chain to wear around neck made of rurdrash seeds. I was wearing it everyday.

Friday evening I go to meet Mike Fischer in church. Abey is there with him. Mike makes me sit and asks how I became a Christian.

I said Christ found me, or something to that effect. He said, do not give religious bullshit, tell plainly. So, I said, I was searching for answers.( I do not remember what i said)

He looked at me and said, “remember the first day, you came and said hi to me. I saw something was not right with you. That is why, I sent Abey and wanted to talk to you.”

Ok I said. He looked at the rudrash malai, the beed chain and asked, “why are you wearing it?”

I said I got it at isha, this seed has special properties to protect you from evil spirits.

Mike said, “it is very thing that you think that protecting is opening you and giving inroad to evil spirits.”

He asked me if I was willing to to take it off. I was desperate. I said yes. He showed me his hand and I took it off and he threw it in dustbin.

Now he put his hand on me to pray and so did Abey. They prayed, I started to weep. My nose was running, the floor was getting wet. My nose running made the chair wet. That didn’t bother them, they kept praying. I felt, a heavy burden leave me. After they prayed, I felt so light. I came out. When I stepped in the street, I felt new, like a burden was gone, I felt so free. They broke the bondage and the evil spirits in the Name of Jesus. I felt free, free from fear.

A light, new man. But that is not the end of the story. Many good things did happen. Me getting baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many people investing in my life.

But when you look, it all started with one single obedience to Luke 9:26. To take the Bible out and read openly. A small act, that had huge impact.

Now, here is the kicker. Did I tell you about Jonathan?

I met him after several months in church and I told him thanks for that day, calling me to come to church.

He said something, that blew me. He said, that day they had no plan to come to Barista. After their work, they were on their way home. They were travelling on motorcycle. A sudden rain starts, they needed some place to shelter. So they said, let’s go to Barista, sit for sometime till the rain stops.

He said, he had not been to that barista before or after.

Do you see the hand of God. One act of obedience, He orchestrated everything to bring me to HIM.

All that was required of me was little obedience to His Word.

For me to make a choice, listening to His voice.

Small steps matter. Obey Him in little things. HE will take care of the big things.

Oh LORD, I will proclaim you Name in great assembly. My Lord, my God, Jesus Christ.

Look at Jonathan, and the girl, when they get to heaven, the reward they are going to receive because of one small act. A small act of writing on a Napkin, and inviting.

Seek to bless. A small surrendered act to His Word is all that is needed, everyday, every minute. Be a blessing my friends.

Seek Him, my LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Amen