Homeward Bound!

So we gradually made our way back the way we'd come, eventually arriving in Perga, then Attalia and from there we hopped on a ship back to Antioch. The place it had all started! We figured from start to finish it had been about two years since we had been sent out by our brothers and sisters.

Man, it was good to be home - we had poured ourselves out for our Master in mission and we were now safely home and ready for some TLC.

When we got to the church, we had a big homecoming celebration, we shared a meal, testified about our trip - giving all the details of how G-d shown up in our midst and brought people of different nations and languages into the Kingdom of G-d.

Then we just kicked off our sandals and settled in for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe who brings traveling mercies. Amen!

Derbe

Derbe was a small town on the far reaches of the Roman province of Galatia. It was about 30 miles southeast of Lystra. The residents there spoke the same language as the folks in Lystra, but they were significantly more Hellenized and there was an established Jewish community there.

G-d knew that we needed some encouragement, and as we preached the Good News, many listened and were saved. In fact, not only were they saved, but they were a strong, core group of disciples, dedicated to the Gospel we had preached.

What a breath of fresh air! We had reached a point in our journey when we discerned it was time to make our way back to our home congregation. The easier way would have been to continue down through Derbe, through the Taurus mountains and through the Cilician Gates to Tarsus - Paul's hometown.

We both strongly felt from Holy Spirit that it would be more beneficial to the Kingdom to re-trace our steps and head back through Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. It was the harder choice, but when we met up with the belivers in those cities - hard-won disciples of Christ and were able to encourage them, provide further teaching and revelation and share times of Spirit-filled worship together - man it was worth it!

Paul's main message - and he preached it time and time again was this:

"Anyone signing up for the kingdom of G-d has to go through plenty of hard times."

We wanted our people to know this hard reality and be able to face it head-on, persevering through persecution, sticking to what they believed even when it hurt - and that's not easy, but knowing that their brothers and sisters all across the land were experiencing the same suffering brought comfort to their heart and renewed strength and focus to their spiritual walk.

We also took those opportunities to set up some structure among these congregations. Through fasting and prayer, we picked out leaders for each Church and released them in the power and gifts of Holy Spirit to guide and grow their church communities.

What times of worship we had in the Spirit together! It warms my heart even now to remember it.

A REALLY BIG Misunderstanding

About a 19 mile journey southwest of Iconium, we found Lystra to be a fertile, well-watered landscape. Its population was made up of mostly uneducated gentiles who spoke Lycaonian - an ancient local language - even though as a Roman colony the official language was Latin. This was a challenge for us, as we had difficulty making ourselves known among them.

There was no established Jewish community here, so obviously there was no synagogue. It was some hard ground to sow into, that's for sure. All of this added up to a sticky situation when G-d's power came and did a miraculous healing of a man born crippled - when he leapt up to his feet, the crowd of bystanders went crazy! They started calling out in their own language that we were gods and stirring everyone up to worship us.

WELL! That was not going to work at all - once we realized what was going on (they were gearing up do make a sacrifice to us! As though we were Zeus and Hermes!) we did our best to set them straight, and then we began to explain about God - basic stuff - how He reveals Himself through Creation and providing for his people through the harvest, and so on.

They were starting to catch on but then, wouldn't you know it, those stinkin' Jews from Iconium - the ones that had been plotting our demise showed up and turned everyone against us.

Things went pretty sour after that - we got beat up badly, Paul was unconscious and the angry mob dragged him to the city limits and left him for dead.

We (myself and some of our new converts) formed a prayer circle around him and praise G-d, he came to, we all returned to town for the night.
Needless to say, we left the next day for Derbe.

Iconium - and a bit of a rest!

Our time spent in Pisidian Antioch was short but effective. There hadn't been much opportunity to refresh ourselves after the long, mountainous trek into the city and then with such a rush to depart, we were glad to get to Iconium and stay planted for a while. It ended up being about 60 miles and at a higher elevation, so it was a bit of a harder go, but lovely and breezy and cool.

Naturally, we made our way to the synagogue, where we introduced ourselves to the Jewish folks and received the customary invitation to speak in the synagogue. We were faithful to our message of Christ's salvation, and many in the congregation - both Jews and God-fearers again - received salvation. And yet, again we had the unbelieving Jews who grew hostile towards us and went behind our backs, whispering to the new believers, sowing seeds of doubt and suspicion. This time though, we just kept on keeping on and took our message into the street. We preached and G-d showed up in signs and wonders!

So we did our best to promote the Gospel, the unbelieving Jews spread their dischord, and eventurally things came to a head. There was a huge split in public opinion and the city ended up in two factions - those that were for the Gospel and those that were against. That wasn't anything new to us of course - we had been facing persecution everywhere along our missionary path in some form or another. So, despite the rising tensions and opposition, we stayed a good, long while in the city. Eventually though, the anti-Christian party kicked things up a notch by somehow gaining the permission of the authorities to stone us. When we heard that, we decided that it was time to move on. We continued along the Via Sebaste to Lystra.

Pisidian Antioch

So, we journeyed northward from Perge, and it sure was easy going down the Via Sebaste - those Roman roads made life so much easier! Praise G-d. We needed all the help we could get to, as it was a week-long, 100-mile journey into Pisidian Antioch and from what we knew, it was extremely dangerous.

The moutains were rough going, thieves around every corner, cliffs that just dropped away into nothingness - no wonder Antioch was such an isolated place! The mountain pass was the only way in and the only way out. I was inwardly glad that John Mark had chosen to depart beforehand - I don't know if he could have made the journey if his whole heart hadn't been into it.

Once we arrived, though, the city was a sight to see - the majority of buildings were constructed on the slopes of small hills or in the valleys. The view was something else! We were glad to have taken the advice of our new brother in Christ, Sergius Paulus. He had family here that he said would help to provide for our physical needs as we set about our preaching and teaching ministry.

We started at the synagogue on the west side of town. There was a sizeable Jewish population (over 2000 families!) that had been planted here intentionally by Antiochus III directly from Babylonians exile to settle and populate the area. And as we Jews always do - they adapted as best they could in a foreign land, and flourished.
The sermon Paul preached here was the first one that anyone ever wrote down - why didn't we think of THAT before?!

ANYways, after we had done the announcements and Scripture reading, and were welcomed as guests in the synagogue, the elders invited us to share an encouraging word for the people gathered there. It was a healthy blend of Jews and God-fearers (those who had adopted some aspects of Judaism, but not others)

Paul really went to town - he laid the foundation with a brief history of our people Israel from our Exodus from Egypt, to the crossing of the Jordan River, through judges and kings up to King David. This is where it got interesting - because we all knew that God had promised to send a Messiah through David's line that would bring salvation to the entire world.

Now, up until then - every head in the place is nodding in agreement. THEN Paul dropped the bombshell - and announced that God had fulfilled this promise in Yeshua whose coming was foretold by John the Baptist. At this, folks began to stir uncomfortably and whisper to one another...but Paul continued drilling the Gospel message.

He spoke of how Yeshua had been condemned and crucified, but then resurrected so that all believers - including those right there in that synagogue - could have eternal life.

Well! If THAT didn't bring the house down! You know how it is with the Gospel - some reject it outright as nonsense, others need to think on what they've just heard - to let it all sink in. Many wanted to hear more, and so we were invited back for the next Saabbath.

In the week that followed, the word of our message spread like wildfire throughout the city. When the Sabbath came, the synagogue was packed. Of course - you had the typical orthodox Jewish crowd who did their best to disprove every point Paul made for Christ. It got pretty heated in there, but it was good for people to have all the questions answered, and the Scriptures reasoned out.

There came a point though, when it was just argumentative and confusing to those who wanted to believe. So we just put it to them plainly - we came to the Jews first with the Word of G-d, but since they rejected it and weren't interested in G-d's gift of eternal life we were just going to march on out to the gentiles and tell them too. We held fast to Yeshua HaMashiach's words to us:

"I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth"

Naturally, the Gentiles in the audience were tickled pink at that, and a congregation practically sprang up in that very moment. The Jews...well...not so much. You see, some of us have this complex where we feel elite because we're "G-d's chosen people" and we don't like the idea of sharing the benefits of G-d with 'mere' gentiles.

So, those same Jews got together with some of their ritzier and influential friends in the city and we were forced to leave. It wasn't ideal, but again, we followed the words of Yeshua and 'shook the dust from our feet' and hit the road. We trusted that the seeds of the Gospel would bear fruit for the Kingdom - fruit that would last. These thoughts filled us with Holy Spirit joy as we made our way to Iconium.

John Mark - A Touchy Subject

It was here in Perga that our trio became a pair. Now, people are always asking me for all the juicy details as to why John Mark felt he had to separate himself from us and return to Jerusalem.

The rumours say all kinds of things - that he was a 'momma's boy' and with the traveling having become to dangerous and strenuous for him, he felt it would be best to return to the comfort of his childhood home.

Others say that Paul was simply homesick and ready to return back to Jerusalem, bring a good report and spend some time with his mother, and spiritual father, the Apostle Peter.

Some also say that he didn't bargain on having so much time spent among gentiles as he spread the Gospel, and still others that he had grown tired of Paul's company and didn't appreciate how my relationship with Paul had begun to change. You see, after our encounter with Elymas, Paul was filled with Holy Spirit in a deeper way - he had an authority about him that wasn't there before. Naturally, I let him take greater leadership among our group, especially as we gained followers who traveled with us as we moved from town to town. I didn't mind doing this, because I saw the Lord's hand in it. John Mark didn't have such an easy transition.

I'd like to point out though, that I certainly didn't hold any grudges against John Mark for choosing to go his own way - after all, Paul and I were sent out in the authority of Holy Spirit, and when the going got tough, we always had that blessed assurance to fall back on. John Mark, however, did not have those same circumstances to lean on in times of trial.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for all the dirty details, you won't find them here - I'm not a gossip and seeing as the matter is over and done with anyhow, I think that is enough said on the matter. So let's get on with the Gospel!

False Prophets - What A Nightmare...

When we arrived at Paphos, we were amazed at the prosperity of the city. Like Salamis, Paphos was a port city on the southwestern coast of the island. By this time we had traveled nearly 90 miles.

A meeting was arranged with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. He had heard about this "Gospel" and being an intelligent man, wanted to hear the case for Christ with his own two ears - nothing wrong with that! We were only too happy to oblige. The trick was, that he had a dodgy attendant - Elymas. This man had weasled his way into the confidences of the Proconsul and, I'll tell you, he was NOT happy to see us at all.

Right away we knew him for what he really was - a sorcerer and a false prophet. At our every testimony, sermon or prayer Elymas would snort, sigh and stir up a ruckus against us. This was incredibly distracting for those who were trying to listen to our message and finally Paul had had enough - this is what he said: (I still get a chuckle when I remember it! The look on Elymas' face...)

"You son of the devil! You are an enemy of everything that is right! You
are full of evil tricks and lies, always trying to change the Lord's truths into
lies. Now the Lord will touch you, and you will be blind. For a time you will
not be able to see anything—not even the light from the sun."

Well - that did it! Nothing like the authority of Holy Spirit coming on somebody to get the job done. As soon as Paul spoke those words, Elymas was blinded - wandering around with his arms outstretched before him, grasping for someone to lead him along. When Sergius Paulus witnessed this - he immediately believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and was saved.

It was at this encounter that my friend Saul began to use his Roman name - Paul. It made sense to us - because the name Paul was more familiar to Greeks and Romans and Saul the Jew would not have as much sway as Paul the Roman Citizen. As our time in Paphos came to an end and we set our sights on Perga, we knew that our message had to go beyond just the Jews. So whatever it took to win them to Christ - we would do.

From Paphos, we booked passage on another ship heading northwesterly, about 170 miles, for the southern coast of Asia Minor and Perga.

Salamis - The Journey Begins

I was pleased to be able to return to my childhood home. It was a great place for the three of us to begin because I have some history there, as well as some family and social connections that we could build on. There was, after all a large Jewish population on the island, even though it was a province under Roman rule.

In fact, most of the Jews that lived there had fled from Jerusalem right around the time of dear Stephen's stoning and all of the chaos & persecution that was going on at the time. Those Jewish Christians preached the Gospel to the Jewish community on Cyprus and had met with some success. By the time we arrived, fired up and ready to preach, folks were ready to hear the Good News.

Our mission strategy was to head straight for the synagogue - it's not rocket science, it's the example set by Messiah Yeshua. For more explanation on why this strategy works, click on the link labeled "Synagogue = Missionfield".

So we started - as was the plan - by approaching the Jewish community, in the synagogues. John Mark was our helper in this, much like an apprentice.

We traveled from east to west across the island, stopping as we were led by Holy Spirit and emboldened by God's presence in our midst. We took every opportunity to guide and teach John Mark, as we both saw such potential in him.

Our Commissioning

As I had already mentioned, we had a great ministry team built up in Antioch. There were prophets, preachers and teachers - as well as the other gifts that come from Holy Spirit that are vital for the building up of the community of believers.



Upon our return from Jerusalem, we were all gathered together in a time of fasting and prayer - seeking direction and strategy from G-d. We had a good thing going in Antioch - solid believers, strong discipleship and numerous conversions & evangelical campaigns. Yet, how could we spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth?

It was under the inspiration of Holy Spirit that the elders among us laid hands on Saul and me and we became true apostles which means 'sent ones'. We were both humbled by this honor and felt the weighty presence of G-d in that moment.



We planned quickly for our departure, and following the teachings of the Messiah, we packed light - no extra clothes, or wad of cash to sustain us...we were journeying on faith, following the leading of Holy Spirit and trusting in the hospitality of those we would meet along our way.



We traveled from Antioch to Seleucia - about 16 miles - and then we (Saul, John Mark and I) boarded a boat to sail from the port at Seleucia to the island of Cyprus (my native land) arriving at the port at Salamis, which is Cyprus' capital city - after a day at sea.

Jerusalem Bound & Angelic Encounters

So off we went, with the onset of famine lurking in our midst, and our pockets full of the alms of the believers of Antioch.

These were troubling times - the Apostle Peter had been abducted and imprisoned by King Herod. He killed James (the brother of John) with a sword, and when he realized that increased his popularity with the Jews, he began to redouble his efforts to afflict, oppres and torment the Church. He had a whole plan to bring Peter out and present him to the Jewish leaders during the Passover.

G-d, of course, had another plan...an angel came to Peter and led him out of the prison supernaturally. We had all been interceding strenuously on his behalf - but when he arrived at Mary's house (Mary - John Mark's mom) where we were all gathered in prayer we were still shocked! Our shock quickly turned to outrageous praise as Peter testified about his angelic encounter.

Not long after, when all of the uproar concerning the jailbreak of Peter and the death of King Herod had died down, Paul and I returned to Antioch. We brought with us Mary's son, John Mark.

Leaving Antioch With $$ In Our Pockets

During our year among the believers in Antioch, we were always welcoming leaders of the faith onto our ministry team. Whenever one of the saints was passing through town - especially down from Jerusalem - we invited them to come and share with us in the Gospel ministry, spend time in our homes and minister to us and our people. It was always so refreshing to have them and their giftings flowing among us, glorifying G-d!

On one occasion in particular, Brother Agabus (down from Jerusalem) had the Spirit of the Lord come upon him during the meeting and propheysied that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.

What a heavy word this was to us, and we prayed as a community and asked G-d what He required from us by way of a response. Communally, we decided that each of us, according to how we were able, would provide help for our spiritual family living in Judea. Once we had made the collection and packed it all up, Saul and I set out for Judea.

My Friend Paul - Never A Dull Moment

Now, please understand that there is quite a bit of buzz around my friend - when he first came to Jerusalem after he had gotten saved, he wanted to join our ministry team, but everyone was afraid of him, on account of how he had so fervently persecuted us not long before. There were a lot of heated discussions amongst us, I can tell you!


I felt G-d put it on my heart to align myself with Saul - I felt confident in doing this, because as he testified about his dramatic encounter with G-d on the road to Damascus, G-d's Spirit confirmed it in my heart. So after some time spent encouraging the believers in Antioch, I went on to Tarsus where Saul was and brought him back to Antioch with me. He was my partner in ministry there, and for about a year we taught the people from the Law with the added revelation that comes from Jesus the Christ. Passion for the Gospel and for unbelievers to be reconciled to G-d consumed us, and it was here in Antioch that we first began to be called Christians.

A Bit About Me - For Starters

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe who has returned my soul to me this Morning. Great is Thy faithfulness to me!
Amen.

Shalom! I'm excited that you have found my blog and will be journeying with me on my great adventures. Let me introduce myself:

I was born in the island of Cyprus and my family is of the tribe of Levi. My parents named me Joseph. I received my education in the Law and the Lord at Jerusalem from the great teacher Gamaliel. Such honor I brought to my parents! They were bursting with pride at how I applied myself to my studies, my devotion to the Law and to living an upright life. I was pleased with myself for strictly observing all the feasts, and avoiding 'youthful distractions'. I didn't always fit in with the other boys, but I did have a particular friend and fellow student that I connected with. That was Saul - or as many know him these days as "the Apostle Paul".

My life changed forever the first time I heard Messiah Yeshua HaMashiach - Jesus Christ. Seeing the Lord and hearing His Divine Words, my heart burned with conviction, but also with hope. He opened the eyes of my heart to what G-d's Law really means and so, filled with love for My Savior, I followed Him. Yeshua HaMashiach chose me to be one of His Seventy Apostles - what a calling! Praise G-d!

I ended up with a nickname - the other apostles got to calling me Barnabas. It's a constant challenge for me to be a humble man, but I will admit that this nickname pleased me greatly, because it means "son of encouragement". This type of ministry comes so naturally for me - to come alongside of others and counsel them, and encourage them. It's nice to have others to encourage me, too! We're really a family - though we are of many tribes. All of our time is spent together - eating, journeying, sitting at Yeshua HaMashiach's feet and learning from Him. It was only natural for me, then after He ascended to Heaven to remain with my spiritual family and continue to contribute to our needs - both spiritual and temporal. So, I sold land that I owned near Jerusalem and brought the money to the feet of the Apostles - I've given all I have to the Ekklesia. I didn't bother me to do it - Not at all! I was happy to because the Messiah is coming back soon!