(CHAPTERS 6 AND 7) The Adventures of Matthew Jeremiah in Europe (A Novel / Word from God)

 The Adventures of

Matthew Jeremiah

in Europe:

The Sister of Babylon

Chapters 6 and 7

(For Chapter 1, click Here.)
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(Europe Shall Face Hardship)

Click Here for the TABLE of CONTENTS

{Links to the Story Chapters are found in the Table of Contents Page.}

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This is a word from God written in the format of a story.

The characters are fictional,

but what shall happen in Europe and America's future is not fictional.

Please seek God about this story / document and about the

messages that are presented in it. God will reveal the truth to you.

America and Europe will both soon experience

 very challenging times in the years ahead.



Chapter 6

The Mediterranean Sea. South of France. 2038 A.D. {Francois Israel}

Francois Israel and his dad, Judah, were sitting in Francois’s cabin aboard the “Rossignol,” a large, French purse seiner fishing ship. Francois had just overheard some startling information muttered by a crewman of the “Rossignol.” He knew he must share it with his dad.

Francois said: “When the red-haired sailor was walking down the hallway outside this cabin, he said some things, but I listened very closely, and I distinctly heard him say something very disturbing. He said, ‘Once we reach the middle mark, these ignorant Christians will bring me a good deal of money.’”

Francois paused, then said, “Dad, what do you make of that?”

“Let me think about it first, son,” Judah said.

The 54-year-old leaned back in his camping chair and frowned as he scratched his grey beard. The underground Christian Jew was troubled by what his son had overheard. ‘This mysterious red-haired sailor must be a mole,’ Judah thought. ‘But, how could a mole make his way into the trust of a Christian captain? Or, is it possible that Captain Bernard himself is a mole?’ That thought deeply troubled Judah.

‘If the captain is a mole, I have just led my son into a trap,’ Judah thought to himself. ’But, perhaps, Bernard is unaware of this red-haired sailor’s true allegiance. Should I tell the captain? If he is trustworthy, no harm will come to us. But, if the captain isn’t trustworthy, I would be endangering my son and me.

‘However,’ Judah thought, ‘given that Captain Bernard is trustworthy, telling him about a mole may also put my son and me in danger. What action can the captain take against a crewmember who is a mole for the government? If the captain locks him up in a holding cell, the corrupt sailor will eventually get back to France and will report on Captain Bernard’s actions. And, other members of the crew might also be moles, and they could mutiny against their captain. It would be best, perhaps, not to tell anyone about this mole, but to watch his every move, as much as possible.’

Three minutes had passed since Francois had asked the question. Silence reigned during that period.

“Well, son,” Judah said, after a while, “I think we should not tell anyone about this matter, unless God tells us otherwise. It would be best to keep this between ourselves. We need to try to keep an eye out for that sailor in question.”

“Why is that?” Francois said.

Judah then explained his reasoning for that decision.

“That sounds like a wise idea, dad,” Francois said. “I just hope this sailor doesn’t realize we are watching him.”

“If we are careful, he won’t know, son,” Judah said, smiling slightly. “Let’s pray, shall we?”

The two bowed their heads and began talking with their Heavenly Father.

Frankfurt, “Germany.” 2038 A.D. {Daniel Shultz}

The sky was dark and overcast as Daniel Shultz, a blond-haired, Austrian tourist, rode in the back seat of a driverless taxi. The police periodically stopped Daniel to ask him questions since he was a tourist in the Central German Republic of the Soviet Union in Western Europe.

[Continued below: Daniel Shultz in Germany]

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (1 of 8)

Germany, as a national entity, had ceased to exist after the second Russian invasion came. The Russian invasion followed a NATO member’s attack on Russia. Angered by the attack, Russia had launched thousands of nuclear missiles at the United States, at NATO bases, and at key targets in Europe. Berlin was mostly destroyed, and a harmful level of radioactivity remained within the remains of the city. Having its capital wiped out, Germany was in turmoil. Its weak military stood alone against the Russian bear and was no match for the new Russia’s strength.

[Continued below]

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Daniel Shultz in Germany (Continued)

Daniel Shultz placed his head near the left passenger window and gazed out toward a skyscraper that was rising up from the ground. Like insects attached to its structure, cranes raised building materials up to the unfinished part of the building. Due to their new wealth, Russian corporations were building office / apartment towers in some cities in Europe.

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (2 of 8)

Like a steamroller, Russia had plowed through Europe, crushing resistance and knocking Europe’s armies over like bowling pins. There was not a single national army, navy, or air force that could stand up to the Russian bear. Its superb military had been “beefed up” by Putin and his team. Nothing had been allowed to slip into decay under Putin’s watchful gaze. His army was top-notch. His navy was accelerating toward new heights of power, and his air force was unbeatable.

[Continued below]

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Daniel Shultz in Germany (Continued)

A yellow dump truck made a deep groan as it drove onto a road some distance away from Daniel’s taxi. He could see piles of rubble and twisted pieces of metal in a plot of land 50 meters away. He had learned that the ruins of demolished building were being loaded onto dump trucks and hauled off toward sea ports where the remains would be loaded onto barges to be dumped at sea.

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (3 of 8)

Advanced Russian technology allowed the Russians to knock out all communications systems in Europe for three days, allowing his military to have the advantage and seize ground quickly. Ukraine was encircled and swallowed up by the giant to its east. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, and many other countries were knocked down like rag dolls. Germany, being fearful of gaining too strong of a military, and becoming a threat to its own interests by its bad reputation from World War 2, was very weak and was not able to put up much resistance to the Russian attack.

Nonetheless, the Russians knew that many NATO bases were located in Germany, and many U.S. military personnel were living in Germany. So, Germany was bombed in many key cities and locations. Its great cities were surrounded, and immediately surrendered. Its great parks and universities were turned into communist training centers and military headquarters, for a short time. The institutions that made Germany a powerhouse in Europe were quickly seized by the Russians and taken over by Russian oligarchs and military leaders. The assets of wealthy Germans were distributed to oligarchs and to the Russian military.

[Continued below]

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Daniel Shultz in Germany (Continued)

The driverless taxi suddenly signaled to turn to the right, and it moved over toward the side of the road, where it parked.

“What is happening?” Daniel Shultz said out loud.

“This is a routine traffic check,” the taxi’s onboard computer responded in an artificial, human-like voice.

“Why would the traffic need to be checked?” Daniel said.

“You are a foreigner,” the computer responded. “So, you will need to be stopped more often than citizens.”

A police car pulled up behind the driverless taxi, and a clean-shaven police officer exited his vehicle. He walked up to the passenger side and Daniel rolled down his window.

“Hello sir, could you look this way, please? This will likely only take a minute,” the police officer said as he pulled out a tablet (a portable, hand-held computer).

Daniel looked up at him, feeling some fear stirring in his heart. He was an underground Christian. But, he had been very secretive about his walk with God.

The police officer used a camera on the tablet to snap a photo of Daniel’s face. Then, the man pressed a button on the device’s screen. A signal was transmitted to a network of supercomputers used by the governments of the German states. In a split second, the tablet displayed a “dossier” of information on Daniel Shultz.

It listed his citizenship, his age, name, date of birth, citizen number, and many other details about him, including his “responsibility score.” If his score was too low, the police officer would be told to arrest Daniel. The score was calculated by supercomputers and it was based on how well he “performed” as a citizen of the People’s Republic of Austria. Everything he did that was considered “un-loyal,” irresponsible, or “suspicious” would be used against him.

The communist police officer’s eyes widened a little. Then, he returned his tablet to a rugged case attached to his belt.

He drew his side arm (or pistol) and pointed it at Daniel’s chest.

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (4 of 8)

Some of the money was passed down to the average Russian citizens, causing their standard of living to increase. And their loyalty to the Russian government became more solidified as the Russian people realized that their leaders had saved Russia from certain extinction by the NATO.

While Germany felt the powerful blow to its economy, military, and society, millions of Germans faced hard times, losing jobs as their companies were crippled due to the war and due to being displaced by Russians who were sent by their government to work in Germany. Millions of Germans also faced the loss of family members and loved ones as a few cities were bombed in Germany.

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Daniel Shultz in Germany (Continued)

“Step out of the car, please,” the officer said firmly. His tone had changed completely.

“What is this?” Daniel said, feeling fear rushing through his chest.

“I am placing you under arrest,” the officer said, “because you are deemed a potential threat to the security of this republic.”

Daniel raised a hand and slowly opened the door. He stood and raised both hands, hoping that he could somehow escape. But, there appeared no way to escape.

Suddenly, a loud squeal of rubber skidding across asphalt came and drew the police officer’s attention away from Daniel. A sport car was roaring through the streets, dodging traffic and driving much faster than the speed limit.

The distraction was just what Daniel wanted. He ran into the street and paused, waiting for a break in traffic. It came quickly and he dashed across the street. The police officer, totally distracted by the chaos on the road, had not noticed him flee until Daniel was running through the middle of the street, dodging cars.

The police officer holstered his pistol and sought to find a gap in the traffic, but he did not find an opening until fifteen seconds had passed. He ran across the street and found himself on a sidewalk standing before a 4-story building. An alley between that building and a second one like it beckoned him in. He headed toward the alley and called in a report on his encrypted, police radio.

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (5 of 8)

What led to this horrific attack on Germany was its great rebellion against God, their Creator. They had grieved over the suffering they had to endure during the aftermath of World War 2. While the Allies began to rebuild Germany, its society was returning back to a degree of affluence. But, soon, Germans had sought after hedonism and sin. The evil spirits behind the holocaust and the Nazis’ rise to power led Germany into great sin and rebellion.

By the time America was embracing homosexuality, Germany was embracing that and many other perverted things. Its sin was rising up toward Heaven like smoke from a great bonfire. The stench of Germany’s sin was horrible. Even though the great European nation had opened its doors to refugees from Syria and other places, it still conducted great wickedness and immorality. So, God knew that He would have to judge that country.

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Daniel Shultz in Germany

Meanwhile, Daniel ran for his life. As he ran -- his feet pounding the pavement -- he began to wonder what he would do once he came back into the view of the plethora (or large amount) of face-scanning security cameras, which were placed in street corners, important buildings, stores, banks, offices, libraries, etc. He felt that he had made a big mistake in leaving Austria for the German states. He had wanted to learn about the underground Church in the communist German states, but he had unwittingly drawn the attention of the communist security and surveillance systems.

He knew he faced a countdown. He had so many seconds before the police would likely corner him and arrest him. But, perhaps, he could somehow  avoid capture. Perhaps, there was a way to escape the communist police. He hoped and prayed as he ran.

[End of section]

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (6 of 8)

Thirty percent of Germany was destroyed due to the Russian invasion and attack. The other seventy percent was converted into three countries ruled by puppet governments, which were secretly loyal to Russia and its leaders. Germans now faced living conditions not much different than the Uighur people of Xinjiang, China (who were placed in secret concentration camps in 2016 A.D.).

From 2016 to 2018 A.D., over a million Uighur people had been sent into concentration camps in Xinjiang, China and elsewhere simply because their culture clashed with the Han Chinese culture. To the communist Chinese government, they were a “loose cannon.” So, the Chinese government determined to eradicate all Uighur culture and beliefs through concentration camps, surveillance, brain-washing, and a strict police state.

[Continued below]

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The Mediterranean Sea. South of Italy. 2038 A.D. {Francois Israel}

The “Rossignol” (Captain Bernard Auxiette’s 57-meter-long purse seiner fishing vessel) was hitting some rough seas south of the island of Sicily and east of Malta. The bow of the Rossignol was heading toward the oncoming waves to keep it from being overturned by the mighty, watery crests.

Onboard, the crew was either stationed in the engine room or in the ship’s pilothouse (or bridge). Francois and Judah sat in their cabins and prayed, asking God to get them safely across the Mediterranean and to the land of Israel. Both knew that only God could help them to escape ship boarding parties sent to inspect the ships for illegal passengers or goods.

Francois Israel stood up from the bed, bent down, and crawled over to the porthole to gaze through at the dark sky. The cabin floor was rising and falling with the sea, making standing difficult. He had gotten a little sea sick due to having not traveled on a rough sea. His face was now close to the round window. Dark-grey clouds covered the sky and poured down sheets of rain. Strong, west-blowing wind sent waves crashing into the bow of the fishing ship. Francois could see the dark, choppy water of the “angry” sea rising and falling, heaving like a chaotic monster. A wave suddenly splash against the porthole, but it was shut, thankfully.

So far, the Rossignol had not been boarded by coast guard patrols, as many maritime vessels often were. Being a fishing vessel gave it some advantage over a freighter because freighters were often used to smuggle people since they had a greater carrying capacity than a fishing vessel.

A knock suddenly came from his cabin door. Francois stood and hurried over to the door. He opened it to find his dad standing on the other side.

He was dressed in a neon-green waterproof jacket, a black watch cap, and tactical trousers. His bearded face looked pale with fear, the cold, or something else.

“Come inside, dad,” Francois said, stepping out of the way.

Judah Joseph Israel entered his son’s cabin and Francois shut the door, and locked it.

“You look troubled, dad. What’s wrong?” Francois said with some concern for his dad.

[Continued below: Aboard the Rossignol]

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (7 of 8)

Copying China’s brutal but effective methods, the communist Russian government took Chinese technology and applied it to the three new German states and to all puppet governments. However, the communist Russians toned down the crushing power of the police state from what the Chinese had in Xinjiang. They implemented surveillance, police security stations, much propaganda, and intimidation to subdue all of Europe under their control.

Every country in Europe felt the power of communist Russia’s might and the near-total surveillance and monitoring of the Russian-sponsored puppet governments. Anyone who spoke out against this extreme totalitarian system was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Underground Christians were hunted down, and all existing Churches were turned into government-controlled tools for propaganda and deception. The true Church began to come out from these false institutions that claimed to be “Christian,” but were nothing more than shells promoting the communists and their ungodly agendas.

[Continued below]

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Aboard the Rossignol (Continued)

Judah cleared his throat and said, “I have been paying close attention to the red-haired sailor who you heard mutter some strange words. What exactly did he say, again? Do you remember?”

“He said, ‘Once we reach the middle mark, these ignorant Christians will bring me a good deal of money.’ Or, something like that,” Francois said, trying to lock that statement into his memory.

“Well, I saw him lowering something into the water just five minutes ago,” Judah said.

“What did it look like?” Francois said, studying his dad’s face.

“It was the size of an ice chest that you might use for a picnic, but it was metal,” Judah said. “It sank once he tossed it into the water. It could have been a metal box, but I don’t know. Or, it might have been some kind of instrument for measuring characteristics of the ocean.”

‘Why would he toss such an object into the sea during a storm?’ Francois thought to himself. ‘Could it be an object he wants someone to pick up later, or evidence that could incriminate him?’

“Dad, why don’t we pray for the red-haired sailor, for Captain Auxiette, and for the rest of his crew?” Francois said as he faced his dad. “The captain told us that he and his crew were Christians, but I am not so sure of that.”

“I heard some of them swear and take God’s Name in vain,” Judah said scratching his grey beard. “I believe they are not true Christians. But, they are willing to take us to Israel, and God is with us, so I trust the Almighty to lead us to the promised land. But, yes, let’s pray. The captain and his crew need to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.”

[End of section]

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Communist Germany in 21^st Century (8 of 8)

As they came out and went underground, the Church began to really thrive in Europe. Many people began to seek after God and met the Lord Jesus Christ. Soon, the numbers of underground Christians began to grow. As they did, God prepared them for leaving the evil societies of Europe and heading to places of refuge in distant wilderness areas, where God would feed, clothe, and provide for His people.

Not every Christian made it to the cities of refuge, but their hearts were drawn closer to God, and their desires began to conform more and more to God’s desires, and God’s heart. As this happened, the Church became a powerful army to advance the Gospel to places where it had never been preached before. And, the Church reached places, by miracles of God, to show the people who sat in darkness the light of Jesus Christ, who died and rose from the dead for them.  And, many got saved.

[End of this section]

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Chapter 7

The Chase in Frankfurt, “Germany.” 2038 A.D. {Daniel Shultz}

Daniel Shultz felt his heart beating hard in his chest as he ran down a long alley.

[Note: The following quotes attributed to God are actually words from God. Seek God about this if you wonder.]

“Turn left, My son,” God’s voice spoke to Daniel’s spirit.

Daniel stopped and looked to the left. An oaken basement-level door was open ajar in a brick building. So, Daniel swallowed hard.

“Is that you, Father God?” he said silently as he hesitated before the door.

“Enter the building, My son,” God’s voice spoke strongly.

So, Daniel hurried through the door and shut it. He did it just in time, for the police officer he had fled from had just entered the alley. But, the man had just missed seeing Daniel slip into the basement door.

Daniel found himself in a musty room lit by white LED ceiling lights. The floor was made of a white, vinyl flooring material. Steel, ceiling-high shelves, containing cardboard boxes, rested up against every wall of the room. In the middle of the 9-by-6-meter (or 54 square meters) room stood a group of four men and two women.

The people opened their eyes, startled, and turned toward the “intruder.”

“Who are you?” a tall, strong-looking man with short, blond hair asked Daniel.

‘What should I tell them?’ Daniel wondered.

“My son, these are Christians,” God said to Daniel’s spirit. “Tell them, My son, who you are and that you are an underground Christian. They will help you, My son. So, you can trust them.”

“I can trust them?” Daniel said.

“I confess Jesus Christ is indeed come in the flesh, and yes, you can trust them, My son,” God said, giving him the test of the spirits found in 1 John 4.

“Thank you, Father,” Daniel said silently.

Then, still breathing a little hard from his running, he spoke to the group: “I am an underground Christian, named Daniel Shultz. The police are after me.”

The blond-haired man closed his eyes and silently spoke with God. Then, he opened his eyes again and said, “Daniel, come with me. I have a place for you to hide.”

Daniel followed the man out of the room through a door. They entered a linoleum-lined hallway lit by more LED ceiling lights. Their footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The man opened a door to their right and led Daniel into a room containing a cardboard box compressor. It resembled a blue bin with a square, crushing component above the bin. The machine had a hydraulic system for compressing cardboard boxes into bales. Several cardboard boxes were resting near the big, blue machine, waiting to be crushed. Since the machine was full, the boxes had been left nearby.

The man found a roll of shipping tape and quickly sealed up one end of a large cardboard box. Several heavy-duty shelves, containing full cardboard boxes, rested up against the wall opposite the “crusher.”

“What is this for?” Daniel said as he watched the man finish sealing up one side of the box, leaving the other side open.

“Daniel, I want you to sit down on that shelf, please,” the man said.

Daniel complied and sat down on an empty space of a shelf. He had to draw his knees up toward his chest. Then, the man slid the box down over Daniel, covering him completely. The bottom box flaps had been folded up and taped inside the box to keep them out of the way.

Now, the box containing the fugitive looked just like any other cardboard box on the shelf.

“You blend in well, sir,” the man’s voice said kindly, coming through Daniel’s box. “Now, be very quiet, please. Once the danger is passed, we will let you know.”

“Okay,” Daniel said quietly.

“I’ll be back here in 15 minutes,” the man said. “If you need to use the restroom, there is one to your right through a door.”

Before Daniel could respond, the man’s feet rapidly clomped across the floor, and the footfalls faded as he passed through a door.

Daniel held his knees, trying to stay calm, but the metal beneath him felt cool. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, but at least he was hidden.

‘I sure hope that police officer doesn’t come down here,’ he thought to himself. ‘What did I get myself into … coming here to this German state? But, Austria isn’t much different.’

Daniel could feel fear tugging at his chest as he waited in the darkness of the box. He knew that if he was caught by the police, he would be sent to a police station where he would be held until a military van could pick him up and transport him to a concentration camp, or a government “education center.” There, he knew he would be forced to memorize communist propaganda, face hard manual labor, and have to go through mind-control programs, and likely torture. But, he knew that God could give him the grace and strength in such hardship.

However, he also knew that God did not desire to see people suffer. It grieved God’s heart to see people endure great hardship, pain, suffering, and disease.

A Bible passage came to Daniel’s mind from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 63, verses 7 through 9, were some of his favorite verses in the Bible.

“[7] I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, and the praises

of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us,

and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath

bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the

multitude of his loving-kindnesses.

[8] For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie : so

he was their Saviour.

[9] In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence

saved them : in his love and in his pity he redeemed them ; and he

bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” [End quote] [Isaiah 63:7-9]

The Word of God brought Daniel comfort as he thought about his precarious situation.

[Continued below: The Chase]

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A Note About Jesus Christ, the Messenger of the New Covenant

Note: The Hebrew word for angel also refers to a messenger. Jesus Christ is the messenger of God the Father, who gives us eternal life if we believe on Jesus Christ and believe on what He did through his life, death, and resurrection. There is no eternal life in Heaven or salvation for people who reject Jesus Christ, as the Holy Bible teaches.

Romans 3:19-20 says: “[19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law : that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. [20] Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight : for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Romans 3:21-28 says:

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets ;

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto

all and upon all them that believe ; for there is no difference :

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in

Christ Jesus :

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his

blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are

past, through the forbearance of God ;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness : that he might be

just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Where is boasting then ? It is excluded. By what law ? of works ?

Nay ; but by the law of faith.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the

deeds of the law.” [End quote]

So, salvation is not by works at all, but only by trusting in Jesus Christ alone to save you from your sins and to give you eternal life in Him.

[End of section]

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The Chase (Continued)

Time seemed to crawl by slowly as Daniel Shultz waited in the cardboard box. He hoped to hear from his mysterious friend soon. It seemed that 15 minutes had expired, but no footfalls or other notable sounds had reached his ears in a while.

‘Is it possible that this is a trap?’ Daniel thought. ‘But, God had told me to trust these people. Or, was that really God speaking to me? Could that have been the enemy?’

Daniel shook his head. ‘This is not the work of the devil to bring me here. God confirmed the test of the spirits and God is here to help me.’

“Father God, did you really lead me here?” Daniel asked presently as he felt the weight of his insecurity pressing on him.

“Yes, My son,” God’s kind voice spoke to Daniel’s spirit, “I spoke with you and told you to go here. I will protect you. Very soon, these Christians will help you to escape capture. The police will be blinded by evil spirits so that they cannot find you. I will do this because you are wanting to know Me better, are wanting to follow Me, and are wanting to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me no matter what. That is very good. Now, rest, My son. I will take care of you. And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“Thank you very much, Abba Father,” Daniel Shultz said, relaxing. “I will trust you.”

Footfalls came echoing through the room suddenly. They approached Daniel’s box. Hands grabbed the box and lifted it off of him and there stood the man who had helped him to hide.

He was clean-shaven, tall, and he had white-blond hair. The man smiled.

“You are safe, Daniel,” the man said. “The police walked right past our building and continued searching for you, assuming you had run somewhere else to find a hiding place.”

“What’s your name, friend?” Daniel said as he set his feet on the floor and stood up.

“I am Carl Strache,” the blond-haired man said, smiling again. “I serve God and the underground Church.”

“So, you are an underground Christian?” Daniel said as he stretched his arms. “What do you do for a living, if I may ask, and how do you avoid detection from the communists?”

Carl inhaled slowly and exhaled slowly. Then, he said, “Well, Daniel, I believe you are trustworthy. God told me I can trust you, so I will. I am part of an underground network of Christians in this German state. We distribute and print Bibles in the German language. Using dozens of special portable printers, we can print off 48 full Bibles per hour. We also have other printers, which are a little larger. They print calendars, stationery, and postcards. Our company also sells pens, pencils, erasers, and other similar things. By God’s grace, we print almost 200 thousand Bibles per year. They are German translations of the King James Bible.”

“Wouldn’t the government find out that your company prints these Bibles?” Daniel said, squinting.

“Our Bible printers are in secret locations throughout Europe,” Carl Strache said. “We print them where the authorities aren’t looking. And, we distribute them through networks that are safe.”

“What were you and those other people doing in that storage room?” Daniel said, curious.

“We were having a prayer meeting,” Carl said. “All 24 of the employees in this branch of the company are Christians. I don’t know about all the other branches.”

Daniel looked right and left, seeing shelves containing cardboard boxes. “What do these boxes contain?”

“Stationery mostly,” Carl said. “It is waiting to be purchased by a retailer or wholesaler. We often purchase large quantities of paper from a paper manufacturer. Then, we print designs and graphics on the paper and add special notepad glue to portions of the paper. Or, in other cases, we print and bind diary or journal books.”

“I was wondering,” said Daniel, drawing a breath, “if you knew of any way I could be smuggled out of the Central German Republic?”

[Note: After communist Russia had invaded Europe, and had conquered Germany, it had divided Germany into three countries. The German country Carl was visiting was named the Central German Republic. Frankfurt was its capital.] 

“Yes, we can smuggle you out of the Central German Republic,” Carl said, “but you are now certainly on a database of people wanted by all communist puppet governments. They share information across their supercomputer networks. Humanly speaking, you will not be able to escape detection in France, Britain,  Russia, or any European country. This is due to the network of facial-recognition software, surveillance cameras, drones, spies, and information-sharing that happens between communist countries.”

“So, what hope do I have of avoiding going to a concentration camp?” Daniel said. “What about you? Are you on a list of wanted people?”

“Not yet,” Carl said. “I work in secrecy and through this company. So far, I have avoided been suspected by the police.”

“What about me? What do I do?” Daniel said, feeling nervous.

“I will need to talk to God about that,” Carl said. “Please excuse me for a moment. I need to do something for my work.”

Except for Carl’s receding footfalls, there was silence for several long seconds. The ventilation system in the building hummed in the background. Daniel could feel his heartbeat pulsing through his veins. He felt like he had a very short time left until he would be caught and imprisoned.

[Note: The following quotes attributed to God are actually words from God. Seek God about this if you wonder.]

“My son,” God’s kind voice spoke to Daniel’s spirit.

“Yes, Abba Father?” Daniel said, silently.

“I am with you,” God said kindly, “I love you very much. You are special to Me. The day is coming very soon when I will translate you to a place of refuge in either Europe or in Russia. Russia is a vast country. It has a huge amount of land and plenty of space for a city of refuge -- or many cities of refuge -- to exist.

“I will prepare you for going there soon. Now, what I want you to do is live here in the basement area of this building. These kind people will bring you food and other things you may need. You will live in a small office that is not being used for anything important. There, I will prepare you for knowing Me much better and for leaving to go into a city of refuge. There you will be safe and secure. No police shall arrest you as long as you follow Me and obey what I lead you to do.

“If you make a mistake, but genuinely want to do My will, I will give you deliverance from the police and protect you. So, you can rest and be assure that you are safe in My hand. Remember Psalm 91, which says that I shall cover you with My wings, and under My wings you shall trust? This Psalm speaks also of My love, protection, and provision. My angels will not let harm happen to you because you want to know Me intimately, want to do My will, and want to follow Me.

“But, of course, when you were arrested by the police officer, I gave you the grace to escape arrest because you wanted to know Me better. But, you made a mistake in going in one of those self-driving cars. They can detect your identity and can record anything you do or say. So, you need to follow My leading when it comes to this level of intense security.

“But, don’t fear. I will guide you. Just stay in this building for a while. Then, I will lead you out to a city of refuge. I love you very much, My son. Talk to Me whenever you want. Seek to know Me much better, and you will be blessed. I shall never leave you, nor forsake you, even when you sin. I will bring you back to Me if you turn from Me. Just look to Me, follow My leading, and you will do well and be blessed. And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“Thank you, Heavenly Father,” Daniel said, grateful. “I am so grateful to have you as My Father and God. I will obey you. I just need to know you better. But, I realize that is not through my works, but that is through having a relationship, a friendship, with you.”

“That is right, My son,” God said. “I love you very, very much.”

“Thank you. I love you, Father God,” Daniel replied, letting himself relax.

The Mediterranean Sea. South of Italy. 2038 A.D. {Francois Israel}

The storm continued to fight against the ship as it “steamed” through the turbulent waves. Its bow cut a path through large angry waves for three hours before the wind began to die down. After a while, the ship was able to head on its way with no trouble from the sea, for the waves became relatively calm.

Unknown to the passengers of the Rossignol, the storm had driven away human smugglers, communist naval vessels (which were now aware of Francois and Judah’s escape from France), and other ship crews with ill intentions. The storm had also kept the crewmen of the Rossignol (Captain Bernard Auxiette’s fishing ship) busy.

“We’ve made it through the high seas,” Judah Joseph Israel said to his son as they stood in the corridor outside their cabins.

“I am so glad for that, dad,” Francois said. “I had prayed for God to cause the storm to end soon. And, He didn’t let it last too long.”

“If it hadn’t been for God’s loving hand with us,” Judah said, “I would have felt more concerned for our safety.”

“You two,” said a burly man with brown hair and a beard as he approached Francois and his dad.

“Yes?” Francois said.

“The captain sent me to direct you to his cabin,” the sailor said.

Francois and Judah exchanged looks before following the man down the corridor in the lower part of the ship. They reached a set of stairs that brought them up to a lounge where a couple crewmen were relaxing on leather couches and watching a TV documentary about spelunking (cave-exploring). The passengers’ guide led them across the large room to a door and knocked. Thump. Thump. Thump.

A few seconds later, the door hinged open and a bearded man with dark hair and a blue baseball cap stood in the entrance.

“Captain, here are the passengers,” the sailor said.

Captain Bernard Auxiette beckoned the passengers in, keeping a straight face. They followed him through the door and passed down a short hallway. The captain opened a second door at the end of the hallway, to the left. They entered an office and Bernard offered them padded chairs. He sat down behind a hickory desk, which was fastened to the floor.

The office was small and contained an old filing cabinet and two paintings of 18^th century sailing ships, which hung on two wood-paneled walls. Persian rungs covered the floor and gave the room an Asian “touch.” 

The captain leaned over his desk and sighed.

Francois could tell something was deeply troubling him. The French Jew wanted to ask him about it, but he expected the captain would speak soon.

An awkward silence filled the room for 10 seconds. Then, the captain looked Judah and then Francois in the eyes. He swallowed hard and said, “Judah and Francois, I have to inform you that I cannot continue to transport you across the Mediterranean. My crew is very worried about being inspected by one of the navies that operate in the Mediterranean. We have seen a few French, Italian, and Greek naval vessels plying the sea.”

“If we get inspected,” Captain Bernard said, swallowing, “they will find out that you both are aboard. From the internet, I have learned that there is a warrant for your arrest. If I am caught with you aboard, I would lose everything and so would the crew. We will have to take you to one of the countries of North Africa, and leave you there.”

Francois felt his heart sink in his chest and fear strike him like a hammer. Just when they were so close to reaching Israel, this had to happen.

“Can’t you just hide us somewhere aboard the ship,” Judah said, “if you see a launch approaching us?”

“I could, but I know my men would mutiny if I did that,” Captain Bernard.

“I thought you said they were Christians,” Judah said, gazing at the man with surprise.

“I lied,” Bernard said sheepishly. “I am not a Christian, and I never was one. But, I know that smuggling people is a lucrative business. Due to all the restrictions placed on fishing, and due to a poor economy, some fishermen are faced to make some hard choices. So, I have resorted to smuggling to make a nice profit and pay off my debts.”

“If we paid you more money,” Judah said, “would you be willing to take us to Israel?”

Bernard chuckled suddenly, and shook his head. Then, he faced Judah and stared at him for a few moments with a serious expression on his face. “Are you sure you want to do this, sir?”

“Yes,” Judah said, nodding.

“I will have to pay my crew a lot of money too if they go along with this. So, the price to get to Israel will be very expensive,” Captain Bernard said as he stared intently at Judah’s face.

“Name your price,” Judah said, gesturing with an open palm.

“You told me you have more money that you could pay me,” the captain greedily said. “How much more?”

“I have 80 thousand Francs worth of gold coins in a certain location,” Judah said.

Studying Judah’s face, the captain said, “Where is the money located?”

“It is in an Israeli bank. I don’t have it on my person,” Judah said. “That would be unwise.”

“Where did you obtain the money?” the captain said.

“Is that your business?” the Jewish Christian said, frowning.

“Just answer me,” Captain Bernard said greedily.

“I obtained some from an inheritance,” Judah said, “and I also converted some of my savings money into gold coins.

“Very clever, Judah,” Captain Bernard said, standing up. “You thought that I would take you to Israel for the sake of a promise that you would pay me more money. We will stop at a port city in Egypt.”

Francois tensed.

“From there,” the captain continued, “I want you to wire 75,000 Francs worth of money to my Swiss bank account.”

Judah sighed. “Please give me a moment to think about this,” Judah said.

“No problem,” the captain said. “I will leave you to discuss this between yourselves. Then, I will return in about 15 minutes.”

When the captain was gone and the office door had been shut, Judah said silently, “What should I do, Father God?”

[Note: The following quotes attributed to God are actually words from God. Seek God about this if you wonder.]

“My son,” God’s voice said, “I love you very much. Give the man the money, and I will provide all the money and resources you will need in the land of Israel. And, I the LORD your God have spoken.”

“That’s a lot of money,’ Judah said. ‘But, I trust that you will provide. So, I will give it to him.”

“My son,” God said, “I am allowing this trial to happen so that you will learn not to trust in wealth, but to trust only in Me. I will provide for you a job in Israel and a place to stay. And, I will provide a wife for your son. And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“Okay, Father God,” Judah said. “I’ll give him the money because you are a faithful, loving God.”

“My son, I will never fail you, nor forsake you,” God said reassuringly. “Money is of little worth in My Kingdom. I have the cattle on a thousand hills, and I have all possessions in the entire world. I shall provide all you need. And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”

“Then, I will get the captain,” Judah said, standing.

“Go ahead and do that, My son. I love you,” God said kindly.

Judah thanked God and walked over to the office door.

“God showed me something. I need to find the captain,” Judah told Francois.

“God showed me He wants you to give him the money, dad,” Francois said.

“I heard that too,” Judah replied before leaving the cabin.

Judah walked down the hallway and passed through the door that led into the lounge. He found the captain speaking with the red-haired sailor in a corner of the room. So, Judah waited. Then, after a couple minutes, the sailor glanced at Judah and said some things to the captain. Afterwards, he left the lobby through a door.

Seeing Judah in the lobby, the captain approached him and Bernard said, “Did you make up your mind?”

“We will pay you the money, sir,” Judah said.

“Very good,” the captain said, grinning. “I just told members of my crew to prepare for a voyage to Israel instead of toward Africa. I also informed them that you likely will pay us the money.”

“So, we won’t stop at Egypt?” Judah said.

“Give me all the money you have on your person,” Captain Bernard said, “and I will trust you to pay me the rest of it once we get to Israel.”

“I have 900 Francs on my person,” Judah said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

“How much does your son have?” the captain asked.

Footfalls came up behind the captain. “Sir, I have 400 Francs,” Francois said. “They are all yours.”

The captain turned to face the 31-year-old and grinned. Francois was holding a wad of folded banknotes. “If any of my crew harasses you, let me know,” he said. “My chef will prepare you a nice dinner tonight and you are welcome to dine with me in my private dining room. Also, feel free to use any amenity available to my crew.”

They spoke a little more before the captain said, “Gentlemen, I need to attend to the pilothouse. Please excuse me.”

After the dark-bearded captain had left, Francois approached his father and said quietly, “Do you think we can trust him? He was about ready to leave us off in Africa. He lied to us, telling us he was a Christian. Should we try to escape from the ship?”

“No son,” Judah said calmly and near a whisper, “that would not do. God told me to pay him the money he wanted because our Heavenly Father said that He will provide for all our needs.”

“That is a lot of money for a voyage,” Francois said.

“Those men are risking their necks for us, Francois,” Judah said. “So, they want a lot of compensation. But, you are right. They are very greedy. They are charging us as if we were four passengers instead of two.”

Judah noticed a sailor stand up form his sofa and stretch.

“Let’s try to stay out of the way of these men,” Judah said quietly. “I think some of them secretly despise Jews.”

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