Greetje: New page: {{info}}The Mesaoria Plain spreads west
From Salamis beneath the crest
Of Kyrenian Mountains to
The north, and splits the island through,
And makes a way for level roads
To ...

2008-10-12T18:47:54Z

New page: {{info}}The Mesaoria Plain spreads west From Salamis beneath the crest Of Kyrenian Mountains to The north, and splits the island through, And makes a way for level roads To ...

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{{info}}The Mesaoria Plain spreads west From Salamis beneath the crest Of Kyrenian Mountains to The north, and splits the island through, And makes a way for level roads To Paphos with their endless loads Of copper, bringing wealth and fame, And from which Cyprus took its name. 

The mountains and the plains were known To Barnabas, for he had grown Up in these hills. His father came Here from Jerusalem. The flame Of faith among his Jewish kin Had flickered low, and he knew in His heart the call of God to go And serve the synagogues below The port of Paphos where the rot Of pagan sorcery had shot It's evil way through families, And captured Jewish refugees, And turned the minds of boys and girls To casting spells with sacred pearls And making deals with demon lords And drinking drugs from magic gourds.

He was a Levite and a man Of faith, and knew the saving plan Of God, and lived in hope that he Would see Messiah come and be The King and capture Cyprus for His name, and magic be no more.

He named his firstborn Joseph in The hope that sorcery and sin Would not ensnare the boy away From home; but stir him up to pray And turn him, like the patriarch, To God, that he might make his mark By bringing people into light, And turning all that's wrong to right, And setting straight the crooked ways, And making bright the darkest days.

The years went by and Joseph stood His ground. His father preached the good And holy ways of Moses and The mercy of the mighty hand Of God. Sometimes the local boys Would take their shells and cultic toys And cast their spells on Joseph while He did his work, and holler vile And lurid things to fill his head With dirt and trash. But Joseph said, "The blind cannot improve my sight, Nor can they lead the way to light. The Lord has given me his bliss; No magic spell can darken this."

It seemed that all would go as planned, But then one night a savage band Of wizards from the cult of Tyre Attacked and set their house on fire. The boy escaped and found his way On ships down to the southern bay Of Ascalon, and then up to Jerusalem, where Joseph grew For thirty years to be a man. He never saw his dad again; But heard the gospel on the day Of Pentecost and joined the Way Of Life. And every where he went He spread the Lord's encouragement.

And so it was that Barnabas Now stood in ominous suspense With Paul and John above the port Of Paphos near the ancient fort Of Kition. The memories Rushed back from paths and smells and trees That he had known. He bowed his head To pray, but could not. All the dread Of that one night rose devil-like And tried with hellish might to strike The shield of faith out of his hand And overthrow what they had planned.

But Paul reached out and touched his friend, And said, "O Lord, before the end Of this same day, grant us to stand Before the ruler of this land, And let us testify with power To you, and in that very hour Let him believe."

And thus before The day was done, the governor Of Cyprus heard the word of God. But with him stood a man who trod The gospel under foot like trash. Bar-Jesus was his name and cash Could buy his magic anywhere And any time. "Now let's be fair," He said, "Before we all believe, Behold what my arts can achieve! Consider, Sergius Paulus, this: That I commune with the abyss, And fashion deals with demon lords And miracles with magic gourds. May I suggest good governor, That you consider Satan more."

At this the Holy Spirit came In power to vindicate the name Of Jesus Christ, and Paul stood up: "You are a devil's son, and sup With demons at the sewage trough Of hell, full of deceit and off The mark on every word, and vile Down to the roots. And drunk with guile, You think to make the straight paths of The Lord a crooked way? Above Your tiny thought and little power The Lord of glory has this hour And you and Sergius Paulus there Between the fingers of his hand. We've come to do what he has planned. And now, Elymas, you will find Until it's done you will be blind."

Bar-Jesus stumbled out the door And fell across the polished floor In darkness like a frightened child. He took his bag, and with a wild And fierce and bitter swing threw all His pearls against the palace wall, And swore against the powers of hell For half an hour, and then he fell Exhausted to the ground outside And wept as though his god had died.

He jerked his hand back from the touch: "Who's there?" "A friend." "I have no such." "But you did once." "What do you mean?" "When you were young, when you were green When life was clean and pure and fun When you were still a Jewish son And didn't know your magic yet. You had a faithful friend. I'll bet You even know his name." "Who are You man? Who do you mean?" "This scar Here on your arm, who gave you that?" "Some kid. He was a preacher's brat. It must be thirty years ago." "A friend?" "Well, sort of. How'd you know?" "What were you doing — I mean when You got the scar?" "Good night, how can I remember that? Just playing, I Suppose." "Or working? Way up high Inside my father's synagogue."

Bar-Jesus gaped into the fog Around his head. "Joseph! Are you Alive? You are alive. It's true. They lied. They told me you were dead. They lied. They said the Tyrian dread Had killed you all. And I was so Enraged at God I tried to show My right, and made a pact with Death. And since that day my every breath Has been a curse, that God would trade For death, the one friend I had made. And now you are alive, and I Am blind, and God is just. But why! O Joseph, why?"

"I think I know, Dear friend: God meant for me to go And meet the Christ and then return To preach, that you and I might learn That he can take away the dread, He can raise us from the dead, He can cancel every curse, Spoken in his face and worse, He can break the powers of hell, He can make a blind man well."

So Barnabas reached out his hand: "We came to do what God had planned. And you, Bar-Jesus, had to find Till it was done that you were blind. And now it's done. Let there be light; In Jesus' name receive your sight."

And so let candle two declare: God spreads his brightness everywhere. He loves with every loving test, And times his loving for the best. What God withholds from us today He will give back a better way.

Barnabas and Bar-Jesus - Revision history

Greetje: New page: {{info}}The Mesaoria Plain spreads westFrom Salamis beneath the crestOf Kyrenian Mountains toThe north, and splits the island through,And makes a way for level roadsTo ...

Greetje: New page: {{info}}The Mesaoria Plain spreads west
From Salamis beneath the crest
Of Kyrenian Mountains to
The north, and splits the island through,
And makes a way for level roads
To ...