The God Grab Bag

[vernecarty]

I am curious about something. While we were having the lively discussion about how God sometimes reveals things to His own by what appears to be non-cognitive means, Tom challenged me to give him such an example. I at the time declined to do so as I thought it would just be a distraction from discussion of the principle involved.
I know for certain that I am not the only one (or missionaries I have spoken with) who have had God do unusual things in their lives.
Would anyone like to share such an instance? I know this would qualify as anecdotal, but I was genuinely astonished that anyone who had known the Lord for any lenth of time, would not have numerous examples of such an experience.
I previously mentioned on the BB the time I felt the Lord really disturbed me with a sense of unease about my children's well being while I was at work and I went to the school to discover that my youngest Christina had been sent home  alone on the bus to an empty house!
That was derfinitely the Lord!
I am very interested in hearing about instances in which you may have felt God's particular leading...what had God "revealed" to  you?
Verne
p.s. I am sure Tom will also enjoy hearing about it...

[Marty]

I know for certain that I am not the only one (or missionaries I have spoken with) who have had God do unusual things in their lives.
Would anyone like to share such an instance? I know this would qualify as anecdotal, but I was genuinely astonished that anyone who had known the Lord for any lenth of time, would not have numerous examples of such an experience.

We were travelling down a narrow dirt road over rolling hills in a remote area. It was getting late so I was clipping right along in our pickup. The sensation in the tummy going over those knolls thrilled the kids. Then my wife told me to slow down.

My driving has been a topic of sometimes animated discussion. That’s another story. My wife knows better than to comment on my driving so when she said that, I tersely replied, “What did you say?” while slowing down and pulling over to my side of the road while cresting the hill. Just then another pickup driving much faster than I flew past me right down the middle of the road. I could have sworn our mirrors touched. I hadn’t seen the vehicle at all as it was hidden by the hill.

Once past and we all settled down my wife told me she hadn’t said anything. I questioned her on that and she adamantly denied saying anything though there was a very loud and clear audible voice that told me to slow down.

That happened about 15 years ago. When this discussion came on the bb she immediately and for the first time since then brought up that situation.

Did God speak to me or was it just too much ear wax causing a ringing that seemed to be words? I like to think it was the “still small voice” that was a bit louder than I expected.

[vernecarty]

We were travelling down a narrow dirt road over rolling hills in a remote area. It was getting late so I was clipping right along in our pickup. The sensation in the tummy going over those knolls thrilled the kids. Then my wife told me to slow down.

My driving has been a topic of sometimes animated discussion. That’s another story. My wife knows better than to comment on my driving so when she said that, I tersely replied, “What did you say?” while slowing down and pulling over to my side of the road while cresting the hill. Just then another pickup driving much faster than I flew past me right down the middle of the road. I could have sworn our mirrors touched. I hadn’t seen the vehicle at all as it was hidden by the hill.

Once past and we all settled down my wife told me she hadn’t said anything. I questioned her on that and she adamantly denied saying anything though there was a very loud and clear audible voice that told me to slow down.

That happened about 15 years ago. When this discussion came on the bb she immediately and for the first time since then brought up that situation.

Did God speak to me or was it just too much ear wax causing a ringing that seemed to be words? I like to think it was the “still small voice” that was a bit louder than I expected.

I think He did...
Verne

[Joe Sperling]

Verne---

I do believe God  works in his children's lives. And I do not doubt the experience you
had with your child on the bus and the uneasy feeling you had. But, I would add this---
sometimes we can call things "of the Lord" that may be pure coincidence too. Let
me give an example: I am thinking of a Christian brother I have not spoken to in three
years when all of a sudden the phone rings and it's him on the other end of the line. Now,
i'm not doubting that this could be the Lord at work. But, I have also been at work where
I work in sales, and I'll think, "We haven't had an order from Morrison Industries for over a
year, I should call them". Moments later,  Morrison Industries is on the line wanting to place
an order. I have had this happen several times---was this the Lord, or just pure coincidence?
I mean, would God be behind Morrison Industries calling in to buy some electrical tape, and
giving me a premonition they were going to call? In the first instance I might it "of God" because
it pertains to Christian matters, but in the second instance I would say "what a coincidence, I
was just thinking of that company". Both instances may just be coincidence, but I put more weight
behind the one than the other, because it pertains far more to "me".

I believe the Lord can speak to us by repeatedly sending a Bible verse to mind. The same verse
seems to keep on showing up at every turn. I believe this can come from the Lord. However, I
have also had things happen where, let's say the word "buffalo" comes up over and over again.
I turn on the Discovery channel and they are talking about buffalo, I turn on the radio and something
about buffalo is being mentioned, and then one of my kids mentions they are doing a report on buffalo
for school. Was this the Lord? Or a case of synchronicity in life? Those strange pieces of coincidence
that seem to happen? How can we be sure?

I truly believe the Lord can speak to us, but I also think there are times when we can be mislead by thinking the Lord is giving direction when he really isn't. For example:  "A teenager asks himself "Should I attend Rice University?" Right then, on the television a man says "Minute Rice, always fluffy, always good". The kid's mother walks into the room a moment later and says "Dinner's ready son, come on, were having Rice Pilaf".  If the kid's a religious fanatic he might say "This must be of God--I'm going to Rice University!!!"  This sounds way out there, but there are many people that put things together as "being of the Lord" when a series of coincidences fall into place and they "verify" it as being from God immediately.

I prayed heavily the morning I went to Pierce College, asking God to lead me to a group of Christians, and that day saw a sign saying "Bible Study" with a Christian fish symbol. I immediately took it as a "sign" that God had answered my prayers and opened a door for me. So strong was my "impression" that God had led me to that sign announcing the study, that I didn't pay attention to what the group actually represented, and I wound up in the Assembly.

I really don't mean to be skeptical, because I truly believe God can do miracles. But I think we need to be careful not to fall into thinking we are being led by God to do something, or make some decision based on a series of "coincidences" or some "inner feeling" we have. I have noticed that the most strking answers to my prayers are the answers that have taken quite a while to be answered. I look back after a year or so and see how God has answered my prayers, but in his own wise and knowing way, and that he has done it in a manner I could never have believed possible. I always look for an "immediate" answer, according to how I think the Lord should answer my prayers, but the Lord is long-suffering and patient, and filled with the greatest lovingkindness, and knows just how to answer the prayers he has led us to pray(these after all are the prayers the Lord truly WILL answer, because the Holy Spirit himself has led us to ask for what is best for us).

But I do also believe that the Lord uses angels, and does speak at times in a very unique manner. I was working on a machine once that cuts tape. It had an air chuck that would cause four metal sections to expand and then contract against a metal plate to keep a large roll on the lathe. Unknowingly, I had actually engaged the chuck, but for a reason to this day I do not understand, it did not do what it was supposed to do. I, thinking it was not engaged, had both of my hands in the area where it usually slams against the plate. Something caused me to draw back quickly(a sense of fear out of nowhere) and a split second later all four sections slammed against the plate loudly. I literally could have lost all of
my fingers. I stood shaking, and thanking God tremendously. So, though I do have skepticism about some matters, there are also things I believe God truly did in a miraculous way to protect and lead me.

Thanks,Joe

[vernecarty]

Verne---

I do believe God  works in his children's lives. And I do not doubt the experience you
had with your child on the bus and the uneasy feeling you had. But, I would add this---
sometimes we can call things "of the Lord" that may be pure coincidence too. Let
me give an example: I am thinking of a Christian brother I have not spoken to in three
years when all of a sudden the phone rings and it's him on the other end of the line. Now,
i'm not doubting that this could be the Lord at work. But, I have also been at work where
I work in sales, and I'll think, "We haven't had an order from Morrison Industries for over a
year, I should call them". Moments later,  Morrison Industries is on the line wanting to place
an order. I have had this happen several times---was this the Lord, or just pure coincidence?
I believe the Lord can speak to us by repeatedly sending a Bible verse to mind. The same verse
seems to keep on showing up at every turn. I believe this can come from the Lord. However, I
have also had things happen where, let's say the word "buffalo" comes up over and over again.
I turn on the Discovery channel and they are talking about buffalo, I turn on the radio and something
about buffalo is being mentioned, and then one of my kids mentions they are doing a report on buffalo
for school. Was this the Lord? Or a case of synchronicity in life? Those strange pieces of coincidence
that seem to happen? How can we be sure?

I truly believe the Lord can speak to us, but I also think there are times when we can be mislead by thinking the Lord is giving direction when he really isn't. For example:  "A teenager asks himself "Should I attend Rice University?" Right then, on the television a man says "Minute Rice, always fluffy, always good". The kid's mother walks into the room a moment later and says "Dinner's ready son, come on, were having Rice Pilaf".  If the kid's a religious fanatic he might say "This must be of God--I'm going to Rice University!!!"  This sounds way out there, but there are many people that put things together as "being of the Lord" when a series of coincidences fall into place and they "verify" it as being from God immediately.

I prayed heavily the morning I went to Pierce College, asking God to lead me to a group of Christians, and that day saw a sign saying "Bible Study" with a Christian fish symbol. I immediately took it as a "sign" that God had answered my prayers and opened a door for me. So strong was my "impression" that God had led me to that sign announcing the study, that I didn't pay attention to what the group actually represented, and I wound up in the Assembly.

I really don't mean to be skeptical, because I truly believe God can do miracles. But I think we need to be careful not to fall into thinking we are being led by God to do something, or make some decision based on a series of "coincidences" or some "inner feeling" we have. I have noticed that the most strking answers to my prayers are the answers that have taken quite a while to be answered. I look back after a year or so and see how God has answered my prayers, but in his own wise and knowing way, and that he has done it in a manner I could never have believed possible. I always look for an "immediate" answer, according to how I think the Lord should answer my prayers, but the Lord is long-suffering and patient, and filled with the greatest lovingkindness, and knows just how to answer the prayers he has led us to pray(these after all are the prayers the Lord truly WILL answer, because the Holy Spirit himself has led us to ask for what is best for us).

But I do also believe that the Lord uses angels, and does speak at times in a very unique manner. I was working on a machine once that cuts tape. It had an air chuck that would cause four metal sections to expand and then contract against a metal plate to keep a large roll on the lathe. Unknowingly, I had actually engaged the chuck, but for a reason to this day I do not understand, it did not do what it was supposed to do. I, thinking it was not engaged, had both of my hands in the area where it usually slams against the plate. Something caused me to draw back quickly(a sense of fear out of nowhere) and a split second later all four sections slammed against the plate loudly. I literally could have lost all of
my fingers. I stood shaking, and thanking God tremendously.
Thanks,Joe

I hear ya Joe. I think we have to be quite cautious about invoking God's name when we make decisions...particular if we are trying to make decisions for other people!
I wonder for us Christians, if there is really any such thing as "coincidence" though...
I think when a person has walked with the Lord for some time, he learns to be very sensitive to what God is doing, so what others may see as coincidence, may well be clear indication for that individual. I think this is where our personal relationship with the Lord takes on real significance.
Clearly He may not "speak" to all of us in the same way, but I think we can each learn how to heed Him when He does...
You may think that I am wierd, but I find myself audibly thanking the Lord for "reminding" me as I am in the car getting ready to leave for Gibson City that I forgot to take the check-book to pay my partners for the last job we did. I have had to make a return trip in the past because of having forgotten it!
Neurons not firing with the same precision as in younger days...

[Marty]

I hear ya Joe. I think we have to be quite cautious about inovking God's name when we make decisions...particular if we are trying to make decisions for other people!
I wonder for us Christians, if there is really any such thing as "coincidence" though...
I think when a person has walked with the Lord for some time, he learns to be very sensitive to what God is doing, so what others may see as coincidence, may well be clear indication for that individual. I think this is where our personal relationship with the Lord takes on real significance.
Clearly He may not "speak" to all of us in the same way, but I thin we can each learn how to heed Him when He does...
You may think that I am wierd, but I find myself audibly thanking the Lord for "reminding" me as I am in the car getting ready to leave for Gibson City that I forgot to take the check-book to pay my partners for the last job we did. I have had to make a return trip in the past because of having forgotten it!
Nerons not firing with the same precision as in younger days...

I am sure most of us have had the opportunity to share our testimony with someone in the past. In doing so rarely has the individual come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. There are many defenses for refusing to accept, such as, ‘that works for you but I have my own faith’ or ‘what about the other religions, are they all going to hell’?

Because I say something it does not make it so. The same is true if someone is a skeptic; it does not make it untrue. It is God who knows all things. Rom 3:3-4 “…Let God be true but every man a liar...”

One thing about being a Christian, I love hearing people’s testimony. How God has worked in their life. Sometimes you get pretty wild stories such as ones GG used to tell. You roll your eyes or give a ‘whatever’ in your heart.

Then there are some where you know it was undeniably the Lord at work. Can’t prove it but that don’t make it not so. There is a discernment that God gives.

[vernecarty]

Elizabeth:
If you can you can get hold of Tony Evans' message today, "Making Spiritual Sense of Natural Disaster",  I think you will get some real insight into the issue you raised on this thread...
Verne

[Marty]

Just one more thought while there is a break in the action. Then I will let those who wish respond.

In sales, the nature of my work requires me to do ‘cold calls’ occasionally. That’s where you show up unannounced. Before I go in I pray that the Lord would under take for my meeting. Sometimes the guy is too busy to see me, sometimes he says I was just thinking about you, and sometimes his isn’t in.

Is God in any of this or am I just wasting my time praying and seeking His direction and wisdom? When I make a sale is it just luck and when I don’t is it just common sense that would tell me to find another line of work?

When the scripture says ‘in everything give thanks’, what exactly am I to give thanks for? I would say there are the obvious things such as my salvation. But could this be referring to the days events as well?

If God is not involved in my daily moment by moment life then what am I to be thankful for? A God who is not there? Sometimes I am thankful when certain individuals don’t show up at meetings and parties and stuff. But I kind of rest on the fact that the Lord Jesus says, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Is that not talking about daily life and His involvement in it? I have come to not only trust that He is there but to humbly expect it.

[Joe Sperling]

Marty---

I'm in sales also, and have to say there are many "unsaved" salesmen who make a really
good living. Did they get the sales through "luck"(seeing they did not pray before they
went in to make the cold call)? There is nothing wrong for sure with asking God to help
you when you make the call, but I believe it is your own salesmanship(and knowledge
of the product) that will eventually get the sale, not because you prayed for it.

God has given certain gifts. Imagine if you stopped before you prepared dinner and said
"Oh Lord, I put this meal into your hands. Help me with the preparation thereof, and please
help me not to burn the rice". If the meal turns out well do you say "It was the Lord who
heard my requests", or was it that you followed the recipe instructions? Emeril seems to
make some awfully good dishes without praying first. We want to thank God for his provision--
but do we need to thank him for a successful preparation of the same meal?

When I get a sale I'm thankful. But I'm thankful God has given me the "ability" to sell (knowledge, intelligence, preparation, presentation, etc.) rather than that God got me the sale itself. "In everything give thanks" can be warped out of measure if we interpret it incorrectly. "Thank you Lord that the cap came off the toothpaste as it was supposed to Lord. Now, please help me do the up-down motion correctly, and Lord, please help me to brush the required amount of time. Thank you Lord for your help. Oh, and now Lord, help the Listerine to kill the germs that cause bad breath, and to keep back the plague of gingivitis."  Upon the next visit to the dentist he says "you have no cavities". Do we say "Praise God, he has prevented me from getting cavities. Thank you Lord!!!!"  Of course not. You followed natural law, and by using the required means
kept your teeth in good condition. Thank the Lord for the teeth he has given, not for keeping them in good condition for you.

I know I am being very sarcastic---but I have literally seen people who come very close to doing what I have just mentioned. To them "Giving thanks in all things" is near to what I mentioned above.

--Joe

[Marty]

Marty---

I'm in sales also, and have to say there are many "unsaved" salesmen who make a really
good living. Did they get the sales through "luck"(seeing they did not pray before they
went in to make the cold call)? There is nothing wrong for sure with asking God to help
you when you make the call, but I believe it is your own salesmanship(and knowledge
of the product) that will eventually get the sale, not because you prayed for it.

God has given certain gifts. Imagine if you stopped before you prepared dinner and said
"Oh Lord, I put this meal into your hands. Help me with the preparation thereof, and please
help me not to burn the rice". If the meal turns out well do you say "It was the Lord who
heard my requests", or was it that you followed the recipe instructions? Emeril seems to
make some awfully good dishes without praying first. We want to thank God for his provision--
but do we need to thank him for a successful preparation of the same meal?

When I get a sale I'm thankful. But I'm thankful God has given me the "ability" to sell (knowledge, intelligence, preparation, presentation, etc.) rather than that God got me the sale itself. "In everything give thanks" can be warped out of measure if we interpret it incorrectly. "Thank you Lord that the cap came off the toothpaste as it was supposed to Lord. Now, please help me do the up-down motion correctly, and Lord, please help me to brush the required amount of time. Thank you Lord for your help. Oh, and now Lord, help the Listerine to kill the germs that cause bad breath, and to keep back the plague of gingivitis."  Upon the next visit to the dentist he says "you have no cavities". Do we say "Praise God, he has prevented me from getting cavities. Thank you Lord!!!!"

I know I am being very sarcastic---but I have literally seen people who come very close to doing what I have just mentioned. To them "Giving thanks in all things" is near to what I mentioned above.

--Joe

Fair enough, Joe.

So then, what is God's involvment in our daily lives if in fact there is any?


Addition:

My wife and I were visiting a family when one of their little children fell and whacked his head on the coffee table. Mom and dad quickly got down and exorcised the table. That was spooky.

I am not talking about that kind of stuff. I am talking about practical involvement and interaction by God with His people on an individual and daily basis. Does it happen?

[Joe Sperling]

Marty---

God definitely is involved in our daily lives. And I do believe he can supernaturally
intervene for sure. I was just making the point that some people take it to extremes
and begin to think that God thinks like they think. They think they are talking to God
when they are really talking to themselves.

Take again the example of a sale. If you made the presentation, and didn't get the
sale, does one think "God must not have wanted me to get that sale"? Or, do we
allow for the possibility that we just did a poor sales job? Conversely, if we do get the
sale do we think "God wanted me to get that sale"(especially if you prayed first before
making the call), or do we allow for the fact that we made a really good presentation,
and took the time to really get to know the product we are selling? We should thank
God for the "abilities" he has given us that resulted in the sale, and not just for the sale
itself.

A good example of this interaction that God has with us daily is like the doting father chasing
his child learning to pedal a bicycle. He's right there, to help, or to soothe you when you fall,
but he's letting you pedal the bike--he's letting you make the mistakes, and take your tumbles.
He helps you get up, and brushes you off, but he gets you pedaling again.  Where the error
comes in is when someone thinks that God is going to pedal the bicycle for them, or never let
go of it and allow them to learn. Someone like that prays to God about literally "everything" including
brushing their teeth.  That's the point I was trying to make.

--Joe

[Marty]

A good example of this interaction that God has with us daily is like the doting father chasing
his child learning to pedal a bicycle. He's right there, to help, or to soothe you when you fall,
but he's letting you pedal the bike--he's letting you make the mistakes, and take your tumbles.
He helps you get up, and brushes you off, but he gets you pedaling again. 

--Joe

I like how you put that Joe.

[Oscar]

Howdy folks,

An interesting discussion.  I am going to return to the issues 2ram raised in another post.  But first, I want to say a couple of things about the ideas you are tossing around.

1. Theologians talk about "meticulous omniscient providence."  By this they mean that God knows and in some way causes everything that happens.

2. Theologians also talk about divine justice and human responsibility.  A few seem to beleive that these things are just illusions, but that vast majority, including Reformed, do not.  Man seems to have the capacity for independent choice.

1 and 2 seem incompatable and contradictory.  It is difficult for us to understand how they go together.  When theologians try to do this they seem to end up either denying one or the other.  I am of the opinion that this is one of the things that God was talking about when he described his thoughts as higher than our thoughts.  He knows, we lack the capacity to understand.

3. Regarding Verne's story, I do not doubt its truthfulness.  Do these experiences come from God?  I incline towards the belief that they do.  However, since people from all religions and even atheists report this kind of thing happening to them, I suspect that they are an aspect of God's common grace which he gives to all men.  Think of all the times you were in a dangerous situation and ended up avoiding a bad outcome.  Think of all the wonderful things that happened to you that you didn't cause.

4. What 2ram and I were discussing was GG's mysticism and its implications on his understanding of the Bible.  I don't think 3 directly relates to this.

More later,

Thomas Maddux

[Chuck Miller]

I am a great believer in God directing our path and at times putting situations together to enable us to carry out His plans for our lives and for the lives of others.  I have included many such instances in my autobiography that I have written for my children and for my grandchildren.  I will relate one such instance that occurred in 1990 when my son-in-law, Chuck Vanasse and I were living in Lawrence, Kansas.

I wasn't exactly prepared for Chuck's question, "What would you think about going to Eastern Europe to do some street evangelizing?"

It was 1990 and the wall had just come down in Eastern Europe and these countries were opening their doors to visitors from the West. But at this point I hadn't even considered traveling there to evangelize. But there was no doubt that Chuck had. Being the proverbial skeptic, I started asking the questions--What about the language barrier? We had already experienced that problem in Costa Rica and that would be child's play in comparison with the Slavic languages of Eastern Europe. To what country would we go? Where would we stay? Living in a hotel or motel, if we could find one, would be costly.
The "What about...." questions began to dampen my initial enthusiasm, but not Chuck's. He reminded me that our good friend Joe Bucha, with Campus Crusade, had made several trips into Eastern Europe during the two years prior to the wall coming down. We decided to contact Joe to get some information about his trips, which hitherto he had not been at liberty to discuss because of the danger of jeopardizing the lives of Christians there.
We prayed about where to go with neither of us feeling any definite leading from the Lord, For some unknown reason, I kept thinking of Hungary and shared my thoughts with Chuck. He admitted that he had no clear leading.
You can imagine our initial enthusiasm as we queried Joe about his trips and he surprisingly suggested Hungary as our destination. It turned out that it was there that he had spent the past two summers and was familiar with the country and the culture.
It became even more exciting as Joe continued to relate how, on his last visit there, Janos, a young medical student had gotten saved when Joe's group was evangelizing on the beach of Lake Balaton in Hungary. At Joe's behest, Janos had decided to take a one-semester sabbatical, visit the U.S. and spend some time in Lawrence. He was due to arrive in a couple of weeks.
Chuck and I could hardly contain our enthusiasm anticipating Janos' arrival. But we were hardly prepared for what the Lord was going to provide.
Janos arrived and we were pleasantly surprised that his English was quite good. When we related our plan to him, we asked if he knew of a family with whom we could stay and where we might find someone who had the time and inclination to accompany us and translate for us. It seemed as if he had already anticipated our needs and said. "You would be very welcome to stay at our home in Kecskemet and I would be happy to go out with you as your translator." When we insisted that we pay for room and board and compensate him for his assistance, he was somewhat reluctant, but finally agreed. We knew from what Joe had told us that life was very difficult there and we knew the money would be a God-sent to them.
Inasmuch as it was September and winter was coming on, we needed to formulate our plans and move quickly lest we be confronted with cold weather when we began our outdoor evangelizing. Also, we had to avail ourselves of Janos' services while he was still on sabbatical. We decided to go in November even though Joe thought we might run into some cold weather.
Once again, we saw the Lord directing circumstances to make our path smooth.

(Continued on following post)

[Chuck Miller]

STREET EVANGELIZING IN HUNGARY

The trip to Hungary, where we were to meet Janos, went well until we arrived at the train station in Budapest. Our plan was to call Janos when we arrived at the station. And because they had no telephone in his home, he was to be at the home of a friend, awaiting our call.
Using a Hungarian public telephone was not a part of the indoctrination we had received from Joe, and after about a half hour without making a connection, we were getting desperate. We tried to communicate with some of the personnel behind the counters at the station, but were met with blank looks as we tried to explain our dilemma. Finally, one gentleman went into a room behind the counter area and brought to us a young man who had a rather limited understanding of English. However, it turned out to be good enough for us to get his assistance in reaching Janos who, himself, was beginning to get anxious about our arrival.
Janos drove us to Kecskemet in a borrowed car and we went to his home on the outskirts of town. There we were greeted by Janos' parents, a most incredibly gracious old couple who were to be our hosts for the next four weeks. Janos showed us his bedroom, which he was unselfishly giving to us, and he acquainted us with the bathroom facilities and the family routine regarding mealtimes. They were wonderful accommodations, small and simple, but immaculately clean and far beyond our expectations. It was also our first encounter of the custom of taking off one's shoes when entering a home. Slippers were available in a rack by the front door.
I could write a volume about our experiences sharing the gospel in Budapest and Kecskemet, but will confine it to a few of the more poignant ones.
Kecskemet is a fairly large city located in central Hungary about 100 miles south of Budapest. Janos had returned the car to his friend, so we had to avail ourselves of the local transportation system. We would take the bus into the center of town and walk to the depot to take a train into Budapest. From the train station there, we would go to the "walking street" in the center of the business district, where we would look for places to approach people to share with them. We found our best spot to be in the park areas along the banks of the Danube, a couple of blocks from the walking street.
It was there during the end of our first week that we encountered a handsome young college student who was sitting in the park reading. We used a survey in our approach and he seemed very willing to talk and to answer our questions about events in his country. But when we began to question him about spiritual things he displayed the very haughty, devil-may-care attitude of a very worldly individual. He spoke of his many beautiful women friends and how much he liked the new pornography. He said that it was useless to talk to him since he was completely satisfied with his life. There seemed to be no way to reach him. I was completely befuddled, never having encountered anyone so admittedly immoral, and I had no idea what to say to him. While Chuck was talking to him, I quietly prayed for the Lord to give me something to share. I began speaking to him and then just said what I felt the Lord would have me share. I said "Tomas, one of these times after you have had relations with one of your many beautiful women, you are going to experience a very great emptiness inside."
With that, I just quit talking and we watched an amazing transformation take place right before our eyes. His face got very sad as he spoke almost tearfully to Janos. We asked Janos what he had said and he answered, "He said 'I already have felt that emptiness'"
"I don't have a real friend," he continued and then became very quiet. Gone was the former arrogant facade of self-assurance as we witnessed a man truly broken by the Lord. We talked to him about the only true friend, Jesus Christ, and his need to believe on Him for his salvation. We didn't feel led to pray with him, but shared the gospel with him, assuring him that he could go to bed that very night knowing that his sins were forgiven and that he could, from now on, have victory over them. We also told him that we believed with all of our heart that our meeting was a divine appointment. He voiced his total agreement. He then thanked us for speaking with him and we left him to contemplate an encounter with His Creator that we believe changed his life forever.
If you are wondering why we felt no compulsion to lead him in prayer, it was because we had the assurance that we could trust the Lord who had led us to him, to complete what we had planted
We are merely instruments of His grace and have the incomparable joy of being Ambassadors for Him, pleading with men to be reconciled to their God.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 1 Corinthians 3:6