I remember an incident growing up when the movie, The Passion of Christ, was being played in the street where I lived. Everyone around was watching and crying at Jesus being crucified on the cross. As I stood among them, I said, "This is a fake story, do not believe it."

My name is Srikanth Srinivasan. I am originally from India. I come from a different faith, where I was deeply engrossed in the religion of my own house; and I took such a joy in insulting and mocking Christians. But God sent a tenant into our building and she slowly started sharing the gospel with me. Every time I passed the second floor where she lived, she would offer me a cup of Chai. And for the sake of Chai, I used to go and visit her often. I disrespected her faith, I insulted and mocked her. I told her, "Auntie, you're talking too much about your God. I'll see your God after September 9th, and I'll prove to you that your religion is a lie."

On September 8th, I was arranging everything for the next day's family festival in town. At 8:30 that evening, I was by myself in my room, and I heard a voice. The voice was so crystal clear, just three words: "Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you." It was like a song that was stuck in my head and I couldn't get over it. All of a sudden, the same picture that I mocked at, Jesus being crucified on the cross, was right in front of my eyes, and I didn’t know what was happening to me. I found myself on my knees weeping like a child, confessing, saying, "God, if you are real, I'm going to follow you for the rest of my life."

I was in awe, on my knees for three days, locked in my room and I couldn't come out. All my life, I thought I need to go to a certain place to meet with God, but that night, the God of the universe had come to me.

For seven years my faith grew in secret. I was hiding my Bible and waking up in the middle of the night to read Scripture. In 2021, God took me on a journey, and He gave me a promise saying, "Sri, I'm sending an awakening to the nations and I want you to be a part of it."

The more I look on that cross, the more I'm deeply in awe of the love that He has for me. Once upon a time I said His was a fake story, but today I take the story to the ends of the earth. From a persecutor to a proclaimer, all it took was one encounter. My dear friends, one encounter can change your life, and one fully surrendered life can change the world.

Before September 8th, I was determined to mock Christians, but after that night, I made the decision to follow Jesus and take the message of Jesus everywhere.

Beloved, for the sake of this dying and suffering world, go and make disciples of all nations starting right where you are—your family, your friends, your co-worker, your neighbor, and your brother or your sister. Today my mom believes in Jesus, my dad believes in Jesus, and my sister believes in Jesus; for it is God's will for none to perish. We are living in a moment in history where we can take the message of Jesus everywhere, undergirded in love. When He is lifted up, He shall draw all people to Himself.

It amazes my mind to even think about what Christ can do through a person who hated Him, mocked Christians, persecuted them, and is now burning with a passion to live for Christ.