彩虹小品

Speaker:Rev. E.E. Abraham, Emmanuel Christian Fellowship Center

Sermon: January 15, 2017 at the Newbern Chinese Alliance Church in Vancouver

Recorded by:Rosa Yau

Translated by Stephen Li

Edited by: Rev. Paul Lai (including material from the book [Why Die Before Your Time]

Snatched from the Jaws of Death — It’s All God’s Grace

Over 20 years ago, I did not know what I was living for. Life was filled with gloom and a sense of helplessness. As life’s dreams could not be fulfilled, there was no point in continuing to live, so I decided to end my life under the train that passed through the suburbs every evening.

As I was contemplating killing myself, suddenly a thought crossed my mind:  my death must not bring trouble upon my kind and loving parents, so I should at least leave a note behind, absolving them from any involvement in my death. The police were sure to question them.

To do this, I entered another room in search for a piece of paper. I knew that I could find some under my grandfather’s Bible that was kept in one of the cupboards. I reached out and lifted up the Bible. Suddenly, I heard a voice saying ?on, open the book and read!??o:p>

I held the Bible and let it just fall open. My eyes fell upon Ecclesiastes 7:16-18: [—–Do not be over wicked, and do not be a fool. Why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes,]

[Who is setting all of this up? Did someone find out my suicide plan?] I wondered. Although no one was around, yet I kept hearing a voice saying, ——-persist in keeping this, and do not avoid it or disobey.??This was so wonderful ??it appeared to be directed right to me. At precisely that moment, within the depths of my heart, I knew that God was speaking to me, even though I did not know Him. Thank the Lord, He rescued me from death, led me into His grace and salvation, and even called me into full time ministry.

A Barren Land – An Unreached People

For many years I served in mission work in southern India. As time passed, I experienced various trials and buffeting, even assassination attempts by religious radicals who opposed Christianity, but was amazingly protected by the Lord. After a period of ministry there, God called me to northern India to take the gospel to a barren land, where the inhabitants were poor and abandoned. They had not heard of the gospel. They had not experienced God? grace, peace, joy and eternal life!

P.S. After the sermon that day, I was very much moved. I said to Rev. E.E. Abraham after the meeting, “By faith, together with my brother Philip Lai, we shall send you an offering of C$10,000 before 2017, to build another church in India, in remembrance of my wife.” Thank the Lord, in April we sent the said offering through the Newbern Church, and in August the church building was completed, and Sunday service and evangelistic ministry were started.