THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
December 2, 2002
The beginning of the book of Acts records Jesus’ priorities as he prepared to leave for his heavenly home after the resurrection. When his disciples asked him when are you coming back he replied "It is not for you to know the times or periods that God has set on his own authority." (Acts 1:7) Then he did tell them what he expected them to do in his absence. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my WITNESSES in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Witness. We all use this word and realize it has multiple meanings. In this case the meaning I like best to describe Jesus’ marching orders is "attestation to a fact." But when that fact is a life changing event as it was for those fishermen, tax collector and all the rest this attestation takes more than words, it takes living this changed life.
Vadim lived in Arctic Dudinka. This is at the mouth of the Yenisei river as it flows into the Arctic Ocean in Siberia. As quoted in Colin Thubron’s amazing book entitled "In Siberia," Vadim speaks to Englishman Thubron. "As a young man I’d thought you my enemy...but one year I went to Germany with a Komosomol (a city in far Eastern Siberia) group, full of the idea that everything of ours was the best."…"My father was a pilot in the war and died of wounds, escorting British conveys to Murmansk. All his three brothers were killed. I was ready to hate the Germans-but Hamburg! I didn’t care about its wealth, but the people welcomed me. We quartered with ordinary German folk, and they were good people. Good. After that I never felt the same about anything."
This is attestation. This is a changed life. Enemies have become friends. Can we adapt this to our own Jerusalem’s and ends of the earth?
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
201 Oak St.
Mauston, WI 53948-1333 608-8474555
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