Fronk clicked into his favorites folder, scrolled past the Gilligan Island websites he has stored there and scrolled past the technical sites. He skipped over the saved Bible Study and Prophecy sites and finally stopped on a site called The Voice Against Peace. He looked up at Fuller, who was standing on his left, and then he looked up at Shiva, who was on his right.
“This is an interesting site,” he told them. “I found it purely by accident.” He shrugged. “Or maybe it was God who led me there. I don’t know. I just saw it and the name caught my attention, so I clicked onto it.”
“Is it about the Antichrist?” Shiva inquired.
Fronk held up a finger. “You know, that’s what I was thinking when I saw the title, too, but the Antichrist doesn’t come out speaking against peace. At least not in the beginning. He comes out and says a lot of things, which draw men to him. He is very persuasive, as we have already seen in some of the news feeds. This site is something else entirely. Watch.”
He clicked onto the site and immediately opened a new screen, which had links to prophecies in the Bible and where Jews fit into those prophecies. There was a picture of a young man with his dark hair somewhat unkempt. His piercing dark eyes seemed to be looking right at them as Fuller, Fronk and Shiva looked at the site. Under the picture was the caption “The Voice Against Peace.” Beneath that was the mans name.
Daniel Loebel.
Directly beneath that was a link to an introductory video mpg. Fronk clicked it.
A small screen opened and the young man in the picture was now standing in what appeared to be a den. Books lined shelves along the wall. The young man stood in front of a desk with a window behind that. The sun was shining and out the window could be seen a tree-line in the distance, indicating that the yard outside the window was spacious and there was a forest beyond.
The young man looked intently into the camera. “Hello,” he said, “I am Daniel Loebel, the Voice Against Peace. You may not know me, but my father, Elihu Loebel, was a great archeologist who uncovered many historical and biblical artifacts. He has been a believer in Jesus the Christ as the Messiah for forty years and has devoted his life in the pursuit of uncovering historical artifacts to prove that the Bible is indeed the Word of God. I am standing inside his study right now. Follow me…”
He moved to go around the desk and toward the window. The cameraman followed and captured Loebel standing in front of something by the window. He was pointing at something on the floor. When the camera focused on it, it soon showed a pile of clothing and a book.
“Right here,” the young man began, “is where my father was standing when the rapture event took place. His clothing fell and the Hebrew Bible he was reading also fell. But he himself was taken.” The camera refocused on his face. “I have left them there to remind me that what he had been telling me all these years is the truth. Jesus Christ is our Messiah. He has taken those whom have believed on His name and at this very moment, those people are with the Lord at the marriage supper of the Lamb. My father is there. No doubt he is also there with my mother, whom had passed away a few years ago. She, too, had tried to show me the truth so I would repent of my sins and turn to the One True Messiah.”
Loebel shook his head sadly. “But I would not. For most of my adult life, I had wasted my inheritance on a life full of wicked pleasures. I am not proud of this past. I can tell you I am not a great scholar like my father was. I know nothing about teaching or anything. I’ve never done anything for myself or anyone but to live a selfish kind of lifestyle. I didn’t care about anyone but myself. My parents always wanted me to come to them and give my life to Christ. They assured me I wouldn’t have an emptiness inside me, which today is now full. I wish I had heard them while they were here, but now I am confident that I will one day see them again. And I shall see them in the presence of my Lord and Savior, Yehoshua, which literally means ‘Yahweh saves’.”
Loebel moved back around the desk so he was standing in front of it. “I want to tell you that I have sinned in the past. My sin was ignorance because I did not seek Him. My sin was pride because I did not want Him. My sin was hate because I did not love Him. I have turned from my sin because I have seen the sin in my life for what it is. It is simply depravity. I was depraved. I was filthy. But now am I as white as snow because it is the blood of Jesus which has cleansed me and made me whole. You cannot save yourselves. You must come to Him for salvation. ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ 1 ‘And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 2 You can be saved. But you must not put it off any longer. If you do, you will doom your eternal soul into a place where God will not be found. I am speaking of the everlasting lake of fire where all those who reject Christ will be sent into eternal damnation.
“Hear me now. There is a man among us who will deceive you if you do not come to Christ. This man has already called me ‘The Voice Against Peace’ because I speak the truth. His name is Tristian Salvadori and the Bible has prophesied of his coming. Before the rapture happened, we did not know of him. But now the rapture has happened and he has revealed himself by bringing about a peace treaty with Israel. How he has done this is not important. That he has done it is.
‘And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.’ 3 This man is here. He is doing what the Bible has prophesied to us that he would. Our time is short. I will continue with my site until I can no longer maintain it. Just hear the message and receive it. I am Daniel Loebel, the Voice Against Peace. A messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” He looked right into the camera. “And one more thing. In closing, this is what it means to be Jewish. Some ‘60 years’ or so ‘ago, they were leading Jews to their death like sheep to the slaughter! No country. No army. 55 years ago! Seven Arab countries declared war on the small Jewish State, only a few hours old. We were then only 650,000 Jews…against the rest of the Arab world! No Israel Defense Force. No mighty air force; just tough people with nowhere to go. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia…attacked all at once. The country the U.N. ‘gave us’ was 65% desert. The country started from scratch! 35 years ago! We fought the three strongest armies in the Middle East and wiped them out in six days. We fought against different coalitions of Arab countries, with modern armies and masses of Soviet Russian weapons and we still won! And look at us: the nation from the Bible, from slavery in Egypt. We are still here, speaking the same language! Right here, right now. The Arabs don’t know it yet, but they will learn there is one God. As long as we keep our identity, we are eternal. So,’ Mr. Salvadori, ‘sorry for not worrying…Not complaining…Not crying…Not being scared. Things are okay here.’4”
The video ended.
Fuller nodded his head thoughtfully. “Well, amen to that. William, keep an eye on his webpage.”
Fronk nodded. “I will. I’ll link him to mine.”
“Have you started a site yet?” Shiva wanted to know.
“I haven’t had the time. I’ve been busy looking into what the world has been up to. At least we can say that we’re not the only ones who know the truth. There are others and we can share in the task of giving the message to a doomed world. Because let’s face it…this world is going to change into a better one.” He paused for affect. “But not before it goes into the fire.”
*******
Erin and Ballou came riding off from the trail upon Sir Prize’s back and out into the open meadow with the sun shining high above. When Erin saw the farmland, she brought the horse to a stop. The smoke from the farmhouse was rising high in the sky and it was evident the house had been burning for several hours. It was mostly a blackened husk with still visible burning embers.
“This can’t be good,” the President replied, regarding the scene before them.
The barn had been untouched as had the silo with it. Erin prodded the horse in that direction. “Pa said there was a shelter here.”
Above them, the rotating of chopper blades could be heard. They looked up and saw the Storm Breaker hovering above. Then, it began to set down several feet away and in front of the open barn. With the rotors still moving, Barrington climbed out of the helicopter alone and headed for them. Erin stopped the horse and Ballou climbed off first. Then, she climbed down and together they waited for Barrington.
Barrington stopped before them. “Mr. President…I’m glad you’re alright.”
“Thank you, son,” Ballou commented with a brisk nod. “I’m glad your team made it. How is Darren?”
“The Director is fine, sir. He sent us to come and get you. If you’ll go in the chopper, you’ll be taken directly to the Federal Building in Albany. He’ll be glad to see you.”
Ballou regarded him. “You sound like you’re not coming with us.”
“I’m not, sir. I’m going to head back through the trail to meet up with Agent Lenox.”
He shook his head. “No, you’re not.”
“Mr. President, I…” Barrington hesitated, glancing at Erin. He sighed. “There’s no time to waste, sir. There’s a prisoner onboard…He is secured, but we have to get him back. He’s wounded. Staci…Dr. Cohen won’t be much good to him out here.”
“Who is this wounded prisoner?”
“His name is Hank Sumter. He claims to be one of your Secret Service agents.”
Ballou sighed. “He is.”
“Sir, he was in on the attack. He let the North Koreans get through your security.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, sir. We need to get him back to the ATD Center and see if we can get him to talk. Staci will be with him until she’s satisfied he’ll be okay. I think time is of the essence. Our main priority is to get you back to safety.” Barrington shrugged. “We don’t know if there are any more of the enemy looking for you.”
“I’ll go, but I want to know why you’re really staying behind?” The President paused. “Does it have something to do with a shelter the young lady here mentioned to me just before you arrived?”
Barrington glanced at Erin, who looked away, embarrassed. “I…I really didn’t mean to let that out,” she told him apologetically.
“Why wouldn’t you want to tell me about this shelter?” Ballou demanded, watching Barrington closely. “This young lady’s father obviously wanted her to know about it.”
Erin looked confused. “Uhm, no, sir. My father didn’t tell me about it.”
“You told me it was your ‘Pa’ who told you about the shelter.”
Erin giggled. Then, she cleared her throat nervously. “No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. That is what I said, but he isn’t my ‘Pa’. I guess he’s just called that.”
“His name is Craig Moore,” Barrington replied. “My partner thinks he was once in the Secret Service.”
Ballou nodded thoughtfully. “The name does ring a bell. Yes, I’ve heard of him. During his tenure, he was considered to be one of the best. This man came out here looking for me?”
Barrington nodded.
“Admirable…but why?”
He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. He and Michael, my partner, went out in search of the men hunting for you.”
“Michael…Is that Lenox, you mean?”
“Yes, sir.”
“He and Moore are tracking the hit team that came after me…and you’re here about a shelter. Is that correct?”
Barrington hesitated. “Mr. President…”
“I want you to listen to me very carefully. You don’t have to convince me that the days we are living in are the last days.” He looked into Barrington’s eyes. “My wife came from a Christian home. She was raised in a Baptist family by a Baptist preacher who shouted fire and brimstone messages from his pulpit every Sunday. The day the vanishings occurred, do you have any idea what I was doing?”
Barrington could only shake his head.
“I was holding her in my arms, trying to assure her that the end really wasn’t near and that everything was going to be okay. I held her close. I mean so close, I could feel her. I could smell her. I could hear her gentle breathing. I could hear her heartbeat against mine. That’s how close you get to someone you love when you hold them so tight, you don’t want to let go.” He paused. “Within a split second…a blink of an eye, she was gone. I was standing there holding the dress she had put on earlier that morning. The loudest thing in the room at that second was nothing but silence. Have you ever heard silence, Agent Barrington?”
He shrugged. “Sir, yes…but silence isn’t really a sound.”
“Silence is the loudest sound there is when you’re straining with everything you have to hear the heartbeat of someone you love. My wife is gone now. I know where she is, but she’s gone from this earth. So I know we’re living in times where every Christian will be hunted down and executed for taking a stand against the coming evil.” He let out a sigh. “I know why you’re seeking out shelters. Is that what Darren has asked you to do? Find shelters to hide those who need it when the time comes?”
Barrington nodded.
“Then do as he asks. I’ll support everything you do for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as long as I am President of this country. For all Christians and Jews everywhere, I’ve already decided to make my stand with Christ.” He put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “You know, at times like these, I’d like to say something eloquent or smart like ‘Give me Liberty or give me death,’ 5 or even ‘Ask not what your country can do for you…ask what you can do for your country.’ 6 But I think I speak for us all when I say ‘Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.’ 7 Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. President. I do agree.”
“Then, let us agree on one more thing. When we’re not acting in an official manner, drop the title.”
“But, Mr. President--”
“This is why people get so testy and wars happen, because there’s too much pomp and circumstance and not enough vim and vinegar!” He sighed. “Anyway, stay here and do what you have to do. I’ll go back with your friends and tell Darren what you’re up to. I’ll also give Sumter a piece of my mind.” He looked at Barrington as he headed for the helicopter. “I don’t suppose this Dr. Staci Cohen you mentioned will let me rough up her patient?”
Barrington chuckled as he shook his head. “I doubt it, sir.”
He sighed wearily. “Great. I suppose I’ll have to slap him when she isn’t looking.” He waved to Barrington and Erin. “Godspeed, my brother and sister.”
“And to you…Brother President.”
Ballou gave him a look. “Wise guy.”
When the President was on the helicopter, it began to rise to the skies. Barrington and Erin stood and watched it as it receded in the distance. When it was gone, Barrington turned to the barn.
“Now,” he said with determination, “let’s find this shelter.”
*******
Every weekend before the first week of school was a tradition within the Lenox household. The entire Lenox family - Randall, Naomi, Michael, Hannah, and Samuel Scott Lenox - would pile into the family van and drive across town to spend the weekend with Randall’s parents. There was a family reunion there all weekend long and it was just something the Lenox’ did every year.
Michael always got to sit up in the front seat of the van, too. He always rode shotgun to Dad because his mother favored him. She let him take the seat that should have been hers. Randall, however, was never happy about it. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his son, because he did. It was just that sometimes the boy just wasn’t able to learn the lessons of life the way young boys were supposed to because his mother shielded him from those lessons.
Randall often complained about it. “I don’t know why you spoil him so, Naomi.”
“It’s just a seat, Ran. It has nothing to do with the affairs of this world, so as long as it isn’t hurting anything, don’t fret over it,” was her response.
“That’s just it. It is something to fret over. You’re letting him get it into his head that there isn’t any order in the way things work. He should put you over his own needs, but you keep letting him go on about his way with no consequences. He’s a growing boy and the oldest son. It’s past the time he learn about responsibility and having to face the consequences of his own actions.”
That was the continuing theme to what they argued about most.
Soon those arguments would come to a horrifying end.
Michael had decided to make new plans for that weekend. He made plans with the rest of the Four Horsemen, which included Jim. It would start on Friday night. That particular Friday was the day the Lenox’ were going on their trip across town. In Michael’s anticipation of what he intended for Jim, he had forgotten all about it. When he asked for permission to stay at Joe’s house for the weekend, he was reminded sternly.
“You know where we’re going this weekend, Michael,” Randall said, focusing intently on his son. “We go at the end of every summer and nothing will change that. It’s a family outing, so since we are a family and I am the head of it, you’re going, too.”
Michael frowned, glancing in his mother’s direction. “I’m sorry, Dad. I forgot.” He was telling the truth there. He let out a sigh. “Okay. I guess I’ll call Joe and tell him I can’t do it.” This was partly a lie because he was counting on his mother to intervene like he knew she always did.
And she did. “Wait a minute, Michael,” she said.
Randall let out a sigh. “Naomi…”
“Well, I would at least like to know what he and Joe were planning to do over the weekend.” She looked at her son. “What were you going to do?”
Michael shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Joe says there’s some kind of teen activity at his church all day Saturday. Some big picnic thing with some preaching and teaching of the Bible. But it isn’t a big deal. Like I said, I forgot about going over to Grandpa and Grandma’s house.”
“Oh, but it is a big deal. I think you should go to Joe’s.”
Randall stared at her as if she had lost her mind. “What?”
She turned to him. “Oh, Ran. Come on. We’ve been talking about going to church for a while now ourselves, haven’t we? Let Michael go there over the weekend. He needs to hear about--”
“Hear about what? About Jesus saves and fire and brimstone damnation? Do you really think he’d listen?”
“I did when I visited last month.”
“You’re an adult.”
She straightened and looked into his eyes. “So did Sam.”
Randall looked back, but he could find no other argument. Finally, he shrugged. “Fine. Michael, you heard your mother. You can go to your friends house and join in on this activity at his church.” He turned to regard his son. “But mark my words. Whatever you do this weekend, you’d better be prepared to take responsibility for your actions.”
Michael nodded. “Yes, sir. I will.”
“I know you will.”
Michael turned and headed out of the room, a smile on his face. He knew his father suspected he was up to something, but he wouldn’t call him on it now because the permission had already been given. Still grinning, he went up the stairs to go to his room. As he did, he passed his little brother who followed him.
Michael went into his room, picked up a Spiderman comic from off his dresser and fell back onto his bed. As he was getting comfortable, he noticed Samuel standing in his doorway.
“What do you want, Scott?” Michael asked as he opened the comic up.
Samuel paused for a moment. Finally, he said, “I just want to tell you something.”
“What?”
The nine-year old paused again. “You’re going to Hell.”
Michael lowered the comic and glared at his brother. “Did you just swear at me? Because if you did, you’re in really big trouble.”
“I didn’t tell you to go there. I said you’re going to go there.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I’d never tell you to go there, Michael. You’re my big brother. But…” He sighed. “The Bible says that everyone who lies goes to Hell.”
“Stop saying that.”
“It does. And…well, you lie a lot. I don’t want you to go there.”
Michael sat up. “Well, you lie.”
“I’m a kid. I didn’t know no better!” He paused. “Besides…I asked Jesus to come into my heart and…and He did. Now I’m going to heaven.”
Michael shook his head. “You…what?”
“I asked Jesus to come into my heart and He did. Mom did it, too. We’re…we’re born-again Christians.”
“You dope!” Michael smacked the comic against the top of Samuel’s head with a loud thwack. “You can’t have any person living inside your heart. His feet would be sticking out through your stomach and his head would be out your back.”
“I don’t care what you say. I know where Jesus is. I also know if you don’t ask Him to save you, then, you’re gonna go to that bad place where all the liars go. And Mom…” He stopped.
Michael glared at him. “Mom what?”
Samuel turned to go. “I…I can’t tell you.”
Michael got up, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back into his room. He closed the door and held his brother against it. “You’d better tell me ‘Mom what’ or I’ll give you a beating!”
Samuel looked up at him. “Mom prays for you and Dad to get saved. But…when she prays for you, she…”
“She what?”
“She cries.”
Michael blinked. He backed up. “You’re lying.”
Samuel shook his head.
“Fine. Let Jesus live in your heart…Samson!” It was the only Bible name he remembered to call him by with sarcasm. “I’m outta here.”
He opened his door and stormed out of the room. He wasn’t going to let anyone tell him how to live his life. After all, he was thirteen and already had all the answers.
Michael went outside and decided to go for a walk. As he did, he realized he was walking past the new kid’s house. Albert just happened to be out front of his house when Michael began walking past. For some reason, Michael just stopped and regarded Albert with a look.
Albert returned the look. He wasn’t intimidated. Yet, eventually, it did get on his nerves. “What are you looking at?”
Michael took a step forward. “Oh ho! So you got some backbone after all, don’t you?”
“Did you come over here to pick a fight?”
“Why? Do you want one?”
Albert shook his head. “No.”
“Why not? Are you chicken?”
He sighed. “No,” he said patiently. “I just don’t like fighting, but if you push me, I’ll push back.”
Michael snorted. “Girls push. Boys fight.”
“Whatever.”
Michael waved a hand at him. “Forget you.” He turned and began to walk back toward his house.
“Hey!” Albert yelled.
He stopped, turned around and glared. “What?”
Albert took a few steps toward him and lowered his voice. “Don’t do it.”
Michael scowled at him. “Don’t do what?”
“I went back into Stewarts to get more milk.”
“Oh, well, hey! You know what they say? No use crying over spilled milk.”
“Look, man.” Albert pointed at him, angry now. “I don’t care about the stupid milk. I heard what you said to that Jim Barnes kid. He don’t seem too bright so whatever you conned him into doing, stop it.”
“What do you know?”
Albert shook his head. “You’re really thick. You know that? I’m telling you if you do something to that kid, you’re gonna regret it.”
“I’m not doing nothing.”
“Whatever.”
“Whatever.” Michael turned his back and walked away.
Albert shook his head. He went back into his own house feeling like something bad was about to happen. Something real bad.
And he was right.
*******
From somewhere up ahead of them, a volley of gunfire sounded. Lenox came to an abrupt stop and tilted his head to listen. He held up a hand and Moore also stopped. Together, they listened to the sounds of the woods around them intently. Then, they heard it. A voice in Korean snapped an order. Then, there was silence.
Judging from how that voice carried, Lenox believed they weren’t close enough for a direct confrontation for sound did travel a good distance. However, they were close enough for what he had in mind. He moved ahead, taking care not to announce his presence and behind him, Moore silently followed.
Lenox was relieved when the ground ahead began to move upward, forming a hill. A clearing was up ahead and he stopped at the edge of the forest before venturing out further. He surveyed the land ahead, but the hill continued upward. When he was certain there were no movements, or no sign of the enemy he was pursuing, he squatted low to the ground and moved up the hill. At the top, he laid on the ground and crawled up to the edge to peer over.
Moore soon joined him and together they surveyed the land before them.
Now they had the advantage. The ground was lower on the other side of the hill. Lenox put the MP-5 on the ground beside him and took the sniper rifle from his back. He set it on the ground and put his eye to the scope. Then, he began to search the area before them.
Just over the tree-line, he could see a town beyond the forest. He estimated it to be almost two miles out. A church steeple rose above the trees. He adjusted the scope and searched the grounds between the church and where they were positioned.
“What are you doing, Michael?” Moore asked softly.
Lenox continued to search with the scope. “I’m announcing our presence.”
“Why would you do that?”
“To let them know the President isn’t without protection.” Lenox spotted movement and stopped moving the rifle.
A man was leaning with his back against a tree. He had his hand over his stomach and blood was seeping through his fingers. The man was one of the Secret Service agents, but he appeared to be alone. Moving in his direction were two Korean assassins. The agent either lost the fight or realized there was nothing he could do. He slumped down onto the ground and kept his back to the tree.
He was waiting for the two Korean’s.
Lenox was, too.
The Koreans placed themselves right in front of the agent with their weapons trained on him. One of them demanded to know where the President was. Right after the question was out of his mouth, Lenox pulled the trigger.
Craack-Boom! echoed through the area.
The Korean’s head snapped back and he fell to the ground. The other Korean looked startled as he watched his friend fall. Then, he turned around and looked toward the hill.
Lenox was ready for the second shot and took it.
Craack-Boom!
The assassin fell to the ground dead. It only took less than thirty seconds.
Lenox used the rifle to scan the area, but saw no further movement. “There,” he said, with satisfaction in his voice.
“There, what?” Moore inquired.
“I just got their attention.” He passed the rifle over to Moore. “There’s one of the President’s agents against a tree where I took out two of the North Korean’s. He’s in bad shape. Keep your eyes peeled in his direction. Look out for the other three assassins and take them out if you get a chance.”
“What if they come up here?”
“They won’t. But even if they try to, you’ll see them coming.”
“What are you gonna do?”
Lenox picked up his MP-5 and actually grinned. “I’m gonna let them see me coming.”
Moore blinked. “What?”
Lenox rose to his feet and ran down the hill in plain sight. He moved toward the wounded agent and the assassins he had taken out. He wasn’t concerned about being out in the open. In fact, he was hoping to draw attention to himself rather than the President.
*******
Grief. Deep sorrow. Despair. These were the emotions waging war within Roh Yun’s soul at that very moment. And it was only getting heavier. Yet when Yang Si and the other assassin raised their weapons to fire upon the man running down the hill, something within him said it was enough.
In Korean, he snapped, “Lower your weapons! Do not fire!”
The two men turned to him. Si looked angry. “We must kill him!”
“No. It is enough.” He looked toward the man running and watched him until he disappeared among the trees. The American was angry. He could feel it. Angry like a bear. This one would not stop until all of them were dead. “We cannot complete our mission.”
Si glared at him. “We will! I will not stop until it is done. You have disgraced your honor!”
Yun just looked at him. Finally, he shook his head. “No. No…I have disgraced my family.”
Si turned to the other and ordered him to kill the man who was trying to help the wounded agent. He turned to say something else insulting to Yun but was surprised to discover he was gone. Si was glad because he would have killed him if he had stayed. As it was, he had his own mission to carry on with. He had seen movement on top of the hill as the man had run down it.
So whoever the American was, he certainly hadn’t come alone.
Crouching low and staying within cover of the trees, Si moved toward the enemy on the hill in hopes of flanking him.
*******
Roh Yun was tired and alone. He couldn’t get out of his head how he had treated his family. His lovely wife…his son. How they had told him many times about the Christ who would come and take them away. How they witnessed to him about the love of God, not just with words…but by their very actions. They told him about the love of God and showed him their love for him.
And how had he repaid them?
By beating them. By berating them. By sending their son to a training camp he didn’t want to go to. They never argued with him. They always did what he asked of them, even if they knew it was wrong. He was so cruel to them and for that, they simply loved him the more.
He kept walking, feeling nothing but shame as tears rolled down his cheeks. He had no idea where he was going, nor did he care. He just kept walking and as he walked, he dropped all of his weapons until he had none left on him. In his heart and in his speech, he implored that if there was a God, would He please show His undeserving mercy on this poor, wretched soul?
Then, he stepped into a clearing and looked up.
He was standing behind a large, white church with its steeple reaching up toward the sky. From within, came the sounds of singing. He couldn’t understand the words, but somehow he understood the message within them. Allowing the tears to continue, he went up to the church and entered into its sanctuary.
*******
David King was studying the Word of God in the living room of Barrington’s apartment when something strange suddenly occurred. There was no wind blowing in the apartment. The windows were not open to allow even a draft, yet every single candle that had been lit simply went out. The oil lamp on the stand beside the chair he sat in abruptly died and the room darkened.
King sat very still and looked around the room.
“Lord,” he prayed softly. “Are You trying to tell me something?”
An answer was immediate. It was a still small voice and it simply said, “Be still and be silent.”
So King was.
Whatever was happening was of God. So he trusted in Him and waited.
Suddenly, he heard the front door slamming open, crashing against the wall. Someone had kicked it open. Two men burst into the darkened apartment. He could see them clearly in spite of the dark as they came into the living room. Something told him they were policemen, yet they weren’t in uniform. Still, he had been a terrorist for all of his life and recognized law enforcement types when he saw them.
The two officers were Yorke and Groh. He didn’t know that, of course, but that’s who they were. They came into the apartment with their weapons at the ready and checked every single room within. However, it was dark and they saw no one inside. Even when they passed through the living room and looked right at the lounge chair where King was sitting, they saw no one.
When the search was over, Yorke and Groh stood at the door they had kicked open.
“There’s nobody here,” Groh replied, disappointment in his voice. “That Bollinger is either a liar or he had his information wrong.”
Yorke paused. “Yeah. You know, there’s something about that guy I don’t trust. Let’s get out of here.”
Groh agreed and he headed out first.
Yorke, however, stopped in the doorway and looked back into the apartment. For a moment, he just stood there. Finally, he turned and walked away.
A moment passed. Then another.
King continued to sit in the dark and wait. To his amazement, the oil lamp flickered and re-lit. Light once more appeared in the living room.
“Well…” he said softly, “Lord, thank You for what You just did for me. I must confess I feel like shouting like never before, but must sadly refrain from doing so because I may inadvertently undo what You just did by bringing them back. But now, I must leave this place. Where, Lord, should I go?”
An answer formed in his mind.
“Thank You, Jesus.”
With Canaan’s Bible, King left the apartment, trusting in the Lord’s leading.
******* *******
1 - I Timothy 2:3 - 5
2 - Acts 2:21
3 - Revelation 13:5
4 - What It Means To Be Jewish from Levitt Letter; November 2006 Issue
5 - Quote by Patrick Henry to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1851
6 - Quote by President John F Kennedy at his Inaugural Address on January 20, 1961
7 - Psalm 60:3 & 4
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