That's It!!

"That's It!"
Remember the scene from Charlie Brown Christmas when Schroeder finally plunks out the 11 note tune to Jingle Bells? Lucy, finally recognizing the tune, jumps up and shouts at the top of her lungs, "That's It!"

I can't tell you how many times God has spoken to me and while the tune sounds familiar, it does not really connect. And, because I am a pretty stubborn man, God eventually winds up pounding out a few simple notes so that I will finally get the idea. Does that ever happen to you? Does God ever have to, in frustration, pound it out for you? If you haven't guessed it by now, I had that kind of revelation this week. I was sitting in class, needing another 3 Musketeers bar to keep me going before we broke for lunch and I heard God speak. Yeah, it was the voice of the speaker, but the message was just for me.

But let me back up a little bit before I tell you what God said. As most of you know my job assignment while on the mission field is as the Russia Media Coordinator. Now, if you have ever looked at a map of Russia you realize that is a pretty daunting task. It is a pretty big country. As a matter of a fact, there are more people living in Moscow than there are in the entire Czech Republic. So, that is my job assignment. However, as a missionaries we all have one deep and burning desire...to lead lost people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. During these past seven weeks our "missionary handbook" has been the book of Acts. Each day in our small groups we have studied and discussed Acts as we have watched the Apostle Paul travel from place to place, witnessing to the lost and planting churches. As you can imagine, Paul is the missionary's hero. He is who we all want to be when we grow up. And, he is the standard that we all feel that we will never be able to live up to. Well, seven weeks of comparing yourself to the Apostle Paul can give you kind of an inferiority complex. It can even make you doubt whether you are up to the task. And, let me tell you, it can even make you convinced that God has made His first cosmic mistake by calling you to the mission field!

So there I was...sitting in this session in need of a sugar fix that was still about 20 minutes away when God spoke to me. "I have chosen you to be Luke to tell Paul's story." I almost stood up and shouted, "That's It!" just like Lucy. I hope that I have the opportunity to lead many, many Russians to the Lord. I hope that areas where I visit and witness will one day have handfuls of vibrant New Testament churches. But, if when I retire from the mission field and that has not happened it will be alright with me. Why? Because God has called me to be Luke so that I can tell Paul's story. Maybe when I retire there will be scores of missionaries all over Russia who remember seeing their city or people group for the very first time on a television screen in their home church. Maybe one day, just as we read Luke's account of Paul's missionary journeys, there will be new missionaries at ILC who will learn about the work of missionaries in Russia by watching media pieces that I have created. That is my prayer.

Do you ever have moments when you feel like God is speaking directly to you? I hope so. I hope you are listening for God's direction in your life. I hope that as you are reading God's word, or listening to his word being preached that you will hear a clear and direct word from God that is special for you. You may be in the car alone. Or, you may be in a church service surrounded by hundreds of people. God does have a plan for your life. I pray that He gives you clear direction. And I also pray that you act on what you hear.

Blessings,
Marc