The Edge of Correction
After several more weeks in Tarsus, our same group, minus four of the other younger men, set off to travel toward Lystra by way of Antioch in Pisidia. It was a cold morning, a cloudless sky and the wind blowing from the north at a speed that would just about knock us off our feet as we ascended the rather large mountains that lay before us. We were walking in a northwest direction, the same direction the wind was coming from, and at times, it would gust over the peak and down the slope of the small valley we were traversing uphill, and cause our legs to wobble with its force. The temperature probably wasn’t below freezing, but with the hard wind, it definitely felt as if it was.
We had spent more than several weeks in Tarsus, and I think the Lord had used us on more than a few occasions, and I know that Silas and his two companions welcomed the help in extending the word of God. A week or so ago Silas had sent two of the disciples, men that labored by his side, in the same direction that we now travel. For they were carrying messages from Silas to Paul, that was somewhere in Macedonia, or maybe still on this side on of where the Black Sea and the Great Sea met, anyway, it wasn’t going to be hard to find him, for wherever Paul went or came from, it was noised through-out the whole region.
We may have stumbled from time to time, but I am convinced that the wonders and works of God were received by many while we labored in Tarsus. Therefore making each of us at least slightly more mature, but maybe hidden within our spirit for later recognition. Many times, I would realize that God had placed into me a new growth, and knowing it was there, hadn’t received it fully as yet, but still knew something had taken place within.
The first two days of the journey were going to be the hardest, for we were told of the steep terrain, howling wind, and the extreme dryness of the land, but we all believed that God was sending us there, and we had no other pleasure than that of following His direction. Derby was to be our first stop, for it was the only town between here and Lystra, a long five day venture, and then there were at least four more days after that before we entered Lystra.
The first day we walked up-hill the whole day, and saying up-hill is a mild way of saying it. The trail was steep, and I would suppose brutal is a better way of explaining it. At times the path was so sheer that our feet were trying to slip out from beneath us, twice I’d fallen, but only slid a short ways before regaining my footing. The second day wasn’t much better, but we were descending the mountain, as the summit was cleared around noon, which was better in one way, but much harder on our upper legs.
That same evening, an hour or so before sun-set, on relatively flat ground, we made camp, and by that time it was welcomed by everyone in our small group. We had earlier passed two parties of folks traveling toward Tarsus, and both had told us about this spot to make camp, and to make sure that we took advantage of it. And finding the place they had described came none too soon, we were tired, and the clearing was a cheered relief. The seven of us all pitched in, gathering dead brush for a fire, setting up our small canvas, and clearing the rocks where we were to sleep. This night again, all had decided to eat the provisions we’d brought, no one wanted to work even a breath more than he had too. It was much warmer in this lower elevation, and that helped tremendously.
Just before complete nightfall, the sky only a dingy gray, but cloudless, a group of five women and one old man, going the opposite direction as us, arrived looking for the same camping area that we now settled in. They were going to Tarsus.
The clearing was plenty big enough for both groups and we welcomed them, as they also were glad to have a chance to rest. We were told that this was the only real place to set up a camp between here and Derby. I began to think that if they were this tired now, what were they going to feel like after the next two days? It gets much worst for them, an old man and five women, and one looked as if she were with child, for this was their first time going to Tarsus, and had maybe underestimated the roughness of the mountains. I felt sorry for them. Andrew had told them that they could make use of our fire; the old man thanked us, but said the women might feel uncomfortable and he was stronger than he looked, and would build their own. The rest of the night went calmly with very little talking between us, except for John, he motioned for me to meet him at the outer edge of where the fire would spill its’ light. He wanted to talk.
I could tell that something was on his mind, for in the last two days he didn’t say more than a few sentences and none of them were grouped together. His countenance was not, by any means down, but being raised up around him most of my life, I could tell that something of a seriousness nature was in his thoughts.
“Peter, God’s been dealing with me to strike out on my own, and I’ve toiled with it for the past couple of days, and now know that that’s what I’m supposed to do.” I sat quietly as he spoke; not wanting to add nor take away from what I knew was lying heavy on his heart. So as John continued, I watched the shadows swirl around in the cup of wine that I held in my hand, and at times could see the refection of the stars in it, if I was perfectly still; I just listened. “I’m thinking when we get to Lystra, that I’ll cut southeast and go toward Lycia, but for some reason, I was thinking that you wouldn’t want me too. I too have been in this journey from the beginning, just as you have, I know the voice of the Spirit, but have wrestled with these thoughts ever since we left Tarsus, and believe for whatever reason, this is my calling to be examined in the coastal region of Lycia.”
I continued to sit quietly for a few moments to see if there was yet something else that he wanted to say. Still watching the stars in my cup, and then looking up to find them, but all attention was on him, as I pondered knowing that a great friend would be leaving.
“John, I support you in every way, and by the tone of your speech, and the look on your face, I too know that this is a serious matter. Although I will miss you greatly, this venture is something you have to do. The Kingdom of God, and Its forwarding, is not tied to this small group, nor any other of the small groups proclaiming Christ and Him resurrected, the Spirit began this journey, and the Spirit will see it thru to the end. It might be that it will take two weeks to get to Lystra, but every minute of that time with you will be appreciated.” I knew that this was what he was called to do, and I knew that God would use him in a mighty way.
It was that night, in the foothills of those cold rugged mountains that I began again to miss my wife. She was with me, in every step I took, our hearts were together. I knew it, and she knew it too. I understand how God engineers our lives, and I believe that all that He’s called me into, would carry on even if I didn’t have her, but having her made my life all the more rich. I was just missing her a little more than usual that night and spent the rest of the night with her in thought.
It was a restful nights’ sleep for all of us, the small group camping beside us, made not a sound all the night, John was back to his old self, and I had one of the most wonderful dreams of being back in Galilee fishing with my wife. The other five men were chipper and ready to go. We made short work of our cleanup, said our good-byes to the women and old man, and then headed west to find out why God had sent us here.
It was still early as we headed away from the rising sun toward Derby, our next stop. It was in Derby that we understood that help was needed, for they had its share of impoverished folks, those coming across the mountains and couldn’t make it any farther and those coming from the west and now too weak to go on, it was a sort of last-resort town. Still two days away, but our energy was high, and this second leg of the journey would be accomplished. We were now walking thru a valley floor, and it was so much easier, the sun was warm and we were out of the dry cold air of the high terrain.
Although this journey in my life was exactly what I was supposed to be doing, it was still a long road, but one that was determined to be traveled. Andrew and I were walking side-byside and were chatting about our stay in Tarsus. In a very gentle way, Andrew mentioned and asked why I was leaving the homes of the Gentiles when one of the scribes would come by, and what my thoughts were about it. I told him that there wasn’t much thought about the matter, for at that time I’d not seen the whole picture of what was going on. Since we were brothers, and loved each other very much, I think now that that was why he allowed the subject to be dropped so quickly, we never did talk about those days after that. But we did spend many hours discussing why people wanted, in several cities, to organize a way of Life into structure made by the hands of man.
Andrew had known John the Baptist and his preparing the way, more than the rest of us, for he’d spent much time with him, and knew John’s thoughts on the topic. “The Baptist didn’t align himself, nor affiliate himself with any group or organization, but instead lived away from the main-stream, gathering nuggets from God with no interference from the synagogue, or those that were influenced by them. He himself was prepared in the wilderness, like that of the Israelites when they were in the desert; his flesh man had to die first, and then was he able to hear the voice of God.”
Andrew asked; “would the Baptist or Jesus settle or allow His Church, His called-out-ones, to fasten themselves to a immoveable structure of dead stone, and then call it church? Of course they wouldn’t. Would He’d wanted His people to stand outside some beautiful monument of man, ringing his mission bell as the Pharisees and Sadducees do, gathering support for their own agendas? That wouldn’t have happened. So I can see how right you were in taking a stand against this matter, but I can also see that this is not going to go away easily.”
I just looked at him with a smile, for we both knew we were on the same page.
Our plans were to walk more than half the distance and stop for the night, leaving only a half days, or so, journey for tomorrow, before entering Derby, so on this day, we ate while still walking, and even at that, we’d have to travel up to full darkness.
The next day the seven of us walked into Derby shortly after high noon, to a town that had a look of something more than just being impoverished. At least when we’d first gotten there, it wasn’t hard to tell the countenance of the folks, for it seemed a deep depression had overwhelmed each in it. Most people either didn’t see us, or hung their head as we walked by, and nowhere was a smile to be found, but we did what we always do, and that was go to the center of town. There, we were either met, or would make arrangements to secure a place to stay, for I believed that the Spirit had placed us here for a particular reason, and what it was , no one at this point knew.
Several times one of us in our group would reach out to a passerby, but to no effect. We were ignored, probably not because of them being standoffish as much as it was an unhealthy spirit seemed to have taken over. But after a few hours of meandering around the same spot of town, two elderly men approached us, and already knew who some of us were. Polite gentlemen in every way, smiling from ear-to-ear; and with a loud voice spoke his welcomes to their little town. He had heard we were coming, but expected us tomorrow. As he made his introductions, I could see that one of the men must have been the town leader; full of energy, boisterous in his high-pitched voice, but friendly in every way, his name was Manual. And it didn’t take long to figure out that he was severely concerned about the folks in his town, and that was part of the reason, at least the way I added it up, that his speech was so loud. He’d taken the roll as a leader to attempting to lively up the people with kind words and pleasant conversation, but seem genuine in every way. I liked that man, and he certainly made us feel appreciated.
Manual would have it no other way than the seven of us to stay at his house. A large structure made eons of years ago, but now that his rather large family had, for the most part, moved to other cities and villages, said he had more than enough room, and besides that, he was wanting to talk with us extensively. He offered water to wash our feet, food enough to feed seventy, every comfort that a man could ever want, and he really never did stop smiling, a gentleman in every way, and his companion, that was with him when he met us, was his brother. They both lived in the same house. He let us relax ‘til nightfall, and asked if it would be permissible if we could then talk.
With more stars showing on this dry night, I’d doubt that one could count how many, even by placing his thumbs and forefingers together and counting only the ones in that small circle. It was beautiful sitting out on the terrace, and it didn’t take long before Manual began talking about the situation in their small town.
“Last year there was a plague that hit our town, I think from a group that came up from Cilicia, and many of our folks got sick and died. When I say many died, I mean almost half the people that lived here. There was fever too high to get down, sores that ate the flesh off those that got it, and the agony was so great that screams could be heard day and night, it was a nightmare. We have mourned ever since, with great pain and suffering, but that is not the main cause of our misery. Brother Paul had been through here some couple of years ago, he left a few months before the sickness struck, and had given us the revelation of Jesus the Christ.
Many days and nights he would preach and teach God’s Word, and thru his reasoning and testimony, most in our town came to believe; our now life, thru the Spirit, was real and beyond our expectations. Many were healed of diverse situations, some from sickness, some from birth deformities, and many were filled with the outpouring of God’s Spirit. And when this Plague hit, we continued in our faith, even after many had died, we continued in our faith; but when the religious leaders of the Jewish sect came by, it was quite a different story. We were told that it was God’s revenge upon us that brought this devastation. It was that God was punishing us for things that we had done wrong, and we were to cease from this heretic new Life. Many of the folks knew that what they’d received from Christ was real and stood firm, some doubted and some even walked away from this life in Christ. Ever since this encounter with the Sadducees, the countenance of our town has gone down, getting worse by the month, with no end in sight. I shiver to think what might happen if this depression continues. The folks that persisted in our relationship with Jesus have been meeting every night at dusk to pray for help in this matter. And three days ago we got word that you were coming, and for a fact, knew God had sent you. Peter, what has God spoken to you?”
I knew what the answer was, but hesitated as I thought it through, wanting to get the full answer from God first. “Manual, God has been talking briefly to all of us about this infection, although He has given no details, until now, but we knew that we were to come, and knew of the urgency, but not the facts. We’d met some folks two days ago, and knew something was wrong, but not a word was spoken. I knew they were fleeing from something, but God held back the answer until our arrival. Yes, God has sent us here, and tomorrow at dusk we will discuss this topic.”
Manual left and went back into the house, the other four in our group stayed for a while, but nothing was said for five or ten minutes, so they went back into their room also. Andrew began to speak at the same time John spoke; and John yielded. “Brother Simeon, we’ve dealt with this before, but not on such a large scale. We all know the enemy, and as long as he lives, there will always be trouble. This matter of buying in, and being blindly led about the false ‘ruthlessness of God’, will always prevail, as long as man focus’ on the things of the visible world. The enemy is not the Jews, no, not by a long shot. The enemy is the unstable mind of man, and all that watch thru their natural eyes will be blinded to the Grace, Love, and the friendship of God. For it’s neither flesh, or blood, not the effects of the plague of that we wrestle against, but the spirit of the carnal mind that has been inflicted on many by the infectious words from the self-serving religious leaders.
The stars were still as bright as before, as they slowly rotated towards the western mountains, each of the three of us were relaxed, and then John whispered in a soft but concerted voice; “This stay here in Derby is meant as much for us, as it will be for them. It is our time to learn, and to watch God grow inside of each of us.”
The three of us knew each other well, and most of the time, knew from the same Spirit, what had to be done. The other four were good men, they loved the Lord, and were growing daily, but we didn’t correlate with them, nor they us, as John, Andrew and I did with each other. It was not that they weren’t good men, they were, and we all loved them, but their journey, as yet, has been but short.
The next morning as I awoke, still lying down motionless, the Lord spoke to me thru the quietness of the pre-dawn day ahead. “These people are my people; they are those that I gave my Son’s life for. When they hurt, I hurt; when they are stolen from, it is me that suffers the lost also. In me there is no condemnation, nor any separation, for my desire is to be their God, for they are my people. I Love them because I Love them, not for what they do or don’t do, but because My Love desires a relationship with them, and all others.”
Still lying on my back, looking up, but seeing nothing, for it was still as dark as pitch, I meditated on these words until they became a part of me. Sometimes my thoughts would go to these people’s hurt from their loss, or their pain coming from being impoverished, or why they would receive the rejection from the religious leaders, but the thought always came back to their need to be Loved.
An hour later we were stirred by the clanging sound of metal against metal; it was a call to breakfast. Walking outside, the other six were already there, and Manual stood at the doorway of another building, motioning with his arms to come. With all the food spread on the table, I could tell that the women folk were up a lot earlier than I; there was enough food to feed twenty. And within five minutes, there was about twenty scattered about the table. The mood was pleasant, but I could still see concern in Manual eyes.
After eating, my brother, John, and the other four men met in the center of his elaborate homestead, an area somewhat like a court-yard, flat, clean, swept dirt and three trees growing right in the middle with a stone stool to sit and wait out the summer heat on. John was first to speak as he told us his thoughts about these folks in Derby. Andrew said he had a dream about the goings-on of the folks here, and could somehow feel the extent of their pain. Both men were on the same plain-of-thought that I was; we were in unison.
That day, as we separated into twos or threes, we walked among the houses and people of this downcast but clean town, listening as God spoke His word-of-knowledge of the truth behind this unfortunate situation. And as many as would listen to us, we told them of the meeting that was to take place at dusk, and asked if they would come and share their thoughts and ideas of this spirit that consumed them. Several of the other men in town said they would help, for they knew that many would not be there unless encouraged again to come.
This was one of those extraordinary situations that it was better for them to come to a central place, than it was to individually minister to each of them. Nearly half the town was in depression and the other half were needed to stir them into coming, their help was appreciated.
This leadership role that I had taken from the beginning of this walk was now thought of by me as an ideal of youth, and no longer held the prestige of my younger years. So going, to first Andrew, and then John, I asked if they would be willing to direct tonight’s events, for I knew that God had used them many times before, and their discernment for the things of God were at times superior to mine. Both were puzzled, as expressed by the look on their face, and both said they were uncomfortable taking the role of leadership, and could be used more effectively in the background. I felt confident in the nurturing role that lied ahead, but I too began thinking in their same direction.
That evening, as the sun began to hide itself over the western sky, the people of Derby began coming towards the three trees that sat in, what I call a court-yard, just outside of Manuals’ house. The masses of folks looked like ants coming back to their nest when a summer rain began to fall, there were more people living in this town than I’d thought possible. And it wasn’t long before the whole area was filled with all ages of men, women, and children, and most had carried their concerns on their faces.
“My beloved, my brothers and sisters in Christ, take heed to the words as the Spirit of God moves among us all. This plague that has ridden through your town was devastating in every way, and my heart is with all. I beseech you to give ear to the things of God, for those that have ears to hear, a healing is forthcoming. God is the God of Love, not that which has been spoken about from those of old, He is always kind. This loss that the entire town has suffered, only God knows the end from the beginning; and I hurt with you, but all will be revealed before long.”
“In my youth, while walking with God’s sent Shepard, saw a certain man that was crippled from birth, and I asked the Lord; ‘from whose sin does this man suffer, from his own or from that of his parents’? And the Lord spoke in that usual whisper of a voice and said; ‘from neither sin does is this man made crippled, but for the Glory of God’. I know not the end result, but I have confidence in our Savior to see this thru to the end. Take heed, and wait upon our Lord, for he is always faithful to Himself thru his Love; and you are His Love.”
As I looked around, I could see a stirring among those gathered, not necessarily a gleam of hope, but an arousal of the spirit within, for their attention was focused on the Word spoken.
“I know some years back that our brother Paul passed this way and gave you a hope of redemption, an inner peace to those that believed, and you did believe. That same hope cannot be removed from those that wait upon the fulfillment of His promise. The plague is indeed an eating away of the flesh, and must not be misunderstood as the wrath, nor punishment from the Lord. And I too know not that which God will build to His people from this calamity, but I am assured of His restoration. For what God has begun, He will see it thru to the end. But folks, this is not the real problem that has entered into this town. It is the intrusion of the man-made laws and ideas from those that come serving on behave of a structure, that three days after Jesus’ death was rebuilt in the hearts of man, that is; His temple. Let not the traditions of men take that which was freely given by the Christ through the Apostle Paul, from those that received his Word.”
This time as I again looked around, I saw most sitting up straight and their eyes fixed upon that which they did receive from the Spirit; and the hope of their redemption was beginning again to refocus. My brother, John, and the others also, were now sitting in amongst the crowd. A veil had been lifted, although there was still a sense of fog among the crowd.
“We are not to be pleasers of men, nor followers of the fables given to many from the sect of our forefathers that has placed a yoke upon as many as would follow their regulations. Our Lord does not bestow upon us condemnation, and this plague is not from no sin, nor from doing, nor not doing, of that which is required of us, nor is there any condemnation to those that are in Christ. Jesus, while still hanging on the cross, asked the Father to forgive them and us; to not hold this to our account, so why then would this never changing Christ, hold any sin to yours’? Let not your heart be troubled, nor receive this separation that has been attempted to be place on you. You are God’s children, and this I am assured and this calamity will be used to purify a people, and will bring about a result of Hope that God had stored from the beginning. Be strong, for there are among us those that are dressed in sheep’s clothing, but on the inside, are full of dead mans’ bone, wolves and vipers ready to strike at any weakness they perceive. For I assure you that what God has begun in you, He will stay with you through it, to the end.”
As I finished speaking that which was given to me, a whirlwind entered the area where we had gathered. It was now like the sun had risen in the midst of darkness, like an awakening as all rose to their feet to greet this new-born day. With very little help from me, the Holy Spirit established Himself in the hearts of these people, a reunion of sorts. Where emptiness once prevailed, Hope now reigned; where sight was lost, a new beginning sprang up.
As the days went by, it was noised abroad of the happenings in Derby. The Apostle Paul had spent much time here and the unbelieving Jews and part of the Gentiles stirred no small matter of evil against us that had brought this word of Hope. Paul had previously been expelled from this town and now, again the unbelievers were stirring up the prominent devout women and the chief men of the city; raising up a persecution against us also to expel our group from the town and region. But the multitude in the city were divided, part sided with the Jews, and part with us Apostles. And we had heard that they had made a covenant to abuse and stone us, but we had become aware of it and fled. If not for those that were awakened and believed, I would have thought that our days would have been done, but God had different plans, and I now know, looking back, that our group was protected from the beginning.
Leaving, we each continued to preach the Gospel as God gave us lead.