Fifty-Five
The Good ShepherdShiva had been picked up by one of the black helicopters and taken over to the Federal Building. As he was walking down the darkened stairwell with a flashlight to light his way, he discovered Fronk, Erin, and Carr walking up the stairwell. They all reached the same landing they were heading for at the same time.
“You guys look a wreck,” Shiva commented. “You okay?”
“We were stuck in an elevator,” Erin said.
Fronk nodded grimly. “Yeah. With Mr. Ed. We’re coming back up to see if the Director is okay.”
“And the Advocate,” Carr added.
The others ignored his comment.
“Where were you?” Fronk asked Shiva.
Shiva aimed a thumb behind him. “I was on the rooftop of the building across the street. Before the quake, someone was going to take a shot at Tristian Salvadori.”
Carr glared at him. “What? Did you catch this man? Where is he now?”
“Man, he’s gone. I had him once, but after the quake, he disappeared.” He decided he wasn’t going to share any more detail with Carr present.
Carr continued to glare at him. Then, he abruptly pushed his way past them and hurried out of the stairwell. He fully intended to get a team of agents to investigate the building and search for this suspected assassin.
“Come on, let’s get to the Director,” Fronk said.
The three of them continued together. They found Director Fuller sitting at his desk in the ruins of his office. He didn’t look well.
“Director, are you alright?” Shiva asked, concerned.
Erin looked around, hesitant to enter until she was certain that the Antichrist was gone. When she saw no sign of him, she came into the office but kept close to Fronk.
Fuller shook his head. “No, I’m not alright.”
“What’s wrong?” Fronk asked. “What happened…and where is he whose name should not be mentioned?”
Fuller paused. “He left.”
“Why did he want to see you?” Erin asked.
“We need to regroup.” Fuller looked at her. “Salvadori wanted to give me a warning. He knows about us…and he intends to make our lives a living hell.”
_____ _____ _____Something bothered Staci more than she was willing to admit, even to herself, as she and Lenox were finally freed from being trapped beneath the warehouse. As she and Lenox were checked over by the EMP’s - in spite of her assurances that they were okay - she couldn’t help noticing something odd. It was the way Lenox reacted - or lack of reaction - with agents wearing their AIM jackets. The AIM agents seemed to respect Lenox’ space and they gave him plenty of room. It was as if they knew who he was and he knew them. As if they were allowing him to continue with whatever it was that he was doing.
She couldn’t explain it any other way. It was just a feeling…A hunch.
As the EMP’s were finishing, LeBeau, Bandjough, Yorke and Groh made their approach.
“We’ve got some bad news,” Yorke replied, glancing at Groh who was rubbing the back of his head. He turned to Lenox. “You’re not going to like this one bit.”
“Let me guess…” Lenox paused for affect. “Sebastian Crowe somehow managed to get away. And judging from the way Randy is reacting, I’d say that our killer clubbed him in the back of his head.”
Groh glared. “You guessed that right. Wow. You must be some kind of a detective.”
“What did he hit you with?”
“A piece of two-by-four that he pulled out from the debris when we were foolishly trying to dig you out.” He shook his head. “We got so into our task, we let out guard down. But, hey, you can be ticked off with me all you want. I’m even more ticked off with my partner, who wasn’t even in sight when I got clobbered.”
Yorke sighed. “I had my back turned.”
“So did I, but I’m still the one who got clobbered.”
“I can’t go home,” Staci said to Lenox. “He knows where I live.”
LeBeau held up a hand. “Excuse me…but that’s okay, Doc. The Director wants to see us as soon as we can leave from here.”
Lenox rose to his feet. “I’m sure we can do that. We’re not needed here. I think AIM has everything under control here, and I’m sure they’ll look after Crowe. They’ll catch him.” He turned to the pilots. “Lead to the Storm Breaker, gentlemen. Let’s not keep the Director waiting.”
As they walked away, Groh turned to Yorke. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
Yorke frowned. “What did I do?”
“Cain has a vendetta against you, brother, but I’m the one he hits. Not you. Me.”
“Well, I’m sorry. The next time we catch him, I’ll give him your complaint.”
_____ _____ _____For several hours, King had spent time in the main office of Camp Wood, going over his notes from the Bible that he intended to give. A fellow brother in Christ had been taken from them and the Lord was impressing upon his heart to offer words of encouragement to the others. Everyone for the most part had felt victorious during the baptisms, but that victory rapidly turned into a grievous defeat within a very short time.
After a time, there was a knock on the door and he looked up from his journal to find Saint standing in the doorway. Behind Saint was Sheriff Hoag.
“Robert’s back,” he said.
King rose to his feet. “Robert…we did not expect you to return.”
Hoag stepped into the office. “I didn’t expect to return myself, but…” He sighed. “Janice, Peter’s wife, didn’t want me to bring him home. I didn’t know where else to take him so I brought him here.”
King paused. “Perhaps we can find a place to bury him here.”
“We already dug him a grave and put him in it,” Saint replied solemnly. “I figured that after you spoke to us what God has laid on your heart, then we could cover him up.”
“Of course. I‘m ready to speak.”
“Then, I’ll gather the others.”
Saint left the office with Hoag.
Saint led the group in song with his guitar. As the people sang, King joined them with his Bible in his hand. Saint led them into a few more songs and then, after he said a word of prayer, he took his guitar and sat on the grass with Chris. Hoag sat with them.
King stood in front of the open grave and held his Bible before him. For a moment, he didn’t speak. He allowed the silence to help the others reflect on their own personal thoughts as he considered his own.
But finally, he said, “Peter was taken from us before many of us had a chance to know him…but this is not a defeat. The enemy wants us to think that he has struck a blow against us to cripple us from what our heavenly Father would have us do. But we are not defeated. We are not crippled. We are not hindered because I tell you that this is not a defeat. Peter is home. He is right now in a place where nothing can touch him. One day, we shall enjoy fellowship with him again.”
He paused as he opened his Bible. “I have been to Israel. I have been in the places where it has been said that our Lord walked. I once witnessed one of the most incredible things I had ever seen. At the time, I was not a Christian. At the time I saw this, I did not give it much consideration, but as a new Christian, I have been reminded of what I had seen and feel that this is what God would have me share with you. Now I will never forget it. The evening sun was setting and two shepherds approached a nearby well with their flocks. For approximately twenty minutes, the two men chatted while their sheep mingled and roamed about. The animals wandered everywhere. Soon, you could not tell one group from the other because they were so interspersed and scattered throughout the countryside.
“But then something extraordinary happened. One of the shepherds turned around, quietly called out a command, and started to walk away. Instantly those two flocks separated. The sheep recognized their master’s voice, and as he made his way up the hillside, they streamed in from every direction to follow him. They knew exactly what to do.”
King looked out at the group before him, making eye contact with many of them. “This is the relationship the Bible tells us we’re to have with the Lord Jesus. I did not know Peter as well as some of you did, but I do know that Peter had this relationship for it was evidenced in the way he lived his life. Jesus said,
‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ 1 ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…’ 2 In other words, if we believe in Jesus as our Savior, then we should have faith in Him and do as He says.
“Do we recognize the Shepherd’s voice? When the Master speaks to us, do we even realize that it is Him? Listening to our heavenly Father is essential if we want to walk with Him. But what is even more crucial is that we truly believe the Good Shepherd’s love for us is everlasting, unyielding, and completely unconditional. We must be confident that He always provides what is absolutely best for us. Jeremiah 31:3 tells us,
‘The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’ I hope you have discovered how awesome it is to have the all-sufficient, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, sovereign Lord of all creation to guide, protect, and provide for you in a personal way. I know what you may be thinking…Has Peter been guided to his death? Was Peter protected when the man who listens to Satan’s lies pushed him off the cliff, taking his life? Did God provide for Peter? I say to you, yes. God did guide Peter. God did protect him. God did provide for him. God did…as he does for us. He has given to us the same thing that Peter had accepted from Him. Salvation through the shed blood of His only begotten Son. In this lies guidance, protection and provision. As we seek an intimate relationship with Him and are obedient to His command, we will discover - as Peter did - that He knows exactly what we need and precisely the right moment to supply it. King David realized this, which is why he affirms,
‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ 3”
King paused as he looked out at the group. He knew he had their attention. Their eyes were upon him and they wanted to hear what God had for them. Occasionally, someone would shout out an “Amen!” or a “Halleluiah!”
King continued, “But perhaps you have begun to think, I’ve been seeking God, but there are things I need and desires in my heart that He has not yet given me. Why doesn’t He answer my prayers?” He looked at Hoag. “I want to assure you that the Father always has your best interests at heart.” He raised his Bible. “Let’s take a look at Psalm 23 as a reminder of how faithfully He leads us and why we never have a reason to fear when we are following the Good Shepherd.”
He glanced at the Psalm. “
The first thing we will see in this wonderful passage - a passage usually shared when a loved one has gone over to meet with the Lord - is how perfectly the Shepherd provides for us. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ 4 God not only supplies our physical needs, but also our emotional and spiritual needs. Nothing can satisfy our souls as He can. The Lord fills our desires for love, acceptance, companionship, and intimacy as no one else can. And He will never lead us to anything that could harm us.
‘Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ 5 If there is something that God has not yet given you, then you can be certain it is for a very good reason.
“Secondly, it is crucial for us to know and to understand that the Shepherd is interested in restoring and sanctifying our souls.
‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name‘s sake.’ 6The Father hates sin because it creates emptiness, guilt, anger, and loneliness within our hearts and separates us from Him. So He heals us of our transgressions through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, and He gives us the Holy Spirit to teach us to walk in a manner worthy of His Son.
‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost.’ 7 “Third…the Shepherd wants to lead us through the valley of adversity to the mountaintops of victory. I assure you, Peter is on the mountaintop of victory. Death has no hold on him because he is covered by the blood of God’s only Son.
‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ 8 Everyone experiences trials, conflicts, heartaches, and doubts at one time or another. But as believers, we are promised that no matter how hopeless our circumstances may appear, God will lead us through them. He will transform them into something positive in our lives. Because the Shepherd protects us, we know that our troubles will not leave lasting scars. Instead, every obstacle builds our character and brings us closer to Him than we’ve ever been before.
“Finally, the Shepherd has prepared an awesome destination for us - one that is far beyond our greatest expectations and hopes. Peter knows about this destination.
‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ 9 Today, we know how uncertainty the future has become. We have read in the Bible in prophecy how that in the last days, the tribulations will be worst than the tribulations of the past. In this uncertainty we may not know what will become of us, but the Father does know. God understands the path we are on better than we ever could, and He has gone before us to map out the very best route possible to get us to where we need to be.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ 10 “Do you recognize the Shepherd’s voice?” King asked in conclusion. “When the Master speaks to you, do you realize who is speaking and immediately obey? One of the reasons we fail to experience life at its best is simply because we are not actually listening to His voice. Let us make a commitment today to follow the Good Shepherd more closely than we ever have before. May our cups overflow, and may His goodness and mercy bless us as we seek Him and serve Him all the days of our lives.”
The words were meant as encouragement, and many were encouraged. Their hearts still grieved over the loss of Peter, but hope was renewed. Saint and Hoag covered Peter with the dirt that had been dug up. When that was done, Hoag approached King.
“David,” he said softly without hesitation, “what must I do to be saved?”
King led Hoag on the Romans Road of Salvation.
_____ _____ _____1 - John 10:14
2 - John 10:27
3 - Psalm 23:1
4 - Psalm 23:2
5 - Matthew 7:9 - 11
6 - Psalm 23:3
7 - Acts 2:38
8 - Psalm 23:4 - 5
9 - Psalm 23:5 - 6
10 - Jeremiah 29:11 - 13
