“Oh how I love Him! How I adore Him… The Great Creator became my Savior!” Two-time Grammy Award nominee and Gospel singer, Brad White broke out into song in the middle of Loon Sing Oriental Thai Seafood Restaurant on Sunday evening, 13th December.
Organized by Foursquare Gospel Church Malaysia Central Region that consists of four churches (Vision Harvest Church, Faithline International Ministries, Calvary Glory, and Victory Church), the Christmas musical concert was filled with fun, good food, and a display of the Brad White’s incredible musical talents.
That being said, one thing that stood out more than Brad’s breathtaking performances on the piano as well as on the saxophone was his obvious love for Jesus and his desire that everyone else could experience the same kind of joy that he finds in the Lord.
Brad shared that his wife was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, and leaving her behind to travel around the world was not an easy thing to do. “I love Malaysia, I love to sing, and I love people,” he said. “But I’m gonna be honest with you. I don’t travel 8000 miles just because I love to sing. I want to know that I have shared Jesus with as many people as I possibly could in this life.”
He quoted a verse from the Bible:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
Who are the people addressed in this verse? Is it the people out there? Or is it the people inside the church. ‘My people.’ “It is us, folks.” Brad said. “It is those of us who call on the name of Jesus. If we, the people of the church would turn from our wicked ways, then will He hear from heaven, forgive us our sins, and heal our land.
Photo Credit: Victory Church
“What I want to get across to you tonight is that you are the hope for this nation. If you and all your other brothers and sisters in Christ would follow the prescription of 2 Chronicles 7:14, God will heal this land.”
Brad then highlighted another passage from Scripture—a well-known story about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “We often hear people talk about Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of judgment coming to the land. But I want to take you to the moments before Sodom and Gomorrah to a story about Abraham.
“Do you remember that God told Abraham that judgment was coming and He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Well, Abraham started to bargain with God. He said, ‘God, would you really destroy the city if there were fifty righteous people there?’ And God said, ‘No.’ Abraham then started working his down by fives and tens, all the way down to ten.
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
(Genesis 18:32)
“Why did Abraham stop at ten? If he had the nerve to go from fifty to ten, why didn’t he just keep going? Because Lot’s family lived in that city. He thought that Lot’s family would more than cover those ten righteous people that he needed. And so he left God’s presence thinking that he had just saved the land.
“But God still destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. God said that those people were not righteous. Abraham thought they were righteous, but it didn’t matter what Abraham thought. It only matters if God calls you righteous.
“If God stood here tonight, would He find ten people that He called righteous? If ten people were just like you, would it be enough to spare judgment on your land? My friends, the difference for your country is the body of believers in your churches. And the Good News is that God forgives sin.
“That is the message of Christmas! Jesus Christ came to save us. This world was full of sin, and God looked down at us and wanted to redeem mankind. The Bible says He sent His only begotten Son to die so that He could redeem our souls.
“My friends, I don’t know about you. How many of you love your children? If I loved [someone] enough to give [him/her] my child, that would be an incredible act of love, wouldn’t it? But what if I knew that by giving my child to [him/her], my child would have to die for [him/her]? How many of you love another person enough to let your son or daughter die for them?
“The Bible says that Jesus didn’t just come to save the world. He came because he loved you. All by yourself. He loves each individual so much, that God would have sent Jesus to save one person.”
“The Lord does not delay His promise, as some esteem slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
(2 Peter 3:9)
“God created each of us with a void in our heart—an emptiness that can only be filled by one thing, and that is a relationship with Him. Perhaps you never knew what Jesus did for you, but you know that down deep, you have never found complete joy or peace. You can try to fill it with relationships, alcohol, drugs, or material goods… But you find that you still have an emptiness—a question in your heart, ‘What is the meaning of life?’
“I’m telling you tonight that Christmas is not about trees or lights or music. The message of Christmas is that God so loved this world, and God loves you. Religion tries to bring us up to God, but the Good News of the Gospel is that we don’t have to go up to God, because He came down to us.
“Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” Brad asked. “He offers you a gift. It’s His birthday, but He’s giving us the gift. If you accept Him, you will have eternal life!” To the Christians present, Brad posed the question, “Are you telling people this Christmas season what Christmas is all about? Are you telling the Good News that Jesus saves?”
“Only one life, t’will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” —C.T. Studd
|Share The Good News|
Everyone needs The Lord. Its sad that when people have not come to the end of the road they do not acknowledge God. My prayer is that everyone come to realise the truth while you are still well, up and running. Meanwhile, continue to speak of the true meaning of Christmas. Amen.