Scenario: I am John Mark in the Bible and I left Paul and Barnabus on a missionary trip but wanted a second chance. Barnabus took me with him and Paul took Silas and we went in two different directions.
Create my version of this story
I am John Mark in the Bible and I left Paul and Barnabus on a missionary trip but wanted a second chance. Barnabus took me with him and Paul took Silas and we went in two different directions.
I was a young man when I first met Barnabas.
He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and he had a way of making me feel like I could do anything.
He was the one who introduced me to the apostles in Jerusalem after my mother’s house became the meeting place for the early church.
He was the one who convinced them to let me go with him to Antioch, where we spent a year teaching and preaching.
The first time I met Barnabas, I was a young man.
He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and he had a way of making me feel like I could do anything.
Because of him, I was able to meet the apostles in Jerusalem after my mother's house became the first meeting place for the early church.
And because of Barnabas, I was able to go with him to Antioch, where we spent a year teaching and preaching.
He was the one who took me on my first missionary journey.
I went with Barnabas, Paul, and Silas to Antioch.
I returned to Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas, but after that they set out again on another mission, and they asked if I wanted to join them.
Without hesitation, I packed up what little I had and went with them back to Antioch.
We were only there for a short time before we set off on our mission.
It's an amazing thing when you're doing exactly what God has called you to do.
Before we left, while we were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work for which I have called them."
So after they fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2-3).
This experience of being set apart by God for this work, was a powerful one.
From Antioch we traveled overland to Seleucia and then sailed to Cyprus.
We landed in Salamis; then they went to Paphos.
In the synagogues of the Jews, Paul and Barnabas preached the word of God.
Bar-Jesus tried to stop us from preaching the word of God to the proconsul on this island.
After the Holy Spirit blinded him, he was left groping about in darkness; he had to be led by hand.
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed and asked Paul and Barnabas to tell him more about the word of God. "They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos."
"Then they went through Pisidian Antioch."
The time came when I didn't know what came over me—I don't know if it was fear or illness—but I left Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia and went back home alone to Jerusalem.
The first time I met Barnabas, I was a young man.
He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and he had a way of making me feel like I could do anything.
Because of him, I was able to meet the apostles in Jerusalem after my mother's house became the first meeting place for the early church.
And because of Barnabas, I was able to go with him to Antioch, where we spent a year teaching and preaching.
He was the one who took me on my first missionary journey.
I went with Barnabas, Paul, and Silas to Antioch.
I returned to Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas, but after that they set out again on another mission, and they asked if I wanted to join them.
Without hesitation, I packed up what little I had and went with them back to Antioch.
We were only there for a short time before we set off on our mission.
It's an amazing thing when you're doing exactly what God has called you to do
Before we left, while we were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work for which I have called them."
So after they fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2-3).
From Antioch we traveled overland to Seleucia and then sailed to Cyprus.
We landed in Salamis; then they went to Paphos.
In the synagogues of the Jews, Paul and Barnabas preached the word of God.
Bar-Jesus tried to stop us from preaching the word of God to the proconsul on this island.
After the Holy Spirit blinded him, he was left groping about in darkness; he had to be led by hand.
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed and asked Paul and Barnabas to tell him more about the word of God. "They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos."
"Then they went through Pisidian Antioch."
I found Barnabas in Jerusalem and expressed my deep regret for leaving him in Pamphylia.
He knew I was sorry.
I had been sorry for a long time.
I'd had time to think about my past mistakes, and I knew it was time for me to make things right.
That's why I went looking for him.
He looked at me, his heart heavy with the memory of my past mistake.
He knew the challenges that lay ahead if I joined him on another journey.
But I think he also knew the long, hard road I had traveled since leaving them in Pamphylia.
I looked at him, my eyes pleading, and then I said it.
"I want to go back."
I don't think he understood at first.
He looked at me, puzzled.
Then I said it again.
"I want another chance. I want to go back."
This time, I could see the light come into his eyes.
"I want to go with you," I said.
"I want another chance."
"Are you sure you're ready?"
Barnabas asked.
I could see the doubt in his eyes.
I didn't blame him for being skeptical of my readiness.
After what had happened before, I had a lot of proving to do.
He was right to question me.
But this time it would be different.
This time I knew I was ready.
I had spent years thinking about my past mistakes and how much pain I had caused Paul and Barnabas.
I had spent years praying and seeking God's will for my life, trying to find my way back to the path he had set before me.
This time, I knew I was ready.
"I know I wasn't ready before," I said.
"I know I have a lot of growing up to do. But I've had time. I've spent years praying and seeking God's will for my life. And now I know. I'm ready."
I could see the look of doubt in his eyes, but then it disappeared, replaced by something else—hope, maybe?
"Please, Barnabas," I said.
"I can do it this time. I know I can."
He looked at me for a long time, and then he said, "All right. You can go with us."
I knew it hadn't been an easy decision for him, but I also knew that he had made the right one.
Barnabas had always had a way of seeing the good in people, of giving them second chances when they needed them most.
Our mission wasn't just about revisiting these places, though; it was also about encouraging and strengthening the believers there, helping them grow in their faith and equipping them for the work of the ministry.
While we were in Paphos, we encountered a man named Elymas, also known as Bar-Jesus.
He was a sorcerer and a false prophet who lived in Paphos and served in the court of Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of the area.
After arriving on the island, we visited the cities where we had preached before, including Salamis and Paphos.
Our mission wasn't just about revisiting these places, though; it was also about encouraging and strengthening the believers there, helping them grow in their faith and equipping them for the work of the ministry.
While we were in Paphos, we encountered a man named Elymas, also known as Bar-Jesus.
He was a sorcerer and a false prophet who lived in Paphos and served in the court of Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of the area.
Elymas tried to prevent Sergius Paulus from hearing the word of God by opposing us.
I could see that a spiritual battle was taking place right before my eyes, and I knew that I needed to step in and fight for what was right.
So I turned to Elymas, filled with the Holy Spirit, and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."
At that moment, my faith and my commitment to our mission gave me a boldness I had never known before.
I stood firm against those who opposed us, knowing that God's power would prevail in every situation.
I could see that a spiritual battle was taking place right before my eyes, and I knew that I needed to step in and fight for what was right.
So I turned to Elymas, filled with the Holy Spirit, and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."
After completing my necessary preparations, I eagerly waited to rejoin Barnabas on a new journey.
This was not just about redeeming myself for the past but about fulfilling a mission God had for me.
Barnabas had been my mentor and guide since we were at Antioch, and he had seen my growth over that time.
He understood how much I wanted to come along, so he eventually agreed to take me with them, even if he had some doubts.
Yet he trusted that God could use me effectively this time, so I appreciated his kindness and took it as a sign that things were going to be different.
Our mission was not just about revisiting the places we had been but also about encouraging and strengthening the believers there.
We wanted to help them grow in their faith, teaching them all that we knew about what it meant to be a follower of Christ.
We planned to return to Asia Minor through Cyprus, so we could visit some of the churches we had established on our previous journey.
It was a chance to get back to the work of the kingdom I had left behind before, so I saw it as an important step in my spiritual walk.
We first went to Salamis, where we proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues.
From there, we went across the island to Paphos, where a man named Elymas, who was a sorcerer, tried to prevent the proconsul from hearing about Jesus Christ.
When Barnabas saw what the sorcerer was doing, he confronted him, saying, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."
Our mission was not just about revisiting the places we had been but also about encouraging and strengthening the believers there.
We wanted to help them grow in their faith, teaching them all that we knew about what it meant to be a follower of Christ.
We planned to return to Asia Minor through Cyprus, so we could visit some of the churches we had established on our previous journey.
It was a chance to get back to the work of the kingdom I had left behind before, so I saw it as an important step in my spiritual walk.We first went to Salamis, where we proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues.
From there, we went across the island to Paphos, where a man named Elymas, who was a sorcerer, tried to prevent the proconsul from hearing about Jesus Christ.
When we went to Paphos, we found a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, who was accompanying the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man.
We went to Paphos, where we found a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus.
Elymas, as he was also called, was a false prophet who was trying to keep the proconsul from hearing the message about Jesus Christ. "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."
At that moment, I was filled with the Holy Spirit, and I looked straight at Elymas and said:
"Child of the devil, you are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun."
I spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and my words were bold and sharp.
I didn’t hold back, because Elymas was trying to turn the proconsul from the faith and keep him from listening to the truth of God’s word.
He was a sorcerer and false prophet, and I wasn’t about to let him get in the way of these people learning about Jesus.
The power of my words caused Elymas’ eyes to be so darkened that he could not see.
For a short time, he had to be led by the hand out of the synagogue where we confronted him.
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he was amazed and he believed in the teachings of the Lord.
This miracle that God performed in front of him only strengthened his faith in Jesus Christ.
And as for Elymas, he was blind for quite some time.
I had done what I set out to do – I had shown that false prophet that our God is more powerful than anything he can conjure up and that God’s people will not be deterred from their mission.
I was doing exactly what God had called me to do, at just the right time.
As I stood there before Elymas, I felt the power of God flowing through me and I knew that my words were true and just.
The Holy Spirit was guiding me and giving me the courage I needed to stand up against this sorcerer and tell him just what I thought of him.
I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but I trusted that God would be there with me and would give me the words I needed in every situation.
God had given me the gift of the Holy Spirit and I was learning how to use that gift for His glory – even in situations where there was opposition or danger facing me.
In that moment, I was filled with the Holy Spirit, and I looked straight at Elymas and said:
"Child of the devil, you are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun."
My words were accompanied by a temporary blindness that fell upon Elymas, a divine punishment for his wickedness and attempts to pervert God’s ways.
I spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and my words were bold and sharp.
I didn’t hold back, because Elymas was trying to turn the proconsul from the faith and keep him from listening to the truth of God’s word.
The power of my words caused Elymas’ eyes to be so darkened that he could not see.
For a short time, he had to be led by the hand out of the synagogue where we confronted him.
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he was amazed and he believed in the teachings of the Lord.
This miracle that God performed in front of him only strengthened his faith in Jesus Christ.
And as for Elymas, he was blind for quite some time.
I had done what I set out to do – I had shown that false prophet that our God is more powerful than anything he can conjure up and that God’s people will not be deterred from their mission.
"Child of the devil, you are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?
At that, I looked straight at Elymas and said:
"Child of the devil, you are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?
As I spoke these words, a darkness fell over Elymas’ eyes and he stumbled around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand out of this place.
The proconsul was amazed at what had happened and believed in the teachings of the Lord.
He was a wise man who had been seeking spiritual truths for many years but had been distracted by all the false teachings and traditions that were prevalent in his day.
The proconsul was amazed at what had happened and believed in the teachings of the Lord.
He was a wise man who had been seeking spiritual truths for many years but had been distracted by all the false teachings and traditions that were prevalent in his day.
He had heard about Jesus, but he was not sure whether or not He was really who He claimed to be.
Sergius Paulus was not sure what to believe anymore, but when he saw that Elymas was blind, he knew that this was a sign from God.
He knew that he needed to find out more about this Jesus whom Barnabas preached about.
It was because of this miraculous event that Sergius Paulus came to believe in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
This event marked a turning point in his life as he began to seek after spiritual truths with all his heart.
Barnabas has been like a brother to me ever since I first met him in Jerusalem many years ago.
He has been my mentor, my guide, and my best friend throughout all these years.
In fact, he has been like a father to me in many ways because his own father died when he was a young boy so he never really knew what it was like to have a father growing up.
We are cousins by blood, but we are much more than that; we are family in every sense of the word!Even when I was just a young boy in Jerusalem, Barnabas always encouraged me in my faith.
He was always there for me no matter what happened.
He never gave up on me even when I failed him in many ways.
I will never forget how he stood by me when I decided to leave him and Paul on that first missionary journey more than 10 years ago.
He was not upset with me at all, but rather he understood my situation and knew that I needed to go home for a while and take care of some things before I could continue on with them in their work of spreading the Gospel to all the nations of the world.Even though I was young and inexperienced, he never doubted that God could use me in His service as long as I was willing to learn and grow in my faith.
He always saw the best in me even when others did not see anything good in me at all.
And because of his unwavering faith in me, I knew that it was time for me to step out in faith and begin to fulfill the call that God had placed upon my life so many years ago.I knew that the time had finally come for me to go back and finish the work that we had started on that first missionary journey more than 10 years ago!
This time, I knew that nothing would stop us from finishing our mission and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to every corner of the globe!