The Diamond Arrow, page 6
Nabas ordered a young servant to come to the gate to take care of the two horses. The servant immediately sustained a bright smile on his face at the sight of the two family members who came back. He executed the order while bowing his head to Silas and Lydia as a greeting gesture. Both responded quickly with a bright smile and followed Nabas who was preceding them into the house. As they walked to the door that led to the common room where they used to have their family meals and social time, the twins glanced at the courtyard of the house. They were home, home sweet home.
CHAPTER 15
Maturity
“Oh! My children! Welcome home!” shouted their mother with glee as she came out of the main room. The merry Nabas stepped aside as Riya rushed to her children. While embracing them, joyful tears gradually flowed down her cheeks. Touching Silas’ beard, she exclaimed, “You have a beard and a moustache my Silas! Oh my son! You became a man!”
Turning to Lydia, she noticed, “What a nice touch, this ponytail of yours, Lydia my gentle flower! It makes you even more beautiful Lydia! Welcome home my beloved daughter.” Smiling and joyful, Lydia embraced her mother tenderly.
“Where did you get this fine linen?” asked Riya feeling the delicacy of the fabric in her hands.
“It is a long story, mother!” responded Lydia with enthusiasm.
“We have a lot of time; you can tell me everything as soon we get inside,” announced the festive Riya. “Come, come inside,” she insisted.
Silas and Lydia walked behind their excited mother into the main room, and saw their father, Paul, standing in the room with a large smile on his face. He opened his arms, walked over to meet his children and embraced them both.
“Welcome home, my children! Welcome!” he repeated with vibrant emotion in his deep voice. Tremendous bliss was floating in the room as they all rejoiced.
“You do not seem too surprised to see us back today,” noticed Silas.
His sister confirmed by nodding, “Yes, I noticed that too. Were you expecting us today?”
Riya, chuckling with enjoyment, responded, “The Lord of Hosts is faithful in all He does. We have been privy to some familiarity regarding your status.”
“What do you mean?” Lydia gently wondered.
Paul was the one who answered that question. “The angel of the Lord of Hosts has been coming frequently to visit us. He even came this morning to inform us of your return. He often came to inform us of the progression of your training. That has reassured us for the last three years,” he added quietly with a satisfied smile.
“What did you say?” asked the twins at the same time.
“Three years! Indeed, you have been gone for three years. During that time, the angel has been coming to uplift us regarding your well-being and your training progression.”
“Three years!” said Silas looking at his sister.
“Yes,” said Paul, “we are now in the year 1212 of our Lord.”
“Three years!” he repeated, “Year 1212,” a bit surprised.
“It sure did not feel that long,” Lydia mentioned calmly. Looking at them, Paul and his wife wondered how it could be possible to spend three years somewhere and not realize that it was that long. They were eager to hear about their children’s adventures.
Paul quickly told them, “Your mother and I are ready to hear about your story.”
The twins looked at each other. Lydia nodded and with approval said, “Yes brother, tell them.” Both parents turned to look at Silas. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to start recounting the story of their adventure.
At that very moment, Haman, the young servant, standing at the door, asked to be excused. He walked into the room with a silver plate holding four silver plated goblets and a carafe, all with engravings on them. He brought them water for refreshments, but his timing was a bit odd, at least from Paul and Riya’s viewpoint as the parents were eager to listen to the story of their children at that precise moment. So Paul ordered him, “Leave it on the table.”
“Yes master. I am sorry, master,” said the servant, looking confused, as he put the plate down on the table. He bowed respectfully and walked backwards to exit the room.
At that moment, Riya stood up and served water in the silver goblets. As they took their cups and raised them with cheers, Silas looked up and prayed, “Heavenly Father, I praise Your Name for this water. May it refresh our bodies.” Paul looked at his son, amazed by the simple yet mature prayer he just heard from him. They all drank the water and put down their cups. The moment Silas put his cup down, he began the story they had been waiting to hear.
“Father, mother,” he started, “the prayer I’ve just made is a little part of the extensive teachings that we received for the last years. During our time away, we met people, made amazing discoveries and, most importantly, we learned a lot about the Word of the Lord of Hosts.” All the time her brother was talking, Lydia nodded in approval.
“Our God, the Lord of Hosts, has sent down His Son for the salvation of mankind. He took flesh twelve centuries ago in a little town named Bethlehem. He grew up in Nazareth and was referred to as Jesus of Nazareth. He was accredited by God and performed miracles, wonders and signs. The Lord of Hosts did this among people through Him, as you yourselves know, father and mother.”
Silas paused for a moment and this allowed Lydia to continue, “The Son of God was handed over to authorities by the Lord of Hosts’ own deliberate plan and foreknowledge. Wicked men put Him to death by nailing Him to a cross. But the Lord of Hosts raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. Jesus of Nazareth has been exalted to the right hand of the Lord of Hosts in the Heavenly Realms.”
“Do you mean that Jesus of Nazareth is the Alpha and the Omega,” wondered Riya, eager to understand further.
Silas responded, “Yes, mother. You, father and our people refer to Him as the Alpha and the Omega. He was at the beginning of time in the very nature of God. However, He did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage. Rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross! This was so humiliating.”
“But humility precedes glory,” observed Paul.
Lydia jumped in and added, “Precisely! And due to His obedience, the Lord of Hosts exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. He did this so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven, on Earth and under the Earth. Also, every tongue should acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
“This leads to talk about the instrument of the power that has been conferred to us,” Silas continued solemnly.
“You… both of you have some powers?” probed Riya with hesitation.
“Indeed!” affirmed the twins with assurance and maturity. Their voices seemed to echo in the room which, by then, was filled with the gravity of the conversation. The constant rumbling of the town appeared distant. Noises and regular busyness of people seemed so far that the four individuals in the room felt as if they were in some colossal bubble, completely detached from the rest of the world.
“What does this power consist of?” wondered Paul slowly, breaking the silence.
“It is the privilege of being in a direct relationship with the Lord of Hosts,” replied Silas.
“So, you mean that you are in a direct relationship with the Lord of Hosts?” inquired their mother looking at the twins, barely restraining herself to not overwhelm them with a lot of questions.
“Mother,” responded Lydia, “Everyone who confesses that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord, and believes in their heart that the Lord of Hosts raised Him from the dead will be saved, and will enter into a direct relationship with the Lord of Hosts. Also, that person’s name will be written in the Book of Life which is, as we speak, in Heaven.”
Satisfied with the responses their children were providing them with, and amazed by the wisdom they were demonstrating, Paul exclaimed, “The Lord of Hosts is the One who gives status to those who have acquired knowledge through life’s experiences.”
“Paul, what do you mean by that?” questioned Riya who wanted to know the meaning of the words he had spoken.
Turning to his wife, Paul said, “Through life’s experiences, one can acquire a lot of knowledge and understanding of its numerous secrets. However, the status that this knowledge and understanding can confer could only be imprinted on a person by the grace of the Lord of Hosts. He is the One who elevates and honors those who love Him.” Now addressing Silas and Lydia, he continued, “You have been granted a huge honor to having been given consideration by Heaven.”
“Silas, the power you’ve indicated, how does it manifest?” asked Riya.
CHAPTER 16
Casting Away a Fallen Angel
Before Silas could answer, a long guttural sound reached their ears, coming from the street. It grew louder and seemed raucous. The harsh scream seemed to be coming from a human being who was been mortified. The sound resonated a second time, causing Silas and Lydia to stand up quickly and to walk resolutely toward the house’s main gate. Their parents, who already knew what the matter was about, tried to dissuade them from going there.
“No need to go there Silas,” said Riya, “there is nothing to do in this case. It is a sad situation,” she continued, as Silas still continued to walk in the direction of the gate.
While Lydia was walking right alongside her brother, determined to reach the gate, she heard her father addressing her, “Lydia, know this, no one has been able to do a thing about this poor soul. He has his moments of lucidity and moments when he is like that too.” Saying this, Paul had a noticeable tone of disappointment in his voice.
The twins did not say a thing, but continued walking to the gate determined to know what the guttural sound was about, suspecting that it must have a spiritual connection. When they reached the gate, the servant who brought them refreshments earlier was already there and opened it reluctantly. The siblings stepped outside the house and were immediately followed by their parents who were right behind them. The two golden warriors saw a man rolling on the sandy ground. He was covered with dust, and was unimaginably dirty. No one could get near him when he was in that kind of seizure. People were terrified when they saw him like that, as that sight was highly uncommon.
“The demon has taken him over again!” shouted a woman from a fair distance.
“Flee, flee! He will hurt you!” yelled another person afar.
“Or worse, he will possess you too!” screamed a woman on the street, running to the nearest corner.
Ignoring the warnings, Silas advanced toward the demon-possessed man who was swirling on the ground, mumbling cabbalistic words.
At about seven steps from the man, Silas stopped and whispered with sincerity, “As it is written, ‘Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes’, I now put on the full armor of God, in the powerful name of Jesus!”
Immediately, his golden armor appeared on him, shining brightly with all the equipment. Something was different about the armor. Instead of displaying the bright AΩ sign right in the middle of the chest as it did the first time him and his sister had put it on, the breastplate of the armor revealed a green precious stone inside of which was engraved the AΩ sign: that stone was the Emerald. Silas remembered from the training that, the Emerald was the fourth precious stone in the New Jerusalem, the upcoming Holy City of the Lord of Hosts. The green color of that precious stone reminded him of the new life he had received by becoming a golden warrior. The only person beside Silas who could see the armor was Lydia. Most people on the street did not even notice that he murmured something, except for his parents who were paying scrupulous attention to every detail of his movements.
Lydia, with a trustful smile, looked at her brother who looked back and she simply added, “Carry on!”
With a powerful voice filled with authority, Silas ordered, “As it is written, ‘These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons’; I command that this demon be cast out from this man now, in the powerful name of Jesus!”
Simultaneously, as Silas started pronouncing the first words, Lydia saw a bright diamond arrowhead forming near the mouth of Silas and developing as the words were coming out of his mouth.
Midway through, an arrow shaft was materializing more and more at the same time that Silas was saying each word. The shaft was forming and was becoming an extension of the diamond arrowhead.
When he was near the conclusion of his command, the fletching quickly formed. As soon as Silas shouted “Jesus!” completing his command, the formed diamond arrow shot out in the direction of the man who was still rolling in the sand. The diamond arrow touched his soul and nailed something dark to the ground. It was the fallen angel who was living inside the man. The dark winged fallen angel became apparent to Silas and Lydia as he was been separated from the man by the action of the diamond arrow. He growled in furor and flapped his obscure wings as the diamond arrow hauled him deep into the ground in the direction of Tartarus, where he would be locked in chains waiting for judgment.
The man was freed from captivity. He became lucid and wondered about where he was. Cautiously, people drew near and shared their astonishment with one another. Silas moved closer to the man and said to people who were gathering,
“Why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had caused this man to be freed from the influence of the fallen angel? The Lord of Hosts, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus of Nazareth. He was handed over to the authorities, was killed, and then God raised Him from the dead. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has just been made free. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely freed him, as you can all see.” People were looking at him and at the man on the ground intermittently.
“For this reason,” continued Silas, “the Word of the Lord of Hosts is proclaimed on Earth, so that people can be saved and they can grow in the knowledge of the Truth. As it is written, ‘The Truth shall set you Free’.”
Lydia raised her voice and said to the people who were gathering around them and the man who was freed from the fallen angel’s control,
“People of Lystra, know this; it is the truth. We were born and raised in this town. Our parents are right here.” Lydia turned to her parents who nodded in approval, proud of seeing their daughter make a public announcement.
She turned to the crowd and continued, “This man whom you see here has been freed from the ascendency of an evil spirit who maintained dominion over him. However, the Word of the Lord of Hosts, that is a double-edged sword, has been proclaimed on this man by my brother. As a result, this man has been freed from the power of the evil spirit. We accepted the gift of salvation, learned the Word and how to use it. You too can become saved and perform miracles based on the power of the Lord of Hosts.”
CHAPTER 17
Conquering Sickness
Silas took it from there and spoke up, “Who wants to be saved?” No one moved, and no hands were up. Timidly, with a lot of hesitation, a woman came up to the front from the crowd that was formed. She was rocking in her hands a young boy who was about three years old. The eyes of the toddler were closed and he was breathing sporadically. The woman timidly said,
“Could my son be saved? He is sick and the town healers are unable to do heal him. I did not hear him speak in weeks as he cries as soon as is awake.”
Silas requested, “Do you believe that Jesus can save him?”
“Yes!” she firmly answered, eyes filled with hope.
As the woman was emerging from the crowd with her toddler, Lydia, who suspected the upcoming event, whispered, “As it is written, ‘Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes,’ I now put on the full armor of God, in the powerful name of Jesus!”
Immediately her golden and shiny armor appeared on her, and it equally had engraved on its breastplate, the green Emerald which they both received after they had completed the training. By the time the woman confirmed and accepted, Lydia, who was ready, declared with authority,
“As it is written ‘He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.’ Woman, let your son be healed now, in the powerful name of Jesus!”
Silas was the only one who saw the diamond arrow departing from near his sister’s mouth and piercing through the soul of the sick boy. The arrow snatched from within the boy’s soul a dark green substance with multiple tentacles which was the sickness, and nailed it to the ground destroying it on-the-spot. As the sickness pulverized, Silas shouted, “Hallelujah!”
The little boy opened his eyes, smiled at his mother, and gestured indicating his desire to be on his feet. His mother stood him up on the ground. As soon as his feet landed, the toddler started to walk, and with a large smile, he approached Lydia.
“Thank you,” he whispered weakly to Lydia, with eyes filled with recognition. Lydia answered, “May the Lord of Hosts shine His face upon you!”
Amazed by what she just saw, the toddler’s mother boldly announced, “I want to be saved.” She approached Lydia who could see genuineness in her eyes.
“What do I need to do?” she asked, with a frank aspiration.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that the Lord of Hosts raised Him from the dead, you will be saved,” responded Lydia, looking directly into the woman’s eyes.
