Armageddon's Slaves Chapter twelve

 Samuel discovered he enjoyed the new job. He spent the day working on streamlining operations around the state. He did have to admit that meeting with the accountant and bookkeepers for half a day wasn’t the best part. But they hammered out a more efficient way of tracking invoices, payments, and income sources. They also worked out standardized accounting codes and methods to apply to the whole company.

It wasn’t exciting work, but he enjoyed solving problems. After the upset he’d given himself looking at the Foundation’s website he decided to take a break. Instead of stewing about his findings, he threw himself into work. It beat stewing about his religious and family problems.

He knew that he was running away from a problem he didn’t want to face. More research would mean making life changing decisions. If he put off the research, he could put off the decision. For many days he simply stopped thinking about it. He went to midweek Gathering and let the information presented there simply roll over him, without letting it penetrate his mind. He sat through Sunday Gathering in a nearly mindless state, his senses numb.

Monday evening, after the accounting meeting he came home to Judith waiting for him, with an expectant look on her face.

“Did you hear the news?”

“No.” He knew that she meant news from the Gathering, or some other Gathering, or perhaps New Jerusalem. She rarely paid attention to world events, unless something happened that might signal the start of Armageddon.  He also knew she’d tell him about it immediately.

“Ricky Halbert was arrested Saturday night.”

“What for?”

“We don’t know. Luke and Caleb are trying to find out. There’s something about a girl in his car. I can’t imagine what he might have done. His uncle is an Apostle after all.”

Samuel could imagine several things Ricky could have done, but didn’t say so. He couldn’t see how having an Apostle for an uncle immunized one from sin. Shortly Caleb would get home, Sophia would pump him for information, and within minutes, Judith would know everything, no doubt filtered and flavored by her sister’s opinions. In the meantime, he and Judith sat in the kitchen, talking quietly over a cup of coffee.

“You’re going to let David go to college aren’t you?”

She said it as a fact, not an accusation. The sudden change of topic took him by surprise. He pointed out that he’d already said he didn’t think he had a choice. David planned on an education, whether they agreed or not.

“He’s growing up to be his own man,” Samuel said, “he’s going to be beyond our headship soon.”

Judith stared into space for a moment, before agreeing with him. Then she sighed and said she missed Charlene.

“What is all this research you’re doing lately? I’m just curious.”

He replied that he was slowing down now, but after his trip, he wanted to brush up on a few points of doctrine and history. His travels left him with a different opinion of Outsiders, and a feeling that he wasn’t explaining The Word well. 

“Outsiders need to learn The Word. What else is there?”

“I met some nice people. They live decent lives, they raise good families. They aren’t as bad as we talk about sometimes. I have a hard time believing The Lord will kill them.”

“If they want to live by The Lord’s standards, he won’t have to. They’ll become Disciples before the final battle.”

“But what if they don’t?”

“Then they didn’t love The Lord.”

Samuel decided not to pursue that line of thought. He was still struggling with the idea that God would clear billions of people, clearly Judith didn’t want to think about it. She just parroted what they said at the House.

“So did you find some good points to make with people like that?”

He hesitated to answer her. What he found had produced more questions and fewer answers.  He didn’t have the strength to start a battle at home.

At that moment, his cell phone chimed, the caller ID showed Caleb’s name. He said he needed every Servant at the Gathering House immediately. He gave no hint of the problem, but insisted on speed, don’t even bother putting on a tie.

A short time later, Sameul walked into the House to find Robert and Sergei already there. The first arrivals turned chairs around so they could face each other. A few minutes after Samuel arrived, Tim Sorenson, a Servant from a Gathering out in the Valley showed up, explaining that Caleb wanted as many Servants as possible to attend the meeting. Over the next few minutes, several men from other Gatherings in the area arrived.

Obviously, something big was going on, probably Ricky Halbert’s arrest. No one had facts, just rumors. They chatted about other matters, but small talk wore thin. Finally, Luke came through the door, and took charge of the meeting. Samuel could not help noticing Caleb attempting to hide a self-righteous smirk.

He thanked everyone for coming, gave a brief opening prayer asking for The Lord’s guidance in difficult times. He then immediately plunged into the meeting.

“We have a mess. Tomorrow the trouble shooters from New Jerusalem will be here. Saturday night, Ricky Halbert, I assume most of you know him, was arrested after a traffic stop. He had an underage girl with him, and maybe alcohol.”

He grimaced before continuing. “Our big problem is the family connection to the Apostles. The media will jump on the story, it’s possible that Apostle Halbert will have to step down.”

Samuel thought that might be a stretch, it seemed like a thin connection him to him. Just like Phil Peterson’s suicide, Caleb and Luke thought only of protecting The Foundation.

“What are all of us supposed to do?” Sorenson asked.

“New Jerusalem ordered me to take over the South Hill Gathering, at least temporarily. Norm was the 

Senior Servant, he may have covered up his son’s sins for a long time. We need to make sure that everyone there was doing his job. Assuming the reports about her age are true, we need to show the Outsiders we don’t allow this behavior. Halbert may have talked the other Servants into ignoring it. Ricky had a lot of young women chasing him.”

 Samuel wondered if Luke counted Gloria Lighthorse in that group. Something was seriously wrong with this picture but he didn’t know what. He tried to keep a neutral expression outwardly, he suspected the South Hill Servants were about to be thrown under a bus. He caught another loose thread in what Luke said.

“Who was the girl? Is she all right?”

“I don’t know her name, her parents are in the middle of a divorce. The mother started a studying the Bible when contacted in Disciple-making. The daughter is practically an Outsider. It’s no wonder she got us into this mess.”

Samuel fought down his rage. He looked at the other men, trying to gauge their reactions. They nodded in agreement with the Area Servant. The problem was not possible sexual assault on a young woman, it was a public relations issue for the Word.   

“I brought you here so we can prepare a response. The media are going to get a hold of this story, like they did with Phil Peterson. It will be a big splash to make the Word look bad.  While we sort it all out, New Jerusalem has suspended the South Hill Servants from their duties. I will need four of you to take charge in South Hill, the rest will have to pick up the slack in your home Gatherings.

“We may need to appoint review committees to examine the Servant’s behavior.”

He looked around the circle of men, looking at them, making sure they understood the importance of what he was about to say. Samuel could only hope his true emotions didn’t show on his face. The rest of the group apparently agreed with the plan.

“Gentlemen, The Apostles know important times are close. I can’t say more than that, but big things will happen soon. We need dedicated men to guide the Gatherings through the tasks The Lord Almighty is about to assign us.

“If you know an Assistant Servant ready for full responsibilities, or a qualified hardworking Disciple ready to become an Assistant Servant, please send the names to me. I will contact New Jerusalem, we need the help. Thank you.”

They spent another hour sorting out assignments. To his relief, Samuel would stay in the East Spokane Gathering. He suspected that Luke didn’t trust him to go into a sensitive situation, probably with some justification. He only half heard the conversation, he was now determined to continue his research as soon as he got home.   

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Armageddon's Slaves Chapter Eleven

Late Sunday night Samuel sat in his den, staring at the computer. Judith was asleep in their bedroom, he could not risk detection. If she found him, she would feel obliged to tell Caleb and that would start a war. They would remove him as a Servant, perhaps Cast him out. A civil divorce might result, although The Word would not consider the marriage dissolved unless he committed adultery. 

Given her recent attitude about all the changes, he was sure she would not sanction conducting their own research on The Word. He wanted to see behind the curtain hiding the inner workings of his religion. But, knowing the consequences, the thought of doing so terrified him.

He felt foolish, frozen by fear. He remembered a conversation from his trip. Religious belief should hold up to investigation, and provide comfort, not distress. He seized on a thought, “what if I explore this and don’t find anything I disagree with?” Doing so would end the doubt in his mind. He was researching to prove his beliefs correct, not undermine them.

The book of Acts said the Jews in Berea studied the Apostle Paul’s teachings to see if they were true. 

He needed to focus on that as his research. If The Word proved correct in its teachings, he could put his mind at ease and rediscover the joy of being a Disciple.

He typed “Word of God Foundation” into Google. Nearly two million results? He would be busy. 

Serious Bible study could bring him closer into The Word at a critical time.

The Foundation’s official website (or at least the public portion of it) topped the list. He clicked the link and spent some time examining The Word’s public face, trying to think as if seeing it for the first time, a difficult task given the material’s familiarity.  He skimmed articles proving the trinity was a false pagan doctrine, as was the notion that people went either to heaven or hell. The Bible, according to the Word said the dead waited, unconscious until the resurrection. He had no disagreement there.

Neither did he disagree with the idea that Christmas, Easter, and the like were pagan celebrations. Like most Disciples he thought Christmas celebrated money, not God.

Another lengthy article proved the Lord intended humans to live on Earth, in Paradise, just like Adam and Eve. All human history aimed toward this goal. The wicked, meaning Outsiders, faced destruction at Armageddon. Paradise would see the dead resurrected, and the final judgment when the righteous would gain everlasting life.

He skipped over the parts about how Bible prophecy proved the world had entered the Last Days. He knew all the calculations, and the analysis of Jesus’ description of the final days. The article contained a brief description of events leading to 2008. He felt a flicker of doubt, as the account did not match his memory.

Somewhere, he thought he had a recording of Rodgers’ speech. He had to find it, perhaps he would discover he didn’t remember it correctly. It was getting late, he flipped off the light. It occurred to him that he didn’t need to hide looking at The Word’s own website from his wife. He’d do a little more research tomorrow night.

**

Monday night after dinner he told Judith he was going to work in his den. He explained that he’d found it hard to explain some aspects of The Word to people while he’d been on his road trip.

“It’s been so long since I had a real conversation with somebody about it, I think I’m getting rusty.”

“I know, the Outsiders we talk to while Disciple-making just don’t care anymore. Don’t forget that time when you fill out your report for the month.”

That comment sparked another question. When and why did Disciples start filling out reports detailing their Disciple-making activities for the month? He'd done it for so long that he no longer thought about it. When the subject came up on his road trip, he’d explained that Disciples regarded preaching as the most important command given by Jesus. The Christians he’d talked to agreed, but believed that casual conversations provided the best method of reaching people. They certainly didn’t see any need to file a report with anybody.

He pulled up the official website and started looking around. He did not find an answer to the question about when Disciples started reporting their Disciple-making work. He did find several articles on the need for worldwide preaching as fulfillment of Jesus’ commission preach the Gospel. He filed that question away for future research.

The he found the “Frequently Asked Questions” section. Many of the bullet points did not interest him, mostly the ones on doctrine. He had no problem with doctrine, but one caught his attention.

“Q  Hasn’t the Word of God Foundation predicted the end of the world for earlier dates?”

 “A  No the Foundation never said the world would at any specific time. The Bible points to various dates as ‘Signposts’ on the way to the final battle that will clear the way for Paradise on Earth. The 

Foundation promotes these Signposts as part of its Biblical duty to warn the world of approaching judgment.”

He needed to find that recording, and research a few statements he recalled from his youth. He clearly remembered his mother telling him he would not graduate from high school before paradise arrived. Something did not sound right.

The next question and answer also disturbed him.

“Q  Do Disciples believe in doctors and modern medicine?”

“A  Medical care is a personal decision best left to individuals, the Foundation takes no position on such decisions. For example Disciples make their own decisions about vaccinating their children.”

A cold fury engulfed Samuel, a hard knot forming deep in his body. The Foundation was blaming him and Judith for Charlene’s death! When they made their decision, The Word had stated that vaccination, consisting of injecting animal parts into a person’s body, was contrary to the laws of 

God. Doing so, it said, marked one as a Forsaker.

A Cast-out person could demonstrate repentance and be readmitted. Forsakers could not repent, having deliberately turned away from The Word. A Forsaker faced death with no hope of resurrection. No Disciple could imagine a worse fate.

This background informed their decision not to have their children vaccinated. They had done so with faith that The Lord would provide protection for their daughter. That faith did not reward them. But all discussion of the matter ended around the time Charlene died. Another question for further research, when had the policy changed on the subject changed? Had he missed some announcement? Perhaps they just stopped talking about it.

He found himself in the position watching the proverbial train wreck, the research fascinated and repelled him at the same time. Besides, having glanced at the next question he knew he needed to see the answer. He read all of it several times, not believing what he read.

“Q  Do Disciples shun former members or those that break internal rules?”

“A  No. Those that choose to leave are free to do so. Sinners are subject to Discipline by their local 

Gatherings. The Servants, those in charge of the spiritual welfare of the Gathering, will lovingly guide such people to return to faith and proper conduct. Servants warn the Gathering of one who persists in improper conduct, protecting it from the effects of sin.

However, all may return to the faith if they so desire, and are welcome to attend meetings at the Gathering House. Family members subject to Discipline are still members of their families, who are also encouraged to aid them in returning to faith in The Lord.”

Samuel stopped reading for a moment. Had Phil Peterson felt “welcome” at the Gathering House? 

Did Gloria Lighthorse feel that she was still part of her family? For that matter, when her mother cut her pictures up, did she think Gloria was still her child?

He could not believe The Word glossed over such an important doctrine. At a rough guess, he estimated that every Gathering in the world Cast-out at least one or two members every year.  These thousands of people suffered isolation and heartbreak as they waited for the Servants to recognize their desire to return. Of course, many simply gave up. A couple named Johnson, Cast-out the year before had simply walked away. They didn’t think they’d done anything wrong, and moved to a different part of Spokane to get away from the Disciples they knew. Did they feel welcome?

He felt nauseated. He needed to digest this. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what happened in the Gatherings. He expected some acknowledgment that its previous prophetic speculation had gone too far. The Apostles needed to acknowledge their role in the Disciple’s decisions about vaccination.

The comments about discipline and shunning were lies, attempts to deceive the public. If the Apostles believed what they said in private about Casting-out wrongdoers, why did they hide it on the public website?

“How’s your research?”

Judith’s question startled him. He turned to see her in the doorway.

“I didn’t hear you, gave me a start. It’s going just fine.”

“Well come to bed soon.”

“Okay, I’ll be in soon.”

He sat staring at the computer for a long time, trying to come to grips with his emotions. His brief research had produced the exact opposite of what he wanted. He planned to prove his faith correct. Instead, The Word condemned itself.   

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Armageddon's Slaves Chapter ten

The excitement in the Gathering House was palpable. Caleb told them three times to come to order, as they milled around talking. Everyone smiled, laughed, men traded back slaps, women hugged.  Samuel felt sorry for the visiting Servant delivering the Sermon. People whispered and exchanged glances all the way through his presentation. But the man spoke hurriedly, he also couldn’t wait to hear Apostle Rodgers.

Many people still thought of Rodgers as the Chief Apostle, even though such a position no longer existed. He spoke eloquently, with passion. His speeches at the Grand Gatherings always fired up the crowd. By all accounts, he still dominated meetings of the Twelve Apostles. After the Sermon, the 

Gathering stood and sang a song praising the Apostles as The Lord Almighty’s representatives. Then they sat for the special message, which replaced the usual Bible Study. Near the center of the building, the Wilson’s sat together, David between his parents.

The lights dimmed, and Rodgers face filled the screen of the new TV at the front of the auditorium. Beside him, he caught David suppressing a smile, Samuel wondered what was so funny. He’d have to ask later.

Rodgers started speaking, the rich baritone still commanding attention after all these years. One journalist, describing a Rodgers speech, had referred to him as a white Morgan Freeman.

“Disciples, my friends, my companions through these dark years, while we awaited fulfillment of The Lord Almighty’s purpose in creating a Paradise on Earth. How we have longed for that great time to come, when we will hold lost loved ones…”

Samuel heard Judith sob. A few rows in front of him a woman dabbed at her eyes.

“… a time when all of humanity will live peacefully together, with all the necessities of life in abundance. No more sickness, or death, or pain. No more war. No more crime. Truly we live in grand times.”

On the DVD Rodgers paused for a moment, knowing the audience would applaud his words. As in fact they did.

“Yes, we live in exciting times. Now is the time for The Lord’s people to rediscover zeal. Zeal for warning the wicked of approaching doom.  Zeal for proclaiming the coming Paradise. We must worship The Lord Almighty with one voice.

“In these great times we must seek the safety of The Word. We must all work to ensure the cleanliness of our Gatherings. We must submit to the leadership The Lord places over us.”

Samuel wondered where he was going with this. He noted the comment about destroying the wicked. In public, the Disciples claimed the Lord would decide one’s survival of Armageddon. Privately, they all knew that Outsiders would die in that last great battle. Which meant The Lord intended to kill over 99% of humanity.

It was easy to think of faceless “Outsiders” dying at the hand of God. That vision of the future made no sense when he thought of the good folks he’d met on his road trip. Who held the Apostles to account? He forced himself to pay attention, as Rodger continued talking.

“Now is the time to set aside doubts and have faith the Lord Almighty is leading His people in the direction they should go. You may not understand all that He requires you to do, you may not agree with some decisions made by The Lord as He directs us.  The Lord and His Word will test our obedience. We do not want to be among those found wanting.

“Let us examine the ways in which we know the Lord is guiding the Foundation he uses to conduct His earthly affairs.”

Rodgers then launched into a lengthy review of the many prophetic Signposts uncovered by researchers at New Jerusalem. Most importantly, in Biblical prophecy, a day stood for a year. During the Exodus, the Israelites wondered in the desert for forty years, a year for each day the spies stayed in the Promised Land.

Next, Michael Clifton Adderly had recognized the Jewish calendar had three hundred sixty days, not three hundred sixty-five. Samuel remembered one of his dinner conversations. How DID the Israelites reconcile their calendar to the seasons, and how did that effect the prophetic calculations? 

That question demanded investigation.

So, Rodgers, continued his review, we could see the seven times of Daniel chapter four stood for the absence of an independent Jewish homeland, even after the Israelites returned to Jerusalem in 537 BC. That period extended until modern Israel’s creation in 1948.  A 1260 day cycle in Revelation meant the time from completion of the Dome of the Rock, a pagan religious building on the site of 

The Lord’s temple, to the incorporation of The Word of God Foundation.

Or course the 1335 days of Daniel led to 2008.

“Friends, at the time, we did not know what The Lord intended for that great year. Some became excited over the possibility that Paradise would arrive immediately. However, this was not The Lord’s teaching.”

Rodgers smiled wryly, like a Grandfather joking with a child.

“Now that excitement extended to some, even in the New Jerusalem family. But The Lord’s Word never stated the end of this old world would come then.”

A voice shouted in Samuel’s head, “liar.” He tried to suppress the thought, but all he could see in his mind’s eye was the cheering crowd at the Seattle Grand Gathering in 2007, and a huge disembodied Rodgers on the Jumbotron saying “Yes, my fellow Disciples we know that this year’s series of Grand Gatherings, ‘Paradise is at Hand,’ will be the last held on this wicked Earth before the Lord Almighty removes sin forever…”

Did he misremember the words? At the time, he’d been sure the following year would see Paradise arrive. He looked up at the TV, trying to focus on Rodgers words. He intended to carefully note everything Rodgers said, and fact check all of it.  Suddenly he needed to know the truth, either he was crazy or his religious leaders were lying to him.

Rodgers continued speaking, many in the Gathering House clapped at key points. The Apostle had clearly worked out where he expected the applause lines. Most of the clapping coincided with his pauses.

He discussed various doctrinal matters as further proof the Apostles spoke for God. “No one else on Earth teaches all of these truths. Without The Lord’s direction through the Foundation, the world would not know The Lord’s Word. Surely this is clear evidence the Word of God Foundation is the sole representative of The Lord.”

A few minutes later, he spoke of these same doctrinal matters with an odd twist. “You know these represent the true understanding of the Bible, because you learned from The Lord’s Apostles. Is this not all the more reason to stay tight within The Word?”

“Wait a minute,” Samuel thought, “this is circular reasoning. Teaching these doctrines is proof the Foundation is right, we know the doctrines are true because the Foundation teaches them.”

Rodgers went on to discuss the horrible habits of Outsiders. “They drink too much, indulge in drugs and immoral behavior. Adultery and premarital sex are common. They engage in disgusting practices, even within their marriages. Homosexuality is rampant. Priests seduce children and groom them as sex objects, to satisfy their perverted desires. The Lord will remove this blot from his creation.”

More applause greeted this statement.

“Businessmen steal from customers, and each other. Wicked men manipulate the stock markets and currency exchanges for their private gain. Dishonesty is everywhere. Students cheat on tests, employees cheat their bosses.

“And through it all, the churches stand by and do nothing. They tolerate sinners in their midst. The priests and ministers do nothing, cleaning their houses of worship would reduce the money tossed into the collection plates by those that believe they can buy salvation.”

Samuel shook his head. This just did not match up with his recent experience. Sometimes people did bad things, but not all people, all the time. Around him, Disciples nodded, agreeing with every word from the Apostle’s mouth. He wanted to jump up and yell, “It’s not like that.”

Rodgers speech went on for the hour normally reserved for the Bible Study. Samuel forced himself to listen, finding more points to investigate. Rodgers closed the speech with a final call to action by the Disciples. He hinted that big changes were coming, all needed to prepare to act without question when the time came.

On the way home, Judith gushed about Rodgers’ wonderful speech. Clearly the final days approached at breakneck speed. At one point, she grew quiet, then spoke with emotion.

“We’ll have Charlene with us again. We’ll get to see her grow up, become a woman. She’ll find a wonderful husband in Paradise. It can’t come soon enough.”

Samuel and David rode in silence, letting her go on. A possible future with his daughter was one question he had not resolved. If the answers to his questions led him to conclude the Word was false, where did that leave him? Was he turning his back on Charlene? Or did abandoning false hope mean honoring her life as it was, mourning her passing, and moving on with his own life?

He did not know.

When they got home, Judith went upstairs to change, leaving father and son to root around the kitchen for a prelunch snack.

“I noticed you smiling at something, when Rodgers speech started. What was so funny?”

“Dad you need to read 1984. Whenever the people in power give a speech, or staged a rally, they show huge pictures of Big Brother, the guy supposedly in charge. Everybody cheers, they don’t even know why or what for. That speech looked and sounded like just like that.”

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Armageddon's Slaves Chapter nine

Samuel’s road trip proved to be an eye-opening experience. His conversation with Luke and Caleb reflected what Disciples constantly heard about Outsiders. They were immoral, dangerous, wanted to corrupt The Lord’s people. The Word, through Sermons, Study Articles and unwritten rules enforced strict limits on contact between Disciples and Outsiders. Although he worked among Outsiders, he almost never associated with them when not in the shop.

Contrary to the warnings from his in-laws, he had no troubles at all, and even made it to the midweek meeting. Everyone was polite, no one tried to get him drunk, and none of the women propositioned him. He called home every night, Judith missed him and worried about him.  He guessed that Sophia filled her head with nonsense, he did his best to reassure her.

 He and Mr. Rommers planned the trip as a meet and greet, getting to know the managers and employees at several shops around the state. He would spend the whole week on the road, visiting the larger shops and warehouses outside Spokane.

His view of people beyond his religion started changing with the first stop, in Moses Lake. The manager there said he’d moved his usual office lunch from Friday to Monday, so everybody could meet him.

A few years earlier, he and a few close associates started eating lunch together as a time to chat and support each other. The lunch had now turned into an all-office affair, where people could share and talk about problems, or celebrate good news. Samuel admitted it sounded interesting.

At lunch time, what the whole office gathered in the lunchroom. Larry, the manager ordered in pizza. For Samuel’s benefit, they went around the table, introducing themselves and saying something about home, families, hobbies and the like.  

Several people mentioned church, they belonged to different denominations or independent churches. Samuel noticed that most of them preferred the word “Christian” to describe their beliefs. One man named Sid said he was Jewish, several identified as atheists or agnostics. Many of them mentioned charities, community projects, or other volunteer work. This surprised him, as the Word taught that 

Outsiders thought only of themselves. One man said his principal interest was his model railroad. 

This drew some good-natured ribbing, and an invitation for Samuel to come see it.

Samuel noticed the diversity of beliefs and said “you guys most have some lively discussions about your beliefs.”

One man noted that their churches mostly taught the same thing and added that most people decided where to go based on convenience of location and the style of service. This surprised Samuel, as The Word always taught that Outsiders generally and churches in particular fought constantly over differences in faith.

A lively discussion of various subjects followed as they ate lunch. Obviously, these people enjoyed each other’s company. He spent the afternoon reviewing operations around the shop and talking to a few customers and vendors.  That night, after he called Judith he sat in his room, thinking about the happy conversations he witnessed.  They were not at all what he’d learned to expect from Outsiders, based on The Word’s teachings.

At the next stop, in Yakima, Carlos, the shop manager invited him to his home for dinner. Carlos mentioned that he had invited over Scott and Walter, his two foremen. They were also good friends. It turned out to be a remarkable evening. Carlos’ wife cooked an impressive pile of Mexican food, children from all three families ran through the house laughing and playing. Everyone had a good time, the men sipping cold beers while the meal finished cooking. They ate buffet style, everyone dishing up in the kitchen, the children taking their plates into the yard. The adults sat around the living room, talking.

“We all know you are a Disciple,” Carlos said to Samuel, “but we don’t know much about your beliefs, do you mind talking about it.”

“Not at all,” Samuel answered, even as he wondered how Disciples could spend millions of hours in Disciple-making and people still didn’t know much about them. 

He quickly learned that his audience knew Disciples didn’t take part in politics or celebrate Christmas, and they spent a lot of time preaching, but that was it. They had only vague notions of the Signposts pointing to the approach of Armageddon and Paradise.

Samuel quickly found himself tongue-tied trying to explain the prophetic significance of the time lines in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. Clearly, the others in the room thought it was all nonsense.

Samuel tried to explain passages from the book of Daniel that spoke of periods of 2300, 1290 and 1335 days. Revelation spoke of 1260 days. The word explained these as milestones marking the End Times; Israel’s establishment as a nation, and The Word of God Foundation’s incorporation.

“Didn’t they predict the end of the world a few years ago based on this?”

“Well not the end of the world, but something important. It turned out to be an important change in how The Word is governed.”

Someone asked how they came up with the dates. Samuel explained how Michael Clifton Adderly, the first Apostle substituted years for days, adjusting for the difference between the 360-day Jewish lunar calendar and the modern calendar. The 1335 days began with the completion of the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem, symbolizing the complete domination of the Jews by Gentiles. This time ended in 2008, a date pointed to by other time calculations.

This drew a skeptical response. Scott said it was his understanding the Hebrew Calendar had a means for correcting the lunar cycle to match the regular year. How did that figure in? Samuel didn’t know. He didn’t blame them for asking questions, he thought it sounded silly as he said it. Then a question that hit home.

“I heard you folks shun members that don’t behave right. Is that true?”

Samuel started to give what he knew was the approved response to that question, which was there was no rule about shunning, but that Disciples naturally limited contact with ones that needed correction. But he thought of Phil Peterson and Gloria Lighthorse.

“I’m struggling with that. Sometimes I think our discipline might be too harsh. I’m trying to sort out that question of faith for myself.”

“Questioning your beliefs can be good,” Scot said, “the most important thing is to be true to yourself. 

God does not want us to believe in him falsely.”

“Or even if you don’t believe in God at all,” Walter added, “you still need to keep your own integrity.”

The next night he had another fun evening with Alan, the manager of the shop in Kent, south of Seattle. They didn’t talk religion much, but Samuel learned about some great camping areas most people didn’t know about. He learned that Alan, who was Jewish, respected others’ beliefs.

“Are you happy being a Disciple? That is the only important thing. You should be happy in your relationship with God, He wants you to enjoy His friendship.”

As he spent the afternoon driving back to Spokane, he pondered the many conversations, turning over various comments in his mind. He decided that Outsiders were not nearly as evil as The Word claimed. At every stop, they had greeted him with kindness and hospitality. Although he’d planned to eat dinner on his own, the mangers all invited him to their homes. Several invited him to stay at their homes, instead of a motel. He declined the invitations, but only to avoid bothering his new friends, not because he didn’t want to spend the night in a house with Outsiders.

Even though some clearly discounted such matters as the time prophecies, all respected his beliefs. Although he wasn’t sure what he still believed. The matter of the time prophecies weighed on his mind. How had the Apostles determined the meaning behind obscure Bible messages? He did not actually know the origins of his own religion. He knew only what The Word published in its literature.

Was it time to do some research? The fear of doing so produced a visceral sensation. The Word flatly opposed independent study by Disciples. The other Servants would investigate any hint of doubt about The Word. But suddenly, it seemed like what he most needed to do.    

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Armageddon's Slaves Chapter Eight

Matt and Samuel talked for a few minutes, while driving to the Wilson home. They discovered that although they came into The Word in different ways, they shared similar feelings about their current beliefs.

As Matt put it, “I want to believe in all this, I want to spend forever with my wife and children. I want to live in a world with no war or hunger or poverty. But then stuff like this happens. It’s hard to have faith.”

“I know. I’m struggling with my faith, too. I think we all have been for the last six or eight years. But what else can we do? I can’t see leaving, what would I do, join a church? Be an atheist? I just don’t know anymore.”

“You know,” Matt said, “Laura and I were baptized at the big Grand Gathering in 2007. We believed the Apostles had unlocked the secrets of the Bible. Now, The Word provides all our social connections, all our friends. But does that mean we turn our entire lives over to the Apostles?”

“I don’t know. But I know what you mean about friends and social connections. Look what happened to poor Phil Peterson, he lost his connection to life itself. I’ve decided that I think some rules need to change. Perhaps I’ll be the agent of that change.”

“That sounds like a good goal. Maybe I’ll join you.”

A minute later Samuel got out of the car in front of his house. Matt thanked him for coming with him to see Gloria. He added that he was going to tell Laura they just talked over supporting each other.

“Okay, but I will have to say something to Caleb or we’ll both be in trouble.  If I tell him myself I can control the conversation. I love my wife, but she’ll want to know what we were talking about. Then she’ll tell her sister and the then Caleb and Luke will be on us.”

**

He walked into the house and immediately called Caleb and gave him a brief recap of the conversation with Gloria. He added that that Matt said nothing about where they were going until they were on their way.

Caleb’s reaction surprised him, “I thought she might pull something like this. She’s trying to get Luke in trouble. She told us that he encouraged her to spend more time with the Halbert daughter, the family would be a good influence on her.

“Her parents are understandably mad at all of us. I guess I made a mistake. I think New Jerusalem is going to order us to retract the announcement that she’s not living as a Disciple. I imagine Halbert’s brother is behind that.”

“Why? I haven’t heard his Gathering did anything to Ricky.”

“They didn’t.” Caleb responded, “If they do, it will cause trouble for his father, and by extension, his uncle. Thanks for telling me, I’ll take it from here. I imagine Apostle Halbert is pulling strings, we need to be careful.”

The call ended, leaving Samuel to ponder the insider politics, just when he thought he was making some progress on fighting his doubts, something new cropped up. If the Lord guided The Word of God Foundation, wouldn’t He see they handled this stuff properly the first time?”

**

The midweek meeting contained another piece of startling information. In two weeks, every Area Servant in the United States would meet at the New Jerusalem campus in Seattle. The Apostles, it said, would receive special instructions for guiding The Lord’s Disciples in this time of the end.  The entire Gathering clapped at the news. The letter went on to say that similar meetings would take place all over the world in the next few months. More applause followed.  

Samuel had to admit it sounded remarkable, he had never heard of such an event taking place. A flicker of doubt about his attitude flashed through his thoughts. Perhaps he let personalities bother him too much. His family relationship with the Senior and Area Servants brought him too close to issues not related to The Word. Could he be letting personal feelings interfere with his spiritual progress? The Word warned of the danger in letting that happen.

The Apostles clearly expected a big event, the Disciples needed guidance to get through it. Once again, he thought he needed to push aside doubt and pursue a course of faithfulness. He had heard nothing more about Gloria Lighthouse, perhaps the police and Child Protective Services had looked into the matter and found nothing. After all, he only had Gloria’s side of the story, although he did think some lighter discipline more appropriate.

He also did not know what discipline the Halberts received. The book of Psalms told Disciples to have faith, and wait on The Lord. He would resolve all things in due time. He looked over at Judith, smiling and clapping in the seat next to him. He knew what she was thinking, she would see their daughter soon when The Lord resurrected her in Paradise.

“I need to be less cynical, and share in her joy. We are indeed living in great times.”

He had been clapping halfheartedly, now he joined in the enthusiasm of the Gathering. One of The 

Lord’s people looking forward to their reward.

There was more to come. Caleb announced a different time for the Sunday Sermon.

“We’re going to use our new sound and video equipment to show a special DVD, a speech from Apostle Rodgers. This video will be shown to every Gathering in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom during the next week.  Is that not another remarkable event?”

More applause broke out. Nothing this exciting had happened in years.

“Friends,” Caleb went on, “we must be zealous for The Lord. Zealous for His Word. Zealous in 

Disciple-making. We must unite, the enemies of The Lord know the End is near. Do not let them shake your faith.”

For a moment, he thought Caleb was looking at him, but then he turned and looked at someone else, then his gaze looked at another. This was a message for everyone. 

**

 “I hear you’re going on a road trip next week.”

Samuel sat in the coffee shop with Caleb, Judith, and Sophia; all four drinking coffee and eating doughnuts on their break from Saturday morning Disciple-making. Caleb’s tone and expression made it clear he did not approve.

“Yes, I’ll be gone most of the week, I’m going to go to midweek meeting in Portland, and I’ll be back Friday evening for the Servants meeting here.”

Caleb made a noncommittal grunt and said that was good, but he and Luke wanted to speak to him before he left. The tone left no room to decline the invitation. He agreed to have the two of them stop by the Wilson home and they could chat.

The two men arrived midafternoon. Judith poured ice tea for the three of them, who sat around the dining room table to chat.

“As you know,” Luke started, “we have some concerns about this promotion you’ve accepted. It takes away time from your duties as a Servant, Disciple-making and the needs of your family.”

Samuel pointed out that Judith could take care of herself, and David was nearly an adult. He would be on his own soon.

“We’ll talk about that in a minute,” Caleb said.

Luke went on to lecture him about the possible dangers of getting too close to Outsiders while away from home. They didn’t accept the same moral requirements as those in The Word. Outsiders would lure him to drink too much, or immoral entertainment on TV in his hotel room would tempt him.  It was probable that he would have Outsider women seeking his company, they knew men on business trips were easy targets for their advances.

Samuel’s anger grew as he sat through this. Trying to keep his voice steady, he pointed out that he wasn’t a child or some hormonal teenager, adding that he worked around Outsiders all day as it was. 

He’d never had any trouble.

“Well, when you’re on the road, away from home, your wife, the stabilizing influence of your own Gathering, you might give in to temptation.”

“I think I can handle myself,” Samuel answered, as he seethed internally.

“You could call me if you want, just to check in,” Caleb interjected.

“I plan to call Judith every night, just to make sure she’s Okay. Seattle and Portland are as far away as I’m getting. I can drive home in four or five hours if needed.”

“Well yes. But we just wanted you to understand, Satan’s world can lead to trouble for those trying to live as Disciples.”

“I understand.” Samuel answered, what he thought was, “You think I’m a child that needs to be led through every little aspect of my life.”

“Now, about another matter,” Caleb said.

“Yes.”

“We’ve heard rumors that David wants to go to college.”

“He’s mentioned it. We have not decided.”

Caleb went on to talk about the evils of college. The litany of problems sounded much like the warnings about Samuel’s road trip. College life included alcohol, drugs, sexual activity. He would learn all sorts of nonsense like evolution and so-called critical thinking skills that were designed to make him doubt The Word. Outsider girls would throw themselves at him. He went on to mention that full-time Disciple-making or service at New Jerusalem would be much better pursuits.

Samuel had to bite his tongue to keep from saying what he thought. “How did that work out for Uncle Harry?”

Monday morning, as he drove West on I-90 toward his first stop in Moses Lake, Samuel had time to ponder the conversation. He was quite sure he could keep his moral bearings for a few days on the road. But he could not shake the idea that New Jerusalem treated the Disciples like children.

Before the problems in 2008 The Word’s books and study articles offered in-depth analysis of Bible topics requiring real study. Now, the books and articles were “dumbed down,” using simplistic ideas and arguments. Instructions about Christian living had at one time centered on principles like “be honest” or “consider the feelings of others.” Now the Servants had endless rules to enforce rigidly. Instead of counseling people who needed help, they were Cast-out to resolve problems on their own. 

It didn’t seem right.

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Armageddon's Slaves Chapter Seven

The Servants met at the Gathering House for their usual semi-monthly meeting.  The February chill permeated the building, as they decided not to turn up the heat for a brief meeting. Only the local Servants took part. Although he often sat in, Luke did not attend this session, as he had business out of town. As Senior Servant, Caleb ran the meeting.

“Well, gentlemen, congratulations, we managed to get through that business with Phil Peterson without too much bad press.”

Samuel wondered if anyone had asked Mrs. Peterson how she was doing. The last he heard she had left for Wenatchee to stay with her family. No one knew if she had any source of money. The papers and TV and splashed the story all over town for two days, some local pastors wrote letters about how terrible it was to shun a church member. Then the story died, knocked off the news by the murder of a porn star vacationing in Coeur D’Alene.     

After that, matters continued routinely until Caleb said that he had more instruction about the new communication system. New Jerusalem had informed all Gatherings that they were responsible for the purchase of the flat screen TV and computer. New Jerusalem would supply only the software.

“How much will that cost?” Sergei Ivanov asked.

“The size TV they want will cost three to five thousand dollars, the computer with some extras will be under a thousand.”

“Do we have that?”

“We have almost ten thousand in our reserve for the roof,” Joe Garcia, the accounts Servant answered, “but it took us five or six years to get it. We’d hoped to do the work next summer.”

“Don’t worry, Armageddon will be here by then,” Sergei said, laughing. Several of the Servants chuckled, Caleb’s face clouded up.

“This is The Lord Almighty’s business,” he snapped, “not some joke.”

“Oh lighten up Caleb. It’s kind of a pain, but we’ll come up with the money.” No one but Ivanov could talk to Caleb like that.  The Disciple community knew the Russian émigré both a sense of humor and blunt manner. The combination sometimes got him in trouble.

“I don’t mind giving a brief announcement about it. We can ask the Gathering to try to give a little more.” Joe added.

So far, Samuel had remained quiet, at this he decided to say something. “We’ve always said that we didn’t go around begging for money like the churches. I hate to see that change.”

He heard agreement from several others. In the end, they voted to spend the necessary money, and wait to ask the Gathering for additional donations. Perhaps they could delay the new roof, or donations might increase if the regular accounting report mentioned the added expense.

“One last item,” Caleb said, “Matt and Laura Edwards have missed several Gatherings lately. 

Someone should say something to them, they need to be here. Big changes are coming, we all need to stay up on the latest information from New Jerusalem.”

“How many times have I heard that,” Samuel thought.

Sergei said he would talk to them and encourage them, he and Tatiana got along with them. He would invite them to dinner. There being no other business, Caleb ended the meeting.

**

When he arrived at home, Samuel decided he had too many unanswered questions about what they had discussed. The Gathering sent large payments to New Jerusalem. The United States contained about twelve thousand Gatherings. Assuming they all did the same, where was the money going? He knew that many Disciples in less developed nations had no money and no doubt took funds from New Jerusalem.

But Disciples in places like Japan and Europe would also contribute. For years, New Jerusalem collected millions from the sale of literature. Where did the money go? The Gathering, everybody not just the Servants, heard an accounts report every month detailing the income and expenses incurred. The two Area Gatherings held each year also reported income and expense to attendees. Sometimes the summer Grand Gatherings mentioned a need to cover a shortfall in finances. 

Yet never, in all his years as a Disciple, had Samuel heard or seen an accounting statement from New Jerusalem. Yet they asked constantly for contributions to worldwide Disciple-making. A special fund existed to provide money to build Gathering Houses in third world countries. But nobody ever accounted for the money.

Now, New Jerusalem started this communication idea, and demanded the Gatherings pay for it. Something didn’t seem right. He decided to bring it up with Caleb and Luke when he saw them, maybe they knew something he didn’t.

The opportunity came up a few nights later, over dinner, this time in his home. Judith and Sophia set up a taco bar, and they ate casually, the children entertaining themselves in the family room. As usual, the latest “news” dominated the talk.

Gloria Lighthorse continued to cause problems for her family. She refused to go to Gatherings, and complained constantly about not seeing any of her friends. When the talk turned briefly to Ricky Halbert, Caleb jumped in and changed the subject. Clearly, he didn’t want to talk about the young man. Samuel had heard nothing about discipline for him, he suspected that his father’s influence protected him from action by the Servants.

“Hey Caleb, Luke, I have a question, does anybody ever get an accounts report from New Jerusalem? 

It occurred to me the other night that I’ve never seen one.”

Both men looked nonplussed, and shook their heads.

“We trust the Apostles and other fine men at New Jerusalem to properly manage The Lord’s money.”

Caleb’s tone made it clear he did not want to discuss the matter. Samuel knew better than to push it. He suspected that his two in-laws were watching his words and conduct closely. He wanted to sort out how he felt before bringing on a confrontation of some sort. He was still, after all, a Disciple.

**

The following night he received a phone call from Matt Edwards, who wanted to have a private talk with him. He suggested they go out for coffee at Starbucks after Sunday Gathering. Samuel agreed, but wondered why Matt wanted to talk to him. Had his meeting with Sergei had gone badly? He hoped not, he liked Matt, who, he suspected, was also struggling with his relationship with The Word.

The topic of Disciple-making dominated the Sunday Gathering. Samuel only half heard it, as neither the sermon nor the Study contained new information, or ideas for educating the public. They just ordered the Disciples to do more work.

Matt had offered to drive, so Judith and David hitched a ride with Laura Edwards. As soon as Matt and Samuel left the Gathering House parking lot, Matt said they weren’t going to Starbucks.

“Where are we going?”

“To see Gloria Lighthorse. She ran away from home Friday. She’s staying in a shelter. She wouldn’t let them call her parents, but she told the shelter people to call Laura and I.  She’s been baby-sitting for us for a couple of years. I think we’re the only ones she’s comfortable talking to. I talked to her for a minute and decided I needed a witness to the conversation.”

“I see. You know this might get both of us in trouble.”

“I thought of that, but I want somebody there. I didn’t know who else to call. No offense, but I don’t think the other Servants know how to handle this.”

 “No offense taken. They are good men, but some can be hardline.”

A short time later, they arrived at a small office building. It wasn’t the shelter, but contained the offices for the shelter’s administration. A woman greeting them politely but coolly at the door and introduced herself as Helen. She did not give a last name, and said she was Gloria’s case manager.

She had them sit down while she disappeared to get Gloria. Samuel wondered if they should call the legal department at New Jerusalem, but decided he should hear what Gloria said first. He told Matt that he would have to report the conversation to Caleb when he got home.

“That’s why I said I wanted to take you out for coffee. You can tell him I didn’t tell you where we were going.”

“You’re going to get in trouble.”

“I’m already in trouble. I haven’t done anything wrong, except that I’m tired of waiting for Armageddon. Sergei Ivanov met with me Friday night and made it clear the Servants have their eye on me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. I’m tired of all the nonsense that goes with this religion.”

“You came in right before 2008 didn’t you.”

“Yup.”

Helen returned with Gloria, who looked terrified. She had on no makeup, accenting her pale complexion.  She settled down when Matt assured her that they just wanted to hear what she had to say.

Her story was long and convoluted in the telling, as she kept backing up to some prior event and clarifying matters. Her frequent sobs made her hard to understand. The review committee had determined that she had harassed Ricky Halbert. She claimed that her parents had encouraged her to befriend Naomi Halbert, Ricky’s sister, as she could provide a good example for her.

“Disciple Collins, the Area Servant told my parents I needed spiritual guidance from someone my own age, and Naomi could do that.”

She dabbed at her eyes and tried unsuccessfully to laugh. “He told my Mom that I should get to know 

Ricky better since his uncle was an Apostle.”

After spending some time with the Halberts she believed that she liked Ricky, and the feeling was mutual. There had been one brief encounter, when Ricky was driving her home. That was all.

The local Servants had ignored everything she told them about her parents. When the committee made its decision, her parents “freaked out.” Her father slapped her. Her mother pulled down all her pictures, put them in a plastic box, and buried it in the backyard to show her that she was “dead to the family since she decided to leave The Word.” She decided to run away then, although she had to work up the courage to do so.

“I just wanted somebody at the House to hear my side. I don’t think the Committee heard a word I said.”

“What do you want us to do?”

“Tell the Disciples I’m not a slut. Tell them I was trying to do what my parents wanted. It’s not my fault I fell in love with Ricky.”

“We’ll see what we can do.” Samuel promised quietly.

When she finished her story, Helen called in another woman to take Gloria back to the shelter.

“So what’s going to happen to her?” Samuel asked.

“I can’t say too much. I need to call CPS tomorrow and they will investigate the allegation of abuse by her parents. She can stay here during the investigation. Then it will be up to the agency, they may remove her from the home, they may suggest counseling, they could suggest charging her parents with abuse, and Halbert with sexual assault. I don’t know.  There could be claims against your church on both matters if somebody knew there was a problem and didn’t do anything.”

“Do her parents know where she is?” Matt asked.

“No. We contacted the police when she came in. They don’t have a missing person report. I guess that goes along with her parents’ attitude.”

Samuel didn’t say anything. He had no idea what her parents might be thinking.

“If the parents file a missing person report,” Helen added, “the police will talk to them. We don’t usually bring in other people this quickly, but Gloria insisted on talking to Mr. Edwards.”

“Thank you.”

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Armageddon's Slaves Chapter six

Two weeks later at the midweek Gathering, Caleb read a brief announcement. After a review of her conduct by the Servants, Gloria Lighthorse “no longer lived by the conduct expected of a Disciple of The Word.” He didn’t say so, but everybody knew that this wording meant that had she been a baptized Disciple they would have Cast her out. This announcement had the same result, no one could associate with her.

Samuel looked around. Her parents sat in the back row, looking pale. He did not see Gloria. This one bothered him. The idea behind expelling members was to teach them a lesson, that bad choices led to discipline. Discipline led to proper Christian conduct. How was a teenager supposed to accept total rejection as a learning experience?  He also wondered what happened to Ricky Halbert. He attended a different Gathering, but given the proximity, there should have been an announcement if his local Servants disciplined him.

He tried to convince himself the review committee had taken its time. Perhaps the Lighthorse family appealed the decision, Servants from another Gathering would then have reexamined the case. Gloria would have had a few days to prove a repentant attitude. He tried, unsuccessfully, to put the matter behind him and concentrate on the program.

He scanned the room again, he didn’t see Phil Peterson. Maybe ex-communication didn’t work that well for adults either. A cold thought crossed his mind. The way he was thinking, the Servants would be after him next. He had to be careful what he said and did. Whatever happened he wanted to sort out his thoughts for himself. He needed time, perhaps he could work to change the problems he saw.

He decided he was going to work hard at being a good Disciple. The issues that bothered him were not The Lord’s, they were human faults. He could be a good example, a loving Servant of the Disciples, teaching them to be better people. That’s what he needed, new purpose and application of what he’d always known as a Disciple.

**

His new resolve lasted fewer than twenty-four hours. Thursday evening Caleb called him and told him there would be an emergency meeting of the Servants in an hour. Luke was settling a problem with a Servant Committee in the Tri-cities. The current problem couldn’t wait for his return.

Samuel wondered what could possibly have happened that required such a sudden response. He suspected, from a hint Judith picked up from Sophia, that Luke’s trip involved dissent over the new communication plan. Many questions remained, notably who was going to pay for the equipment.

When he arrived at the House, the other Servants, Charles Brown, Sergei Ivanov, Allen Moore, and Benjamin Oldendorf were already there. Nobody knew why Caleb called the meeting. Caleb arrived last, clearly upset. Samuel didn’t think he’d ever seen him in such an emotional state. He asked Charles to open the meeting with prayer, and quickly got down to business.

“Phil Peterson hung himself this afternoon. He left a note, sent copies of it to the Spokesman Review and a TV station. He’s blaming us for mentally abusing him or some such nonsense.”

Stunned silence created this announcement. After a moment to collect his thoughts, Caleb continued.

“I’ve notified the legal department at New Jerusalem, somebody is flying out from Seattle in the morning. In the meantime, we’re not to say anything to anybody.”

Caleb rubbed his face with one hand, clearly trying to calm himself.

“The police are at the house, it’s surrounded with yellow tape, Channel Two has a live broadcast truck in front of it. Donna Peterson is hysterical. I sent Sophia and Karen Brown over there to try to help her.”

Samuel thought those were the last two women he’d send on such a task. But then he decided that 

Caleb had done what he thought he could on short notice.    

“Do we know what the note said?” Charles Brown asked.

Caleb shook his head and said he only knew what Donna had told him, which wasn’t exactly coherent. It sounded like it went on for a couple of pages about how his friends and family wouldn’t even speak to him. He claimed he’d done nothing wrong, it was just a misunderstanding, and the Servants ruined his life.

“Of course Outsiders are going to use this as a weapon against The Lord’s Word.  Outsiders can’t understand that we have to keep the Gathering free of sin. Their churches don’t care what people do, but we know The Word demands good conduct. That’s why we need to be careful what we say to the media.

“The men New Jerusalem is sending out will handle the media.

“One final matter, one of you can do the memorial service if you want. I personally don’t think it’s appropriate. Of course, they can’t use the Gathering House for it.”

Samuel nodded, he had expected as much.  The Cast-out could not use property owned by The Foundation for memorials or weddings. The Word did not allow a memorial for a suicide in a Gathering House.  That was two strikes against Phil’s family.

“Do you know anything about caring for Donna?” he asked.

Caleb said that wasn’t a problem for the Servant Committee. He did not know if Peterson had savings or retirement. Like most Disciples, he probably didn’t have life insurance, and even if he did, it probably didn’t cover suicide. He supposed Donna could collect some social security, and maybe live with her family in Wenatchee. Samuel got the impression he didn’t care what happened to her. His concern lay entirely with managing public relations.

The meeting broke up. Samuel seethed as he climbed into his car. It was all so cold. How could these people call themselves Christians and treat someone like this. He looked at the others as they headed home. Who could he talk to? Perhaps Sergei Ivanov, but did he dare?

When he got home, he felt alone and miserable. Judith’s attitude when he told her had happened didn’t help his mood. She blithely told him that all the women knew that Phil had been trying to get his wife to engage in perverted sex acts with him.

“Obviously when he couldn’t get what he wanted at home he went somewhere else for it.”

“Is that what Sophia told you?”

She didn’t notice the tone in his voice and answered that yes, she heard it from her sister, but also Karen Brown.

“Now that’s a reliable source of information.”

Again, she seemed not to notice the irony in his voice, as she agreed that Karen knew what she was talking about. Samuel decided to give up and do a little studying. He said he had another meeting part coming up, in fact what he wanted to do was look over some items Ski and Mr. Rommers had given him. The new job started on Monday and he wanted to be ready.

**

The Sunday Bible Study session covered the topic “Do Not Stray from True Teachings.” Samuel had only glanced over the study guide. He’d seen it all a thousand times before. Each month, Disciples received the study guide for the following month, with a lesson for each Sunday. Each topic took up a few pages, with references and questions to guide the study.

In the past, the studies covered deep subjects, mostly prophetic interpretations and the latest results of continuing Bible research at New Jerusalem. Now the studies were simplistic and rehashed old topics, most frequently demands for complete obedience to the Apostles and Servants.

Once, when he was a teenager, his parents had taken him to tour New Jerusalem when the family was in Seattle for a Grand Gathering. The Foundation’s complex covered an expanse of older buildings located at the south end of Lake Union, just north of the skyscrapers at the center of the city. He’d learned how Michael Clifton Adderly unlocked the secret of Bible prophecy. His recognition of the difference between biblical prophetic time measurements and the secular calendar enabled him, for the first time in history, to decode the myriad time prophecies of the Bible. When he established The Word of God Foundation in the 1930’s he had predicted the start of World War Two and modern Israel’s founding.

He recognized the need for an institution to study the Bible diligently and report the results as a warning to the world. When The Lord finally unleashed Armageddon He would destroy all those that had not repented and lived as Disciples. After this final war, the Disciples would live in peace in Paradise.

Teenage Samuel had been awestruck at the huge machines that churned out millions of books, magazines, tracts, pamphlets, and Bibles every year. The big brick administrative building housed a library larger than the Spokane Public Library, Samuel’s only point of reference. The tour group could not enter the ancient manuscripts area, but looked briefly through glass at the collection. It looked like they had everything needed to truly understand the Bible.

But since 2008, the Foundation published less literature each year. The New Jerusalem reduced staff, more and more Uncle Harry’s sent home; no longer needed. The printing plant no longer ran at full capacity, they sold a dormitory for a tidy profit.

But the New Jerusalem complex was still the heart of Disciple society. The twelve Apostles lived and worked there, directing the activity of four million Disciples around the world. Today’s study focused on accepting every pronouncement, every teaching, every commandment, as direct communication from The Lord Almighty. Failure to accept authority without question was one of the proofs of genuine Christian faith.

“Well I’m failing that one,” Samuel thought at the close of the study.

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.