

## Hell's Gates Widen Open – Revelation

### By: Wayne Hoss
Hell's Gates Wide Open - Revelation
Published by Wayne Hoss at Smashwords

Copyright © 2019 by Wayne Hoss

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or

given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please

purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase

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your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author by: Wayne Hoss

CONTENTS

**CHAPTER ONE -** God Judging a Man on Judgment Day

**CHAPTER TWO -** A Horrific Warning About The Last Days

**CHAPTER THREE -** Predictions Already Coming True

**CHAPTER FOUR -** The Heartless Preacher and Old Man

**CHAPTER FIVE -** At the Mansion

**CHAPTER SIX -** Laughter is Not Always the Best Medicine

**CHAPTER SEVEN -** A Dark Heart is Revealed

**CHAPTER EIGHT -** His Coming and the Hell That Follows

**CHAPTER NINE -** There Will be Hell to Pay

**CHAPTER TEN -** Back at the Mansion Things Get Weird

**CHAPTER ELEVEN -** Judgment Day!

#  CHAPTER ONE

## God Judging a Man on Judgment Day

It is a bright sunny day in Heaven where God, a Wise, Supreme Being with hair whiter than snow, wearing a bright white robe with gold trim, sits on a huge Pearl Throne looking down at a man that he is judging. The man is Derrick, a timid man in his mid thirties wearing blue jeans, sneakers and a tattered blue shirt, he is trembling with fear, his eyes gazing down at the beautiful marble floor in a shameful stare.

On each side of the marble floor are huge walls that lead into this room from the forest, marble columns trimmed with gold decorations hold the building up and there is no back wall. The top of the building is partially open and revealing the sky above, by way of its atrium. In the distance is a hot spewing volcano, and at the foot of the volcano sits an intimidating Winged Demon on a huge perch.+

God is looking down at huge, thick, books in front of him, the title on the book that he has open, and is referring to is "THE BOOK OF LIFE" which contains all of the good and bad deeds of those being judged. God says to Derrick in a bold heavy tone of voice "You read the word, you knew the word, but you lived it not. Now you stand before me with a guilty conscience, so let thy conscience be thy sword".

Derrick takes a couple of steps towards God and replies "No Lord, please forgive me!" God nods his head from left to right and commands "Depart from me you Sinner and be forever joined with the master that you chose by living according to his will, and not by that of mine". Derrick shrieks out in his timid tone of voice "No, I'm not... I've been a fool, please forgive me!" and then God speaks a command to the Winged Demon as he looks out at it sitting on its huge perch "Come Collector of Satan and collect that which is yours".

Loud Screeching Sounds coming from the Winged Demon echo throughout the land, followed by the sounds of his huge wings Flapping, as a shadow is cast down on Derrick, and it is closing in on him fast. Derrick looks at God pleading for forgiveness "No, please don't do this" then the approaching Winged Demon swoops down from above him as he looks up with a look of terror in his eyes, observing the Winged Demon extending its huge sharp claws which snatch him up in an instant.

Derrick screams in horror as he squirms and struggles to break free from the grip of the Winged Demon. Derrick looks into the eyes of the Winged Demon, its black eyes a clear indication that this creature has no soul. Derrick still struggling to break free with a frantic horrified look upon his face screams out loud "Help me... somebody help me, please!"

The Winged Demon fly's up and out of the open atrium towards a volcano that is close by, Derrick struggles to break free as he looks at the hot spewing volcano observing waves of hot flames shooting out from the crater and up into the air. The Winged Demon flies just above the volcano and releases Derrick, dropping him into the eye of it, and then the Winged Demon stops and hovers, his wings Flapping, as he watches Derrick screaming and flailing his arms and legs in horror as he falls deeper into the molten hot portal to hell.

As he falls into the eye of the flaming hot inferno, his clothing ignites into flames, as well as his hair, and the horrific high-pitched screams coming from him echo throughout the land causing an Angel flying by to pause and look in that direction. Slightly Spinning as he falls, he continues flailing his arms in midair, almost as if he is trying to fly, his entire body engulfed in flames and leaving a smoke trail as he continues to plummet.

Derrick's flesh begins flaking and falling off in various places revealing his soul glowing red inside of his skeleton structure, what flesh remains, is smoking and charring. Derrick is screaming in great pain and agony as he continues to plunge deeper into the depths of hell's portal. He looks down and sees Satan and three of his four-foot tall Demons clothed in black hooded robes, on the ground looking up at him.

Satan waves his hand in an upward motion towards Derrick as he continues to plummet, and he is suddenly bound by thick steel chains and locks that appear out of thin air as Satan exclaims "Welcome to Hell my faithful one". Derrick lands across from Satan in a lake of fire and brimstone, sending a huge splash of flames and red-hot lava spitting up behind him which calms down and dissipates.

Satan looks down at his three little Demons as he rubs the palms of his hands together and says "Good job boys, he was not too hard to sway now was he? Now we have another playmate". The Demons waddle towards where Derrick splashed down, looking up just in time to see Derrick pop up to the surface screaming in great pain and agony as his soul continues to burn.

#  CHAPTER TWO

## A Horrific Warning About The Last Days

Just outside the city of Bethlehem it is early in the morning, birds are singing in the cool morning breeze as Jesus, a tall, good-looking man in his mid-thirties, brown hair and blue eyes, clothed in a bright white seamless robe, walks on a dirt road, followed by his twelve disciples, also clothed in white robes, and brown sandals.

Jesus' face has a heavenly glow of wisdom about it, his worn sandals frail from the long miles put on them. Jesus is hungry and notices a fig tree up ahead so he walks over to see if there is any fruit growing on it, his disciples following close behind him. Upon arriving at the tree the men stop and drop their heads with a slight look of despair, realizing that the tree bears no fruit, merely green leaves. Jesus speaks to the tree as if it were a living being with ears in which to listen..

He says to the big tree "Let no fruit grow on thee ever again!" and the Fig Tree immediately starts to dry up, the light green leaves slowly begin turning a darker shade of green as all of the moisture is being sucked out of them and emitted into the air as a moist fog. Then the leaves begin turning a dark shade of brown and continue to age rapidly. The wind starts blowing erratically causing the withering tree limbs to start dancing to and fro as the leaves shake wildly and continue to turn an even darker shade of brown. The veins in the leaves quickly transform from a dark green to brown and finally fade into a grayish black.

The men watch in awe as the leaves become dehydrated, turning from a dark brown to a dark gray and wrinkling until they finally turn to dust and wither away in the wind. Next, the limbs and the rest of the tree withers up and turns to dust, blowing away in the cool morning breeze. The twelve disciples watch utterly amazed, their jaws are drawn down in awe as they inhale a sigh of disbelief, and they begin whispering to one another. Peter, a young man in his twenties with blonde hair and hazel eyes, steps forward and speaks to Jesus.

Peter says "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" Jesus looks at Peter and answers his question in his usual wise, and calm tone of voice as the other disciples listen. Jesus replies to him "Truly, if you have faith, and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mount of olives, move over into the ocean, and it will! You can get anything that you ask for in prayer if you truly believe with all your heart and soul".

Later that day as Jesus and his disciples are leaving the temple grounds, his disciples want to take him on a tour of the various temple buildings, so Peter tugs at his arm to get his attention with one hand, and points towards the temples with the other. Peter says to Jesus "Come, master, let us show you the temple buildings". Jesus reaches out and gently eases Peter's hand away from his shoulder and replies "All of these buildings will be knocked down, with not one stone left sitting on top of another".

The disciples look concerned as they begin to whisper one to another questioning his reply. Peter asks "When will this happen, my Lord?" but Jesus does not respond until they get outside of the city and sit to rest on the Mount of Olives. Peter asks again "When will these things happen, and what events will signal your return and the end of the world as we know it?"

Jesus begins warning them about the signs of things to come, and as he speaks, a big dark cloud appears overhead, it is the "Cloud of Darkness" which provides visions of the future as well as the past. As Jesus describes these events, images of each event emerge in the Cloud of Darkness. The disciples watch a vision fade in the middle of the Cloud of Darkness as the cloud shutters, the cloud turns a light blue with a few small blue flashes of electricity in various places.

The scene in the Cloud of Darkness reveals a faint glow as the center of the cloud clears and begins showing visions of the things to come as Jesus speaks of them. Jesus says "Do not let anyone fool you, for many shall come in my name, and say "I am Christ" and they shall deceive many". Then visions of false prophets fade into the cloud, first a vision of David Karesh and Waco Texas, the vision reveals a compound on fire as the A.T.F moves in for the arrest, that vision fades out and a vision of Charles Manson appears, then Bill Jones.

Next Jesus says "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet, for nations and kingdoms shall rise against each other". As he continues to speak new visions appear in the cloud showing men fighting battles, grenades exploding, tanks roaming and firing, and the atom bomb exploding.

Then Jesus says "There will be people starving throughout many regions, there will be diseases that spread rapidly and kill many" again as he speaks the disciples watch the visions. The scene transforms and reveals images of people who are starving all over the world, as those scenes fade out, more scenes fade in revealing images of diseases that spread rapidly and kill many such as A.I.D.S. and Cancer. The cloud reveals people marching and rioting, holding signs about A.I.D.S and other diseases that are spreading rapidly and killing thousands of people.

Next Jesus begins to warn them of disasters that will occur in the last days saying "There will be earthquakes in various places. But all of these things will be only the beginning of horrors to come". As Jesus continues to speak the cloud transforms and more images fade in. Images of earthquakes that have already happened in the past and present day fade in, revealing images of huge buildings and freeways crumbling, and then those images fade out and images of floods and tsunamis such as have happened recently in this day and time killing thousands begin to fade in.

Jesus says "Then, at last, the signal of my coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning all around the earth". Jesus continues to speak as the disciples listen intently, "The nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, and I shall send forth my Angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they shall gather my chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven".

Jesus smiles at the men with a look of enlightenment as he begins to uncloak the hidden riddle in the parable of the fig tree to them. Jesus looks at them and says "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree that you have seen wither away and disposed of. A farmer had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then he said to the dresser of his vineyard, "For three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and found none: cut it down!"

The disciples look at one another nodding their heads in agreement as Jesus continues to speak to them "From that parable learn this lesson; just as a farmer cuts down a tree that bears no fruit and casts it in the fire to make room for another tree that is more productive, so shall it be with mankind. He that bears bad fruit, or no fruit at all, shall be cast into the fire to burn for eternity!"

The disciples continue to listen to Jesus with looks of concern on their faces as he gives one last warning, saying "The world will be at ease, there will be banquets, parties, and weddings; just as it was in Noah's time before the sudden coming of the great flood". The Cloud of Darkness clears in the center and reveals visions of the past where Noah's Ark sits at the edge of the city. people in the city are partying and having a good time, even engaging in different types of sexual sin.

The scene transforms into another vision of Noah walking down the street with his many animals as people begin throwing rocks and fruit at him, laughing at him and mocking him. Jesus gets a stern look on his face as the men watch him and the visions in the cloud of events that happened the day God sent the flood that Noah tried to warn the ignorant people about.

A horrific scene of a disaster appears in the cloud revealing that dreadful day when without warning, flood waters begin to crash into the city, flooding it and drowning people. Bodies and furniture are swept down the street passing Noah's Ark. The flood waters rise rapidly and from the Ark, Noah and the animals are peering down at the people as they beg and plead for mercy. Tears roll down the proud face of Noah and the scene fades out.

Now Jesus begins to warn them what will happen in the future near the end of times saying "Two men will be working together in the fields and one will be taken, the other one left. Two Women will be going about their household tasks, one will be taken and the other one left". So be prepared, for you will not know what day your Lord will be coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so also can you avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return. Are you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord?

I have given you the task of running my household and to feed my children day by day. Blessings on you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work, for I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything that I own. The Cloud of Darkness clears in the middle and a vision appears showing men and women partying in the present day, and it shows them getting into fights at a bar and the next scene reveals them joining in various sexual acts, getting into fights at a bar, and falling down drunk.

Jesus says "But, if you are evil and say to yourself, "My Lord will not be coming for a while!", and begin oppressing your fellow servants, partying and getting drunk, then your Lord will arrive unannounced and unexpected, and severely whip you and send you off to the judgment of the hypocrites, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

The Cloud of Darkness clears in the center and a vision appears showing men in a dark dungeon chained to a wall with heavy iron shackles, and they are being whipped by a man wearing a dark hood over his head, as they grit their teeth and scream in pain and agony. The scene fades out and into another scene revealing souls screaming in pain and agony as they wade in the fiery pits of Hell's Lake of Fire.

#  CHAPTER THREE

## Predictions Already Coming True

At Randy's house, Randy, an intelligent man in his mid thirties, is sitting across from his friend David, a slightly overweight loner, also in his thirties. They are drinking iced cold tea and talking to each other as the television plays on unnoticed. Suddenly a Special News Broadcast is announced over the television, so they quit talking and listen to it. The News anchor, an older man in his late forties says:

"We interrupt this program for a special newscast! Today in Moscow an earthquake measuring higher than six on the Richter scale shook violently taking thousands of lives and leaving over half a million people homeless. He continues to speak saying "One man said, quote "It was just like it said it would be in the Bible; the ground just opened up!" We will have more on the five o'clock news, now back to the program..."

The television returns to a talk show that is just coming on. The talk show host is Geraldo Rivera, Speaking with a microphone clutched in his hand. He says "Today our topic is Satanism and family violence. On today's show, we will meet two children who slew their own parents. One shot his parents to death, and the other stabbed his parents repeatedly until they were dead.

We will also meet parents who killed their own children, and a young man who beat his own brother to death! It reminds me of a paragraph in the Bible which states near the end of the world. "The brother shall deliver the brother to death, the father the child, and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death" Then he says as he begins the show "We now release these actual pictures of..." The television goes on unnoticed as the two men begin talking to one another.

Randy says to David "Man, I can't believe how crazy people are getting these days, murdering their own families, shooting innocent people, and killing children... it's sickening!". David replies "I know what you mean, it's just like the Bible said it would be in the last days. I haven't been to church in a few years. but I do know the Bible". David takes a sip of his tea then Randy asks "Oh yeah, why not?" and David replies Well, I kind of lost it after my wife and I split up. Besides, I found the Bible so hard to understand. It talks in riddles and stuff".

Randy laughs and exclaims "They are not riddles, they are called "Parables". Take the parable of the fig tree for instance. The parable of the fig tree is this..." he says as David listens. David says "Go on, I'm listening" and Randy continues to speak "Just as a tree that bares no fruit is cut down by a farmer and cast into the fire to make room for another, more productive tree, so shall those people who bare no fruit also be cast into the fire".

David lowers his eyebrows with a dumbfounded look on his face and says "Say what?" Randy smiles and explains the parable to him saying "In other words, if you live by the Bible, and teach Gods word to others, you bare good fruit and shall be saved. But those who live a life of sin and do not obey Gods word, bare bad fruit, or no fruit at all. Those people shall be cast into the fire to burn just as a farmer would cast a fruitless tree into a fire and dispose of it to make room for a tree that is more productive".

David smiles with an enlightened glow about his face and says "Oh, I get it. That's a trip". Then Randy continues to explain "So you are supposed to live a good life and produce good fruit for God, not just for God, but for your fellow man as well". David replies, "Oh, I see". Randy takes a sip of his tea and then says "You're supposed to let your light shine so other people will want to be like you, and hopefully turn away from their life of sin, by your good example!"

David smiles at Randy and replies "That's neat! Now I get it. I always thought he was just mad at that stupid tree because he was hungry, and there wasn't any fruit on it". Randy laughs so hard that he spits the sip of tea out of his mouth. Then Randy lets out a short laugh and says "You're kidding me, right?" David ignores him and says "Anyway, I have read the Bible, and I think that it is getting close to the end myself, the end of the world I mean" then Randy says "That's not for us to know, it says in the Bible that not even Jesus will know the time of his coming, he will come like a thief in the night".

David nods his head in agreement, then takes a sip of his iced cold tea then exclaims "Well, I just hope that I am lucky enough to make it to heaven, can you imagine burning in hell for eternity?" Randy gets a serious look on his face and replies "Luck has nothing to do with it, my friend. It is how you live your life and do Gods will, that will determine whether or not you go to heaven".

David lowers his head, looking down at the carpet and speaks in a shameful tone of voice saying "I know that I need to get back into Church again. We are having earthquakes and famine all over the world, just as the Bible predicted" to which Randy replies "Yes, the Bible also predicted diseases that would spread rapidly and kill many, like A.I.D.S and Cancer are doing now".

David takes another sip of his tea and says "It also predicted that false prophets would rise and this has taken place as well, such as Jim Jones, and David Koresh from Waco, Texas. Then there is that guy Charles Manson who claimed that he was Jesus Christ". Randy laughs and says 'Hey, Remember those idiots that thought a U.F.O was coming to take them to heaven? There was even a man in the desert who claimed to be a God or something like that". David looks astonished as he remarks "Oh yeah! Jesus said, "If he is in the desert saying he is the Lord, don't believe it" and that guy was in the freaking desert... Wow, that's a trip man!"

They both pause and take a sip of their tea. Randy nods his head in agreement and says "Well, I agree with you. the world is getting to be like it was in the days of Noah when he said the Lord was going to destroy the earth with a great flood. Nobody believed him". David replies "So true, boy did they eat their words or what!" to which Randy replies "Yes, they did. They made fun of Noah and mocked him, but it did come, and they all died in their ignorance". David looks at the television and then exclaims "I watch a lot of history and learning channels and I found out that science today even proves that there was a great flood and many other things".

Randy nods in agreement "So true! The Bible says that when Christ returns it will be like it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, there will be all kinds of sexual sin, wild parties, and drunkenness, and then he will come". Randy takes another sip of his tea and says "Look at these talk shows today with all kinds of disgusting things, all sorts of sex sins, even people fighting right there on stage, and people can't understand why kids are fighting so much in school... it's ridiculous, I am sure the end is near".

David nods his head in agreement as he notices a cookie dish full of cookies on the coffee table in front of him, so he takes a cookie and sits back exclaiming "Boy, you really do know that Bible pretty good, I'm impressed. The world is every bit as bad as the Bible says it will be in the last days, you are right about that". After David takes a bite out of the cookie, he smiles while he chews and listens to Randy saying "A scary thought isn't it? The next time that you look up at the sun on a hot sunny day, imagine being in those flames for eternity".

David swallows the bite he took of the cookie and exclaims "Oh thanks, now I will never look at the sun in the same way again... Hey, these cookies are pretty good, I thought you said she couldn't cook! Just as David says those words Randy's wife Helen, an attractive woman in her thirties, enters the room and remarks "Hey, I heard that... who said that I couldn't cook? Or perhaps I misunderstood you, maybe what he told you was that he really likes sleeping on our comfortable sofa"

Helen smiles and looks at Randy as she playfully puts her hands on her hips. Randy replies "Well, in all honesty, I only told him that because he needs to lay off the junk food and lose some weight... at least that's what his doctor said". David throws a pillow that is sitting on the couch next to him at Randy and says "Hey now, that was below the belt... cookie hater!".

#  CHAPTER FOUR

## The Heartless Preacher and Old Man

It is winter time in Chicago, the ground is white with frost, the sun slowly fades behind dark rain clouds and the sky becomes dark and hazy. Roy, a homeless man in his fifties, and his friend Ernie, also a homeless man the same age, sit under a tree on the cold, wet grass in a park. Ernie is also a veteran of war and he suffers from a severe case of shell shock which causes him to stutter,

Both men shiver from the cold, their clothes torn and dirty, and they have no coats to warm their tired, cold flesh. Roy speaks to Ernie in a concerned tone of voice "Are you alright Ernie?" As he looks up at his friend and notices dark circles under his eyes, his skin as pale as milk, and his body shivering. Ernie replies stuttering "I'm alright Roy, I j.j.just hope we can find some f.f.food and a warm place to stay before it starts to rain".

Roy replies in an assuring tone of voice "Don't worry Ernie, we'll work something out!" Roy stands up, takes off his shirt and says "Here, put this on". Ernie stuttering replies "No, no I c.c.can't Roy. I burned our house down with my c.c.cigarette, now we have nothing, I can't take the shirt off your back too!"

Roy nods his head in disagreement and replies "Nonsense Ernie. It could have just as well been me that fell asleep in bed with a cigarette, and besides, I have a t-shirt on and there is a thrift store two blocks from here". Ernie shakes his head from left to right and exclaims "I can wait until you get back, Roy" to which Roy replies in a considerate yet demanding tone of voice "No, you put this on. The owner of the thrift store throws away jackets and other clothes that they can't sell".

Ernie smiles and says "Oh, do they?" and Roy replies "Yes, and I will get us both plenty of warm clothes as soon as I get there, and then I will go up the street to that Church and try to get us some food from the preacher, and maybe even a warm place to stay until we can get jobs and get back on our feet again".

Ernie begs him saying "Roy, you k.keep your shirt, I will be alright until you get back, p.p.please" and Roy replies in a more demanding yet thoughtful tone of voice "No, Ernie, I want you to put this on now". Roy gently takes a hold of Ernie's arm, lifts him up off of the wet grass and begins helping him put the flannel shirt on his cold, shivering body.

Ernie suggests to Roy in defeated tone of voice "Roy, you should ask your wife to take you b.b.back, I am just making it harder on you!" Roy gets a little irritated and replies "Nonsense Ernie, when we were in the war we made a promise to each other, we swore that if one of us was hurt or sick, the other would be there for him. We made it through the war together, and by golly, we will make it through this together, that is what friends are for!"

Ernie relaxes and replies in a conceding tone of voice "O.OK, Roy, I will wait here until you get b.back!" then Ernie sits down and leans his back up against a huge tree. Roy reaches in his pant pocket and pulls out a bottle of pills, he walks over to a trash can, takes out an empty coke can, walks over to a water fountain and rinses the can out real good.

Roy fills the coke can up with water, walks back over to Ernie, hands it to him, and then unscrews the lid on top of the medicine bottle and takes a pill out of the container saying to Ernie "Here swallow this pill". Roy hands the little pill to Ernie. Ernie takes the pill, puts it in his mouth, then takes a sip of water and swallows them together and then says "Thank you!".

Roy asks him as he is putting the lid back on the medicine bottle "Want me to hold on to your pills until I get back?" and Ernie replies "Y.Yes, you better hold on to them for me Roy, you know how bad I am to lose things!". Roy puts them in his pant pocket and says "I will be back as soon as I can, I promise you, just wait here for me and don't go anywhere!". Roy takes one last look at his hungry, sick, and cold friend with a worried look of concern on his face and compassion in his eyes, he then turns and walks towards the thrift store.

Roy walks down an alley to the back of a thrift store and over to a huge dumpster where he begins digging through the garments which have been discarded. He pulls out a heavy Jacket, a couple pairs of pants, another heavy coat, and one thick shirt, laying them across the side of the dumpster. As he pulls out a single shoe, an old man comes out the back door of the thrift store cursing and yelling at him "You worthless bums are all alike, get the hell out of here!" The Old Man continues to shout as he runs towards the dumpster waving his fist in the air angrily continuing to yell "I'll kill you if I ever see you around here again!"

The Old Man picks up a bottle on the ground and throws it at Roy, striking him on the right side of his face and cutting his eyebrow open. Blood slowly trickles down from Roy's eyebrow, he grabs all the clothing that he had slung over the edge of the dumpster, and runs quickly away, dropping a pair of pants as he dashes around the corner of the building and disappears.

Roy, still bleeding, carries the clothing with him up to an enormous beautiful Church and then stops to read a sign in front of the church which reads "DONATE FOOD HERE FOR THE HUNGRY". Roy stashes the coats and other garments behind some bushes, looks up in the sky towards a bright set of clouds which seem to glow from the suns rays of light above them, and exclaims out loud to the Lord "Thank you, Lord!"

Roy walks slowly into the church, looking for the Preacher, glancing around and hollering in a raised tone of voice "Hello! Father, is anybody here?" Roy walks down the middle of the aisle, up to the front of the church as he looks at a large painting of Jesus Christ kneeling next to a huge rock and looking up towards heaven praying as a beam of light shines down on him.

As Roy approaches the alter he notices several bags of groceries in the corner, he stops walking and shouts out once again but a little louder this time "Hello? Can anyone hear me?". Nobody answers him, so Roy once again hollers out in a louder, more desperate tone of voice "Please, Father, I need your help!" but again nobody answers Roy, so he looks up once again at the beautiful picture of Jesus Christ and speaks to him saying "I know this food was donated for the hungry Lord, and you know my friend Ernie, well he is sick and we are both very hungry, I hope you don't mind if I take a little of this donated food for us to eat tonight".

Roy hollers out one more time even louder in an almost pleading tone of voice "Hello is anyone here?" but all that he hears is an echo of his own voice bellowing back down from the hallway. Realizing that nobody hears him he reaches down, picks up one of the bags of groceries, and then turns around to begin walking back down the middle aisle when suddenly a Preacher, in his forties, wearing a fine suit, and beautiful gold watch and expensive golden necklace, comes out of a door behind him yelling and screaming like a madman.

The Preacher screams "Hey you, stop! Somebody help me, Stop that thief!" He hollers again in a louder tone of voice after turning his head towards the door behind him from which he came out of shouting to his wife "Mary Lou, call the cops!" Roy is frightened by the crazy red-eyed Preacher who is now running towards him holding a heavy brass candlestick and waving it like a maniac as he continues yelling and screaming.

Roy quickly dashes out the door that he came in previously, the Preacher behind him still yelling and screaming foul obscenities. Roy makes it back outside the church and he stops at the bushes, grabs the pile of clothes that he left there earlier and sets them on top of the bag of food, but before he can get away the Preacher grabs him and starts yelling out loud "Help me, please somebody!" The Preacher begins beating Roy with the candlestick, striking him on the back, then on the legs, and again striking him on his back and Roy shrieks out in a painful tone of voice "Ouch, please stop hitting me... you don't understand!"

A passing Police Car slows down as one of the Officers that is on the passenger side of the Police Car hears the Preachers cries for help. The Police Officer glances a few feet in front of him to the curb and he notices what appears to be two men fighting and hollers to his partner driving the car "Stop the car!" The Police Car pulls over to the curb and stops. The two Police Officers jump out of the car and run up to the two men who are fighting. The Police Officer says "Okay, break it up... Police!"

One of the Police Officers whip out a large black nightstick and join the Preacher in beating Roy, as the other Officer grabs Roy's hands causing him to drop the clothes and bag of food, which scatters on the sidewalk. The Officer then forces Roy's arms behind his back and cuffs his wrists together. Roy Pleiades with them trying to get them to listen to him about the critical situation he and his friend are in but to no avail "Please, you don't understand! My friend is starving and he is very sick!".

The officer replies in a rude cold tone of voice "Yeah, sure buddy!" He then begins walking Roy towards the Police Car, and the other Officer grabs the candlestick from the Preacher and tries to calm him down. Roy looks at the Preacher and pleads with him "It's true, father, you have to believe me, he needs help. My friend will die without food and shelter, and I have his heart medication on me too!".

The preacher just shrugs his shoulders and replies sarcastically "I'm sorry son, you stole from God, and besides that, I do not believe your story anyway". Roy cries out to him again begging for mercy "But it's true, father, I hollered for you several times but nobody answered me, then I noticed that the donated food was there so..." but he is interrupted by the heartless preacher who exclaims "Yeah, Yeah, sure buddy, save it for the judge you lying sack of crap!"

One of the officers asks "Do you want to press charges against him, Father?" and the preacher replies "Your damned right I do!" as he picks up the bag of groceries along with all of the clothes that Roy just found in the thrift store dumpster. The officer asks again 'Are you sure father?" to which he replies in a sarcastic tone of voice "Yes, I do want to press charges. I am sick and tired of people coming into my church stealing and vandalizing things!"

The other Officer opens the rear door, then puts his hand on the back of Roy's head pushing down to keep Roy's head from hitting the top of the door jam, guides him into the back seat of the Police Car and shuts the door. Sitting in the back seat of the police car, Roy looks at the Preacher through the glass window on the door and cries out once again in a tired, pleading, tone of voice, begging for mercy "Father, please. You can't do this, Please father, my friend Ernie could die, I have his heart medicine!"

The heartless preacher just exclaims "Do not let me see you around here again young man!" and then he turns and walks away, ignoring Roy's plea for help as the Police Car drives away. The Preacher carries the food and clothing into the church nodding his head from left to right, murmuring to himself. On the way to the police station, the Police Car drives by the Park where Roy's sick friend Ernie is sitting. Roy has tears in his eyes as he looks at Ernie who still sits obediently waiting for him just as he was told to do.

Even from the back seat of the Police Car, Roy can see that Ernie is trembling from the freezing cold weather as they pass by. Roy hollers to the officers "There he is, my friend Ernie!" to which he gets no response. So once again Roy hollers out loud as he tries to point with his hands which are cuffed behind his back. He then tries to point towards Ernie with his face, his nose pecking at the cold window "Really, there he is!"

The officer in the passenger seat replies "Yeah, yeah buddy, Save it for the Judge" and Roy replies "But Officer he..." but he is rudely interrupted by the officer who yells in a cold heartless tone of voice "Clam it up buddy or you'll be eating this club of mine for dinner!". The Police Car slowly disappears down the long road, unnoticed by Ernie, who looks almost lifeless, yet he continues struggling to hold on. Roy's eyes slowly begin to water as he turns his head towards the back of the car and watches the image of his lifelong buddy slowly disappear.

Meanwhile... at the Park, thunder claps loudly and rain begins pouring down from the dark clouds above, some of which quickly collects on the tree leafs and then runs down to the tip of the green leaves above Ernie's head, and begin pouring the contents down on his cold and trembling body. Ernie looks out in the distance and exclaims "Please hurry Roy! I'm s.scared!" and then he continues to sit and wait for Roy patiently, his body shivering from the freezing cold, and his skin a light shade pale of blue.

#  CHAPTER FIVE

## At the Mansion

In another part of town a maid named Amy is hard at work at the Berkeley Mansion, owned by the wealthiest couple in town. Amy is a shy and timid young maid in her early twenties, and she is carrying six beautiful crystal Champagne glasses as she walks into the dining room. There are eight place settings on the oval-shaped dining table, the plates are some of the finest China made with twenty-four-carat gold trimming, and next to them sits the finest silverware imaginable on a napkin.

Amy sets one of the glasses next to a dinner setting, then the next, all around the table until she has only two Champagne glasses left. She sets one more down when suddenly MRS. Berkeley, a tall sassy brunette in her forties, rushes into the room and startles her, causing her to drop the last Champagne glass on the floor and shattering it to pieces. MRS. Berkeley snaps at Amy in her usual insensitive tone of voice, "Damn it! Can't you do anything right?" Amy replies in a remorseful and frightened tone of voice "I'm sorry miss, you startled me!" to which MRS. Berkeley shouts angrily "Well, don't just stand there you worthless bimbo, get a broom and clean it up!"

Amy replies "Yes, Ma'am!" and MRS. Berkeley exclaims "I hope you know this is coming out of your wages, now you will have to buy me a complete set!" and the frightened maid again replies "Yes, Ma'am!" Amy walks over to a closet and pulls out a dustpan and a whisk broom. MRS. Berkeley stands and watches as Amy cleans up the glass. MRS. Berkeley gives Amy a disgusting look and exclaims "I don't like that outfit that you are wearing! I told you that the Mayor is coming to dinner with his wife and a couple of their friends. Don't you respect me enough to wear something a little less slutty than that?"

Amy is embarrassed as she looks at a couple of the other female workers and notices that the uniforms they are wearing are not skimpy like hers, then she replies almost in tears "But Ma'am, this is the outfit that your husband gave me to wear when I started here!" and MRS. Berkeley rudely snaps back at her saying "I didn't ask you where you got it now did I? You got paid yesterday, go into town when you are finished here and buy something more respectable".

Amy replies in her low timid tone of voice "Yes, Ma'am!" Then Amy walks towards the kitchen with the dustpan full of glass in one hand, and a whisk broom in the other. MRS. Berkeley follows her into the kitchen. and stops to talk to the Chef, a man in his fifties, wearing black and white checkered pants, a white shirt and apron, and a white chefs hat.

MRS. Berkeley approaches the Chef and says "I hope this dinner is better than it was the last time, or you will be seeking employment elsewhere!" and the frightened old man replies "Yes, Ma'am, the dinner will be excellent, I promise you". MRS. Berkeley replies in her very heartless usual manner "Well good, it better be! The guests should be arriving soon, and fix your ugly tie. I don't pay you to go around looking like Bozo the clown now do I?"

The Chef is shaking so bad that he can barely keep control of the pastry bag in his hands as he decorates a cake and replies "No Ma'am, you do not!" He sets the pastry bag down and straightens his tie.

Meanwhile A family is sitting at the kitchen table playing a game of Monopoly. The father, Roger, is sitting at one end of the table, the mother, Sue, sits at the opposite end. Their ten-year-old daughter Karen is sitting on one side of the table next to her twelve-year-old brother Ronnie, and the oldest son, Scott, a sixteen-year-old with a look of disgust on his face, is sitting on the opposite side of them.

Scott becomes enraged at his little brother Ronnie because Ronnie is winning the game and taking his property off of the board as payment for rent due. Scott throws his playing cards and monopoly money at Ronnie. Scott hollers "Here, take them you little jerk, I didn't want to play anyway!" Ronnie becomes embarrassed and sad and he replies "I'm sorry Scott, I didn't want you to get out, that's why I offered to take the purple property for what you owe me".

Sue looks at her older son Scott in disbelief and says "Scott, what is getting into you?" Scott rises from the table exclaiming "I quit! Keep my property you little moron". Sue gets upset at him and says "Just a minute Scott. A year ago you were reading the Bible to your little brother, now you anger at him without cause. Why?"

Scott barks back at her in a childish tone of voice "I know mother, "whoever is angered at his brother without cause shall be in danger of the Judgment" Matthew five twenty-two. See there, your favorite little twerp isn't the only one around here who can memorize Bible verses!" Scott storms out of the kitchen, Sue starts to go after him but Roger grabs her arm gently and says "Just let him go dear".

Sue smiles at him and replies "I don't know what has gotten into him lately. He never acted like this until he started hanging around those new friends of his. She then walks out of the room to chase after Scott. Ronnie sets his handful of Monopoly money down on the game board and says "I'm sorry dad, I didn't mean to make him mad. I don't know why he has been so grumpy lately". Roger replies "Well, he hasn't been as Jolly as Santa Clause has he?" Ronnie asks "Speaking of Santa Claus dad, I have always wondered why you and mom always told us that there is no such thing as Santa Clause".

Roger asks in an inquisitive tone of voice 'What is it that you don't understand?" and Ronnie replies "Most parents tell their children that Santa Clause brought them their gifts, so I was wondering why you and mom didn't tell us that".Roger explains to him in his mild loving tone of voice "Well, Son, we did not want you children to start out thinking of Christmas as a time to receive gifts from someone who does not really exist. We wanted you children to know that it was Christ's birthday that we were celebrating and not some made up fat man in a red suit". Not to mention the fact that we believe in order to instill honesty in our children we must likewise be honest with them, even at a young age".

Ronnie replies "Oh, I see... that makes sense!" and then Roger continues to explain his point of view "Christmas is a time to remember that our Savior was born, and the reason that we give gifts to other people is to show the spirit of giving, just as the three wise men gave gifts to Jesus when he was born". Ronnie comments "Oh, I see" and Roger continues to explain "If we would have let you believe in Santa Clause, then all that you would have been thinking about is what kind of nice gifts you were going to get every year, and you would have eventually lost touch with the true meaning of Christmas".

Ronnie exclaims "Oh, I love Jesus, I don't think that I could ever forget his birthday. Not in a million years!" Roger smiles and lets out a short laugh, then replies "Well, that's good son, I must say that you make us proud! It does not matter what kind of gifts that you receive, or how much money they spent on the gift, it is the idea that matters, what it represents, not the gift!"

Ronnie smiles and listens intently as Roger speaks "My personal little thing that I have done every single year since I was a little boy, and still do every Christmas day, is to pray to Jesus and simply say to him, "Happy Birthday Jesus, I love you!" Ronnie's eyes light up with excitement and he exclaims "That is beautiful dad!" Then Roger replies "By praying to him every Christmas morning and wishing him a happy birthday, I am showing him that I do realize it is in his name that we rejoice at Christmas time".

Ronnie says with an enlightened smile "Now I see dad. Well, I am glad that we were told the truth from the beginning, that is why I never have to doubt anything that you say, because it is always just and true". Roger replies with a proud smile, "Well, thank you, son!". Ronnie asks "Dad, when mom gets back in here do you think she would let me read the Christmas poems that I wrote last night for both of you?" and Roger replies "Sure Son, go on and get them if you like, I'm sure your mother would be more than happy to hear them" as he pats Ronnie on the back. Ronnie hops out of his chair, goes into the hallway and gets a notepad off of an end table.

On his way back into the kitchen Sue comes up from behind him and tickles him. Ronnie giggles and says "Ha! Ha! Stop. I'm going to read you and dad the Christmas poems that I wrote last night!" as he laughs and tries to wiggle away from Sue, who then releases him with a warm smile on her face. Sue smiles and releases him saying "Alright, sweetheart". She follows him back into the kitchen and takes her seat at the table.

Meanwhile... at the local High School a boy named Jimmy, sixteen years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes, is sitting at his desk when the School bell rings. The students rise and begin exiting the classroom. The Teacher says "All right everybody put your test papers on my desk as you leave, and I will have your scores by tomorrow afternoon". Jimmy walks up to the Teacher's desk and waits in a small line behind a couple of girls who are talking about a Bible Study event that they are going to attend later in the evening.

The two girls put their test papers on top of the Teacher's desk and then begin walking out of the classroom, Jimmy following close behind. The two girls say goodbye to each other and head separate ways, and then Jimmy walks up to Ashley, a sixteen-year-old brunette with gorgeous green eyes and says "Hello Ashley! How do you think you did on the test?" Ashley replies "I'm not sure Jimmy, but I think that I did pretty well. I should have anyway, I was up until one O'clock this morning studying!" as she smiles at him and begins walking down the hallway towards her locker, Jimmy walking beside her.

Jimmy looks at her as they walk and says "Can I ask you a question, Ashley?" in a low, shy tone of voice as they stop at the Lockers and Ashley begins turning the tumbler on her lock to the numbers of her combination. Ashley replies "Sure Jimmy, ask away" Jimmy looks around to be sure that nobody else can hear him and says "Well you know, you have tried to get me to go to your church several times and, well you see, I never really thought much about God in the past".

Ashley smiles and continues to listen intently as Jimmy continues to speak "I guess the subject doesn't come up much at our house, and I listened to what you were telling Jennifer and her friends at lunchtime today. and I agree with you... that there must be a God". Ashley opens her locker door and puts her books inside, she then closes the door and spins the dial on the combination lock and comments "That is great Jimmy, I'm glad to hear that" as he continues to speak "Well, Ashley, I have thought about it a lot today, since hearing what you said to your friends and well, I believe you are right. My parents don't believe in God, I guess they believe that everything just appeared on earth one sunny day. Like maybe mankind just popped up out of the crystal blue ocean or something like that".

Ashley giggles and steps a little closer to him smiling and exclaims "That's funny Jimmy, you're a nut!" and Jimmie continues to express his view on the subject "But that can't be, it makes no sense. If they are right then where did the ocean come from, and where did all the fish and mammals on earth come from?" Ashley smiles and says "That is a good question Jimmy, and it sounds like you have found the answer" to which he replies "Well, I think I have, you are not going to believe this, but it hit me while I was in my health class today". She cocks her head to the side a little and squints her eyes in a confused gesture saying "Health class?"

Jimmy says "I began thinking about all the human body parts, and how perfect they are. I mean every single part of our body, as well as other creatures bodies, all have an essential function. We have lungs that filter the air, our kidneys and liver are filters too. Everything is just too perfect to be left to coincidence, so, I guess what I am saying is that I would like to learn more about God, the only problem is that it would be kind of hard to do around my house.

Ashley thinks for a second and says "I have an idea, my parents are hosting a Bible study class at my house tonight, why don't you come over for dinner and then you could join us!" Jimmy replies "You mean it? I mean would it be all right with your parents?" Ashley says "Sure, they would love to have you over for dinner and a Bible Study Jimmy! In fact, I will call you after I get home". Jimmy, gazing into her eyes exclaims "Thanks a lot, Ashley! You know, I have been reading that Bible that you gave me a couple months ago, and I am almost halfway through it". Ashley replies "That's great Jimmy, I am so proud of you!"

Jimmy smiles at her with a little flushed look on his face and says "Well, I had better get going home Ashley, thanks again, and I'll see you tonight". Ashley replies "No problem Jimmy, see you tonight!" Ashley turns and walks away. Jimmy turns around and walks down the hallway with a confident smile on his face.

As Jimmy turns the corner by the boy's restroom two boys jump out without any warning and grab him. The biggest boy, Fred, covers his mouth as they drag him into the men's restroom and then Fred says "I got a message for you dumb ass moron!" The two boys slam Jimmy up against a bathroom stall and begin beating him severely. The other boy, Jason, strikes Jimmy in the stomach, Fred slams his big fist into Jimmy's slim, fragile face, and blood begins to seep out of his nose and run slowly down his cheek.

Jason yells "Get him, kick his ass!" as Jimmy falls to the floor and they both begin kicking him. Fred throws some papers on top of him and says sarcastically "Next time I tell you to write an essay for me, I expect to get an A on it, not a B minus!" then Fred kicks Jimmy one last time, and they walk out of the restroom laughing, leaving him on the floor, bleeding and crying.

Jimmy slowly gets up, and stumbles over to the sink, he gets a paper towel from the dispenser and begins washing the blood off of his face. His nose stops bleeding, and then he throws the bloody paper towel in the trash can. He then walks out of the restroom, to the parking lot, gets in his car, a yellow 1967 Mustang and heads for home.

As He is driving down the street, blood begins to seep out of his nose once again, he wipes it on the sleeve of his shirt and begins to cry. Jimmy pulls into the driveway at his house, his face is bruised, and his eye dark from the impact of the punch. As Jimmy gets out of his car he hears yelling and screaming coming from his house, he runs to the front door and opens it, only to see that his dad, Mark, is drunk again and beating on his mom, Cynthia, while his two little sisters sit in a corner of the rooms screaming and crying.

Jimmy walks into the house and sees Mark slap Cynthia's face, she reaches out and scratches his face, and then he grabs her hair and yanks her to the ground, dragging her across the floor as she screams and cries. Jimmy yells in a demanding tone of voice "Let go of my Mom!" as he runs up to Mark, and is quickly knocked down to the ground, his two little sisters begin screaming even louder and then Mark looks at them, turns around and walks outside, gets into his old beat up truck and drives away. Jimmy gets up and walks over to his mom asking in a concerned tone of voice "Are you all right?" and then he gets down beside her and hugs her, his two little sisters join them in a group hug. The four of them hold one another as they weep.

Meanwhile... at an Elementary School nearby a woman named Barbara, a well-dressed woman in her forties, is standing outside waiting for her daughter Cecilia to get out of school, as she talks to another mother, Ann, a mother in her forties who is waiting for her son Timothy who is ten years old to be excused from his class as school lets out for the day.

Barbara says to Ann "Did you see the news this morning?" to which Ann replies "No, I didn't, the news is just too depressing to watch anymore!" and Barbara says "I watched it this morning, they said that people are fighting over food in Russia, they wait in line for hours just for a loaf of bread, and by the time they get up to the front of the line, the food is all gone!" Ann replies "No wonder everyone wants to come to America, it seems like people are starving everywhere else! You know, sometimes I wonder if people here in the United States realize just how blessed they really are". Barbara replies "I hear you".

Ann says "If we have a bad day at work, or Lord forbid miss a single meal, we act like it's the end of the world. We are so blessed by God that we are literally spoiled". "Ain't that the truth" Barbara replies and then continues to speak "In some countries, people are shot, stabbed, beaten half to death and maimed for life for no reason at all".

Ann says "I feel sorry for those people who are being tortured and killed by evil men, from their own cities even. They roam through their own villages chopping off peoples limbs, cutting out their tongues, making slaves out of them, and raping their women". Barbara replies "With all of these murders going on in the world, gang wars, and all the other things that are going on around us, I think that the end of the world is getting close".

Ann replies "Yeah, I know what you mean. All you hear about anymore is rape, murder, drugs, gangs, people killing their own children and even children murdering their own parents" to which Barbara exclaims "I mean to tell ya!" Ann says "I'll tell you, it isn't like it use to be in the good old days when you could leave your doors and windows unlocked at night". Barbara replies "I know, this is exactly the way the Bible said it would be in the last days. It says, "In the last days perilous times will come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, unthankful and unholy".

Ann smiles and exclaims "Preach it, sister!" as Barbara continues to speak "They will be hardheaded and never give in to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality". Ann replies "You go, girl!" and Barbara says 'It said They will be rough and cruel and sneer at those who try to be good. They will betray their friends; and be hotheaded, puffed up with pride"

The School bell Rings and children come walking out to the crowded hallways of the School, the two women look through the excited crowd of children, waiting patiently for their children to come out. Ann sees her ten-year-old son Timothy approaching as he exclaims excitedly "Mom, look I got an "A" on my math test!". He runs up to her and shows his mother the graded test with a big "A" on it. Ann smiles and replies "Did you get an A?" She takes the paper and looks at it, and then bends down to hug him. Timothy says "I did good huh mom" and she says proudly "Yes, you did good Timothy, I am so proud of you honey!"

Barbara observes her daughter in the hallway talking to a young boy, and calls out to her, saying "Cecilia, hurry up and say good-bye now dear, I have to get to work!". Ann looks at Barbara and smiles then hugs her saying "Well, I will see you later Barbara, have a nice day!" Barbara replies "Okay, sweetheart, it was nice talking to you. Do you need a ride home? It's no problem... really!" and Ann turns and replies "No thank you. We just live a couple of blocks from here". Ann turns and begins to walk across the street as she holds Timothy's hand, suddenly a Loud Shot rings out.

People begin Screaming and running, some jump to the ground and duck for cover, while a MAN in his thirties, riding his bike, looks in the direction of the shot and crashes into a parked car causing the alarm to go off. Three more Loud Shots ring out as Ann notices a tall boy across the street firing a gun at some kids behind her, so she grabs Timothy, throws him to the ground, and jumps on top of him, using her body as a human shield to protect her son from harm.

A bullet strikes Ann in the left arm, and then another strikes her in the head. Just as suddenly as the shooting began, it now subsides as the shooter turns and runs away from the scene leaving Ann laying motionless and bleeding. Barbara screams in terror and runs up to where Ann is lying dead in the street, her body still laying on top of her son Timothy, who is screaming hysterically at the top of his lungs, in a blood-curdling cry. Sirens scream in the background as Barbara grabs her daughter and turns her away from the dead body.

#  CHAPTER SIX

## Laughter is Not Always the Best Medicine

Two men are sitting on a couch in the living room, watching a baseball game in action. Larry, a handsome man in his thirties, with a great sense of humor, is the owner of the house, he is sitting at the left end of the couch, and his friend Steve, a conservative man also in his thirties, is sitting at the opposite end, there is a huge bowl of buttered popcorn between them.

The two men are drinking iced cold tea and muttering the usual "don't steal a base ya dummy!" and so forth when Larry glances through the screen on the front door and notices two women across the street walking up to a neighbors front door. The women both have briefcases in their hands, as well as a bunch of literature. As Larry watches, he notices that his neighbor rudely slams the door in the women's faces. The two women walk back down the sidewalk and then go to the next house, which is on the corner.

Larry realizes that the two women are Jehovah's Witnesses and that they will come to his house next. Larry laughs in a ghoulish, yet comical, tone of voice, and then gets up off of the couch, rushes over to the front door and closes it real fast. Steve watches with a confused look on his face and asks "What's going on? Larry replies "Just sit and enjoy!" Steve says "Huh?" and Larry looks at Steve with a devious yet comical smile and says "Here they come!" Steve being confused says "Here who comes?" Just then a loud knock interrupts them, then another short knock at the door disrupts the silence, Larry looks at Steve with one last devious smile, he then faces the door, drops his pants, and opens the door with a big smile on his face.

Larry exclaims "Yes, may I help you?". The two Women stare in astonishment for a couple of seconds and then they walk off as one shrieks out angrily, although her words can't be heard over Larry's laughter. Larry pulls his pants up laughing hysterically, he is laughing so hard that he can't even catch his breath, and then he rolls around on a love seat which is by the front door, still laughing as Steve watches on. Larry smiles at Steve saying "Did you see the look on their faces? Ha ha ha!" Larry continues to laugh so hard that tears roll down his cheeks. Larry's laughter quickly drowns out as he notices the expression on Steve's face, and realizes that Steve was not the least bit amused.

Larry lets out another short chuckle and then says "What's the matter? Didn't you think that was funny?" Steve Smiles for a second and replies "I found it amusing at first, that is until I realized that those two women were Jehovah's Witnesses". Larry says "Oh, come on Steve, I mean, I know that you are religious and all, but you are not a Jehovah's Witness, now I know that for a fact!Hell, nobody likes Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact, I do not know one single person that likes to talk to them when they come to the door".

Larry sits up and wipes the tears of laughter from his eyes and Steve replies "Is that so?". Larry says "Yeah! My dad used to cuss and yell at them and chase them off of his property, and my brother says that all you have to do to keep them from coming up to your house is hang the American Flag outside by the door". Steve says "Really? I did not know that" to which Larry replies "Yeah, according to him, they will not come to the house at all if a flag is hanging by the door, but hell, I think that takes all of the fun out of it, ha-ha!" Larry begins to laugh once again.

Steve says "Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against a good joke Larry, its just that you are right, a lot of people don't like Jehovah's Witnesses". Larry smiles replying "There you go!" Then Steve says "However, it says in the Bible, when Jesus was talking to his disciples, that he told them "You will be hated by many for my name's sake!".

Larry exclaims "Oh, really? I didn't know that". Then Steve continues to speak "Who does Jesus mean by "You", when he says "You will be hated by many for my name's sake", and who tries harder to spread his word than Jehovah's Witnesses? to which Larry replies "That is true". Steve continues speaking, "And just like Jesus said, they are hated by many for his name's sake, for merely trying to spread his word! It even says in the Bible that he is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things that God has done for them".

Larry says " Well, I guess that was kind of rotten of me, huh?" Then Steve smiles and says "Well, to be honest with you Larry, even Paul preached from house to house". Larry replies "Oh yeah? He is one of my favorites". Steve says "Besides, I have read a few of those pamphlets that they pass out, and I have found them to be quite interesting. There are stories from the Bible, such as one article that I read recently that explains what the end of the world will be like".

Larry looks more serious now as he walks back over to the couch and sits down exclaiming "You know, to be honest about it, that subject interests me... the end of the world I mean. But I started to read the Bible once and it was too hard to understand, so I just put it back down". Steve replies "I know what you mean, I also found parts of the Bible hard to understand, but these pamphlets they hand out have a way of wording things that makes it easier to understand".

Larry says "Well, I'll be, I always thought those goofy people were just using those pamphlets as a way to get money from me or something". Steve replies "No, I don't think they ask for money" then Larry adds "Or that the pamphlets were just to brainwash people into going door to door like they do, so other people could just slam doors in their faces".

Steve replies with a grin "Or so people could embarrass them?" then he smiles and lets out a short laugh as he shakes his head from side to side. Larry laughs and says "Aha! I did get to you a little bit there, didn't I?" Steve laughs, and then grabs a handful of Popcorn out of the huge bowl in front of them, and throws it at Larry. Larry says "You know what though, I do agree with you. I never stopped and thought about it before, but those People must really love God a lot to go through all of that trouble just to spread his word".

Steve replies "It says in the Bible that there will be a special place in heaven for those who bring people to him". Larry asks "I had a guy at work ask me if Jesus was free of sin, why did he hang out with sinners? Do you have an answer for that?" to which Steve replies "If you remember, Jesus said he came to heal the sick, to save the sinners, not the righteous. If Jesus only hung out with the righteous how then could he help those that are lost?". Larry remarks "Interesting. I have met people that said they can sin all they want to because they are saved by grace, and those people drink almost every day, cuss, and commit all kinds of unholy sins. Are they right? Can you sin and still be saved by grace?"

Steve replies "As far as I know the Bible says "whosoever confesses and forsakes their sins shall have mercy" and if you look up the word "forsake" in the dictionary you'll find that it means to "give up, leave, or abandon", so that means you must realize that the sin is bad, confess it, and then abandon it, completely quit doing that thing which is bad, only then will you have mercy!". Larry exclaims "Wow, that is heavy!" and then Steve continues with his answer "I don't know if that is really how their religion believes, or if they just misunderstood it. However, I believe that if you commit a sin, knowing full well that it is a sin, it is wrong". Larry replies "Makes sense".

Steve says "Therefore it will be counted against you on Judgment day, because you claimed to be a Christian, yet you took advantage of the Lord's kindness". nods his head in agreement and replies "I agree". Steve continues to elaborate "I believe that by them committing sins, knowing that they are wrong, and expecting forgiveness, would be wrong". Larry gain replies "Again, I agree".

Steve says "If your three-year-old daughter picked up a piece of candy in a store, and walked out with it, without you noticing until you both got outside of the store, you would take the candy back into the store and ask the clerk to forgive her, and the clerk would, because he would know that she was a babe, and did not know any better".

Larry says "That goes without saying" and then Steve continues to speak "However, if you took that same piece of candy from the store yourself, you would go to jail, because you knew the law, and broke it anyway!" Larry replies "Okay, makes sense. What about drinking? I thought that people in the Bible drank" and Steve lets out a short chuckle and replies "Well, according to the Bible, people did drink and even got drunk, but that does not mean that God approves of it".

Larry says "But I thought Jesus turned water into wine". Steve replies with a chuckle "Well yeah, but he wasn't falling down drunk. According to the Bible, a little wine is good for your health and helps if you are ill". Larry says "Is that so?" to which Steve replies "Yeah, it says in the Bible "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities" Larry has a look of enlightenment on his face as he says "Really I didn't know that. I did hear on a talk show that studies have found a glass of wine a day is good for your health"

Steve exclaims "Exactly, one glass... not several, like we used to drink until we were falling down drunk". Larry laughs and shakes his head in a gesture of agreement saying "Yeah, that's true, you got me there!" Steve says "There is a Bible verse that explains how the Lord feels about drinking and partying in first Corinthians 3:17, the Bible says "If anyone defiles and spoils God's home, God will destroy him, for God's home is holy and clean, and you are that home". Larry exclaims "Oh yeah, I remember that verse".

Steve asks "Want to know which part of the Bible scares me the most?" Larry says with a look of curiosity "Sure" and Steve replies "Jesus Christ himself said "But nobody knows the date or the hour when the end of times will be, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only. The world will be at ease, having banquets, parties, and weddings, just as it was in the days of Noah before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldn't believe what was going to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all away".

Larry exclaims "Man, that is scary!" as Steve nod's his head in agreement and takes a sip of his iced cold tea. Steve continues to speak "Jesus went on to say "So shall my coming be. Two men will be working in the fields, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be going about their household tasks; one will be taken the other left. So be prepared, for you do not know what day or hour that your Lord is coming"". Larry raises his eye brows and says "Wow, it sounds to me like people need to rethink the way that they are living and check their Bibles, or at least do some more studying of the Bible. I mean there is a difference between reading the Bible and actually studying it!".

Steve adds "And let us not forget that while you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Satan has more power over you than at any other time. So he uses this to his advantage to demoralize you, and make you look like a fool. So the next day everyone is talking about all the bad things that you said and did the night before". Larry confesses "Boy don't I know that to be true!" and Steve replies "Well, lucky for you, now that you quit drinking, you do not have to worry about being drunk in the fields when he comes on that day to gather his elect!" suddenly a commercial comes on the television set, in the commercial an Actor is talking about the unbalance in nature lately.

The actor says "You have probably noticed the unbalance of nature lately. I'm sure that you must have heard all the commotion about the Ozone Layer, but have you thought about the connection between the two of them? Kern County is in the fifth year of its drought, in fact, this year was declared to be a drought emergency!" Larry replies "Yeah, you're telling me!"

The Actor continues his speech "Droughts around the world are not the only problem caused by the diminishing effect of the Ozone Layer. There has also been flooding in many states lately, so do your part and plant a tree, help to preserve nature and save our planet from this devastation. Remember, God promised not to destroy the earth again, but he said if it were to be destroyed, that it would be mankind that destroyed it. So remember to take a bus, or ride share to work, and plant a few trees to help save our world. Thank you!".

Larry looks at Steve and says "Man, this world is in bad shape lately with all of this carbon monoxide wiping out the Ozone Layer, oil spills and litter ruining our oceans. I remember when that Saddam Hussein character purposely poured over one hundred thousand gallons of oil a day into the gulf, making it the worst oil spill in history". Steve replies "I know, right? And then people can't understand why mother nature is wreaking havoc on us all".

Larry exclaims "Exactly! In the last few years we have had all of these earthquakes and floods everywhere, tsunami's killing thousands, and people starving everywhere". Steve replies "I know, it's terrible". Larry adds "It is just like the Bible said that it would be in the last days. I would say that you had better pick that religion real soon!" to which Steve replies with a look of concern "You too my friend, you too!".

#  CHAPTER SEVEN

## A Dark Heart is Revealed

Back at Scott's Home some of the family are gathered in the kitchen. Karen walks into the kitchen where her older brother Scott is sitting at the kitchen table with his mother, who is helping him with his homework. Karen asks her mother Sue a serious question in a sad and confused tone of voice "Mommy, why did those evil men shoot little Timothy's mom and kill her? " to which Sue replies "Well, sweetheart, I'm not sure I have an answer for that. We will just have to pray for Timothy and his mother"

Scott interrupts hastily "I know the answer to that, those guys are scum! They run around mugging people, robbing stores, and shooting innocent men, women, and even children" and Sue says in agreement "That is true!" Scott continues to speak "Timothy was one of the Lucky ones, last week a six-year-old boy was shot in the head while he was walking to the school bus, now he is in a coma, he will probably be a vegetable for the rest of his life".

Sue gets irritated at his response and hollers "Scott! Don't you tell me that Timothy is unquote, "One of the lucky ones!" That poor little boy watched his mothers life pass right before his eye's, while her dead body lay on top of him and her blood was splattered all over him. It is going to scar him for the rest of his life". Scott replies "I know mom" and Sue continues saying "That poor little boy is going to have nightmares for the rest of his life, and on top of that, he is not going to have his mother to tuck him into bed at night, or to hug and kiss him and tell him how much she loves him every day!".

Scott lowers his head and stares at the ground as Sue goes on to say "Timothy is going to have to live without his mother for the rest of his life, so do not sit there and tell me that he is one of the lucky ones! There are no lucky people when it comes to any kind of violence!" and Scott replies "I'm sorry mom, I did not mean for it to sound that way! I just meant that he is lucky that all of those stray bullets missed him" then Sue relents and feels bad for being in a bad mood and says to Scott "I know son, and I am sorry too, I guess we are all a little on edge right now!"

Scott asks his mom in a hesitant tone of voice "Mom, I know that I probably shouldn't ask you this, I mean you being a Christian and all, but if I don't ask you then, I wouldn't know who else to ask!" and she replies "What is it, son?" to which Scott asks "How do you know for a fact that there is a God and a Devil? I mean, I know that we have been raised to believe it, but you have never seen them have you?"

Sue pauses for a second and replies with a kind smile and loving tone of voice "Well, first of all, you see good and evil in many different forms son. For instance, the men who shot Timothy's mom are proof to me that evil exists" Scott agrees and says "I hear that!" Then Sue goes on to say "There is a verse, in one of my favorite poems, that says "I wanted you to love me by faith, not fear, that is why you couldn't see me, but knew that I was here!" Karen smiles and looks up at her mother and exclaims "I like that, is that God saying that?"

Sue smiles and replies "Well, dear, it is a poem that someone wrote and that is what they wrote about God" and Scott admits "That does sound cool!" Sue goes on to explain its meaning saying "What that means is that you have to feel with your heart and soul, you must search deep within yourself for the answer. However, let me put it to you another way. You are a kind young man, yet how come when you went shooting with your Father he shot old cans and bottles, but you shot those innocent little birds?"

Scott lowers his head slightly as guilt subdues him "Oh, dad told you huh? Well, I, I felt bad afterward, I felt dirty and wicked. In fact, I felt guilty for weeks!" Sue says "Yes son, but if you felt that it was wrong to shoot them, then why did you do it? Why did you shoot those innocent birds?" Karen gives Scott a look of disgust and Scott says "I don't know why I shot them, mom! I got that gun in my hands and it was as if I were a different person. Those birds came flying overhead, and I didn't think about how I would feel if I were a little bird flying freely in the sky, doing harm to nobody, and then was shot for no reason at all. I didn't think of the birds at all, I just felt tempted to shoot them out of the sky, so I did, even though I knew that it was a sin to kill anything that you are not going to eat!"

Scott looks downward and releases a deep sigh, as if trying to push the guilt out of his lungs. Karen screaming and cries out at Scott as she slaps him on his arm "You Murderer!" then she cries, jumps up from the table and runs out of the room in tears. Scott looks at his mother and says "Mom, did you have to bring it up in front of her?" to which she replies "Yes, maybe I did... Maybe now you see how wrong it really was!". Scott admits "Yes, I know that it was wrong now, but I was tempted at the time, I guess that I did not think, I mean..."

Sue gently lays her hand on his shoulder and says "Yes, exactly! You were tempted while the gun was in your hands. Ordinarily, you would not dream of killing those poor little birds". Scott looks down at the floor and replies "That is true, I wouldn't" Sue goes on to explain "However, when a gun was in your hands you were, as you put it "A different person!", now, who do you think tempted you?" she asks and Scott begins to answer but she cuts him off, Scott says "Well, I guess..." then she says "And you say that you want to lose weight, yet you tell me no matter how hard you try, you just keep on eating all the time, why is that?"

Scott answers in a dumbfounded tone of voice "I don't know!" then Sue exclaims "In fact, you just told me last night that you didn't know why you were eating again, you said that you were not even hungry" to which he replies "Yes, that is true." then Sue wisely answers his question saying "I'll tell you why son. It is you who wants to lose weight, it is Satan who tempts you to keep eating because the Bible says thou shalt not overindulge". Scott nods in agreement "Oh!, yeah makes sense I guess."

Sue adds "And no matter how hard you try to quit smoking weed, your friends come over to tempt you, so you smoke it with them." A look of concern comes over Scott's face because he is shocked that his mother knows he smokes weed. Sue continues speaking "Yes, Scott, I know that you and your friends have been smoking weed and we will talk about that too, but let's finish this conversation first!" Scott sighs and replies "Yes, mother!"

Sue says "What I am trying to convey to you here son is that if there is no Satan, then where does all of this temptation come from? You wouldn't ordinarily dream of hurting any living thing, but once a gun was put into your hands, Satan came along and tempted you with his little voice of woe! And when food is near you, Satan tempts you to eat it whether you are hungry or not. Not only because it is a sin to overindulge, but he does this to weaken your self-esteem, to demoralize you and make you feel like a failure!"

Scott looks at her and replies "He must be good at it" Sue says "He likes to take away your willpower so that he can control you more easily. Even when you try to quit smoking weed, Satan comes along and tempts you, he puts all the pressure on you that he can, to weaken you, and try to win your soul from God. It's as if we are a pawn in a game of chess, and the Lord is letting us make all of our own moves. But ultimately it is up to us whether we win or lose"

Scott smiles with a look of enlightenment and exclaims "You know, at first when you started talking about me shooting the birds, I did not see the relationship to my question, but now I get it!" Sue replies "Good!" and Scott says "That is how you know that God and Satan do exist. If there is no Satan, then where does all of the temptation come from? And how come temptation always knows the perfect time to strike?"

Sue exclaims "Yes, Exactly!" Then Scott confesses "Like me smoking Weed Mom." as a tear rolls down his cheek and he continues to speak to his mother, "I have tried to quit smoking weed mom, I have! That is why I quit hanging around Brad, and then Rodney, and even Ted!" A couple more tears roll down his cheek as his mother gets up out of her chair, walks over to Scott, and hugs him speaking in a soft compassionate tone of voice "I know son, I know that you have been trying to quit! That is why I have not said anything to your father yet; because I have faith that you will quit. That is the same faith that we are supposed to have in God."

Scott's eyes water a little more and he asks "But how Mom? How can you know how I feel? Especially with you being a Christian and all, how can you know who tempts me and how I feel?" Scott wipes the tears from his face. Sue pulls back and looks into his eyes, as a tear also rolls down her cheek and she replies in a subtle voice "I also traveled down the wrong roads when I was your age son, I have fought some of the same temptations that you are fighting now!"

Scott smiles at his mother and wipes the tears from his eyes and apologizes "I'm sorry mom! I quit hanging around a lot of my friends to get rid of the temptation of smoking, but then it seems like I would meet someone else who smoked weed too" and she rubs his arm and says "I know son as he continues his confession "And that time that I asked to stay with Grandma last summer, my first week there I met a neighbor down the street who was hired to mow Grandmas lawn twice a month, and he smoked weed too. Before I knew it we were getting stoned almost every day in Grandmas garage"

Sue says "That is because you can't run and hide from Satan, he is everywhere. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. It says in the Bible that he has come to steal, kill, and destroy, so we have to be stronger than him and steadfast in our ways. The choice is ours, he can only tempt us, but we make our own final choices!" Scott wipes a tear from his cheek and says "I think I understand, the point that you are trying to make now, the point is that Satan is the temptation, and you can't run from temptation, not even to Grandmas house, because Satan is everywhere. So I will have to learn to be strong and to say no from now on!" Scott says remorsefully as he wipes the tears from his eyes.

Sue replies "That's right son, and I hope for your sake that you get back on the right path before Christ returns! Because I love you and I want to see this whole family together again someday in heaven. It says in the Bible "Do not be drunken in the fields when Christ returns" and "The wages for sin is death".so you need to remind yourself of that constantly." she says as she kisses him on the forehead. Scott asks in an embarrassed, low tone of voice "Does Dad know too?"

Sue replies "I don't know son, your father works a lot of hours, so he isn't here to see and hear the things that I see and hear. But don't worry, I will not tell him if you promise to quit smoking weed from this day forward, deal?" She asks with a smile as she extends her hand to shake his hand and he shakes her hand and replies with a smile "Deal!" and then hugs her.

Sue asks him in a confused manner "By the way Scott, why all of these questions about God and Satan lately? That's unlike you!" Scott confesses to her "Maybe I have been watching a little too much television lately, but if it was you or any other member of my family that was shot, or injured in any way by one of those gang members, I would want to get a gun and go around killing every gang member that I seen!"

Sue is shocked by what she hears, but understanding how much pressure he is under she just eases back in her chair and says in a calm and understanding tone of voice "Honey, I know what you mean, and I do know exactly how you feel. Almost everyone who loses a loved one to violence feels like getting revenge, and some of them do! But if everyone took the law into their own hands, the world would be overturned with violence. One man would kill another man for killing his wife, and then that man's brother would kill him, and so on"

Scott replies in agreement "Yes, that is true, I never looked at it like that before, but you are right" then Sue explains "It would be a never-ending cycle of blood and violence, that is why we have laws to live by. And let's not forget what the Bible says about the laws, and obeying them. In Romans 13:1 the Bible says "Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. While it is true that there are crooked cops, lawyers, and even Judges, out there in this greedy, wicked world, the Lord will take care of them in due time or come judgment day, so until then we are to obey the laws, because, for the most part, they are for our own good!"

Scott asks "What about evil people like Saddam Hussein, or all of these evil terrorists? Why is it alright for our soldiers to kill in order to protect our country, but not alright to kill these evil men to protect our own city streets?" Sue replies "That is exactly why our troops go to war, our soldiers have always fought wars to stop evil people like them. Otherwise, we would be under an evil man's rule right now. But here in our country, we have laws to take care of evil people"

Scott replies in an understanding yet confused ton of voice "So what you are saying is that it is all right for soldiers to kill, evil men but not us?" she pauses a second with a bewildered look on her face and says "Yes, I guess so!" She exclaims in a confused tone of voice and then she lets out a short giggle and replies "Unless you want to live under a man like Hitler, or Saddam Hussein".

Scott, still confused says "So it is all right for a man to protect our Country, but not our streets? Not our family?" and Sue admits with a sigh, "I know that it is harder on you kids these days Scott. I mean with all of these kids being in gangs, and being killed every single day! Rapists and murderers on our streets and I'll bet that you are thinking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but you do not know which gang member shot Timothy's mother... do you?"

Scott replies "No, of course not" then Sue asks "And do you remember that book that I gave you to read last week?" to which he replies "You mean that book that I read about three different men who were in prison for gang violence and Murder?" she smiles with pride realizing that he did read the book "Yes dear, that one! Each of those three stories was true, all three of those men lived rough lives as children, and they learned to fight and steal for what they wanted" Scott exclaims "I know, I felt sorry for them when I read that!"

Sue goes on to say "They were all three in and out of juvenile hall, and prisons all of their lives. But all three of them found the Lord while they were in prison, even the man who murdered his own brother, and they are all three dedicated Christians now. They are helping other prisoners to see the errors of their ways and helping them turn to the Lord as well!" to which Scott replies "I know, I was proud of them when I read that book. I am glad that you had me read it!"

Sue replies "So am I dear. Now think about it like this Scott; if someone would have killed them after they committed a robbery or a murder, then they would not have had a chance to redeem themselves and to become the Christians that they are today, nor would they have been able to convert other gang members and criminals to Christianity!" and Scott confirms saying "I know Mom, and you are right, but out of all of those murderers, rapists, and robbers, only a small percent of them are changed and become an asset to society, while the rest of them hurt people every day, in and out of prison, and show no remorse! And what about Timothy's mom? She was a drinker, what about her chance to redeem herself, and what about her children?"

Sue releases a deep sigh and replies "I know that it is all hard to understand son, and I admit that I do not have all of the answers. That is why we must live by the Bible, and go to church, because we never know when it is our time to go, so we must always be ready to meet our maker! Lord forbid that he comes for us when we are not ready and are living in sin" and Scott says cheerfully "well, mom, I am glad that you brought me up to believe in God".

Sue says "Sleep on this tonight son, Apostle Paul said this in one of his letters to a church, "But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as an example to show everyone how patient he is with even the worst sinners, so that others will realize that they too, can have everlasting life".Scott smiles and says "Thanks, mom, I love you!"

Sue looks deep into his eyes almost as if trying to read his soul and says "Scott, it bothers me that you were talking about revenge, please do not do anything stupid, remember what it says in the Bible about revenge, "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord God Almighty", and "See that no one pays back evil with evil". Scott smiles and assures her saying "Oh, mom, don't worry about that, it was just talk, I would never do anything like that. I promise!".

Sue puts her hand on his head and strokes his hair saying "I had better go upstairs and calm your sister down, you know I never did finish answering her question." then she rises from the table, kisses Scott on the forehead and goes upstairs to Karen's room. Sue knocks on the bedroom door. A voice shouts from the other side of the door as little Karen hollers "Come in.". Sue opens the door and notices Karen laying on her bed, reading her Bible as she walks over to her and asks "Are you alright dear?"

Sue sits down next to Karen and Karen replies "Yes, I just couldn't believe that he would kill a poor little innocent bird!" Sue replies "well, dear, we all make mistakes. Sometimes we just don't think about the consequences of our actions until it is too late. The reason that I came up here is to answer your question about Timothy's mother" and Karen looks up at her saying "Yes, mother?"

Sue explains "There are a lot of evil people in this world dear, there always have been, and always will be. But someday we will go to a better place, a place where there is no crime, and people love one another" and Karen replies "Yes, mother, I know." Then Sue says "We will live among people who we can trust in heaven. Do you remember when Jesus told the man on a cross next to him that he would join him in paradise?" Karen replies "Yes, mommy, Jesus told the man "Today, you will be with me in Paradise" and the man went to Heaven with Jesus"

Sue Smiles and says "That's right dear, and there will be peace between the animals and humans. You will be able to sit with the wolves, or even pet a lions mane. There will be no more sickness, aging, or death, and no more greed or selfishness" then Karen asks"Will I see my dog Charlie that died last year?" to which Sue replies with a touch to her soft cheek "Yes dear you will see your wonderful dog Charlie again. There will be no more poverty, people will have whatever they need, and the most beautiful part of it all is that we will once again be with our loved ones, those who make it to heaven".

Karen replies "Yes, I know mommy" Sue continues speaking to her "It will be a beautiful place dear, more beautiful than any man can ever imagine. In fact, Adam and Eve lived in such a place, there were plenty of fruits growing on the trees, and animals all around, beautiful blue springs of fresh water, no pollution or bad air ever again." Karen replies "Yes, I know mommy, that will be so much fun!"

Sue emphasizes to her "But until that day comes honey, we will have to live for God and remember that when we are sad, Jesus said: "We can know a joy that runs so deep, no disappointment can fully squelch it, so you don't ever have to be sad, okay dear?" Karen shouts happily "Okay, mommy.!" with a smile that lights up the room. Sue runs her hand through Karen's baby soft, silky hair and says "I know that it is hard to understand, but Timothy's mom is in a better place right now honey. So don't be sad, be happy for her, I know that she wouldn't want you to be sad, okay dear?"

Karen smiles up at her and replies "Alright mommy, I love you!" Karen hugs Sue, and she returns the gesture, hugging her with a loving squeeze. Then Sue rises and says "Well, it's about time for bed sweetheart, before you say your prayers come to our room and kiss your daddy goodnight." Karen replies "Okay, mommy, I will!" then Sue smiles and exits the room.

#  CHAPTER EIGHT

## His Coming and the Hell That Follows

Jimmy is standing on an old wooden bridge which connects both sides of a huge canyon. The Sun slowly disappears behind a huge dark cloud, and the winds increase greatly, almost as if a storm is approaching. Jimmy kneels on the middle of the bridge, his knees bent on the wood planks, his elbows bent, and his palms held together in front of his lips, and his soft blonde hair blowing freely in the wind as he begins to pray.

Jimmy says to God as he looks up toward the clouds "Dear Lord, I am here to tell you that I love you, but life has been so hard here on earth. I never had the privilege of going to church, you see my parents are not Christians. It wasn't until just recently that I even realized that you existed. Sure, I had heard a lot about you over the years, but I guess I never put two and two together until the last few months.

Now that I do know you exist, I want you to know that I have been reading the Bible a lot these last couple of months. I even read that you will have compassion on who you want to have compassion on, and show mercy to whoever you choose to show mercy to, and that is why I am here right now speaking to you". Jimmy looks down at the bridge and pauses for a couple of seconds as he takes a deep breath and sighs "I want to ask you to have mercy on me and bring me home.

I hate this world and I do not feel like I belong here, I feel that I belong with you, in a kind and loving world!" Tears slowly roll down Jimmy's cheeks and drip from his stout chin onto the planks of the wooden bridge below, soaking into the old, dry wood, before the strong wind could blow the drops of water off of the planks. Jimmy continues to pray "Lord, I don't know where to begin, I am supposed to go to a Bible Study tonight, but I feel that I can't go with this black eye. I have so much on my mind that I am not sure where to start, but you know what I have been through in life.

People at school beating me up for no reason at all, my Parents fighting and beating on each other, or on us kids almost every single day! So I am here to say that I am sorry Lord, I just can't take it anymore. People here on earth have such cold hearts! Life is hard enough to live without people hurting each other, and using others for their own gain. People are wicked, just like you said they would be in the last days" Jimmy takes his two hands which are still cupped together in prayer and uses them to wipe tears from his cheeks and then resumes praying to God,.

"Lord, you know that I have always hated violence, maybe it is because of seeing my parents beat each other day after day my entire life, they beat each other until the blood ran, and once my mom was protecting herself as he drug her towards the kitchen saying that he was going to get a knife and slit her throat, luckily she grabbed a piece of broken glass and slit his arm. I am glad that she did but seeing your dads muscle literally hanging out of his arm and blood gushing everywhere does things to you that you can't begin to imagine.

I don't know, when you have lived with such violence day in and day out as I have, you grow so tired of it that whenever I am around people fighting and arguing I immediately start shaking from bad nerves, and mental stress. Anyway Lord, I didn't even like to fight in School. I never knew if it was because I hated violence due to all of the things in life that I have been through, or if I was just plain Chicken!" Jimmy confesses still crying and then continues his conversation with God.

"Lord, I do know that I have lived my life trying to love people. I have given people the shirt off of my back, my last cent, anything that they would ask for, I cheerfully gave. Yet so many people take advantage of such kindness, and they reward those good deeds with evil." Jimmy's lips begin to tremble as he continues speaking to God, "I do know that you said in the last days they would reward kind deeds with evil. These days people just don't seem to care about anyone but themselves, just like you said they would be in the Bible. If you are nice to them they take advantage of you again and again! Without any kind of guilt or remorse, as if they enjoy hurting people who have been nothing but kind to them.

I don't know, it makes no sense at all! Please forgive me, Lord, for feeling sorry for myself, but life is so hard to live. I love you, Lord, with all of my heart and soul. I love everything good that you stand for, and I always will. I am so glad that Ashley introduced me to you several months ago and gave me that Bible that I have been reading every day." Jimmy looks straight up towards the heavens, his palms still pressed together as he continues praying to God and more tears flow from his weary, tired eyes..

Jimmy continues speaking to this Lord God Almighty that he has come to love by reading the words in his Bible, saying "It is bad enough that a girl I like, the one who told me about you, Ashley, sees me avoid fights like a big chicken, but it is not that I am afraid, it is that I tremble at the site of violence, after spending my entire childhood watching mom and dad cut each other, beat and stab each other until the blood ran".

Jimmy looks up at a bright cloud in the distance that emerges, speaking to it as if it were God himself, saying "After seeing my parents stab each other, my dad's flesh and muscle hanging from his arm dripping with blood, my parents dragging each other by the hair on their head, day after day, and them being drunk all of the time, it has made me hate violence to the point I can't bring myself to want to fight back.

Anyway Lord, I wanted to go have dinner with Ashley and her family, and then join them for Bible Study, I was really looking forward to that, but I just can't do it with this black eye, what would her dad think of me?" Jimmy looks down at the bridge shaking his head from side to side, then says "So, I just can't go. I really want to, I had my heart set on it, not just because I like her, but because thanks to her I have come to know and love you as well. I am sorry God, I just can't take it anymore!".

Jimmy begins to cry once again, sniffles, wipes tears from his face and looks up to the sky again and continues speaking to God "Lord, we both know that I came here to take my life, and give it back to you so that you might give it to another more deserving, but as I walked up to this bridge I heard this voice in my head. It was telling me that if I took my own life it would be a sin and that my soul would never enter the pearly gates of Heaven. I don't know if that's the chicken in me, or if its an Angel's warning."

Jimmy wipes more tears from his cheeks, but before he can continue to pray, the sun suddenly bursts out from behind the dark clouds that were hiding it, and a warm glowing ray of bright sunlight shines on Jimmy, almost like a huge spotlight. Jimmy's blue cheeks quickly turn pink again as the warmth from the sun not only warms his body but his heart and soul as well. Jimmy takes this as a sign from God above. Jimmy's eyes glisten, bluer than ever before as he gazes up, his lips crown upward in a warm smile as he looks towards the heavens and speaks to God.

Jimmy wipes away the tears and smiles up at the light and says "Ah, what the heck Lord, I will not take my life, I will be strong, and with your help, I will make it through these trying times!" Jimmy smiles, wipes a final tear from his face and then he rises, still looking into the brilliant warm light emerging from the dark clouds. He smiles once again and then turns and begins walking back down the bridge, to the same end at which he entered with such dark despair and gloom.

After Jimmy gets back to the end of the bridge he stops, turns around and looks back down the long bridge that seems to hold the sides of the huge canyon together with grace and elegance. He smiles as the sun seems to dash back behind the dark clouds again, almost as fast as it came out from behind them. Jimmy, now knowing that the Lord gave him a sign, looks at the clouds and hollers up to God in a loud voice of never-ending joy and fulfillment "I love you, God, with all of my heart, soul, mind, strength, and power!"

Jimmy reaches down and plucks a yellow daisy out of the ground, that for some reason has a warm glow of its own, it almost looks as if it is made of a bright shiny, glowing, radiant gold! As Jimmy rises back up to a standing position he smells the daisy with a warm smile on his face. He then looks across the canyon and notices two men working in a distant field.

Jimmy turns to head back home when suddenly there is a huge bright flash and Jimmy disappears. The beautiful glowing daisy that he had just plucked out of the ground slowly propels itself elegantly back down to the beautiful green grass from which it came until its roots touch the beautiful green grass below and they burl back into the soil, literally implanting themselves back into the dirt, where it miraculously stands once again happily planted.

The Sun dashes out from behind the clouds once again, and a little beam of light shines down on the beautiful Daisy. Suddenly, the huge mass of clouds take on a brilliant radiant white glow, and the darkness from all surrounding cloud slowly fades away and also glow bright as snow, and they spread out to form a beautiful white pearly gate. The gate opens and Jesus floats out from behind the gate with a huge smile on his face and his arms extended outwards to welcome his elect.

Jesus has come to collect his chosen ones, those who have been faithful and lived a good life! Two Angels fly out from behind him and sound their golden trumpets. One Angel flies east, the other west, and again they blow their golden trumpets and one of the farmers that Jimmy seen working in the fields disappears, the other farmer is left.

# CHAPTER NINE

## There Will be Hell to Pay

At a nearby Cemetery an Angel flies over the head looking down as people are visiting some of the graves, workers are tending to the lawn and trimming the hedges. The Angel sounds his Trumpet and some people disappear, others are left behind, and the man trimming the hedges with a gas trimmer vanishes, the stereo, and headset that he was listening to drop to the ground and the trimmer treks across the landscape wildly, destroying flowers and bouncing off of headstones. A man on a big riding-mower disappears and the mower begins running over bushes and flowers, and then it veers sharply to the left and runs over a woman kneeling at a grave as she is putting flowers in the vase, shredding her to pieces.

On the other side of the Cemetery a funeral is in progress as the Angel flies overhead but is as of yet unnoticed. A Priest reads from the Bible saying the words "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and at that moment his body transforms to ashes and then vanishes, leaving behind a cloud of dust as his Bible falls to the ground. The Angel blows his Trumpet once again, and Some of the men, women, and children attending the funeral disappear, while those left behind look around in a state of shock.

The ground shakes violently, sounds of human voices Moaning and Groaning echo as the Living Dead begin to rise from their earthly graves below and attack the people who were left behind, grabbing at their feet and pulling them down into the earth below. Some of the Living Dead begins climbing up to the surface and attacking those that are left behind, as loud eerie screams echo throughout the graveyard drowning out the moans and groans of the living dead.

The other Angel flies overhead and he comes upon three boys playing a game of basketball in their driveway. Two of the boys are the ones that beat Jimmy up at school, Fred and Jason, the third is a next-door neighbor, a Christian boy that has been trying to get them to join him in church. Their Christian friend looks up and sees Jesus coming in the clouds, and an Angel quickly approaching from the sky up above. His eyes widen and he smiles, the Angel blows his trumpet and the boy disappears.

The basketball drops to the ground below and bounces away. The two bullies freak out and run off of the basketball court and stand off to the side in the grass. The Angel flies closer to the bullies and hovers above them flapping his wings. They sneer at the Angel spitefully and Fred raises his arm up towards the Angel and then extends his middle finger in a crude gesture of defiance.

The Angel lowers itself to the ground, walks up to Fred and reaches his arm out towards Fred's hand, extends his index finger and slowly reaches out so as to touch Fred's extended finger. Fred looks at Jason with a look of arrogance, thinking that he has won and the Angel is going to return the evil gesture of his with an act of kindness and touch him with a gentle touch of forgiveness.

The Angel stops just a couple of inches from touching Fred's finger, points down to the ground below Fred, and when Fred looks down to see what the Angel is pointing at a Demon pops up out of the ground below him, dirt and grass fly through the air. The Demon grabs Fred with one hand, claws part of his face off with the other and speaks to him in a deep, evil tone of voice shouting eerily "Class is in session... I hope that you've done your homework!".

Another Demon pops up out of the ground and snatches Jason, then the demons drag the two bullies down into the soil, bright flames and red-hot lava illuminate the cracks in the ground deep below, revealing the eerie Flaming Lake of Fire, as the Demons continue to drag them deep down into the pits of Hell, kicking and screaming.

Meanwhile... back at Scott's house, Scott's family gathers around a fireplace to have a Bible study, but Scott is gone. Scott's father Roger sits on the floor next to his wife Sue and the other two children sit side by side, across from them, as Roger says a prayer, and begins the Bible study. Roger asks them "What would you children like to talk about today?" and Karen replies "Dad, did God make everyone on earth? I mean white people, black, red, and stuff?"

Roger says "Yes, dear, he did. Just as a painter paints different pictures, or a sculptor sculpts different sculptures, so did God also make different people." Karen says "Okay daddy, thank you!" Roger continues speaking to her and the others saying "You probably did not know this Karen, but there was a man in the Bible, and his nickname was "black man". A scripture which tells us about the different people that God created is in first Corinthians 15:39, let's turn our Bibles to that scripture and read what the Bible says about this".

They all turn their Bibles to that page and then listen quietly, as he reads out loud, ""Just as there are different kinds of seeds and plants, so also there are different kinds of flesh. Humans, animals, fish, and birds are all different".Then Ronnie chimes in "Dad, I know that we were already baptized, but a friend of mine was asking me why we get baptized, and whether or not he and his family should get baptized".

Roger smiles and replies "What did you tell him, son?" Ronnie replies in a hesitant yet anxious tone of voice "I told him they should, but I did not really understand what it was for, so I told him that it was to wash their sins away. Was I right?" roger smiles and winks at him, and then says "That was a good answer son, however, the true reason that people get baptized is not only to wash their sins away but also to show that they are ready to start a new life!"

Roger smiles at Ronnie as he continues to speak, "You see, if we were baptized just to wash our sins away then we would need to be baptized nearly every day, because people always sin, whether they mean to or not" just then little Karen speaks up in a proud tone of voice "Not me daddy!" to which Roger replies with a loving smile as he looks over at his wife Sue and see's her giggle as she also smiles at her little girl with a proud look in her eyes. Roger says "Yes, I know dear." and then he looks back at Ronnie and continues to explain the true meaning of Baptism.

"You see son, the true reason for being baptized in water is to demonstrate a desire to turn from a life of sin to God. However, it is very important that you know what baptism is for because when I was young I was baptized several times because I also thought that it was to wash away all of my sins, and being a young child I thought that I needed to be baptized every time we had a gathering to Baptize other people at the church so I too could wash away my sins, but I was wrong!"

Ronnie exclaims "How could that be wrong? It is to wash away your sins isn't it?" to which Roger replies "Yes, Son. You see, you are Baptized to show God that you have realized your evil ways of living and you are ready to let that old sinful way of living die and that you are ready to begin a new life without sin. It tells us in Luke 3:7 about men who wanted to be baptized because they did not want to go to hell, yet they were not ready to quit living their evil lives of sin. Let's turn there.

They all turn the pages in their bibles to that verse, Sue laughs at Karen and reaches over to help her find that page. Roger turns his Bible to Luke 3:7 and begins to read out loud saying "Here is what the Bible says in regards to baptism, and keep in mind that John the Baptist was one of God's most important people, he foretold of Christ's coming and paved the way for people to get ready to repent and be baptized!"

Ronnie scoots in closer and listens intently as Roger reads on "John the Baptist said "You brood of snakes! You are trying to escape hell without truly turning to God! That is why you want to be baptized! First, go and prove by the way that you live that you really have repented. And do not think that you are safe because you are descendants of Abraham. That isn't enough. God can produce children of Abraham from these desert stones! The axe of his judgment is poised over you, ready to sever your roots and cut you down. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire".

Roger finishes reading and looks up at Ronnie with a warm smile and then begins to explain what he just read "So you see son, you must be willing to let your old ways of sin die, so to speak, and then you must begin living a holy and righteous life from then on out. That is why Jesus Christ came down in the form of flesh and died on the cross for us, to give us a way out. Let's all turn to Colossians 2:12 and you can read this time son".

They all turn their Bibles and then Ronnie begins to read out loud, "For in baptism you see how your old, evil nature died with him and was buried with him; and then you came up out of death, or up out of the water, into a new life, because you trusted the word of the mighty God who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for he forgave all of your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you, and the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God took away Satan's power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ's triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away".

Ronnie looks at Roger and listens as he explains in more detail. Roger says "You see son, in the beginning, people that sinned were supposed to sacrifice a goat or some other animal to wash away their sins. However, as time went on God realized that too many animals were being sacrificed and mankind just continued to sin anyway". They all listen as he continues explaining his views on this matter..

Roger says "I imagine that God got tired of letting them sacrifice animals to wash away their sins because he came to the conclusion that they were not learning a valuable lesson at all, and would continue sinning within minutes of sacrificing an animals life to wash away their sins". Ronnie nods his head in agreement and says "Oh, I see dad, I always wondered why they quit sacrificing animals for their sins". to which Roger replies "Well, son, if they continued sacrificing animals for their sins there probably would not be any left to sacrifice by now, so God, knowing that men were going to continue to sin had to devise a new plan".

Karen speaks out with excitement in her little voice saying "And that plan was Jesus, right daddy?" He looks at Karen with a proud smile on his face, points his finger at her and winks with a click of his tongue, "Exactly Karen! You see, too many people in this world take advantage of God's kindness, just as they take advantage of the kind people here on earth, calling them weak, and they, in their foolishness, take that person's act of kindness as a weakness and repay that kind deed with evil. Kindness is not a weakness, it is a gift from God put into that person's heart from the day that they were born, and in fact, it is way harder to be kind to the wicked people in this world than it would be to simply join in with them and be wicked! So kindness is not a weakness at all but shows strength and humility".

As they all listen to him they become excited in agreement to the message he shares and Sue smiles and shouts in a low humble tone of voice "Amen, preach it, brother!" and Roger speaks on "The point that I am trying to make here is that the people who take such kind deeds and repay them with evil will find out on judgment day that they were wrong and it will be too late for them at that point, for those are the very arrogant people that God is trying to weed out as he separates the wheat from the chaff!"

Ronnie shouts "Amen!" and Roger winks at him and continues to speak in his usual humble tone of voice "Now, in the same way, that the wicked here on earth take kindness for a weakness and repay it with evil, so also do they in their arrogance do the exact same thing to God when they continue to sin. They say that they can sin all that they want to because they are forgiven by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for their sins". Roger closes the Bible and looks at the children with a proud look on his face, happy to see them taking such a great interest in Bible Study.

Roger says "You see kids, they are treating the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for our sins the exact same way that they treated that goat that was sacrificed. They scoff at it and continue living a life of sin, it is like slapping Jesus in the face." Karen frowns and shrieks out "Those idiots! People are mean!" to which Roger replies, "Yes dear... they truly are, however, keep in mind that we are those very people that I just spoke of, every single time that we sin we are taking advantage of Jesus's kindness too!".

Confused and slightly frightened, Karen crawls into Sue's lap while Roger explains to them "So, to answer the question, what is baptism... Baptism is acknowledging the fact that we do know that Jesus gave his life to wash away our sin. It is to acknowledge the fact that he took the place of those poor animals that were being sacrificed and he himself became the final sacrificial lamb, so to speak".

Karen asks "Is that why people sometimes call Jesus the 'Sacrificial lamb" daddy?" He winks and points his finger at her saying "Bingo! That is exactly right dear. Now if we continue to sin after we get baptized does that make sinning OK? Of course not! The reason that we are baptized in water, such as John the Baptist did when he baptized people in the river, is to signify that we are tired of sinning and that we want to begin a new life with our Lord, without sin".

Ronnie smiles and then speaks up so everyone can hear him "I get it, dad! So the reason that it must be done in water is because we are essentially drowning that old life and when we come up out of the water that signifies a new life without sin! Right?" Roger again snaps his fingers and points at Ronnie with a proud smile on his face and he replies "Bingo! Now you have your answer son, I am proud of you!"

Ronnie asks "What about people that are baptized by being sprinkled with water? I read on the internet that the Greek word "baptizo" means "to immerse" in water." Roger giggles and simply replies "Have you ever seen anyone drowned in a water sprinkler son?" Suddenly Scott and his friend Johnny, a sixteen year old with long hair and a stoner-hippy way about him, enter through the front door.

Roger smiles and leaps forward with joy saying "Scott, you're just in time for Bible Study!" to which Scott replies hastily, "Dad, Michelle is going to call me in five minutes!" then Sue says "Honey, we did agree that after the children turned sixteen we would not force religion on them, it has to be something that comes from their own heart." and Ronnie shrugs his shoulders and says "I wish that I was sixteen!"

Scott smiles at his mother and says "Thanks, Mom! Come on Johnny, let's go to my room and wait for the girls to call". Scott and Johnny walk around the corner to the hallway and up the stairs towards Scott's bedroom as the family continues their Bible study. The two boys run upstairs and open the door to Scott's room, then Johnny darts inside with Scott right behind him. Scott quickly shuts the door and locks it. Then Scott says "Whew! that was close!"

Johnny laughs and says "Thank goodness for your mom, she is pretty cool! Speaking of cool, open the window". Scott observes Johnny pull a joint out of his shirt pocket and laughs with a nod of his head saying "Right on!" Scott walks over to the window, unlocks the latch, and slides the window open. Johnny hops on the bed, pulls a cigarette lighter out of his shirt pocket and lights the joint as he puffs on the other end of it. Then Scott walks over and sits down on the bed next to Johnny and Johnny hands him the joint. Johnny holds the smoke in his lungs as he speaks under his breath.

As Johnny speaks under his breath puffs of smoke slowly escape from his lips and float into the air around them, "Bible Study, what a bummer dude! Did they use to make you study the Bible?" Johnny releases the smoke from his lungs into the air and watches it form a cloud of smoke as Scott replies "Yeah, sort of. We have always had Bible study, as far back as I can remember. I remember how I used to sit there bored stiff and pretend to listen, while all of my friends were outside playing football, or roller skating and stuff".

Scott takes a hit from the joint and hands it back to Johnny. Johnny takes a hit and again under his breath replies "Bummer dude, you missed out on a lot of fun parties!" Johnny takes another hit from the joint and then he passes it back to Scott as he remarks "Hey dude, I have the munchies, do you have anything good to eat?" to which Scott replies "Yes, we have all kinds of goodies!"

The boys open the bedroom door. Scott and Johnny come out of the bedroom giggling, they can be heard throughout the whole house as they walk down the hallway and into the living room. As Scott enters the living room, Johnny behind him, he apologizes to his family for making noise saying "We're sorry, just came out to get a coke, we didn't mean to interrupt your Bible study!"

Roger smiles and replies "That's alright son, just try to be a little quieter, please!" not noticing Scott's bloodshot eye's. Suddenly, a Trumpet blast sounds out and Scott's entire family disappears in a bright flash, their Bibles drop to the carpet along with little Karen s hair piece and then Johnny remarks with a confused look on his face "Wow! Tripping dude! Did you see that? Tears run down Scott's cheeks as he realizes that the Lord has come and found him drunken in the fields, so he was left behind.

#  CHAPTER TEN

## Back at the Mansion Things Get Weld

At the Mansion, music is playing as the wealthy guests which came to the Berkeley's dinner party are sitting around the dinning room table talking among themselves. Amy walks into the room to see if there is anything that they need and one of the male guests Curtis, a self-centered and arrogant man in his early thirties, asks for some more Champagne. Amy walks up beside him, reaches into an elegant silver ice bucket full of ice, which was well within his reach, and she pulls a bottle of Champagne out of it.

Amy opens the bottle and pours some Champagne into his glass. Curtis glares up at Amy as he picks up his glass, and states in his usual rude, cocky tone of voice "Are you stupid woman? No really, are you too stupid to bring the cutting utensils in at the same time? Or do you prefer that we lower ourselves to your standards and tear the meat apart with our bare hands?" The guests begin laughing at Amy as a tear rolls down her rosy cheek and she puts the bottle of Champagne back into the bucket of ice and replies "I am sorry sir, I thought that I had a knife at all of the place settings. I will go get you one now".

Embarrassed, Amy walks quickly away and goes into the kitchen to retrieve a steak knife for the rude man and MRS. Berkeley says "I'm sorry Curtis, I can't believe that she is so stupid! I'll tell you something, good help is so hard to find these days! I mean to tell you, she is as dingy as they come. This morning she broke one of my best Crystal Champagne glasses, with 24 karat gold trimming around the rim, which of course will be coming out of her pay... Poor people tend to be so revolting!".

Amy comes back into the room and hands Curtis a steak knife. Curtis drinks his glass of Champagne down quickly and hollers at Amy again "I still need a glass of Champagne, hell, that was barely even half full. Don't you do anything right? I bet you didn't even bring any utensils to cut the meat up with, did you?" A woman sitting next to Curtis named Maggie, a tall dark-haired woman in her thirties, is offended by his remarks and feels sorry for Amy.

Maggie glares at Curtis and says "How dare you! Leave the poor girl alone, it has probably been a long day for her" as she looks at Amy with a polite smile as she sets her glass of champagne down and says "We are sorry for his drunken chauvinistic remarks sweetheart!" Wiping a tear from her cheek, Amy smiles at her and replies graciously "Thank you miss!" Amy walks over to another part of the table and lifts the lid off of a beautiful silver platter that the meat is sitting on. They all immediately notice that the meat has already been sliced by the Chef and arranged elegantly.

Everyone is silent as they realize that Curtis spoke before Amy could show them that the meat has already been sliced by the Chef. Maggie looks up at Curtis and giggles causing him to snap at Amy once again in an angry voice "I still need some more Champagne, or is that under the lid as well?" Amy gets the Champagne bottle and pours Curtis another glass, she then goes around the table filling everyone's glass and when she gets to Mr. Berkeley she is so nervous that she accidentally spills some on his lap.

Mr. Berkeley becomes irate and shouts "Damn it! I Don't know why my wife didn't fire you this morning. Give me the damn bottle!" Amy gives him the bottle as she holds back tears of humiliation and as he looks at the bottle he says "This bottle is empty now that you spilled it all over me! Go get me another bottle right now!" Amy walks over to another ice bucket, gets an unopened bottle of Champagne out, and takes it back over to him, she opens the bottle of Champagne and then reaches over to pour some Champagne into his glass which is now on the table.

Suddenly they hear the sounds of Trumpets blowing, Amy disappears with a bright flash, the full bottle of Champagne drops to the table spinning wildly and spraying everyone at the table as they scream and holler in disgust. They all continue screaming as the bottle spins out of control until it is empty. The bottle slowly stops spinning and they look at each other, utterly speechless.

Curtis wipes his eye's, nods his head, and then turns to Maggie and says "Where did that idiot go?" and then Maggie suddenly disappears, her napkin drops to the seat of her chair. They all look at each other confused and bewildered by the disappearance of the two women right before their eyes. Suddenly the meat makes a strange squishing sound and starts transforming into a pack of black wolves with evil red piercing eyes.

They all start running and screaming as the pack of wolves attack them. One Wolf darts through the air and bites Curtis in the throat, ripping and tearing at his neck as blood squirts everywhere and he falls to the floor squirming, his muscles causing his body to twitch and then Two wolves attack Mrs. Berkeley knocking her to the floor and tearing her to shreds as she calls out to her husband Mr. Berkeley for help but he just ignores her cry for help as he grabs a full bottle of Champagne out of one of the ice buckets and runs to the front door.

Mr. Berkeley opens the front door and when he looks straight ahead, a huge Demon stands right in front of him looking him in the eyes, and then the huge Demon grabs Mr. Berkeley by the throat with its huge clawed hand and speaks to him in a loud, evil tone of voice mimicking his words to Amy just a minute earlier "Give me the damn bottle!"

The huge Demon snatches the bottle of Champagne from Mr. Berkeley with his free hand, looks Mr. Berkeley in the eyes and smiles, showing his long, sharp, yellow fangs and then shoves the bottle in Mr. Berkeley's mouth. The bottleneck pops out the back of his head, blood, bone fragments, and flesh squirt and splatter all over the door.

Meanwhile at a park nearby A group of four men that are members of a local gang are holding a woman down in the park in an attempt to rape her. The woman is screaming at the top of her lungs as she cries out "God, please help me!" and at that very instant an Angel flies overhead sounding his Trumpet and the woman disappears with a bright blue flash, her glasses drop to the ground with her necklace and the man that was laying on top of her falls flat on his face.

One of the gang members, Rudy, looks up at the Angel and screams out loud with a look of terror in his eyes "Oh my God, the wrath of Christ is upon us!" A tear rolls down his cheek and he drops to his knees in repentance. One of the band members looks towards the street and notices that a woman driving her car disappears, the car drives unattended up over the curb and plows into a huge plate glass window at a department store, sending blood, bodies, glass, and other debris flying everywhere.

An employee for the local electric company is up on the top of a telephone pole in the process of repairing some electric cable and he disappears, the two power cables that he was holding fall on top of two people walking by and electrocutes them. The other worker on the ground below him shakes his head in disbelief as his looks up at where the other worked was standing in the buckets at the end of a lift before he disappeared and blinking his eyes as if they were failing him and remarks "What the hell!".

A passenger jet passing overhead continues on its flight path, the crew and passengers unaware of the horrific events taking place on the ground below them. Two airline pilots are carrying on a conversation in the cockpit, The Co-pilot, Rodney, looks at the pilot, George, with a polite smile and asks "Hey George, why Don't you come to Church with Louise and I tomorrow night".

George does not believe in God and so he snaps back in a rude tone of voice "Are you kidding? You know that I'm an atheist, I do not believe in God, and I never will!" and then George turns his head and looks forward and he sees Jesus Christ in the clouds with his arms stretched out wide, his eyes widen with terror and the Co-Pilot, who is looking upon Christ with a smile, disappears, his headset drops to the seat that he was sitting in.

Two Angels fly alongside the airplane and the Angel on the Co-Pilots side of the cockpit blows his Trumpet shattering the Co-Pilots window, and then the Angel flies into the cockpit and continues on to the passenger compartment of the Airplane as the Pilot watches in horror. In the Passenger Compartment people stare in utter amazement as the Angel blows his trumpet, and some people disappear, the headphones that they had on, their hats, laptops, and cell phones drop down to the seats they were sitting in, the others are left behind.

The Angel then flies up out of the plane, exiting through it like a ghost, causing the plane's engines to start sputtering and cutting out, One of the passengers grabs a stewardess as she walks by and asks in a rude tone of voice "What the hell is going on here? Why are the engines cutting out?". Back at the cockpit the other Angel, still outside the airplane and looking in the Pilots window at George with a defiant look on his face, lifts his Golden Trumpet to his lips and blows it, pointing it at the window in front of George. The window shatters, George is sucked out of his window and begins plummeting to the earth below, but the centrifugal force pulls him back towards the tail of the plane.

Back in the Passenger Compartment some passengers hear loud screaming, they look out the window beside them and see the pilot screaming as he plummets past their windows on his way down. One man hollers "Hey, there goes our Pilot!". Another passenger that was left behind looks out of his window and sees the pilot too, his eyes open wide with terror and he shakes his head from left to right with a quick snap.

He looks out the window again and nothing is there, so he relaxes and smiles. Suddenly a Flying Demon jumps in front of the window, breaks the glass and reaches inside the plane through the small window, grabbing the man by his head and pulling him out the window, his body being shaved by the small window frame.

At a Rock Concert on the ground below, a heavy metal rock concert is playing on a huge stage, there are thousands of people jumping up and down and rocking out to the music. As the band plays on, a member of the rock group, who is playing his guitar, looks up and sees the plane spiraling down towards them, the engines on fire. He stops playing his guitar and screams, "What The..." and before he can finish his sentence the plane crashes on to the stage and explodes killing people all around its impact site.

Fire and flames burst into the sky like a bomb, lighting the impact site with an eerie bright yellowish-orange glow, bodies and debris from the airplane fly through the air, huge chunks of metal striking people and decapitating one man. A metal rod flies into another man standing in front of a large tree, impaling him and pinning him to the tree trunk. Other people are tossed into objects and buildings, bodies and debris flying everywhere.

Meanwhile at a Church on the ground below, people are gathered at the church, singing and worshiping in the name of Jesus Christ. They are smiling, and singing a well-known hymn, "I got that Holy Ghost down in my Soul" as the pastor of the church leads them in the chorus. They end the song with a "Hallelujah, hallelujah, amen, amen, praise his name". The Pastor then takes a sip of water and speaks into the microphone.

The Pastor is smiling and all pumped up with joy as he says "Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! I am so grateful that the Lord has been in my life, aren't you?" Some people in the congregation replies "Amen, Praise the Lord!" and the Pastor continues speaking to them and praising the Lord saying "Before we begin our service this evening, let's sing one last song, shall we? I have a song that is heavy on my heart this evening. Jesus has just been so good to me, as he has to all of us here in this Church!"

People in the Congregation reply "Amen!" and the Pastor says "His mind is always on us, because he wants the best for us, and he wants us all to make it up to that glorious place in heaven that he has prepared for us" and a man in the congregation shouts with joy "Amen, Preach it, brother!". The Pastor looks at him with a smile and says "Yes, Jesus is always looking after us, and we are truly what is always on his mind, for he prefers that not a single one of us should perish, no not one. Since we are always on his mind, let's put our mind on him tonight as we prepare to begin our services, let's sing "Put your mind on Jesus".

The Congregation follows the Pastors lead, and they sing with such joy and harmony that they can be heard for blocks, some of them actually leap up and down with joy, showing that they do indeed have the holy spirit, down in their Soul. As they are joyfully singing praises to God an Angel flies into the church from behind them and stops as he flaps his glorious wings unnoticed... he smiles looking down on them. The Angel blows his mighty trumpet and they all disappear except for one man.

The church is now silent and the man that was left behind, a man by the name of Bartholomew, in his mid-thirties slowly walks up to the front of the church by where the Preacher was before he disappeared with the rest of the congregation. The Angel looks up at a picture of Jesus Christ which is hanging on the wall, he smiles at it, then flies out through the top of the Church, and disappears.

Bartholomew, now realizing that the Lord has come and taken his chosen ones, but left him behind for some reason, drops to his knees and shouts "Lord, Lord, Why was I left behind?" He begins to cry and puts his hands over his eyes. An Angel rises up through the floor, stands in front of him and says in a low tone of voice "What's troubling you my child?" Bartholomew looks up at the Angel and wipes the tears from his eyes as he smiles and says to the angel "Have you come for me too?".

The Angel smiles and replies in a deep, sadistic tone of voice "Yes, I have come for you, my worthless hypocrite! join me in Hell!" The Angel is the one that God threw out of Heaven, Lucifer himself! The Angel slowly transforms into Lucifer, better known as Satan. As he transforms into a monstrous figure, the human flesh on his face rips and tears and the hair from his scalp falls to the floor like a wig, revealing blood, maggots, and flesh on top of his bloody skull.

Bartholomew is looking on horrified, the sight almost makes him puke, then two big, long, horns begin to poke through Lucifer's skull cracking it, and rise up to a height of about twelve inches, and his human hands start pulsating, the veins throbbing, and as his hands grow larger, the flesh starts ripping and peeling off to reveal a monstrous set of hairy hands with long razor sharp claws.

Lucifer starts barreling his way down through the wooden floor and when he is down past his waist he grabs Bartholomew's leg, pulling him down through the boards of the wooden floor, the boards crackle and pop as they splinter and break apart, some pieces embed themselves into parts of Bartholomew's body, as he is pulled down into the eternal pits of hell. Bartholomew emits a blood-curdling scream. Other screams can be heard coming from the crater below, as he continues dragging Bartholomew down.

Meanwhile... at a house in another part of the world it is almost midnight and it is dark outside as two men run up to a little white house, one of the men is carrying a huge white wooden cross, the other is carrying a can of gasoline, a cigarette lighter, and a gun is poking out of his jacket. The man carrying the cross, Dennis, stabs it into the ground in the front yard of the little house, then the other man, Keith, pours gasoline all over it and lights it on fire.

They stand there watching it burn until a colored man, Joe, comes running out of the house putting his shirt on as he runs. Joe stops just a little past his front porch, his wife Martha and the children behind him. Martha screams at the children "Kids, run back inside the house and hide... Go!" Joe sees who the men are and what they are doing. He recognizes them because they are some of the men from town that are prejudice and have been giving them problems for months.

Joe yells at the men saying "What are you doing? Leave us alone, we have done nothing to you!" Joe's frightened children scream and begin to cry, Joe looks at them and hollers "You kids listen to your mama now and get inside, it's not safe out here!" Dennis, an uneducated man in his forties, takes a couple of steps forward and speaks to the children in a tantalizing voice "No, children come on back here, how else are you gonna learn your place in this here world if you don't stay out here and watch!".

Joe again looks at his children and demands "Get in the house now, and hide!" to which Dennis replies "Yeah, kiddies, go hide... we love playing hide and go seek!" The children begin to cry and then Keith pulls the gun out of his jacket and takes a couple of steps forward saying "We told you and your kind to leave this town, and you would not listen, so now we are going to make you listen. You all had better get out of town tonight, or it will be your house on fire next!".

Joe hollers "Get out of my yard, or I'll call the cops, I mean it!" to which Keith replies in an arrogant manner "You idiot, don't you know that my uncle is the Sheriff in this here town. I can do anything I want to do and there ain't nobody that will come to your rescue, not even the cops! Hell, he is the one who sent me here", Both of the evil men start laughing as the cross continues to burn, lighting the night sky and reflecting off of the windows in front of the house.

A neighbor named Billy that lives next door, an older man in his late fifties, runs outside to see what is going on, and Keith hollers at him in a loud demanding voice "Billy, you go on back in the house now, unless you want to join your colored neighbors here for a barbecue". Billy slowly turns around and walks back into his house, closing the door and shutting off the lights inside.

Dennis says to Keith "What do you figure we ought to do with these here colored folk?" Joe grabs a steel pitchfork that is laying on the ground by a stack of hay and runs at the evil men as he yells."I said leave us alone! Get out of here!" Keith raises his gun, points it at Joe and shoots him in the chest twice. Joe falls to the ground bleeding and dies instantly. Martha runs up to him crying, drops to her knees and embraces him, as tears roll down her cheeks.

Martha screams at the evil men "Damn you! Damn you to Hell! You will pay for this, God as my witness, you will all pay for this!" Martha hugs her dead husbands limp, lifeless body with tears in her eyes. Keith walks up to her and points the gun at the back of her head when suddenly the sound of trumpets can be heard echoing through the night sky, then a bright flash appears overhead. It is an Angel of Flaming Fire. The Angel of Flaming Fire blows his trumpet and Joe, his wife, and their children disappear with a bright flash.

Keith can't believe his eyes, he raises his arm to his face and wipes his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt, and then looks up again. The Angel of Flaming Fire lowers his trumpet and stares at Keith defiantly. Keith raises his gun and shoots at the Angel several times, but the bullets pass right through him. The Angel raises his finger and a bolt of lightning strikes Keith, throwing him up against the house, which is at least ten feet away. Keith falls to the ground, his clothing smoking, and burning as his friend runs away, only to be attacked by a pack of black wolves, with sharp white teeth, that shred him to pieces.

#  CHAPTER ELEVEN

## Judgment Day!

In Heaven the Day of Judgment has come and God is sitting each man according to his works. Dennis is led by an Angel into a huge white room, there are beautiful golden candlesticks lit everywhere, in the middle of the marble floor sits a huge white pearl throne that is decorated with gold designs. On each side of the throne are two huge marble columns with a huge gold beam at the top connecting the two together and supporting the building.

God, the hair on his head as well as on his face glowing a radiant white, wearing a white robe laced with gold trim, sits quietly for a few seconds. Dennis watches him nervously, his eyes squinting as he notices Gods face gleaming with such a brilliant glow that it is almost impossible to look him in the eyes. God looks down at him and speaks in a loud, deep tone of voice "So, you like to burn crosses do you?"

God raises his mighty hand and points his index finger at the man. Suddenly, a huge white cross rises up from behind him, and he is instantly nailed to the cross. Next, a hole opens up in the floor under him and flames rise up and engulf him. The sound of his burning flesh is drowned out by his blood-curdling screams that echo throughout the entire building. Dennis continues to scream as no human being has ever screamed before. The cross with Dennis on it continues to burn, as it is slowly lowered into the flaming pits of Hell, and his screams slowly fade out.

God motions for the Angel to bring in the next man that is waiting to be judged. Two Angels standing in front of a set of white doors made of beautiful pearl, solid gold hinges, and latches, open them and Keith is led into the huge room by an Angel and guided towards the white throne. Keith, the man that shot and killed Joe just because of the color of his skin, and took his life with absolutely no remorse, stops a few feet from the throne.

The Angel releases his arm and allows him to walk closer up to the throne, but it is facing away from him in the opposite direction, therefore he can't see who is sitting on the throne. The Angel motions to Keith to stop where he is, and he does. He waits patiently, looking behind him at the hole in the ground, which is about fourteen feet wide in circumference, and he can see flames licking the circle of bricks and stone at the top of the hole.

Suddenly, the huge white throne rises in the air and hovers, slowly turning to face him. Keith lowers his head and stares at the ground in shame. As the throne finishes turning around and faces Keith, who is still looking down at the ground, it stops hovering and slowly lowers itself down until it touches solid ground and rests in front of him. Keith looks up only to see that God is a black man. Keith shrieks in horror, his eyes widen with terror and disbelief, and then without saying a word he turns around, runs and jumps into the Eternal Flaming Pit to Hell, which is roaring with flaming fire.

Flames burst up over ten feet high, spewing smoke and bright colorful flames that engulf Keith's entire body as he screams in pain and agony, his body suspended in mid-air, in the center of the hot flames. Joe and his family come walking up to God, and Joe sees what is left of Keith's body, which is still melting away from the flames engulfing his entire body while he continues to scream in pain. God motions with his hand and Keith drops into the Eternal Flaming Pit to Hell, plummeting below, his screams slowly diminish.

Joe walks up to the side of the throne and God speaks to him in a deep yet gentle tone of voice saying "What a shame, he passed judgment on himself before I could tell him that you forgave him!" Joe nods his head in disbelief and looks at the pit, as God says to him, "Do not worry my son, just as you forgave him, so also shall I forgive you and all of your family for all of your sins". God's face turns a brilliant glowing white again, he then motions to an Angel to take Joe and his family to a higher place, a place of everlasting joy.

As the Angel exits the room with Joe and his family, another Angel leads Bartholomew into the room. God looks down at Bartholomew with a disappointed look on his face and he says "Woe to you my son, for you, are even worse off than all that I have Judged thus far! You claimed to be a part of the body of Christ, yet you were dismembered from the beginning".

Bartholomew looks up at God and tries to apologize "I'm sorry Lord, I was only a man of flesh and blood" to which God replies "Yes, flesh and blood, but no heart or soul. It said in the Bible to let your light shine for all to see, and this was in hopes that other people would want to be like you, and turn from a life of sin" and he replies "And that I did Lord, I went to Church several times a week".

God continues speaking to him in a scolding tone of voice "Yet you cursed daily, even in front of my little children. You cursed at your elderly mother and even struck her with your very own hand" to which he replied "I am sorry Lord" and God continued Judging him saying "You cursed your enemies and talked bad about them behind their backs, yet it said in the Bible to "Love your enemies! pray for those who persecute you, In that way, you will be acting as true sons of your father in heaven".

Bartholomew tries to interrupt God Saying "But Lord..." but God continues to speak to him "Yes, and in Matthew 5:46 the very Bible that you carried with you said, "If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much! If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that!".

God continues to scold him as he stares down at the beautiful marble floor on which he stands. "Woe to you, you hypocrite! For you treated a fellow worker like a misfit, and you laughed at him, rather than helping him. You yelled at him, rather than teaching him. You joined other fellow workers in mistreating him, yet he was one of mine, Yea, even from the beginning!" Bartholomew responds "But he was Annoying!"o which God replies "Would it not have been more brotherly to offer him a helping hand, and to have helped him learn his trade better? For he was not a stupid or misguided man, no, he was just an uneducated man".

Bartholomew looks up at God and says "I was a fool that followed the crowd, please forgive me, Lord, I beg your forgiveness" and God continues his Judgment of the foolish man saying "You knew that he was a fellow Christian, yet you scolded him and made fun of him, and Yea, he cried to me many a night asking for mercy". One of the angels weeps as she listens and God says to him "Therefore I put it in your heart to be kind and helpful to him, and yet, you yielded not! You gave into Satan and treated this man like the dirt under your feet, yet you claimed to be a Christian yourself. Perhaps you did not know that the word Christian means Christ-like".

Bartholomew replies "Yes, I knew that" to which God replies "You joined the other employee's in treating him bad and even purposely misguided him, giving him bad advice, causing him to make mistakes and get fired due to your own intentional bad advice. and then you wondered why not one man from that workplace would accept your invitations to church". Bartholomew replies to God "But it was just a joke, I did not think he would take my advice seriously".

God nods his head from side to side "Yea, I heard his cries for justice, and though at the time he thought that I heard him not, I added up the many stripes, and now it is Judgment day! It was hypocrites like you that scattered the sheep from my flock! And it was hypocrites like you that gave religion a bad name. It would have been better for you had you never been born!". Bartholomew begins to speak in his own defense, but God raises his hand, and Bartholomew's lips are sealed as if they had been sewn together. All that comes from his lips are loud muffled sounds.

God raises his hand again and the muffled sounds cease, for God has totally silenced the wicked man as God says "No! Just as you never gave this man at work a chance to speak or defend himself, so neither shall I give you a chance to speak! You paid your tithes, and you attended church services, but all you did is dirty the very pew that you sat in! For you did more unholy things than some who never knew me at all. You snaked your way into my holy congregation, and you even took yourself a wife. A wife who was married to one of my beloved children. A good man, honest, God-fearing man and a hard worker that loved the wife that I gave unto him with all his heart and soul".

Bartholomew wants to speak so bad that he is raking his fingers across his sealed lips, trying disparately to unseal them, but to no avail and God says "Yes, you, son of Satan! You seduced one of the women at my very home and caused her to divorce her Christian husband. That which I bound in marriage and made as one, you tore apart with your lustful, selfish, and devilish cold heart". Bartholomew tries so hard to speak again that his face distorts in many strange ways, but nothing comes from his mouth but a silent muffled whisper.

God says "You sinned against the Church, this man, and even sinned against me by breaking a vow that I consummated. All of the misery, pain, and suffering that you caused this man, this child of mine. But where is your new wife now?" Bartholomew drops to his knees in a gesture to beg for mercy and God says "Where is she now but in the very pits of hell itself! And so, just as you asked to be one with her on earth, so also shall I let that contract remain for eternity, and you will still be as one again!".

God looks at the Eternal Flaming Pit to Hell and commands to the man's unholy wife to rise and come forth to claim that which is hers "Come lustful woman and claim that which you betrayed your righteous husband for!" The frightened man turns and looks at the Eternal Flaming Pit to Hell and sees his wife rising out of it, her whole body engulfed in flames, as she rises and floats towards him.

Bartholomew stands back up and tries to speak to God, but all that comes out of his mouth-less face is loud muffled screams and grunts, as his wife reaches out her fiery arms and hands saying to him in an eerie tone of voice as she takes her second husband and embraces him "Come my husband, and join me in the very home that you made for me to spend eternity in!" and she drags him, his body smoking and charring, into the Pits of Hell and his loud muffled screams slowly fade out. God looks across the room at her true husband and exclaims in a loving tone of voice "Justice has been served my child, cry no more!"

The next man is led in by an Angel and stands before God on Judgment day pleading his case, and this man is the Preacher that had Roy arrested for stealing food. He stands before God in his expensive clothing, wearing a watch that he paid over two thousand dollars for and all kinds of expensive jewelry, including a two thousand dollar gold chain around his neck. God sits on his throne as the Preacher begins his defense and speaks to God.

The Preacher says "I know Father that it says in the Bible that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter through the gates of heaven, and yes I was rich, beyond a doubt, but I gave millions of dollars to the needy and charitable organizations" to which God smirks and replies "Yes my son you did, but who actually gave to the needy and the charitable organizations, you or the people?" He looks at God utterly confused.

God says to him "For as you donated the money, you also deducted it from the taxes that you owed and were supposed to pay each year. Therefore, in reality you gave nothing, and indeed it was not you but the taxpayers, who not only actually paid for those so-called donations, but they also paid for all of those new cars that you wrote off of your taxes, all the new furniture, and most everything else you ever owned, including your three houses".

The Preacher acts utterly shocked and offended, but he knows better than to interrupt God, so he listens intently as God says "You received recognition among men on earth for what appeared to be good deeds when they seen you put money in for tithes and offerings. However, you wrote that off as well, so again you really gave nothing to my people for tithes and offerings at all. In order to give, and I mean truly give, one must completely relinquish, give up entirely, wanting nothing in return. Therefore, the people that really gave and paid for everything were the taxpayers!"

The Preacher is shocked at those words and exclaims "But that's not fair, I did what our laws allowed and no more!" God rises off of his throne and slams his cane on the marble floor, which causes a loud rumbling like thunder and cracks the marble from one end to the other shouting at him angrily "Whose laws? My laws or the greedy, thieving politicians of mankind? Verily I say unto you, had you lived by the word, the very words in the Bible that you carried with you to Church, you would have known that their laws were made for the greedy. Selfish, men with cold hearts that cared only of wealth and power and had no conscience whatsoever when it came to the poor!".

God sits back down, straightens his robe, waves his hand and the marble floor is made whole again. The Preacher says "But Lord..." and God angrily interrupts him shouting out loud "Silence! So I say again, you donated nothing! Had you given and not expected to receive that gift back, then it truly would have been a gift! Do you deny that when you gave all of that money, that you knew you would be able to get the money back at the end of the year by deducting it off of your taxes? And do you deny that you gave to charity for recognition among man? For that was the true purpose of you giving, so that others would see you giving and think highly of you."

The Preacher starts to speak but an Angel raises her index finger to her lips making a "Shh" sound and God continues to judge him saying "It was written "When thou do thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before men, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have the glory of men. Verily I say unto you that they have their reward. But when you do these alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right-hand does so that thine alms be in secret, and thy Father which sees in secret himself shall reward thee openly!"

The Preacher responds "Forgive me, please Father" as he lowers his head in shame. Then God continues his Judgment of the greedy wretch saying "Yes, you did donate to charities, in which you received your reward already, but what about other individuals, such as your employee who simply asked for a small advance on wages that he had already earned so that he could wire his stranded daughter money to take a bus home?" to which the greedy man replies "I had a policy of no advances or loans".

God slams his cane to the ground again and the entire building shakes to and fro making a deafening thunderous roar as he shouts at the Preacher angrily "A policy created by a greedy fool that got every dime from my church, my congregation, my people!" and the Preacher lowers his head in a manner of defeat and replies "I am sorry my Lord" but God ignores him and continues to speak "His daughter was thrown out of the house by her husband, left in the cold, dark streets alone and afraid, three hundred miles away from her family, those people who loved her most and wanted to help her!"

The Preacher realizing that he was wrong looks back up at God and says "I am sorry my Lord" to which God replies "You refused her father a small advance on his paycheck and she was raped and murdered one hundred miles from home, because she was left with no other choice but to hitchhike her way home... frightened, cold, hungry, and alone!. All the money that you had, all of these comforts for yourself, and yet when an employee of your own company had an emergency you refused to give him money that was already his, money that he had already earned!"

The defeated Preacher says "Again, I am sorry.". God replies in a scolding tone of voice "You knew that when your life was over you could not take the riches with you, so why did you not use all of this money to help others? Are you better than a person with no money? Could you not have helped the sick, the hungry, the homeless, and still had plenty left over to house yourself, feed yourself, and also live comfortably?"

The Preacher replies "Forgive me, father, I did not use wise Judgment. I am truly sorry!" and God says to him "Man had only to realize that, if those who had, helped those who had not, there would have been far less crime in the world and much more harmony! But rather than use the riches that you accumulated preaching my word to my children to feed the hungry, give clothing to those that had nothing but torn and wore out clothes to wear, you and all the rich people on earth squirreled the money away in banks in your city and abroad.

You stored the money in overseas accounts to hide it, and where is all of that money now? What good has it done sitting in a vault while women and children in your own city went without, some even died of starvation, and you had millions tucked away in vaults that could have fed and housed, even clothed thousands of needy people?"

The Preacher lowers his voice in a tone of defeat and says "I know now that I was a fool, and for those actions I beg your forgiveness" to which God replies in a deep scolding tone of voice "Rather than giving the wealth that I allowed you to accumulate, to the needy, which would have made not only them happy, but yourself as well, for nothing can lift your spirits and make you feel better than giving to the less fortunate. Instead, you gave yourself ulcers by constantly worrying about people stealing that money from you, and constantly checking with your many different banks, guarding money that you knew you could not take with you when you died!

Mothers were left alone to raise their children, and they often had no help, so the children went out and stole for the family, to bring home money for food, and to help their loving mothers pay the bills. The poor went out to steal, stealing what you had an abundance of. These children's crimes began as an act of selflessness, to help their mother buy food and pay rent, but slowly led these children into a life of crime. You were a priest, a messenger of God, but when the sick, homeless, single mothers without enough food to feed their children, came to you, you sent them away!"

The Preacher replies "I am so sorry my Lord" and God says "You made it a rule in your church to only help those that belonged to your own church and refused to give food, clothing or anything else to people that did not belong to your church. Truly your congregation could have grown a thousand times bigger had you not turned away those that did not attend your church. You knew the bible said be careful not to mix man made laws with God's laws, yet that was just one of many that you foolishly lived by.

You stand before me wearing expensive jewelry that was only allowed to come with you as a testament against you! So many riches on your body, yet people in your own congregation were often poor, and hungry. Many sent you their last dime in the mail, and you spent it on foolishness. You bought cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and several homes that cost millions of dollars, even a Yacht.

With the money that you spent on just one of your mansions and one of your fancy cars, you could have fed one thousand families for twenty years, and still would have had money to clothe them with as well. And now I ask you to tell me why you had this man thrown into Jail! "God demands as he raises his hand from his side and points to a face emerging from the Cloud of Darkness above their heads. The face in the cloud is that of Roy, the homeless man who took food from the church for him and his sick friend. The Preacher recognizes his face and speaks out in his own defense.

The Preacher says "Yes, father, I do remember him, he stole from the church! The church had been robbed and vandalized many times before..." and God angrily interrupts him "Silence! We speak not of those who ruthlessly vandalized the church and stole items to sell, for their judgment is yet to come! Was it this man who stole those things in the past? I say not, We speak only of this man who was hungry and wanted food for he and his sick friend".

The Preacher looks up in shock, as he realizes that the homeless man did indeed tell the truth that cold, gloomy, and dreadful day "Then he did speak the truth, but how was I suppose to know?" and God replies "Think my son of the very words that you yourself preached, did you give him a chance to explain himself?" and the Preacher replies "Well, I..." but God interrupts him saying "Let us watch and see what he may have explained to you, had you given him the opportunity!"

Once again God points to the Cloud of Darkness, a scene emerges before their eyes. The Vision in the Cloud of Darkness: fades in to reveal the vision of two men who can be seen rolling a stretcher towards an ambulance, which is parked on the grass at a park, on the stretcher is a body. The Preacher looks into the Cloud of Darkness and listens to the ambulance driver as he begins to speak to the other paramedic.

The Driver says "Poor guy, he never had a chance!" as people stand around watching and listening as they whisper one to another as a Police Officer stands to the side of them filling out his report. Then one man in the crowd asks another man "What do they figure he died of?" to which the other man replies "I don't know". A female news reporter walks up to the Police Officer. and asks "Have they said what the cause of death was?".

The Officer replies to her "He was obviously malnourished, witnesses say he sat here in the Park two days without anything to eat, said he was waiting on a friend". She replies "Is that right?" and he says "They say that he never budged an inch, he just sat up against that tree in the cold rain waiting on some so-called friend that never showed up to help him". The reporter jots down some text on her notepad.

The Officer says "That along with the fact that he was half frozen, had a medical bracelet on his wrist, he apparently was supposed to be taking pills for his heart condition" and she looks shocked and utterly appalled as she asks "Where were his pills?" and the Officer replies "I don't know, they were not on him. We will not know the official cause of death until we get the coroners report, Poor guy!" The Officer looks down at his paperwork and nods his head in disgust.

The reporter looks out towards the church and says "Imagine that, a man starving to death and frozen when there is a thrift store and church just up the street!" and the Officer exclaims "Bad enough having a bad ticker, but being out here in the freezing cold and rain without a jacket, and no food, wonder he lasted two days!". She nods her head from side to side and asks "What happened to this friend of his that he was supposed to be waiting for?" the Officer replies "I don't know, but he apparently waited on him and believed the guy would show up".

The reporter jots something down in her notepad and then says "He must have really loved his friend, and trusted him a great deal to just sit here and wait for him in the freezing cold for two days!" as she glances at the body on the stretcher as it is being loaded in the vehicle and she looks back at the Officer saying "I wonder why he just sat around and waited instead of seeking shelter?" to which the Officer replied "I guess only God knows the answer to that question, God, and his so-called friend!".

The reporter nods her head in agreement with the officer and remarks "With friends like that who needs enemies!". The Cloud of Darkness clears in the middle and the Preacher looks at God saying "I am so sorry, if only I had listened to him about his friend. I thought that he was just telling a lie to get sympathy" and God shrugs his shoulders saying "Lets put the fact that you did not listen to him aside, was the food that he took not donated to the Church for the hungry?" to which he replies "Yes but..."

God interrupts him and says "And would it not have been more brotherly and righteous to offer he and his friend food, clothing and shelter?" the Preacher again says "Forgive me, father, I beg of you!" and God replies in a deep stern tone of voice "You preached from a Bible your entire life and knew that those who were given the task of taking care of my flock would suffer the worst judgment of all".

The Preacher glances over at an Angel and sees the Angel raise her index finger and move it back and forth horizontally in a gesture as if saying "shame on you" as God continues in a stern manner "You preached my gospel unto many, yet you yourself did not heed the many warnings in the Bible" and the Preacher says "But Lord, I did to the best of my ability!" but God ignores him and continues to speak "On earth man had a saying, "Practice what you preach" but you did not adhere to that rule". The foolish Preacher remarks "Yes, Father, I did!"

God stares at him and says "Did you? Let me refresh your memory". God points to the Cloud of Darkness once again, the Cloud of Darkness slowly brightens and clears in the middle as a vision appears in the middle of the dark cloud. In the Vision Jesus is walking with his disciples when a ruler comes up and asks him a question."Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus looks at the Ruler and replies in his usual calm and wise tone of voice "You know the Commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness against thy neighbor, honor thy father and thy mother".

The Ruler says "All of these I have kept from my youth up" and Jesus responds "Yet you lack one thing; sell all that you have and distribute unto the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me". The man becomes sad, lowers his head and walks away. The cloud darkens once again, and God looks down at the Preacher and says "This man was also rich, and he was not willing to give up his riches for the kingdom of heaven" to which the Preacher replies "Yes, I remember, he was a fool!"

God looks at him and replies in a sad tone of voice "As were you. You preached it to thousands and yet you stand before me with expensive jewelry on your body!" the Preacher exclaims "But Lord!" and God commands in a loud voice "Silence! You wear some of the most expensive clothing known to man, you had three mansions worth millions, several expensive vehicles. two Jets and a yacht". to which he replies "But Lord, I worked hard, I earned all of it!"

God looks deep into his eyes as if looking into his soul and replies "Did you? Wouldn't people have listened more intently if you had lived in only one house, drove only one car, and lived as they lived?" The Angel shakes her finger at him once again with a look of disappointment on her face as God continues to speak "Many souls were turned away because of your greed, the people knew that you preached only to take their money, and so, they believed you not.". The Preacher replies "Father that's not true, I fed many hungry and homeless people!"

God says "You had millions of dollars, and yet you pinched pennies, you guarded your money, but not your soul! You were supposed to gather my sheep, yet you laid up treasures for yourself on earth instead of helping the poor and setting a good example" to which the Preacher replies "Yes, I suppose that is true" and God says "You ignored the very words you yourself so diligently preached, and you stored riches on earth rather than in heaven". The two Angels step a little closer as God says "Therefore I end this conversation with the very words that you preached from your own lips, but were too foolish to heed".

God stands and raises his voice saying in an angry, stern tone of voice "Woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your reward!" God raises his hand and the Preacher is snatched up by the two Angels and tossed into a huge pot of hot molten gold. The gold bubbles and spits impure fragments up in the air as the Preacher screams in pain and agony. Then God says "We gathered your riches and bought this big pot of gold just for you, because like you used to tell your investor about the gold Market... "it's hot!" Therefore spend eternity with your precious boiling Hot Commodity!"

The Preacher screams in an eerily high pitched tone of voice, the pot of gold with the Preacher in it descends down into the pits of hell below, and the Preachers screams slowly fade away. Next, the Angel escorts the rude Old Man from the Thrift Store up to the throne of God to face his final judgment. God points up to the Cloud of Darkness, the face of Roy is in the center of it and says "This face of Roy which is in the cloud, do you remember this man?" to which the old man replies "Yes, sir, I do" and as God points to the Cloud of Darkness a vision fades in.

The cloud brightens and clears in the middle. The Old Man sees a vision of himself throwing a bottle at Roy, striking him in the face and cutting his eyebrow open. God looks at the old man with a look of disgust on his face and says "As you watched the Cloud of Darkness, did you see where you encountered this man Roy?" to which he replies "Yes, I did" and God asks "What hast thou to say for yourself?"

The old man says "Many people dug through the trash in the dumpster every day, and I had to pick up after them. They scattered trash, and clothing all over the parking lot" and God nods his head saying "Many people also cleaned up after themselves, and some of them even cleaned up after the others who were less grateful and did not clean up after themselves. Such as this woman and her beautiful children" God points to the Cloud of Darkness.

In the vision a Woman and her children are sitting in the living room and watching T.V as she sews up a big tear in one of her children's pair of pants. Her son holds up a worn out pair of socks with holes in them and there is evidence of stitching from previous attempts to repair them and sew the other holes up "Mom, I do not have any socks, my one pair is torn, and every night when I wash them the hole gets bigger and bigger" and she replies in an embarrassed tone of voice "I am sorry dear, my paycheck barely pays rent and utilities, without food stamps I don't know how we would make it".

Her sons asks "Can we go back to that thrift store and get some of the clothes that they throw away?" to which she replies sadly "Remember what that mean old man did to us the last time?" he nods his head in agreement and replies "Yes, I do mother, but why is he so mean? Why is he that way? Susan's friend works there, and she said he throws that stuff away because it is dirty, or old and torn" She smiles at him then continues sewing and says "I don't know dear, some people are just insensitive I guess".

Her sons says in a confused tone of voice "She said he throws the stuff away because it is ripped or damaged, or because nobody wants it, and he could not sell it anyway... so why does he care if we want it?" she looks up at him at a loss for words and says "That is a good question son". Her son still confused and upset says "If he can't sell it, and it is going in the trash anyway, why does he keep us from taking things that we so desperately need?" and she exclaims "That is a very good question son, one that I wish I had an answer for... but I do not... I guess only God knows the answer to that question".

The cloud darkens, and the scene slowly fades away. God looks at the selfish old man with a look of disappointment on his face and says "You read what was written in the book of Matthew about giving, it said: "Give to him that asks of thee, and from him, that would borrow of thee turn not away!" but you did not care about others at all" The old man begins to tremble as he replies "Yes, Lord, I read it that in the bible".

God speaks in a stern tone of voice saying "You were given all of these things that you sold at your thrift store for free. Were you not?" and the old man replies "Yes, Lord, I was" then God says "People donated them to you in hopes that you would give them to the needy. Yet you gave the needy not even the remnants that you could not sell and you were throwing away anyway" and the old man quickly responds saying "That's right sir, yes" The Old Man looks at the Angel and sees her shaking her head and pointing her finger at him shaking it back and forth in disappointment.

God says "A woman came out of the cold rain, into your thrift store and asked for any kind of jacket or windbreaker. She begged you for something, anything, to keep her warm" and he snaps back saying "Yes, Lord, but..." and God interrupts him "She only asked for one garment, of which you had many and were given for free. Yet even though they were free to you, you turned her away into the cold rain, and not only her, but many more like her!" to which he replies "But sir, that was how I made my living!" and God agrees "Yes, that was how you made your living, and what a fine living it was. You made your living by being a rude man with a cold heart, selfish, and uncaring, yet where are your riches now?"

The greedy wretch replies "They are down there on earth my Lord." and God says "You read the parable of the fig tree several times, now you must live according to the fruits you bared!" and the old man begs "No Lord, please, I was only human" to which God shakes his head from left to right and replies "Some would say that you were inhuman! Oh foolish one, with a cold, cold, heart and soul, depart from me ye that worked iniquity!" At those every words the old man is snatched up by an Angel and tossed into the fiery pit that leads to hell.

Next, One of the Angels begins flapping her wings and slowly rises off the ground asking God "Shall I bring in Jimmy's father my Lord?" and yes replies "Yes, it appears that his day of judgment is upon him... bring him in!" The Angel flaps her magnificent white wings faster and flies over to the huge doors. She waves her golden wand at the doors and they open, a guard enters with Jimmy's dad Mark, and walks him up to God's throne.

God looks at Jimmy's dad utterly disgusted at him saying "Why is it that you continually beat your wife and children?" and he replies "I don't know sir" and then God says to him in a stern tone of voice "It said in the book of Luke, which you read even as a child "But if a man begins to whip the men and women he is supposed to protect and to spend his time in drunkenness, his master will return without notice and remove him from his position of trust and assign him to the place of the unfaithful. He will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it" you read this many times as a child but adhered to those words not!"

Jimmy's dad replies "I am sorry Lord, I do not know what came over me" to which God replies angrily "Satan came over you! And rather than use all of that energy to fight him off, you tormented and beat your own family!" and he replies "Yes, Lord, I realize now that I was a weak fool" as he lowers his head in remorse. God says "It said in Ephesians 5:25 "And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when he died for her" did you not read this verse in the past?"

Mark replies "Yes, I do remember reading that many years ago".God says "You also read this verse in the Bible many times "That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as part of themselves".did you not?" and he replies "I do remember reading that when I was a teenager, but I forgot about it". God says "You were a boastful, proud and arrogant man, withering a storm of self-destruction" and he pleads "Forgive me, Lord" to which God replies "For inasmuch as you mistreated your family, you mistreated even your Lord who died on the cross for you.

When you mistreated my children, you also mistreated me, and now it is too late!" God signals to the Angels with a sweep of his hand saying "Take this lost soul to the place of the wicked and unfaithful, have him whipped severely and then send him to the place for the unholy!" and at those very words, the two Angels snatch him up and fly away with him as he screams, begging for mercy.

So in the end God keeps his promise about doing away with the old world and brings in the new earth for the righteous named "Heaven". As we look from out in space at the Planet Earth, showing the beautiful planet from a view in space. Suddenly the Planet Earth bursts into a huge ball of flames with a bright, blinding, burst of flash, the flames so intense that they engulf the entire Planet and consumes it, turning the Planet Earth into the New Sun which becomes Hell and all the souls sentenced to spend eternity in hell now have the promised hot inferno to spend eternity in Old Sun is seen dimming and fading out to darkness.

Then we zoom back into the flaming hot planet once known as earth which is now a flaming planet called Hell we zoom in close on the planet to see in the flames millions of Souls screaming in pain and agony. Then we zoom in closer to reveal the Flaming hot lake of fire and brimstone known to mankind as Hell's lake of Fire and down in the deepest, darkest, most creepy caverns imaginable, screams of great pain and agony echo as the CAMERA slowly zooms in deeper, following the tormented screams as they get louder and louder.

The CAMERA zooms in to reveal in the eerie distance the wicked old man, the two prejudice men, the Hypocrite and all others that God sentenced to spend eternity in Hell wading in the Flaming Lake of Fire and Brimstone, Screaming and Moaning in blood-curdling cries of great pain and agony, drowning out the sounds in the background of other Souls screaming and wailing throughout Hell.

CAMERA ZOOMS OUT and PANS OVER TO a beautiful NEW EARTH, the Paradise promised by God for the chosen ones, and then the Camera zooms in to see, beautiful blue oceans and springs, brooks of water that spring out of valleys and hills. lovely green gardens filled with colorful fruit, and children playing in the distance. Two women are sitting at a small table located in a beautiful green garden, sipping on fruit drinks and talking cheerfully, one of them giggles.

Out past the garden is a huge Castle, more magnificent than all the castles and mansions that were ever known to mankind. In front of the Castle, many children are running, laughing, and playing with the animals that man used to hunt and kill. Scott's little sister Karen sits next to a Lion as he lays calmly on the most beautiful green grass imaginable letting her pet him, running her fingers through his mane, her dog Charlie and her mom and dad beside her.

Back to Hell in the Lake of fire and brimstone, in the deepest, darkest, most creepy cavern imaginable, screams of great pain and agony echo as the CAMERA slowly zooms in deeper, following the tormented screams as they get louder and louder and suddenly out of the Flaming hot Lake of Fire and Brimstone Pops up the Preacher and beside him are Satan and his Demons screaming in pain and agony, begging for mercy.

THE END
