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Daily Scripture
 
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

SIAWI MAN “LOOKS AT THE BOOK”

Siawi man

January 20, 2006

It seemed like testimony time was ready to close as the Siawi believers met two Sundays ago, but then Yaniwi stood.

"Wait. There is another man who is going to speak," he said.

As the people waited, Yaniwi kept looking outside. A man finally entered the building. It was Okweb.

Okweb had distanced himself from the evangelistic Bible lessons when missionaries Tom Brendle and Jason Swanson began teaching in March 2004. Feeling that his sin was too great to sit in the same room with others who were hearing the teaching, he later built a small addition to the meeting house where he and other "sinners" could sit.

"I just have a little testimony," Okweb began. "For a year, I went outside and was sinning. Before, I was God's friend, but I left of my own will. I did [God's] work and was His friend. Then Satan gave me other roads -- different roads.

"Then a brother came and said, 'Look at the Book.' … And he showed me Matthew 25:41, 'Depart from me, because I never knew you.'"

This brother also shared another reference, Mark 13:32-37, with Okweb, the verses about Jesus coming back and finding us not doing his work.

"I already heard God's talk and did His work," Okweb shared. "I helped His people and I prayed, but now my heart is bad. I want to come back [into fellowship with God and His people]."

Okweb's repentance was contrary to Siawi culture. It is highly unusual for a Siawi man to even confess that he has done wrong, and especially for him not to blame others for his downfall.

As Okweb finished, Kwaelom stood. "It isn't good for us to 'smoke' a brother [really bawl him out]. Instead we need to speak easy and share God's Word with him."

Then he mentioned Revelation 2:4-5, about someone leaving their first love.

"Obviously," wrote missionary Linda Kreig, "it was Kwaelom who went and spoke with Okweb and shared these verses with him. … God's people, functioning as a body -- what a joy."

Pray that the Siawis will continue to grow in their ministry to one another, and that Okweb will become a faithful servant, doing God's will.