Divine Appointments

  Have you have had a meeting that you felt God had orchestrated? In missions we talk about “divine appointments” when we meet people that we can share Christ love with on planes and in the markets. Sometimes we think we need to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles away before we have that connection. Of course, it isn’t true. Our mission is to obediently deliver the good news of Jesus Christ wherever He takes us.

  When God sends these appointments our way, our job is to respond as the Holy Spirit prompts us. He gives us the opportunity. When we are obedient to follow the Holy Spirit, we have the wonderful experience of Him touching lives through us. I recently had such a divine appointment. It wasn't on the international mission field. I wasn’t even on a mission trip. I had only traveled 70 miles away to get taxes done for Gateway Global Outreach (GGO).

  While Linda and I worked on the GGO finances with our tax attorney, she suddenly looked at me and asked if I would meet with someone. She explained that her 9:00 am appointment was still in the adjacent office and she thought they needed to speak with a pastor. They were an elderly couple and the husband, who was 80 years old, had cancer. They were meeting with her to have some estate planning because he was terminally ill. In the course of their estate planning, she asked the man if he was saved. He said no and indicated that he would be open to talking to a pastor about it.

  I agreed to talk with them and she introduced me. Needless to say, it didn’t take me long to explain the Gospel to this man and for him to find his way to the arms of Jesus. The couple wept together and held one another as I explained that, for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. He found comfort in knowing that Heaven awaited him, and that the angels were rejoicing because of his salvation. After I left the room the attorney slipped in to check on them and said they were having a very emotional time.

  I thought that these were long-time clients of our attorney, but it was the first time she had met them. They had been referred to her at the last minute and she just worked them in before our appointment, not knowing anything about them or his terminal condition. I am so thankful for her boldness to ask this very lost man about his spiritual condition. She paved the road for Jesus to speak and the Holy Spirit to draw. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit orchestrated our being in Adams County to be a tool to help this man find Jesus.

  Sadly, here is the update I received a week later from the attorney:

  "I wanted to let you know that Naaman C. passed away on Sunday. He is the one that you led to the Lord the last time you were in our office. His daughter called the office on Friday and said the last good day her Dad had was on that Friday when he spoke with you. Thank you again."

  Another divine appointment realized. Angels rejoiced and a child of God came home. I am reminded of the “Parable of the Laborers” in Matthew 20:1-16. Read it when you have time!