Chapters 9 &10

          Growing Up Christian - - - Or Not!

                      Chapter 9

It was Sunday morning. Jess had returned from the new property the night before with encouraging news. Because everything had gone so well with the plans to buy the property, Jess and Carol were sure the Lord was blessing the venture. Jess had completed the deal and all he had to do now was deliver the money to the owner of the property. Jess had contracted with some of the local people, who lived near the new property, to repair fences. The family would soon be able to have livestock on the farm. Jess didn't have any hay stored or a place to keep it out of the weather when he did get some. He planned to buy hay from one of the local farmers, until he could get his own operation into full swing. It was early spring and soon his pasture land should be lush and green. Jess wouldn't have any problem with feed for his cattle then.

Jess had looked into a place of worship where he and his family could attend and he had found a congregation that he thought would fill the bill. It was a small church of about twenty-five dedicated Christians who met in each other's homes each Sunday to pray, to remember and thank Jesus through communion and to study the Bible. They met in member's homes because their newly completed church building had burned to the ground.

There was a huge church building in the valley, which Jess had seen, but he heard the congregation had some really bazaar beliefs. A strange man, who claimed to be a Bishop, called all the shots. It was not at all the kind of church which would be conducive to the worship of our Creator. Jess, Carol and the boys were just sitting down to breakfast. It was eight year old Billy's turn to give God thanks for their meal.

He began "Good morning Heavenly Father. We thank you for being with us through the night and for watching over my Daddy while he was gone. We also thank you for loving all of us. We thank you for our breakfast food and for the milk. I pray that when we get moved to the country we can have lots of animals and even a dog. I pray in Jesus name; amen."

Everyone had begun to eat when Billy said "Hey Dad, can we get a dog when we get moved? I sure would like to have a dog to play with."

"Well Billy, Mom and I have been talking over the possibility of getting a dog for you boys and the answer is - - - - - yes."

Both boys jumped up and ran around the table in celebration. Billy was barking like a dog and trying to run on all fours. Carol got up from the table and tried to calm the boys down but with very little success. She looked over at Jess and said "Now look what you caused! Now we'll never be able to get the boys to calm down enough to get dressed for Sunday school!" Jess looked at the boys and said "Tim!  Billy! Come and sit down and finish your breakfast so we can get ready for Sunday school!"

The boys looked at Dad and knew they had better ‘cool it’. They came and sat down but had a little difficulty trying to control them selves. They finally got the job done, with only a few disruptions caused by poking each other and giggling.

Soon breakfast was over. The family got dressed and was, at last, on their way to Sunday school. When they arrived, Jess and Carol smiled and shook hands with all the other people who were there. The two boys excitedly told their friends about the puppy they would be getting after the boys moved to the country.

Then it was time for Sunday school classes to start. Jess and Carol went to their class and the two boys split up to go to the class for their own age group. Jess was the teacher of his class, so he stood up in front of the class and read aloud from the Bible.
The passage which the class was to study today was from First Peter, Chapter 5
verses 12-19.

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

  Jess asked "So, tell me what you think about his passage. How many of you suffered last week because you are a Christian?" A few brave souls spoke up about some vague things which had happened to them over the last week.

  Jess continued "Could it be that we don't let anyone, outside the church, know that we are a Christian and that we stand for the things Christ taught?"

Again, a few people spoke up. Some thought they should speak for Christ as they met people on the job or in their neighborhoods. Others thought they should keep their Christianity to themselves and not cause any embarrassment by mentioning Jesus or God.

After a lengthy discussion, Jess reminded the class of the scripture which he had read at the beginning of the class. That we, as Christians, should be honored to be ‘put down’ by ‘non-Christians’ and he reminded them that Jesus said "Who ever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."
(From Matt. 10:32-33)

"I'll leave you with these scriptures to think over during the rest of the week."

"I have an announcement to make. I won't be able to be your teacher any more after today because, as many of you know, my family and I are moving. I want you all to know that I've enjoyed teaching this class and I’ve learned a lot from all of you as we studied God's word together. I pray that all of you have grown closer to the Lord and have learned to love Him as much as He loves all of you."

"Next Sunday, Brother Conrad has consented to teach this class. I'd like you to help him out as much as you can, since this is the first time he has taught a Sunday school Class. It can be un-nerving the first few times anyone teaches. I am sure, that with your help and the help of the Holy Spirit, he'll do just fine. I want to ask all of you to pray for him this week."

"Class is dismissed so we can all go to the worship service. Thanks for all your help and your attentiveness over the years that I've been privileged to be your teacher and may God be with you all."

Following Sunday school, everyone hurried to the sanctuary for the worship service. People who had been in different classes were greeting each other and shaking hands. (People who were in the same class had already greeted each other.) The Minister was moving around the auditorium, shaking hands with everyone within reach. When the organist started playing the opening hymn, everyone went to their favorite seat because they knew it was time to start the worship service.

The song leader stood up behind the pulpit and led the congregation in a selection of hymns which had been chosen to help the congregation praise the Lord and lift the people's spirits. The communion service was held and those who belonged to Jesus partook of the fruit of the vine (grape juice) which was to remind the Christians that Jesus had shed His blood to save them. They ate a small piece of unleavened bread which reminded them that His body had been broken for them. Jesus had commanded his followers to observe this communion with Him, in order to remember His sacrifice for them, each time they came together to worship their Creator.

Following the communion service the offering plates were passed. This was done so that those who loved the Lord could bring back to God, a portion of what the Lord had given to them. These tithes and offerings were used to help spread the Gospel around the community and the world. Part of the offering would be used for the up keep of the church building and to pay those who served the Lord full time.

When everything was quiet again, a lady stood up in front of the congregation and sang a special solo which was entitled ‘The Old Rugged Cross’.

The Minister then stood up behind the pulpit and opened his Bible, so he could share God's word with the congregation. As he read from the scriptures he reasoned with them about sin, those who reject and ignore Jesus and of the judgment which is coming.
Many squirmed uncomfortably in their seats when the Preacher's gaze fell upon them. A few older people fell asleep and then awoke with a start and a great deal of embarrassment when the speaker drove a point home by pounding on the pulpit and speaking in a loud voice.

Some of the teenagers sat in the back of the sanctuary and talked and giggled, paying no attention to anything except their own petty concerns. The girls usually discussed who was going out with whom and how far they were going.  The young men usually discussed their latest sports hero or their opinion about which was the hottest new car on the market.

Small children would cry out once in a while during the service but no one minded except a few old sore heads.  Most of those in attendance knew the Lord loved little children.

One woman was bored so she was working on a cross-word puzzle. She and a few others in the congregation were keeping score of the things the Preacher said, with which they didn't agree. Some day they planned to use these ‘transgressions’ to try to convince the rest of the congregation to fire the Preacher. Not that the Preacher was doing anything wrong. These people just needed to control everything in order to feel important.

The time came for the invitation hymn. Everyone stood up and sang ‘Jesus Paid It All’.
As the hymn was being sung, Timmy and Billy stepped out into the aisle and walked up to the front of the auditorium where the Preacher was waiting for any who had been convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of God's Word.

The Minister smiled and shook the boy's hands. When the ‘invitation hymn’ was over, both boys repeated after the Minister "I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and I take Him as my personal Lord and Savior."

After the boy's confession of their faith in Jesus, the Preacher made a few pertinent announcements, one of which was that the boys would be buried with their Lord in baptism in a few minutes. He told all those present that baptism represented the death, burial and resurrection of their Lord. The boys would die to sin, be buried with Christ and be born anew, rising to walk as a new creation before God. The boys would be born of the water and of the Spirit as Jesus had commanded of all of His followers. They would then receive the gift from God which was God's Holy Spirit. He is given to all baptized believers to help them overcome temptation and to help understand God's word and will for their lives. He reminded them that “Those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ as a clean garment and protection from sin.”

The Minister and the two boys went to dressing rooms where they changed to their every day clothes. The Minister went down into the water of the baptistery and each boy, in turn, went down with him. Ten year old Timmy went first. The Minister gave Timmy some instructions about how to hold on to the Minister's arm and how Timmy should hold his nose, so he wouldn't get water in it and get choked. The Minister raised one hand toward Heaven and said "I now baptize you in the name of God the Father and in the name of Jesus His Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit, for the remission of your sins; Amen.” And with that he put Timmy under the water, and then lifted him back up out of the water. Timmy stepped up out of the baptistery and Billy went down into the water. The Minister did the same with Billy, as he had done with Timmy.
A scene which has been repeated thousands of times since Jesus commanded, and gave the example, for all his followers to be baptized, two thousand years ago.

Then as both boys were standing before the congregation dripping wet, the Minister said "I'd like to present to the church two new baby Christians who were just born before your eyes today. What you've observed here today is the only way the Lord has given for us to become a part of the family of God and to become acceptable in His sight."

Many in the congregation said "Amen" and the congregation sang a song entitled ‘Now I Belong to Jesus’

Jess and Carol were in the congregation looking on. Carol had big tears flowing down her cheeks and Jess was wiping his eyes with his handkerchief while trying to look ‘cool and collected’ at the same time. Both of the boy's parents were so proud of the boys, they were just about to burst. Both parents went up and hugged each of the boys and then many in the congregation did the same.

After a final prayer, which was offered by the Preacher, everyone went out to the parking lot to go home. Most everyone in attendance said a tearful ‘good bye’ to the Whitsons, because they didn't know when, or if, they would ever see them again (All except the few old sore heads who didn’t like Jess because he reminded them about their obligation to love everyone they came in contact with in their lives.)




        Growing Up Christian - - - Or Not!

                      Chapter 10

As soon as Mr. Shagnasty and the Bishop were alone in the corridor, the Bishop asked "How could this happen?  Didn't we have a full compliment of guards around the cages?"

"Yes, every guard was in place.” replied the old man “We don't know how or when it happened but at this mornings count, two young males and a young female were missing. They were some of the very ones which were slated to perform in our up coming spectacle, in the arena."

The two men paused as they walked along the corridor as the old man reached his hand into one of the crevices in the limestone wall and pushed a secret lever. A hidden stone door slid smoothly back, revealing a secret tunnel where an electric car was hanging from an overhead track. The pair entered the car as the secret door in the wall slid smoothly shut and they were soon on their way down into the bowels of the mountain.

"What are you going to do Bishop?" asked the old man.
The fat man looked sideways at his companion with eyes that were just slits "I'm going to make those guards wish they'd never been born. I'm not sure about their final punishment - yet. I'll just let them stew for a few days while I think about this problem. Like they say ‘Anticipation is worse than realization’. I may just try to think up something that will prove that saying to be false. By the way, have you turned the dogs loose yet?"

"No Sir.” Replied the old one “Since we have our honored guests here in the valley, I thought we wouldn't want one of our guests to be mauled, accidentally."

"Quite right as usual, Mr. Shagnasty. I don't know what I'd do without you. All these other lackeys who work for me are so incompetent; they seem to be working against me instead of for me. Maybe it's a case of enjoying too much of a good thing."

The car swayed as it careened down the steep passage way, soon coming to a stop at the end of the line. The two men got out of the car and went to a second secret door which opened into the rear of a large cavern where the fighting stock was kept.

The group of offending guards had been lined up in a row and had been standing at attention since the escape had been discovered. They were now waiting for the ax to fall, as soon as the Bishop pronounced their doom.

The Bishop walked between the pens, in order to inspect his remaining prize stock. There were twenty-five shiny black males and fifteen equally shiny black females, all in individual cages. The stock was kept separated so they couldn't fight among themselves or breed. All that would come later at the proper time, when the spectacle was held in the arena.

The Bishop strode back to where the quaking men were lined up. He walked down the row of men, stopping at each man and looking each one straight in the eye for a full minute. When he had finally finished with the last man he turned his back on them and said "Mr. Shagnasty what are we going to do with these incompetent fools?" He paused for dramatic effect. The old man knew that no response was called for, so he wisely held his peace.

The Bishop continued "A thought, Mr. Shagnasty! I have a thought! Let's put them into the cages where our escaped animals were kept. Let them see how they like it from the other side of the fence, so to speak. Maybe after they've been there for a few days they can demonstrate how the stock escaped and show us where they have gone.”

The Bishop strode back toward the secret door without looking back, the old man following closely at his heels (like a small puppy). Mr. Shagnasty motioned for the replacement guards to carry out the Bishop's orders as the two of them were leaving.
The prisoners were marched off to be put in the cages. They were in a very apprehensive mood but they were relieved at the decision of the Bishop, for the time being. It could have been worse and still might be.

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Willie's prostrate body was being slowly pulled into the shadows under the stairway. He began to moan and he moved a little. Abruptly, the creature pulling him stopped and retreated a few feet. The creatures looked at Willie with unblinking eyes as consciousness slowly began to return to him.

Willie looked around in a dazed manner. Where was he? How did he get here? He was sure that he had been at the foot of the staircase when he passed out. He couldn't understand how he was now ten feet from that position.

As he was pondering the situation, he heard footsteps on the staircase above. He decided that he didn't want anyone to see him in this disheveled condition, so he rolled into the shadows under the stairway in order to be out of sight of the people who were descending toward him. As he moved into the shadows he heard a slight rustling in the darkest area under the stairs but he couldn't cry out or run because if he did, he would be discovered by those who were descending toward him. Willie sat there in silence with his heart pounding in fear. He realized that what ever was in the shadows with him had probably dragged him away from the foot of the stairs. What ever it was might be the undiscovered cause of the injuries which had occurred to some of the churches' guests.

As the footsteps came closer, Willie could hear part of a conversation between two men. One was saying "This has been the worst time that I can remember. The mob from New York is here for a holiday and three of our best animals have escaped. Someone bought the northern property which the Bishop wanted so badly, right out from under his nose and now the new minister is missing."

The other man agreed "Yes and now we have to search the ten miles of corridors in this building. We have to look into innumerable nooks and crannies, trying to find the new minister and also try to find those escaped animals. That's what I am worried about; those things are very cunning and dangerous!" The two men continued down the corridor looking this way and that but hoping to find nothing.

The description of the animals as ‘very cunning and dangerous’ didn't make Willie feel any better about his position there in the shadows, along with what ever had made the noise he had heard.

Willie slowly - - very slowly began to move out of the shadows, hoping he wouldn't arouse the killing instinct of what ever might be in the shadows with him. He moved ever so slowly -- five feet from the stairway -- ten feet --.  Willie started to move a little faster now. Twenty five feet -- fifty feet -- one hundred feet. He finally felt safe enough to look around at his surroundings. He began to realize that he was in the very corridor in which his room was located. He was able to see the door to his room ahead and he could see that the old man had left the key right there in the lock. Willie dashed for the door, unlocked and opened the door in one motion and slammed and locked the door from the inside. He stumbled to his bed in the darkness, collapsed and lay there as he trembled from fright and exhaustion.

As he lay there, it happened again. As had been the case lately when Willie had come through some traumatic event he remembered a passage from scripture. This time it was from Psalm 20:4.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

Willie prayed, "Lord, help me to trust you that much." Then a thought hit him from out of the blue! – ‘Get your Bible and study it for yourself.’

Willie got up off his bed with a great deal of effort and some agony. By this time, the effects of the adrenaline had worn off and he found that he hurt in places that he didn't even know existed before. He forced himself over to the desk, lit a candle and rummaged in one of his bags until he found his old Bible which had been given to him by the preacher of the mission church. He had always kept it hidden away all these years, never daring to get it out and read it. His foster parents didn't approve of the Bible and the seminary had other things for him to study.

He opened his Bible and started to read. Somewhere he had heard that a person should start reading the New Testament with the Gospel of Luke, then go on to the book of Acts since Luke wrote both of these books and one logically follows the other.

As Willie was reading and pondering the things the Scriptures said, old memories of the teaching he had received at the mission church started to come back to him in ever stronger waves.

During the night while Willie was studying, he could sometimes hear something passing by his door. Sometimes he could hear voices but other times only muffled scraping could be heard. Willie supposed they were still looking for him but this room was the last place the Bishop's men would think to look. It was locked!

Willie was left alone to his studies for the rest of the day and all that night. He didn't stop studying except for an occasional drink of water or to go to the bathroom. The room didn't have electric lights but at least it had candles and the crude bathroom with water which seeped through a crack in the wall all the time.

Willie read about the life of Jesus while He was here on earth. He read about the miracles which Jesus had done to prove that He WAS the Son of God as He said He was. He read about the Jewish religious leaders who didn't believe Jesus because they were expecting (and hoping for) an earthly king instead of a spiritual Savior. ‘God sent His Son to His people and they received Him not!’ He read of the crucifixion and death of Jesus, a death which was predicted (by God's profits) hundreds of years before this event actually occurred. As the song says – ‘There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood, loose all their guilty stains!’

He read of the burial of Jesus and that after three days, Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God.

Willie understood that all these things had to happen for the benefit of all mankind so that through Jesus and his sacrifice, people who believed, trusted and obeyed Jesus, could be made acceptable to God.

When Willie studied the book of Acts, he learned about the history of the early church. How that the followers of Jesus were timid and fearful after the crucifixion of Jesus but after the resurrection they were bold and unafraid. They told the Gospel story to everyone, everywhere they went. Many were killed because of their faith in the Lord but because they were eye witnesses to the facts, they would not deny their faith in order to escape death. They knew they would eventually die physically anyway but if they were true to Jesus they would live forever with him in Heaven.

Willie learned about Saul, a devout Jew of the Pharisee sect, who went from town to town in order to find Christians and throw them in jail because of what they believed and taught. Willie read that Jesus miraculously appeared to Saul, when Saul was on the way to Damascus to take more Christians prisoner. Because of this miraculous encounter, Saul believed in Jesus. Saul was blinded by this encounter and was taken on to the town of Damascus by his companions.

Many of the Christians in Damascus had heard about Saul and were afraid of him. In a dream, God told a man named Ananias that Saul had accepted Jesus and that Ananias was to go to Saul and talk to him about the Lord.  Ananias baptized Saul after teaching him about the Lord. Saul went into Arabia for a while to study and meditate, then he began to preach everywhere he went, that Jesus was the Son of God.
Saul's name was changed to Paul.

Willie read about the missionary trips of Paul and of the many churches which he helped to start throughout the Roman Empire. Willie also read about Peter and many others who were also led by God's Holy Spirit and with the Holy Spirit’s help, had established many Christian Churches every where they went.

Paul wrote many of the books in the New Testament, in which he testifies to the truth of the facts which were written by Luke in the book of Acts.

Willie read the letters which were written by Paul to the various churches, which were beginning to stray from the truth of the Gospel. Some of the members of these churches were trying to incorporate pagan religious ideas with the truth of the Gospel and were there-by distorting the truth and straying from the faith. Others, who were Jewish, were trying to cling to their Jewish traditions. These traditions hindered the freedom that everyone is to have in Christ and everyone would be in bondage to the Jewish Law once again. This bondage to the law would nullify the grace of God that we have through the sacrifice of Jesus. After many hours of study, Willie's mind was made up. He was not going to preach the ‘canned’ sermons which the Bishop expected. He was going to preach the Gospel of Jesus the Christ to the Church of the Most Holy Named Saint and let the chips fall where they may.

Willie knew that he couldn't preach as well as Peter had done, as recorded in the book of Acts, but he could feel the Holy Spirit working within him and he now realized how he was able to remember the scriptures that had filled the void each time he was in great distress. Willie prayed for greater understanding of what he had read and for the strength to stand up to the ordeal which lay ahead of him. He dropped off to sleep about daybreak. The Holy Spirit was on guard over him and no one bothered to look for Willie in his room.


This will be the last posting for my novel. If you want to read "the rest of the story", you can buy it at:        www.createspace.com/3379721