In my latest blog I wrote a little bit about knowing God and how that leads to desiring God. Last night I was on my overnight train on the way to Bucharest, Romania and I needed to pray. Deep inside me God began stirring and I became restless. So I left my little compartment, went out into the common area of the train car and just prayed for a while. I was asking God what he is up to. I told him that I was afraid. I said that I didn’t know how much I loved him and I wondered if I really desire him as much as I would like to.
He told me that I was effective, that I was just going through a season of doubt but he knows how much I love him.
I was asking him for a challenge, because I love a good challenge and the opportunity to just DO things for God even though I am uncomfortable with it. It freaks me out most of the time, but I always go away from it thinking, I am so glad God asked me to do that. And then I turned around and saw a man sitting by himself and sure enough, God called me out…and the conversation that followed went like this.
God: Go talk to that guy.
Brandon: But I’m talking to you right now. Seriously?
God: It’ll be fun, I promise.
Brandon: Ok, fine.
Sidenote, when God makes a promise, he keeps it. Also, if God asks you to do something, you do it.
So I went over and sat down a couple seats away from the man, we’ll call him Frank. Lets be honest, when I go do this sort of thing, I expect that I will be searching for a way to bring up the “God talk” you know what I mean? I’m a missionary, that’s what I do. On that note, I did my best to give only about 10% effort and simply gave the guy a smile, nod, and a quick “Hello, how are you?” God was not going to let me get out of it easily. My buddy Frank was a talker! He started talking, on and on and on. Just about what he does, where he’s from, things like that. Then he finally asked me about my profession. There it is, the deal-maker or breaker. So I told him I was a missionary. Well, of course that is all I was able to get out before Frank began telling all about his religious background and I couldn’t even get a word in trying to convince him about Jesus. He was too busy telling me about his God experience. There was a point in the conversation when I finally really began listening to what Frank was telling me (through very broken English I must add, though I was able to understand him). He told me about his Orthodox family but also his experience in Jerusalem when he met God. He knelt before a split rock that is supposedly on the spot where Jesus was crucified and he touched it. In that moment, for exactly 3 seconds, Frank felt a supernatural warmth run through his body and tears began running down his cheeks as he experienced perfect peace. He shared that from that very moment, God was real and active in his life and Jesus Christ melted away all of his shame. He knew at that moment that death for him only meant life abundantly. I suppose I could call him a Jesus Freak. You could see Christ all over him.
You were right, it was fun.
Here I am, feeling obligated to share the Gospel of Christ to this guy, and he might as well have been an angel from God sent to bring the Good News to ME. I felt so blessed and it was in that moment that I found renewed desire for my FATHER and LORD. Frank was an immediate answer to my prayer on that train last night.
Wow, God is good!
Amen.
The Man With Unclean Lips,
Brandon Barnum
