Two years ago David and I went to visit a gentleman and his wife in Pavlosk, Russia. The church we were visiting had arranged numerous visitations to share the gospel with people that the pastor had been building relationships. This gentleman is very intellegent albeit some what opinionated (who isn't), and engaged in conversation eagerly, wanting to know why we were there, what we thought about this and that. Over time we began to share the gospel of Christ. I use an illustration using a flashlight to share the Good News. Everyone recognizes what the flashlight is and they know what it is designed to do. We are similar to the flashlight in that we have a purpose (to shine the light for Christ). In order for the flashlight to function properly, it must have the right power source. However Ecclesiasities states that God has placed (a desire for) eternity in our hearts, and that that void is seeking to be fillled. We try to fill that void with all imaginative ways to get the least glimmer of light, but to no avail. Jesus Christ is the proper and only power source that works. He is uniquely designed for us. When we finished sharing this illustration, we asked whether he would like to accept Christ's gift. He struggled to make that choice and failed to be able to make it. Many times when there is that struggle, I tend to think that there is either a translation misunderstanding or a cultural block. So I offered a plastic sealed flashlight to him as a gift. He had no difficulty with that decision (to accept that gift) and immediatly accepted it. He could not explain why he could not make the decision to accept Chrit's gift. I challenged him to refrain from opening the flashlight until he was ready to accept Christ's gift. To my surprise, he agreed and so the flashlight hung on his wall, in his face, reminding Him of a decision that needed to be made. Whenever his face appeared on my screensaver, We would pray for him.
This year, (2009) we returned to Pavlosk, and my intent was to visit this gentleman and inquire about the flashlight. We arrived on Sunday while church was still in process, so we waited outside for the service to finish and then filed in and were greeted warmly. In the back of the room was this gentleman, who was making his way to see me. We hugged and I asked him about the flashlight. He fumbled in his coat pocket for something. I did not need to ask for what, as I knew immediately what he was searching for. Suddenly a flashlight was in his hand and the light was shining. We spent the next afternoon, conversing and hearing the story of how the Light came to shine in his heart!!Please pray for his continued growth and the growth of the fledgling church there.