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Author
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Topic: "Memoirs Of A Dominion" excerpt
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
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posted 10-14-2024 05:19 AM
This is an excerpt from a novel I started to work on a few years ago but didn't do much more work on since then. It's called "Memoirs Of A Dominion".
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The America that once existed was a great nation. It was great because we had freedom -- freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of the press. We were all able to speak our minds about important issues and we could assemble peaceably to address them. Everybody was entitled to express how they felt about things, even if they were the wrong things, at least in other people's minds. We weren't bound by anything but the Constitution as far as what we could and couldn't do, both individually and collectively.
In America you could worship however you want to to whatever you felt was god -- Yahweh, Jesus Christ, Allah, even the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Christianity had a garden variety of denominations in America for whatever suited your fancy -- Catholicism, Orthodox, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostalism, Charismatic, any number of cults that claimed the name of Christ in some form. We all felt like we were reaching God in some form or another, and that seemed okay to a good deal of people in America, as long as nobody was "pushing their religion" unto others.
Of course, that same freedom allowed people to do evil things. There was still murder, ****, theft, sexual sin of all sorts, exploitation of the poor and needy, hatred towards various minorities and ethnic groups. America was far from being a paradise, and when people did those evil things and brazenly declared them to the public, some cheered while others mourned. But as much as we wanted a perfect world to live in, we knew that as long as people loved and chose to do evil, it would always remain a distant dream. Nonetheless, we would usually work together for the benefit of all people to make sure there would someday be a perfect world where everybody could live in peace with each other.
But just as there was a snake in the Garden of Eden that desired to ruin paradise, there were those who wanted an America that was modeled after their own desires of a "perfect world". They were the Cains that looked at the Abels of society in jealousy and wondered why those people were considered acceptable while they themselves weren't. They felt like they were given divine rights by their Creator to be the ones on top of the mountain looking down at the masses of humanity and be rulers of everything and everybody, but somehow they weren't because they had been passed over and despised.
These people would be called the Dominionists, and they sought to use religion to their own ends to gain control over the whole world.
They got that name from what God said to the first man and woman He created in the book of Genesis: "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." They assumed from that verse that God was telling them to also have dominion over every man, although at that point there were only two people on the face of the earth.
In the gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was about to go back into heaven, He told His disciples: "Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you." In the gospel of Mark, Jesus also said, "Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned."
How these people called Dominionists think that Jesus meant for His disciples to take over the world, nobody even among those I have talked to had any idea. But then I seem to be the only one that even understood the Scriptures, even though I had never went to Bible school. The only schooling I had when it came to the Bible was just me reading the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation all over and studying with some Bible about what the Scripture verses meant.
The church I once belonged to, an Assembly of God, paid very little attention to what they were really about. The Dominionists were dismissed as harmless, only seeking "to restore America's Christian heritage" by having prayer be put back into schools and all. That didn't mean some of the language of the Dominionists didn't filter their way through to our assembly and others like it. There was some talk about "the seven mountains of influence" that the pastor and his wife said we must pray over: family, business, education, religion, government/military, arts/entertainment, and media. They were engaged in odd forms of "spiritual warfare", such as taking prayer walks all over town, "claiming this town for Jesus Christ," as if He didn't already own everything on earth.
My pastor truly believed with all his heart that there would be a great end-times revival that would happen before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I tried to tell him that the Bible never predicted that to happen, but rather there would be a "falling away" that would occur before the Day takes place, and that the "man of sin", the "son of perdition" from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, would be revealed. The pastor seemed to ignore it, saying that what he believed was a prophecy that came to him by the Holy Spirit and that it would come to pass, and at one time accused me of having a "Jezebel spirit" trying to divide the body of Christ.
Trying to tell this to the rest of the congregation did no good either. They seemed so convinced that the pastor was right about the "great end-times revival" that they refused to even look at the Scriptures that I was pointing them to to prove that God's Word about the whole end-times situation was right. It seemed like a losing battle.
What was I to do? Should I continue to warn them out of love for their souls, even if that meant I would be excommunicated from the church, or do I just go along with them and **** myself along with the congregation? I prayed to the Lord to see what He would want me to do. He had me stay where I was and just pray for their eyes and ears to be opened to the truth, to simply love on them in the hope that they would be turned from the false light they are trying to follow.
I continued going to the church, praising the Lord as usual, reading the Scriptures daily, keeping myself fed with the Word of God and in constant contact with the Lord, even though I was struggling with some things that I was beset with since my birth.
I have heard about Jesus Christ since my childhood. I had been raised in a few Catholic-run residential schools and attended Mass on a regular schedule. I was taught how to pray by the counselors, even though the only times the students actually prayed was before meals. To me at the time, it was more of a fascination that eventually dwindled when I became a teenager and my mind was on things like *** and being in a relationship with somebody. I really didn't have much of a desire to become a priest, because I have heard that priests live a solitary life without ***, just like Jesus, and being that I wanted to be married to somebody in my adult years, becoming a priest just wasn't for me.
After I left the residential schools, I stopped going to church except for Easter, Christmas, marriages, and funerals. At that point I was hearing various people spouting verses from the Bible that I knew nothing about, since I had never actually read the Bible when I was in residential schools -- I had only heard stories from the Bible. The verses seem to make God sound rather offensive to the way I was living, and I didn't seem to want to have anything to do with that kind of God who hated the way I lived, much less the people speaking those verses. Some of them were well-meaning people who became my friends, but when some of them got really pushy, I would distance myself from them until they stopped. But that didn't really stop the ones dedicated to "pushing their religion" on me.
It was in my early thirties that I decided to give this church one of my friends recommended a try and that I started reading the Bible for myself. Compared to a Catholic mass outside the residential schools, this church's service seemed very lively in their worship, lots of shouting and unusual vocalizations that I came to find out was actually them "speaking in tongues", and that the pastor of that church preached messages that had us examining ourselves to see if we were truly "in Christ". The first Bible I read was the New International Version, and that seemed to get me through as far as introducing the truths of God's Word into my life. The thing is, the church I was going to used the King James Version exclusively, and the pastor didn't like that I was using what he called "a perverted Bible" in his services and for my personal devotionals. I did get myself a copy of the King James Version to satisfy him during the services and study groups, but privately I still read the New International Version.
Over time, though, I got sick of that church because it seemed so strict and cult-like, and my family had to rescue me from that as I ended up losing the job that I was in at the time due to some mental problems I was having. Another friend of mine, who was a Christian, recommended me to another church, which was an Assembly of God, which had a worship similar to that of the previous church I was in but wasn't afraid to use other translations when preaching messages. I felt like I was loved in that church, and eventually I gave my life to Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior and was baptized. After fully reading the New International Version, I decided to switch to a translation that was similar to the King James Version but was more readable and understandable by modern audiences, so my next Bible became the New King James Version.
But things in that Assembly of God church changed. The pastor who was in charge of that church at the time was eventually called to be the pastor of another church, so he and his family, which included a wife, a son, and a daughter moved out of the area. There was a new pastor who came from Maine. He seemed very friendly, but he was a complete firebrand with a passion for winning souls compared to the previous pastor, who seemed like he was a bit dull and wooden. His wife wasn't a worship leader like the previous pastor's wife, but she was a good teacher and she knew her way around running the church as an administrator. The church seemed to like this new pastor, and after careful praying and seeking the Lord's will, he and his wife settled in and he became our pastor.
At first things in the church seemed to be going so well, as there were improvements in the worship, which became as lively as the church I had previously gone to, if not much more. But then the pastor started preaching that the American government was "taking our rights away as Christians", that Christians didn't have the freedom to proclaim the Gospel like they used to anymore, that since prayer has been taken out of schools there has been all sorts of disasters, even school shootings like the one in Columbine. People couldn't say "Merry Christmas" anymore because businesses wanted all religious holidays in December to be recognized. Gays were gaining the right to be married nationwide and were even fighting for the right to adopt children. Marijuana was becoming legalized in more states for both medicine and recreational purposes.
This kind of preaching started off as rather benign, but as time went on, it seemed to be dominating the preaching as we heard less about the Great Commission and the promised Rapture of the church, and more about Christians needing to "take back their country for Christ". It was all about "our rights as Christians" and nothing about reaching out to the lost and perishing souls. The pastor didn't see anything wrong about preaching this kind of message, for he felt in his heart that if the country was "taken back for Christ", then there would be a great end-times revival that would happen before the Lord's coming.
I felt rather hopeless and helpless. In part, I felt like I was Jeremiah in the situation where he couldn't speak the Word of God to God's people because they didn't want to hear it. He said that the Word of God became like a fire shut up in his bones and he couldn't hold it back. That's what it felt like to me, a fire that was shut up in my bones, but being that I had trouble communicating anything to anyone, how was I going to speak this to other people?
I did this by beginning a private blog on the Internet. I started very slowly to speak my mind in the blog since it felt like the place where I could freely communicate myself with nothing lost in the translation of brain to lips like in natural speaking. Nobody in my church knew about this blog, or if they did, they seem to act as if they haven't seen it. But eventually came the people who did read what I had to say, and there came comments of every stripe -- those that agreed with what I had to say and those that didn't.
I didn't know how long I could continue being silent in my church while the congregation was being led on the wide road to Hell without knowing it. They seem to act as if it was the Lord's will all along, as if the Lord's will superseded everything He ever inspired the authors of Scripture to write down. The church was supposed to be for people seeking a refuge from the world so they could made whole in Christ and then be ready to go out into the world to help bring in the lost sheep. Now it just seemed that the Great Commission was not enough, that simply preaching the Gospel message wasn't enough, that the Lord was too slow in His promised Second Coming and they needed to hasten it somehow.
Granted, I didn't like how dark the world was becoming without Christ. But I didn't like seeing a growing darkness creeping within the church and mocking the very methods for winning souls that the world would consider foolishness. And there was just no way to stop the darkness from growing.
Jesus said in Scripture that things like this would happen: that brother would eventually betray brother, and that false prophets would arise and deceive many, and that false Christs would display signs and wonders that would deceive, if possible, even the very elect. He said that a time would come that whoever kills you would think they are doing service to God, and that they do those things because they know neither the Father nor Him.
I look at the congregation and begin to wonder: when will that happen? Who will stand for the truth of God's Word and who would be persuaded by the devil's schemes and lies? When would this great "falling away" occur that would cause brother to betray brother? Who would initiate all this prophecy to happen? The congregation says it would be the appearance of the Antichrist, and their thinking is that they believe he would arise from the unbelieving secular masses to deceive many. But Scripture says of those who were called antichrists that "they went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us."
So that left me wondering, as all the congregation did: who would become the Antichrist?
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-24-2026 12:00 PM
Here's Chapter 2 of the story:
So let's set the scene. I first became part of Westville Assembly of God in 2001. That was around the time of 9/11, when Islamic terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers in New York City. I woke up on that day and went to get myself a cup of coffee when my father's TV was showing pictures of the Twin Towers with smoke pouring out of them. Then both towers eventually collapsed like stacks of Jenga blocks when somebody makes the wrong move. It was a shocking day. Fortunately nobody I knew personally was in the towers when they collapsed. But it was a really sad day for people who did lose loved ones or friends in that incident. Even those who had no part on it were shocked, surprised, and upset. We all had questions. How could this happen? Could this thing happen again? Can we do anything about it? It was then I decided to go to a local Assembly of God that was recommended by my Christian friends and give it a try.
The Westville Assembly of God was an okay church. It was more restrained than the one I visited in Southville previously. No full live band, no really "modern worship" songs, just a person on a piano playing tunes from a hymnal. Its pastor, Patrick Keller, was a friendly guy. His wife Maureen and her two children eventually formed a small worship team that was okay, it just wasn't Southville Assembly's style of worship. The sermons were pretty typical middle-of-the-r0ad stuff about being filled with the Holy Spirit. Nothing to get all excited about. Attending the services felt like you're attending a Bible study class. He made you read the Bible more, which was what I was okay with doing, since I was pretty new to the Bible at the time. I was still working an assembly job, and I got myself some Bible study software so I could read and study at my own pace at home.
Then a few years later, Pastor Keller and his family were called to a different church, and the Westville Assembly of God was left without a pastor for about half a year. Nobody knew what the future of that church was going to be. I felt like it was going to close if nobody found a full-time pastor for that church and that I would have to shop around for a new church to call my spiritual home. But then, when it seemed all hope was lost, a new pastor was found. He was Walter Hightower, who previously pastored a church in Bangor, Maine. He and his wife Grace were good people. Both of them were already divorced when they married each other, so their children were all grown up and raising families of their own. He felt personally called by God to move to Westville to pastor an Assembly of God church, because God was going to move in that church to bring new life to what seemed a dormant and sleeping church.
And over the course of a full year, Westville Assembly of God had changed. The worship was more lively, even at one time matching the energy that I felt at the Southville church. Walter preached fiery sermons that felt like a double shot of cappuccino in audio form. Prayer became more a part of services than Bible study. We were engaged in "spiritual warfare" against "the demonic forces of hell" more often than not. At one time it seemed like a miniature version of the Brownsville Revival, for people who never went to church before started showing up to see "a move of the Spirit" in their services. There were outreach programs for children and homeless people and the elderly shut-ins. I never felt happier to be in a church that felt like Southville Assembly all over again.
But things started to change in 2020. The global pandemic forced churches in America to shut down for a while, and many pastors, especially Pastor Walter, didn't like it. He felt like the American government was stepping on a Christian's "religious freedom" to assemble together peaceably while liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries remained open for business. People began to assume that this "global pandemic" was planned by inside groups to start a "one-world government" that would be ruled by the Antichrist. Pastor Walter loved talking about the Antichrist so much that it seemed to dominate his sermons a lot, particularly about the fear of "being left behind" to go through "seven years of holocaust that would beggar description" and being forced to take "the mark of the beast" in order to buy or sell anything. This shift in preaching made a good deal of people in the congregation uneasy, while some clung to his words like they were "rhema words of God".
It was also during this time when we started hearing about this charismatic governor from Georgia named David J. Shepherd who was planning to run for the Presidency of the United States in 2024. Evangelicals seemed to like him a lot. He spoke their language. He sympathized with their desire to "make America great again". He felt that Christianity needed to take center stage again in American thought, that too many people have drifted away from "the nations' Judeo-Christian foundation", that the Founding Fathers wanted us to make America "a shining city on a hill", that the true Kingdom of God needed to start with us becoming a "Christian nation" so that the world would become a "Christian world" before Jesus Christ comes again. He lived such a flawless public life that few Christians would question him about, being so free from scandal or anything that would put doubts in people's minds about his character. He was everything that American Christians would want in a President — and a whole lot more.
But something about Shepherd gave me pause. It was from a dream that I had about him when I was asleep. I felt like I was watching a movie version of Revelation chapters 12 and 13 being played in my subconscious. A woman being clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, wearing a crown of twelve stars, seemed to be clutching her stomach and was moaning in agony. She was about to give birth. And standing in front of her was a seven-headed dragon that looked hungry, and was about to devour her child as soon as it was soon. Then the Child emerged, glowing like the sun in all its brilliance. He was caught up to the throne of God, bearing an iron scepter with which He will rule all the nations. The dragon roared with anger and caused a third of God's angels to come and take his side. Two-thirds of the angels took God's side, and there was war in heaven, but the dragon and his angels could not prevail. Then the dragon and his angels were cast down from heaven, and the angel cried out, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time."
After the dragon landed on the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the Child. She was given two wings of a great eagle, and with them she began to fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she would be nourished for a time, times, and half a time. The dragon cast out of his mouth water in the form of a flood toward the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. The dragon was angry with the woman. "I will make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," the dragon said.
So I watched as the dragon conjured up two beasts. The first one, which came out of the sea, had seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. This beast was like a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his seat, and great authority. I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the beast. They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they also worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" There was given unto him a mouth that spoke great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue for forty-two months. He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. It was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given to him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
"All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," a voice from heaven said. "If any man has an ear, let him hear. He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."
Then came the second beast who emerged from the earth, who had two horns like a lamb, and spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, He deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast. He says to them that dwell on the earth, "Make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and lived. I have the power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, that no man might buy or sell, except he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
"Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six," the voice from heaven said.
"What is the name of the beast?" I asked.
One word was spoken: "Shepherd."
And then I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling really shaken. Was that dream really from God? Was he really communicating to me the truth that the world will one day know, to its peril? And am I the only one who knew?
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I had to ask my pastor about this. I called to set up a time when I could speak to him alone in his office. It was a Tuesday afternoon, after the noontime prayer session. Everyone else left the room but me and Pastor Walter. He could see that I felt uneasy about this meeting and what I had to say.
"So, Vincent, what's going on in your life that you wanted to share with me?" he asked. "I promise you that everything you have to say is only between me and you, and will not be shared with anyone else."
I took a deep breath before I began. "I had a dream that was like watching a YouTube video movie of Revelation chapters 12 and 13. I saw the woman and the dragon in heaven, the woman gave birth to the Child that would rule with an iron scepter, and the war in heaven between the dragon and his angels and Michael and his angels. The dragon and his angels were soon cast out of heaven. The dragon tried to destroy the woman who birthed the Child, but she was given two wings to fly to her place where God would take care of her. Then I saw the dragon conjure up two beasts: one from the sea, and the other from the earth. The one from the sea had seven heads, and one of his heads was wounded but also suddenly healed, and the world worshipped the dragon and the first beast. The second beast told the people of the earth to make an image of the first beast to worship, and also caused many to take the mark of the beast, that no one may buy or sell without having that mark. I asked who the name of the first beast is, and a voice said, 'Shepherd.'"
"I know it's common for certain people to have dreams like the one you described to me, Vincent, especially after studying the book of Revelation," Pastor Walter said. "However, I'm curious to know why you heard the name Shepherd at the end of your dream."
"I'm just as curious to know myself, Pastor," I said. "Maybe the Lord was telling me that David J. Shepherd, the Presidential candidate, was going to be the Antichrist, the one who will lead many people astray."
"It's possible that it could be the Lord telling you this, Vincent, but it's also possible that it could be demonic forces that are telling you this, or that you are probably just conjuring this up from your own subconscious," Pastor Walter said. "I'd be cautious about sharing this information with other people, especially members of this congregation. One of the seven abominations mentioned in the book of Proverbs is one who sows discord among the brethren."
"I don't wish to do that, Pastor," I said. "I just want to take things slowly and see where they may lead, if this is something that may be a vision of what will happen in the future."
"I'll pray for you, Vincent, to make sure you do take things slowly, and that the Lord will guide you into all truth," Pastor Walter said, smiling. "Anyway, I need to take care of some things in the church. You have yourself a good day, and don't spend too much of your time in Bible study, okay?"
"Okay, Pastor, thanks," I said, feeling a little relieved as I got up and left the office.
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I was still suspicious, though. Something about that dream was hinting at something that the world wanted to stay hidden. I sleuthed through online forums and chat groups to see what kind of information I can dig up on David J. Shepherd. His Wikipedia page article made him sound all too perfect. He was one of those "wonder kids" you sometimes hear about in the news. He was attending private schools and graduated with high honors. He attended universities, and the same thing, "graduated with high honors". He attended a seminary at one point, and yet the same thing there. Then he entered the political arena, first starting as a lawyer, then a judge, then somehow a city mayor, then he became governor of Georgia. It was amazing how "scandal-free" he seemed to be. A little too amazing for my comfort.
Even searches for any articles about him on the Internet turned up nothing that remotely would seem questionable. He was like the perfect Christian boy that every Christian parent dreamed of having. No reports of wild parties or reckless activities or any sort of abusive relationships. He served as a deacon at a local town church with an exemplary record. His court cases seemed to be airtight and conducted with perfect professionalism, no sign of using tactics that would get him disbarred. Hardly anything during his time as governor raised any eyebrows among even his strongest critics. So far he's presented him as just being upfront and honest, with nothing to hide.
That got me thinking: was that dream I had really from God if Shepherd had such a perfect life record that would hardly make anyone question him? Or was that "a tactic of the devil," trying to find some way to poison the waters of a man who truly seemed blessed of God and destined for greatness in His Kingdom? I really had no answers, just that dream as a possible warning that things aren't exactly as they appear to be. I prayed for answers, but God didn't give me anything more about the subject. All I heard in my heart was the word, "Watch!"
And that's what I did. I would watch YouTube videos of Shepherd making public speeches about how America was "a Christian nation" and that his goal is not only to "bring America back to God", but also to bring the whole world to God. He would bring up Jesus' prayer before He went to the cross, that He prayed that "all will be one, as You are with Me." He feared a world that would become "a one-world government ruled by the Antichrist", and believed that the best way to keep that from happening is to "claim the whole world for Christ" and to set up God's Kingdom here on earth so that Jesus will reward His faithful servants when He returns and then take over lordship over the Kingdom from that point on.
Many Evangelicals cheered at this prospect, while the mainline Protestants, the Catholics, and the Orthodox were uneasy. America has always been the country where the line drawn between church and state was plainly enforced, and now Evangelicals want to erase that line completely and have the church and state be united together? One thing was for sure: David J. Shepherd certainly had an uphill battle to fight if he and the Christian Dominionists supporting him were ever to get their way.
Only time will tell what was going to go down. And all I had to do — all that I could ever do at this point — was just watch.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-24-2026 12:02 PM
Chapter 3:
The months leading up to the election were full of activity. David Shepherd campaigned relentlessly against his opponent Luanne Wilmington, the Vice President who took over the race after the incumbent President, Joseph Borden, respectfully bowed out due to his advanced age. That left us with two main candidates that were both equal in age and vitality, both of them being in their fifties. Luanne was a former prosecutor who litigated and won all her court cases, and she took that same energy into her role as Vice President, working relentlessly for justice for the marginalized and the oppressed. People thought that she would make a great first female President after Caylin Hill tried to do so and lost in 2016. But Evangelicals didn't like how she, like the President she supported, would give rights to the LGBTQ+ community such as marriage equality, which they believed was only for male and female couples, and rights for minors to "transition" to their "true genders". Shepherd didn't like this, either, for he campaigned for the protection of minors from what he called "dangerous mutilation" of their bodies. I didn't like it myself, but I personally believed in the right of minors to have full autonomy of their own bodies regardless of parental and/or guardianship decisions. I have heard too many stories about religious people and pastors "having their way with minors" and the churches protecting the predators more than the victims, always shaming them for "leading on faithful men of God" with things like how they dress.
One time the pastor showed us a video of a campaign speech from David Shepherd that he thought might be useful in one of his sermons. The speech was called "A Shining City Once Again," and it began with Shepherd taking the pulpit and addressing the crowd of voters in the room.
"My fellow Americans... tonight, I don't come before you as a Republican. I don't come before you as a conservative. I don't even come before you simply as a politician. I come before you as an American who believes our best days are still ahead. For too long we've been told that this nation is hopelessly divided. We've been told that we can never heal. We've been told that faith belongs behind the walls of a church, that conviction belongs only in private, and that our deepest beliefs have no place in public life. I reject that. America has never been great because of her wealth. America has never been great because of her armies. America has never been great because of her technology. America has been great because generation after generation believed there was something higher than government... something greater than politics... something eternal. Our founders called those truths self-evident. Our grandparents called them blessings. I simply call them gifts from God.
"Now before anyone misunderstands me, let me be clear. I am not asking government to replace the Church. Government can never save a single soul. Only Jesus Christ can do that. Government cannot forgive sins. Government cannot redeem hearts. Government cannot promise eternal life. But government can acknowledge that there is a God above every president, every judge, every governor, and every nation. And when a nation humbly acknowledges that truth, it flourishes.
"The prophet Micah asked, 'What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.' Justice. Mercy. Humility. Imagine what America could become if those weren't merely words carved into monuments, but principles guiding our public life. My friends... I believe America still has a calling. Not because we are better than any other nation. Not because we deserve special favor. But because those who have received much have a responsibility to serve much.
"Jesus told His disciples, 'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.' For too long we've hidden our light. We've apologized for believing. We've allowed fear to replace hope. We've accepted decline as though it were inevitable. I refuse to believe that. I believe America can once again become a city on a hill—not through arrogance, but through service. Not through conquest, but through compassion. Not by forcing faith upon anyone, but by living it boldly enough that others see its beauty. When families are restored... communities are restored. When communities are restored... nations can be restored. And when nations are restored... the world begins to change.
"Think about that. For two thousand years Christians have prayed, 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.' What if we actually believed those words? What if we became a people who lived them? Not tomorrow. Today. Not somewhere else. Here. Not by waiting for someone else. By becoming the generation that refuses to surrender hope.
"I know there are voices that say faith should stay inside church buildings. I respect their right to disagree. But I cannot accept the idea that people of faith should leave their convictions at the door when they enter public service. If our faith teaches us honesty... shouldn't government value honesty? If our faith teaches us compassion... shouldn't our laws reflect compassion? If our faith teaches us justice... shouldn't our courts pursue justice? Faith has always inspired ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. It inspired abolitionists. It inspired civil rights leaders. It inspired missionaries to build hospitals, orphanages, and schools around the world. Faith is not the enemy of freedom. Faith is one of freedom's greatest guardians.
"My fellow Americans... this campaign isn't about returning to some mythical golden age. It's about becoming the nation we still have the courage to become. A nation that leads by serving. A nation that speaks truth without hatred. A nation that loves mercy. A nation that remembers that greatness begins on our knees before Almighty God. The work before us is enormous. But I believe in this country. I believe in its people. And above all... I believe that God is not finished with America. May God bless you. May God bless every family represented here tonight. And may God continue to bless the United States of America."
After the speech had ended, most of the congregation clapped. I just sat in my seat and watched, unmoved, unconvinced. Just observing.
Then Pastor Walter took to the pulpit. "That was an amazing speech from an amazing man that I believe God has raised up and brought to the Kingdom for such a time as this, as Mordecai once said to Esther. I believe that we can, with God's help, reclaim this nation from the forces of darkness that surround us daily, that walk among us in broad daylight, and that we can see a great revival that will take place before the Lord's return. And make no mistake, I still believe that the Lord will return for His bride before things take a turn for the worse, before we do enter into what would be called 'the time of Jacob's trouble', the seven years of Tribulation that would make what happened in Europe during World War II seem like child's play in comparison."
The sermon that followed was from Joshua 1:1-9, about how God gave Joshua, Moses' successor, the command to lead His people into the Promised Land, and that He will be with His people every step of the way. "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses," he quoted from the Scriptures, saying that every place that we're treading on with our feet, we're automatically "claiming it for Christ."
I said nothing. I just sat and listened intently to the sermon, evaluating its content in my mind and weighing it against the whole counsel of Scripture. That's what I like doing, taking the preached "word of God" and weighing it with the already-revealed words of God. It helps that I usually use Bible translations that are word-for-word more than thought-for-thought. I never let anything that I hear from the pulpits go without weighing it in the balances.
-----
After church, I went to the Dunkin' coffee shop with my friend Valerie Korin, whom I had met around that time. She used to be a drug addict, but God saved her when she was about to die from a drug overdose and gave her a husband and family. She couldn't have any children of her own, but fortunately her husband already had children whom she loved and cared for as her own. Recently Valerie became a grandmother when her stepdaughter gave birth to a baby boy.
"So what did you think of the speech that David Shepherd gave that night, which the pastor showed before this morning's sermon?" Valerie asked.
"I think he says all the right things that Evangelicals want to hear, Val," I answered. "What do you think?"
"I'm rather on the fence when it comes to politicians, Vince," Valerie said. "The last politician I actively voted for was George W. Bush, and look where he had led our country during the War On Terror about twenty years ago."
"I knew he wasn't a perfect man, but he felt like a true man of God, Val," I said. "Nowadays you can't even trust which politician is really looking out for you."
"That's why the Lord laid upon my heart that verse from Psalm 146, to put not your trust in princes or in sons of men in whom there is no help," Valerie said. "No politician has the power to save anyone. Yet the people look to them anyway because they think they will save them out of this trouble or that."
"So you don't think you'd vote for David Shepherd when it comes to the election in November?" I asked.
"As I said, Vince, I'm kind of on the fence about it," Valerie answered. "He's got to really impress me before I would even choose to put his name on the ballot."
"What if I said to you that I think Shepherd is the Antichrist?" I asked.
"I would think you were a crazy conspiracy theorist or something, Vince, but you have a right to your opinion about him," Valerie answered. "Who knows, maybe you're right, and he will probably lead the nation and the world into the seven-year Tribulation. Who knows, maybe we'll be raptured before he gets sworn in as President. Or even that Luanne Wilmington."
"You think she has a chance of being President, Val?" I asked.
"I say that they both have a chance of being President at this point," Valerie answered. "Evangelicals surely love Shepherd, while the rest of the nation either loves Wilmington or is a bit sour that Borden couldn't continue his campaign."
"I really liked Joseph Borden, even though he was getting up in age like Ronald Reagan when he ran for President," I said.
Valerie made a face when I mentioned Reagan. "Well, the less I hear about Ray-Gun, the better. I thought he was a terrible President, and I wouldn't vote for him if I was at the age of voting for him back in the 80s."
"Yeah, those weren't the best of times for me, especially being in residential school," I said. "I was still heartbroken that my parents decided to divorce, and that my father ended up having a child through my stepmother."
"Don't tell me that your father cheated and had that child while they were still married," Valerie said.
I laughed. "Fortunately not. My parents divorced long before my father had a relationship with my stepmother. But after she had the child from my father, she took off and ran away with my half-brother when he was still in diapers."
"Oh, that's sad," Valerie said. "Did you get in touch with your step-brother?"
"I did, years later at my father's funeral," I said. "He's happily married and living in Connecticut and has a ten-year-old daughter with his wife."
"I'm going to pray for you, Vince, and for all of us, that the Lord will reveal in His time who He would want us to vote for our next President," Valerie said.
"I'll pray for you as well, Valerie," I said as I drank my coffee.
-----
Sometime later I ran across my friend Daniel Wickman, who was going to a Seventh-Day Adventist church in my local area. He was out in the street corners passing out flyers that warn people about the "upcoming National Sunday Law" that the United States would someday pass. I usually see him at the Gilead House program trying to push his brand of religion on the other members at times and getting himself suspended a few times when he refused to comply with its rules of not bringing religion into the program. For the most part, though, he chooses to seek confrontation about people's faith (or lack thereof) outside the Gilead House, standing on the street corners, hoping to get people to listen to him.
"Hey, Vince, how's it going?" Daniel asked.
"Just living as usual," I replied. "Still trying to get people to listen about your ideas about the 'National Sunday Law'?"
"It isn't just an idea, Vince, it's what the government plans to do, and I think with this new 'Christian' Presidential candidate who's running for office, that it might become a reality," Daniel said.
"So you still think that Sunday worship service is the 'mark of the beast' prophesied in Revelation?" I asked.
"I know it deep in my heart that it will be, Vince," Daniel answered. "God gave us the 4th Commandment, to keep holy the Sabbath day, for a reason. It's the only legitimate day that God has set aside for us to worship on."
"But what about what Paul the apostle said, to let those be convinced in their own minds which days are special to the Lord and which days are all like, that he who regards the day regards it unto the Lord?" I asked.
"Well, he certainly wasn't talking about the Sabbath day, Vince," Daniel answered. "Jesus kept Sabbath, Paul kept Sabbath, the apostles and all the saints kept Sabbath. God warned us in Daniel about a coming man who will think to change times and law. Who knows? It could be that David Shepherd guy."
"So you think that David Shepherd could be the Antichrist?" I asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he revealed himself to be that," Daniel answered. "Jesus said to beware of false shepherds that inwardly are ravenous wolves. They will show great signs and wonders that, if it were possible, they could deceive the very elect. But we won't be fooled. Hopefully you won't be either."
"I'm praying that the Lord will keep me watchful for those false shepherds, even if that includes people like David Shepherd," I said. "I don't trust him as much as I trust in the Lord."
"You should come to one of my church's services and see how we truly worship the Lord, if you want your eyes to be open," Daniel said. "You have yourself a great day."
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That night I watched on YouTube a live-stream speech given by Governor Luanne Wilmington to a packed audience. Like Shepherd, she seemed confident and certain that her audience will listen and understand every word she had to say. The name of the speech was "The Republic We Must Keep."
"My fellow Americans, every generation inherits two great gifts. The first is freedom. The second is the responsibility to protect it. Our parents and grandparents did not leave us a perfect nation. They left us something more precious. They left us a republic where people with different convictions could live together without fear. A nation where churches could preach freely. Where synagogues, mosques, and temples could worship freely. Where those with no religious faith at all could still enjoy the equal protection of the law. That freedom is not an accident. It is one of America's greatest achievements.
"Now, let me say something that may surprise some people. I believe faith matters. Some of the finest people I have ever known are people of deep religious conviction. They volunteer at food pantries. They welcome foster children into their homes. They comfort the dying. They forgive when forgiveness seems impossible. Our nation would be poorer without them. But I also believe something else. Faith is strongest when it is freely chosen. The moment government begins deciding which faith should lead the nation... both government and religion begin to lose something precious. History teaches us that lesson again and again. Whenever political power wraps itself in sacred language, criticism becomes blasphemy. Disagreement becomes heresy. Opponents become enemies of God instead of fellow citizens. That is not how a free people should govern themselves.
"My opponent often speaks of building a Christian nation. I respect his faith. I respect every American's faith. But I ask a simple question. Whose Christianity? The Baptist's? The Catholic's? The Pentecostal's? The Orthodox Christian's? The Lutheran's? The Methodist's? The Assemblies of God's? Who decides? Government? If government has the power to decide that question today... what prevents another government from answering it differently tomorrow?
"The Constitution protects religion not because religion is weak. It protects religion because faith should never depend upon the permission of politicians. America has always been at her best when churches changed hearts... and government protected liberty. Those are different callings. Both are important. Neither should replace the other.
"Now, I know some people say that defending the separation of church and state means pushing God out of public life. It does not. It means refusing to let politicians claim God's authority for themselves. No president... no governor... no Congress... no Supreme Court... speaks for God. Only God speaks for God.
"The strength of this nation has never been that we all believe exactly the same thing. Our strength has been that we have learned to live together despite our differences. That is not weakness. That is freedom. My opponent promises unity. Unity is a beautiful word. But unity purchased by conformity is not freedom. True unity comes when free people choose to love one another despite disagreement.
"I believe America can remain a nation where every church is free to preach the Gospel... where every citizen is free to disagree... and where no child ever has to wonder whether the government sees them as less American because of what they believe. That is the republic I love. That is the republic I will defend. May God bless every American... and may God forever bless the United States of America."
Everyone in the audience clapped for her words. But social media has been relentlessly tearing her speech apart, accusing her of being "anti-Godly" and "anti-Christ." They even go so far as to claim that she is the coming Antichrist that will bring the one-world government upon the whole world and force everybody to take "the mark of the beast".
I turned off my computer and put on some quiet worship music to relax and take my mind off the things of the day. But I couldn't help but disagree with anyone who called Luanne "the Antichrist". She felt like the only person left who's standing in the gap in the political arena to get the government to not take that perilous step into complete authoritarianism. I felt that God had raised her up "for such a time as this", to be that Esther that would halt the destruction of a people who had done nothing but simply exist for whatever faith they had, even if it was no faith.
"Lord God, I pray that You would use Luanne Wilmington mightily in the coming months leading to the election, that she would be a strong voice of reason to this generation, that people's eyes, ears, minds, and hearts would be opened to the revelation of Your Word and turn their lives over to You before it's too late," I prayed quietly. "In the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I pray. Amen."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-24-2026 12:05 PM
Chapter 4:
The summer would be a time of testing for the nations. July 4, 2024 was supposed to be a day where the United States would be celebrating its Independence Day. But that day would be remembered for something that took place in the land of Israel, whom America has had political relations with.
Russia, which had turned into a theocracy since its premier took power over the nation, tried to make peace with Israel in exchange for its "miracle food" that they have produced with the help of a special proprietary formula that would make food grow in places where such growth would be impossible. But Israel had no trust in Russia to keep their end of the deal, because they were also funding the rival Middle East countries with weapons that could destroy Israel in a heartbeat. Talks between the two heads of state went nowhere. Israel wouldn't make the deal unless Russia divested itself of its support of the other Middle East nations. Russia didn't want to give up the money they were making from their arms deals with those nations. There was only one thing left for Russia to do. If they couldn't get their hands on the food growth formula by legal means, they would do the Middle East nations a favor and completely annihilate Israel off the map.
So before Americans could wake up to have their coffee and prepare for their holiday celebrations, Israel found themselves bombarded by hundreds of missiles all aimed in their direction. There was hardly any time to react. Its citizens prayed for a miracle to happen, that God would come to the rescue of His people and save them.
Then, without warning, all the missiles just exploded harmlessly in the air. Every weapon aimed at Israel failed to reach their targets. It was like God was setting up a Fourth of July display over the skies of Israel, and all they had to do was stand there and witness the display. Live cameras captured the event and broadcast it all over the globe for the whole world to see. The free nations let out a sigh of relief when they saw that all-out nuclear war was averted.
I was watching it on several different YouTube videos, each one with their own commentary about the event. Some Christians were saying that this was the fulfillment of Ezekiel chapter 39, that God would protect His nation from "the arrows of the north". Even a rabbi was saying something similar, and he wasn't even a Messianic Jew reporting on the news.
But one video title caught my eye. It read: A SIGN FROM GOD — SHEPHERD WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT. The host of that video was some "YouTube prophet" named Steve Troy. He seemed to be excited to share the latest "prophecy" that he supposedly received from God.
"You think that God just preserved Israel from an all-out Russian attack just because He loved them?" Steve said. "Far from it! God protected them because He was going to do something amazing with our future President, David Shepherd. That's right…you heard it here first: David Shepherd will be our next President, and it's all decreed from the courts of heaven! He's going to make a peace covenant with Israel that will last seven years. There's no way that Israel would reject such a man of God at this point of time. America is going to lead the way into making the world a totally Christian world, and it's going to happen through God's man of the hour, David Shepherd."
I just sat there stunned, listening to the words of this "prophet". God was going to use David Shepherd to bring about His Kingdom here on earth? And Shepherd was going to make a peace covenant with Israel that will last seven years? That made me think of Daniel 9:27, where it said about the "coming prince" that "he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, and in the middle of that week he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the end, and that which was decreed shall be poured out on the desolate."
Just soon after there was a video with David Shepherd himself claiming that the miracle that happened over Israel was a sure sign of God's favor. "Our God is bringing us all to the Kingdom for such a time as this to witness His hand being over the Presidential election that will take place in a few months, and I pray that His Spirit would move in the hearts of all the people in America to make the wise decision of who they will cast their vote for — a vote that will determine our destiny not just as a nation, but as a leader of the world."
From that moment on, Shepherd's popularity seemed to just jump from being in the fifties to being in the eighties. He was even winning the hearts of liberal Christians to consider him as God's sign that he will make an excellent President and a great world leader. But it still left me wondering: is this truly God's work to make David Shepherd the next President? Or was all this just a demonic setup?
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Valerie and I had a talk with each other about recent events at a church cookout after a July Sunday service. She seemed to be excited about the news of Israel's miracle and what it meant for the upcoming election.
"I couldn't believe it!" Valerie gushed. "David Shepherd really sold me. That miracle truly was a sign that God was with him and that he'll become the next President of the United States."
"And you're going to vote for him in November?" I asked.
"I think the entire church is going to vote for Shepherd, Vince," Valerie replied. "He seems to be such a blessing on America that the whole world has to see what kind of man he truly is. If it weren't for him, I doubt that Israel could have survived."
"You're making it sound like Shepherd himself caused the miracle that happened over Israel," I said.
"I'm not saying anything of the sort!" Valerie said. "I'm just saying that God brought forth this man at an important time like this to decide the future of the world. I think the world would sleep better knowing that God used a man like Shepherd to bring peace to the world."
"But it's not the peace that God wants to bring through Jesus Christ, the peace that surpasses all understanding," I said.
"We could still have that peace, but I don't think Jesus needs to personally come down from heaven to give us that peace, Vince," Valerie said. "He will still be King of Kings and Lord of Lords as long as He continues to rule over us from heaven."
"So what's the point in praying, 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven'?" I asked.
"Jesus said the true Kingdom of God is within you," Valerie answered. "I remember Him saying in Luke that the Kingdom of God doesn't come with observation, nor will they say, 'It is here,' or, 'It is there.' As long as we're all carrying that little piece of the Kingdom inside us, I'm sure we'll be able to build that Kingdom here on earth so that it will be like it is in heaven."
"So now you're not even looking forward to the Rapture?" I asked.
"Why would there be any need for a Rapture, Vince?" Valerie replied. "He's going to come and rule over the Kingdom that we built for Him on the earth. It makes no sense to just take us out of this world if He's coming back to it by the end of seven years."
"Seven years?" I said. "You sound like that YouTube prophet Steve Troy."
"I think Steve speaks the truth, honey," Valerie said. "There's going to be seven years of peace on earth, and after that the Lord will come and take His place here on the earth, and we will all be subject to Him, even David Shepherd."
"I doubt that's ever going to happen," I said, feeling like the conversation was just going nowhere.
-----
As the days followed, I noticed people wearing T-shirts saying things like THE GOOD SHEPHERD and SON OF DAVID 2024. Some had David Shepherd's face on it next to the slogan. It was like Shepherd had already built himself a large fan base just by being present with the people. Even church members started wearing those shirts and ball caps during services. I felt increasingly drowned out by the voices that were singing praises to God for David Shepherd. A popular Christian artist created worship songs like "The Good Shepherd" and "Son Of David" for the congregations to sing. It felt like blasphemy to give a "man of God' more glory and honor than the God who supposedly raised him up for this moment in history.
Then in early September, there came some devastating news. Joseph Borden, the current President, had died of unknown causes. Some of the people in America mourned for him, and a televised funeral service was held in honor for his passing. Luanne Wilmington gave the eulogy for the President, calling him a wonderful man of God who helped America through the pandemic, and that she wished she could be half as great as that man was for the nation. David Shepherd also gave some passing words of sympathy, though they seemed less passionate, like he was reading words from a script instead of straight from the heart. Luanne was soon sworn in as the acting President, though in a press conference she said she felt as if it would be the shortest term she would have in that role as the masses still planned to vote for Shepherd in November.
I went to the pastor to talk about my feelings of grief. I caught him at the end of a service as he was about to leave with his wife for a family vacation. "Vincent, what seems to be on your mind?" he asked as we were making our way to the door.
"I wasn't expecting the President to pass away so soon, with no known cause as to what had happened," I said.
"Nobody knows for sure except for God," Pastor Walter said, trying to sound comforting. "But he will have to stand before God and give an account of his life, including the things that he has done in office during the past four years."
"It doesn't sound like you even like him that much, Pastor," I said.
"I have nothing but the love of God for him," Pastor Walter said. "But even that love has to recognize that there are things in the Bible that we still have to call sin, and the things Borden supported, like abortion and LGBTQ rights, are against what the Bible teaches. Those are the things that God will deal with with our next President, which hopefully will be Shepherd."
"But Wilmington's currently acting as President, or at least until the election," I said.
"I'm sure it will all get settled when God decides who our next President will be, Vincent," Pastor Walter said. He looked at his watch. "Sorry I don't have any more time to talk. I'll see you when I get back from vacation."
"Just be careful," I said as I watched the pastor drive off in his car.
-----
I talked to Valerie about my feelings on the phone. She was alone in the house with her dogs when she answered, as I could hear the faint sound of barking in the background.
"Sorry, honey, had to take care of my children," Valerie said. "What's up?"
"What do you think of Wilmington filling in for President until the election takes place?" I asked.
"I think she'll keep the seat warm and occupied until David Shepherd is sworn into office in January," Valerie answered. "Why, what do you think?"
"I pray to God that she will keep that seat in the Oval Office well beyond January, because I dread the thought of Shepherd taking over as President, if that is supposed to happen," I said.
"Oh, dear, you got to stop thinking the worst of David Shepherd," Valerie said, trying to sound comforting. "I know he's going to be a good President. I think you're letting that dream you had about him cloud your judgment."
"I can't stop thinking about that dream, Val!" I said. "It makes me think of Esther having to make a decision that would decide the fate of her people when she was queen."
"Well, I can't make up your mind for you," Valerie said. "If you feel in your spirit that it's something that needs to be shared with the congregation, you have to pray to God to make sure that's what He wants you to say at the moment He wants you to say it."
"You mean I should fast and pray for God to move in my life?" I asked.
"That's what I would suggest, because I can't think of anything else that would help you be at ease," Valerie answered. "Either you sit quiet and watch the congregation run off the cliff in masses, or you speak up and risk losing your place in our church. But whatever you choose to do, I'll be praying for you."
"Thanks, Val," I said. "I guess that's just what I needed to hear."
"Anytime, sweetie," Valerie said. "I've got to get myself ready for sleep. You take care now."
"Have a good night's rest, Val," I said before I ended the call.
And then I sat in the darkness before my computer, which was displaying the passage in Esther where Mordecai said, "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
Now was the time to seek God's face about this matter.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-24-2026 12:08 PM
Chapter 5:
It's now the Sunday before Election Day 2024. I go to church as usual. We have our time of singing worship songs. Then the pastor brings us a video featuring Graeme Franklin, a famous missionary whom some have called "the American Evangelical pope," who brings up the fact that soon we'll be voting for two powerful people to take the office of President, and that only one candidate, David J. Shepherd, stands for "Christian values" such as protecting the sanctity of life and "God-ordained" marriage between a man and a woman. "I encourage you all, as you enter your voting booths, to pause, reflect, and pray for God's wisdom to guide you into voting for the person whom God has chosen to be our next President, because the future of the world depends on your vote," Graeme said candidly.
Pastor Walter took to the pulpit. "Those are good words coming from a true man of God, ladies and gentlemen. I come into agreement with Graeme Franklin right now and plead the blood of Jesus over this election, that no demonic powers will persuade voters from casting their vote for a person that doesn't reflect the true genuine heart of God. We do stand at the precipice of gates of Hell and declare that this nation, the United States, is and will forever be a Christian nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Now I would like for you to turn over to the book of Exodus where we will discuss…"
"People of this church, listen!" I boldly interrupted. "God has spoken to me in a vision, and it's a vision He needs you to see and hear for yourselves!"
"Excuse me, Vincent, this isn't the time for prophetic…," Pastor Walter tried to say.
"Behold, I saw in my vision a beast coming out of the sea, having seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns, and upon each head the name of blasphemy," I continued, undaunted. "One of those heads was wounded mortally, but it was healed, and the world worshipped the beast, saying, 'Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war against it?'"
"Again, I ask you to please contain yourself," Pastor Walter tried again. "This isn't the time for…"
"One of those heads is that of David Shepherd!" I cried out. "He is the beast that comes from the sea. He is the one whom the dragon will give his seat, his power, and great authority. All the earth will worship him, whose names are nor written in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world."
"You are out of line!" Pastor Walter shouted. "Ushers, come and escort him out of the sanctuary! I'll deal with him later!"
Two ushers came and stood beside me near my seat. "Please come quietly with us," one of the ushers said. "We don't want to use force to take you out of the sanctuary."
"I will go, but I pray to God that all your eyes and ears will be open to the truth," I said, picking up my Bible and my coat. "Make the right choice before it's too late!"
Everyone in the congregation watched silently as I left with the ushers out of the sanctuary. I had a feeling that they felt that I had gone crazy. But the Lord had impressed upon me to deliver that message, and I would be amiss to not deliver it at the time the Lord wanted me to speak it.
I waited until the end of the service in the foyer. After the congregation left, the pastor called me into the prayer room for a private meeting.
"What is going on with you, Vincent?" he asked. "Don't tell me this was a mental health issue you're having!"
"It wasn't a mental health issue, Pastor," I answered. "It was a message the Lord wanted me to give to the congregation at this point of time. I honestly feel that the church as a whole is being deceived by the powers of darkness."
"It may be you who is being deceived and used by the devil, Vincent," Pastor Walter said. "That disruption may cause people to doubt their faith in a God that is using David Shepherd powerfully to bring about His purpose on the nation."
"Please, Pastor, listen to me," I said. "David Shepherd is not a true man of God. He is the coming Antichrist. He will lead all the nations into worshipping him and his true father Satan. You got to search the Scriptures and know that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so his ministers will also disguise themselves as 'ministers of righteousness', whose end shall be according to their works."
"Vincent, you have to stop believing in the lies of the devil, because I think he's using you to sow discord among the brethren, and that is called an abomination," Pastor Walter said. "From now on, you are never to tell anyone that David Shepherd is the Antichrist, or you will be expelled from this church. Do I make myself clear?"
"So you don't want me to prophesy anything but things you want to hear?" I said. "Sorry, Pastor, but in all good conscience, I cannot obey that order."
"Then I'm sorry that you cannot come back to this church until you are willing to confess and repent before God and declare that what you have said was in error," Pastor Walter said, sighing heavily. "I'll pray for the Lord to open your eyes and ears to the truth in the meantime, okay?"
I sighed, realizing that the pastor was dead-set against me prophesying in the church. "Yes, Pastor, I understand," I said as I headed for the door.
-----
At home, I got a call from Valerie. "Hey, Vince, what was going on with you at the church today?" she asked, sounding concerned. "That doesn't normally sound like you speaking today."
"The Lord wanted me to deliver a message to the congregation today that I saw in a vision that David Shepherd is the Antichrist," I answered. "You did tell me to pray and seek the Lord's face about the issue, so I did."
"I see," Valerie said. "Well, I wasn't expecting that kind of boldness coming from you, or the message you delivered right before the pastor started the sermon."
"Yeah, well, right now the pastor has kicked me out of the church and said the only way I can come back is to tell the congregation that what I said was a mistake and that it didn't come from God," I said.
"And you wouldn't comply," Valerie said. "So what are you going to do?"
"I'll probably have to stay low for a time and see what happens after the election," I said. "We probably won't be able to talk much now since you and I both have our own work schedules."
"I'm sure we can make the time, sweetie," Valerie said. "I'm the main breadwinner of my household right now, since my husband is currently disabled and won't be able to work for a time."
"Oh, that's sad," I said. "I'll pray for your husband's recovery, Val."
"Thanks, Vince, you're a real saint," Valerie said. "Are you going to watch the election results on Tuesday night after the polls close?"
"Definitely. I already know who I'm voting for, so I pray that Wilmington wins," I said.
"I'm voting for and praying for my candidate as well," Valerie said. "Maybe we can meet at Dunkin's for some coffee the day after the election to discuss things."
"I would like that very much, but I don't have much money on hand," I said.
"Don't worry, honey, it's my treat," Valerie said. "I'll pick you up on early Wednesday afternoon after my noontime prayer. Talk to you soon."
"Have a good night, Val," I said before I ended the call.
-----
Tuesday was a very busy day for me. I worked at my assembly job as usual, putting together inner packaging for other companies' products, had my lunch, spent some time at the Gilead House socializing with my friends, and then went to my designated voting poll office and cast my vote. I felt led by the Spirit to vote for Luanne Wilmington, even though she had only a slight chance of winning. But I comforted myself with the thought that God can make the impossible happen, so why not vote for Wilmington?
As I watched a YouTube live stream of the election results all night while I was lying on my bed, I felt inspired to read through the account of Deborah the judge in the book of Judges, how she was called as a judge for Israel to encourage her people to fight against Jabin the king of Canaan, whose armies were led by a commander named Sisera. Deborah called Barak to lead the forces into battle against Sisera and his armies, but Barak refused to go into battle unless Deborah accompanies him. Deborah says she will go, but she also warns that the battle will not be for Barak's honor, for she said that the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman. Sure enough, as the Israelites engaged in battle with the Canaanites at the river Kishon, Sisera escaped and fled to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. Jael gave him milk to drink and covered him with a blanket, then later, when Sisera was asleep, she came softly to him with a hammer and drove a tent peg through his temples, so that he laid on the ground dead. When Barak came by the way of Jael's tent, Jael showed him the man that she had killed, and Barak witnessed Deborah's words coming true.
I felt like we as a nation were facing the moment when the Israelites were facing incredible odds that were stacked against them as the Canaanite forces surrounded them on every side. I muted the TV and got on my knees and prayed. "Lord God, I pray right now that You would by Your wisdom show us which of these two candidates would become our next President, and that whoever is chosen, we will accept that as Your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. In Your Son Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."
-----
I fell asleep, only to wake to the sound of music on my YouTube feed. The video that was playing was called "David's Dance", and it showed a repeated clip of David Shepherd dancing with joy while "Praise Ye The Lord" was playing in the background on a continuous loop.
I turned off the video and saw that my feeds were all proclaiming the same news: David Shepherd has won the election. The results were overwhelming in his favor as he received 70 percent of the national vote while Luanne Wilmington only received 25 percent and 5 percent were undecided. Religious channels were crowing about "The Rise Of The New King David", claiming that this was the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy from Ezekiel about God "raising up David to be His shepherd for His people." The enthusiasm for his victory was off the charts as Christians everywhere were celebrating this victory.
A video I noticed was labeled "A New Beginning for America." I clicked on it and watched as David Shepherd delivered what seemed to be a convincing and convicting speech to the American people. Standing beside him was his running mate Jonathan B. Prince, who also seemed as happy as David was at that moment.
"My fellow Americans, tonight, I stand before you humbled by the trust you have placed in me. To those who voted for me, thank you. To those who did not, I want you to hear me clearly: I will be your president too. This victory does not belong to one party, one denomination, one region, or one movement. It belongs to every American who still believes that division does not have to be our destiny, that decline is not inevitable, and that this nation can rise again—not merely in wealth or strength, but in character. Tonight, the campaign is over. The work begins.
"For many years, Americans have been told that we must choose between conviction and compassion, between faith and freedom, between moral clarity and mutual respect. I reject those false choices. We can speak the truth without hatred. We can defend our beliefs without denying the dignity of our neighbors. We can honor the faith that shaped so much of our history while protecting the conscience of every citizen. And we can become one nation again. Not because we agree on everything. Not because our differences have disappeared. But because there are still things greater than our differences. Family. Community. Justice. Mercy. Duty. Sacrifice. And the unshakable truth that every human life possesses dignity that no government grants and no government has the right to take away.
"Tonight, I am thinking of the mother who works two jobs and still wonders whether she can afford groceries. I am thinking of the father who feels he has failed because he cannot provide the life he wants for his children. I am thinking of the elderly woman sitting alone in a house filled with memories. I am thinking of the young man who has been told that his life has no purpose. I am thinking of the pastor feeding families from a church basement. I am thinking of the teacher buying school supplies with her own money. I am thinking of the police officer who serves with integrity, the nurse working through the night, the farmer watching the sky, and the soldier standing guard far from home. You are America. Not the politicians. Not the parties. You. And this administration will remember whom it serves.
"During this campaign, I spoke often about America's spiritual inheritance. Some praised those words. Others feared them. So let me say plainly what I mean. I do not believe the government can create faith. I do not believe the state can save souls. I do not believe any president should stand between a person and God. Faith imposed by force is not faith. Worship demanded by law is not worship. And a church dependent upon political power has forgotten the power it already possesses. But neither will I accept the idea that our deepest convictions must be hidden, apologized for, or excluded from public life. We will protect the freedom to preach. We will protect the freedom not to believe. We will protect the Christian, the Jew, the Muslim, the Hindu, the skeptic, and every person whose conscience leads them to worship—or not worship—in peace. Because religious liberty does not belong only to the majority. It belongs to everyone.
"Yet liberty must be more than permission to believe privately. It must include the freedom to live according to conscience, to serve one's community, to raise one's children, and to bring moral conviction into the public square without fear. Under this administration, faith will not control the government. But neither will government be permitted to control faith.
"My fellow Americans, our nation is wounded. Families are fractured. Communities are distrustful. Public institutions have lost credibility. Too many of our children are growing up without hope, discipline, belonging, or any sense that their lives serve a greater purpose. Government cannot repair all of this. But government can stop making it worse. We will strengthen families. We will rebuild neighborhoods. We will partner with local organizations that have earned the trust of the people they serve. We will confront addiction with both accountability and compassion. We will protect children from exploitation. We will restore dignity to work. We will defend the elderly, the unborn, the disabled, the poor, and all those whom powerful people find easy to overlook. And we will measure our success not by how loudly we proclaim our values, but by how faithfully we live them.
"Scripture teaches that faith without works is dead. So let our national renewal be known by its works. Let the hungry be fed. Let the lonely be visited. Let the prisoner be remembered. Let the stranger be treated with dignity. Let the powerful be held accountable. Let justice be administered without favoritism. And let mercy never be mistaken for weakness.
"Tonight, I also speak to the nations of the world. America seeks no empire. We seek no throne above other nations. We will not spread our convictions by the sword. We will lead through service, strength disciplined by humility, and power restrained by principle. But we will not retreat from the responsibility history has placed before us. Where there is war, we will labor for peace. Where there is persecution, we will defend conscience. Where there is hunger, we will offer bread. Where tyranny crushes human dignity, we will speak the truth.
"America will become a shining city on a hill again—not so the world will admire us, but so that the world may see what a free and virtuous people can accomplish together. Some will say this vision is too ambitious. Some will say our divisions are too deep. Some will say the nation we love cannot be restored. But I have traveled this country. I have looked into the faces of its people. And I tell you tonight: there is more goodness in America than our headlines suggest. There is more courage than our cynicism allows. There is more faith than our institutions understand. And there is more grace available to us than any of us deserve.
"The hour is late. But it is not too late. Let tonight mark the end of the politics of perpetual outrage. Let it mark the end of leaders who profit from keeping neighbors afraid of one another. Let it mark the beginning of a new covenant of citizenship—not enforced by government, but embraced by free people. A covenant to tell the truth. To honor our promises. To protect the vulnerable. To forgive where possible. To seek justice where necessary. To love our neighbors. And to place the good of the nation above the ambitions of ourselves.
"I cannot promise that the road ahead will be easy. I cannot promise that every decision will be popular. I cannot promise that I will never make a mistake. But I can promise you this: I will not ask you to worship your government. I will ask you to serve your neighbor. I will not ask you to place your faith in a president. I will ask you to place your hope in truths that endure beyond every presidency. And I will not ask what America can take from the world. I will ask what America can give.
"Tonight, let us pray for wisdom. Let us pray for humility. Let us pray for our opponents as sincerely as we pray for our friends. And let us pray that future generations will look back upon this night and say: that was when America remembered who she was. That was when a divided people chose unity. That was when a weary nation found hope. That was when we began again.
"May God bless every citizen of this great land. May God guide the work before us. And may God bless the United States of America."
The audience erupted in applause. David smiled and acted humble as he accepted their praise. But I just sat there and felt nothing.
It felt like the whole thing was nothing more than a rehearsal. A setup for a promise that he was not going to deliver on.
The real David Shepherd will eventually emerge when the people least expect it.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-25-2026 04:08 AM
Chapter 6:
I talked to Valerie on our "friend date" on Wednesday at the local Dunkin' coffee shop. I ordered a large iced coffee while she got herself a lime Coolatta.
"Everyone seemed to be so excited about David Shepherd being elected as President that they're posting lots of YouTube videos and TikToks about what it means for America," I said.
"I don't blame them for being so excited, Vince," Valerie said. "This guy seems to be the answer to all the people's prayers about a true President that will bring about the Lord's Kingdom, starting here in America."
"And you still think he's sent here by God himself?" I asked.
"I don't doubt it, honey," Valerie said. "Maybe the pastor is right that you've been misled by the devil to say those things in church. Not that I would want you to get kicked out of the church, but I think you need to come to your senses and repent."
"I can't repent of something that I'm convinced is the truth, Val," I said. "We don't see it right now probably because of Paul the apostle said in 2nd Thessalonians, that the One who restrains the 'mystery of lawlessness' will continue to do so until He is taken out of the way, and then that Wicked One will be revealed."
"But who could be that 'One who restrains' be, Vince?" Valerie asked. "The Holy Spirit? The church? Or someone else entirely?"
"I'm not sure exactly who it is, Val, but I'm betting it's the Holy Spirit," I answered. "When the Spirit is removed from the earth, everyone will know who the Antichrist truly is."
"So I'm supposed to take you at your word that God told you Shepherd would be the Antichrist?" Valerie asked in disbelief.
"You can take me at my word or find out for yourself, Val," I said. "This is just what I received from the Lord, and I can't dismiss it or call it anything else."
"Would you think the less of me if I say that I don't totally agree with you on this, Vince?" Valerie asked.
"No!" I said. "You're free to believe what you want. I can only pray that your eyes will be opened and you will know the truth for yourself." Then suddenly I heard my phone's ringtone go off. "Excuse me, I'll have to take this phone call somewhere else," I said. "It's from my sister Vivian."
"Sure, I'll watch your drink until you return," Valerie said as I headed outside to a private table where I answered the call.
"Hi, Vince, are you at home right now?" Vivian asked.
"No, I'm with a friend over at Dunkin's, Viv," I answered. "Why, what's wrong?"
"We had to take Mom to Mount Moriah Hospital today, Vince, she's in a really bad condition right now," Vivian said. "Her heart's failing."
I gulped, realizing how grave the situation was. "I'll be there as soon as I can, Viv, thanks," I said. I ended the call and went back inside.
Valerie noticed the expression on my face. "Vince, dear, is everything all right?"
"My mom's in the hospital over at Mount Moriah, Val," I said. "I'll need you to take me there as soon as you can."
"I understand," Valerie said, nodding. She and I dumped our drinks and headed for her car.
-----
Charlie and Belinda were already waiting for me at the hospital's entrance when I arrived. I could tell by the look on their faces that they were a little scared.
"Thank goodness you got here, Vince," Charlie said. "We were worried you wouldn't make it."
"How's Mom doing right now?" I asked.
"Barely hanging on," Belinda answered. "They got her on life support, but who knows how long she will last?"
"I want to go to her room right now, see how she is," I requested.
"I'll take you to her room, Vince," Belinda said. She led me through the halls of the hospital, going up an elevator at one point to get to the patients' rooms. Meanwhile, I was praying that the Lord will help my mother hang on until I got a chance to meet with her.
She got to her room, and I saw that she was hooked up to a life support machine. A breathing mask was put over her mouth to keep oxygen flowing into her body.
"I'll leave you alone with her and be outside when you're finished," Belinda said, stepping outside the room.
I drew close to my mother's bed and gently held her by the hand. Her eyes slowly opened. She turned her head slightly toward me. "Vincent? Is that you?"
"Yes, Mom, it's your son Vincent," I said. "I'm sorry that this happened to you."
"I knew that the time has come that the good Lord will take me from this world to be with Him forever," my mother said with some difficulty. "I just want you to know that you don't have to worry about me anymore."
"I wish that I could have married and given you grandchildren, Mom," I said. "I'm sorry that I have failed you."
"At least you have found Jesus, my son," my mother said. "If that's the only accomplishment you've made in your life, then I will die a happy mother, knowing that you know the Lord as your Savior. I know I wasn't a perfect mother to you, having sent you to residential schools for ten years of your life. But at least I did my best with all four of you. I wanted you all to know Jesus, and at least with you, He's made His home with you."
"I'm going to miss you being around for us, Mom," I said. "I pray that your entrance into heaven will be a good one."
My mother smiled at me. "I know it will. And I know you will be there with me, and so will your brother and sisters. Remember that."
"I'll remember, Mom," I said, feeling a bit relieved. "Thank you."
Then the nurse came into the room. "I'll be looking at your mother's vital signs, sir," she said. "You can leave to be with your sister now."
"Thank you, lady," I said, sounding a bit tearful as I got up and left the room.
-----
A few days later, I heard that my mother passed away in her sleep. A memorial service for her was being held at the Norton-Williams Funeral Home. I attended with my family members and those on my mother's side of the family, her brothers and sisters that were still alive. Her ashes were put into a pink ceramic urn with roses adorning the surface. Everybody got to say a few words or share their favorite Scripture verses for the occasion while we gathered together to say goodbye to a mother who endured great hardship to get her children where they were that day. A few of her favorite songs were being played from my sister Vivian's iPhone as we bowed in silence or shed tears for her passing.
After the service was over, the four of us went over to Applebee's for a dinner that Vivian treated me to since I had very little money on hand to pay for a meal.
"I was so angry that my mother chose to separate me from the rest of my family to spend years in a residential school where I was relentlessly bullied and harassed, wondering how she could do this to me of all her children," I said.
"Well, you made it out of there in one piece, Vince," Charlie said. "I think that's a cause for celebration."
"Are you still angry with Mom for doing that?" Belinda asked.
"I came to understand that she did it with the best of intentions, thinking that she was helping me with my struggle with autism or whatever I was diagnosed with back in the day," I answered. "If she knew more about my problems than she did back then, then who knows, things would be different."
"I wouldn't blame you for still being so angry, Vince," Vivian said. "She wasn't necessarily the best mother around for any one of us. She had to work multiple jobs since Mom and Dad divorced."
"I wish I wasn't so angry with Dad having a child through my stepmother, Cole, whom she took away with her when she departed back to Pennsylvania," I said.
"I feel sorry for Cole, being brought up by Donna along with his step-siblings in the same house," Charlie said.
"But you made peace with Dad before his passing a few years ago," Belinda said.
"I'm glad I did, but I wish I could've shared Jesus Christ with him before he passed away," I said.
"We'll all be together with them in heaven, Vince," Vivian said. "After all, we went to the same church together when we were children."
I nodded but didn't say anything more as I ate my meal in silence.
-----
After coming home from dinner, Valerie called me up on the phone. "Hey, Vince, how are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Val, thank you," I answered. "I just had dinner with my siblings after my mother's memorial service."
"I'm sorry about what happened to your mom," Valerie said, voicing empathy. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I just wish I was more close to her during her final years, Val," I said. "I used to be the one who would cry for her to come to me whenever I got in trouble over in residential school."
"I don't blame you if you didn't feel the need to be with her in her final years, Vince," Valerie said. "What you told me about her sending you away to those special schools sounds awful."
"I've already forgiven her for doing that to me," I said. "I know now that what she did wasn't out of malice. It was out of love, hoping that somebody would cure me of my autism or something."
"I think you came out pretty well," Valerie said. "Even better than I was years ago when I was almost dying of all the drugs in my body."
"I'm glad God healed you and saved your life from that drug overdose, Val," I said.
"Yeah, but I wish it didn't come at the cost of my being able to have children, which is what I regret," Valerie said.
"Who knows, God can probably work another miracle in your life," I said. "Think about what God did with Sarah and Elizabeth. They were too old to have children, yet God caused them to become pregnant."
Valerie laughed. "I'm not that old yet, Vince. I would like to live that long so that in case God decides to bless me with my own child, I wouldn't say no to it."
"What if God takes you out of this life before that happens?" I asked.
"That would be even better, though I still question this whole Rapture thing, like when it's supposed to happen — pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, or not at all," Valerie said.
"I try not to worry about the Rapture, Val," I said. "I worry more about God getting me through each and every day without me getting into trouble. Who knows, maybe we'll see the Kingdom come without the Rapture ever happening."
"I think David Shepherd will help bring that Kingdom to this earth before Jesus comes back, dear, believe me," Valerie said. "Anyway, I have to go and get supper ready for my husband. Talk to you later."
"Sure, thanks for checking up on me," I said.
"Anytime," Valerie said before the call ended.
-----
Thanksgiving and Christmas passed, feeling a bit empty now since I no longer have either of my parents living. Anyway, I was watching YouTube videos about Luanne Wilmington getting ready to leave the Oval Office in January. News reports said that she felt sorry that it wasn't her time to make history by being the first female President with a full-term in office, but she prays that God will be with David Shepherd as he takes office in January. Right-wing pundits, however, seem to be cheering that they finally have "a true Christian President" that will take office and "make America truly great again", that they will be finally rid of "woke culture" and all those fun buzzwords they like to toss around to their audiences.
I stayed up on New Years' Eve to watch the ball drop on Times Square in New York City, as I usually have done in past years, though some years I have slept through the event. Again, "Auld Lang Syne" and John Lennon's "Imagine" played as 2025 was rung in, and I watched couples down on the street in New York City hugging and kissing each other, feeling happy that this year was going to be the best of all years.
Part of me was hoping God would blow the trumpet, that that night would be the night that Jesus would come in the sky and gather His elect from all corners of the world to be with Him forever. I truly didn't want to be on earth for whatever would come to pass in the new year and beyond that. But the night was silent except for the noise of partying in New York City and whatever my next-door neighbors were watching on their TVs.
I turned to an all-night quiet music channel on YouTube and blacked the screen. Then I prayed to God that He would reveal His will for the world in the new year that we have just entered into before I fell asleep.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2026 03:39 AM
Chapter 7:
It was January 20, 2025. I was preparing to go to the Gilead House that day when I saw an announcement for a YouTube live-stream feed of the Presidential Inauguration that would happen that day. I decided to put my plans on hold and sit down in front of my computer and watch the live-stream. I could see that Washington, D.C. was so packed with people who were willing to stand in the cold and watch David Shepherd be sworn into office by the Supreme Court judge. It was filled with music. An orchestral version of "Be Thou My Vision" with a full choir was performed to the delight of the crowd, and also to the delight of Shepherd and his Vice President Jonathan Prince. Shepherd seemed calm and collected while Prince seemed a bit nervous, as if he wanted to get this event over and done with so that he could get to the official business of running the country.
After the song ended, the Presbyterian minister Whitman Cartwright stood before the crowd. "Let us pray. Almighty God, You are the Maker of heaven and earth, the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and the Judge of all nations. Before You, presidents and citizens stand on equal ground. Before You, every nation is accountable. Before You, every human heart is laid bare.
"Today we gather with gratitude for the peaceful transfer of power that has long distinguished this Republic. We thank You for those who founded this nation. For those who preserved it through war and sacrifice. For those who serve it today in uniform, in government, in our schools, our hospitals, our homes, and our communities. Bless them all.
"We ask Your wisdom upon President-elect David Shepherd and Vice President-elect Jonathan Prince as they assume the responsibilities entrusted to them by the American people. Grant them humility in success. Courage in adversity. Integrity when no one is watching. Compassion for those who suffer. Justice for those who have been wronged. And discernment beyond human understanding. Protect them from pride. Protect them from corruption. Protect them from the temptation to seek power for its own sake. May they remember that authority is not a privilege to be enjoyed, but a trust to be faithfully exercised.
"Bless the Congress of the United States. Bless the Supreme Court. Bless our governors, mayors, judges, law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical workers, teachers, and every public servant. May they seek not merely what is popular, but what is right.
"We pray for our armed forces, stationed throughout the world. Give them strength. Protect their families. Bring peace where there is conflict, comfort where there is sorrow, and hope where there is despair. We remember today our allies, and especially the people of Israel, whose recent deliverance from destruction has reminded so many around the world of how fragile peace truly is. Grant wisdom to all who seek reconciliation among the nations. Restrain those who delight in violence. Strengthen those who labor for justice.
"Lord, heal our own land. Where there is bitterness, plant forgiveness. Where there is division, sow understanding. Where there is fear, grant courage. Where there is deception, let truth prevail. Teach us to love our neighbors more than our arguments. Teach us to value character above applause. Teach us that freedom flourishes only where responsibility is embraced. And above all, remind us that no earthly government can take the place that belongs to You alone. May we never place our ultimate hope in princes, in presidents, or in the strength of nations, but in Your everlasting kingdom, which cannot be shaken.
"Guide this nation in paths of righteousness. Give us leaders who serve rather than dominate. Give us citizens who seek truth rather than victory. Give us the grace to walk humbly before You and with one another. We ask these things in the holy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."
The people cheered, and after the applause died down, Shepherd stood in front of Presiding Judge Thorin Richard and put one hand on the Bible and raised up the other hand. "I, David Joshua Shepherd, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me, God."
The crowd cheered again. Shepherd took to the podium and began his speech.
"Chief Justice, Vice President Jonathan Prince, distinguished guests, members of Congress, honored veterans, and my fellow Americans: today, I stand before you humbled by the trust you have placed in me and deeply aware of the weight of this moment. No president stands here alone. I stand because generations before us built this nation with sacrifice, courage, and faith. Farmers who tilled stubborn soil. Workers who forged our industries. Teachers who shaped our children. Soldiers who defended our liberty. Mothers and fathers who quietly taught honesty around kitchen tables. Pastors who proclaimed hope from small country churches and great city cathedrals alike. This office belongs not to me, but to them—and to you. I accept it with gratitude.
"Today is not the triumph of one party over another. It is not the victory of conservatives over liberals, nor urban America over rural America. Today is a reminder that, despite our disagreements, we remain one people. The American family has argued before. We have disagreed passionately before. Yet somehow, by God's grace and by our commitment to one another, we have always found our way forward. We can do so again. For too long we have measured our success by the size of our economy while neglecting the condition of our souls. We have accumulated wealth while losing trust. We have mastered technology while forgetting wisdom. We have become more connected than ever before, yet many of our neighbors have never felt more alone.
"The crisis before us is not merely economic. It is not merely political. It is moral. It is spiritual. Government alone cannot solve such a crisis. No law can manufacture virtue. No executive order can produce compassion. No court can require forgiveness. These things grow only in hearts willing to seek truth and to serve one another.
"And so this administration begins with humility. We recognize both the power—and the limits—of government. Government was never meant to replace families. Government cannot replace churches, synagogues, mosques, charities, neighborhoods, or communities. Our task is not to become the conscience of the American people. Our task is to protect the freedom that allows conscience to flourish. We will defend religious liberty. Not because religion belongs only inside church buildings. But because freedom of conscience is among the first liberties entrusted to every human being. No American should fear living according to sincerely held convictions. No American should fear worshipping freely. And no American should fear disagreeing peacefully. Liberty belongs to all of us. As president, I will protect it for all.
"To the nations of the world, hear me clearly. America seeks friendship where friendship is possible. Peace where peace is honorable. Justice where justice is necessary. We will stand beside our allies. We will defend those who cannot defend themselves. We will oppose tyranny wherever it threatens the dignity of God's image in mankind. Strength and compassion are not enemies. Justice and mercy are not opposites. A great nation possesses both.
"My fellow Americans, only months ago we witnessed events that reminded us how fragile peace can be. We also witnessed extraordinary mercy in the preservation of innocent lives. Whether one sees those events through the eyes of faith or history, they should remind us that human power is never absolute. There are moments when we are compelled to look beyond ourselves. To remember that nations rise and fall. Empires come and go. But truth endures.
"As we move into this new chapter, I ask every American to reject the temptation of cynicism. Hope is not naïveté. Hope is courage. Hope plants trees whose shade it may never enjoy. Hope rebuilds neighborhoods one family at a time. Hope forgives. Hope perseveres. Hope believes tomorrow can be better than today. That is the spirit I ask of this nation. Not blind optimism. But steadfast hope.
"Some have called for America simply to become stronger. I believe we are called to become better. A nation becomes strong because its people are virtuous. Because its families are healthy. Because its communities care for one another. Because justice is impartial. Because mercy is remembered. Because leaders serve rather than rule.
"This administration will strive to encourage those virtues wherever they are found. We will support those who strengthen families. We will honor those who sacrifice for their neighbors. We will partner with communities that care for the forgotten. We will remember that greatness is measured not merely by military strength or economic power, but by moral character. The founders of this Republic understood that freedom requires virtue. That liberty cannot survive without responsibility. That rights must be accompanied by duties. Those truths remain unchanged.
"Today, I ask every citizen—not simply to expect more from government—but to expect more from ourselves. Serve your community. Care for your family. Honor your word. Help your neighbor. Teach your children well. Pray for those with whom you disagree. Love your country enough to improve it. This is how nations are renewed. Not from the top down. But from the heart outward.
"My friends, history has placed before us an extraordinary opportunity. We can become a nation known once again for integrity. For courage. For compassion. For faith. For hope. For service. Not because we seek the admiration of the world. But because we desire to leave our children a country more worthy of their inheritance than the one we received.
"Let us begin that work today. Together. With humility. With determination. And with gratitude to Almighty God, from whom every good gift ultimately comes. May He grant us wisdom beyond our understanding. May He grant us courage greater than our fears. May He grant us charity toward one another. And may He continue to bless these United States of America.
"Thank you. God bless you all. And God bless the United States of America."
Again there was applause, followed by a choral rendition of "How Great Thou Art" and by the military band playing "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic."
I turned off the live-stream and turned on a video playing George Michael's "Praying For Time". I felt the words of that singer speaking more strongly than that of David Shepherd. It felt like I was seeing the beginning of the end of the world that I once knew and the birth of an entirely new world that would be much darker than anyone in that moment would realize.
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On Day One, after the inaugural parade, Shepherd signed a handful of executive orders that focused on ethics and public service. Among them, there were:
The creation of the Office of National Renewal, tasked with partnering with local charities, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations to combat poverty, addiction, homelessness, and family instability.
A government-wide ethics initiative requiring greater transparency and financial disclosure for executive officials.
A proclamation designating the first Sunday after the inauguration as a National Day of Prayer, Service, and Reconciliation. Participation is voluntary, but churches, synagogues, mosques, and civic organizations are encouraged to take part.
On Day Two, Shepherd hosted a White House gathering of Christian leaders from a variety of traditions, along with Jewish representatives and several other faith communities. His remarks emphasized religious liberty, moral renewal, care for the poor, and unity rather than partisanship. Pastor Walter Hightower attended this gathering and later told his congregation in one of his televised sermons, "I've never seen a president listen so carefully to pastors." Though I wasn't present at the church during the sermon, I noticed in the video's comments section that most of the conversation revolved around what churches can do with the government rather than independently of it.
Day Three was the most interesting. Several of Shepherd's nominees were confirmed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The media praised them as competent and experienced. Commentators began referring to Shepherd's administration as "the adults in the room." Approval ratings started to climb.
On Day Four, Shepherd gave a televised speech titled, "A Covenant of Citizenship." He asked Americans to commit themselves to honesty, neighborly service, volunteerism, strong families, and civic responsibility. No new laws were proposed. It was an appeal to character rather than legislation. The speech became enormously popular. Schools, churches, and community groups began quoting it.
Day Five was where Shepherd made one of his first foreign trips to Israel, still recovering from the recent missile attack that was miraculously thwarted. Standing in Jerusalem, he said, "The preservation of innocent life reminds us all how precious peace truly is." Interestingly, he didn't explicitly claim the event was miraculous. That restraint earned him even more respect. Many evangelical leaders, however, began interpreting the visit as confirmation that Shepherd is uniquely aligned with God's purposes.
While Shepherd was dominating the headlines, Vice President Jonathan Prince was spending his first week building relationships behind the scenes. He has meetings with constitutional scholars, influential pastors, governors, international diplomats, and educational leaders. He began speaking about the need for a long-term "renewal of Western civilization." It was visionary language, not revolutionary language.
I still had my doubts. I wanted to find evidence that my dream was correct. Instead, I kept seeing and hearing things that didn't satisfy my curiosity. I watched the inauguration. I listened to Shepherd's speeches. I saw genuine acts of compassion. I heard Pastor Walter enthusiastically describing the administration. Something wasn't adding up. I ended up thinking: If this man was truly dangerous, why did everything he did seem so... good?
-----
I ran into Daniel Wickman as he was standing out in the cold streets of Westville passing out little pamphlets for his church and still talking about the "National Sunday Law" like it was the gospel truth.
"Hey, Vince, long time, no see!" Daniel said. "How's things going?"
"So far I'm still living my life, Dan," I responded. "Have you been watching the news about President Shepherd and his first days in office?"
"Yeah, and frankly I don't trust the guy," Daniel said. "I think he's got something up his sleeve that he's going to reveal sooner or later."
"So you don't believe that he's truly got America's best interests at heart?" I asked.
"Naw, I don't trust any President who still thinks Sunday is the day that people ought to go to church and worship God," Daniel answered. "I'm especially wary of President Shepherd. I think he's going to be the one who will put the National Sunday Law into effect when he gets the chance."
"And that's going to affect your congregation because your people meet on Saturdays," I said, realizing the truth of Daniel's words.
"It's the true Sabbath, man!" Daniel said. "God never changed it, and neither did Jesus. Anyone who forces people to go to church on Sunday because of a law must be working for the devil."
"I was wondering if I can come to your church for one of its services, just to check it out, because I'm currently without a church to go to," I said.
"Sure, I can give you one of my pamphlets," Daniel said, putting one in my hand. "Just remember the time and the location. Ravenhill Assembly."
I looked at the address and smiled. "Looks like somewhere I can get to easily. Thanks for the information."
"Sure thing, pal. Just come as you are, and don't forget to bring a KJV Bible, because that's what our congregation uses," Daniel said. "Have yourself a good day."
-----
I looked up Ravenhill Assembly on YouTube and I got a channel full of video sermons from a pastor named Marcus Shabbat. He seemed like a guy who really knew his Bible, even if most of what he knew was slanted toward teaching his congregation "the importance of the true Sabbath". One of his videos was about "the Mark of the Beast", and that the people in his church should avoid accepting it at all costs, because that means their souls were doomed to Hell. He mentioned in that sermon where one of the angels in Revelation chapter 14 said; "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
I turned off the video after Marcus started talking about "the Mark of the Beast" being enforced Sunday worship, since that was something that I and Daniel never truly agreed upon. But Daniel's words got me thinking: if David Shepherd was truly working for the devil, would he even go so far as to force everybody to go to church on a designated day whether they wanted to or not?
I turned off my computer and got on my knees and prayed. "Lord God, please reveal to me the truth of Your Word regarding the day of worship, that I don't fall into either legalism or licentiousness, but that I just want to be truly obedient and faithful to You in all that I do. Help me to make the right decision for myself and guide me to the church that You want me to be in. I give You thanks and glory and honor in Your Son Jesus' name. Amen."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2026 03:42 AM
Chapter 8:
That night I had a dream. It featured a young lady named Mary Aaron who was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph Shepherd, who were part of a church of an unknown denomination. It was a small town church that existed in the 1990s, and it had only 20 to 30 devoted people going to it every Sunday. It was in a place where everybody knew who they were. Mary was a virgin who kept herself pure for the man she was going to marry, as her parents were very strict about her social life when she was a teenager. Mary felt grateful that she kept herself from sleeping around like her friends who went to the same school she used to go to. They thought Mary was strange, or even worse, a lesbian, though they never said the latter part outright. Mary knew that she was straight, and thanked God every day that He kept her from being led astray by the beauty of women. Not that she personally didn't think that women didn't look beautiful, but she always believed that female beauty was meant for a man to behold, as God created woman from a man's rib, and when God presented the woman to be man, he was pleased and said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman, for she was taken out of Man."
Anyway, Mary came home to her parents' house after church, she getting there ahead of her family to get things ready for supper that evening, when she met a shining figure in her bedroom, a male in flowing white clothing. "Hail, Mary, you who are highly favored. Blessed are you among women."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," Mary said, sounding confused.
"Fear not, young woman, for you have found favor with God," the mysterious being said. "You shall conceive in your womb a young boy, and you shall call his name David. He will be great, and he will called the son of the Day Star. His father will give him the throne to the kingdom, and he will rule over men forever and ever."
"How can this thing be, seeing that I'm still a virgin?" Mary asked.
"The power of the Day Star will overshadow you, young woman, and he will be called the son of a god. Now behold, your cousin Elizabeth has conceived in her old age, and she is now in her sixth month, when she used to be called barren. For nothing shall be impossible with the Day Star."
"Behold, I am his handmaid," Mary said, sounding excited. "Let it be unto me even as you say."
The mysterious being touched Mary briefly, and she fell to her knees and clasped her hands as she felt something wonderful happening inside her. It was like something united with an egg cell in her womb. She looked up at the mysterious being and smiled. He smiled back and in an instant was gone.
I woke up from that dream, feeling a bit confused. Didn't this seem a little too much like how Mary had conceived Jesus in the gospel of Luke? But if so, then why was I seeing the script being altered for a modern audience and hearing that her child's name was going to be David? Then I realized: this was the story of David Shepherd's birth. I was getting glimpses into his background.
Something was slowly being revealed. And I couldn't wait to know the whole truth.
-----
I took a bus and got to Ravenhill Assembly the next town over in time for the sermon of the day. Daniel Wickman met me as I entered the sanctuary door. "Hey, Vince, glad to see you this morning. Come, sit with me, you'll enjoy today."
"Are we going to sing from hymnals or is there going to be contemporary worship music?" I asked.
"Just hymnals, bro," Daniel answered. "We're not one of those progressive churches. We still believe in tradition, the right traditions that are passed down to us by the saints."
"Are we the only members of our clubhouse program who are in this church right now?" I asked.
"As far as I know," Daniel answered. "I tried asking around the members of the Gilead House, but so far nobody's said anything about church."
"I know, the clubhouse program doesn't allow members to be too open about their religion," I said. "Same thing with politics."
"Politics is what we try to avoid here as much as possible, but we do want to keep tabs on what our government is doing about our rights such as the freedom to worship how we want," Daniel said.
"But you still fear that the National Sunday Law is going to be forced on you in the end times?" I asked.
"It's how I feel God's going to separate the wheat from the tares, Vince," Daniel answered. "Anyway, let's get ready, the service is about to start."
Pastor Marcus Shabbat took to the podium. "Welcome, both newcomers and congregants, to today's service at Ravenhill Assembly. We are a come-as-you-are church, but I must remind the ladies to dress decently so as not to distract the men from worshipping God. Please make sure your phones are silent during the service. We are a KJV-only church, so in case you've brought a different translation with you to this service, we have copies of the KJV in the pews that are available for you to use. Please don't remove them from the pews when you leave today. That will be all."
We sang a few hymns and made a few call-and-response recitations that were provided by the video projectors showing the words. The service felt like people were worshipping by a carefully crafted script. There didn't seem to be any joy that I sensed from anybody's faces. Only a few weak smiles, but otherwise people's eyes were closed most of the time while their hands were raised, and the faces maintained a blank expression.
When the songs have ended, Pastor Marcus took to the pulpit. "Thank you, borthers and sisters, for your worship today. I'm sure our God is very pleased with our efforts. With that in mind, let us turn to Exodus 20:8-11, which reads: 'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God...' Brothers and sisters, there is a commandment that many Christians say they believe... and yet few are willing to obey. Not because it is difficult to understand. Not because God failed to speak clearly. But because tradition has often spoken louder than Scripture. The Lord did not say, 'Remember one day in seven.' He said, 'Remember the sabbath day.' Not man's sabbath. Not the church's sabbath. But 'the sabbath of the LORD thy God.' That Sabbath belonged to Him before it belonged to Israel.
"Let us turn to Genesis. 'And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.' That's from Genesis 2:2-3. Notice carefully. There was no Jew. No Israel. No Mount Sinai. No Moses. The Sabbath begins in Eden. Before sin. Before nations. Before the Law was written upon stone. The Sabbath belongs to the Creator Himself.
"When the Ten Commandments were given... God Himself wrote them. 'And he gave unto Moses... two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.' That's from Exodus 31:18. How many commandments did God write? Ten. Did He write nine? No. Did He leave one out? No. The Sabbath stands among commandments against murder... against adultery... against theft... against false witness. Who among us would dare remove one commandment from the middle and say, 'This one no longer matters'?
"Some say, 'But Jesus abolished it.' Did He? The Bible says, 'And he came to Nazareth... and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day.' Luke 4:16 says it, folks. 'As his custom was.' Not occasionally. Not reluctantly. His custom. And our Lord Himself declared in Mark 2:27-28, 'The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.' Notice carefully. He did not say the Sabbath was made only for the Jews. He said, 'The sabbath was made for man.' For mankind.
"Our Savior said in Matthew 5:17-18, 'Think not that I am come to destroy the law... I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law...' Brothers and sisters... is heaven still here? Is earth still here? Then neither has one jot nor one tittle passed.
"Now let's look at the apostles. Paul preached on the Sabbath. Again. And again. And again. 'And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them...', as Acts 17:2 says. His manner. Just as it had been Christ's custom. Even among Gentiles, 'The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath,' as in Acts 13:42. Paul did not answer, 'Come tomorrow.' He waited until the Sabbath.
"The Lord Jesus warned, 'In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.', as it says in Mark 7:7. Brothers... there is a great difference... between a commandment of God... and a tradition of men. The question is not, 'What has my denomination always done?' The question is, 'What saith the Scripture?'
"Now hear me carefully. There is another danger. Some keep the Sabbath... but not Christ. Some know the day... but do not know the Lord. Keeping a day cannot save you. Only Jesus Christ saves. 'For by grace are ye saved through faith...' which Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8. If you rest on Saturday... but have never rested in Christ... you are still lost. The Sabbath points us to Him. It is not a substitute for Him.
"Hebrews 4:9 says says, 'There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.' Our weekly Sabbath reminds us... that one day... all creation shall enter God's eternal rest. The seventh day is a shadow. Christ is the substance. But because the substance has come... we do not despise the shadow God Himself established.
"My beloved... search the Scriptures. Do not accept my words because I speak them. Do not reject them because they challenge tradition. Be like the Bereans, 'They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.' From Acts 17:11. If I have spoken truth... receive it because it is God's Word. If I have erred... correct me from God's Word. For one day every one of us shall stand before the Judge of all the earth. On that day... it will not matter what our denomination believed. It will matter what God has spoken. May the Lord grant us hearts that tremble at His Word. Amen."
The service finished with yet another song from the hymnal. But I had already checked myself out before that happened. The sermon felt empty, like it was nothing more than PR for their church.
Daniel didn't notice that I was gone until after the service.
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I called Valerie during her off-work hours. She was busy feeding her dogs when she heard her phone ring. I waited until she picked up. "Hi, Vince. Sorry about the delay. I was busy feeding my children. What's up?"
"I went to church today over at Ravenhill Assembly," I said.
"Ravenhill? You mean those SDAs?" Valerie said, sounding a bit shocked. "Don't tell me you're giving yourself over to a bunch of cultists during this time."
"No, I was just checking out the service to see what they did for worship and how they preached," I said. "I wasn't very impressed."
"You should make nice and come back to our church, sweetie," Valerie said. "Everybody there kinda misses you being there. You were a great Bible student, and they loved how you shared Scripture with them."
"Thanks, but I don't plan on coming back yet, Val," I said. "I still pray for Pastor Walter, that his eyes would be opened to the truth."
"You still believe that David Shepherd is the Antichrist?" Valerie asked.
"I can't deny that revelation, Val," I answered. "I only want him and the congregation to have that revelation for themselves before they are overcome by a spirit of delusion."
"I'm still praying for you, hon, that the Lord will open your eyes to the truth," Valerie said. "We can still agree to disagree agreeably about who the Antichrist truly is."
"Okay, so who do you think would be the Antichrist?" I asked.
A pause before Valerie replied. "I honestly don't know, Vince. I think I'm going to have to meditate on this until the Lord reveals it to me."
"Well, people did think that Trevor McDonnell, the President before Joseph Borden, was going to be the Antichrist by how he impressed both the Evangelicals and the liberals," I said.
Valerie laughed. "I thought that Trev Mac was a terrible President with a terrible name. Everyone thought he would be our political savior, but he was all talk and no action. Nobody really liked him, so I guess everyone was glad when Borden became President in 2020."
"Trev Mac sounded like a Christian pop artist name, in my opinion," I said. "Thank goodness he was not related to the social worker that I had in one of those residential schools."
"I'm sure she can rest easy knowing that, Vince," Valerie said. "Anyway, if you're not coming back to our church, I'll pray that God will lead you to the right one so that He can feed you and take care of you spiritually."
"Thanks, Val, I'd appreciate that," I said.
"Oops, I've got to take care of my husband!" Valerie said. "I'll talk to you later. Keep yourself out of trouble now, you hear?"
"Talk to you soon, Val," I said before I ended the call.
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I was finishing up supper that night when I got a call. It was Daniel. "Hey, it's Vince," I said. "What's up?"
"Dude, why did you leave our church so early?" Daniel asked, sounding upset. "I was going to invite you for some coffee over at my place afterward."
"I'm sorry, Dan, but I didn't feel like staying all the way to the end," I answered. "Something about the sermon felt totally off, like it's something I heard too many times."
"You'll get used to it after a while, Vince, that's just how the pastor normally preaches," Daniel said. "You're going to come back next Saturday?"
"Actually, I might try another church that another member would suggest," I said. "I don't want to sound ungrateful for your efforts, but…"
"I understand, Vince, our church is not for everybody," Daniel said. "I'm still going to be praying for you, since you're always on my prayer list. Maybe the Lord will bring you back to us when you least expect it."
"Maybe we will worship together under different circumstances, Dan, who knows?" I said.
"I'd still tell you to be careful and watch the news about anything that's going on in our government," Daniel said. "I feel it in my spirit that something terrible is going to happen, and everyone will think it's the greatest news."
"And what would that be?" I asked.
"Peace talks with Israel and the Middle East in July, far as what I know," Daniel answered. "America is headed for the time of the Tribulation, whether we would like to admit it or not."
"That soon?" I said, sounding surprised. "Guess I'll just have to keep myself tuned in to see what's going to happen."
"Keep your lamp burning and filled with oil, bro," Daniel said. "The Lord will be coming." And then the call ended.
I sat there, feeling like I was witnessing the end-times unfolding right before my eyes — only from the perspective of those who in the pre-tribulation teaching would be "left behind" on earth during the Rapture. I could wish I was in heaven right now instead of here on earth seeing what would become "the final seven years" before the Lord's return.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2026 06:32 AM
Chapter 9:
The following months have been quiet on my end, though in the world around me, things were slowly changing, and for most people, it was for the better. Crime seemed to be going down. Violence, theft, and **** were also going down. Alcohol and marijuana sales were plummeting. People were actually getting along with each other. People were actually getting saved and going to church in numbers greater than before President Shepherd was elected. Pastor Walter in one of his sermons was calling this "the great end-times revival that will happen before the Lord's coming." Indeed it seemed like a revival on the surface, but it felt like only the outside of the cup and dish were being cleaned — the inside was still not cleansed of wickedness and impurity, as Jesus said in one of His seven woes to the Pharisees and scribes back during His first coming.
Missionaries were being sent out into the world to preach "the wonderful news of God's Kingdom coming to earth" through President Shepherd. A good deal of people who heard their words turned their hearts to the Lord, But there were those who were skeptical and distrusting of anything those missionaries had to say about this so-called "Kingdom of God". Muslim countries still remained unmoved and worshipping Allah. Yet people continued to pray that God will pour out His Spirit upon them and reveal Himself to them in a very powerful way that they would be convinced that Yahweh was the only one true living God, and that Jesus Christ was also God made manifest in the flesh.
Then in April came the most startling decision made by the President. He declared through executive order that the United States of America would no longer be called the United States, but rather the Christian Commonwealth of America. He declared that, though there would still be religious liberty in the country, Christianity would be its main dominant religion, and all life in that Commonwealth would eventually reflect the nature of its "Christian heritage passed down from our Founding Fathers". Evangelicals cheered at the news, while liberals felt that the country may be slowly drifting toward authoritarianism with this announcement. Still there was no outright rebellion against the United States government calling its country by its new name. But I could feel the tensions that are slowly starting to rise.
David Shepherd made lots of trips to foreign countries to discuss peace deals with its leaders that would open doors between the Christian Commonwealth and the nations that were opposed to outsiders who wanted to dictate how they should lead their nations. Shepherd was always calm and collected as he spoke to their leaders, showing incredible patience as he listened to their arguments and disagreements. Surprisingly he didn't need an interpreter, for he somehow spoke the language of those nations as if he had been a native speaker all along. That caught most of the leaders off guard, and made them realize that Shepherd wasn't just any kind of United States President — he was a man who, in their estimation, was "divinely sent". Every meeting ended with Shepherd and the leaders shaking hands with each other, always smiling, pleased to have come to some sort of agreement.
The United Nations became so impressed by Shepherd's actions regarding making peace with the nations that they decided to give him the title of Secretary-General in the hopes that he would take over the organization and make it part of his global effort to reach the nations and proclaim "the goodness of God's Kingdom" to all the world. Shepherd was flattered but refused to take over the United Nations, saying that he would nominate somebody that he felt would be useful as its new Secretary-General in case they would help spread not just humanitarian aid but also the gospel of Christ. He did, however, suggest a new name for the United Nations, the Dove Foundation, which they accepted and used in all their official documents and decrees.
Israel, however, started seeing two old men in sackcloth robes standing by the Wailing Wall and calling themselves Elijah and Moses. They claimed to be "the two witnesses" of Revelation chapter 11 that stood between God and the people, calling people to repent and turn themselves over to the Lord God before it was too late. People of the world thought they were crazy. How could they be preaching repentance to a world that's already turning to the Lord in large numbers? Wasn't that evidence enough that the Lord was bringing His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven? Yet these men soldiered on in their witnessing and preaching. Some dared to attack them and called them blasphemers, but that was met with the two witnesses breathing fire upon them, that consumed them until they were nothing more than ashes.
Shepherd said nothing about the "two witnesses" at first, but after a while he commented that these two people in Jerusalem are "demonic pretenders claiming to be of God, who are opposing the spreading of the true Kingdom of God in our world." He said he would pray that God will work in the hearts of these two men, that they will come to see the light before it's too late. Prince weighed in with his own comment about the "two witnesses", that they are just spiritual opportunists looking to draw attention unto themselves with their "magic tricks that come from another source."
I began to pray for the "two witnesses", that God use them powerfully to reach out to the world and make them see the truth of who and what David Shepherd really is, that they would raise up true disciples of Christ that would seek after the true Kingdom of God, the one that does not come with observation, but is birthed within us like a mustard seed and a bit of leaven.
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Then came July 4, 2025, the day now celebrated as the anniversary that God miraculously protected Israel from the Russian missile attack. David Shepherd, with the help of the Dove Foundation, brought Israel together with the Middle East leaders to sign a seven-year peace treaty between them, under which neither country would retaliate against the other in exchange for free use of Israel's "food growth" formula in their nations. This same treaty would also give the Christian Commonwealth and the Dove Foundation free licensed use of that same formula in exchange for protection of Israel for seven years.
A good deal of people around the world were watching the signing of the covenant, thinking that Shepherd had actually achieved world peace among the nations. I, on the other hand, looked at the signing and realized that this was the "covenant with Hell" that Israel was signing with the devil, the "covenant" that was "confirmed with many for one week", a period of seven years that people would come to know as the Tribulation.
I got a call from Valerie just as I had finished watching the signing. "Hi, Vince, how are you doing?" she asked. "Have you just watched the signing of the peace treaty today?"
"Yeah, and I'm not pleased with what this actually means for the world, Val," I answered.
"What's there to be upset about?" Valerie said. "With the signing of the treaty, the people of Israel can rest easy, knowing that they are safe from any further attacks from the Muslim countries."
"I know what Daniel 9:27 says," I said. "He, referring to the 'coming prince', will confirm a covenant with many for one 'week', but in the middle of that 'week' he will do away with sacrifice and offering, and with the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the end, and that which was determined shall be poured out on the desolate."
"I heard that verse explained differently before, Vince," Valerie said. "That it was truly talking about Christ, confirming the New Covenant, and in the process doing away with sacrifices and offerings for sin, and with the Jews rejecting Jesus, He has made their house desolate by deserting them completely."
"I hate to tell you this, but that verse was never talking about Christ," I said. "It was actually talking about the Antichrist."
"I'm just telling you what I heard, Vince," Valerie said. "You can believe whatever you want, but I'm not going to change my mind about what I believe that verse to be talking about."
"I can only pray for the Lord to open your eyes to the truth, Val," I said. "I don't want to see you perish without the true knowledge of the Word."
"Same here, Vince," Valerie said. "Anyway, I've got things to do today. Talk to you later, okay?"
"You take care, Val," I said before the call ended.
-----
The world continued to change for the next 18 months after the signing. Protestant and Evangelical churches around the United States — and eventually throughout the world — became united under the banner of the Christian Commonwealth Church. Graeme Franklin became its Pontifex Maximus, guiding the churches throughout the world as to what he claimed to be "true Christian doctrine". The Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox took issue with the formation of the Christian Commonwealth Church, feeling that they were now competing with the Protestants and Evangelicals all uniting together for the sole purpose of taking over the title of "the Mother Church". Some among the Catholics and the Orthodox, however, welcomed the Christian Commonwealth Church with open arms, hoping that they could dialogue with each other and make peace between the traditions.
The Dove Foundation was eventually absorbed into the Christian Commonwealth government, replacing its current structure with what Shepherd would call "apostles" that would govern ten regional districts of the world under the new Christian Commonwealth Community banner. These "apostles" were given both political and religious power over their regions to declare the will of the head of state. Some members of the former United Nations left their jobs after learning the nature of this new Security Council that now answer to Shepherd, but most stayed either out of loyalty to Shepherd or out of fear.
All of mass media was eventually owned by the Christian Commonwealth, which meant that everything that was produced for TV, radio, or the Internet now answered to the dictates of Shepherd. All "objectionable material" was removed from public sale and consumption. Even my favorite secular music from my favorite artists was no longer available. Most Christians simply didn't miss the removal of that material, but it ended up causing that material to show up on the physical and digital "black market" for people to secretly obtain.
As part of the peace treaty, the Jews were now allowed to build a new Temple on the site of the Dome of the Rock after it was removed. The Jews started reinstituting animal sacrifices as part of their daily routine, but the "two witnesses" decried the Temple as "a Temple of rejection", that it was built apart from the true Messiah. The Jews, who believed Shepherd to be "the true Messiah", took issue with this complaint and tried to assault the "witnesses", only to suffer the same fate as anyone else of other religions that tried the same.
-----
I had yet another dream. This time it was set in a small church, where people were gathered together for a wedding. Joseph Shepherd was standing at the altar, nervously waiting for his bride Mary Aaron to be walked down the aisle with her father and be presented to him as his wife. Then the moment came, and Mary and her father came down the aisle while wedding music played. Joseph looked a bit shocked as he noticed that his future wife Mary was visibly pregnant. He hadn't seen her since he had been engaged with her, so this came as much more than just a surprise — it felt like a betrayal, as if Mary had hidden some secret affair she had with someone else or some other reason why she was pregnant. Mary was smiling, looking radiant in her wedding dress. But Joseph, feeling overwhelmed by emotion, ended up running from the altar and heading outside the church while the bride and the families watched, feeling like Joseph was going to call off the wedding.
Joseph sat outside the church crying his eyes out. He expected a pure virgin to be at his wedding, but instead he got a bride that was pregnant by unknown means. What would others think about him now that he was marrying that kind of person? He felt like he would be the laughingstock of his community.
That was when a mysterious being stood before him and said, "Joseph Shepherd, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. You shall be his father, and you shall call his name David Joshua, for he will save his people and his nation from their sins. This is so that it may be fulfilled by the prophet, saying, 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a child, and he shall be called Immanuel, which means, God is with us.'"
Joseph looked at the being and felt a peace and a joy that he never felt before about the whole situation. He realized that Mary's child was a supernatural child that would become someone special to the whole world. He took a deep breath, entered into the church, and came back to the altar, where Mary was waiting for him.
"Is everything all right, my dear?" Mary asked, sweetly.
Joseph smiled. "Oh yes…everything is just perfect."
The rest of the wedding went on without a hitch. The couple kissed, and they were greeted by their friends and family members outside the church, throwing rice upon the couple as they headed for the car that was waiting to drive them away.
I woke up from that dream, again realizing that there was more being revealed about David Shepherd from that dream that I didn't expect to see — like I was uniquely privileged to be given this revelation.
I got my coffee and wrote an entry in my personal blog that morning. I checked the mail and found a mysterious letter addressed to me with no return address to it. I didn't know who sent it. I thought for a moment that this was just junk mail, but something inside me prompted me to open it. Inside there was a letter and a ticket. The letter simply said:
MIDNIGHT CRY SPECIAL
JULY 4, 2026
12 AM IN SPRINGVILLE, MA
16 BEECHER ST.
BRING ONLY A KJV BIBLE
ALL WILL BE REVEALED.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-28-2026 01:29 PM
Chapter 10:
I called Valerie on the night of July 3 to see if she would take me to the secret meeting place of this "Midnight Cry Special" in Springville before midnight. She thought that I was crazy, that this could be some kind of trap of the enemy or something. I assured her that I prayed about the meeting, and the Lord gave me the peace to know that nothing bad will happen. She said that she will come around 11 pm to my apartment building and that she will call me when she gets there. So I spent the remaining hours up to that time in prayer, seeking what the Lord will have me do in this situation. He told me not to go with anything but just my Bible — no keys, no phone, no money, no ID, no anything, just my Bible. He assured me that all will be revealed in due time, and that I just need to trust Him. I told Him that I would, and so I waited. I watched YouTube videos until I got the call from Valerie that she was there downstairs. I told her I would be there right away. I turned off my phone, turned off the TV, grabbed my KJV Bible, turned off the lights, and left the apartment.
Valerie was waiting in the car for a few minutes when I showed up. I got in the passenger seat beside her, and she drove off heading for Springville in the middle of the night.
"What do you hope to find at this 'Midnight Cry Special,' Vince?" Valerie asked as she drove through the roads connecting the two towns together.
"I honestly don't know, Val," I answered. "Why do you ask?"
"I have a distinct feeling like I'm never going to see you again, that you'll be taken somewhere that I can't contact you," Valerie said, sounding a bit upset.
"That's what I was thinking, too," I said. "Maybe this is God's true idea of the Rapture."
"That's not funny, Vince!" Valerie snapped. "I know what the teaching is all about, and I don't think this has anything to do with the Rapture. It's just something else entirely."
"That's just my guess at this point, Val," I said. "If I knew anything more about this gathering, I would have told you."
Valerie sighed. "Well, I'm going to miss you, Vince. You're the best friend that I had since I started going to Westville Assembly."
"I'll miss you too, Val, believe me," I said with sincerity in my voice.
We got to 16 Beecher Street at around 11:30 pm. Valerie and I noticed a small crowd of people gathering together. "Looks like you won't be alone, Vince,"
"Good, then maybe I can find some answers," I said as Valerie brought the car to a stop and I got out. "Thanks for bringing me."
"God be with you, dear," Valerie said, giving me a wink and a smile before she drove off.
I took my Bible, my letter, and my ticket with me as I entered the crowd of mostly men, around the ages of 20 to 50. They seemed to be confused as well as excited as to what the event was all about.
"Say, can you tell me what this 'Midnight Cry Special' is truly about, friend?" I politely asked one of the men.
"Did you receive one of these tickets with a cross on it?" he asked.
I produced mine for him to see. "Here's mine," I answered.
"Great!" he said, sounding excited. "Just hang on…the bus will be coming at the stroke of midnight."
"A bus?" I asked. "Where is this bus going to take us?"
"Dunno," he answered. "We'll find out when we get there."
I tried talking to other men in this group, asking the same question about the "Midnight Cry Special," and they pretty much said the same thing. I felt like I was getting nowhere with anyone. Part of me wanted to just leave and probably hitch a ride back home, but the Lord impressed upon me to stay. So I did.
At midnight there came a black bus that said RAPTURE on the side. It looked like one of those buses I have taken when I was living in a residential school on the other end of the state. However, the windows seemed to be blacked out for some reason.
The bus came to a stop, and a man in a white robe came out. "Welcome, men of God, to the Midnight Cry Special. Please make your way on board in an orderly fashion. We'll get going as soon as everybody is on."
"Hey, Mister, where are you guys taking us?" a man in the crowd called out.
"We will answer your question later," the white robed man replied. "Just enter the bus quietly and have your tickets ready."
And so the men of God lined up, and each man handed their tickets over to the white robed man, who looked at it briefly and then nodded, signaling them to get on board.
I was the last in line, "Here you go," I said, producing the ticket.
The white robed man looked at the ticket and smiled. "Okay, you're all set."
I got on board and saw that most of the seats were filled up. There was one last empty seat, near the back. It was next to a young man who looked like he came from the ghetto. "Hey, dude, take a seat," he called out.
"Thanks," I said, sitting down next to him. Soon the white robed man got on board before the door closed and the bus driver started driving off.
"May I ask you a question?" the young person sitting next to me asked.
"Sure, what about?" I responded.
"You know about the 144,000 young men who are virgins?" he asked.
"I know that's from Revelation," I answered.
"Do you think God's calling us together to be part of the 144,000?" he asked.
"I honestly don't know, but for what it's worth, I know that I haven't been with a woman intimately for all my life," I answered.
"Me neither," he said. "My name is Pablo Rivera. What's yours?"
"Vincent Geordi."
"Nice to meet you, Vince," Pablo said as we shook hands together. "Just wish it was under better circumstances. How long have you been a Christian?"
"I've been one since my early thirties, Pablo," I said. "How about you?"
"I gave my life to the Lord when I turned eighteen," Pablo said. "Youth group witnessed to me. I was supposed to go to college this year."
"That's too bad," I said. "I mostly worked odd jobs since I finished college back in the 1990s."
"Maybe what the Lord has in store for me with this 'Midnight Cry' is better, though," Pablo said. "Who knows, we could just die together tonight and we will be with the Lord forever."
"I'm not afraid to die, Pablo," I said. "I just wish I could have had a normal life like my family members."
"Yeah, but what good would that do you?" Pablo said. "Didn't the Lord say it will not profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?"
"I'm glad you know something from the Bible that's useful," I said.
"Friends call me a Bible junkie, dude," Pablo said. "Never see me go anywhere without one. I bet that's also you on most days."
"Yeah, I have to admit that I don't go most places without one," I said. "So, you're willing to give your life to the Lord tonight?"
"Am I ever!" Pablo said, sounding enthusiastic. "I feel like I was made to live for that moment when the Lord will call me home."
"Won't that be the day!" I said, starting to yawn. "Wake me up when the bus gets us to our destination."
-----
Several hours later, I heard, "Wake up, dude! We're here!"
I woke up and found myself getting off the bus along with the other men of God to an unknown location. But what a location it was! It was a stone sanctuary hidden somewhere under the mountains where trees and plants miraculously grew. There was a pool of water that constantly poured fresh water. It was like something I had only seen in a dream, or maybe in the movies.
We were directed to a huge hall inside the sanctuary where we were told to sit on the floor. We waited, wondering what was going to happen next. Were we going to be inducted into a secret cult or something? Were we going to be tested? Were we going to be slaughtered? Those questions lingered in my mind as I waited for answers.
Then a man in his forties, wearing a white robe, stood before us. "Men of God, pay attention to what I have to say. My name is Micah Eretz, and you have been chosen by God to be part of the 144,000 man army that will go throughout the world and preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ unto all the nations. I know some of you are thinking, 'Isn't that what the Christian Commwealth Church is already doing, preaching the gospel of Christ?' I want to let you know, that the gospel that they are preaching is not the true gospel of the Lord's Kingdom coming, but of the false kingdom that they are setting up for the Antichrist. And I'm sure that all of you had dreams that are revealing who the Antichrist truly is. He is David Shepherd, the American President who claims to have been sent by God to take over the nations and make them Christian. Make no mistake, this man is not sent by God, but is sent by our enemy, the Devil, to deceive the masses into building a kingdom that is not the true Kingdom of Christ.
"You men have been taken to this location to be trained for the time that we have now entered into: the seven-year Tribulation. This is God's last call for humanity to truly repent before Jesus Christ comes and sets up His true Kingdom here on earth. He will send the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all who follow him into the Lake of Fire that has been prepared for the Devil and his angels. Woe be unto those who do not turn to the true Lord and Savior before that time comes.
"As we will go through the Tribulation together, we will see how terrible the world will become leading up to the Lord's coming. The American President who thinks he is building the Lord's Kingdom will reveal his true self at the midpoint where he will be slain and resurrected a few days later. He will demand all to forsake the one true God and worship him alone, and his False Prophet will cause all to make an image unto the Beast, that will both speak and cause as many that would not worship the image to be killed. He will also cause all to take a mark on their right hand or their forehead, so that no one can buy or sell without the mark. That mark will doom people to eternity in the Lake of Fire, where the smoke of their torment will rise forever, and they will have no rest day or night.
"Right now we've entered into the period of the First Seal Judgment, where there will be peace among the nations for a brief period of time. That time will come to an end, when the Lamb opens the Second Seal, causing men to hate and to kill each other. Despite what the media is telling you, there will be many that will resist this new one-world government and will make war against them. That will soon be followed by the Third Seal Judgment, in which prices for food and oil will go up to punish those that resist this government. And to follow that will be the Fourth Seal Judgment, in which a quarter of the earth will perish from hunger, death, sword, and the beasts of the earth. And then there will be the Fifth Seal Judgment, where there will be martyrdom of the true saints of God that will emerge during this time, whose souls will be under the altar in heaven, waiting for God to avenge them. And to top it all off, the Sixth Seal Judgment will resuilt in a massive global earthquake that will shake the earth, plus the stars from the heavens will fall, and people will flee for protection from these cosmic disasters.
"God has blessed you all with unique abilities with which you can use for the benefit of sharing the true gospel of the Kingdom. Some of you are laborers, some of you are technicians, some of you are gardeners and farmers, and some of you are skilled in doing multiple tasks. Here in this Sanctuary you will be trained to deal with the masses that you will encounter in the world as they will hear your words and resist you at every turn. Remember the words of the Lord, that we should not fear those who can kill the body but not the soul, but rather to fear Him who has the power to destroy both soul and body in Hell. Your lives have the protective hand of God over your lives. He has given you the authority to trample serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will by any means hurt you. But remember not to rejoice, because the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven.
"As you live in this Sanctuary, God will guide you and guard you into following the rules. This area is strictly off-limits to the rest of the world. Nobody knows where it is. There are no lines of communication between us and the outside world. All information will be revealed to us through secure contacts between us and other Sanctuaries throughout the world. You do not need to fear the world coming to find us one day. But there will come a day when you will have to leave the Sanctuary and enter into the world to do the Lord's will. It is then you will be in contact with other members of this community, no matter how far apart you are from each other.
"You will now proceed to the processing room, where your outside clothes will be removed along with all your earthly possessions except your Bible, and you will be given new clothes for your work and training in this Sanctuary. That will be all. Thank you and may God bless you all."
Pablo sighed after the announcement had ended. "Man, I wouldn't think we would be drawn together just to be trained as members of the 144,000, Vince."
"Me neither, Pablo, but apparently this is God's calling on our lives," I said. "We'll be together in this whether we want to be or not."
-----
I went into the processing room with the other men, where we were told to remove our clothes and anything from us that is considered "worldly". I stripped myself down naked like everyone else, and just stood around waiting with what little dignity I had left for the next step. Then each of us were put through a shower to cleanse us completely before we were given white robes and a pair of sandals. I kept my glasses throughout the whole thing because otherwise I would be blind without them. I put on the robe and sandals, and I stood there with everyone else in the same clothes, feeling like we have all been inducted into a cult beyond our own will. But strangely I felt peace about the whole thing, like this is where the Lord wanted me to be.
We had a meal together that began with a group prayer. It was a simple meal of what turned out to be porridge. It was tasteless, but I ate it anyway because I was feeling hungry. Then we were shown to our rooms, which consisted of a bed, a lamp, a chair, and a table. Strangely, each one of us was given a computer tablet which I turned on and found that it only had the King James Version of the Bible and a very limited Internet browser that only had access to certain web sites that I honestly never heard of — mostly reporting news of the world. At the time I turned on the tablet to check things out on it, I came across news that there was growing unrest among non-Christians who felt as if their rights were slowly being eroded by the Shepherd administration. Churches have been dismissing this as just "sour grapes from people who just don't want to accept a Kingdom that the Lord is offering them." Some preachers have gone so far as to quote Luke 19:27, which reads, "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me," saying that God commands His people to destroy those who will refuse to accept the Kingdom.
I turned off the tablet and got on my knees and prayed. "O Lord God, Heavenly Father, Maker of heaven and earth, I pray for the spirit of peace and wisdom to prevail in this situation, even though it may seem hopeless and that the world is simply fulfilling what Your Word has said about the situation at hand. May we as brothers of the faith learn together from each other that we may better serve You as we enter into the world fully equipped to do Your will. Give us all strength, wisdom, and courage to endure the days that are ahead of us as we head for the opening of the Second Seal. May Your true Kingdom come, and may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Your Son Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."
There was a knock on the door. I opened and found that it was Pablo. "Hey, dude, you getting settled into your room now?" he asked. "I just saw what was in my room, and it feels like we're going to be in for a rough time of training."
"I get the same feeling myself, Pablo," I said. "Does that discourage you in any way?"
"I'm just curious as to what we're going to be doing here, because it's beginning to feel like a prison, just eating the same thing over and over," Pablo said.
"Maybe the Lord wants to strip away everything from us that we're so used to doing that we'll be able to better listen to Him and do what He says," I said.
"But to spend who knows how long we're going to be in these Sanctuaries, doing who knows what?" Pablo said. "I would be checking out of here if it weren't for what the Lord is impressing upon me."
"We can't do anything about it except make the best of our situation here, Pablo," I said. "I didn't ask to be here either, but I'm willing to do what the Lord says, even if it's difficult."
"I guess I'm still too young in the faith to get used to how older people like you have managed to endure all those years," Pablo said.
"I'll pray for you, Pablo," I said. "I think you'll make a great witness of Christ even in the times we're living in."
Pablo smiled. "Thanks, amigo. I'll make sure to pray for you as well."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-30-2026 02:53 AM
Chapter 11:
The first days of being in the Sanctuary were hard, to say the least. It was basically everyone getting used to the routine of waking up for morning prayer, eating breakfast, studying from Scripture, doing manual work, noontime prayer, eating lunch, resting, studying from Scripture, doing manual work, eating dinner, evening prayer, and meditation before going to bed. It felt like what Pastor Walter had called from the Greek a "kenosis" — a period of "emptying" ourselves of the things of the world that we have been attached to. I missed being able to watch YouTube videos and browse through Facebook for social media posts. My only connection to the outside world at this point was through Voices In The Wilderness, a specialized news aggregator that collected news from the outside world that talked about events pertaining to the fulfillment of Scripture. I would read the news on my tablet during my off-hours just to see for myself how the advancement of the Christian Commonwealth was proceeding. All I could see at this point was that tensions were rising among both professed Christians and non-Christians everywhere, that things were going to reach the breaking point half a year from now, which is when Micah Eretz claims the Second Seal Judgment will occur.
I became friends with most of the men at the Sanctuary and found out their various life histories before they became part of the 144,000. All of them were virgins, whether by choice or not, but they all felt like God was calling them out of the world for some special purpose that He had for them. I remember an incident that I still question whether it was real or not, where I almost ran away from the first residential school that I have been in. I was running out of the cottage I was staying in and was headed for the school's main building when I felt an impression on my heart, stopping me from going any further. Then there was a gentle voice that whispered, "Go back inside. I will take care of you." I didn't know where the voice came from, but I obeyed, heading back into the cottage that I ran away from, and got back into my bed. The next morning I woke up, surprised that I didn't get punished for leaving the cottage that night. No counselor said or noticed anything. I didn't know it at the time, but looking back on the incident, I realized that it was the Lord watching out for me.
The person I was closest to in the Sanctuary was Pablo. The Lord had impressed upon me to be like a big brother to him, to teach him things that I have learned in my walk with the Lord that he had yet to discover for himself. Pablo talked about how he had been raised up in a strict Catholic family that went to church every Sunday without fail, that he had been baptized as a baby, made his First Communion, and had his confirmation as a young teenager. Yet he wanted to have a life that was apart from religion, going to parties, meeting up with young women and dating them, eventually settling down and raising a family. However, Pablo felt so uncomfortable being around people that he spent most of his time hanging out by himself and reading books. A youth group from a local Assembly of God invited him to join them, and it was there as a young man getting ready to graduate from high school that he gave himself to the Lord. It felt to him like an irresistible pull that he could not escape from. His family was surprised that he stopped going to Catholic Masses and started going to the Assembly of God that was in his town. Yet they didn't disown or discourage him; instead, they encouraged him to pursue his faith to wherever God would take him in his life. The only regret that he had was not being the one who died in place of his older brother Emilio, who he always had looked up to, who was killed by accident in a drive-by shooting that happened near his neighborhood.
I disclosed to Pablo that I had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which surprised him, because he couldn't see me as "being autistic" like some of the folks he knew in his neighborhood, the nonverbal types who could hardly do anything for themselves. I told him it was a condition that I had my entire life, and I didn't really know about it until around the early 2020s, although earlier I had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Pablo seemed confused and asked what's the difference between autism and Asperger's, and I told him the only real difference between the conditions is that those with Asperger's don't have language delay problems, and that they are usually highly intelligent. Pablo said he would pray for me to be "cured of autism", and I told him autism is not a disease that needs to be cured, it's just a condition that needs treatment, and that it's lifelong. Pablo said he will still pray for my "healing" anyway, so I just let the matter drop.
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Things were pretty quiet until early January 2027, when, during our daily activities, all of us in the Sanctuary, including me, saw something happen in a vision that shook us to the core. Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, and worship centers have all been firebombed. Christians and other religious people were angry with each other and blamed the other for their sacred places being destroyed. Then they turned their anger toward non-religious people and atheists, who claimed total innocence in the whole matter. War broke out between groups of people. The Christian Commonwealth had to send out military forces to quell the violence. People mourned and wept as they saw that their neighbors who once lived in peace with each other were now at their throats, taking out their frustrations on people they believed had wronged them for some reason.
The vision lasted for what seemed like minutes, and then it was gone. We were stunned. We looked at each other, wondering what had happened. Then we were all summoned to the great hall, where we stood and listened to Micah Eretz tell us what we needed to know.
"Brothers of the faith, don't be alarmed," he spoke with certainty. "This is the Second Seal Judgment unfolding before our eyes. John the Revelator once wrote about this moment: 'And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.'
"This is a sign given to us by God that we will be seeing more of the Seal Judgments unfolding as we progress through this time. David Shepherd will do everything he can to restore peace to the world, but those efforts will result in more suffering that will come with the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Seal Judgments."
"But what can we do about the situation, Micah?" one of the men asked. "Just sit here and do nothing?"
"We are hardly 'doing nothing', men," Micah answered. "We are still preparing for the time when God will use us powerfully to bring the true gospel to the world. We can pray that God will spare as many people as possible so that they will not enter into Hell without hearing the gospel. But we cannot stop what God is doing through these judgments on the world. He is bringing them to the point where they will call upon Him to bring His true Kingdom here to earth."
"But how is that any different from what David Shepherd is doing with his Christian Commonwealth?" another man asked.
"David Shepherd is leading people toward worshipping a false Christ that will reveal himself at the midpoint of the Tribulation," Micah answered. "God wants people to know the true Christ as revealed in the Bible, the Lamb who was slain as the ransom for setting many people free from their sin. He will come at the end of the Tribulation to deal with those who want Shepherd's version of the Kingdom over the true Kingdom. We must be patient and watchful for the time when God will use us to deliver the message of that Kingdom to a people whose eyes and ears will be opened to the truth. That will be all. May God bless you."
After Micah left, I came over to where Pablo was standing, who looked as if he had seen a ghost. "Oh man, this is worse than imagining what had happened to my brother Emilio all over again!" he said, sounding like he was going to break down and cry. "What are we going to do, amigo?"
"The only thing we can do, Pablo — pray," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry that this whole thing is disturbing to you. I pretty much didn't like having to be a witness to all that carnage, even if it was all in a vision."
"I don't think I can handle still waiting around here until God calls us to be used for His Kingdom," Pablo said, weeping. "I wish that I could be home with my family right now!"
"I wish to be anywhere but here myself right now, but the world outside just isn't safe for us to go beyond these walls and help anyone in person," I said as I held him close to me, trying to ease his pain. "These are the times when we need to hold onto our faith and believe in a God who is greater than any of us."
"I feel like a fool, crying my heart out to you like this," Pablo whimpered.
"There's no shame in crying, Pablo," I said. "God sees all our tears and puts them in His bottle. He will take us through this moment, I promise you."
I just sat there with Pablo, holding him close, not caring what anyone thought of us when they saw us together, not caring about the time that was passing.
-----
Since I was part of the tech crew, I got access to all the news feeds that were coming into the Sanctuary. I decided to watch a video that was not yet curated for our viewership, which turned out to be a secret meeting between Shepherd and Prince, where they thought they would be alone to discuss private matters.
"Sir, you have made people turn on each other, even the same people that claim they support you wholeheartedly," Prince said. "It was a brilliant plan to get agents to plant those bombs in those houses of worship to turn everybody's attention away from you and toward the people you want them to hate."
"It was all part of the plan the Lord had revealed to me in order to build His Kingdom so that we can implement complete control of the masses, Jonathan," Shepherd said. "We will assure them that we will restore peace and that we will deal with those who are opposed to our Kingdom by bringing sanctions upon our enemies to teach them a lesson."
"I have read your plan to raise food and oil prices around the world, and I think that's a little too harsh a punishment to put on the people, even those thar are loyal to you," Prince said.
"I know it will hurt the people, but pain is a part of progress, my friend," Shepherd said. "We will need to have the Apostles declare this as the official Word of the Lord as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir, effective immediately," Prince said, smiling as he shook hands with Shepherd.
I froze the video and just sat there in my seat wondering. Shepherd was going to make himself look like the hero before the masses while forcing everyone to pay higher prices to support him and his Kingdom. I didn't know what to do at the moment except just pray.
"O Lord God, please protect those who will be the most vulnerable to what David Shepherd has planned for the following Seal Judgments," I said quietly. "I ask You this and thank You in Your Son Jesus' name. Amen."
-----
A week later, news came into our feed that David Shepherd had officially implemented the sanctions on the world, that food and oil prices would be increased to punish those who would "disrupt the peace that I have worked hard to engender into our Kingdom," as he was quoted.
No sooner did that happen did we start to see visions of people suffering from the effects of this sanction. People had to work multiple jobs to be able to afford a single meal to put on the table, for themselves and their families. Sick, elderly, and disabled people were denied care "for the greater good of the Kingdom". People were slowly dying of malnourishment and starvation. People were killing each other just to have food to eat. Yet the Christian Commonwealth churches were being rebuilt and looking good as new while mosques, temples, synagogues, and other worship centers were left in ruins. The only exception was the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which remained untouched during the whole Judgment period. People still continued to make sacrifices and offerings there, though now with a bit of difficulty, as blood from animal sacrifices ended up turning to water, and water drawn for certain ceremonies ended up turning to blood.
Again Micah Eretz called us together to remind us of what we saw. "This is now the revelation of the Third and Fourth Seal Judgments happening together, which will cause one-fourth of the world's population to perish. Soon we will see true Christians being martyred for the faith, which will be the Fifth Seal Judgment. Prepare yourselves for what is yet to come: the Wrath of the Lamb, which is the Sixth Seal Judgment that will take place all over the world. We will be released into the world around that time to bring the gospel to the world. That will be all. May God bless you."
After the announcement ended, Pablo and I talked with each other. "Sounds like we might be going home soon, amigo," Pablo said, sounding a bit excited. "Aren't you glad about the news?"
"I was just starting to get used to this place," I said with a sigh.
"You mean you want to be cooped up in this place forever?" Pablo said. "No way, Jose, I want to be out there sharing the gospel with the people who need to hear it."
"I'm glad that you're eager to spread the gospel, but I don't know about myself," I said. "I'm mostly too afraid of encountering people even when they are close to me."
"You've got to pray that the Lord will give you nerves of steel, man!" Pablo said. "Scripture says God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. The devil wants you to be afraid because he knows it will keep the gospel from being spread."
"Well, if you want to pray for me to have boldness, Pablo, I'm not going to stop you from doing that," I said. "At least you've got the vigor of youth on your side."
"I'm sure the Lord will make you young again, brother," Pablo said. "Just trust in Him to do the right thing."
I smiled. "Thank you for sharing that bit of encouragement. I really appreciate it."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-31-2026 03:46 PM
Chapter 12:
For the next three months we continued our training, but now we were preparing for entering into the world to proclaim the gospel. Micah reminded us that there will be enemies along the way — those who will mock us, scoff at us, reject us, and even try to kill us. But he assures us that, as part of the 144,000, not a hair will fall to the ground without the Lord noticing it. He promises that we will be protected up until the Lord's coming, which will be in the next five years or so. Meanwhile, we should focus our efforts on bringing the message to the masses who are willing to listen to the true gospel instead of the false gospel of Shepherd's "Kingdom of God". Upon our release to the general public, we would all be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit to work miracles that would help convince those who are reluctant to listen to anything we have to say. I have been praying to be baptized in the Holy Spirit ever since I was in the Assembly of God church, but I never got the gift of "speaking in tongues". Hopefully this will be the time when that gifting will be available to all of us in our group of men called by God for His special purpose.
I continued to read stories on my tablet about how the true Christians were going about their communities, giving aid to the poor, the elderly, and the disabled by their means. Those stories filled my heart with joy in knowing that there are some who are reaching out to those people in need, even during the times of hardship where a single meal would cost a person their entire paycheck. I prayed for those people to be blessed by God in all their efforts and that they would advance the true Kingdom of God that would be coming at the end of the Tribulation.
Pablo continued to share stories about his family to me, especially about his older brother Emilio. He wanted to be an evangelist that would bring the message of Christ to people of foreign countries, even to those that didn't speak either English or Spanish. He started off as a street preacher who would pray for passersby that were going about their days, never shouting at them, but always speaking about God's love for them, and that He's looking out for them and wants them to be part of His everlasting Kingdom. Unfortunately, on one of the days that Emilio did his street ministry, a gang war broke out, and he was caught in the middle of the crossfire while other people ran for safety. The family got the news of his death from the police several hours later when they became worried that their oldest son wasn't returning home. Pablo was so angry at the news that he wished God would avenge his brother right there and then on his murderers. Some days later, the gang members of both groups would be all found dead with no known cause.
Pablo felt guilty now that he had wished death on the people who had killed his brother back then. I told him that I was harassed when I was a child in residential schools, and I had got to the point where I would have wanted to kill them, but something inside me got me to put down the stones and just pray for forgiveness instead. Though I didn't know the Lord as my personal Savior at the time, I nevertheless prayed the Lord's Prayer as my comfort and protection, and after I had left the residential schools in 1986, I never heard from any of my tormentors ever again. Eventually I heard that some of those people in the residential schools that tormented me ended up going to jail for a long time for other offenses, and some others even died at the hands of others. Instead of feeling avenged, I felt sad for those people, because now they had lost their chance to know Christ as I had come to know Him.
Then one day, I and my fellow members of the Sanctuary stood and saw a vision of souls under the altar in heaven that had been martyred for their faith. They had all cried out in a loud voice, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" Then white robes were given to each of them, and they were told, "Rest yet for a little season, until your fellow servants also and your brethren, that should be killed as you were, should be fulfilled." The vision soon ended, and all of us stood there and realized the truth — the Fifth Seal Judgment has been unleashed. There was war against the saints of God, and more souls would be added to the list of martyrs before God would act on their behalf.
I saw in the tech room video clips of true Christians that were being murdered, not just by non-believers, but also by professing Christians who were loyalists to Shepherd. That brought to my attention what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse: "Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." That got me thinking: if Shepherd loyalists were killing those who are truly Christians, not just in word but also in deed, then this is just a taste of what we're expected to see when the mask comes off and the world sees Shepherd for what he truly is.
-----
During our Saturday services, Micah would preach to us messages that would encourage us in our faith. One message he preached was called "The True Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken," and the text for that was from Hebrews 12:25-29. "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire."
After the reading of Scripture, Micah had us all sit down to listen to his message. "Brothers... look around you. Look at these stone walls. Look at the simple robes that you wear. Look at the Bible resting in your lap. This Sanctuary is not impressive by the world's standards. There are no television cameras here. No applause. No elections. No celebrities. No wealthy benefactors. No political influence. Yet I tell you today that what is happening in this hidden place is more significant than anything taking place in the palaces of the Christian Commonwealth. The world believes the Kingdom of God is arriving through political power. We know better.
"David Shepherd promises peace. He promises prosperity. He promises unity. He promises morality. Many have looked upon these things and said, 'Surely this must be God's Kingdom.' But I ask you... did Rome not promise peace? Did Babylon not promise prosperity? Did Egypt not promise security? Every kingdom of men has claimed to bring heaven to earth. Every one of them has eventually become another Tower of Babel. The Kingdom of Christ has never begun with thrones. It begins with repentance.
"The Lord Jesus never said, 'Blessed are those who control governments.' He said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit.' He never said, 'Blessed are those who conquer nations.' He said, 'Blessed are the meek.' He never said, 'Blessed are those who silence their enemies.' He said, 'Love your enemies.' Do you see the difference? The counterfeit kingdom changes laws first. The true Kingdom changes hearts first.
"Some of you still wonder why you are here. You had jobs. Families. Dreams. Plans. Some of you wanted marriage. Some hoped for children. Some hoped simply to live quiet lives. Instead... God brought you underground. Do not think He has forgotten you. Moses spent forty years in Midian before leading Israel. David tended sheep before wearing a crown. Paul disappeared into Arabia before preaching to the nations. Even our Lord spent thirty years in obscurity before three years of public ministry. God prepares His servants in secret before revealing them publicly.
"Perhaps you read the news and wonder... 'They have the churches,' 'They have the media,' 'They have the governments,' 'They have the crowds.' Brothers... numbers have never determined truth. When Elijah stood alone on Mount Carmel, he appeared defeated. Yet heaven answered his prayer. When Noah built the ark, the whole world laughed. Yet only eight souls were saved. When Jesus hung upon the cross, nearly everyone believed His ministry had failed. Yet that apparent defeat became the greatest victory in history. Never measure God's work by popularity.
"You think your greatest enemy is David Shepherd. He is not. You think your greatest enemy is the False Prophet. He is not. You think your greatest enemy is persecution. It is not. Your greatest enemy is the old man within your own heart. Pride. Fear. Bitterness. Self-reliance. If those things remain, then even if you escape the Beast, you have not escaped yourself. That is why your training begins here. Before you face the world... you must first face your own heart.
"You have already seen peace taken away. You have seen hatred spread like wildfire. You have seen neighbors destroy neighbors. Soon you will witness famine. Disease. Martyrdom. Cosmic signs. Many people will ask, 'Where is God?' You already know the answer. He is still on His throne. The Lamb who opens the seals has never surrendered His authority. History is not spinning out of control. It is unfolding according to the purposes of God.
"So, what kind of men must we become? Not angry men. Not proud men. Not violent men. Not frightened men. We must become men who resemble Jesus Christ. When they curse us... we bless. When they hate us... we pray. When they imprison us... we sing. When they kill us... we forgive. That is how the Kingdom advances. The Beast conquers with fear. Christ conquers through the Cross.
"Here's a word to the younger brothers. Some of you are afraid. Some of you miss home. Some of you wonder if you are strong enough. Hear me carefully. None of us is strong enough. Peter wasn't. Thomas wasn't. Paul wasn't. Strength is not something God finds. It is something He gives. Trust Him. Lean upon Him. Walk with Him. The God who called you here will also sustain you here.
"Brothers, as I bring this message to a close, remember... one day these doors will open. You will leave this Sanctuary. Some of you will never return. Some will preach before kings. Some before prisoners. Some before starving families. Some before executioners. Do not fear that day. Fear only this... that you should stand before Christ and discover you lived for yourself instead of Him. Therefore receive the Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Stand firm. Walk humbly. Love deeply. Preach faithfully. For our King is coming. Not to campaign. Not to negotiate. Not to seek permission. But to reign forever. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen."
We concluded the service with singing "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God", something I have only heard in some Baptist churches, but never sang until now. I could feel the Spirit moving among us as we lifted up our hands in praise. It felt as if fire had come down upon us like on the Day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, and we were surprised that we all spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. It was amazing. I had waited years for that moment to come, and now that it has come, I feel sad that I couldn't share the news with anyone outside the Sanctuary among my peers. At least not yet, I reminded myself.
Anyway, I felt more connected to God than I ever did before.
-----
Pablo and I sat together at the same table for meals with the other members of the Sanctuary. Pablo noticed that I was singing quietly to myself, though a little louder than usual, which peaked his curiosity. "Hey, dude, you feeling all right?" he asked.
I looked at him and smiled. "I felt like I just had my prayers of long ago answered, Pablo. I just got baptized in the Holy Spirit."
"I could understand that feeling," Pablo said. "Sometime after I got saved, the youth pastor laid hands on me, and I got so filled in the Holy Spirit that I began speaking in another language. It wasn't Spanish or anything. Just something totally different. Maybe it was the tongue of angels."
"Perhaps it was, at least according to my understanding of the gift," I said. "I tried speaking in tongues years before, and it felt like I was just repeating gibberish that I heard other people speak. Some people make fun of that and said that it was just 'I could've had a Honda' over and over."
Pablo laughed. "Yeah, I know. There are fake tongue speakers who are just repeating random things and thinking they've got the Holy Spirit. But speaking in tongues, according to what the pastor had said, isn't a sign of spiritual maturity. Paul the apostle had to deal with the Corinthians who were misusing the spiritual gifts to make themselves feel more spiritual than others."
"That's true, Pablo," I said. "I told God that I didn't want the gift of tongues unless it was the real thing, what the apostles actually experienced at Pentecost. So far He has honored that prayer, and I hadn't tried to speak in tongues ever since, no matter how many times my pastor laid hands on me."
"But now that you've got the gift, the Lord's going to use you in such a powerful way that your prayers are going to do more damage to the kingdom of darkness," Pablo said.
"Won't that be fun!" I said in a jest. "I never thought that I would be standing toe to toe with the forces of evil that are surrounding us every day. I thought the Lord was just going to take me to heaven, and then I'll come back down with the heavenly army of saints to watch Jesus capture the Beast and the False Prophet and send them to the Lake of Fire."
"That was my wish too, amigo," Pablo said. "Guess the Lord has other plans than what we thought He was actually going to do. You disappointed with that?"
I sighed. "Maybe a little. But as long as we're here training to fight the good fight, I might as well suit up in my armor of God and get ready for battle when it comes."
-----
Three months have passed since. I keep getting news about what's going on in the Middle East, particularly with the "two witnesses" at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Many Jews were listening to their preaching and coming to the saving faith of Jesus Christ. Still many more laughed, mocked, and scoffed at them, claiming that they were just nothing more than spiritual pretenders to the legendary Biblical figures of Moses and Elijah. Surprisingly, the sky over Israel hasn't rained since the day the Tribulation started, which meant that, without their "food growth formula", farmer's crops were withering and dying, producing no fruit. This made the Jews more fervent in bringing their sacrifices to the Temple in the hope that God would answer their prayers and eventually send rain to nourish the dry ground so they could have healthy crops again. Still others emailed their complaints to President Shepherd in the hopes that he would do something about the "two witnesses", maybe talk face to face with them in order to get them to concede. Shepherd promised that he will deal with the "two witnesses" sooner or later, as he knew from Scripture that their time of prophecy would only last for 1260 days.
Then in early April, when we were busy with our training, we could feel the earth shake, so violently that we had trouble trying to keep ourselves standing. Then in an instant, we all saw the vision: the sun had turned black as sackcloth, the moon red as blood, the sky receding like a scroll being rolled up, the stars from the sky falling to the earth, and a giant earthquake that caused everybody on earth to cry out for shelter. People were terrified, as if they knew Who was causing the earthquake and the cosmic signs from the heavens. Only David Shepherd sat in the White House unmoved by the whole thing, as if he was expecting for that to happen and he was just going to wait the judgment out until it was finished.
Micah called us to attention. "Brothers of the faith, you have just witnessed the unfolding of the Sixth Seal Judgment, which is also called the Wrath of the Lamb. This is where God will begin to shake not only the earth, but also the heavens, as we will soon be called to conclude our training and be sent into all the world to preach the gospel to everyone. John the Revelator writes: 'And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?'
"Right now, a fourth of all the people on earth have perished, and there will be more death to come in the Trumpet Judgments. May we all be found ready for those times when the world will divide itself into two camps: those who will follow God and Jesus Christ, and those who will follow Shepherd. There will be no neutral ground between the two for anyone to take. You have already made your choice to stand with the Lord. The rest of the world will now have to make that choice for themselves. But without us to preach them about the truth, more will take Shepherd's side and condemn themselves to Hell. May the good Lord be with us as we will leave this Sanctuary to enter into the world once again."
After Micah had left, I and Pablo just stood and talked with each other. "Guess we'll be getting ready to head back home, amigo," Pablo said. "You eager to leave this place and return to where you came from?"
"I'd be interested to know what the Lord will do with us after we leave, Pablo," I said. "I don't even know if I still have a place to live once I get back home…if home still even exists for me."
"Maybe the Lord's got someplace for us to go to when we do leave," Pablo said. "We could end up bunking together in some apartment or hotel until we know for sure where the Lord wants us to go."
"I just pray that my family is still there and alive when I get home," I said.
"Me too, brother, me too," Pablo said, sighing heavily. "One thing's for sure, our lives are never going to be the same when we leave."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-02-2026 11:19 AM
Chapter 13:
One month later, we were all ready to leave. Before the day of our departure, we were visited by an angel, who was told to "write the seal of God on their foreheads, those who have been called from the twelve tribes of Israel." We stood there, patiently waiting as the angel inscribed a mark on our foreheads which was the Seal of God. We looked at each other and saw the sign of the cross. Pablo noticed that I had that mark too. Strangely I couldn't see it in my own mirror's reflection, and neither could anyone else see their own. But the mark labeled me permanently as one of God's own. There was no way that I could ever be lost now.
We all got back on the buses that were headed to our hometowns. Me and Pablo were headed toward Springville, where we were told by God that someone would be waiting for us to take us back to our homes. I had only my trust in the Lord to go on, so I sat in my bus seat, reading the Bible to pass the time. I still couldn't see out of the windows, but I had a feeling that the landscape was altered during the time of our being in the Sanctuary.
Our bus got to 16 Beecher Street in Springville around mid-afternoon. We got off wearing the same clothes that we had on when we first arrived at the Sanctuary, only now we were carrying a bag that contained our robe and sandals. Micah said we were going to need these in our mission to the world. He didn't say anything more; he just watched as we got off our bus and said our goodbyes to each other, although knowing that we were going to see each other again in the near future.
Pablo was the last person that I said goodbye to. "That was the most interesting time we had with each other, amigo, learning about how to be witnesses together," Pablo said.
"Not that I would want to repeat it, but it's better than having to go to my dead-end job day after day," I said. "Do you have anyone who's going to pick you up and take you back to your house?"
"Probably my sister Alejandra," Pablo said. "I should introduce you to her sometime, maybe you'll like her or something." A horn honked nearby. Pablo turned and saw who it was: a young lady driving a car, waving at him. "Hey, my sister is here already! Talk to you later, hombre, okay?"
"You've been a good friend and companion, Pablo," I said, giving him a warm hug before he got into the car with his sister and drove off.
"Hey, Mister, looking for a ride home?" a familiar female voice spoke.
I turned and looked. It was Valerie. She came in her car, waiting for me to show up. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Val," I said, smiling. "I'm glad you're here."
"I got a little message from God this morning that I should come to this location and bring you home, Vince," she said. "By the way, your brother Charlie gave me the spare key to your apartment, and I got your phone, your keys, your wallet, everything you need in the real world."
"How did my brother get in touch with you?" I asked.
"I guess God was working on him as well, because I didn't know who I was talking to on the phone, but he sounded a little like you," Valerie answered. "Your brother made sure that all your bills are paid, including the rent of your apartment, so you won't find yourself homeless."
"I'll have to find a way to repay him for that, Val," I said as I got into her car and we drove back to Westville. "By the way, what's going on at the Assembly of God while I was gone?"
"I meant to tell you this, but there was no way to contact you, so here's the latest," Valerie said. "Pastor Walter has been removed from his position as pastor due to a terminal illness, and his assistant Eric Gaskell has taken over as the senior pastor of the church. Grace has also retired from being the church administrator and is spending all her time caring for and praying for her husband to be healed. Her position has been filled by Eric's wife Miriam."
I made a face at the mention of Eric's name. "He doesn't sound like the kind of person that would shepherd the portion of God's flock well. He's too steeped in Dominion Theology, so I expect he's going to be hyping up David Shepherd like he's the second coming of Christ."
"He isn't too bad, but I'm starting to wonder where he's taking the church, Vince," Valerie said. "By the way, I'm separated from my husband right now because he was trying to abuse me."
That caught me by surprise. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Val."
"Not as sorry as he was when I called the police on him," Valerie said. "Anyway, he's staying at a friend's house, and I pretty much have the whole house to myself and my dogs. I couldn't ask you to move in because…you know…"
"I won't take any advantage of you, Val, trust me," I said. "I got a mission from the Lord to undertake, and who knows how long I'm going to be busy at that."
"I kind of figured that, noticing the cross mark on your forehead, Vince," Valerie said. Soon we got to my apartment building. "Call me if you need anything. I'll make sure to help you out, okay, dear?"
"Will do, Val, thanks," I said, getting out of the car. Valerie slipped me a smile and a wink before she drove off.
The residents looked at me strangely as I entered the building, but I paid them no mind. I opened the door to my apartment and found that everything in it was clean and tidy. The refrigerator was well stocked with food. My clothes were neatly folded and stacked on my couch for me to put away in my dresser. There was a lot less clutter as I noticed that most of my books and things were gone. Fortunately I still had my computer and my TV in my bedroom.
I turn on my computer and sorted through tons of email messages. Most of it was junk, but then I came across notifications from a company called Rapture Enterprises Ltd. that told me my bills have all been paid. I was wondering who Rapture Enterprises was at first, and then I remembered the bus that had the word RAPTURE printed on it. Then I also remembered that it was a non-profit organization that was headed by a philanthropist named J.R. Barzillai, whose level of wealth makes Elon Musk look like a charity case. He was the constant target of conservatives, but from what I heard about him, he was honest, he lived modestly, he never exploited anyone for his wealth, and he always worked to make things better for the common person regardless of their age, race, gender, or stature in life. One of the things he was reported to say was that he would live to see the second coming of Christ in his lifetime, and he at that point was currently in his nineties, still living a very healthy and robust life. I thanked God that He got my back during the time that I was in the Sanctuary with part of the 144,000.
After I got through the emails, I looked through YouTube and found a live-stream of the "two witnesses" in Jerusalem, preaching to the masses that approached them. From what I see in the video feed, the people in the crowd either mocked them or bowed down before them in reverence to God. It was during the feed that I noticed the two stopped preaching and started proclaiming a message, one that was so loud and clear that I felt like I was standing at the Wailing Wall listening to them in person.
"And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets," Moses said.
"And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," Elijah said. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."
"And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake," Moses said, and then he and Elijah spoke together, "Let those who have ears to hear listen to what the Spirit is saying."
The crowd stood in utter silence, apparently awed by the words. At that moment, it felt like everything in the world had gone silent for about a half hour. Even the ambient noises in my apartment seemed to have gone quiet. It had just dawned on me that the Seal Judgments had ended, and now the next seven judgments, the Trumpet Judgments, were about to begin.
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My sister Vivian invited me, Charlie, and Belinda to her house for dinner, which she was preparing for one Sunday afternoon. She put on a great pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions. I was feeling hungry for real food after spending months eating nothing but porridge, but I had to put some restraint on how much I put on my plate since I haven't eaten anything but porridge for a while.
"It's good to have you back from wherever it is you've gone to over the past ten months, Vince," Vivian said as she served the food. "Me and Gary were praying for you ever since we heard nothing from you on Facebook."
"I'm sorry, folks, I was in the Sanctuary for that time, training to be one of the 144,000 that's going to evangelize to the world," I said.
"How is that any different from what the Commonwealth churches are doing with their missionaries?" Belinda asked.
"The Commonwealth churches are only preaching the gospel of Shepherd's kingdom, while we will be presenting the true gospel of Christ to the masses," I answered.
"I haven't set foot in those churches, but I don't like the people that it's been producing," Charlie said. "They all pretty much act stuck-up and holier-than-thou, like they're the only ones who will enter into heaven."
"I don't like it either, Charlie, which is why I don't go to those Commonwealth churches," Vivian said. "Instead, I host my own Bible studies with the women I meet whenever Gary's at work."
"Shepherd has pretty much left all other religions to rot while he focuses most of his attention on those Commonwealth Christian churches," Belinda said with some disgust.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Belinda," I said with some honesty. "What are you going to do with your own faith now?"
Belinda sighed. "I guess I'll just have to host my own house group, if that's even allowed in this country. Freedom of religion is becoming a thing of the past with Shepherd as President."
"I get customers on my gig jobs all getting up in my face about when I'm going to become a full-blown Christian, like they're really wanting me to get saved before Jesus comes," Charlie said. "I got enough problems to deal with, like having to get Vince back into his apartment after months of disappearing on us."
"I think they mean well, Charlie, but most of them are only listening to what their pastors preach in the Commonwealth churches on Sunday," I said.
"Yeah, well, they're starting to crack down on people working on Sunday, saying it's supposed to be a national day of rest," Charlie said. "But Sunday's usually my busiest day on the gig economy. People doing lots of Door Dash and Uber Eats from restaurants that are still honoring that takeout service."
"They're starting to do that with people who are working at home from their computers now," Vivian said. "I thought that the Phase One part of the plan was going to be all that they would be doing to get us used to the new one-world government now. National Day of Rest, civic morality standards in our schools, faith-based certifications. I was all for that. Now we're going to implement Phase Two, which will include stamping out 'hate speech against Christians,' emergency travel permits, economic registration, and even a Public Unity Pledge that all citizens must recite."
"A Public Unity Pledge?" I said, sounding surprised. "That's really taking things a bit too far."
"I'm just telling you what I've been hearing and reading on the Internet since you've been gone, Vince," Vivian said. "I'll let you know how much further they will take it if I get the chance, as long as we're still connected to each other on social media."
"It's going to be over my dead body if they try to get me to recite some silly religious Public Unity Pledge," Charlie said. "And I don't know if I would trust even Vince enough to turn my life over to the Lord if he starts proselytizing to me about his God."
"I'll still pray for you, Charlie, I promise," I said as I took a bite of my roast beef.
-----
I got home from dinner and got on my computer. I checked my social media and noticed that I got a message from my sister Vivian with a PDF attachment. I opened it up and found out that it was an official press release from the White House that outlined the plan of the Christian Commonwealth, to be enforced by "the Apostles of the Kingdom of God" by the order of "the Sovereign David Joshua Shepherd, President of the Christian Commonwealth of America." It said this:
THE CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH OF AMERICA Office of the President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Building a Stronger Nation Through Faith, Family, and Freedom
President David J. Shepherd today announced the first phase of the National Renewal Initiative, a comprehensive plan designed to strengthen American families, protect religious liberty, promote civic responsibility, and ensure lasting peace for future generations.
"Our goal is not merely to build a stronger nation," President Shepherd said. "Our goal is to become a better people."
The National Renewal Initiative will be implemented gradually over the coming months.
Phase One Renewing Our Communities National Day of Rest
The Christian Commonwealth encourages every citizen to participate in a weekly National Day of Rest dedicated to worship, family, community service, and personal renewal.
Participation is voluntary.
Businesses that participate will receive tax incentives and recognition as Community Renewal Partners.
Commonwealth Service Network
Churches, charities, and nonprofit organizations may voluntarily register with the Commonwealth Service Network to receive additional disaster relief funding, food assistance resources, and community development grants.
Faith communities remain free to maintain their own beliefs and traditions.
Character First Initiative
Schools throughout the Commonwealth will introduce expanded instruction emphasizing:
honesty
compassion
personal responsibility
service
respect
civic virtue
"Our children deserve an education that forms both the mind and the character."
—President David Shepherd
Phase Two Preserving Unity Responsible Public Communication Act
Recognizing that misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric have contributed to violence across the world, the Commonwealth will establish reasonable standards discouraging speech that intentionally incites religious hatred or civil unrest.
These standards are intended to protect peaceful dialogue while preserving freedom of conscience.
Safe Travel Registration Program
To improve disaster response and humanitarian relief efforts, citizens traveling between Commonwealth regions may voluntarily enroll in the Safe Travel Registration Program.
During declared emergencies, registration may become temporarily required to ensure the efficient delivery of aid.
Commonwealth Identity System
Beginning next year, citizens will receive secure digital identification cards simplifying:
employment verification
emergency medical services
food assistance
disaster relief
voting registration
The system is designed to reduce fraud while improving public service.
Phase Three Serving Together National Community Service Program
Every able-bodied citizen is encouraged to devote several hours each month toward serving neighbors through approved local service organizations.
Activities include:
feeding the hungry
rebuilding communities
disaster relief
assisting senior citizens
neighborhood improvement
Together we demonstrate the love of Christ through practical service.
Ministry Accreditation Council
The Commonwealth is pleased to announce the creation of the Ministry Accreditation Council.
Participation remains voluntary.
Certified ministers will receive:
chaplain privileges
educational resources
emergency response access
prison ministry authorization
military ministry opportunities
Certification confirms a minister's commitment to ethical leadership and the peaceful advancement of the Commonwealth's values.
Phase Four A Future of Peace
As the Commonwealth continues expanding partnerships with nations around the world, additional measures may be introduced to ensure economic stability, humanitarian cooperation, and lasting international peace.
These measures will always be guided by the principles of:
liberty
responsibility
justice
compassion
faith
Statement from President Shepherd
"Some will fear change. History teaches us that every great renewal begins with courage. We are not asking Americans to surrender their freedoms. We are asking them to rediscover the responsibilities that make freedom possible.
Let us reject division.
Let us reject hatred.
Let us reject fear.
Together we will build a nation whose light shines brightly before all peoples—not through force, but through faith, service, and love."
I sat there, stunned by the copy of the press release that I had read. I felt as if I was looking into the mind of a megalomaniac posing as a servant of righteousness. And most who call themselves Christians didn't even know what kind of man they have elected. There were those who knew who they voted for, and they didn't care about anything except the one thing they truly wanted, which was power over the nations. They were like Jesus standing on the mountaintop, looking at all the kingdoms of the world, with Satan saying, "You can have all these things, if only You will bow down and worship me" — and they in Jesus' stead chose to bow down to Satan in exchange for having all those kingdoms instead of resisting him, standing strong in the faith.
My phone rang. I picked it up and answered. "Hello?"
"Hey, dude, it's me, Pablo. Hope you don't mind I found your number."
"No problem, Pablo, in fact, I'm glad that you did. What's up?"
"The Lord is having me proclaim on the streets the good news of Jesus, starting tomorrow. You feel that in your spirit yet?"
"I'm sensing something much more disturbing. Do you have a computer on hand?"
"Yeah, I'm sitting in front of mine in my bedroom. What do you have?"
"A PDF file featuring a press release from the White House. You should find it really interesting to read."
"If I give you my email, could you send me a copy?"
"Sure. Hopefully this will be useful for the members of the 144,000."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah, it's really awful."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-03-2026 11:46 AM
Chapter 14:
I woke up, got my morning coffee, and had my morning prayer. I asked the Lord when I should start my street ministry in my hometown, and He said, "Today." He also said, "Fear not, I will protect you." So after I had showered and put on clean clothes, I put on my Sanctuary robe, grabbed my Bible, and headed out the door. I went to the Town Green and sat there, quietly reading Scripture until around 8 am, and then the Lord prompted me to stand up and call out to the masses, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Many passed by me and just ignored me, thinking I was just some harmless crazy religious person standing in the street. Some mocked me and called me a heretic and all sorts of terrible names. Still some others came to me and wanted to know the true gospel of Christ. So I presented it to them and asked if they wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Most of those people said yes, so I led them through a prayer of salvation, telling them that what Paul the apostle said in Romans, that "if you confess that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that He has risen from the dead, you will be saved." I could feel the joy that came into those people's hearts as they realized that they have been forgiven of their sins and have now become the children of God.
Not all people came to me to know salvation, though. Some of them had honest questions about the faith that I tried to answer to the best of my knowledge. Some had come to me to ask for prayer or to confess things that have happened in their lives. Some have been in Christian Commonwealth Church assemblies that have become toxic religious environments rife with abuse. I heard horror stories about pastors and clergy that have manipulated the masses with various tactics, preyed upon women and children, extorted money even from those struggling to make ends meet, and overall acted like they were the absolute rulers of their congregations. I felt genuine sorrow for those people who had suffered such things, and I prayed for their healing and that they would find fellowships of believers that would treat them with love and respect.
I came home in the evening to find that there have been reports of the 144,000 all doing the same thing: preaching the gospel from the centers of their towns, praying for people to receive Christ, and ministering to those who have been hurt and devastated by the abuse going on in the churches. People of other religions were also being drawn to the love and grace that was being shown to them by these men who were faithfully preaching the truth all over the world. They were also met with resistance from people who either didn't want to hear the truth or believed that they already knew the truth. I prayed to God that He would bless the efforts of the 144,000 as they go throughout the entire world showing the true love of Christ and bringing the truth of His salvation to the masses, helping them to prepare for the true Kingdom that was to come.
-----
A month later, as I continued in my street ministry, I heard the sound of a trumpet being blown, sounding loud enough for the people of earth to hear, yet strangely nobody else heard the sound but me and presumably those of the 144,000. I spoke out loud to the masses: "The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up."
Everyone laughed at first, but then they noticed that the sky had turned orange, like it was preparing for a storm of Biblical proportions. Then streams of fire, chunks of hail, and drops of blood began to pour down from the sky. People screamed and ran for cover while the trees caught on fire and all the grass was being burned up. The storm lasted for about five minutes, and then suddenly it stopped, and the sky became clear again. Phones captured the storm as it happened all across the globe, and people were posting it all over social media. The effects were devastating. Farmers who were trying to grow food for both humans and work animals found themselves with scorched fields and lost potential profits. Rainforests that were already affected by deforestation by humans have lost a third of their vegetation, causing loss for hundreds of species that had made their homes in the forests. The air quality was reduced as they were fewer trees that could take in the carbon dioxide and convert it back into oxygen.
Apparently news of the judgment got to President Shepherd, as he soon went on the air to address the public about the situation at hand. "My beloved friends, tonight our nation—and indeed the whole world—has witnessed an event unlike any in recorded history. Great fires have swept across our forests and fields. Homes have been lost. Crops have been destroyed. Families have been displaced. Many of our fellow citizens are grieving, and to them I say this: you are not alone. Your Commonwealth stands with you. From the moment these disasters began, emergency response teams, military personnel, churches, and volunteers have worked tirelessly to rescue the stranded, comfort the suffering, and provide shelter for those who have lost everything. I ask every citizen to join me in praying for those affected by these terrible events. There are many voices already claiming to know exactly why this has happened. Some would have you surrender to fear. Others would have you believe that all hope is lost. Still others would exploit this tragedy to divide neighbor from neighbor. Do not listen to such voices. Now is not the time for panic. Now is the time for unity. Throughout history, great nations have been tested by fire. Not all have survived. But those that endured did so because they stood together rather than allowing fear to tear them apart. The Christian Commonwealth was founded upon faith, service, and love. Those principles have not changed. If anything, this hour calls us to embody them more fully than ever before. Tomorrow I will sign an emergency relief package to provide assistance to affected communities, rebuild damaged infrastructure, and ensure that every family has food, shelter, and medical care. No citizen will be forgotten. No community will be abandoned. We will rebuild. We will recover. And we will emerge stronger than before. I ask pastors to open their churches. I ask businesses to assist those in need. I ask families to care for their neighbors. And I ask every citizen to reject fear in favor of hope. The road ahead will not be easy. There may yet be difficult days before us. But I remain convinced that if we stand together—with faith in God and with love for one another—we will overcome every trial placed before us. May God bless each of you. May He comfort those who mourn. May He strengthen those who serve. And may He continue to guide the Christian Commonwealth toward the peace and unity for which we all strive. Thank you. And may God bless the Christian Commonwealth."
As sincere as the message sounded to people's ears, the reality that followed became more noticeable. Aid that was supposed to go to the churches to help those who were struggling either never came or just wound up in the pastors' pockets, with hardly a dime being given to the people. People felt as if their faith was being tested, not just in God, but also in the man they felt He had appointed to be their President. Still others believed that God will pull through regardless, and that Shepherd would deliver on the promises. Nevertheless, there started to form a divide among the faithful who were beginning to question whether Shepherd truly was a man of God.
Rapture Enterprises, however, became a beacon of hope. Churches began receiving food aid from that organization and were distributing to those who were in need. Nobody but the 144,000 knew that Rapture Enterprises was behind the miraculous provision. This brought about a good deal of people turning to the saving faith of Jesus Christ, even among those who thought they were already saved by the gospel of Shepherd's Kingdom. Still there were many who didn't trust in any organization outside the Dove Foundation, who were still operating under the assumption that God favored them above everyone else when it came to charity and generosity.
-----
I got a call from Daniel Wickman. "Hello, it's Vince. What's up?"
"Did you hear about the latest news? They're starting to crack down on churches that preach against the Christian Commonwealth, saying that no pastor can ever say that it's contrary to God's Kingdom or else they will be shut down and the clergy arrested."
"And the pastor of Ravenhill Assembly refused to agree to that, I gather."
"Nobody of Ravenhill Assembly's going along with that. We're considered anathema, accursed of God, for defying the one-world government gospel."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
"The pastor's already in custody. The congregation is praying for his release, but I don't think that's likely to happen. We may have to go underground."
"That's terrible, Dan. I hate to see even the SDAs have to make a choice between God and Shepherd."
"I already made my choice, Vince, don't worry about that. Ain't no way Shepherd's going to get me to bow before him and declare him as lord of anything."
"You're willing to die for that faith?"
"More than ready. They say persecution's coming to America, and now it's here… and it's coming from 'fellow Christians'."
"I'll pray for you, Dan, I'll make sure of that."
"I got your back too, Vince. Talk to you later."
After that call ended, I got one from Valerie. "Hello, Vince the Valiant is here."
"Hi, sweetie, it's Val. Just want to let you know that Westville Assembly's going through this Ministry Accreditation Board set up by the Christian Commonwealth."
"Really? What's that for."
"To protect churches from extremism, fraud, and abuse, according to Pastor Eric."
"So the Commonwealth's going to be monitoring all churches?"
"That's what I heard. I won't be able to do any volunteer work through the Assembly until we pass registration."
"So how are you doing during your separation from your husband?"
"I'm slowly starting to heal, Vince. I felt tempted to go back to doing weed to get my mind off the hurt that I have endured."
"I'm sorry for what's happened to you, Val."
"Yeah, I'm sorry too. I thought that my husband was a real keeper. Pray for me that I'll stay off the drugs?"
"Will do. Weed isn't going to help you get over the loss and hurt anyway."
"I know, but it's just one of those things that made me feel good when I was doing it. I feel so ashamed about going back to it now that I have tasted the goodness of the Lord."
"I still miss my mother being around. Hopefully the Lord's taking good care of her right now."
"You'll get to see her again if she does know the Lord, honey. Trust me."
"Are you still in touch with your stepchildren, Val?"
"I haven't heard a peep from them lately. Maybe their dad told them things about me that made them believe the worst."
"I'll pray for them to know the truth and to call you as soon as they can."
"Thanks, Vince. I'm glad that I can count on you for that. Anyway, got to go take of my dogs. Talk to you soon."
"Take care, Val," I said before ending the call.
-----
I ended the day with watching a YouTube live-stream of the "two witnesses" in Jerusalem continuing in their ministry to the people of Israel. The crowds that have gathered around them have been constantly filled with people who have been struck by the piercing words of Moses and Elijah. People of all sorts of nationalities have claimed to hear the "witnesses" speak to them in their native language, although I sensed that they were really speaking in Hebrew all along.
"O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" Elijah said. "Therefore bring forth fruits that are worthy of repentance, and think not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I say unto you, that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from the very stones."
"Turn and be saved, every one of you, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come," Moses said. "And the Lord will send you Jesus, whom the heavens must receive until the time of the restoration of all things."
"Already the ax is laid to the root of the trees," Elijah said. "Therefore every tree that does not bring forth good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire. The One who is coming, whose shoes we are not worthy to unloose, bears the winnowing fan in His hand. He will thoroughly cleanse the threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
"He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has provisions, let him do likewise," Moses said. "For those who collect toll or tribute, exact no more than that which is appointed you. For those who serve as soldiers, do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages."
"Put no trust in princes or in sons of men in whom there is no help, but put your trust in the God of Jacob," Elijah said. "Remember that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so it's no surprise that his ministers will also disguise themselves as 'ministers of righteousness', whose end shall be according to their works."
"We are here but a short time, and the beast that arises from the abyss will come and kill us at the end of our ministry," Moses said. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words of the Lord shall never pass away. Be prepared."
I turned off the live-stream and put on some quiet worship music to settle my mind to sleep. As I closed my eyes and relaxed, I could already see myself being with my mother, brothers, and sisters in heaven, enjoying eternity in the presence of the Lord. That filled my heart with joy, knowing that, at the end of all things, my family will be together with each other in heaven.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-03-2026 12:54 PM
The Christian Commonwealth flag for my story:
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
|
|
Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-04-2026 09:11 AM
Chapter 15:
I had another dream that night. This one felt as if I was a fly on the wall watching David Shepherd have another private conversation with his Vice President Jonathan Prince when they thought nobody was watching.
"I feel God is fighting against me through the two witnesses that He has sent to prophesy in Israel, Jon," Shepherd said.
"How so, Master?" Prince asked.
"Ever since they came on the scene, before we signed the peace treaty with Israel, they have been causing trouble by preaching against the kingdom that we have been building," Shepherd answered. "Now they have seemed to up the ante by now causing disasters to happen, starting with the first Trumpet Judgment that has caused devastation to our crops and a third of our forests."
"And you're blaming the two witnesses for this?" Jon said. "Then why don't you try to stop them from prophesying? What's holding you back?"
"The testimony of Scripture is what's binding my hands, Jon," Shepherd said, sounding frustrated. "Revelation says that these men will prophesy for 1260 days, after which the Beast from the abyss will arise and overpower and kill them. According to people who have witnessed my signing of the treaty, the Tribulation started in July 2025, so it won't be until January 2029 when we can actually do something about it."
"Why not make this a public event, Master?" Prince suggested. "That way your subjects will have something to look forward to when it comes for your time to reveal your true self to them?"
"You know, that's not a bad idea," Shepherd said, considering. "We'll continue to play along as people who truly have the interests of the world's people in our hearts until that time. In the meantime, let's prepare a little something for the Pontifex Maximus of the Christian Commonwealth Church, the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople that will happen around that time also — but have that be a discreet private meeting with them and the ten Apostles of the Commonwealth so that nobody knows what will actually happen to them."
"I will have that done according to your will, Master," Prince said, bowing before Shepherd and kissing his ring before they left the private meeting together.
I woke up from that dream, looking stunned. I felt as if the Lord had purposely revealed that to me — and possibly the other members of the 144,000 — to show what was going to happen in the months to come regarding the President's response to the "two witnesses" and the next Trumpet Judgments that will take place within that time.
Something prompted me to turn on my phone. I got a call from Pablo that I missed. I call his number back to see if he was still there. "Hello, Pablo?"
"Hey, sorry for catching you at a bad time, but I just had a dream where I saw Shepherd and Prince talking with each other about what they're planning to do with the two witnesses in Jerusalem."
"That's exactly the same kind of dream that I had."
"So what exactly are we supposed to do with this revelation, bro?"
I sighed. "Just continue to watch what Shepherd does in regard to these Trumpet Judgments and the two witnesses. This is all God's show right now."
"Gotcha. I'm still gonna use that to help me witness to the people in my neighborhood, for what it's worth. Maybe the people will listen."
"We can pray that God will open their eyes to the truth. Anyway, got to rest for my job in the morning. Talk to you soon."
"Stay cool, hombre," Pablo said before the call ended.
-----
I got up, had my coffee and my morning prayer, showered, got dressed, and prepared for my daily time of ministry. As I headed out the door of my apartment, I noticed that a bag of groceries had been delivered to my door. I didn't know who it came from or who exactly it was for until I noticed the message that was on a small piece of notepad paper which said: "Share this with the people. God bless. J.R.B." The Lord confirmed in my spirit that this was meant to be shared with the people that I will meet in my ministry. So I took the bag with my Bible and made it to the Town Green, where I would normally preach the gospel to the people. Several people came my way and asked if I had any food to share with them, so I gave them of my provisions until the bag was empty. Then after a while of preaching, I noticed that the bag was full again, so I was thinking that this must be a miracle of God, like that of the widow's oil and Jesus multiplying loaves and fish to the multitudes. Again more people came and asked for food, which I shared with them. Soon the bag was empty again, and as I continued to preach that day, I noticed that the bag was full again, so I shared with the passersby the food that I received and continued until the day was over.
When I had my evening meal that day, I was watching YouTube videos about the constant debates between President Shepherd and the religious leaders of the world: Graeme Franklin of the Christian Commonwealth Church, Pope Adrian XVII of the Roman Catholic Church, and Ecumenical Patriarch Nikolaos of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Among themselves, Graeme, Adrian, and Nikolaos seemed like hungry wolves who were fighting each other over who was going to have chicken for dinner. But together, they all seemed to be butting heads with Shepherd over their own personal issues with him. Graeme didn't like that the President was demanding increasing loyalty to him and not to Jesus Christ alone. The Pope didn't like having to acknowledge the new universal religious authority, as he has spent years trying to make peace with other religions, and has declared that no earthly ruler can occupy Christ's place. The Ecumenical Patriarch took issue with the dissolution of historic churches into the Commonwealth's unified religious structure. Shepherd tried to speak peaceably with these men about their issues, but none of them were really interested in listening, each insisting that they will eventually go their own way if Shepherd doesn't acquiesce to their demands.
That got me thinking about the dream that I had and also about what Revelation 17:16-17 had said: "And the ten horns which you saw upon the beast, these shall hate the *****, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." These religious leaders are represented by what the Bible called "Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and All Abominations of the Earth." Their time was going to end by the decree of God and the Antichrist, and, if I'm understanding it properly, Jonathan Prince was going to become the False Prophet who will lead the world into worshipping David Shepherd as the Beast.
Before I went to bed, I prayed to God that He will reveal to the people who the Antichrist really was before the time of his public revelation to the world, and that people will come to their senses and choose the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. "May Your Kingdom come, and may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…and may it begin with us, in Your Son Jesus' name," I concluded before I turned off the light and went to sleep.
-----
Another month passed. I was still doing my street ministry on the Town Green when I heard another trumpet sound, just as loud as the first one, yet nobody else noticed it but me. Then the Lord prompted me to speak aloud: "And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed."
Again the people laughed, but then the town's electric billboard came to life with an announcement from the Global News Network: "NASA reports the coming of what appeared to be a massive burning mountain of rock that is projected to be headed straight for the Pacific Ocean. ICBMs are on standby to prepare to destroy this rock before it reaches impact."
The people watched as they saw this "mountain of rock" heading from space toward the middle of the Pacific Ocean, straight on a collision course with the planet. Rockets were launched at this massive rock and tried to destroy it with no success. Then it entered into the earth's atmosphere and fell straight into the middle of the earth, causing a massive tremor that shook the earth and sending up destructive tidal waves that capsized and destroyed a third of the ships that were sailing in the sea that day. People watched in horror as the third of the sea was turned to blood.
David Shepherd addressed this in that night's message to the public. "My fellow citizens of the Christian Commonwealth, tonight our world stands upon a wounded shore. Across every ocean, the unimaginable has become reality. The seas that have nourished civilizations for thousands of years have been scarred. Countless ships lie beneath the waves. Entire fishing communities have lost not only their livelihoods but members of their own families. The images we have witnessed over the past several days have left every one of us speechless.
"Tonight we mourn. We mourn those who have perished. We mourn the communities that have been forever changed. We mourn with every nation that has suffered loss. The Commonwealth has ordered all flags flown at half-staff for the next seven days in honor of those who gave their lives in this tragedy. To every grieving family, know this: you do not grieve alone. Your sorrow is our sorrow. Your burden is our burden. And together we shall bear it.
"Already, relief convoys are crossing continents. Medical teams have arrived in dozens of affected nations. Engineers are rebuilding damaged ports. Food reserves from every member nation of the Commonwealth are being mobilized to ensure that no child goes hungry because of this catastrophe. This is what it means to love our neighbors. This is what it means to be one family.
"Many are asking... 'What caused this?' Scientists continue their investigations. Theologians continue their prayers. Ordinary people continue searching their hearts. There will be many voices offering certainty. Some will tell you that this is the end. Others will tell you that civilization cannot recover. Still others will seek to divide us with fear and speculation. I urge you... do not surrender your hearts to fear. Fear has never rebuilt a city. Fear has never fed a hungry child. Fear has never comforted the brokenhearted. Faith has. Hope has. Love has. Throughout history, mankind has endured wars... famines... earthquakes... plagues... and every generation has believed its trials were the greatest. Yet by God's grace, humanity endured. And by God's grace, we shall endure again. The Christian Commonwealth was not established merely for seasons of prosperity. It was established for moments exactly like this. Moments when nations choose cooperation over conflict. Service over selfishness. Faith over despair.
"Beginning tomorrow, I am announcing the Oceans of Hope Initiative. Every nation of the Commonwealth will participate in the largest humanitarian effort in human history. We will rebuild every damaged harbor. We will restore every devastated coastline. We will provide clean water wherever it is needed. We will feed every hungry family we can reach. No nation shall stand alone. No people shall be forgotten. Some will ask, 'Can we really recover?' My answer is yes. Not because our ships are strong. Not because our economies are mighty. Not because our governments are wise. But because when people of goodwill stand together under a common purpose, there is no darkness that cannot be overcome.
"I have never believed that history belongs to those who surrender. History belongs to those who rise. To the fishermen who have lost everything—you will sail again. To the mothers who wonder how they will feed their children—you will not be forgotten. To the young people wondering if there is still hope—I say to you tonight: there has never been a generation with a greater opportunity to show compassion than yours.
"My friends... storms do not define a people. Their response does. The sea has been wounded. But our spirit has not. The waves have risen. But so shall we. May Almighty God comfort every grieving heart. May He strengthen every weary hand. And may He grant us the courage to rebuild together. Thank you. May God bless you all. And may God bless the Christian Commonwealth."
Again it was a great speech, and again it got applause. But in the days that followed, the promises of Shepherd rang hollow as none of the promised aid and relief had come. The "Oceans of Hope Initiative" was nothing more than smoke and mirrors, all presented with a smile and comforting words, but with nothing behind them except deafening silence. This only fueled the fire of the critics as they continued to speak against Shepherd's continued failure to address the issues at hand while presenting himself as "the good shepherd" to the people that still believed in him.
Surprisingly Rapture Enterprises came through again when Shepherd didn't. They brought the much-needed aid to seaports and shipping companies that were suffering from the loss. They brought relief to families that were left devastated from the loss of lives. Many people thanked God for the compassion of this organization to do the things they were expecting out of the President. Still many more distrusted Rapture Enterprises, saying that they were trying to take credit away from God supposedly working through David Shepherd. J.R. Barzillai refused to comment on the issue, saying that he was just glad to do God's work in a world full of suffering and he wishes to take no credit for what his organization does for anyone.
I continued to pray for J.R. Barzillai, though. Though it seemed that his heart was in the right place to do good in the world, I prayed that his heart would remain humble through it all and that he would continue to serve God in the capacity that he had been given over the past few years, just as Barzillai from the Bible had served King David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.
-----
I got a call from Pastor Walter's wife Grace, telling me to come to the hospital right away because there was something her husband wanted to share with me before he passed away. I told her that I would come as soon as possible, so I got myself an Uber to take me to Mount Moriah Hospital, where I was directed to the room of Walter Hightower.
Grace greeted me as soon as I entered. "Thank God you came. I don't know how long Walter has left to live, but there was something important on his mind that he needed to share with you and you alone. I'll wait for you outside the room until you're finished."
Grace directed me to Walter's bed before she left the room. I saw the pastor looking very weak and frail, as if the terminal illness had taken its toll on his once robust body for a man in his seventies. He was hooked up to a life-support machine that was monitoring his breathing and heartbeat. It took a while for him to open his eyes and notice me. "Vince…you're here," he said weakly.
"Yes, it's me, Pastor," I said. "I'm sorry about what happened to you."
"Don't be sorry for me, my child…I have a feeling that this was the Lord's judgment on me for supporting Shepherd…and then realizing what an error I made in doing so," Walter said. "I just want to ask for your forgiveness."
"I forgive you for your error, Pastor, just as the Lord has forgiven you," I said honestly.
The pastor sighed, feeling a bit relieved. "I was so full of pride, believing that everything that I was doing was for advancing the Lord's Kingdom, that I didn't notice that what I have done may have condemned others into walking away from Christ. I know the Lord will judge me on that Day for those souls that I have led astray."
"You were only doing what you believed was the right thing, Pastor," I said. "I'm sorry that I didn't have the guts to tell you what you really needed to hear during the time I was under you."
"I have watched videos of you preaching the gospel downtown to people that would otherwise have ignored people like you or me," Walter said. "I recognized God's hand on your ministry. For that I am glad that I had a small part in bringing you to this point."
"Guess I was just blessed beyond measure for that ministry, Pastor," I said, trying to keep things light.
The pastor looked like he was ready to pass away. "I feel the Lord is calling me to be with Him. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you…and give you peace." And with that, he closed his eyes, and his heartbeat just flatlined.
I looked at the pastor, nodding with acceptance. "Rest in peace, Pastor."
Grace was waiting outside the room when I left. She noticed the look on my face that told her everything she needed to know about her husband. She sighed as she started to weep. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she calmly asked, wiping her tears with a tissue.
"Just a ride home, Grace, after you finish up things here," I told her.
-----
I got back home late that night from the hospital. I wished that there was something I could have done to comfort the pastor's wife, but she told me that she needed to be alone with God to help her deal with the loss. I told her that I would pray for her, and she smiled, feeling grateful.
I felt so overwhelmed with the loss of Pastor Walter that I didn't know what to say or think. It felt like I was losing my father all other again, only this time it was a father figure that I had grown closer to during the time that I was at Westville Assembly under his pastorship. I remember the times that he had paid for my meals at restaurants when I had very little money to purchase a decent meal. How he shared about his hunting trips in Maine with me and the other men at our monthly Men's Ministry Breakfast, and the few times he had actually caught a deer and brought it home so that Grace could prepare meals from its meat. How a few times the Lord had saved him when he was out on the road with his hunting buddies, and one time that actually happened when the pastor and I were driving home from Applebee's. Those were the times that I really missed since I left the church, and I felt sorrow that I would never experience those times again with him in this life.
My phone rang. It was Valerie. "Hi, Vince, dear. How's it going?"
"Not so good, Val. I was there in the hospital with the pastor when he died."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not right now. I'm still trying to process it all."
Silence. Then she said, "I understand. Maybe we can pray for each other."
I smiled, wiping away a tear. "I would like that very much."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-05-2026 09:57 AM
Chapter 16:
The next morning I woke up with news that shook the Christian community. Carl Kevington, a long-time Word of Faith "prosperity gospel" teacher, had died of what they called unknown causes. He was the one who claimed God told him he would live to be 120 years old, yet in his eighties his life had ended. And he wasn't the only one who died. There were also a bunch of other "prosperity gospel" preachers of various ages who died of unknown causes. Yet all of their fortunes ended up not going to their children, but rather to the Dove Foundation, which was the Christian Commonwealth's "humanitarian" organization, only helping to further spread the false gospel of Shepherd's kingdom here on earth. I sensed in my spirit that these deaths were both a divine judgment and the work of Satan, somehow conspiring together to clear the way for the ascension of the Antichrist when he is revealed to the public at the midpoint of the Tribulation. I felt some sorrow for those preachers who lived their lives loving money more than loving God, but I felt more sorrow for the people they have swindled to build their fortunes.
I got my coffee, had my morning prayer, showered, dressed, and went to the Town Green as usual to preach the gospel. But I wasn't alone that day. There was a lady from the Gilead House, Tess Ketrel, who was standing next to me that day with a card scanner that day, accepting donations for the Save The Oceans Fund she was a part of. I knew Tess from the Gilead House and was good friends with her. She always worked in the Food Service Unit, helping to make and serve lunches and meals for its members. She went to a local Baptist church on Sundays, and helped run its monthly free breakfasts for the local citizens.
"We missed you being at the Gilead House, Vince," Tess said during our off-hours. "What's been happening to you all the time you weren't there with us?"
"I've been called by God to be part of the 144,000 from the book of Revelation, Tess," I responded. "My job is to make sure everyone hears the true gospel of Jesus Christ, because He's coming to set up His Kingdom here on earth at the end of the Tribulation."
"Oh, so that's what's currently going on," Tess said. "I've been operating a private Bible study group ever since my church became part of the Christian Commonwealth Church alliance. Things really haven't been the same. Worship and sermons seem to be always about the Kingdom of God being built upon the earth by President Shepherd. I didn't like that the true gospel was being suppressed by our current pastor, so I and several church members decided to form our own group. You're more than welcome to join us, if you want."
"I'm glad you got out of that church, Tess, but I'm not ready to join any other church groups yet," I said. "Right now I'm where the Lord wants me to be."
"I'll pray for you, Vince, that the Lord will bring you to my door in the time to come," Tess said. "Right now I'm volunteering my time to help raise up funds to save our oceans. They haven't been the same since that mountain of fire fell into the Pacific Ocean and turned a third of the seas into blood."
"You think this fundraiser is going to help save our oceans, Tess?" I asked.
"That's what I've been told, but I feel in my spirit that it's only the Lord that's going to heal our oceans and make things new again," Tess answered.
I put my hand on Tess' shoulder. "I'll pray with you to make sure that our oceans will be restored. I don't think God's going to leave them permanently ruined before His Son returns."
Tess smiled. "Thanks, Vince. I'll tell my study group that you're praying with us."
-----
Another month passed without incident. Then the sound of another trumpet filled the air, and I received another message to speak to the people: "And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter."
Some people laughed at that message, but then their attention was drawn to the electronic billboard that suddenly brought forth a news report about a large object falling from space. It looked like a star that fell from heaven, but as it fell to the earth, it disintegrated and turned into millions of tiny particles that fell upon the third of the rivers and the fountains of fresh water. Most people just thought nothing of the report and went about their daily business. But as I went through the rest of the day, another report came from the Global News Network that people were starting to die from drinking waters that were somehow poisoned. Some people that passed by me started to collapse, so I laid my hands on them and prayed that they would be healed. The Lord answered my prayer, and those people rose to the feet, feeling completely healed.
David Shepherd would eventually deliver another "message of hope" to the people of the Commonwealth in another public address: "My beloved brothers and sisters, tonight I come before you with a heart that is both heavy and hopeful. Over the past several days, an unprecedented tragedy has unfolded across our world. Rivers that once brought life now carry death. Streams that nourished villages for generations have become bitter. Communities that have always depended upon clean water now face uncertainty unlike anything humanity has experienced before. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Children have fallen ill. Farmers watch helplessly as livestock perish beside poisoned wells. Entire cities now rely upon emergency water supplies simply to survive.
"To every family that has lost a loved one... to every parent sitting beside a hospital bed tonight... to every child wondering why this has happened... know this: the Christian Commonwealth grieves with you. Your tears are our tears. Your burden is our burden. Your suffering is not unseen. Beginning immediately, I have authorized the Living Waters Initiative, the largest humanitarian water relief operation in history. Across every member nation of the Commonwealth... purification stations are being constructed, emergency wells are being drilled, medical teams are being deployed, and water convoys are already crossing our highways. No village is too small. No family is forgotten. No nation will stand alone. As always, there will be voices seeking to explain these events.
"Some will insist they possess secret knowledge. Others will claim these tragedies are proof that hope has vanished from the earth. Still others will exploit fear to divide neighbor from neighbor. I urge every citizen... do not surrender your hearts to despair. Fear has never purified a single river. Fear has never healed a sick child. Fear has never comforted a grieving widow. Compassion has. Service has. Faith has.
"Throughout history, humanity has endured drought... disease... war... famine... and every generation has faced moments when the future seemed uncertain. Yet every generation has also discovered that the greatest strength of mankind is not found in wealth... or armies... or governments... It is found in people who refuse to abandon one another. This is why the Christian Commonwealth exists. Not simply to govern... but to serve. Not merely to endure tragedy... but to overcome it together.
"I ask every church to open its doors to those in need. I ask every physician to continue their sacred work. I ask every family blessed with clean water to share generously with those who have none. The measure of our civilization will not be determined by the disasters we endure. It will be determined by how faithfully we care for one another during them.
"I know many of you are frightened. I understand. So am I. But courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is choosing hope despite fear. The waters may have become bitter... but bitterness need not enter our hearts. Together... we will restore what has been lost. Together... we will care for every suffering family. Together... we will prove that love is stronger than despair. May Almighty God comfort the grieving. May He protect those who labor through the night. May He grant wisdom to our scientists... strength to our physicians... and peace to every troubled heart. Thank you. May God bless each of you. And may God continue to bless the Christian Commonwealth."
As usual came the applause for such "good words" that were spoken by the leader of the world. And as usual came the failure to deliver on those promises. Water purification systems would fail to arrive in many communities. Corruption within the Commonwealth bureaucracy would divert resources. Churches waiting for aid would receive little or nothing. Officials would blame supply shortages, transportation issues, or sabotage. The people themselves found somebody to blame for the whole mess. Some blamed God. Some blamed Shepherd and the Christian Commonwealth at large. Some blamed unbelievers. Some blamed the "two witnesses" in Jerusalem.
And as usual Rapture Enterprises came through again. They would quietly deliver clean water, portable filtration systems, and medical supplies to affected communities—never claiming credit, simply serving those in need.
The 144,000 were also mobilized to do what they could to help alleviate the situation. In areas of the world where Rapture Enterprises could not reach them, those brave witnesses prayed for miraculous healings for both rivers and citizens who have fallen ill from the poisoned water, and both were healed instantly. The citizens were so grateful that somebody came to their rescue, they were willing to open their minds and hearts to the gospel and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
I felt glad to hear reports of people coming to know true salvation from the efforts of Rapture Enterprises and the 144,000. But I was seeing in my dreams that David Shepherd was becoming furious. He didn't like that God was also sending help along with the judgments, and vowed that he would deal with God and Jesus at the appointed time that was prepared for him.
-----
Another month passed. A fourth trumpet sounded in the heavens, and I spoke aloud: "And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise." This time only a few people laughed while the rest just continued through their day without raising even an eyebrow. But around 2 pm, darkness fell upon the earth as if the light of the sun had just been turned off. People found themselves walking into things and crashing their cars for a time until the street lights had turned on. Then around 6 pm, after I had gone home to have my evening meal, the stars and the moon came out to shine upon the earth, which lasted until 2 am, when the moon and stars just disappeared from the sky.
People were panicking, wondering what was going on, whether this was yet one of those "judgments" that were predicted by the 144,000 that would happen when they said it would. President Shepherd, as usual, came on the air to address the issue at hand:
"My beloved citizens of the Christian Commonwealth... tonight, we gather beneath a sky unlike any our generation has ever known. The sun shines for only two-thirds of the day. The moon no longer gives its full light. The stars that have guided travelers for countless generations now appear as though they themselves are mourning. Many have asked me, 'Mr. President... what happens now?' My answer is simple. We endure. We have endured fire. We have endured the sea. We have endured bitter waters. Now we face the darkness itself. And yet... we are still here. Our homes still stand. Our families still embrace one another. Our faith still burns brighter than any shadow.
"There are those who would have you believe that darkness is stronger than light. History has proven otherwise. The smallest candle has always overcome the deepest night. I know many of you are afraid. Children are asking their parents why the daytime seems shorter. Workers wonder whether the harvest will survive. Mothers and fathers wonder what tomorrow will bring. These fears are understandable. But they need not become our masters.
"Beginning tonight, I have authorized the Light of Hope Initiative. Throughout every city and every village of the Commonwealth: emergency power stations will remain operational around the clock, hospitals will receive uninterrupted electrical support, food distribution centers will expand their operating hours, schools and churches will become centers of comfort and community. No citizen will face this darkness alone. Already our scientists are studying these extraordinary celestial events. Our physicians are preparing for the health challenges caused by diminished sunlight. Our engineers are adapting our energy systems. And our churches are opening their doors to every frightened soul seeking comfort. This is what it means to be a Commonwealth. Not merely a collection of nations... but one family.
"There are voices who will insist that the heavens themselves have declared humanity's defeat. I reject that conclusion. There are voices that say we should surrender to fear. I reject that as well. Darkness has always existed. But so has hope. And hope has never depended upon the brightness of the sky. Hope lives within the human heart. Hope lives wherever neighbors comfort neighbors. Hope lives wherever strangers become family. Hope lives wherever faith refuses to surrender.
"Tonight I ask every citizen: visit someone who lives alone. Share your table with a family in need. Light a candle in your window as a reminder that compassion still shines even when the heavens grow dim. Let every home become a beacon. Let every church become a refuge. Let every neighborhood become a testimony that love cannot be extinguished. The road before us may yet grow more difficult. I will not deceive you. There may be sacrifices still to come. But I promise you this: as long as I have breath... I will never stop fighting for you. As long as this Commonwealth stands... no darkness will ever overcome our resolve.
"May Almighty God watch over each of you tonight. May He comfort the fearful. May He strengthen the weary. May He remind us all that dawn has always followed even the longest night. Thank you. May God bless you. And may God forever bless the Christian Commonwealth."
And like with his previous messages, there were heapings of praise, followed by no action at all. Many rural communities would never receive the promised generators or emergency supplies. Rolling blackouts would become common despite assurances. Government resources would increasingly be directed toward Commonwealth-approved institutions while independent churches and dissenting communities found themselves waiting indefinitely. Reports of shortages would be dismissed by officials as isolated incidents or misinformation. This only increased the amount of criticism that Shepherd received as, like usual, Rapture Enterprises would upstage him by quietly distributing solar lanterns, backup generators for hospitals, and emergency supplies without fanfare.
A lantern showed up at my door with a note that said, "Share this light with everyone you come across in these dark days. God bless. J.R.B." So that's what I did. I took that lantern with me as I helped people around who were navigating in the wee hours of the morning where there was hardly any light to see anything. It was tiresome work, but I knew that what I was doing was for the Lord's glory, that He would get all the praise and glory for our deeds.
One day, as I was helping one of my neighbors get across the street during the blackened sky, I noticed something in the sky that looked like a comet that had wings. It was the only light that I could see in the sky at that point. I heard a voice that came from the sky, saying loudly, "Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!"
After I finished my task, my phone rang. "Hello, it's Vince," I answered.
"Hey, it's Pablo. Did you just hear what that angel said?"
"Angel?"
"From the book of Revelation. Chapter 8, verse 13."
"Ah, that angel. It took me a moment to remember."
"The angel said there are three more woes that are yet to come. You think things are going to get really bad from here on out?"
"I don't doubt it, Pablo, if these Trumpet Judgments that we had aren't enough to get our attention."
"The next one's supposed to be really bad. Locust-like creatures coming out of the pit, stinging people like scorpions, tormenting them for five months."
"I'm not hoping to see any of that happening anytime soon, but who knows?"
"Like you said, it's God's show. We just need to warn the masses about these things that are going to befall them before the time comes."
"Yeah, looks like we'll have to. Keep in touch, I see someone who needs my help."
"Me too. I'll talk to you later." And then the call ended.
-----
I got back home to get some rest. My phone rang again. It was Valerie.
"Hi, Vince, it's me, Val. Sorry for waking you up this early, but there was something on my mind I need to tell you."
"I was up anyway, Val, so no problem. What's going on?"
"I'm at the hospital with my stepdaughter. Her child had suddenly died."
My mouth dropped open in shock. "You sure?"
"Definitely. I'm with her right now trying to comfort her for her loss. But things are going to be difficult for her now."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Val."
"Yeah, I'm sorry too. Wish I had better news to report, but with this Trumpet Judgment happening…"
"I know. It's not safe to be going around in the dark with the sun, moon, and stars hardly shining through the day or night."
"I had to risk it, because it's my stepdaughter. I love her too much to just abandon her in her time of need."
"So you want me to pray for you and your stepdaughter?"
"Please, if you can do anything to help us. I don't know who else I can turn to."
"No problem, Val."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-05-2026 04:19 PM
Chapter 17:
Several days later I attended the funeral of Valerie's grandson Darren Cobb. It was held at St. Mary's Church in Westville, which was where Valerie's estranged husband and her stepchildren had attended. Valerie went there a few times with her husband, once for her grandson's baptism. I haven't been in a Catholic church for ages since I left the residential schools, so going there felt like trying to remember something familiar that had slipped into the mists of faded memory. Valerie's husband sat with his son, his daughter, and his son-in-law up in the front row, while Valerie and I sat in the back, mostly because she had a restraining order on her husband. This made Valerie feel crushed that she couldn't sit next to her stepdaughter and give her any sort of comfort, but she knew that it was for her own safety that she kept some distance between herself and her husband due to his abusive behavior.
Father Charles Hester presided over the funeral service, giving a eulogy for a child that had been considered a "miracle child" due to the parents' struggles with fertility, that the world would miss what a wonderful young man Darren Tyler Cobb would have been if he had not died during "the darkest days of the history of mankind." He prayed that Mary, "the mother of God", would watch over the child now and accept him into her arms as he goes to be with the Lord forever. Valerie's husband's relatives cried as the incense wafted up into the high ceiling, knowing that they were going to miss watching Darren grow up as he was taken out of this life too soon.
Valerie and I left the service after she talked with her stepdaughter and son-in-law, expressing her deepest sympathies for the couple having lost their child. It made me realize how dangerous having children was going to be for couples during the Tribulation. I remember Jesus saying in the Olivet Discourse, "Woe unto those who are pregnant and nursing children in those days." I don't envy Valerie for the situation of having to watch her grandchild die in his mother's arms, but I only wish more mothers and grandmothers wouldn't have to go through the same pain.
Valerie took me to Dunkin' where we both got a large cup of iced coffee. I could tell that this was going to be a difficult conversation by the way neither of us were ready to say anything. When we were halfway through our drinks, she said, "I only wish I was there with you in the hospital room on the day that Pastor Walter died, Vince. I had missed him so much."
"I wish that you were there with me on that day too," I said. "I didn't think that he would end up going to meet the Lord the way that he did that day."
"The pastor did say that, whether it will be by the undertaker or the Upper-Taker, he was going to go home to be with the Lord forever," Valerie said. "That just makes me wish the Rapture did happen after David Shepherd got sworn into office, now that I think about it."
"So now you regret your support of Shepherd, after all that he has done in office as President," I said.
"I didn't think that he would make promises and end up never delivering on any of them," Valerie said. "If I had the chance to go back in time, I would have voted for Wilmington or, at the very least, nobody at all."
"I wonder how many voters for Shepherd are starting to have regrets," I said.
"I'm sure there's a good amount of people who felt like they wasted their vote on him, Vince," Valerie said. "If only we knew then what we now know about him… but hey, that's just how the cookie crumbles."
"Not a very tasty cookie at that," I said as I finished up my iced coffee. "Anyway, there's a Fifth Trumpet Judgment that's coming that's going to make the past four ones look tame by comparison."
"You mean the locust-demons and Apollyon?" Valerie asked. "Don't ask how I know. I've been studying the book of Revelation on my off-hours, trying to understand how everything in it fits into place with the current situation."
I nodded. "So are you going to prepare yourself for that judgment when it comes?"
"Mmm, yeah, definitely," Valerie said, taking another sip. "Hopefully the locusts will pass by me when they go charging through the skies looking for prey."
-----
As I continued my street ministry, I noticed that the days were starting to come back to normal. The sun stayed lit longer, and the moon and the stars also shined longer. I also began to notice that there were other people on the street that had what looked like cross marks on their foreheads, similar to the ones of the 144,000, only much smaller. I thought that this was some sort of anomaly or that maybe it was the devil playing tricks on me. So I asked the Lord on this issue, and He told me that those who are true believers are now sealed with the same mark that the 144,000 have. Even after I led people into the prayer of salvation, I began to see the cross mark on their foreheads, though surprisingly they couldn't see the mark on their own foreheads. I told them that this is how they will know a true believer of God, when they themselves see the same mark on other people's foreheads.
A month after the last Trumpet Judgment, I again heard the sound of a trumpet, and again I spoke out loud: "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."
Again there were people laughing and mocking this pronouncement, but soon they noticed that the sky began to darken with thick smoke blocking out the sun, until the whole sky was covered. And then they saw what appeared to be a swarm of locusts coming from the east. The locusts looked really strange. They were shaped like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they had crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They wore breastplates that were like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails, and they had power to hurt men for five months.
People screamed as they ran for cover, to hide themselves from the terror that was coming toward them. Some managed to hide, while others were stung right on the spot. Only the people with the seal of God on their foreheads were not targeted.
I watched with dismay the terrible scene that was unleashed on the public. People found themselves writhing in uncontrollable pain as the poison that entered their bodies tormented them severely. All the while, the swarm was chanting one word over and over: "APOLLYON!"
Suddenly my phone rang. I answered it. "Hey, Vince, you there?"
I recognized who it was. "Pablo! Are you also witnessing this?"
"Yeah, man, it's really horrible. People without the seal of God on their foreheads have been stung and now they're in great agony. I don't know what to do about it."
"I'm not sure what I can do either, Pablo," I said. "Just pray that God will comfort them and keep them from hurting themselves while trying to seek death."
"I know that part, bro. They will all seek death, and yet death will flee from them. It's going to be really miserable."
"Just do what you can on your end, Pablo. I'll see what the Lord will have me to do for the victims."
"Will do. Talk to you soon," Pablo said before the call ended.
-----
That evening I got a few calls. One was from Daniel. "Hello, Vince, are you there?"
"I'm right where I need to be, Dan. What's up?"
"Did you guys send the judgment of these locusts on the people?"
"No, that's entirely God's doing. Why?"
"Everybody's been freaking out over them. People without the seal of God got stung. They're now in such torment that they feel like they want to die."
"I know. I've seen that pretty much throughout the town."
"How long do you think this judgment is going to last?"
"According to Revelation, these locust-things are supposed to torment men for five months, and then the physical torment is supposed to last five months."
"Oh great, so that means it will be ten months before this thing is completely over and everybody's back to normal."
"Unfortunately. We can ease people's suffering until that time passes, but they have to ride out the whole thing as long as it lasts."
"I feel bad for those who don't have the seal of God on them. Looks like I got my work cut out for me, same as you."
"I'll continue to pray for you, Dan. Thanks for checking in."
"Hey, man, you're the best!"
The next call was from Valerie. "Hi, Vince, it's me, Val. How are you doing?"
"Fine, except for having to deal with people with locust stings."
"Yeah, those things are terrible. I even got a close look at one of them. Matches their description from Revelation right down to a tee."
"Anyone you know suffering from these locusts?"
"Westville Assembly is. So is Eric Gaskell and his wife. Guess they weren't truly Christians after all."
"Maybe this will bring them to the true faith after all."
"Maybe. Or maybe they'll just double down in their own hardness of heart."
"Who knows? I continue to pray for Westville Assembly to come to their senses and repent."
"Me too. Hate to see anyone go through this judgment, feeling like they want to die and they can't get any relief."
"This judgment is supposed to last ten months. Five months for the locusts to torment them, and another five months for the last of the tormented to suffer the physical torment."
"That sucks. Anyway, pray for me and my family, make sure we can all get through this."
"Gotcha. Have a good night, Val."
"You too, honey."
The last call was from Tess. "Vincent, are you there?"
"Yes, Tess, it's me, Vincent. What's on your mind?"
"This locust judgment that I've been hearing about. Is that anywhere in the book of Revelation?"
"Revelation 9:1-11, Tess. It's the Fifth Trumpet Judgment."
"Okay. One of my Bible students was asking about it this afternoon. Said a friend of hers got stung and now she's in the hospital suffering pain."
"I feel sorry for her, for what she has to go through. Meanwhile, how are you doing?"
"Just fine. Didn't think we would last this long through what people are calling the Tribulation."
"Yeah, but it's supposed to get much worse after the Trumpet Judgments."
"How so?"
"Midpoint through the Tribulation, we may see the Antichrist being revealed. He'll suffer a head wound, but that wound will be healed, and he will carry on his activties for 42 months."
"Really? Do you think that David Shepherd could be the Antichrist?"
"According to what God has revealed to me, I know that he is. It's just a matter of time before that revelation is known to the general public."
"Okay, I understand. Now what else is supposed to happen?"
"The final seven judgments will take place in the latter half of the Tribulation. These are called the Bowl Judgments, or the Vial Judgments if you're using the KJV. These judgments are mostly aimed at people who will take the mark of the beast."
"The mark of the beast?"
"Read Revelation 13:16-18. That should tell you what it is."
"Okay. Guess I got a lot of homework to do before my next study group. Maybe you can come and join us one of these days."
"I would like to, but I got things of the Lord to take care of."
"I understand. We will be praying for you, Vincent."
"Take care. Thanks for the call."
-----
I turned on my TV and noticed that there was a live press release from President Shepherd. Strangely he looked calm and collected even as his staff is suffering all around him. He took to the podium and addressed the crowd.
"My beloved brothers and sisters of the Christian Commonwealth... tonight, I speak to you during one of the darkest chapters in our shared history. For months we have endured disasters unlike anything recorded by previous generations. We have seen forests consumed by fire. We have watched the seas suffer unimaginable devastation. We have witnessed rivers become bitter. We have lived beneath darkened skies. Now... our greatest struggle is one we cannot easily see.
"Across the Commonwealth and throughout the nations of the earth, millions are suffering from agonizing afflictions for which physicians have found no lasting cure. Hospitals remain filled beyond capacity. Doctors labor without rest. Families watch helplessly as loved ones endure pain that no medicine seems able to relieve. To every person suffering tonight... to every family standing vigil beside a hospital bed... to every physician who has reached the limits of human knowledge... know this: you are not forgotten. The Christian Commonwealth mourns with you. We pray with you. We stand beside you.
"Beginning immediately, I have authorized the Compassion and Healing Initiative. Every available medical resource throughout the Commonwealth is being mobilized. Emergency treatment centers are opening in every major city. Additional counselors, physicians, nurses, and chaplains are being deployed to communities most severely affected. No one who seeks help will be turned away.
"There are already many voices claiming certainty. Some declare that these afflictions are punishment. Others insist they are beyond hope. Still others seek to exploit fear in order to undermine the unity of our people. I urge you... do not surrender your minds to panic. Fear has never healed the wounded. Fear has never comforted the afflicted. Fear has never restored a single life. Compassion has. Perseverance has. Faith has. Throughout history... humanity has repeatedly faced trials that appeared impossible. Yet every generation has discovered that even the deepest suffering can awaken extraordinary courage. The measure of a civilization is not determined by whether suffering exists. It is determined by how faithfully its people care for those who suffer. That is who we are. That is who we must remain.
"I ask every church... open your doors. I ask every family... care for your neighbors. I ask every citizen... show kindness to those whose burdens seem unbearable. There are those who would divide us by claiming that God has abandoned humanity. I reject that despair. There are those who say civilization itself is collapsing. I reject that conclusion. Darkness may surround us. Pain may visit every home. But compassion remains stronger than suffering. Hope remains stronger than despair. Love remains stronger than fear. The Christian Commonwealth was founded for moments precisely such as these. Not merely to govern... but to serve. Not merely to survive... but to stand together when others lose heart.
"My friends... our greatest strength has never been found in our buildings... or our institutions... or our prosperity. It is found in the willingness of ordinary people to carry one another through unimaginable hardship. That spirit still lives among us. I have seen it. I believe in it. And I believe in you.
"May Almighty God comfort those who suffer. May He strengthen every physician... every nurse... every caregiver... and every family keeping watch through the long nights. May He grant us endurance for the days ahead. Thank you. May God bless each of you. And may God continue to bless the Christian Commonwealth."
The speech ended with applause as usual. But as the days passed by, those words rang hollow to most people as the Compassion and Healing Initiative promises never came through. Hospitals would receive promises but little meaningful support. Commonwealth-approved churches would be encouraged to report "miraculous recoveries" that often could not be verified. Government media would emphasize hopeful stories while downplaying the scale of the ongoing suffering. Critics questioning the official narrative would increasingly be accused of undermining public morale during a national emergency.
Meanwhile, the 144,000 would quietly minister where the system could not. They would pray with the afflicted, comfort families, and God would work genuine healings through some of them—not to glorify the ministers themselves, but to point people back to Christ. As word spread, more people would begin asking why compassion and hope seemed more tangible among these humble servants than within the Commonwealth's increasingly centralized programs. That growing contrast would further erode Shepherd's moral authority while simultaneously increasing his determination to consolidate control.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-07-2026 03:12 AM
Chapter 18:
I got a call from Vivian that my brother Charlie is currently in the hospital, suffering from the effects of the locust sting from the Fifth Trumpet Judgment. She was currently with him at Mount Moriah Hospital trying to help him with the torment he was suffering, but there was only so much she could do as a woman of faith, so she turned to me because I'm one of the 144,000. I got an Uber to the hospital and got there as soon as I could.
Vivian was waiting for me when I arrived in the room where Charlie was. He looked like he was in extreme pain, his body apparently scarred from his many attempts of taking his own life. I felt sorrow for how badly my brother looked at that moment.
"He asked specifically for you to come, Vincent," Vivian told me. "He feels like he's ready to turn his life over to the Lord. I'll leave the two of you alone."
"Thanks, Viv, I'll take it from here," I said. Vivian nodded and left the room.
Charlie opened his swollen eyes and looked at me. "Thank God you're here, Vincent. I honestly don't know if I'll make it through this torment."
"It will only last five months, Charlie," I said. "Then you'll be back to normal. I see that you've been trying to take your own life."
"Yeah, I feel so ashamed of never telling anyone that," Charlie said. "I thought that I would be strong enough to endure this pain, but I guess I'm no better than anyone else who's suffering through this."
"You said that you're ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, Charlie," I said. "Is that true?"
"As true as the Lord lives," Charlie said, nodding his head slightly. "I don't know how else I'm going to get through this."
"Accepting the Lord now may not help get rid of the pain, but right now it's the only thing you have left because there's a much worse judgment that's coming," I said.
"I heard from a YouTube pastor all about the Sixth Trumpet Judgment, Vince," Charlie said. "Given what I'm currently going through, I'm more than ready to become a believer and hopefully escape the next judgment."
"Then repeat after me: 'Lord, I know that I'm a sinner, and that there's nothing I can do to make things right with you. I believe that You have sent Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son, to die for my sins. Please receive me as Your son so that I may receive eternal life in You. In Your Son Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen.'"
Charlie struggled with each and every word of the prayer of salvation, but I felt in my spirit how sincere my brother was at the moment. After he had finished, I noticed that there was a small cross mark that appeared on Charlie's forehead.
"Welcome, Charlie, to the family of God," I said, smiling. "You're now sealed, so that nothing in this world can take you out of the hand of God the Father."
Charlie smiled, feeling relieved. He had tears running down his face. He seemed to be at peace, knowing that his sins have been forgiven by God. "Thank you, Vincent. I'm glad that you brought me to knowing the Lord."
"It's God you should be thanking, Charlie," I said. "I just did my part as a humble servant."
The nurse came in to check on Charlie. "Whatever you did for my patient, sir, he seems to be fully relaxed and comfortable now," she said, monitoring his vital signs. "Is there anything I can for you?"
I sighed. "I'm fine, thank you. I just need a ride to get back home."
Vivian was waiting outside the room when I left. She looked at me and noticed the smile on my face. She seemed to understand in an instant that what I did helped Charlie be at peace with himself and God.
"I'll give you a ride home, Vincent," Vivian said, smiling through the tears.
-----
Throughout the months that the Fifth Trumpet Judgment lasted, I was busy with patients in hospitals as a sort of unofficial chaplain, helping them to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior during their struggle with pain. Some of the patients had to be put in restraints since they were so desperate to kill themselves that their bodies were showing signs of damage from their attempts. Some of them felt like they were ready to die and be with the Lord. Still others just wanted to escape the worst that was to come, since they heard that the next Trumpet Judgment was going to result in a loss of one-third of the world's remaining population, and they had no idea how that judgment was going to be fulfilled. I just offered what I could. I led them through prayers of salvation, and watched as those who were sincere in their repentance had the cross mark appear on their foreheads, sealing them forever as children of God. Those people felt more at peace with themselves, knowing God had loved them and had now saved them from the coming wrath.
Meanwhile, the "two witnesses" in Jerusalem continued their ministry, knowing that their time was limited and that they will be killed afterward by the Beast that arises from the abyss. They also saw people become believers by the cross sign appearing on their foreheads. But they also saw people being opposed to them, calling them names, accusing them of bringing judgments against "the true people of God, the sons of David." There were also continued attempts to murder the "two witnesses" that failed, as bullets failed to pierce their bodies while their assailants were consumed by flames that came out of the "witnesses'" mouths. That only made more people either become believers or become so enraged that they hoped and prayed that President Shepherd would deal with the problem soon.
Also around the same time, Jews continued to make sacrifices in the new Temple that was erected, and they continued to get frustrated as their blood sacrifices only resulted in water, and their water-drawing ceremonies only resulted in blood. The skies over Israel continued to remain free of clouds, without a single drop of rain falling down. This made the Israelis more enraged and also taking sides with President Shepherd, hoping and praying that he would bring this torment to an end.
Also there was growing hostility between professed believers in Christ (who were now calling themselves "sons of David") and the true believers. The veneer of civility between people naming the name of Christ was slowly being stripped away as the professors of faith were showing their true selves, revealing themselves as nothing more than religious pretenders. They felt like, even though they had control of all "seven mountains of influence" over society, something was resisting them from within to keep them from achieving their goal of total control over the populace. Shepherd, who was suffering in popularity among even his faithful, continued to make promises that he would set things right in the world and that he would deal with "the enemies of our common faith."
I continued to pray that God would reveal the Antichrist's true self in the due time appointed to him, that people would come to their senses and see the truth for themselves before it was too late, and that God would spare as many people as He can from the next Trumpet Judgment that was coming soon.
-----
It was now eleven months since the start of the Fifth Trumpet Judgment. People were back to normal. The locusts were completely gone. Things seemed to be back to normal — as "normal" as things could be in this time of Tribulation — when I heard the sixth trumpet sound, and I spoke aloud: "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt."
As usual there was laughing and mocking, But then people noticed that some without the seal of God on their foreheads were falling down dead, looking as if they had been slain in battle. I watched and noticed something those without the seal of God couldn't see: an army of what appeared to be demonic horsemen riding on horses that looked like how they were described in the book of Revelation, all fearsome and dangerous. People screamed as they watched men, women, and children fall down dead, not knowing what was the actual cause of their deaths.
My phone rang. It was Pablo. "Dude, are you seeing what I'm seeing? This demonic army slaying people who don't have the seal of God on their foreheads?"
"I'm definitely seeing it, Pablo. It's scaring the hell out of everyone else."
"Oh, man, I feel so totally helpless, knowing that one-third of mankind is going to perish because of this judgment. What are we going to do?"
"There really isn't much we can do at this point, Pablo. Just pray that this judgment would be over and quick."
"I certainly wouldn't want to be one of those without the seal of God during this judgment. I wonder what Shepherd would have to say about it during his public address."
"Nothing that I haven't heard before from his addresses regarding the previous Trumpet Judgments. It's like he's reading things entirely from a script that keeps getting modified with each judgment."
"I get that impression too, bro. I don't trust that it will be anything good or even useful."
"We just got to keep praying. God's got our hands on us and those He has chosen to save. Hopefully more people will come to the faith."
"Guess that's just what I'll have to do. Talk to you later."
"You too, Pablo," I said before the call ended.
-----
President Shepherd addressed the issue in one of his televised speeches. This time things were different. His speech was no longer comforting platitudes for the people to be pacified with. Instead, it was much stronger and more forceful. He had a grim look on his face that made it look as if even he was affected much deeply by the loss of life in the Sixth Trumpet Judgment.
"My beloved citizens of the Christian Commonwealth... tonight... the world has witnessed horrors beyond anything humanity has ever imagined. Across continents... entire military divisions have been overwhelmed. Cities once considered secure have descended into chaos. Communications have failed. Governments struggle to understand the violence that has erupted with terrifying speed. Millions have already perished. Millions more have fled their homes. No nation has escaped untouched. No family has remained completely unaffected.
"Tonight... the Commonwealth mourns with every grieving nation. To every parent who has lost a child... to every husband or wife mourning a beloved spouse... to every soldier who has watched brothers and sisters fall beside them... know this: you are not forgotten. The whole Commonwealth stands beside you. For many months we have endured disaster after disaster. We rebuilt our forests. We restored our coastlines. We brought clean water to the thirsty. We comforted those afflicted by mysterious illnesses. Now... we face something different. We face violence without reason. Hatred without explanation. Destruction that seems to spread faster than fear itself. Many are searching for someone to blame. Many claim they possess secret explanations. Others insist invisible powers are at work among us. I urge every citizen... do not surrender yourselves to rumors. Do not surrender yourselves to fear. In times such as these... fear becomes as deadly as any weapon.
"Today I have signed the Global Peace and Security Emergency Act. Effective immediately... the armed forces of every member nation shall operate under unified humanitarian coordination. Emergency transportation corridors will be established. Food and medical resources will be distributed through a single international relief network. Regional authorities will temporarily coordinate their efforts through the Commonwealth Crisis Council to ensure that no nation stands alone. This is not the abandonment of liberty. It is the preservation of civilization itself. History teaches us that when humanity divides... violence multiplies. When humanity stands together... hope survives.
"There are those who will accuse us of seeking too much authority. I understand those concerns. But I ask you... what is the purpose of government if not to preserve life? What is the purpose of leadership if not to protect the innocent? We cannot permit fear... division... or suspicion... to destroy everything generations before us worked to build. Tonight I call upon every pastor... every priest... every rabbi... every humanitarian... every physician... every police officer... every soldier... and every citizen... stand together. Protect the weak. Shelter the displaced. Care for the wounded. Reject vengeance. Reject hatred. Reject those who seek to profit from chaos. This generation did not choose these trials. But this generation will choose how it responds to them. Future generations will remember whether we surrendered to fear... or rose together in courage.
""I believe... with all my heart... that humanity's finest hour has not passed. It stands before us. Let us prove worthy of it. May Almighty God comfort every grieving family. May He strengthen those who protect the innocent. May He grant wisdom to every leader entrusted with this sacred responsibility. May He guide us toward that day when peace shall once again prevail upon the earth. Thank you. May God bless every nation. And may God bless the Christian Commonwealth."
And as usual there was applause for Shepherd's good words. And this time, it did seem that Shepherd made good of his promise to enact the Global Peace and Security Act. However, this act ended up making things more restrictive for the average citizen. There were increased travel restrictions. People were constantly asked for their Global IDs and searched to make sure they weren't carrying any weapons on their person. Speeches were being monitored for any potential 'anti-Christian hate speech' content, with videos being blocked upon suspicion of such content being found. This mostly affected those of other religions, who felt as if they have become vicitims of discrimination by the Shepherd administration.
I felt that things were coming to a head as, in the next five months, we will eventually see the seething pot boiling over, that Shepherd will reveal his true self to the public and that the world will see him for the controlling monster that he truly is. I prayed to God that that time will come soon.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 08-07-2026 03:14 AM
Chapter 19:
I had a dream where I saw a mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was upon his head; his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: He had in his hand a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth. He cried with a loud voice, as loud as a lion roar. When he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. When the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."
The angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven. "I swear by Him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that are in it, and the earth, and the things that are in it, and the sea, and the things that are in it, that there should be no more delay. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets."
The voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again. It said, "Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel that stands upon the sea and upon the earth."
I went unto the angel and said unto him, "Give me the little book."
He said unto me, "Take it, and eat it up. It shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey."
I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up. It was in my mouth as sweet as honey, but as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
He said unto me, "You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."
I woke up after the dream had ended. It felt like I was living out what John the apostle was seeing when he was on the isle of Patmos, writing the words that would become the Book of Revelation. But I wondered what was the purpose of the dream. Then I realized that this dream wasn't just for me — it was for the other members of the 144,000, who were also sharing the same dream. We were called to be prophets in an age where people were turning their ears away from the truth and are turning aside to fables and myths — the current myth being that God wanted His people to build the Kingdom here on earth so that Jesus will take over and rule over the whole earth, with its builders as its co-regents.
We were four months away from the end of the ministry of the "two witnesses". Soon it would be time for the 144,000 to take over as the prophets that would bring forth the truth of God's Word to the masses. And I couldn't wait for it to begin.
-----
Eric Gaskell must have heard of my street ministry, for he had called me into his office at Westville Assembly for a private chat. I entered his office with some caution in my spirit, but hopeful that he may listen to me if I need to speak the truth. I went into the meeting prayerfully, hoping to know what its purpose was for.
"So, Vincent, I heard that you have been a member of this church until the time that Walter Hightower had retired for personal matters," Eric said as I sat in a seat before him at his desk. "What can I do to convince you to come back to the church and become one of its members once again?"
"There's nothing you can do to convince me to return, Pastor, except to repent and forsake the false gospel of David Shepherd's kingdom," I said.
"You don't believe that Shepherd is building the true Kingdom of God here on earth before Jesus' return in the next four years?" Eric asked.
"I believe that Shepherd is building a kingdom that only honors God with their lips while their hearts remain far from Him," I answered. "In time, Shepherd will reveal his true self and the true aim of his kingdom — to oppose Jesus Christ when He returns and try to destroy Him, a plan which will ultimately fail."
"How can you say that about a man who, like the Biblical David, is a man that is after God's own heart?" Eric asked.
"Shepherd may bear the first name of his Biblical namesake, Pastor, but he is not truly a man after God's own heart," I answered. "He is what the Bible calls 'the idol shepherd.' Zechariah 11:15-17 says the following: 'And the LORD said unto me, Take unto you yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that stands still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaves the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.'"
"You know, that kind of speech could get you arrested for speaking harm against the President of the Christian Commonwealth, Vincent," Eric said.
"If it's my time to be in custody without any hope of escape in this life, I will not refuse it," I said. "But I still have a mission to accomplish from the Lord, and I will not be deterred until the time comes when the Lord says my mission has ended, and I am called up to be with him."
"You have a choice: either recant this false notion that you are truly speaking God's Words, or I'll have no choice but to keep you permanently exiled from this church," Eric said a bit forcefully.
"Then I must obey God rather than men, and choose exile," I said. "But remember this: you only have as much time in the world as God has given you breath. And then you'll have to stand before the One who made you and give an account for everything you have done in your life, as everyone else will. Repent or be condemned. There is no third option for you."
And with that, I got up from my seat and walked out of Pastor Eric's office and away from Westville Assembly for good.
-----
I got a call from Valerie that day. "Hello, Vince the Valiant here."
"I heard that there was a meeting between you and Pastor Eric today. What's going on?"
"Pastor Eric is trying to force me to play nice with him or else I will never return to Westville Assembly. He says that I should recant my role as speaking for God."
"But you're not going to do that, are you?"
"Of course not, Val. I have come so far through the first half of the Tribulation as one of the 144,000 to ever consider giving it up all for a comfortable seat in a church."
"I see. You know, I'm starting to butt heads with the pastor myself. He thinks that women should play the quiet submissive role and not speak in church."
"And you're not going to go along with that yourself?"
"Heck, no! If the Lord wants me to say something important for the congregation to hear in church, I'm going to let Him use me however way He sees fit. I'm not going to let male pastors like him boss me around like he has the ultimate authority."
"You should be careful. He's still the pastor of that church, and I don't think he'll let you stay in that church if you refuse to play nice with him."
"I know what kind of man Pastor Eric really is, honey. He thinks he wears the pants in his family and his church, but it's his wife Miriam who holds the reins."
"So he's basically acting on pure masculine bluster in the church?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much it. I have no problem being the submissive wife to my husband, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to roll over and play dead when he tells me to."
"So if Pastor Eric kicks you out, where are you going to go?"
"Honestly I don't know. Guess I'll have to look around for a Bible study group or something that I can participate in for the time being."
"I can text you the number of Tess Ketrel. She runs her own Bible study group. You might find her insights in the Bible interesting."
"Sure, shoot me over a text. I'd be happy to look into it. Anyway, got to go. My dogs are getting a bit hungry."
"Well, talk to you later. Thanks for calling."
After that call ended, I got another from Vivian. "Hello, it's Vincent. What's up?"
"I have some pretty bad news. Your brother Charlie is dead."
My mouth dropped open in shock. "Dead? How can that be?"
"It was sudden, Vincent. He got into an incident with a Rideshare customer, and he got stabbed. The police are looking into this incident."
"My goodness. He just got saved several months ago during the Fifth Trumpet Judgment."
"I know. I already let Belinda know what happened to him. Is there anything I can do for you?"
I sighed. "I just want to be left alone right now, Vivian."
"I understand. Call me if you need anything, okay? Love you."
"Love you too."
After the call ended, I just sat there in shock, remembering how soon Charlie became a believer in Christ. Although he was still busy doing gig jobs here and there, he reportedly spent his off-hours reading the Bible and watching Christian YouTube videos about how to grow in his faith. He also got involved in an online Bible study about the Book of Revelation, which I think was good for him, so that he could know where current events fit within its prophetic timeline. It was just so sad that his life was taken that quickly, by some random stranger who had killed him for some unknown reason. I could imagine him being with our mother right now in heaven, enjoying what paradise in eternity had to offer.
-----
We had a memorial service for Charlie at the Norton-Williams Funeral Home. It was just me and my two sisters, plus a few relatives and some of Charlie's friends. His ashes were put into a specially-designed urn that had the face mask designs of the members of KISS, which I found amusing. We all got our turns to say something about Charlie, what we remembered of him, all the fun things that we had done with him. I closed it out by saying our brother found Jesus at the right time, and that now he was going to spend eternity with Him and our mother in heaven. A few of Charlie's favorite songs were played from his Spotify playlist. Some left in tears, but we as the surviving three siblings were rejoicing. At least that seemed to be the case.
Belinda wanted to take me back home to my apartment, so I accepted. On the way, we stopped at Dunkin' to pick up some iced coffee. We sat in the parking lot in Belinda's car watching the other cars go in and out while we sipped our drinks.
"Admittedly, I haven't been feeling any peace within myself since my husband Thomas died while on duty as a military officer," Belinda said. "I thought that my new religion would bring comfort to my soul, but right now I feel so empty and lost."
"Maybe God is bringing you to the point where all you need to bring to Him is yourself," I said. "I felt so empty in my life when I came out as a gay man, thinking that being 'my true self' was going to fix everything when it really didn't."
"And Jesus just came into your life and instantly fixed everything, so you're no longer a gay person?" Belinda asked.
"No, I still struggle with the temptations," I answered. "But now I know that I'm not alone when it comes to dealing with the temptations. Scripture says Jesus was tempted in all points just like we are, and yet He never sinned. He went through everything we had to face and still came out clean as a whistle."
"I'm glad you found your peace with Jesus," Belinda said. "I'm not sure if I can find the same peace for myself with Him in my life."
"He loved you enough to give His life for you, Belinda," I said. "Your husband also loved you enough that he was willing to die for you. No greater love has no man than this, that a man should die for his friends."
Belinda found herself in tears. "Not everything with Thomas was great. There were times I wish Jesus would take me out of this life to be with Him forever."
"You can still be with Him forever," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "All you have to do is call out for Him. He will listen to you."
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After I got home, I turned on YouTube and found an announcement for an event that will happen in Jerusalem four months from now. It was called the Foundation Festival. President Shepherd chose that date and that location to celebrate three and a half years of the founding of the Christian Commonwealth. Although Israelis and Palestinians have objected to this four-day festival taking place in Jerusalem, and headlined by various popular Christian acts, Shepherd had talks with the Prime Minister of Israel to assure him that things will be peaceful, and that those headlining the events will behave themselves. I looked at the headliners that were going to be at this event, and I wasn't impressed to say the least. In fact, they all seemed like religious sellouts who only wanted to be in this event to curry favor with President Shepherd.
I turned on another YouTube video and found one of the 144,000 already saying that this event was going to mark a few events that have been foretold in Scripture. First, it would be the destruction of "Mystery, Babylon the Great" (the three religious leaders of the three main branches of Christianity) by "the ten horns of the beast" (namely Shepherd's ten Apostles). Secondly, it would be the time when the "two witnesses" in Jerusalem would finish their ministry, and then "the Beast that arises from the abyss" will overpower them and kill them, leaving their bodies dead and unburied in the streets for three and a half days. Thirdly, it will be the time when "the Beast from the Sea" will have one of its heads wounded, and that wound will be miraculously healed.
I tried to watch that video again after it was aired, only to find out that it has been pulled from YouTube. Nevertheless, I was ready to face what was going to happen four months from now — that this will be the turning point where the world will see for themselves who the Antichrist truly is.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4208 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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