Mark's Story by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins

you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
    With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
    Mark wanted above all this remission of sins, forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit. He could not keep from joining the throng that crowded around Peter and the rest, lining up to repent and be baptized. He had long considered himself a secret believer in the Christ, of course, but now he wanted everyone to know he was counting himself among all the souls who were added to this new church that day.
    And while Mark milled about with all these new believers in Christ—Peter would inform him later that they numbered three thousand—who should appear in the crowd but his cousin Joses, in his Levite garb, taller and thinner since Mark had last seen him. Joses embraced Mark and exulted that he too had become a believer in Christ.
    For the next several days the new Christians excitedly assembled with the disciples for teaching in doctrine, for fellowship, for the breaking of bread, and for prayer. Joses quickly established himself with the disciples as devout and sincere, and—like Mark—a student of the Scriptures.
    Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles, and all who believed shared with one another all that they owned as anyone had need. Every day they met in the temple and broke bread from house to house, eating with gladness and what Peter told Mark appeared to be simplicity of heart, praising God.
    Most impressive was that these people were so happy, they didn’t initially even run into trouble with Jewish leaders or the Romans. They seemed to have favor with all.
    Daily Joses and Mark met in the city and wondered at the power of God that had been showered upon the apostles for the bold proclamation of the truth of Christ.
    And every day more were saved and added to the church.

NINE
    M ark felt free, forgiven, filled; he suddenly found himself immersed in the things of God. Joses stayed with him and his mother for several days, and the cousins enjoyed following the disciples all over the city and seeing and hearing what was going on. They spent their evenings poring over ancient texts and marveling at how the Scriptures were replete with references to the Messiah.
    Joses seemed unable to quit grinning. “How can anyone doubt that Jesus fulfills all the prophecies of the Chosen One?” he said.
    Because Joses was there, Mark’s mother was less concerned about Mark being away from home and in the middle of everything going on in the city. “The authorities must be up in arms,” she said, “with so many becoming Christians.”
    “Not so far,” her nephew said. “Everyone seems so happy and joyous that the religious leaders and the Romans probably see no reason to interfere.”
    It seemed that every day, Peter took one or more of the disciples with him to the temple for one of three prayer times—at nine in the morning, noon, and three in the afternoon. One day Mark and Joses followed as Peter and John approached the temple for the three o’clock session. As they watched, a lame beggar at the temple’s Beautiful Gate sat pleading for alms from all who entered. Mark had seen this man, who appeared to be in his early forties, in the same spot every day for his entire life and recalled that when he was a child, his mother lectured him about not staring at the man’s gnarled feet and grotesquely malformed ankles.
    Seeing Peter and John, the man whined, “Please, sirs, for a humble man, crippled from birth…”
    The disciples stopped, and Peter stooped to gaze at the man. “Look at us,” Peter said.
    The beggar’s face lit and he reached for whatever Peter and John would offer.
    But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
    And with that Peter took the man by the hand and lifted him. As Mark watched, the