Saul

The following story about Saul (in Colombia) and other Bible characters has caused me to reflect a lot on the sanctifying process of sainthood that should be going on in each of us.  It is easy to criticize Saul of our story.  I knew him and travelled some of those trails with him when we were both 44 years younger.  The difference between this Saul and the Saul- first king of Israel- is that King Saul turned away and never repented.  Saul Martinez is still a work in progress, as are you and I.  Before  we write off Saul Martinez you should ask yourself where you would be today if your home town had turned into a war zone and your wife and mother of your 5 children had suddenly died.  I think most American Christians are largely untested and if you took away their wealth and health the ranks would be very thin.

Look at the multitudes that followed Jesus.  In John chapter 6 it was clear that the Lord knew most of them were just interested in today's bread.  There was a closer band that were interested in an earthly kingdom.  At the end of the chapter He rightly questioned even the twelve in the inner circle because He knew that every one of them would desert him.  I think Judas was the first one that really figured out what was going on.  Did you ever wonder when the eleven disciples were actually converted?  I'm not going to dwell on that point but point out that the Lord patiently called, led, and waited until they had been through the cross and the resurrection before He made the final challenge to Peter- "Lovest thou me more than these?"  (The "these" could have been either the other disciples or could have been Peter's fish.)  Only after the Asuncion and the tested-by-fire faith was coupled with the living, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit were they ready for unwavering service for which they would give their own lives.  Remember, prior to the cross they had been on mission trips and commanded miracles but they were still capable of denying Christ.

Lets remember all that as we pray for Saul and ourselves.  Now, we switch to the words of Bob Moyer who visited Saul on the fifth of March, 2010.

On March 4th three friends came to Santa Marta to escort me to the city of Valledupar, a 4 hour trip.  It had been 18 years since I had been in the department of Cesar where Ruth Ann and I had begun our ministry back in 1966.  After spending a night in a hotel, we drove to the quaint town of Atanquez in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  The gravel washboard roads were now paved; the scenery of the high peaks still breathtaking.  For an hour and a half we reminisced so many memories of how it used to be.  Suddenly the paved road stopped and I felt like I had stepped back in time. The town had not changed in the least. There were the narrow cobblestone streets we'd walk, Chema Arias' store, and the plaza as I remembered it. 

In the late 90's a percentage of the population left the mountains due to the violence brought on by intense wars between the para military, guerrillas, and Colombian Army.  Now it is calm and the older people are slowly coming back to abandoned homes and farms.  Many of the younger ones who went to the city got an education, jobs and settled elsewhere.

My reason for this trip was to find Saul Martinez, a man who lived with us from age 11 until he was married.  Saul married a lovely lady named Leonor and they had five children together. They were a model family until one day tradegy struck.  Leonor needed a simple operation and never recovered from the anesthesia.  Alone with these small  children, he continued his missionary work as a linguist with another missionary for several years.  However, it was later discovered he was involved in severe misuse of funds and working as an agent for the military.  His drifting away from the faith was a gradual process that folks were not initially aware of.  When it was discovered and he was confronted, he abandoned the area rather than confess. Later we heard he had returned to Atanquez, the town of his birth identifying himself with the Indians he had once shared the Gospel with, only now as their shamen or medicine man.  When Saul was young and living with us, I taught him to pull teeth, suture, administer medicines, carpentry, etc.  He learned the Indian culture and language fluently.  Now he uses all that for his personal benefit and power and the people follow him.   

I told my friends I wanted to speak with him alone.  I left the car following a local woman who guided me to his location on the out skirts of town. I arrived at a large, round, mud, ceremonial house with a tall peaked grass roof, a replica of the Kogi conkarua.  Saul was not there, but I was surprised to learn that I could call him on a cell phone.  He answered gruffly and said he'd meet me soon.  As he walked up to me 15 minutes later, it was obvious he had borrowed clothing that were too large for him,  had his long hair stuffed up into his hat, and his lips were badly burned from the lime of the gourd used in chewing coca.  I had been told he dressed like an Indian.  He was cautious and cordial and obviously very surprised to see me.  Immediately he asked what was I doing there.  I told him I came to visit him.  He asked again, "Then, why are you here?"  I told him, "Saul, I came to visit you and ask you what happened.  I've been praying much for you and felt I needed to come and talk to you personally.  Why have you abandoned the faith?"  Unconvincingly, he said he had not.  I told him I had come to remind him how God loves him, how I love him, and how concerned I was as to what he is doing to himself, to the church, to his children, and to the people here in Atanquez.  He thanked me and said, "You are the first one who has had the courage to come and talk to me about it."  I again reiterated that I loved him, he had lived with us so many years, we had studied the Scriptures together, he taught the Word of God, and people do not understand why he deserted and walked away from the Lord Jesus.  We talked almost 2 hours and at one point, I saw a small tear run down the outside corner of his left eye and I wondered if possibly I was getting through to him?  I shared Scriptures that the Lord had given me as I was praying for him prior to the trip and asked him if he could do me and himself the favor of reading the book of Romans slowly and to remember the things we had studied together. Years ago Saul, David Bolivar, and I would study at night in Sarachuí and that was always such a blessing to me and seemed to be to both those men as well.  I asked if I could pray for him and he responded by saying, "Let's go inside."  Up until this point we had been sitting on rocks in front of his conkarua.  I am certain he wanted no one seeing him praying with me.  Twice people came while we were talking and he told them gruffly that he was busy and sent them away.  Inside the conkarua it was dark and I felt I was returning to the Kogi world.  There where drums on the wall, an animal bladder hanging high over the fire and 3 stones in the middle of the room.  There were other containers, feathers, sticks, gourds on a shelf on the wall, instruments of his new profession.  I placed my hand on his shoulder and prayed.  Though I know I was talking to the Lord, I felt like Saul had gone into a neutral mode.  I told him that many, many people were praying for the two of us at that very moment and that they also were praying for him to repent and come back to the true God.  He thanked me again without much eye contact.  It was time to go.  He walked down the trail with me until we got close to the evangelical church.  He then said good bye, turned around and left. 

Will he read Romans?  Will he respond to the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit?  Dare we believe God can again convert a Saul into a Paul?  I do not know.  But I feel we need to continue to bring him before God's throne of grace.   Saul needs grace, as do we all! 

Thank you so much for holding me up in prayer.  I felt it! 

Bob Moyer