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.