The sun was barely shining into the room through the slightly closed curtains. Lying on a bed, in the middle of the room, Amy started to stir. She woke early as usual, as she did every day, getting up and making her bed, brushing her teeth, combing the snarls out of her curly hair with her small thin-toothed brush. Her hair was her best feature, her mother used to love spending hours brushing it, making it shine. She missed those moments so much.
As she got dressed in her blouse and skirt, she started thinking about what had happened the week before. A strange man had come to town, early in the morning, with the rising sun and was dressed in animal skins. He was dirty, and he smelled bad too and his hair was all knotted and long, as if he hadn't used a brush in years; but his look was really not the first thing you saw, it was the look in his eyes. At first, we all tried to avoid him, our town did not take kindly to outsiders but what he talked about to our small group of people, when we finally started to listen to him, was so different. He spoke about having peace in our hearts, beyond the pain and misery of the lives we all had led so far. We all began to wonder how this could be, how could there be a peace out there that would make us not feel the pain and misery of our lives? How could we find the peace to forgive and forget, like what this strange man was preaching? That is when the smelly man said, a God named Christ came down from the heavens, and he was the most powerful God in the universe, for he was the Son of the Utmost High God. He came to Earth, as a human baby, went through life as a human, with all of our problems, and never did anything wrong. Then his own people thought he had demons, because when he touched people, they got healed, and he even brought people back to life. Could such a person really exist? Was it even possible? It was so interesting that we all had to find out more about this God, and so, we began to go and listen to this crazy looking man who talked about HIM all the time!
This thought that we could all have this Peace inside really caught our attention and we thought this was so interesting, so when the strange man, who we later found out his name was John, started his meeting the following night, to preach about Jesus, there were more of us, for we all talked to our friends and families about this god that came down to Earth. We were all lost in his stories, like children, sucking up every word, hungry to learn more; but when old man Charlie came in, sliding on his deformed legs, everyone got quiet, and we all looked up at John to see what he would do. If he knew that everyone’s attention had shifted for just a moment to Charlie from him, he gave not a sign. Instead, he just walked down the aisle, still preaching the word of God as he went, passing people whose stares followed him as he passed and stopping near the back, he looked down at Charlie, one of our town Elders. He told him, in a very soft voice that Gods Son, Jesus Christ has forgiven all of the things he had ever done, and that he can get up and walk, because Christ has already healed him. At first, nothing happened but then there were screams, and shouts, as Charlie’s legs starting popping, and stretching out underneath him, then Charlie stood up with the help from some of his family and wobbled a few steps, and then he leaped up into the air like a young child. He was crying and thanking Jesus and God for healing him, walking in slow circles around the room after almost 30 years of being an invalid. Everyone joined in on the celebration, this was a true miracle, and a crippled was healed and walked! Everyone was so happy for this miracle being shown to them this night, but happier for Charlie!
The stranger, John, went back up the front of the group as if nothing had happened, and started talking again about this man Jesus, and how his own people beat him, and spit on him. How he went through so much, endured so much pain at the hands of his own. They even turned him over to the governor to be killed and they stuck him on a tree, with nails in his feet and hands. How he, as Gods Son, died for their sins...for ALL of our sins! He painted a gruesome, horrible picture or torture, beatings and then finally the release of Death. After Jesus finally perished on the tree for our sins and was buried and sealed in a tomb, his closest friends came to say their goodbyes after three days, and the tomb was opened, the heavy stone moved and His body was not there. John said an Angel appeared to Jesus’ friends and family one at a time, and told them that he had been raised from the dead. This thought was too much for a lot of us, because how could someone come back from the dead? Even if they were the Son of God? We wanted to learn more so the next night, though our group was quite a bit smaller, we went back to hear more stories from John, this strange wanderer, because we were still curious, mainly because of what had happened to our village Elder, Charlie, who by the way walked into the meeting, all grins and sat right up front. He looked so happy!
Tonight’s sermon or story, the stranger was talking about being holy. How to feel the "Light" inside and to try to do good no matter what but this was confusing, because no one could be holy, except the gods. According to John, when Jesus rose from the dead, he forgave everyone’s wrongs, and in so doing made us all holy, if we would just believe. That is all we had to do, believe. We all wanted to be holy, who wouldn’t? We knew if we were holy, then that would mean no wrong could be found in us and then the gods would not hold anything against us. With that information he now had our attention.
As we were getting ready to depart for the night and gathering our things to return home, Beverly, the lady from down the street, came in crying. She was looking for Jeremy, the funeral man, because her little boy had finally died. He had a very contagious disease where bumps would appear on his body, dark black spots that swelled and hurt when they popped. The little boy was constantly crying and his home was avoided, no one really came to give help unless it was really needful because no one else wanted to risk catching his disease. John, this stranger in our town, asked were the boy was and Beverly took him to her house which was dark and hot. We were all curious so we followed slowly, keeping a good distance from John and Beverly and waiting outside once we got to her home; because we knew we would all get sick if we went in. John, without pausing once at the door, just walked on in, without fear. We all waited quietly, holding our breath and in ten minutes, we heard sobs and then screaming as Beverly ran out of the house, her face all white. She acted like she didn't see any of us waiting by her door and ran right up to Jacob, the town holy man. At first she couldn't speak, she was too caught up in emotion. When she was finally able to speak she said her son was alive and there were no more signs of the disease on him!!
Jacob, curious and not really believing, dropped his books and went running up to her home, but he stopped at the door, because he knew how bad this disease was. He didn't have time to go inside, for as soon as he gathered the courage to go into the house, John came walking out the door, with Beverly’s son walking beside him. We were all stunned! We had seen and smelled the child’s dead body! We Knew he was dead, yet here he was, walking around again and completely healthy! We all fell down and bowed before the stranger, before John, for only a god could do this. John got mad at our actions and said we should not bow before him, because he was just as human as were we. We got up, and followed him back to where he was staying. We wanted to hear more stories and while sitting in his home is where He told us about becoming followers of the Way. This made us even more curious. How could we become Followers of HIS way? He explained to us that we needed to know that we had done wrong in our lives, and to feel sorry for what we had done, and quit doing those bad things and to let this God become our ONLY God. This upset some people in the group and they said they could not do that, and left. The rest of us really wanted this, wanted to be followers, wanted this everlasting peace and did what he said. Even though we had done some very bad things in our lives, we forgave ourselves, asked for forgiveness from God and from Jesus. Then after we had accepted Jesus as our God, he said we needed to be reborn and be washed of our sins and that Christ would live in us, in our hearts and souls. We followed John down to the river and got washed or baptized. He dunked us under water and said we were washed clean in Jesus’ name. We came up one at a time, all smiles. Each one of us felt lighter, happier after we came up from the water. After he had washed us in the river, we sat around him and listened to what he had to say. He said one more thing needed to be done; he said that when Jesus was raised from the dead and went back to heaven He left His Spirit to help us. So we were all prayed over and we prayed for each other, and John asked Jesus to fill us with the Spirit of God. And blew his breath, lightly upon each of us. The Spirit in us would enable us to do what he had done, and that the Spirit would lead us to live our lives for our new God.
Just before John left, he said we should help all of the other people that became followers of the Way, if they needed things; it was our responsibility to help them. We got all of our stuff together in the village square, and whatever another family needed, if we had extra, we gave it to them. Jacob, the town ex-holy man, took his entire expensive book collection, and sold them, he took all of his money he got for the books, and other things, and gave it to the others that were broke. In this, none went without anything and we shared all that we had with each other, even with the people who were not yet Followers, as it is Gods way to give unto others, no matter if the others follow or not. To be a Light unto others so that we might lead them to God!
Me, Amy, I gave away all of my dresses, and blouses, I kept only the one I am getting dressed in now. We are so happy, even though the soldiers have come to our town, following rumors and looking for people like us. They have shot twenty eight people from our town yesterday for following the Way. Today is so special to me, it is my turn to stand before the judge and tell my story about Jesus.
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Standing in the open courtyard, with thirty other people, Amy looks up and down the row. She only recognizes two others, there is Jenifer, her brother’s wife, and Beverly. She smiles at Beverly, who returns her smile and mouths a heartfelt “thank you”.
Two weeks ago, she had turned her life over to Christ. All thanks to a stranger, coming into town. That was such a wonderful week, her son was raised up from being dead from a deadly disease, and old man Charlie got his legs healed. Two very important and wonderful miracles! She can still see his smile, so happy he was to be able to walk again. He had gone over to the next town, the very next day after he was healed, and told them the same story the stranger had told us. He got twenty five people following the Way, the first night, they all knew Charlie, and had seen him sliding along the ground for years. Now he was walking, running even, living proof standing in front of them, telling how he was cured. That first night, three others were healed of broken bones one lady had an arm grow back, where it had been amputated five years before. Charlie died two days after visiting the village, his time done. He got to experience walking after so long for only a few days but he was so happy and was living proof that Gods word was the Way.
Amy’s brother was killed by the troops yesterday, but not before he was able to share about Christ to about forty five people, he also got to see three people raised from the dead; one of the people had been dead for two days. What a great time he had, spreading the word of the Way, he was so happy for he had a very deep inner peace and was still smiling softly, even though his eyes were closed when they pulled the trigger.
Jenifer is also strong in Christ. She was beaten by a guard and had both legs broken just for being caught preaching the Way to a small group of people near her home; but a fellow follower of the Way heard of her plight and last night prayed for her, and she is standing in line with me today! What a loving God we have! Jenifer has shown about seventy five people about the Way, and how Christ loves them. I know she is so excited. She has been a faithful follower and will be meeting her Maker soon. Even though these troops try and scare us, they may beat us and eventually kill us for our faith, they will never change our beliefs.
Beverly got to see her son rose from the dead, and then got to see him go out the next day, to lead two hundred people to Christ with his story and message, and he baptized about half of them before he was captured and shot by the troops, who were in the area looking for Followers. I know she is so proud of him, what a strong son she has, even at only fourteen years old.
All of these others, they must be here because they are friends of hers or got caught by the troops out patrolling the town and outskirts for Followers. What a bunch of smiles up and down the line. Nothing can stop us from being happy today, we have peace in our hearts and forgiveness in our souls, no matter what happens, No One can take that from us! The guards seem so sad, especially Tom, whom I was able to tell about Christ. He was crying so much, and asked me to forgive him for today; I told him of course I would. And the judge, he was so white faced, when I told him last week about Christ. I was so happy when I heard he had been shot with the group yesterday, for changing his faith and holding on to it, not allowing anyone to take it from him, not even his former Men.
So here we all stand, in line, all ready to tell our stories to the troops and the judge, all ready to meet our God should they decide to end our lives for being a Follower."I am so excited; this is going to be so exciting, to meet the man that created me, and then died for me." I think to myself. I can hardly contain myself; my mouth hurts so much from the smile.
The door in the back opens and my eyes follow a man we all know well. "Oh, here he comes, the commander, here we go, and wow this is so awesome. Wait, what is he doing, he is walking past the guards, why is he getting in line with us. Oh wow, he must have talked with Henry, oh wow another one going to see the Lord. This is so exciting!" I think again to myself. Another man saved in Christ's name, if only to meet his fate with all of us. So many changes happening now, no matter what they do to us, they cannot stop the Word of God from being spread throughout the land.
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Tom is so excited, so full of peace.
Three hours ago, he stood with his fellow soldiers, and saw standing in line is the little girl that he had met the night before. She had been sitting in her cell, with such a peaceful look on her face. Didn’t she know what was going to happen tomorrow? It bugged him for hours, how could anyone be so calm knowing they were facing Death? Why was she not crying like most people do? Why was she so happy? Her actions kept him up all night, wondering.
He had finally gotten a break from his duties, so he walked down to her cell and peeked in on her and she was still so calm, she even seemed happy? What was going on, did she know something about tomorrow’s orders that have not been passed on to us yet? He furrowed his eyes at these unspoken thoughts and shook his head. It was puzzling!
He stood there, looking at her, when she turned, and saw him just standing there, what a puzzled look he had in his eyes. Amy asked him what was wrong, he looked so troubled?
"WHAT, I look troubled, what is this?" He asked her "what do you mean, I am not the one in the cell." he says. But she just smiles softly again and chuckles softly and asks him "are you sure I am not the one really free here, and you are not the one locked up?" Her eyes never left his as she smiled up at him. That question made Tom angry for reasons unknown and he reached through the bars with his rifle butt, and smacked her good in the mouth. "Smile about that!" He thought to himself! He was so angry, how dare this brat ask him something like that!
He cleaned the blood from his rifle butt and he was turning to leave, when she says the strangest thing, “Sir, I forgive you”. That one statement pulled him up short and really touched his heart. No one had ever said that to him before, for anything! He felt something inside him crack and felt this warming feeling in his heart and he fell to his knees, sobbing, he felt so bad about hitting the little girl, and she is saying “I forgive you” for doing so.
Today, for the next half hour, she shares what she knows about this Christ to the Court, the Judge and to the troops and the people. How He came to Earth to forgive all the sins people commit and that all we have to do is believe that He is the one true God. "How could this be, how could someone like me be holy?" Tom thinks. All the people he has killed, not even thinking anymore, about the smell. "How long have I been here now, four years on the firing squad?" He thought. There have been about two hundred suicides since he was assigned here. Heck, he had thought about it a few times but he tried not to. It was so hard to sleep at nights, with those smiling faces leering and taunting him.
Listening to this little girl, who tells him he is forgiven. He just can't believe that it is so easy as to believe to be forgiven. It would be so nice to know this was really true. To be able to have peace in his heart like this little girl. What is she, about ten years old? And to have such an inner peace. "What else do I need to do, to get this forgiveness?" He asks her.
Believe. Ask for forgiveness,
All night he sat there and prayed with her, and felt such a peace come over him. It was like nothing he had ever felt before, even the faces of those long dead ceased to taunt him. Everything was forgiven. She told him when he gets off shift, to go out and wait at the corner of 5Th and Elm, and a man in a green striped shirt would ask him for a piece of candy. He was to follow this man to the river, there he would get baptized, and filled with the Spirit of God. He was skeptic at first, but nodded and went back to work.
When he got off shift, he went to the exact spot the little girl had told him and he waited, he felt so silly but yet so peaceful. He waited for a very long time for the man and was just about to leave when he looked over his shoulder and saw the man in the green striped shirt approaching. No, I don’t have any candy Tom tells him and the man just smiles and nods. "that’s ok, follow me." the man says, So to the river the two go and down in a secluded bay is about three hundred people waiting to get baptized, and in the water is about forty people, dunking people under water.
At first, he was a little nervous but when he looked to see who was in line he sees three other guards. They see him as well and start to duck their heads so as not to be seen, but instead they wave at him to come over and join them. Sheepishly Tom walks over to where the other guards are. They said they met some of the people of the Way in the prison too. They were only guards; they never had to fire a shot like Tom did. To him, they were lucky...they didn't have the "demons" to haunt them like he did.
He waited in line with his guard friends, curious as to how this all worked. He so wanted to be forgiven, to have inner peace, to not be haunted by the people he had killed every time he closed his eyes. when it was his turn, he walked up to the man who was dunking people and after being dunked under water, the man says to Tom, be” filled with the grace and power of Christ, be filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ, go and make more disciples”, then blew lightly upon him, for he now has the same Spirit of Christ. He felt so....light! So happy and peaceful! It was such a wonderful feeling!
"Wow, such a change in my life." he thinks. "This so powerful, surly God will let the little girl live, she is so strong in the Lord, and has led me to Christ" he says to himself as he settles down for the night, still thinking of the little girl in the cell. He sighed softly and closed his eyes and for the first time in nearly four years, Tom has a peaceful night sleep.
Morning comes slowly, the sun shining in Tom’s eyes. He stretches, and yawns, what a great day this will be. He is so excited to see what will happen; he knows something powerful will happen, he can just feel it. He hopes that the believers will be spared, especially the little girl.
The quartermaster hollers down the barracks, "well it’s time, let’s see what this God will do."
Out in the yard, the prisoners are already lined up, pulled out of their cells and standing before the troops. They all have such beautiful smiles and such peace in their hearts. They are not afraid for they know where they will be going if they die, they will be going Home to meet their Maker! The quartermaster tells the guards to stand ready. Then the strangest thing happens, the Commandant of the prison walks out, he never comes out here. What’s going on everyone wonders. He walks right past the quartermaster without looking at him, which causes a stir. Everyone of his command, his troops is wondering what he is doing! What is he going to do; will he hit one of the prisoners? Wait, he is getting in line with them. What is this, what kind of joke is this?
The quartermaster, very troubled by this, has his orders and he has to obey the law sent down. These Followers must be shot for spreading the Way around, for causing disruption in the town and surrounding areas, for changing things! He has no choice, he must do his duty and the courts have said that these people must die! He squares his shoulders and says again, "stand ready!" we wait for the usual three seconds, then FIRE. Instinctively, Tom pulls the trigger, as it is still his job to do. He locks eyes with Amy as she falls to the ground, still with the smile on her face. For a moment, all is quiet on the field and all he can hear is the pounding of his rapidly beating heart. He looks at Amy, Dead now and watches as the clouds slowly open and the sun shines down softly on the field and that is when the sobs begin, Tom kneels there, where he has fallen, sobbing so hard, and he notices he is not the only one, half the line has fallen with him.
The quartermaster, calls attention in ranks, we all stand; it is instinct, with thirty five years in service, when you hear attention your body automatically obeys. He hollers, dismissed. What, didn’t he see me fall and cry, is he teasing us? We walk back to our barracks, those that had fallen, are walking slowly, looking at each other, questions coming racing through their heads. What is going on?
Tom gets back to his bunk and curls into his blankets, sobbing his heart out, he feels so horrible about what just happened, when one of the fellow guards from the river walks up and asks what is wrong? Tom tells him what has happened, even though he had accepted Christ, he still shot Amy.
The fellow guard asked Tom, did Amy not explain that Christ forgave all sin. Even having to shoot Amy, this too was forgiven. "But it still tears my heart." Tom explains. The fellow guards tells Tom, then praise the Lord, for this means that the Holy Spirit is alive and well within his heart. Tom stopped crying and looked up at his friend. He smiled softly and nodded and prayed for forgiveness. That day, many of the guards, including Tom, left the courts and the troops and went on to spread the word. To live in peace and to make more Followers of the Way!
Now go and make disciples like you were told to do.
By Gary Robison
Edited by Becky Butler
