Doing Windows

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.  -- Revelation 3:14

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  After instructing His followers with those words, He ascended.  As far as I know, as far the Bible records, aside from visions, these were the last words Jesus spoke while standing physically upon this planet.  What He has done since then, He has done by His Spirit through His Body, the Church.   

My witness is my life.  Jesus is called the “faithful and true witness” not because of what He said and what He taught, but because His life was one of perfect and full obedience.  Abraham Lincoln supposedly said that he did not think much of a man’s religion if the man’s dog and cat weren’t better for it.  I would agree with that.  I’d also say that Christians who are obviously lacking in self-control, who are lazy and self-indulgent should give some thought to how others see them.  We’ve all got our blind spots; I know I have mine.  I know a man who won’t talk any kind of business on Sunday yet his yard looks like the aftermath of a garbage truck explosion.  There’s something to be said for not worrying about what other people think, but sloth is a sin.    

What is Christ a witness of or a witness to?  He is the beginning of creation, the Word from which all created things flow and by which they are sustained.  He testifies of the purpose, the divine will and consciousness that initiates and undergirds our existence.   Through Him we know that God is good, that He is holy, that He is love, that He seeks reconciliation and communion with us, His wayward children. 

On our own small scale, we may be witnesses of this truth as well.  We are to be evidence that the Cross remains the only effective means to subdue and render inoperable the old, fallen Adamic nature.  Our lives may affirm and demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit to be present, to give life, to transform us, and to bear fruit in our lives under any and all conditions. 

The world around us is coming apart at the seams.  Those who are invested heavily in it may deny it and think they can fix it.  They may even think that they control it.   More than ever our call is to deny ourselves and live as witnesses of a better world and a better way.   The kingdom is the only hope, yet it is invisible to the world.  Us, they can see, and, through us, if we clear away the smudges and smears of the flesh, they may see the Light.