She faltered in her steps when she saw Jeff walking into the church.
Her mom shot her a look. “What is it?”
She scratched her hair, her breathing was coming hard and fast, and her heartbeat raced. “Nothing," she forced a smile.
“Thank God we made Sunday school,” her dad said and made for his class.
“Okay, mom, I have to go,” she excused herself and ran off to one of the youth classes, deliberately avoiding joining Jeff in the same class. Fifteen minutes later, Sunday school ended and Kate bulldozed her way to her. “Did you see him?”
“Who?” She feigned ignorance.
“Him, of course?”
She brushed past her and sank into a chair in the choir stand. Seeing Jeff in the church was more than she had bargained for. She was trying to keep her emotions in check when she saw BrotherMark, the worship team leader coming towards them.
“Shalom, Sister Maya, you may have to lead the worship session this morning. Sister Chi won’t be in church today.”
She looked at Kate speechlessly. Ordinarily, she would have been over-joyed to lead the worship, but with Jeff in church, it was another ball game altogether. “I… I cannot. I mean, I’m not prepared.”
He smiled. “You can. God is your strength.”
“We welcome everybody to today’s service. We hope you’ll be blessed as you worship with us this morning,” the assistant pastor said.
“Amen.”
“I know your Sunday school this morning was fulfilling and inspiring?” he asked and got a couple of ‘yes’. “Good, may I use this opportunity to welcome our new members? If you are worshipping with us for the first time, I’d like you to wave your hand.”
Six people, including Jeff, waved.
“Could you please stand to your feet?”
They obeyed and the church welcomed them with songs, hugs, and words of exaltation. After other sundry issues, it was time for praise and worship.
Maya climbed the podium and picked up the microphone, aware of Jeff’s keen eyes following her and a curious trembling inthe pit of her stomach. For close to 30 seconds, she could not utter a word. Jeff’s presence mesmerized her.
The church went silent.
Finally, she opened her mouth and the songs began to tumble down.
‘Glory, glory, halleluiah. Glory, glory, praise the lord.’
Jeff, who had never seen her sing in public before, was mesmerized as she took them through a refreshing time in the presence of the lord. As he sang and danced along with the congregation, grateful to be in God’s presence, he realized he was in church because he wanted to impress her and make up for what he did to her.
Throughout the service, his eyes followed her everywhere. He watched every single move she made and every little thing she did or said.
“On behalf of the church of God, I want to welcome everybody to today’s service. My prayer is that God will meet you at the point of your need,” the pastor said as he mounted the pulpit.
“Amen,” the congregation bellowed.
“Last week, we concluded our teaching on tithing. Today, we will discuss a topic I have titled, ‘Now is the time.’ However, before I do, I would ask our sister here to give me ‘Almost Persuaded.’ Sister Maya?”
She sprinted to the altar and picked up the microphone.
‘Almost persuaded, now to believe,’ she began. ‘Almost persuaded, Christ to receive.’
Jeff sucked in his breath as her voice, soothing like a balm, and sonorous like an angel’s reached him. He closed his eyes.
‘Seems like some souls to say,
Go spirit, go thy way.
Some more convenient day,
On thee, I’ll call.’
He shifted nervously. It was as if she was, or rather, the song was talking to him. As she sang, waving her hands, to drive the message home, he felt God talking to him and a little uncomfortable.
‘Come, come today,’ she sang.
‘Almost persuaded Christ to receive.’
As he listened to her sing, he felt the Holy Spirit talking to him through the song and he was tempted to surrender his life to Christ, but he held back.
It was a brief and precise sermon, which left him more convinced of the need to accept Jesus Christ in his life. The Pastor took his text from the ever-popular John 3:16, and although he had heard the message a hundred times before, it seemed to have a new meaning.
“Holy Scriptures says if you believe in Jesus Christ, and that He is the son of God and died for your sins, that you will not perish but shall have an everlasting life. You know, sometimes people dismiss eternity. And since we cannot deny that there is God, we cannot equally dismiss eternity. Yes, there is life after death and a thereafter. The Bible made us understand that after death, comes judgment and that is why when we die, even when we lie in the casket, we are faced upwards to face God and judgment,” he paused, dabbed sweat and continued. “You may be one of those who do not believe there is a God, but let me tell you, God exists, and He shall be your judge on the last day, if you do not repent. This is the time to receive the life Jesus Christ offered free on the cross of Calvary and escape eternal damnation. Now is the time, so stop sitting on the fence and give your life to Christ because tomorrow may be too late. That right time you are waiting for may never, ever be convenient or ever come. Today is the acceptable day. Now is the time. Stop putting it off any longer. Christ is standing at the door of your heart. He is knocking. If you open your heart and receive him now, He will come in and dine with you, but if you reject Him, He will be your judge on the last day.”
At the end of the sermon, he made an altar call. Jeff wanted to stand up, but pride stood in the way; he lost an opportunity to reconcile with God.