by Ed Ostrom

Created on: May 24, 2007

Throughout life I have heard the axiom "we are the only Bible some people will read."From time to time I may have doubted the veracity of this statement, but at least on two occasions I have had experiences that seem to verify the statement. The one showing the negative side of the statement happened over forty years ago; the other , more positive, occurred less than two years ago.

The first took place during my Senior year in High School. During "Freshie Initiation Week the Senior Class paraded the freshman class of Grade Nines down the Main Street of our small prairie city. We had them dressed as servants and pretending to be serving us bottles of wine. I, a Senior walked down Main Street hoisting high a wine bottle in one hand and pretended to be smoking a large cigar. What I didn't know was that one of my Pastors at that very moment was witnessing to a Pre Christian in an apartment overlooking Main Street. The apartment dweller look down on the street, pointing to me and said to the Pastor, " Look there is one of your so called Christians! Should he be doing that?" My behavior reflected negatively on The Gospel that day. My actions may have prevented someone from coming into a relationship with Jesus Christ that day.

After that negative experience I have spent my life trying to be a good witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify with the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:16, " I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes ...." I have spent thirty eight years of my life being a Pastor. There have been many occasions when I have spoken to people about Jesus Christ and the Gospel Message. Two years ago another event occurred that demonstrated that people read me like the Bible. I had just announced that I was retiring from the Ministry after thirty eight years. One day a young homeless Street person came to see me. She was not a member of my Church, nor did she attend my Church. My only contact with her was through the Food Bank which we operated out of our Church basement. She said to me, "Every time I and the other street people see you, we think of Jesus. You are Jesus to us ! Thank you for being Jesus!"

I was amazed and humbled that she saw Jesus in me. Once again it plainly demonstrated to me that many people will not read the Bible, nor ever darken the door of my Church, but they are watching me . The question I must ask myself is "What are they seeing in me? Are they seeing Jesus?, or am I reflecting negatively upon the Lord?

As a teen I use to sing the words by an unknown song writer"
"I would that others would see
The marks of Jesus in me,
For they will not believe
If they do not perceive
The marks of Jesus in me."

My prayer is that I will positively reflect Jesus in my life because "I am the only Bible some people will read.

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