Prepare for War

First Chapter

The dark hall was silent except for the soft swish-swish of the rubber-soled feet of the two white-coated figures as they walked wearily toward the call rooms. One of the figures, Rebecca, sensed a heaviness and foreboding in the air. Suddenly, her companion turned and, gripping her shoulder with steely fingers, brought them both to an abrupt halt. Tension vibrated in the air as the two stood facing each other. Rebecca noted with surprise the taut fear in the other doctor's face. "Rebecca," he said in a harsh urgent whisper, "you've got to get out of town this week! Say your mother took ill suddenly, or died -- anything, but you must get out of town, your life depends on it!" "But Tim, you know I'm on call every third night this week, I cannot possibly get out of town. Why should I? " "You must believe me, you will be killed if you stay. You must stay away through the Easter weekend. I dare not say more." "Ahh, I thought you sat on the council of The Brotherhood. I'm to be one of the Black Mass sacrifices this year, is that it? You know I can't leave, Elaine is too ill to be moved from the hospital. Anyway, I will not leave her alone. " "Yes, I know, they will kill her too, here in the hospital. Her death will be relatively easy, but yours. . ." "Tim, listen, thank you for risking your life to warn me, but I cannot leave. . . " "Rebecca, don't be a fool! Nothing can save you if you stay! " "Oh yes, my Master can keep me safe! Tim, don't you see? You are serving the wrong master. Satan will destroy you! Jesus loved you enough to die for you! Won't you consider turning to Him?" "No way. No one gets out alive!" "Elaine did, look at her." Tim's face hardened as he drew himself up straighter, coldness coming over his features. "Yes, took at Elaine. She has nothing! She's lost everything, and she probably won't even live. I've got too much invested, my career, my family, everything. I'm not going to lose that! If you keep on, Rebecca, you'll lose your career and everything you have. Why be so foolish? You are throwing away everything you've worked so hard to get. It's stupid!" "God's wisdom is foolishness to men, Tim. What will it benefit you if you gain the whole world but end up burning in Hell for all eternity? You must see that Satan really hates you and plans to destroy you!" "Well, I wouldn't say your Jesus has done such a great job for Elaine. Since she left Satan, not only has she lost everything, but she has been in the hospital for almost six months now, and you're about to get kicked out of here if you keep fighting to keep her alive! Use your common sense, Rebecca. You know you have been greatly favored here, you could have a good career, even become famous. I simply can't understand you!" "I'm sorry; I know you can't. But I'll keep praying that someday you will, and that you'll remember our conversation tonight. Just remember, Tim, when the chips are down, Jesus loves you, Satan hates you, he is nothing but a liar! " Tim's face and voice became icy and angry. "So be it. Your death is on your own head! You can't say you weren't warned! " With that parting shot he turned and walked quickly to call room, closing the door with quiet finality. Rebecca glanced at the watch on her wrist. Four A.M. She sighed. Two hours and she must be up to start the next day, that is, if she didn't get called again. The conversation with Tim had shaken her more than she let on. He was dead serious, she knew that. Her life was in danger. Tim, a fellow doctor at the hospital where Rebecca was in training, was also a high Satanist. Tonight was confirmation of that. He wouldn't have known Rebecca was to be one of the sacrifices unless he sat on the council, which is the governing board of the large and powerful local coven. She knew from experience that her life wasn't worth two cents. And, his remarks about Elaine had hit uncomfortably close to where her own worried thoughts had been the last several days. Why hadn't they reached a victory where Elaine was concerned? She had been in the hospital almost continuously since her final deliverance almost a year ago, and she was currently critically ill. The battle had been unrelenting and they were both exhausted and discouraged. Was she being foolish? She went into her own call room and fell to her knees on the cold, hard floor by the narrow bed, tears flowing. "Oh God," she cried, "am I within your will?" As Rebecca poured out her doubts and fears to the Lord, her mind whirled back over the recent events in her life: Elaine's conversion out of one of the highest positions in Satanism in the US and the terrible eight-week battle with the demons in her until she was finally completely delivered. Both she and Elaine had thought their troubles would end with Elaine's final deliverance. How wrong they had been. The battle was only just getting started, it seemed. They had been constantly harassed by demons, human spirits and physical people, attacked constantly from every direction. Elaine was continuously sick, and now, for the past six months had been in the hospital, critically ill. "Was this how it was all to end?" Rebecca wondered. "Father, is it your will for us to lay down our lives now? " Suddenly, the Holy Spirit spoke to her clearly, "Child, remember the covenant." The covenant! Why had she forgotten? Father had had all of this in His plans months before. No wonder that battle had been so hard. Rebecca got up and sat on the edge of the bed, smiling and wiping away her tears, peace flooded over her, that peace which only Jesus Christ can give. Her thoughts flew back to that fateful night almost six months ago. All of Elaine's stubbornness had seemed to come to a head that weekend. The Lord had spoken to Rebecca on a Friday evening, telling her that He had commanded Elaine to make a covenant with Him to protect them from an upcoming attack by the local Satanists. Elaine had refused to do so, stubbornly insisting that she would fight and protect them. All of her pride and stubbornness, developed over the 17 years she had served Satan, had not yet been broken. Rebecca brought up the subject to Elaine that evening after supper. They sat on the couch in the living room discussing the issue. "Elaine, Father told me today that He has commanded you to join with me in making a covenant with Him to protect us from an up-coming attack by the Satanists here. He says you have refused to do so. Is that right? " "Yes, that's an insult! I can fight and protect us. I know our enemy well. After all, I spent 17 years serving him, I should know him! I'm not a weakling, why should I go running to God to protect us?" "Elaine, you can't disobey the Lord!" "Why not? When Satan commanded something I didn't want to do, then I just didn't do it. God's insulting me. Why should I ask Him to protect us when I can fight just as well? " "But Elaine, Satan's not God. Satan is only a created being, God is God! You cannot disobey God!" The argument continued with Rebecca getting more and more frustrated and Elaine getting more and more stubborn. Suddenly the room was filled with a bright light as a shining white-robed figure appeared in the living room with a drawn sword in his hand. He was tall, very tall. His head nearly touched the ceiling of the room. He radiated power, and his countenance was fierce. His skin was bronzed, and the sword in his hand shown with a pure white light. As Rebecca started to speak he interrupted her saying: "Hold your peace, woman, I am a servant of God most high, Jesus Christ of Nazareth who was born of a virgin, walked this earth in the flesh for 33 years, and died on a cross for your sins. This Jesus who now sits on high at the Father's right hand is my Master. I am sent by God the Father to kill this one who is so rebellious and disobedient. She has angered God." * Rebecca sat opened mouthed as Elaine jumped to her feet.

*In his statement regarding the identification of Jesus Christ as his master, the angel demonstrated the validity of who he was. It was on the basis of this statement that Rebecca accepted his identity as being an angel of the Lord. This is in accordance with the scripture which says: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God . . . Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." 0 John 4:1-2) Demons try to manifest as "angels of light." (2 Corinthians 11: 14) It is very important to apply this God-given test to every spirit.