SHARMA - From Hinduism to Heart for Christ

SHARMA – A Hindu Finds Christ

There had been some obstacles that day hindering me from going to the Brussels St. Gilles Prison as I had planned. But, nonetheless, I felt this was the Lord’s leading that I should go anyway; eventhough it was getting late, I knew from experience that when the Lord is in it, lots of good things can happen in a short amount of time.
When I saw Sharma’s name on the list of prisoners, I knew today was the day to visit him. He was back in the ‘worker’s block’ of cells called “the Pre-Fab”, and would not be free for a visit until after 4 pm. When I entered his cell, Sharma acted as if he had been expecting my visit, though I had not ever met him before and didn’t inform him beforehand of my visit.
After brief greetings and informing him of who I was, he proceeded to show me all of the religious pictures and short articles he had collected concerning the major religions of the world. He said that he, in fact, was of a Hindu family from India. He said he respected all religions and had done some reading up on most of them. I said to Sharma, “God is a faithful and loving God, and He desires that all men would come to know Him according to the truth.”
At this, Sharma began opening his frustrated heart to me about how he gets up in the morning 30 minutes before work time in order to meditate to the Hindu gods, and he said that he also says over and over the name of Jesus to please the Christians who he had met. He asked me, “Is this enough to please the Christians’ God to permit me into Heaven, in case that is the right way to go?” At this point, his questions and statements about how he was searching for the true way to God became true “music to my ears”, as I knew that he was seriously ready to hear and obey the Truth of God’s Word.
Without hesitation, I said to him, “Jesus Christ said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father except by me.” John 14:6.
At this, Sharma responded, “Then my meditating on Jesus’ name is enough to please him?” It was then, that I told him that, “No, in fact, saying Jesus’ name is not enough to get a person to Heaven, but it is possible that God’s hearing the name of His Son got His attention, and that’s why He sent me here to talk with you today to show you the Bible’s Way of Salvation. The truth is that only by being ‘born again’ can you be made ready for acceptance and entrance into Heaven.”
His response was the same as Nicodemus’ in John chapter 3… “How can I be born again when I am over 30 years of age?” We opened the Bible together, and what a great joy it was for me to lead him from explanation to explanation of what it meant to be born of the Spirit of God, receiving Christ’s sacrifice in a personal act of prayer and commitment, leading to the free gift of God, repenting of our sins, opening the door of our lives to Christ, and receiving the right to be called a son of God, and the promise of eternal life in Heaven. I then lead him in the sinner’s prayer of repentance and acceptance of the Lord Jesus in his life. The Lord had truly touched him deeply as tears flowed from his eyes in joy of knowing that his sins were forgiven by his truly wonderful Heavenly Father.
I gave him some Christian literature to read, a Bible study to do, and left after praying for him for strength and courage to follow the Lord faithfully.
He asked for a Punjabi Bible, so I’m looking now where I can find one for him. Please remember to pray for Sharma.