History 101 - Monday April 18, 2011
For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 2 Peter 1:16
What stories can we believe? How do we verify history? What about Easter? A phone connection in 1973 was hard for me to believe. Compelled to verify the facts, I talked to eyewitnesses. They said Steve Miller had dialed a seven- digit local number for time and temperature in Kalamazoo, Michigan, while on a summer outreach team from Lawrence, Kansas, and was randomly connected to his friend Bill Woods on another team in Ypsilanti. Four men had participated in the call: Steve, Bill, Neal, and Paul.
For thirty years I thought, "Someone should document this story while the eyewitnesses are still living!" Finally I asked Steve Miller to email it to me. When printed, I had a document straight from the guy who'd dialed the phone.
Now I had to get it verified by other eyewitnesses. I found Neal Graber, who read and signed the story. I went to a reunion in Illinois where Paul Abbott signed it, confirming every detail. I now have a document in my possession that was written by Steve Miller and signed by two eyewitnesses, and I hand out copies.
The New Testament provides us with similar documentation. The gospels relate unlikely events. Like me, people at that time were compelled to verify and document the facts. Luke searched out the exact truth. John and Peter testified with eyewitness accuracy. History consists of reliable reports from eyewitnesses. Peter promised, "We did not follow cleverly devised tales...but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." Even in the face of persecution and death, the eyewitnesses declared that Jesus was alive!
Submitted by:
Rita Bergen
Lee's Summit Community Church
Lee's Summit, Missouri
One-Year Reading Plan:
Joshua 16:1-18:28
Luke 19:1-27
Psalms 87:1-7
Proverbs 13:11
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCB-ES: Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible B) The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy, Bible, New International Version, copyright B) 1973, 1978, 1984 by InternaB-tional Bible Society; (NKJV) are from New King James Version B) 1982 by Thomas Nelson; (NLT) are from the New Living Translation, B) 1996, Tyndale House Publishers; (ESV) are from English Standard VersionB., B) 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers; (TM) are from The Message B) 1993 by NavPress Publishers.