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@freed_and_redeemed @hybridlore @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @linus-smallprint
NEXT SECTION!!!
The next morning after breakfast, Julian and Leon began making their way along the streets looking for the homes of the three men they had left to lead the church: Konner Krüger, Reinhold Meier, and Fox Keller. They went first to the home of the Meiers. Leon knocked on the door, and a woman answered it. She did not seem familiar to the two, and she didn’t recognize them. “I’m sorry to bother you, mam,” Leon said. “We were looking for the Meiers. They are old friends.”
“I don’t know them,” replied the woman. “I have lived here almost a year now, but I never heard their name.”
“Oh, I am so sorry to have bothered you,” Leon said. “Thank you, and good day, mam.”
The two turned and walked away. Julian sighed. “There are two options. They left unexpectedly–– which surprises me since Reinhold took over some of the leadership in the church. Or they were arrested.”
Leon nodded soberly.
The two made their way to the Kellers. Their home was inhabited by a young couple who, though they tried to be helpful, said they had only ever met Mr. Keller the day they bought the house, and knew nothing of his whereabouts. Leon and Julian thanked them and went on their way. Both were starting to feel a little discouraged. They had hoped to find Fox, Reinhold, and Konner, even if all the rest were gone. Then again, those three would face the most danger, and perhaps they were dead.
Julian and Leon arrived at the Krüger’s’ home and knocked on the door. There was no answer, so Leon knocked again. After a third time, the two turned away. They were a few paces down the street, when the door opened. Leon turned around and nearly cried out in surprise. Standing at the doorway was Konner. Leon hurried back, followed by Julian. “Konner!” he exclaimed softly, grasping the young man’s hand. “Do you remember us?”
Konner drew back, looking warily at the two. Then, his face lit up. “Julian! Leon!” he cried in a whisper. He glanced up and down the street. “Come in, quickly!”
The two were ushered in, and they came into the main room of the small house. Mrs. Krüger and Konner’s younger sisters greeted Leon and Julian in hushed excitement. They all sat down, and Mrs. Krüger brought them all something to drink. Julian looked about the room a moment before remembering that Mr. Krüger had passed away years before they ever met Konner.
“I never thought to see you again,” Konner said. “Where have you been, and why are you here?”
“We’ve been traveling the length of the country,” Leon said. “We came back to encourage you and the rest of the Believers.”
Konner started to his feet and moved swiftly to the window, yanking the shutters closed and pulling the curtain. His sister had done the same to the other window, and their mother pulled the door to the room closed. Konner lit a lamp in the dark room, and then spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “Speak softly, and it is best not to speak at all about such things.”
Julian and Leon glanced at each other, and Leon felt a sense of dread creeping through him. What has happened in our absence? He looked straight at Konner. “Do you still believe in the One true God?”
“Yes,” Konner hissed.
“Do you still serve Him, and Him alone?”
Konner shushed him, nodding in answer to the question.
Again, Leon glanced at Julian. Then he took in a slow breath. “Are there any other believers?”
Again, Konner shushed him and then glanced at his mother. Mrs. Krüger motioned to her daughters, and they slipped from the room. Konner closed the door behind them and set the lamp on the table. He sat down across from Leon and Julian. “Nothing has changed in my belief,” he whispered. “I only ask you not to speak aloud of such things.”
“Are there still other believers?” Leon demanded.
“Yes,” Konner whispered. “Now, be quiet!”
“Konner, what has happened to the church? Where are Reinhold and Fox?” Julian asked, urgently.
“They’re alive,” Konner replied, under his breath. “But if you don’t lower your voice, you’ll get us all killed!”
“Konner, it’s the Sabbath in two days? Will you meet?” Leon demanded.
Konner winced and looked away
Leon looked straight at him. “Konner, in two days’ time we will meet for the Sabbath. All of us. Talk to Reinhold and Fox, find a meeting place, and make sure everyone knows. We will see you then.” He rose abruptly, and Julian followed suit.
Konner leapt up and grabbed Leon’s arm. “Leon don’t be angry with us! It’s not what you think. We still believe in God, all of us, and Him alone do we serve.”
“I am not angry,” Leon replied. “I am surprised and confused by what has happened to you. Where is the courage of the young man who chose to stay behind and lead God’s people, even though it meant almost certain death?”
Konner looked away. “You don’t know what it’s been like for us, Leon.” he said, his voice choked and hoarse. “You don’t understand what has happened to those of us who chose to stay. After you left, they started killing left and right. We would all be dead if we hadn’t kept quiet.”
“You mean, you’ve stopped meeting?” Julian asked.
“More than that,” Konner replied, in a whisper. “We dare not even say His name anymore for fear of being overheard. We still believe, but we do so silently, and that is why we are safe.”
“What!” Julian cried. “You can’t do that!”
“Yes, we can!” Konner whispered angrily. “It’s all we can do! They would kill us all in a matter of days. We’re tired, Julian! We’re tired of the fear, pain, and death. At least now we can sleep at night!”
Julian clenched his fists and turned away.
Leon looked at Konner compassionately. “I know,” he said. “I know you’re tired, and you’ve had a hard fight. But that’s why we’ve come back. We aren’t running this time. We’re staying here to fight with you.”
“Fight?” Konner laughed. He looked up at Leon, tears in his eyes. “This is no fight, Leon, this is defenseless massacre. We are not warriors anymore, we’re just survivors.”
***
Julian sat by at the desk by the window and stared out over the city. It would be the Sabbath tomorrow. He and Leon had talked, prayed, paced, and thought. Konner had pleaded with them not to try and make a connection with the other believers yet, saying it would be too dangerous. Leon and Julian agreed to wait until after the Sabbath. The day before, Konner had come to tell them that the meeting would be held in the blacksmith’s cellar. He didn’t wait around to hear if they agreed with the idea, but took off running once his message was delivered.
Leon and Julian had agreed that Julian would speak to the people at the meeting. Now that he had accepted the role, Julian wasn’t sure if it had been the right decision. He didn’t know what to say. He was angry, and he knew that right now the people didn’t need his anger. They had been driven to the ground already, now they needed to be lifted up. Chastised, yes, but not ranted at.
Julian looked over at Leon who was reorganizing his rucksack. Suddenly, Leon jerked his hand back with a hiss of pain. Julian started when he saw the blood on his friend’s hand. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Leon replied. He rubbed his palm on his pants and looked at his hand. “It’s not deep. Something just sliced the surface. He carefully put his hand back into his pack, looking for the object. A moment later, he drew it out. It was a dark crossbow bolt. Memory flashed over Leon’s face, and he stared at the bolt, turning it over in his hand. At last, he stood and came to Julian. He laid the bolt on the table and then looked out the window. “I was sitting in this very inn when someone shot that at me.”
Julian stared at the bolt, his eyes going over its razor-sharp blades. “Do you remember how you talked about us being soldiers?” he asked.
Leon motioned to the weapon. “It was that moment that brought the realization to my mind,”
Julian nodded.
Leon put a hand on the side of the window frame and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath. “It seems the fight has been long and hard here, and our brothers are weary.”
Julian nodded. He reached out and rolled the bolt along the table, deep in thought. “The church in retreat,” he murmured.
***
Julian looked around from where he and Leon sat in the blacksmith’s cellar. He could see Konner, Fox, and Reinhold were standing together in a corner, their faces drawn with worry. The few people who were gathering in the room were tense and on edge, and some refused to sit down. Julian felt Leon’s hand on his shoulder. “God, speak through Julian today, and use him to bring truth and strength to Your people,” he prayed.
“Yes Lord,” Julian whispered.
Konner came over to them. “We’re ready,” he said. “But whatever you have to say, do so quickly. None of us want to stay here long.”
Julian took a deep breath and stood up. The room fell silent, and every eye turned to him. Julian bowed his head. “Oh Lord, we are weary of this struggle. We are tired and discouraged. Please give us strength, Lord, to do what you have called us to do. Speak through me today and use my words to strengthen Your people.”
Julian looked up. His eyes fell on Konner, who turned away. Reinhold shifted nervously and glanced toward the stairs, but Fox was looking straight at him, waiting for Julian to go on. Julian looked about the room. Then, he began.
“Whenever persecution brakes out, whenever we are singled out for destruction, there will be two churches. There will always be a church that is allowed to remain unhindered, and ‘at peace’. Then, there is a second church, one that is attacked again and again, with all that hell can wield against it. One church is allowed by the authorities and is not threatened, the other is singled out for destruction. The first church I spoke of might even be supported by the emperor or king. No one touches it. And then, there is the second church. The second church is under attack. Many of its leaders will be imprisoned or face death, many of those in it will lose all in this world.”
Julian paused, looking from face to face. He saw the pain of memory in their eyes. “The first church is a bird in a cage,” he said. “A bird in a cage will not and cannot reproduce. In one generation, it is gone. Those who once held onto any part of the truth will be dead, and it will be no more. There will be no lineage. It is only the free birds that raises up a new generation. The church that exists only to survive, will survive only one generation.
“If we make decisions based on survival, and only on the ability to be free and safe, and say “Well, this is the best we can do,” mix idol worship with Christianity, or perhaps just don’t speak out against it. “Just shut your mouth and survive, at least they give us permission to believe in God.” If you strive only to survive, then the church will be dead in one generation. It’s been proven since the beginning. The church that cowers and makes compromise is a dead church. You will see very soon that I speak the truth. You will decline, you will fall, you will vanish. You have no life because you can’t speak out in faith, you can’t call out and bring more in, you cannot go out and fight for Christ.”
Julian could see the guilt in their eyes, and he saw Konner cringe. When he spoke again, his voice was gentler, but still firm. “Then there is the church that refuses to be caged, refuses to bow down, refuses to make compromise. It refuses to stay silent. It speaks, and it speaks only truth. God’s truth!”
“Which one are you?” He asked, his voice rising. “There are always two. The one that just tries to survive, no matter the cost, and the one that defies evil, and as a result, thrives. It’s the church that defies restraint upon its confession that thrives. When we stand up and believe Jesus over any governmental law, we are filled with His strength and power. We must honor the authority that is God-given, yes. However, if that God-given authority asks us to contradict God’s authority and God’s laws given in the word of God, we must say no–– No matter the cost.
Julian opened his Bible to the place he had marked. “‘And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” We have been called to go out and spread God’s word! You cannot remain silent when Jesus Christ Himself has commanded you to speak!” Julain turned several pages and continued. ‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’”
Julian looked up. “You have been called to show the world who Christ is. By word and deed, by life… and death. And Jesus has said to us, ‘Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”
Julian paused and looked at the faces turned toward his. Konner and Reinhold had stopped looking to the door, and Fox seemed frozen in place. The room was completely still, and no one moved.
“There are always two,” Julian said. “The church that goes silent, and the church that confesses. The only true church is the church that does something. When you reach Goliath— when you reach the challenge, when you reach that which defies the church and asks us to compromise–– there’s a road to silence and a road to confession. It is the place where you can pick up five smooth stones and respond, or you can cower down and be passive. You have been called to speak the truth! To live the truth, to confess the truth. Confession is not just your words, it’s your life. It is saying “I will walk, the narrow way.””
“The word confession has two parts. The first means, ‘in perfect agreement, in perfect reflection’. When you look into a still water, you see yourself. If you move, the reflection moves. That is what this means. The second part is ‘Jesus Christ, the Word of God’. So, confession means when the Bible moves, or God’s Word moves, or Jesus Christ moves, we match His stride. We walk where He walks. If He goes this way, we go this way. We must be in perfect agreement. That is true confession, and we are called to confess Christ. If you are the true church, you are in agreement with Jesus.”
Julain held out a sweeping hand to the room. “There are always two churches. Which one are we? Are we the ones that are willing to boldly represent the Word of God” Will we say to God, “I am willing to do whatever You ask me to do.”? Or will we cower down? By life and by death, we must confess. We must be a church of prayer, and a church of confession. We must pray, and we must do! We have been built to face challenge. We have the truth of the King of kings, and we are doing nothing with it in a time that is most desperately needed.”
Julian raised his voice, bringing his hand down in his Bible. “We have come to a crossroad. Goliath stands and mocks the living God. Make a choice now. Will you be silent, or will you stand up to him? Are you ready to pick up five smooth stones and do something?
Fires will rise to testify that 2+2=4. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer
I like how Konner and the others are afraid of the Empire. That seems realistic—I would be surprised if in a time like this, all the Christians were courageous enough to defy the government always. Julian’s speech is good. Very rousing. A few parts didn’t make sense.
“If we make decisions based on survival, and only on the ability to be free and safe, and say “Well, this is the best we can do,” mix idol worship with Christianity, or perhaps just don’t speak out against it. “Just shut your mouth and survive, at least they give us permission to believe in God.”
I think just the structure of this sentence confused me. It doesn’t seem to be leading anywhere.
The word confession has two parts. The first means, ‘in perfect agreement, in perfect reflection’. When you look into a still water, you see yourself. If you move, the reflection moves. That is what this means. The second part is ‘Jesus Christ, the Word of God’. So, confession means when the Bible moves, or God’s Word moves, or Jesus Christ moves, we match His stride. We walk where He walks. If He goes this way, we go this way. We must be in perfect agreement. That is true confession, and we are called to confess Christ. If you are the true church, you are in agreement with Jesus.”
Also, this. Where is he getting the two meanings of confession from?
Altogether, good section.
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
Thanks.Yeah, they’re like right at the center of everything, so it’s not easy.
Ah, yes. It was a run-on sentence into the next paragraph, and I tried to clean it up with punctuation and forgot to change some words.
The definitions are the literal Greek translations for that word. There are two words in Greek that make up the word in English that we call, Confession.
Homolegeō is the word, but it has two parts.
Homo
“In perfect agreement, in stride, like, similar, reflection of something. Mirror”
Logos
“The WORD, Jesus Christ,”
(The spelling changes when you combine it. Don’t know why Greeks do that.)
So, Homo-logos, or Homolegeō means in reflection, in stride, in agreement, with Christ.
Fires will rise to testify that 2+2=4. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer
Gotcha. You might want to try to clarify the definition a little more, but I would see what others like Linus think.
What does your signature mean, by the way?
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
A moment later, he drew it out. It was a dark crossbow bolt.
Interesting the church Leon talked about the war of Faith is the one that fell apart the most, but I guess they are in the capital where the most danger is.
Julian’s sermon is fine, but I think he needs to remind them more of what they are fighting for. What the reward in heavan will be. These guys are scared and they need a reminder that they don’t need to worry and God will protect them, even if they die. They need to know that it will be worth it, and this can help them see that is is selfish and cowardly to keep it to themselves. Julian only touched on this very briefly.
“If we make decisions based on survival, and only on the ability to be free and safe, and say “Well, this is the best we can do,” mix idol worship with Christianity, or perhaps just don’t speak out against it.
Have these three actually been participating in idol worship, or is Julian just putting this in here because he is thinking of Karl?
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
Julian’s sermon is fine, but I think he needs to remind them more of what they are fighting for. What the reward in heaven will be. These guys are scared and they need a reminder that they don’t need to worry and God will protect them, even if they die. They need to know that it will be worth it, and this can help them see that is is selfish and cowardly to keep it to themselves. Julian only touched on this very briefly.
Yeah, I think this is what’s missing from the sermon.
Also, maybe this is just me and the fact that I have historical knowledge of this topic, but I’m a bit surprised that he’s all like “what??? How come you are hiding and fearful? You should be all out there doing what you were doing!!” when if anything, he probably should’ve expected that, as unfortunate as it is. Most people are not that courageous, especially if their enemy is massacring them left and right. There are a few examples in history where Christians went underground like this (the most recent example I can remember being in North Korea, where some disguise their prayers as normal conversations).
Not necessarily condoning that btw, just pointing it out.
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
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