Chapter 4: THE PATH

Mary had questions, because she wanted answers. She was not just seeking attention.

In fact, she was so confident, that I could tell that she did not need or want, the attention or deference, the others gave her. She wanted the truth.

I could also sense that I was about to be subjected. To her tests. To see if I was qualified to be their leader. This was interesting to me, because when I had met them on the beach, they had somehow known that I was to be their leader.

"It seems that you are well prepared for this journey," I said to the group.

"I have made it through this part of the wilderness, and I want to share with you how I did it. I did not do everything right, and some of the things I did do, we don't want to repeat, But, I think we can learn from them, so as not to make those mistakes again.

My goal is to get you through this part, as fast, and as safely, as possible, while learning everything we're here to learn.

"I think one of the things that helped me most was to reckon myself as dead.

I not only resolved to take up the cross, and die to my own wants, and even my needs, I considered that every day, would be my last, and I would very likely die that day.

And the last few days, I did not have to imagine this, I really thought that death was likely, the journey had become so difficult."

"That's a bit melodramatic, isn't it?" someone in the back remarked.

"Well, I think it would be, if it were not true." I answered.

"There is an advantage to this. As I was saying, we are likely to experience things ahead that make us think it really will be our last day in this life. Considering yourself as already dead to this world makes it much easier to face these challenges.

If we live or die, we are the Lord's. If the fear of death starts to control us, we will not make it through. And, there is another way this can help us. When you consider that every day might be your last it brings a focus to your life, so that you live more every day than you may ever have before. That enables us to get the most out of every day, which is one of the purposes of the wilderness. When we are threatened with death, we begin to live like never before."

As I surveyed the group, I was encouraged by how they listened so intently.

The art of listening had become rare in our times, but this group was different.

I knew the living water, had a lot to do with their present mental sharpness, but they seemed exceptionally clear, and resolute for this journey. The Voice leaned over and whispered to me:

"Vision is what you are seeing. They would not be sojourners, if they were not people of exceptional vision. This helps to give them their focus. You must have uncommon vision to even hear the call to come here." Elijah then motioned for me to continue, so I did:

"If we walk in fear, we are almost certain to fall. We are going to need more faith, and more of the peace of God in our hearts for the battles ahead of us. Fear will cause us to make the wrong choices. If we are already dead to this world, what can the world do to us? A dead man has nothing to fear. If we have truly died with Christ, we will be raised with Him, so we should have no fear, even of death. We must live by faith, and be guided by faith, not fear, to stay on the right path.

"Now, I did not want to die, but when I died to my own life, I began to really live.

When I got my focus off myself, off my needs, and on to what I was supposed to be learning, I began to cherish every day, as the gift that it is. Render yourself dead now, and it will be much easier for you. Those who live this way, are the freest of all people. He who is dead needs nothing. As a great saint once said, 'He who stands in need of nothing, cannot be bound by anything.' "It is those who are dying daily, that are the most alive.

This living water is the sweetest to them, and the most powerful.

Death is the path to true life, and dying to self, is how we stay on the path of life.

"There is another more important reason, why we must reckon ourselves as dead.

This is the commandment of the Lord, for His disciples. When Jesus said that if we seek to save our lives, we will lose them, but if we will lose them for His sake, we will find them. He was giving us one of the great keys to true life. We lay down our lives for Him, because He deserves this devotion. He deserves a people who will be obedient in all things, and this is basic, to being His disciple."

After a moment someone in the group asked, "Who is your friend?"

I turned and looked at the Voice. I saw him shake his head so slightly that I was probably the only one who could see it, but I knew, I could not yet tell them who he was.

"aaa, He is a friend of yours, too," I responded.

"We will be seeing a lot of him, and, you will get to know him well in due time. I need to speak to him alone for a few minutes, and it is time for you guys to get going. I'll catch up with you shortly."

With that, the group started out. After they had passed out of hearing, the Voice began:

"I've come to talk to you about William and Mary. Anyone who has made it this far on the path, is a person of exceptional faith and vision, but these two, are among the most exceptional I have seen for a very long time. I was told, there are others like them, in this group as well. They will also be your biggest trials. Keep in mind, that they are worth it for what they can ultimately become. I was sent to warn you of a trial, that will come through Mary, that may jeopardize your whole group."

"What kind of trial?" I asked.

"It's not what you think. She does know very well how to use her beauty.

The world taught her that, at a very young age, but that is not the main trial you will face with her. Mary has questions that you must answer. They are questions that almost all think about, but very few consider them as important as she does. They are important questions, and they need to be answered, not just for her sake, but for the sake of all who are with you."

"Will you answer them?" I asked.

"No. You will."

"Do I have the answers? I don't even know what the questions are."

"One of the reasons why you were chosen to lead this group is because you had the same questions at one time, and you kept asking them, until you found the answers.

It is not just giving the right answers to Mary's questions, that is important, but how you answer them."

With that, the Voice looked me sternly in the eyes, nodded, and then started walking away.

"Do you know the questions?" I called after him.

"Tell me how I answer them, if that is so important."

"With wisdom and patience," the Voice replied, just before he disappeared in the trees.

I walked fast to catch up with the group. This time they had not gone as far as I expected.

It seems that William opening up about his life, had caused others to do the same.

Almost all were walking rather casually, while sharing their stories with each other.

I felt that this was healthy, so I slowed, and decided to stay behind them and let this go on.

But, it was not long before I was spotted.

"Okay. You have to tell us who your friend is," one of them demanded.

"Trust me, you will get to know him very well, before we get out of here, but it's not time to talk about him yet," I said, as emphatically as I could, to try to discourage more questions about him. It didn't work.

"That wasn't the Lord, was it?" one elderly lady chimed in.

"No." I assured her.

"Was it an angel?" another asked.

"aaa, I hate to disappoint you, but he is not an angel. I will tell you as much as I can at the right time, if he does not do it himself," I said as firmly as I could, without being rude.

"I was listening to your conversation as I caught up with you. One of the most important purposes of this wilderness, is to forge the greatest fellowship, we can have on earth -koinonia."

"What is that?" William asked.

"It is the Greek word, used in The Bible, for fellowship or communion, which means common-union. However, this is much more than the kind of fellowship or friendships we have in this world. Koinonia is a bonding together, like the members of our body, into a single greater unit, that are inseparable. It implies a bonding, so deep, that if we were separated it would be like having a member of your body cut off. We will have to become that close for what we are entering into. We will perish in this wilderness without it.

"As vital as this is, it is not something that we can just manufacture.

We can help the process, by keeping in mind, that we must have this, and therefore, refuse to let anything divide us. However, there are two basic things that will forge us together, as we must be. The first will be, the process of experiencing this wilderness together. The second, and even more important, is growing in our love for the Lord. So much, that we love Him more than our own life. Then, we will always treat even the least of His people as we would treat Him, knowing how important this is to Him. These are the things that lead to koinonia. As we are told in I John 1:7, 'If we abide in the light as He is in the light, we have koinonia and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all sin.' It is written that 'the life is in the blood,' and we must have koinonia, for the life of Christ, to flow through His body, just as the members of our body, must all be connected, for the life-blood to flow through them. For you to already be as close as you are, you must have begun to taste this in your small groups, on the ship. There was already such a bond, that all who were experiencing it on the ship, came on this journey. This place will cause you to bond even deeper. Treasure these times. Never take them for granted. Such an experience is becoming rare in Christianity, but it is essential for the fullness of Christ to be revealed through His people."

"This is not such a bad place, but I don't think I would want to go anywhere like this alone.

Why did you go alone?" one of them asked.

"I couldn't find anyone at the time to go with me. That is why it was so much harder for me than it needed to be, and why I didn't get very far," I confessed.

"What do you mean, you did not get very far? I thought you made it through this wilderness before," Mary spoke up.

"I have been to the mountain before, but I got there a different way. I have actually been through quite a few wildernesses though, but this one is different. All of the others seem to have just been training for this one. I only made it part of the way, before I was taken back to the beginning, to help you."

"That must have been hard," someone said.

"Having to go back and get us after already getting through part of it."

"It was discouraging at first, but I am already thankful. I may need you, more than you need me. We need each other, and it will always be easier with others," I began.

"The fellowship and adventure we will experience here, will make even life on the luxury cruise ship, seem boring and insignificant."

Then a voice, I did not recognize, began to speak from behind me:

"The mighty men of Israel, who served King David, were fashioned into a fellowship through the trials they went through together. You too are being fashioned into the fellowship of warriors. You are called to be in this wilderness."

I turned to see who was speaking, but did not recognize him. It was a young man who seemed about sixteen years old.

"That's a good insight," I said.

"And who might you be?" I asked.

"My name is Mark. I was told I would find a company of great warriors on this path and that I was to join you."

"I would not call us that yet," I replied, "but I think we are warriors in the making."

"You must be the ones I'm seeking, because this is where I was told to find you. May I join you?"

It seemed everyone chimed in at once with, "Of course you can... Please do... We are happy to have you..." Then the introductions began.

Mark may not have looked very exceptional, but he did have an extraordinary presence and the demeanor of a seasoned veteran, even though he was so young.

The welcome he received was warm, but one got the feeling that if he had met with resistance, he would have been just as comfortable.

"Have you been to the mountain?" I asked Mark.

"No, but I have fought many battles, and it is the purpose of my life, to make it to the mountain," he responded. Then he looked at me and said, "Sir, I interrupted you. I'm sorry. Please continue."

"It was a welcome interruption," I answered, "and a good example of what I was talking about. I was telling them about how facing trials together will forge us into the fellowship we are called to be. Your example of King David and his mighty men was perfect. Do you have more you can tell us about this" I asked.

"Those who have never tasted of this fellowship, cannot understand it, but the bond forged in battle and adversity is like no other," Mark began.

"You are quite young, but you speak as if you have already experienced this. Tell us a little about yourself," I said.

"I am young, but I have a lot of experience. I have tasted of this kind of fellowship. Three friends and I determined when we were twelve years old, that we were going to be the best disciples, that the Lord ever had. The resistance we received from just about everyone, including our teachers, parents, and even our pastor, surprised and deeply hurt us, but we were determined to keep our vow. When we started having visions and dreams, mostly about the mountain of the Lord, we foolishly tried to share them with others. They were not ready. We were separated from each other, tested by psychiatrists, and finally sent to different boarding schools, for troubled youth. But even though we were separated, we have been able to stay in touch. I expect to meet them either on this journey or on the mountain."

"How did you get out of the school?" I inquired.

"Most were in these schools for crimes, drugs, or being in gangs. They did not take to me very well, but I was still determined to keep my vow, to be the best disciple of Christ I could be. I had to escape, or I do not think I would have lived much longer. Then I was told that I would find you here."

"Who told you that?" someone in the group asked.

Mark looked to me, as if he needed my permission to answer this question.

I nodded for him to go ahead.

"An angel told me in a dream," Mark answered.

There was silence for a long moment before Mary spoke up:

"So you saw an angel? What else did he tell you?" Mary inquired.

"He told me about some of you," Mark began.

"Is your name Mary? You must be. There is no one else here that fits your description."

They were all silent for a moment, as they tried to remember if anyone had called her "Mary" since Mark had joined them. They were all quite sure they had not, when Mary continued: "And what did this angel tell you about me?"

"That you have a lot of questions. Most are good, and that you will be given answers to them, but some are from a cynicism, that could sidetrack you, if you become impatient or arrogant," Mark said, looking Mary straight in the eyes.

Mary and everyone else knew that there was no way Mark could have known this having just met them. It was exactly what Mary needed to hear. After another long moment someone else asked:

"Did he say anything about any of the rest of us?"

"He did," Mark replied.

"I wrote them down, and can share them with you.

Some of these things are personal though, and I don't want to embarrass anyone.

For most, I would rather wait until it seems the right time.

There is one person here that you should all know about, and I think it would be good to share what I was shown about him," Mark said, as he looked to me, to see if he should continue.

"Please do," I said.

"There is someone here who has known many great leaders, even world leaders.

He now sees himself as a failure, and not a leader. He has had some failures, especially in relationships, but he is not a failure. He will be a great leader on the mountain.

He will help many others become leaders and avoid the failures he has been through.

In this group, he will be like a compass for us. He will be used to get us through some great difficulties in this wilderness, and will help us keep going in the right direction. I was to tell him, that the Lord has never been disappointed with him, and that his future is bright."

Everyone looked at William, who had tears running down his face. They all knew Mark could not have known this and that it had come from above. After a few moments Mary spoke up again:

"Mark. What did the angel look like?"

Mark instinctively looked to me, as to whether he should answer, which did not set well with Mary. I was pondering how the Voice said Mary's questions were important, and that it was important how I answered them. As I paused, Mary spoke again:

"Why does he have to get your permission to answer?"

"He doesn't," I replied, "but there are some things that are sensitive and need to be shared at the right time. I appreciate Mark having the maturity to consider the counsel of others about what he is to share."

"You're right," Mary confessed.

"I was out of line. I'm sorry."

"Mary, I do not want to inhibit your questions," I responded.

"But, You have to determine if you are asking any, with impatience or arrogance, as Mark had warned you, but you need to be free to ask them.

Nor do I want to inhibit Mark, or anyone else, from sharing what you think is appropriate. You all must be free to do this, because you are all going to be shown things about one another, that will not only be helpful, but necessary for this journey.

"As for your questions, they say the only dumb question, is one that is not asked. I'm not totally convinced of that, but questions indicate caring, so I hope you, and everyone else, always feel free to ask them.

"I also think that Mary's question, about the angel, is one of the important ones, that we all need to talk about. Mark, what did the angel look like?" I asked.

"He looked like a young man, maybe even my own age. I thought it was a person, until he disappeared right in front of me," Mark answered, and then looked at me as if he needed some understanding of this himself.

"In Scripture, we see that this is not an uncommon experience with believers, and it will be common here. We do often entertain angels, and are not aware of it, because most of the time they appear as just another person. I am not sure why they do this, but I suspect it is to keep from alarming us too much, which we would be, if we saw them in their true form.

It seems that as we mature, they do start appearing in their real form."

"Have you seen many of them?" someone asked.

"I have, and you will too, if you stay on this path," I continued.

"They are ministering spirits who serve the heirs of salvation. Those who are on this journey, will almost certainly see them, and often. In fact, you will be the exception, if you don't.

This is important to understand, because it is something we must get used to, and not be overly infatuated with it.

"We should give honor to angels, as the messengers of the Lord, but we only worship the Lord. We will have plenty of time to talk more about this, but for now, I think we need to get moving again.

"Mark, we're all thankful to have you join us. Please take your liberty, to share with anyone, whatever you think is appropriate, that you have been shown about us."

As the group started down the path, I told them I would catch up with them.

I stayed behind because I had seen the Voice nearby.

I knew I would not have seen him, if he did not want to be seen, so I knew he had something important. I walked over to him and he began:

"I see all who take this journey, but I have never seen a group quite like this one before," the Voice said.

"Yea, I'm still wondering if that is that good or bad," I commented.

"We'll see," he responded.

"One thing is for sure, it will not be boring for you!

You like to say that you may die of a lot of things but boredom won't be one of them, but I think you may soon be asking for a little boredom."

"I guess we will see," I responded.

"How did you know I often used that remark?

I have not used it in this wilderness."

"I am but one of the 'great company of witnesses,' who have been watching these times unfold, and watching those of you, who have been given the honor to live in them.

The righteous and prophets of old desired to see these days, and they are now seeing them. You live before an audience,far greater than you could imagine," the Voice replied.

"That adds even more gravity to this situation," I responded.

"If your eyes were open as they should be, you would see the great host of Heaven that is with you. Right now you could not bear the gravity of these times, but you will grow in stature and vision until you can," the Voice added resolutely.

It's all I can do now, to keep my attention on this group, so this is just as well I guess,"

I responded. I want to get to the place where I can handle it all, but with all the years and experiences I've had, I feel almost like a new believer, just starting out again. I know I have a great deal more to learn."

"This is true. You have been through much, but there is more for you to grow up into than what you have done so far. And this must also be done in a much shorter period of time, so it will be intense. From now on, every day you will be stretched," the Voice said.

"Well, I'm sure a lot of that stretching is going to come from this group," I said.

"There is something very remarkable about them. I need to thank you for bringing me back for them. I did not appreciate it at the time, and I never thought I would be excited to be going through this place again, but I am very glad to be with this group. I now know that to get the full benefit of this wilderness, I need to experience it with others."

"That's koinonia," the Voice added.

"It gives us a little insight into why the Lord came to the earth for all of us. I have experienced much of Heaven, but of all of God's creatures there is something remarkable and interesting about people. The Lord loves to be with us. Angels do too. One of the main attractions of man, is the ability to have koinonia.

You have a hard job ahead of you, but it can be worth it."

"I am enjoying it so far, but you don't think I'm called to be a professional wilderness guide do you?" I asked.

"No, that's my job. I'm the voice in the wilderness. Your place is on the mountain. But, what did you think of Mary's questions?"

"I didn't think any were out of line. I think she brings a lot of life, with her questions. She is probably asking what everyone else is thinking," I answered.

"Were those last ones 'the big ones' that it is so crucial that I handle rightly?"

"No, not even close, but they will be coming soon. You've only had teasers so far."

"What kind of questions could these be? Should I brush up on some subjects, like the free will of man versus the sovereignty of God?"

"No, they will be much more difficult than that," the Voice said, now with a distinguishable smile.

"And she will not take clichés or superficial answers, and you're not going to give her any. You must answer her questions. They are important to her and to others."

"And why can't you tell me some of these questions so I can be prepared?" I asked.

"I don't know what they are. I just know how important they are, and how important these people are. I'm curious too. This is a first for me, being sent back a second time to warn someone about the same thing," the Voice said with more gravity.

"I know you have answers, but I don't think you will be able to answer them all. That's because I was told that the council, is waiting to help you with them. Do not hesitate to inquire of the Lord, and He will give you wisdom."

The Voice then turned and started to walk away. I called out after him, "What else is so special about this group?"

He stopped, hesitated for a moment, and then turned and said, "I have never seen so many in one group who are called to be the mighty ones that Enoch talks about. Every one of these is called to walk in more power than I did. Obviously the time is now close."

As the Voice passed out of sight, I began walking slowly to catch up with the group. I wanted to process all that the Voice had just told me. But, if I had known what awaited me, I would have slowed down even more.