Fifty Miles of Promise

By Lynn Taylor

Fifty Miles of Promise gives you a glimpse into what could have truly been the life of Mary Magdalene. What a journey! Follow Mary Magdalene as Lynn weaves a fantastic tale of shame, forgiveness and redemption. The story is so descriptive it feels like you're right there with Mary as she is delivered and healed. The New Testaments comes alive in this story told from Mary's point of view. This is a great book and a must read!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynn Taylor
• Release date: Aug 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370866830

Lynn Taylor

Lynn Taylor was called into the ministry at the age of fourteen and she has continued to serve the Lord throughout the past thirty six years as an Evangelist. Lynn holds credentials with the Assembly of God in the Alabama District and is currently working towards ordination with the Assemblies. She is a wife, mother and grandmother. Lynn attends Centenary Assembly of God in Luverne Alabama where she assist her pastor in pulpit ministry, singing and playing drums. Lynn has a passion for preaching the word of under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and with power. Her heart’s desire is to see hurting people be encouraged, to see the sick healed and the lost saved. She ministers in the gifts of the Spirit and is used in the prophetic gifts. Lynn ministers directly into the lives of many who need to know that God knows them and He knows just where they are in life. Lynn has faced the spirit of depression and anxiety but by the GRACE OF GOD she has overcome the enemy who came to steal kill and destroy her very life. She was healed and delivered from fear and doubt as she began to understand the love God has for her. She knows that depression and fear are one of the greatest tools used by the devil to create doubt in God’s calling on so many people’s lives. Because of the things she as suffered and what she has witnessed others suffer Lynn has a compassionate heart for those who need to know the unconditional love of Jesus. Healed and delivered by the BLOOD of JESUS Lynn now shares her heart and hope of joy renewed with others. Lynn is open for women’s conferences, revivals and Pulpit supply. Her powerful preaching, anointed singing and humorous ways are sure to reach and touch those of all ages. Contact information: Lynn Taylor [e-mail] Lynn can also be found on Facebook at Evangelist Lynn Taylor. She would love for you to join her page. There you will find encouraging words along with messages and keep track with other projects on which she is currently working.

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Dedication

This book is dedicated in Memory of

Jessie Louise Bruner

1929-2009

The mother of Lynn Taylor whose prayers and life were a direct result of the powerful prayer life Lynn discovered in the prayer closet with her mom.

I love you Mama.

Until we meet again under the Tree of Life

Thank You for Believing in God’s call upon my life.

Map

A map of Israel during New Testament times.

From Pastor Carter

In the time I have known Lynn Taylor a few things have become evident. She is a woman of God, she is called of God to preach the Word, and she loves people. As her pastor, I had the privilege of mentoring her and saw early on that she would be used of the Lord in a great way. I have every confidence this book will draw you closer to the Lord, and she will be a blessing to you and your church should you take advantage of this blessed ministry.

Dr. Robert E. Carter, Jr.

Barnabas Counseling Ministry

Pastor - Centenary AG

Preface

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 15, the last verse discreetly mentions the city of Magdala. The city was known for its wealth as well as depravity and was a city where many dollars were spent and made and where many sins were committed in the midst of it all. In a state of moral corruption, Magdala had all the signs of a city in need of a Savior. It was in this city that a child was born whose life would forever be remembered.

The story of the life of Mary Magdala was birthed from my heart. While the story itself is fictitious, the characters and places are very real. The holy scriptures follow twelve men whose lives were changed as they believed and followed Jesus Christ the Messiah. Among these men were many others, including women, who followed Jesus from the region of Galilee and stood at the foot of the cross on the day of His crucifixion (Luke 23:49). Among these women was one whose testimony remains today as a reminder of her love and devotion to the one who set her free. Truly I say to you wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will be spoken of in memory of her (Mark 14:9).

While you will discover many things written within these pages that Jesus did and are recorded within the scriptures, keep this one scripture in mind. And there are also many other things which Jesus did which if they were written in detail I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written (John 21:25).

My prayer is that you will encounter the love of Jesus Christ and forgiveness as in the life of Mary from Magdala. I pray that you will find healing from the past and hope for the future as you take this journey with Mary alongside Jesus, as she finds a life of hope and promises fulfilled.

I would like to add a note of thanks to all those who have supported and helped in this adventure, especially to my family: my husband and best friend Rick, my daughter Kristin and her husband Scott, my son Aaron and his wife Vanessa, and my two granddaughters, Avery Elizabeth and Ansley Grace. I love you and hope to leave a legacy of grace for you all.

Lynn

Introduction

On the coast of the Sea of Galilee, stood a rich and prosperous city called Magdala. Magdala was known for its ships, fish, dyed goods and shops, eighty of them being shops for selling woolen goods. On the shores of the sea were shipyards with many ships made for travel and trade along with many sailors and workers. Magdala, sometimes called Tarichae, meant pickled fish due to the fishing industry that was very prevalent. Many travelers came through the city of Magdala, and the metropolis was growing fat, filled with those who had a hunger for excitement, lust, and greed.

In the midst of the active and thriving city were two people who had a hunger for something else. They hungered for each other. How they longed to be together! Life for them had been unfair. One was born into a Jewish family and reared in the ways of Jehovah. One was born a Jew, but wealth had dominated the family more than religion.

The son of a Pharisee, his marriage had been set in stone from the day he turned five, the day Zipporah was born. His family and Zipporah’s family had made a covenant that these two would wed. Yet something had happened no one expected. He had fallen in love with someone else.

Her father was among the elite of Magdala. His business was in fishing, and he had a small part in the shipping industry. He made his money from those who longed for boats and craved the fish from the Sea of Galilee. He was a proud man, and he expected his children to live by his rules. Even though he was not dedicated to Jehovah, he knew the letter of the law. His religion was more one of convenience than one of truth. He could wheel and deal with the religious crowd if he played the part of the righteous Jew. He always longed to be richer and build bigger barns and greater storehouses, and his desire was for his daughter to marry among the wealthy businessmen with whom he associated. He had his eye on a few that he felt would be a perfect match for his family – er – his daughter.

Two lives lost in the midst of it all, in love but forbidden to be together. He would end it all tonight. He would meet her near the seashore, and that would be the final time he would see her face or kiss her lips. From this night forward, he would focus on Zipporah. He must. There was no way around it. He would tell her goodbye and move in the direction tradition demanded him go. As the light of day grew dim, he waited. Would she come? Would she give him the satisfaction of telling her goodbye? Yes, she would come, and as he looked up he saw her moving toward him, watching to make sure no one had followed.

Seeing him in the shadows, she ran into his arms. She had no idea why he had asked her to come, but he had asked, and she had responded. As her body pressed against his, he could not resist the temptation to kiss her face. He held her close and looked her in the eyes. Her heartbeat grew fast within her chest as she realized something wasn’t right.

He had taken her in his arms, but now he was pushing her away. What was wrong? Had he changed his mind? He had promised that he would always be there for her. He would be her escape from a controlling and dominating father, but now he was holding her at arm’s length. He looked her in the eyes as tears swelled in his. That’s when he spoke, My love, my only true love, we can no longer be together. I am going to be married within two months, and we can’t be together anymore.

She couldn’t believe her ears. What was he saying? She had trusted his love so completely and had loved him unconditionally. She had waited for him to pack his things and take her far, far away. She had hoped this would be the night, that tonight was the reason he had called her to his side, but she had been wrong. Her cries rang out as he tried to hush her. Her words, You promised, rang long and loud. In an effort to stop her cries, he kissed her and she kissed him back. Before the night was over, a baby was conceived, a new life began. He would never know. She would never tell. Magdala would never know the secret its boundaries held.

Chapter 1

The cries of a baby rang out in the darkness as she was left on the steps of the synagogue in hopes that a desperate, barren, or childless woman would come by in the night and take the babe up into her empty arms. Beginning life with one strike against you is never to one’s advantage - your father not in the picture of your newborn life. A mother, too young to understand the results of her one-night stand, hides behind the brush as she watches her tiny newborn daughter from a distance. Will anyone hear her cry? Will anyone care? How she wished it didn’t have to be this way…

But she could never return to her father’s house with a bastard child. He would never understand, and he would never forgive. He was among the elite of Magdala, a prosperous fisherman, and he would never forgive her for this kind mark on his family’s name. It was a sin worthy of death, and if it had not been for her cousin’s hospitality over the past six months, she would have probably been stoned. After all that was the law. It was punishable by death. She was a sinner of the worst kind. She was an adulterous woman. She had not cried out against the man. She had loved him, but he belonged to someone else. He had loved her and had promised to take her away and make her his bride, but once again tradition had prevailed. His marriage had been arranged years ago. He would marry Zipporah. That had been settled when they were but children. She was his uncle’s third son’s daughter. She had been named after the wife of Moses, and she would be his bride. The family had made all of the proper trade, and the date was set in stone. Who was she to think they would have ever been together? But they had been. He had come to see her one last time. In the heat of their passion they had made love, and a baby had been conceived. That was the secret she would carry to her grave. She had never told Jacob that their love had been embodied in her womb that beautiful night - the night the two of them became one. She could and would never tell another living soul. As a matter of fact, she had not even seen Jacob since that night and probably never would again.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the loud cry of her infant daughter again. How she longed to run to her. This pain was unbearable, and her sin was heavy upon her shoulder. Tears streamed down her face as her heart burst within her and her soul was ripped in two. The night lingered on slower than any other night she could remember. The moon rose slowly overhead. It was the Sabbath Day, and now that the sun was rising, people would begin coming to the synagogue for the reading of the scriptures. The past two hours had been the longest of her life. She couldn’t believe no one had come in the cover of darkness to rescue her precious child. Daybreak was finally here, and to her sadness and joy, she saw the first body of the day move. It was a Pharisee. Her body cringed at the thought of what he, in his religious state of mind, might do to her little baby, but much to her relief he looked, sneered, and walked away. Then members of the religious sect began to filter by, only waving a motion of disgust in the baby’s direction. They knew. They knew she was a bastard child and that she had been conceived in adultery. It wasn’t uncommon for harlots to leave their unwanted offspring on the steps of the Synagogue or Temple. But they couldn’t have been more wrong this time. She was wanted more than any other child had ever been wanted.

As she watched the parade of religious leaders stroll by, she saw a woman heading her way. Crouching deeper behind the brush, she became invisible to the glare of human eyes. Once again, her baby waking from sleep cried out from hunger and moved inside the little basket that was now her little bed. Caught by the sound of the wailing child, the woman moved closer to see what the noise was all about. The young mother peering through the brush looked on with fear and sadness as the woman approached her tiny baby girl. All she could see was the look of compassion and pity as this person lifted her baby from the basket, pressed her cheek to her own, and spoke.

"Oh you poor