Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world

Christian Meditations ? A Chris Hansen Column

February 14, 2008

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You met Chris, now you can read more of his work:

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Courage Of The Ancient Ones ? Part 4

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??????????????????? by

???????????????????? Chris Hansen

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Author of:

?Secret of the Psalms,?

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Amazingly accurate prophecies about Jesus written centuries in advance.

?Revelation Revisited,?

John is under arrest by the Roman empire.? While he is in exile, he gets the surprise of his life!? The glorified Jesus shows up!? John?s story is redramatized for today?s audience who may not be familiar with the Bible.

?Grandfather?s Journal.?

A touching illustrated book for children and adults.? A young boy who is terrified of death and bored with church reads his grandfather?s last journal entries.? The boy discovers the sweet hope that the resurrection of Jesus provides.? The boy learns to ?Smile on the inside too.?

www.xlibris.com and local bookstores and 1-888-795-4274

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This series of short stories looks back at some very courageous Christians.? These Christians were far more than mere footnotes in church history.? They were real people with incredible courage in the face of unspeakable brutality!? This kind of courage needs to be remembered and emulated.? This kind of brutality, though unspeakable, needs to be spoken.? They were and still are our brothers and our sisters in Christ.? They are a great cloud of witnesses who surround us and encourage us to finish our race.? May their great courage be ours too.? May God help us to be heroes too.? The world still needs heroes like them.? These stories are based on historical records left to us by Eusebius.? Where appropriate a certain amount of imagination is used.? Even so, the basic facts are definitely nonfiction!

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In part 3, James bravely gave his life for a brother he once could not bear to live with.? Now, we come to a curious, touching, and virtually unknown, but well-attested story about John, the only disciples to live to a ripe old age.? John would do anything for a student-anything-including risking his own life.

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????????? The Lost Sheep

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Many of the details of this true story have been lost to us over time.? Where exactly did this story take place?? We do not know.? We don?t even know the name of the main character.? We do know that John showed incredible courage borne of love for a young student.? This young student is the focus of the story.? John, advanced in years met a young man who showed great interest in the new Christian faith.? He and john developed a warm relationship as they walked and talked and ate together.? The young student grew to deeply love the elderly John.? Moreover, this young student grew to love the Christ, which had so captured John?s heart.?

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Finally, the time came for John to leave this small village and go yet somewhere else to teach others about the Good News.? Everyone in turn embraced the elder John and then John would say, ?You be sure to love one another, as He taught us!? Now, you take care of this young man!? Teach him to walk as He walked.? Show him how to walk in the Truth.? Don?t let him stumble in the darkness!?? ?Of course, John,? each would reassure the elder, ?We?ll look after him.? Your young student will make a fine teacher one day.? See how eager he is and how learned!? We will look after him until you return.?? Finally, John began to depart, reassured now that his special young student would be cared for.? That?s how John was.? He cared about people, one at a time.? He could teach a whole house church, and yet spend time with one troubled soul.?

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Some time passed.? How much time?? We do not know.? What John did or where he went-again we do not know.? We do know that his travels brought him once again to the quaint village that had so touched his heart.? John had grown to love each one in that small hamlet.? But there was someone very special there-that special young student!? John really wanted to see him again before he departed this life.? His heart beat a little faster at the thought of this young man.? How nice it would be to walk with him as in days gone by!? Those long talks late into the night about precious things-how sweet they would be once again!?

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Everyone began to gather around John as he approached, just as John knew they would!? Everything was turning out just as he planned.? There were embraces all around, and excited talk and the meal together would soon gladden his heart.? But wait!? Where was he?? Where was that special young man?? Was he ill?? John?s face grew troubled.? He spoke to one of the church elders and asked, ?Where is the young man I left with you??? There was a very long silence!? John knew something was terribly wrong!? The elder?s countenance fell as the elder touched John?s shoulder and told him sadly, ?The young man is dead!?? John?s emotions leaped.? Dead?? What a loss for John!? But surely not a loss for the young man-for he would be with Christ, which is far better!? ?I rejoice in Christ,? John began to speak thus, but the elder stopped him saying, ?John, worse than dead!? He lives!? His soul is dead!? He has wandered from the faith!? He lives in the hills with his band of thieves and murderers!?

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John couldn?t believe what he heard!? Murderer?? How could such a thing have happened?? John knew that if it was true, that a murderer cannot possess eternal life in an unrepentant state!? (1 John 3:15.)? John?s heart was broken!? Perhaps he should have spent more time with this young man.? Perhaps the young man was not warned sufficiently about the darkness.? Perhaps the young man had lost his faith in God because of the harsh realities of living in this evil world.? Many times others had said cynically, ?Well, now, God might well take care of the soul, but the body, that?s another matter altogether.? How I live on earth is my affair!? Let God take care of heaven.?? Perhaps this young man really believed that God cared nothing about meeting his needs here below in this dark evil world.? John knew he just had to go find this lost sheep!

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Before the others quite realized what John was doing, he sprinted across the ground and seized a nearby horse!? It was quite a sight to see this dignified elderly gentleman run and then leap on the back of a horse!? They were all accustomed to John?s slow and sedate stride-but not this!? ?John, my brother! What are you doing?? they protested.? ?You?ll get yourself killed!? He won?t care if you?re an old man!? He only cares about stealing, killing, and destroying!?? (John 10:9-10.)? John knew better!? He knew that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but he also knew that Jesus came to give life, and with abundance!? Nothing would stop this spry shepherd of the church.? He rode off into the hills hoping to be captured by this group of rogues!? John prayed earnestly as he rode off.? This might be the last ride of his life-but he had to try.

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High in the hills, a group of men looked down and saw an elderly man riding at a moderate pace.? ?Who is that?? one asked.? The other, the one who appeared to be in charge looked thoughtful and said, ?Don?t know.? I can?t recognize him from this distance.?? The other, perhaps a lieutenant replied, ?He?s a fool riding up here all alone!? Anybody could take his goods or his life.?? ?Don?t be so quick to take from others,? the leader said thoughtfully.? ?We will reap what we sow!? Besides, he doesn?t look like he has anything worth killing for.?? Another man broke in saying, ?Reap what we sow?? You?re not going soft on us are you??? The leader said sadly, ?If only you knew just how hard we really have become!?? The others began to grumble and said, ?Come on!? Let?s see what he?s got!??

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John rode and prayed.? Suddenly, a spear whistled through the air, just missing him!? ?Off your horse, old man!? a voice commanded.? John started to obey very slowly his body wasn?t used to all this.? The voice continued, ?Come on, hurry up!? That spear didn?t miss by accident!? We could have killed you just now!?? John slid down to the ground and began to stumble in his old body.? Suddenly, hands and ropes had him and held him fast.? He was thrown roughly to the ground and men began to search him and his horse.? A rough looking bearded man looked down at the helpless man as he bent over the elderly apostle.? John thought half amused, he doesn?t know who I am, but I know who he is!? Then, their eyes met!? John smiled warmly.? The other merely turned white!? ?John!? the man gasped.? ?Untie him!? the leader ordered.? John was about to tell the man to just take what few goods he had-that he could simply have them if he liked.? However, the leader didn?t even give John that chance.? To the astonishment of his companions, the rough looking bearded bandit simply turned and ran!? John hobbled to his feet and actually tried to run after him-and there was the bandit running away from the elderly man!

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John grew further and further behind as he called after his dear former student in the faith:? Why do you run away from me child-from your own father, unarmed, and very old!? Be sorry for me, child, not afraid of me!?? The bandit leader slowed and turned around, looking deep into the eyes of his former teacher.? John then said a quick prayer to God.? ?He still has hopes for life!? John prayed.? Then John said to the man, ?I will encounter Christ for you!? If need be, I will gladly suffer your death, as the Lord suffered death for us!? To save you, I would give my own life!?? John had to slow down and rest a moment.? The bandit slowly moved toward John.? He considered John?s words.? Yes, John really would give his life!? The man knew this.? John would actually go before the Romans and die-if such were possible!? The man?s eyes began to fill with tears.? He couldn?t face his teacher-not now!? The man turned around once again and began to walk away.? Again, John called after him: ?Stop!? Believe!? Christ sent me!?? That did it.? The man could take it no longer.? He turned around and ran into the waiting arms of John!? Christ really had sent this elderly shepherd to bring him back!

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John rode and the bandit walked down the mountainside.? The companions just watched in amazement!? What was the power this man had?? How would this small village receive this rogue after so many years of crime?? Apparently they had learned John?s lessons well.? They obviously remembered Jesus and his teachings on recovering the lost sheep, and the lost son. ?(Luke 15.)? They began to gather around this most interesting pair, the truly righteous elderly saint, and the unrighteous but newly washed criminal.? John spoke with the villagers and said, ?Now, you look after him!? Teach him once again the truth.? Show him once more how to walk in the light.? Pray for him day and night.? Above all, love him!? Restore him.? Do not turn him over to the authorities of this world unless there is no other choice.?? (Matthew 18:1-35.)??? And with many other such words John pleaded with the elders of the hamlet.

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