Forever Man: The Journey Begins Book 1

By Ed Booth

The year is AD 100, and in the cruel lands between Rome and the Cold Sea, an orphan boy meets a man named John the Revelatora man who will change his life forever. John speaks with the power of Christ, and the orphan finds the conversation fascinating. John finds a kindred spirit in the young boy, made even more apparent when John hands the mantle of Christ off to the young man and dubs him Christian.

With his newfound title, Christian begins to realize that time and decay no longer touch him. Unlike other men of his world, Christian does not appear to age. Perhaps he is even incapable of dying. He sets off into harsh outer lands, spreading the word of Christ, as John instructed. It is during his travels that Christian comes upon the Lord at the edge of an abyss; only then does he discover his true purpose, in the name of God.

Christian will stand as witness to mankind, until Christ returns to Earth. A historian of sorts, Christians life will span generations; he will act as exhorter and witness, awaiting the Lords arrival. As Christian comes to terms with his new existence, a battle of good versus evil rages nearby. Will Christian enter the battle? Is he really incapable of death? Or will Christs return come much sooner than planned?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490899466

Ed Booth

Ed Booth is a mechanical engineer living in Central Florida with his wife, Sherry. Ed has worked in the mining and mineral processes industry as an operator, manager, and engineer for thirty-plus years. Writing is a way to express his faith in Christ. The Forever Man series is his first endeavor into the fictional writing field.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

I n the beginning God created the earth and the celestial bodies. In the span of one week God created all things, men call it the universe. On Earth He placed His Garden and He set it aside for His own pleasure, a place that God could walk in the cool of the day, a place where He could enjoy and observe His creation. It was within His Garden that He placed His greatest Creation, man and woman, so that they could commune with Him. To live there man and woman had but one command to follow, not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Satan having been cast out of Paradise and imprisoned upon the earth by God was jealous of God’s Creation and deceived the man and woman and they ate of the Fruit of the Tree.

Because of their disobedience, God cast them out of His Garden and unleashed upon the universe the Curse of Time. Now all creation was subject to decay and the clock began ticking and set to a time of Gods own choosing when all Creation would end. Within that envelope of time man fell victim to sin and would be enslaved to it until God would intervene.

For his punishment in deceiving the man and woman Satan too was transformed into a hideous creature that would crawl upon its belly, a serpent…a dragon! All that was evil, malcontent and proud would gather to him and he then began plotting his vengeance against man, hoping to defy and strike at God.

For several centuries man proved his unfaithfulness to God though He suffered long trying to draw all men to Him. In the end he destroyed them in a flood due to their hard heartedness and desire to follow Satan and to do evil. All were destroyed, except for a remnant. One man and his family escaped the flood in an ark along with selected animals.

Through it all God had a plan of redemption and after the flood Gods plan began to take shape. For the next few thousand years that plan wound down to a time when God would deliver men once and for all from the ravages of sin.

In the small town of Bethlehem a Savior was born and his name was Jesus. The miraculous Child of God conceived in the womb of a virgin. From humble beginnings Jesus grew into man and eventually gathered and taught his chosen disciples the ways of God and the secret of salvation from sin. The simple truth that man was a fallen creature and he had no power to free himself from sins deadly hold, only Jesus could deliver man. Jesus Christ sacrificed His life upon a cruel Roman cross and presented to God an unblemished offering of His Blood. The Blood of Christ to wash away sin and for Christ to stand in man’s place at the Judgment seat of God. What is man’s responsibility…in faith, man must believe that Jesus is who He said He is…the living, begotten Son of God.

Now without faith it is impossible

to please God, for the one who

draws near to Him must believe

that He exists and rewards those

who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Three days after His crucifixion, and His body laid to rest within a tomb, Jesus took back His life and arose from the dead and stood before His disciples. Jesus then sent them forth into the world to teach them about Him and to make disciples of whoever would listen and believe. Those believers would be called Christians. After the disciples received their orders from Him, Jesus returned to the right hand of God in Paradise, to await the time when God would send Him back to Earth to set up His Kingdom.

After Jesus Christ returned the disciples taught, proclaimed and wrote the Words of Christ. Whoever heard the Living Word and welcomed it into their hearts was transformed by the renewing of their minds. The Comforter or Holy Spirit then came and filled their mortal bodies and made no room for sin within, essentially breaking the debilitating bond that men had suffered since the original man and woman had sinned in the beginning.

A simple act of faith was all that was required. Satan did not stand by and watch, instead he acted. Having no power against man, he used the only tool at his disposal, deception. Many fell victim to his lies and believed his lies and called it truth:

You belong to your father, the devil

and you want to carry out your father’s desire.

He was a murderer from the beginning,

not holding to the truth,

for there is no truth in him.

When he lies, he speaks his native language,

for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

Jesus was sent to the cross because Satan used lies to deceive Gods chosen people to turn their backs upon Him and have him crucified. After Christ’s death and resurrection God’s chosen continued to strike at the Way, those who confessed Christ as their Savior, even to the point of death. Satan sat back and laughed, thinking that he had won a great victory. He had no idea, Christians began multiplying, even under the threat of death.

This is a story of the Power of God, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the life changing power of His Word.

CHAPTER 1

T he sky was blue across the Aegean. The weather was warm as an easterly breeze blew across the tiny island of Patmos. John was the last of the apostles who walked with Jesus Christ and heard and seen the great miracles that He performed. John had been exiled upon the island because he was considered a threat by the religious leaders of the present world. Since the time of the crucifixion the religious zealots had tried squelching the teachings of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead. John was the last and was spared martyrdom as the others who followed Christ had suffered. But God in His infinite wisdom had devised for John to thrive and continue the work that Jesus had given him to do all those years earlier. Here on Patmos John was able to write about his journey with Christ. The Holy Spirit brought forth the Word, and it came flooding into his mind and he wrote. Years later as John neared the end of his journey, the final chapter of God’s Word was revealed to him and he wrote it down…God’s Revelation of the future, God’s Judgment and His ultimate triumph over evil.

After it was written God brought comfort to an old and faithful servant, he took away the loneliness of living on an island. God sent to him a person who he could hand off the mantle of faith to, a young man who knew not who he was or where he came from.

I know not who I am. I was found by Aurellius as I wandered about the docks near the Port of Athens. I was but a boy when he found me. He calls me boy and that is the name that I answer to. Aurellius with his partners Adolpho and Bunto captain three boats and they fish the great sea and the surrounding islands located there. It has been several years now that I have served Aurellius since he found me and I have grown to love the old man as he is like the father I never knew.

I have come to love the sea and the work that it brings, especially, diving to set the nets for dragging. I close my eyes and feel like a bird gliding through the cool water. When I return to the surface the scent of the salty sea exhilarates me. There is also the not so exciting work such as repairing nets and preparing fish for sale at the market, but it is all good as Aurellius watches over me and provides for my needs. I believe he has grown to love me as a son he never had.

We set out early one spring morning for a fishing trip as we had many times before. Our plan was to travel east to the fishing grounds. In this area there are several small islands. Usually, we set a camp on one of the islands at the end of the day and fish until we filled our barrels. These barrels were filled with salt to preserve our catch until returning to port for sale in the marketplace. However, early on, the trip did not meet expectations. For two days we did not catch any fish. Aurellius, Adolpho and Bunto decided on sailing a day further east into some islands that were outside the fishing grounds. As we sailed the other apprentices and I prepared our nets. As the islands passed by I noticed how barren and rocky the small islands were. Aurellius told me that vegetation was scarce due to the frequent summer storms that scoured the islands when they passed through. The water was a bright blue and crystal clear. The bottom looked as if it was only a few feet deep, but I knew that it was many fathoms to the bottom. Near night fall we located a small island that we could make camp on. This island was different than all the other islands we had passed as it had lush vegetation and fresh water springs. Aurellius made a note on his charts to remind him of its location for future reference. We camped on the western shore and prepared for our first endeavor early the next morning. Fishing east of the island netted a bountiful catch, so much so that I spent a good part of the day repairing sections of the nets that had burst under the volume of fish we caught. As Aurellius and the others continued fishing, I spent the day preparing the fish and enjoying the warm sunshine and the smell of the salt air. I actually fell asleep at midday. While I was asleep a man woke me. I was startled to find someone on the island that was not a member of my group. I jumped up prepared to protect myself. However, he just smiled and introduced himself as John. John was an older gentleman, standing tall and erect. He told me that he had noticed that we had arrived late the day before and decided to wait till today to introduce himself. I told him we were fisherman from the Greek mainland. He gave me a curious smile and said something about a man who he had met earlier in his life and said that he would be a fisher of men. I did not understand him. John asked me what my name was. I told him I did not have a name. I told him I was orphaned and did not know who my parents were. I met Aurellius at the docks and he offered me a job as an apprentice and Aurellius and the others just called me, boy. John told me that everyone needed a name, because it told people who we were and gave people an insight on a person’s character.

John said, How about I give you a name. I’ll call you Christian. John was a pleasant man and I felt at ease around him so I said okay about the name Christian. For the rest of the day he helped me and we talked and he told me about himself. I told him of my past with Aurellius and learning about being a fisherman. John told me that when he was a youth that he too was a fisherman and that it was an honorable profession.

After some time passed Aurellius and the other fishermen came ashore. I introduced John to them. The fish that were caught we offloaded and preparation of the recent catch commenced. John aided us and conversation amongst all of us was pleasant. The cooking fires were lit and we all settled down to eat and fellowship. We all made friends with John. The question of his being on a remote island came up and all John would say was that he was here doing the work that Jesus had given him to do.

I remember one of my comrades saying, I have heard of Jesus. He was some prophet of the Jews, but he was executed by the Romans years ago in Judea

John said, He was more than a prophet, but that is another tale we can discuss in the future. I believe you will be coming back, he asked Aurellius.

Most definitely, Aurellius replied, This is the best fishing we have had in years.

Good John replied, We will have many conversations then.

Why don’t you return with us to the mainland, we can find room in our boats for you and some of your belongings?

For a few moments John sat there, musing over the thought of returning to civilization. Finally he answered, I have been here too long, I have grown accustomed to the solitude. Besides I am not totally alone, my Lord visits with me bringing me comfort when I feel the twinges of loneliness. After all he sent you to me and that is enough.

For the rest of the evening we sat there talking about the weather and fishing. John would ask questions about my comrades and share things about who he was. In time we said our goodbyes and John left to return to his dwelling. We turned in to rest. The next day we would return to the mainland marketplace with our catch.

The next couple of days were good days for sailing. The sun was warm and the wind was at our backs. We returned to the port and offloaded our catch. The next several days were good in the marketplace as we sold our fish. Aurellius attributed our good fortune to the discovery of the new fishing area we had discovered. Being a fisherman, Aurellius believed in good luck and was anxious to begin the next expedition to Johns Island. We made several fishing trips to Johns Island and each trip was more successful than the last. Aurellius, Adolpho and Bunto were doing well in the marketplace as well.

Each visit we made to Johns Island, John would speak to us about Jesus. John would tell of Peter and the apostles and their time spent with Jesus, the miracles that He performed. How the sick were healed and the dead raised to life. John would speak of the cross and how Jesus died and shed his blood for each of us today and for future generations to come. John explained that the shedding of Christ’s blood fulfilled God’s requirement for salvation and allowed each of us to be adopted into God’s Kingdom as sons of God. The name Christian was given to the followers of Jesus. Most of what John discussed with us was beyond my comprehension. He would ask us thought provoking questions about life and what the future held. What he spoke of was both frightening and amazing. John would then reveal to us answers to those questions that he said were from God himself. I felt a sensation inside me that I could not explain. I wished that I could have met Jesus and travelled with Him on his journey as John had.

I spoke to John about my feelings one day, about how I envied him and his time he spent with Jesus.

John then said, Christian, Jesus is still alive and He welcomes those who desire such a thing. After His crucifixion, He was placed in a tomb and three days later He emerged from that tomb, alive.

Alive, but how can that be? I asked.

"We were all surprised, even though He told us that it would happen. Even after all the miracles we were witness to, we were surprised. My fellow apostle Thomas did not believe us when we told him of our Lord visiting us after He arose from the dead.

"Thomas said, ‘Unless I see the nail marks and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.’

"A week later Jesus came again to us and He spoke to Thomas and said:

‘Put your finger here; see My hands.

Reach out your hand and put it into My side.

Stop doubting and believe.’

John 20:27

After several days of showing Himself to us and the world, He returned to the right hand of the Father. After He ascended He promised to send the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, to us. The Comforter is alive within all those who believe in Him. All you have to do is believe in Jesus and confess Him to others and Jesus’ Holy Spirit will dwell within you.

In my simple mind I confessed to John, I believe in Jesus.

That is all you need to do. On your journey now Jesus, in the form of the Holy Spirit, will guide you.

That’s it? I asked.

That’s it Was John’s reply.

What about confessing Him to others? I asked.

Your life and what you say and do will be your witness. The Comforter will teach you what to say and do when the time is right.

I was excited about being a Christian, even though I wasn’t sure what that meant. I could not read as a scholar could, and only scholars, I thought, could teach me. A scholar would only laugh at me if I questioned them about Jesus. The majority of the people I knew did not know who Jesus was, so I could not learn from them. John was the first person I had met who knew who Jesus was. With that I was always anxious about our trips to Johns Island. John would always take the time to answer my questions. I would speak to Aurellius as we sailed between the mainland and the island. I could tell that John was making an impact on him as I believe that Aurellius was searching his own heart.

We arrived at Johns Island one spring morning. Unusually, John did not come to meet us. Aurellius went to where John lived on the island to check on him. Hurriedly, Aurellius returned.

John is ill; I will give him some of the herb tea that we use for the sickness we encounter while at sea.

At hearing that John was ill, I ran to where he lay. I entered the shanty he used as his dwelling.

John what is the matter? I asked.

John looked at me reassuringly and said, it is my time Christian. I return to my Lord Jesus. I have finished the work He gave me to do. I have been waiting for this day in great anticipation.

"You can’t leave me. Who will speak to me about Jesus? I cried.

"Don’t be sad, Christian. My journey here has come to an end; your journey has just begun. Trust in Jesus and he will direct your steps. When you trusted in Jesus, He took responsibility for you. He spoke to me these words:

My sheep hear My voice

I know them, and they follow Me

I give them eternal life

and they will never perish – ever!

No one will snatch them out of My hand

My Father who has given them to Me

is greater than all

No one is able to snatch them out of

the Fathers hand.

The Father and I are one.

John 10:27-30

As John finished speaking, Aurellius returned and went to John with the herb tea and gave it to him.

Aurellius then turned to me and said, Christian, go outside and build a fire. I have sent the others to search for medicinal herbs that may be on the island. We will need the fire to brew the herbs.

I went outside to do as I was told. My heart was heavy and my eyes stung from the tears. John was at peace with his condition, I should be glad that he was returning to Jesus. I made the fire and hung a bowl of water above the fire and waited. Soon Bunto came with a basket full of herbs. He broke the leaves off and dropped them into the boiling water. Bunto went inside with Aurellius to tend to John. I could not go inside; I knew that it was a matter of time before John would leave our world as we knew it. While I waited I looked into the western horizon. What I saw frightened me. An immense storm was forming. Adolpho and the others soon arrived, each carrying a basket of different herbs and more water.

I pointed to the horizon and Adolpho said, Yes I have seen the approaching storm. I am going to take the others and sink our boats in the shallow waters of the bay. A storm of that size will destroy our boats if left afloat.

Adolpho went inside the shanty to tell Aurellius and Bunto of the approaching storm and the preparations he was about to make. As soon as Adolpho and the others left, Bunto emerged from the shanty. He checked on the boiling herbs and replied that he was going to look for shelter against the storm. Aurellius then came to me and smiled a sad, reassuring smile.

How is he? I asked.

He is weak, Christian.

Is he going to die?

Yes…we will make him as comfortable as we can to ease his passing replied Aurellius.

What about the storm?

With a look of sadness upon his face, Aurellius answered, We can’t move him, it will kill him. Bunto has gone in search of shelter. You and the others will have to take cover there. I will stay with John.

I wanted to stay with John and Aurellius, but Aurellius would not stand for it. The storm was rapidly approaching; it would be here by late afternoon. Adolpho had succeeded in sinking the boats in a sheltered cove within the bay. Bunto had located a shelter in a depression amongst some boulders on the eastern side of the island. I helped Aurellius in securing Johns shelter. When that was done I left to join Bunto, Adolpho and the others at the shelter. The wind began to pick up as I reached the shelter. I prayed for John and Aurellius. I also prayed for us at the shelter, hoping that we would live through the storm. As I looked toward the west, at the storm, I could see the blackness of the clouds as it sprawled from the seas surface to the sky. It spanned the horizon from north to south. I had never seen anything like it. I could feel and hear the wind freshening and the booming sound of thunder. It would not be long before the full fury of the storm would be unleashed upon us. We sat there huddled together waiting. After several minutes, the wind began to die down. I took a chance to glance out of our shelter. It still looked the same. I could still here the loud peals of thunder in the distance. The sound was all around us. The black clouds spread toward the east. The storm clouds were above us. Yet it was calm where we were. There was a gentle rain falling, but that was it. We waited, watching the storm clouds, thinking that anytime it would erupt, but it didn’t. As the sun began to set in the west, rays of crimson sunshine shone along the trailing edges of the storm. During the night the stars shone through the clear canopy of the sky. Back at John’s shelter we discussed the events of the day. How could a storm that immense do nothing to the island? Aurellius mentioned the islands dotted throughout the sea and how the storms would completely scour the land of vegetation and yet John’s Island was filled with vegetation. I remembered John telling me a story of how Jesus had calmed a storm by speaking to it. It amazed Jesus’ disciples then as it now amazed us.

Our third day on the island brought the death of John. He had given Aurellius the scrolls that he had written and told him how important the scrolls were and that the words written on the parchment should be given to the whole world. John said it was his testimony of Christ and the Revelation of the latter days to come. It was the task that Jesus had given him to do while on the island.

We spent several days on the island after John’s death mourning him. The island was peaceful and each of us felt the loss of John. His words had made an impact, not only on me, but the others as well. It was difficult to understand, but Jesus came alive within us. My life would not be the same as the world around me took on a different perspective. I overheard Aurellius speaking to Adolpho and Bunto and their conversations took on a different tone. Gone were the coarse words and in its place their speech took on elegance I had not heard from them before. They seemed to be wiser.

Toward the end of our stay, when it was decided to return to port, a Roman galley arrived at the mouth of the bay. Within minutes of anchoring, longboats were lowered and black cloaked men along with soldiers came rowing ashore. A black cloaked man came and stood before Aurellius.

Who are you and where is John? The cloaked man asked rudely.

I am Aurellius and we are fishermen from Athens and I don’t know who John is. We came here to fish and came onto the island to set camp before returning to the sea to drag our nets.

You didn’t think it unusual to find a shanty filled with supplies and not know someone lived here the man spoke accusingly to Aurellius.

Adolpho spoke up and answered, We have travelled all across these waters and have camped on many of the islands. It is not unusual to find working campsites from other fishermen who toil upon the sea.

A ranking Roman soldier then added, This island is forbidden to land upon.

With that said Aurellius and the rest of us just looked about bewildered.

Bunto asked, How were we to know that this was a forbidden shore to come upon?

After that they began questioning us about John. The questions were not in concern for John, but questions about his ideas and beliefs. They asked if we had discovered anything, any written journals. Amongst ourselves we questioned what would these written ideas mean to Rome? It became apparent that Rome and the black cloaked men did not want John’s ideas being spread about the general populace. They considered John’s ideas a threat to the Roman way of life. No matter what their reasons were, we were trapped upon the island until they left or until what they were searching for was found.

Early the next morning before dawn, Aurellius woke me. He gave me a leather satchel full of John’s writings. He told me to take the satchel with the scrolls and flee for my life. I threw on my clothing and fled into the early morning night. I ran away east staying hidden within the dense scrub. After I cleared the camp, I worked my way up a steep knoll. I stopped and lay upon my stomach, hidden beneath the scrub vegetation, and looked down upon the encampment. I waited there and soon the sun rose behind me and shone upon the scene below. I looked out onto the water and I could see three Roman galleys moored in the mouth of the bay. Two more had arrived since the original one had come the day before. I could also see our three fishing vessels afloat near the camp. We had succeeded in raising them after the storm. Soon two longboats with several men detached from the galleys and paddled to the camp. Aurellius and Adolpho met them as they came ashore. I could see the animated motions of two men I had not seen before. They were not like the Roman soldiers. These men had long black beards and hair. They wore long tunics and black turbans upon their heads. The men were shouting at Aurellius and Adolpho. At that moment the soldiers grabbed Aurellius and Adolpho. Several of my companions tried to flee, but were apprehended by soldiers. The men and soldiers began searching the dwellings. After they left a dwelling, a torch was thrown in to burn it. The remainder of the Roman soldiers boarded our vessels and began destroying them.

Aurellius and my companions were led away south away from camp until I could not see them anymore. I don’t know if the soldiers knew I was missing or not, so I backed out of my hiding place and turned and fled toward the eastern shoreline and got as far away from the camp as I could. I felt sick that there was nothing I could do to help my friends. Since John’s Island was a small island I knew it would be difficult to stay hidden from anyone searching for me. I could only imagine that the men were looking for Johns writings. It must be what the two black bearded men were searching for and became angry with Aurellius when he would not give them the answers they sought. I needed to conceal the satchel and its contents somewhere. I buried the satchel underneath a stone outcropping. I vowed to myself that someday I would return to uncover the scrolls. I knew that if the Romans captured me they would force me to tell where the documents were. If I told them, or not, I knew they would kill me.

I ran down to the eastern shore, constantly looking behind me for pursuers. When I reached the shore I looked for a place to hide. As I looked north and south along the shoreline I could not see any place to where I could conceal myself. The sea oats that grew along the shore was sparse. It would not take much effort to find me there. I looked out into the surf north of where I was standing and a hundred yards into the water were large rocks. I ran along the shoreline until I was directly out from the rocks, I waded into the surf. I again looked back for pursuers; I did not see any one. Though the water was shallow enough to wade in, I dove beneath the water to conceal myself and began swimming underwater to where I thought the rocks were. When I could not stay under the water without taking a breath, I would barely surface to grab a breath of air. I would also take note of my position to the rocks and to look for searchers. After what seemed forever I reached the rocks and concealed myself where the rocks were between me and the shoreline. I waited there and to my alarm the tide was beginning to come in. I was afraid the rise in water would submerge my concealment and leave me exposed to searchers. After a while there was only about two feet of rock exposed and I was having a hard time maintaining my hold. Fortunately, the waves were relatively gentle and I was not being buffeted against the stone. I still did not see any searchers and in time the tide began to subside. As the day drew to a close, the sun began to drop low on the horizon and eventually dropped below the knoll I originally hid upon. I thought about returning to shore when, north of me I saw torch light approaching. In the dusk I knew it would be difficult for anyone to see me, so I stayed put. In the darkness I could barely make out a line of men marching along the shore. After a few minutes the line of men moved south of me and continued until the torchlight stopped about a mile away. I then heard the faint sound of hammering and a mournful wail, which I thought was the wind. After an hour or so the torchlight began moving away again. I was beginning to tire and I was afraid of returning to shore. I did not know if I could sleep in the surf and if I did what would happen, would the surf take me out to sea? So I took a chance and swam to shore. I tried to see if anyone was near, but the moon was a sliver in the sky and was not casting any light to see by. I crouched low and ran inland several yards from the shore and there I hid myself in the sea oats the best I could. I lay upon my back and listened for the sounds of men searching.

I awoke early in the morning as the light from the rising sun was approaching the horizon; an eerie mist was draped across shoreline. I listened intently for any sound that would signal that people were near. I did not hear anything other than the sound of the surf. I took advantage of the cover and quickly ran to the shore. I looked for the rocks that I hid behind the day before. I saw the silhouette of the rocks in the water and swam there. As I got there the sun broke over the horizon, but was hidden behind the fog. I could not see far from my position in the misty gloom. I sat there listening for sounds of men. While I sat there I wondered what had happened to Aurellius and the rest of my companions. Had the galleys sailed away with them? Was I marooned on this island? If so, what would become of me? I would be forgotten like John. My only chance of discovery was by some passing ship. I quickly caught myself, I was only thinking of me. I did not know what was happening and I needed to focus on finding out what happened to my friends.

The fog began to thin out with the warmth of the sun and the slight breeze that was blowing. I stayed there in the surf and waited. As noon approached the tide began rising. The sky was clear and blue. I could not see anything near me. As I scanned the shoreline north of me I saw something out of place. I could not make out exactly what it was. It was in the vicinity of where the men and torchlight had stopped the night before. What did they leave behind? Curiosity and the tide made me leave my cover. I came ashore and cautiously made my way north along the beach, stopping frequently to scan my surroundings. Nothing was amiss. As I approached the object I had seen from the rocks, it began to take shape. It was a mast, or something like it, sticking up out of the ground and something was attached to it. As I got within a hundred yards or so, I recognized that, that something was a man. I ran up to the object. It was a cross made from the timbers of our fishing vessels and Bunto was nailed to it. The Romans had crucified him upon the timbers of his vessel.

Bunto I cried. There was no answer.

His body had been beaten and the dried blood from his wounds lay all about on the sand. I reached up to shake him awake. There was no response. I fell on my knees at the base of the cross and covered my face with my hands. I began to cry uncontrollably. I scanned the shoreline and inland for the perpetrators, but I saw no one. Why was this done? We were all simple fishermen, trying to make a living, We I thought. Where were the others? Had they suffered Bunto’s fate? What was I going to do with Bunto? I quickly dug down to the base of the cross. I began rocking it back and forth to loosen it from the ground. As soon as I could lay Bunto and the cross on the ground I would free him from the cross. All I could do was take hold his hands, one at a time, and pull each free from the spikes. This was difficult as the sinews within his hands had adhered around the shaft of the spike and would not come free without rending flesh. I was becoming nauseated, but I could not leave him there in that state. Finally, after an hour or so, I freed his stiffened body from the cross. With my hands I dug him a shallow grave and buried him there in the sea oats.

I decided to return to the knoll I had hidden on yesterday morning. I needed to know what was going on at the encampment. I did not want to keep skulking about. So I set off on a straight line to the southwest. Along the way I made a great discovery. There, in a shallow area, I discovered a fresh water spring among the rocks. John must have used this as his source of drinking water as there were many clay pots neatly stacked along the water’s edge. I had forgotten how long since I had taken a drink. I collected a small container and filled it with the cold refreshing water and sat there and drank long draughts until I was satisfied. I refilled the container and continued to the knoll. After an hour, since leaving the spring, I approached the bush I had hidden under. The last few yards, I crawled until I could see down to the bay. The galleys were gone and I could not see them anywhere on the horizon. Below, from the camp, wisps of smoke rose lazily into the air. I could see the demolished shapes of the fishing vessels along the shore. Their masts were gone, along with the main beams that ran the length of each vessel. My hopes vanished. Bunto had been crucified with timbers from the vessels and by the looks of the wrecks below, other timbers were used to crucify the remainder of my colleagues. Sure enough, on a point, where the bay emptied into the sea was another cross. I made another quick scan of the area below me and began walking down to the ruined camp.

I walked through the camp and on toward the cross I had seen from the knoll above. As I approached I caught sight of movement from the person attached to the cross. I quickly ran up to the cross. It was Aurellius.

Aurellius I cried.

With hearing my voice he opened his eyes and looked at me, Christian.

I quickly began digging at the foot of the cross, trying to free it from the sand. Soon I was able to lie the cross, with Aurellius, down. I gave him a sip of water from the flask I had obtained from the spring. He was weak and was laboring with his breathing.

I told him, I am going to the camp to see if I can find anything to free you from this cross.

Christian, it is no use. It won’t be long before I pass into the next world. The Romans are masters of crucifixion.

Aurellius you can’t die, I will be alone. What am I going to do?

Listen to me, Christian. Did the Romans find the scrolls?

No, I have hidden them.

That is good. They must not find them. John told me that the dark haired men are Pharisees’. These men are trying to cover up that Jesus came, died and was resurrected for mankind’s sake. It is a great story of love from God to His creation. This sect of Pharisees’ is using the Romans to do their dirty work. If the scrolls are found they will destroy them.

What am I to do with the scrolls? I found Bunto earlier today and he was dead. Is anyone alive to tell me what to do?

I watched the Romans crucify each of our comrades. The Pharisees’ thought I knew where the scrolls were. They thought if I watched as they beat and crucified the others, I would reveal the location of the scrolls. I told them the truth as I did not know. I was afraid for you. I could see them doing this to you, Christian. I looked upon you as the son I never had. It is what stayed my tongue and allowed me to watch as the others were killed. I hope that God will forgive me.

I kneeled there crying, not knowing what to say or do. I stroked Aurellius’s forehead and gave him sips of water trying to comfort him. As I looked upon his body, nailed to the cross, I felt helpless.

"Christian, John told me of the time he looked upon Jesus on the cross. The love he felt for Jesus. The fear of what was going to happen next to those who followed Him. The questions the apostles had, when He came to them after His resurrection. Even when He had told them that He would arise. Seeing Jesus rise into the clouds to go to His Father. John said it was a time of confusion as he could not comprehend everything he was experiencing. He said that the time he spent here on this island, God revealed to him all the answers. John looked back and saw how God directed him on his journey. Revealing each step and how it fit into Christ’s grand plan for him and the rest of us who follow. John revealed it by looking back on his life. You, Christian must look on it going forward. It is a journey. An exciting walk through life and Jesus will be there with you. You don’t need me, or anyone else. Not when you will have the Master walking with you and directing your steps. The scrolls will reach their destination. It is God’s responsibility to get them where He wants them to be, not ours. If it was our responsibility, then John would have to have continued living to make sure it got to a destination, of which he did not know of. So put your mind at ease. About me, I am returning to the Masters side to live with Him in paradise. John spoke to me of the thief that was crucified alongside Jesus as they hung upon their crosses:

The thief asked

"Jesus, remember me when You

come into your Kingdom."

And Jesus replied

"I tell you the truth,

today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Luke 23:42-43

You will go on and live. Do not mourn me. Think of me in Paradise, with Jesus, and be at peace.

I stayed there with Aurellius, thinking on the words he spoke to me, trying to keep him as comfortable as I could. After a few minutes his breathing became irregular and finally it stopped. He was gone. I sat back in the sand staring at him, fixed upon the cross, with his final words coursing through me. I need to go forward. He had lived a long life and with the help of John, he had found Jesus. Aurellius was no longer nailed to the cross, he was in Paradise.

I stayed busy the next few days. I found the rest of my companions all along the perimeter of the island. Posted like scarecrows to warn vessels to stay away. I removed them, and Bunto, and brought them to the plot of ground that we buried John in. I buried them there and thought of my friends fishing in a great bountiful sea in Paradise together. I prayed to God for each of them as John had taught me.

To survive I utilized the natural resources of the island. I built a shelter using the remains of the vessels. I fished from the sea. I drank water from the spring. I retrieved the satchel containing John’s scrolls. I looked at the many pages written on thick parchment and leather. I could not read my own language, let alone John’s. My thought was I needed to protect the scrolls until someone who could read and understand the writings could be found. So I spent my time fashioning a stone chest to store them in. After I finished the chest I stored the satchel, with the scrolls in the chest. A place to hide the chest was my next undertaking. I went to the north end of the island. There the ground was rocky and rose 100 feet above the sea. I excavated a cavity within the rock with tools I found in the ruins of our fishing vessels. After placing the chest in the rock, I replaced the stones over the chest to conceal it. I then marked the area by nailing a small bronze plate 10 paces north of the hidden chest. I then took a plain piece of cloth and drew a rudimentary map of the chests location. I then rehearsed the finding of the chest from different starting locations all around the island.

After several weeks on the island I awoke one morning to see a storm approaching from the west. I gathered provisions and quickly made my way to the north end of the island which afforded the most protection. I found a shallow cavity, with a natural overhang in the northeast cliff face. From there I could see the shore and the waves as they struck the rocks below me. I could gauge the approach of the storm by watching the size and intensity of the waves below. Soon I could hear the roar of the wind and the crashing of the waves as the storm approached the island. Then the darkness grew deeper and the lightning flashed. Finally the wind-blown rain fell in sheets outside my rocky shelter. I was able to stay relatively dry as the storm was moving westward. I thought of the storm that came through while John lie dying. How frightening it appeared as it approached from the west, then as it struck, it was a gentle rain while the bulk of the storm remained offshore. That was not the case today. This storm was frightening. I held my ears as the sound of wind and rain was deafening. All I could see outside my shelter was the gray rain with a black backdrop of clouds. Periodically the blackness was interrupted by the bright flash of lightning. This went on unabated for hours. I tried to focus my mind on the words that John and Aurellius had spoken to me. John spoke of, What Jesus had done on the cross? That God had a plan for me. I thought that if I died today, in this storm, would I have fulfilled that plan. I thought that I was too young to die and just learned of Jesus on this island. I had not been able to apply any of the teaching anywhere, but here. Then I remembered what Aurellius said, It is God’s responsibility to get me where He wants me to be, not my responsibility. I took comfort in these words, such great comfort that I fell asleep. When I awoke, it was night and the wind and rain had abated. I sat there for hours listening to the wave’s crash. There was a strange sound, not the sound of surf upon rock, but some other sound that was added. I tried to think of what that sound was. I gave up and decided that when day came, I would investigate the consequences of the storm upon the island. I was sure the strange sound would be revealed then.

As the sun rose in the east, I awoke. The first glare from the sun’s rays blinded me. It took me a few minutes to obtain my bearings. I cupped my hand over my eyes and looked out over the sea. The waves were calm as they gently broke upon the water’s surface. I then scanned the rocks below me and there in the midst of the rocks were the remains of a Roman galley. Timbers and planks were scattered all across the surface of the sea. The bodies of the sailors dotted the shoreline. The galley must have got caught in the storm and driven into the rocks of the island. I made my way down to the shore to investigate. The force of the storm had completely demolished the vessel. It must have struck the rocks with such force that the ship shattered upon impact. I spent the morning looking for survivors. I did not find anyone. I climbed back to where I hid the chest. There was no damage there. I moved west to investigate the western shore of the island. As I walked I noticed that the terrain of the island had been altered. The vegetation on the heights had been pretty much scoured clean, leaving only small patches of grass. A few palms had survived the onslaught of the wind and rain. When I arrived at the western end