Think Global

Acts 1:8 -- "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

I could see the pout start on my niece's lips and the worry line on her forehead begin to become more and more distinct as she chewed on the answer I'd just given to her question. I knew she didn't like my answer. I also knew that she was trying to work a way around it. But the truth is, no - there are no allowances for remote groups of humanity that haven't heard the Word of God. There really IS only one way in to Heaven - and that one way really IS Jesus Christ and ONLY Jesus Christ. 

She argued. I admired her compassion as she asked me; "What if no one can get to them? What if they live so far out in the middle of nowhere that no one can get out there to tell them about Jesus?"

Ah! THAT question. As a person who has lived way out in the middle of nowhere all over the globe, I answered very simply: there is NO place on this planet where man cannot find a way to visit - somehow.  Our technology is too great. Our ability to travel too convenient. Our adventurous spirit too robust. If we can't fly there, we can take a boat. If we can't take a boat we can take a car. If we can't take a car we can take a bike ... we can walk .... we can crawl. Well, you get the idea. 

She was somewhat consoled by this - but I could see the worry set in deep behind her gorgeous blue eyes. I'm so proud. She's thinking globally - which is EXACTLY what we are supposed to do.

Jesus bestowed upon each of us the great commission to tell others about him. Our reach should be as close as the neighbor next door, as deep as the needs of our community, and as far as the smallest outcrop of an island in the middle of the great Pacific Ocean. Note that Jesus didn't exactly make a list. He didn't say "o.k., first go tell your neighbor, then reach out to your local community, and when you're done with that .... go to the far reaches of foreign lands to tell others about me." No. His command for us is just to REACH. With amazing things like jet engines and the internet our task has never before been made so convenient. It might be easier for us to make a mental list to keep track of progress, but Jesus never said these points of interest were sequential - they are, in fact, simultaneous.  In the great world where multitasking has become a popular buzz word it shouldn't be too difficult for us to comprehend this command. 

In addition to some pretty clear instruction, God tells us that He's provided for us what we need in order to accomplish this. Right there in verse 8 of Acts 1, we are told that we will be granted the power to witness through the Holy Spirit. You see, we have no excuses that allow us to slip out the back door and not get the job done. The only thing standing in our way is .... well, US.