From Police Officer to Missionary: A Journey Guided by the Holy Spirit

Divine Calling and Early Influences

• 💡 The speaker recounts an early experience in eighth grade watching the movie "Serpico," which profoundly impacted him and sparked a desire to enter law enforcement.
• 🎯 This experience, in a place he wasn't supposed to be, foreshadowed a life of being invited into challenging situations.
• 🎭 The intense emotional response to the film highlighted a deep inner calling that transcended the movie itself, leading him to commit to becoming a police officer.

Unconventional Policing and Divine Guidance

• 👮‍♂️ As a police officer, the speaker often relied on divine guidance for solutions beyond standard academy training, leading to innovative approaches like inviting a drug dealer to dinner.
• 🤝 This method, inspired by biblical stories like the Samaritan woman and Zacchaeus, transformed lives and communities.
• 🚗 A pivotal moment involved being divinely prompted to de-arrest a man he had just arrested for serious felonies, demonstrating a trust in God's direction over protocol.
• 🤯 The man's subsequent fear of being shot after being set free illustrated the deep-seated mistrust and conflict within society.

Ministry in Indonesia and Legal Challenges

• ✈️ Transitioning to missionary work in Indonesia, the speaker and his wife quickly realized their existing training was insufficient and they needed to rely on God again.
• 📜 He faced a 10-year prison sentence for allegedly insulting the Quran, a charge stemming from a moment of laziness in his speech.
• 🇺🇸 The US embassy offered no support, leaving him to face an Islamic court alone.

Divine Intervention and Lessons Learned

• 🙏 A Muslim man, who had been helped by Christians in the US, powerfully intervened in the trial, leading to the charges being dropped.
• 🗣️ This man, who turned out to be the new head of the Islamic Association of Indonesia, advised the speaker to find respectful ways to share his faith with Muslims.
• 🌍 The experience taught him that God is always present, even in the most challenging circumstances, and the importance of speaking with divine guidance rather than relying on memorized phrases.
• 🚀 The speaker emphasizes that it's never too late to seek God's guidance and that fulfilling one's calling can happen at any age, citing an 87-year-old man who experienced profound spiritual growth.