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The Dead Tree
The tree was dead. Absolutely, positively dead. It had not budded leaves in at
least four years. Lifeless, it stood at the front of the property where a small
group of Pentecostal believers met in Baikal-Kudara, Russia.
Probably no one would have noticed the dead tree that much, except for
one thing. A local Russian Orthodox priest began to taunt the Pentecostal
believers. He did not approve of their religion. He said the dead tree proved the
Pentecostals were not of God. He warned the townspeople to beware of this
strange “cult.”
Valya Noskova, a graduate from the Siberian Theological Institute (STI), had
helped to start that church. She dreamed of reaching the Buryat people who
lived in that region. Most Buryats practice a combination of Buddhist and
shamanist beliefs. Trees are considered sacred objects. The dead tree in front
of the Pentecostal meeting place took on a significant meaning to the townspeople,
and the priest’s taunts put fear in their hearts. Valya found that church
growth came slowly because of the dead tree and the taunts of the Orthodox
priest.
Despite opposition from the priest, Valya did not give up. Instead she invited
two other STI graduates to come and help her. Their names were Arsenay and
Natasha Grigorev. Arsenay was a former drug addict who experienced deliverance
by the power of God. Now he is a firm believer that God can do anything.
Arsenay and Natasha arrived in Baikal-Kudara in the fall of 2001. It wasn’t
long before Arsenay heard the accusations of the priest. He heard the priest
say that the dead tree proved the Pentecostals were not from God.
Arsenay was stirred to believe God would bring the tree to life. During
the winter, he asked Valya and Natasha to join him in praying for the tree.Together they laid hands on the tree.
By spring, their prayers were answered. After more than four years of lifelessness,
the tree was in full bloom! The miracle served as an object lesson for the
entire village that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life!
The Orthodox priest of that village has since been dismissed from his position.
God always has the final say! Be praying for this new church—that the
villagers would recognize that God wants to bring life not just to trees, but to
each of them.
Information for this story was provided by missionaries Ken and Sherri Buller
and is used with permission from Assemblies of God World Missions. Ken and
Sherri Buller have been missionaries to Russia since 1998.
©2007 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission. |
