The Gathering
The days following were good, the men and I would talk almost every other day, the excitement of the past years were wonderful and exhilarating. Most of our time spent together, when we weren’t reminiscing, was disbursed mending the nets, patching the boats, and pretty much just sitting things ship-shape, but I really didn’t seem to have an urge to fish, so we just spent this time together and enjoyed the sunshine. This lasted for more than a week; and one afternoon, after all of us had eaten, when we were all gathered, I said: For some reason not be known to me, I believe that we are to go again south.
The other three were quick to agree as they had similar thoughts, and none of us really knew why.
After telling my wife, which was still very supportive, and the others’, their families, we started our journey back to Jerusalem the next morning just as the sun had breached the horizon. Not knowing what was ahead was now part of our lives, but it always had a way of surprising us in a beneficial way. All felt good as we walked. The first day was always within sight of the sea, with its’ many attractions of birds flying, birds trotting up or down the shore in hopes of a dinner, fish swimming close to the banks, and some jumping in large schools not so far out.
Once in a while one of the brothers would bring up a subject and we’d talk about it, and then exchange our views, and then another matter would jump from nowhere, and we’d hash it out. The journey was a good one, for the weather was perfect, we slept well at night, and the fellowship couldn’t be better.
On the fifth day of our excursion, with the sun already set, the sky was a deep gray, and we could see torches and camp fires in the far distance, knowing this was Jerusalem. We stopped for the night to rest, and were to go into the city first thing in the morning. Not long after the fire was built, the bedrolls spread, and the food made ready, I could see out of the corner of eye, movement. Not knowing if this be man or beast, I studied quietly in that direction to affirm if what I saw was true or just residue of my experience of five or six weeks ago. There was no moon, just stars and the background of the distant city torches.
A voice sang from the darkness that sounded like my ole friend and fellow disciple Bartholomew. Andrew rose up and knew who it was as he first hollered back; “come in and sit with us.”
Not more than a minute, with plenty of sounds of shuffling coming through the darkness, a whole line of men came marching into camp, in fact, there was seven of them, Bartholomew leading the way. As they approached the light of the fire, I then saw that it was Bartholomew, Philip, Thomas, the other James, Matthew, Simon and the other Judas, all of us were together again. It was a nice reunion, and we talked and ate and relaxed together by the warmth of the fire and had a good-o-time. They too had similar stories, as was those of ours. We kept close to each other and met almost on a weekly basis. When asked why they too were going to Jerusalem, Philip put another stick of wood in the fire, rubbed his chin as if thinking and began to address their mission.
All of them had a dream, a vision, call it what you may, an encounter with Jesus, He presented Himself and told us to go to Jerusalem, in an upper room of a certain house and wait on Him.
Now I couldn’t believe what we was hearing, and probably the other three also, for at this time he stood up as if anxious to speak, but wasn’t going to interrupt. When Philip had expounded on their happenstance, and sat again by the fire, I began speaking. “Men, we too had the same encounter, and were told the same things, and were in-fact going into the city to wait for His movement in the same upper room. The affirmation of this moment was planned by God, for His will is always done, therefore all of us will go together and wait upon Him.”
***********************
The next day as the eleven entered into the room, which by all standards was very large, we all began to pray. Night and day we prayed together. The next few days, men and women began to trickle in, and entered into the same room with the same prayer. All were in one accord, as the others also heard the movement of the Spirit from within, in all account, there were about a hundred and twenty.
I stood up in the midst of the hundred and twenty disciples and said that it was right that we should replace the one lost disciple, and we did, by drawing lots. Matthias was chosen, not by us, but by the moving of God.
Times were managed without our consent, as the Spirit was perceptibly in control, the devotion each had toward the other was common and unexplainable; warming. Men and women that had never before met, blended with each other, as does one star with all the others in the Milky Way. Being in one accord is an understatement, for it seemed we were fused in mind and spirit as one organism. The exhortations, the words of knowledge, the prayers, the wisdom and all understanding were given and received as if we were one body, that body being Christ.
I was sitting in the floor at the far corner from the doorway thinking back on my life and all the emptiness that was felt during all the years of my young adult life, and it now seemed a far distant memory of the person I once was. The sun shining through the window in front of me, and a vineyard on the hill opposite from us, I could tell the beauty of the day. Not a breeze was stirring, the temperature was comfortable, the smiles were abundant, the circulating flow of Gods’ Spirit was more than the imagination could contrive, and I thought; where did this man inside of me go?
As I continued surveying the past life and past thoughts of the man I was, and the transformation that is taking place from within, I began seeing the facades of the life that this world offers. The barrenness of life only lived through the senses, the vacancy of true living, was being rightly divided from the inside, and now began coming to the surface that could now be seen and meditated on. Even the modesty of my simple life had been affected by the views of this world, and the accomplishments that it portrays that we should value. This world offers a bottomless pit of destruction and that is exactly where each goes when following it. I no longer placed value on many of the thing that I once did; my life was continually changing.
When one lives life to the fullest, is it not him that is living life, but life living him? Were we not slaves to the goals and riches that we once thought to be admirable? Thinking as I sat quietly in my thoughts, looking out in the distance, but seeing nothing, as the true inner eyes were focus on the man within, the real being of my existence. If we strive to feed our family, to meet our intensions, to find favor in our community, to be the man the world wants us to be; are we not then slaves of our own making, to the very thing that was to be avoided, slavery? Does not God provide, but we travail in agony to be something that was not to be, a man of means, but instead end up empty? Looking back at the piece of a man I was only days ago, I can understand the abyss of the inner man sinking into a life like this, that was taught from our youth up to be more than it is capable of. If we spend a life-time pursuing our freedom, to meet our dreams through hard work and stamina, but in the process lose the joy of living, and consumed in the daily task of providing, all to make life more abundant, will we, if looked at closely, have placed our being in this endless mode of slavery? Yes. Why is life, if it is not to be appreciated, accepted as being fulfilling? But we instead replace that joy of abundant living with the daily task of making a living. Still pondering on the thoughts of an open heart, I realized that I was only touching on the surface of what true life was to be. Anyway, all the inner turmoil, the longing to be fulfilled, the void of the emptiness was gone, evaporated in the sunshine of the direction I was facing; I was being healed.
Little did I know at this time that the best was yet to come, for after standing up and going to mingle with the others, a sound that began as a distant thunder rumbled across the land and into the very room the ten dozen of us fellowshipped. The sound was made by a fierce wind, filling, or rather packing the room with the smell of sweetness that one senses after a summer rain. The wind was smooth, but the sound of it was as storm driven through a forest, a force that many went to their knees to observe. The room of this uppermost part of the building was truly filled, that is with the presence of the Lord.
Now not too long ago we were told by Jesus to go throughout the world and preach the forgiveness and Love of Jesus Christ and our God. To tell all that where they are, and even what they do, would not separate them from His Love.
In the twinkling of an eye, everyone in the room was filled with the charisma of His existence, and all women and men began prophesying in a language that was not known by any of the group. The sound of the Spirit was broadcast into the air of that city with the authority of the Lord. Many came to see that which was happening, and I think inwardly wanting to seek the cause of it, or maybe it was curiosity. One man stood in the window watching as one would over his sheep, and turned and shouted out to those outside that much wine had been passed around and they, we, were drunk. Most of the outsiders were men of distinction, gathered in town for some function from all countries, to come to a settling and agreement on the matters of their religion, they were Jews. But I think God had them there for an entirely different purpose, to witness the Spirit moving and maybe that of which they lacked. For nothing was hid, and the profound happenings stretched far beyond the walls of that room as many observed.
For each man and woman filled with the Wind of God’s Spirit spoke in a tongue unbeknownst to the one prophesying, and speaking the oracles of His message to them in their own language. That is; that God’s Love is extended to all. I think this added to their confusion, as many left, and still many looked as if they were bewildered by the authority that was supposed, in the mind of many, to be theirs’.
The diverse languages, at least the way I see it, was for the purpose of going to all the different languages with the Good-News of the resurrection of Christ, and the total Love that God forwarded to all, so His clear message could be understood by any.
It was still early in the day, the excitement went throughout the building and also spilled into the streets below, the indwelling of Christ was real and accepted by all. As I walked through the room, and watching as men and women were as one, my heart and soul were filled with the joy of His presence. The other Judas came to me as I hugged and kissed many of the brothers and sisters, and was I asked; “Peter, what is it that has filled our heart and this room with a manifestation of the authority of Jesus?” It was then, stepping on top a hewn table that I addressed all that was in the room, and especially those that were standing outside looking in.
“Men of Judea…think not what you see, is, as it appears…” I addressed all with the same authority that befell to me when Jesus asked; “Who do you say that I am?” My mouth opened, the words came out, but what came from it was not Peter. It was as if I no longer lived in my body, and the life that lived in me was not my own, but His who bought me. I spoke from the prophet Joel, and from the words of King David, and to the whole house of Israel, with power and authorization.
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to me and the rest of the apostles; ‘men, brothers, what shall we so do?’ And I said unto them; change the way you think, think not in the world’s way, and be submerged in this same Holy Spirit, and you also shall receive this same gift. And many that day and the days following, were added to the Church, many were healed, many delivered, many were set free from the bondage that this world had imputed into them.
Great things had happened to us, and I speak mostly of me, starting with the room when Jesus appeared for the first time, and then when He gave us His Spirit, and as these were the greatest of all events, none compares to the experiences as yet of today.
While walking with Jesus in our journey throughout all Judea, with all the parables, miracles, and healings, I then saw that my life was to be nowhere except with this man Jesus the Christ of God, and it was more than wonderful. For truly this was the Christ, the Son of the living God. The forgiveness that I received when He appeared after the resurrection melted my soul and heart to a place that I didn’t know existed. And as real as it was walking with Christ, eating with Him, watching Him move upon others to make the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and even bring Lazarus back to earth from the dead, all was not so impacting in my life, as has this day brought forth. Then I could see Him, touch Him, talk face to face, but now Jesus is closer to me and more real within me after the Power and Spirit had fell upon me through that wonderful rushing wind that came to us this day. Even though my eyes cannot see Him, I see Him far more clearly than any day past, and though my ears do not hear His voice, I can hear Him with clarity, and though I cannot touch Him with fingers, I am now in constant contact, the Christ is real, and really living inside and through me now and forever. This was a powerful day, meaning a day with much power, and my mind was not just renewed, but as if one poured it out on the ground, and refilled it with the mind of Christ. It was amazing how so many of the things taught to us in the past, were now organized, prepared, completely reasonable, but a few short weeks ago, made no sense. A change had come over us, and the only thing that was done by each, was to be obedient, that is wait on Him as He had asked.
Not so many weeks ago, we were told to go through the region of Judea, in fact the world and preach this Gospel of Love that was given to us, but none understood what that meant, or what that Love really was, until now. This gathering of some hundred and twenty men and women were filled with the Spirit, which is the Love, of our God and His Christ.