MyLife Daily Devotions (Monday through Friday)

Ministry of: Faith Baptist Church

Monday The Story: Purified Seven Times (Psalm 12:6-7) - Part XI I don’t want to leave this topic without giving you some information by which to study this principle out on your own. It is important for you to KNOW why you believe what you believe about the Bible, or you will be fodder in the hands of principalities and powers. Only One Bible to Study As I stated earlier, you can read any Bible you like. But I do believe that it makes a difference with which Bible you choose to study. There is only one Bible in the English language that is derived from the Received Text, and that is the King James Bible. If you desire to know the mind of Christ, I suggest that you must study the words of God found in the King James Bible (or if you like – you can read the Erasmus (New Testament) and Masoretic (Old Testament) Text. Both would suffice). Satan is a master counterfeiter. He has confused and muddied-up the Bible issue. He wants truth to slip through the fingertips of unsuspecting individuals; individuals like yourself who love God and want to glorify His name. Please, take what I’ve written and diligently search the truth out for yourself. If you don’t, then truth is not really your interest. The Bible tells us to “search the Scriptures daily to see if it be so.” May God bless you as you follow His fingerprints to the truth of a preserved Bible. Books to read as you search for the truth:

1. “The Identity of the New Testament Text” Wilbur N. Pickering Nelson Publishing 2. “For The Love of the Bible” David W. Cloud Way of Life Literature (wayoflife.org) 3. “Trial by Fire”

Harold Rawlings The Rawlings foundation P.O. Box 908, Florence, Kentucky 41022 4. “Translators Revised” Alexander McClures Maranatha Bible Society P.O. Box 466, Litchfield, Michigan 49252 John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

MyLife Daily Devotions (Monday through Friday)

Ministry of: Faith Baptist Church

Tuesday The Story: Secrets of Tomorrowland, A Story For a change of pace, I have decided to break up a story I have recently written (and hopefully published one day as part of a three part trilogy that explains God’s plan for man) into digestible pieces. The reason I am doing this is because this event may very well happen in our lifetime. We are living through the events that must take placed to usher in the next dispensation (the Tribulation Period). Are you doing all you can do to impact the lives of those in your worlds of influence? I hope this short story will encourage you in that direction. One day those in your worlds of influence – where you live, work, and play – will live in eternity somewhere.

Enjoy - Secrets of Tomorrowland

Before we dive into the mysterious territory of the Secrets of Tomorrowland, I would like for us

to stop and reset our thinking on this whole matter of a false reality that is at the apex of the war

for an eternal kingdom. From the moment Adam was created, he was “crowned” with glory and

honor (Psalm 8:4-6). I find it interesting that the word “crowned” used in this passage is the

Hebrew word that means, “intertwined with or encircled” (atar). Man, who was created little

lower than the angels, was intertwined with glory and honor. What does that mean anyway –

“crowned with glory and honor?” We will answer that question shortly. It has much to do with

the ultimate defeat of the dragon, and why it was necessary for God to take human flesh and

bodily raise from the dead!

Disclaimer #1 It is my desire to give you a brief glimpse of the world of tomorrow, but without an

understanding of the past the mysteries of tomorrowland cannot be fully revealed. I promise that

I will write, at least, thirteen detailed equipping guides/books of all the information that I am

flying through in this manuscript. I know it is a lot, but I wanted to whet your appetite to all the

truth that is out there. I want you to be confidently equipped when you seek to share the

truth with those in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.

When you have Biblical answers for where people came from, what their purpose on this earth

entails and what happens when they die – they will pay attention; I promise! They may not

initially agree, but they will listen. Then, it will be up to you to live out the principles of a

spiritual warrior so that you will be able to have more opportunities to share the truth with

them in the future. Remember – there are people in your life that only you can reach. If you

don’t reach them, who will? And thus, who will really be responsible if they don’t enter the

“pearly gates?”

The Original Earth…A Review

Let’s get back to the result of Satan’s rebellion. The original earth was thrust into a dead,

dormant or chaotic state. The magnificent earthly kingdom, which was under the stewardship of

Lucifer -- the anointed cherub – was now a lifeless, icy sphere (Earth’s Earliest Ages / G. H.

Pember). G. H. Pember, in his book Earth’s Earliest Ages, describes the geological

ramifications of what would happen to the surface of the earth if, in fact, the light of our solar

system was extinguished – as Jeremiah four declares that it was. Who knows how long the

brooding of Lucifer lasted. It could have been eons of time. But, out of the deep, dark

nothingness of the chaotic universe something begins to happen. The Spirit of God begins to

move upon the face of the polluted waters of the rebellious earth and to clean up the vestiges of

the Luciferian rebellion (Gen 1:2 – 2:31).

After a period of time, Lucifer hears the omnipotent voice of God thunder the following words –

“LET THERE BE LIGHT!” The truth that God was restoring the earth to its former glory hit

Lucifer like a perfectly aimed lightening bolt from the throne of God. He knew God was up to

something – as did all the celestial beings watching the scene unfold before their very eyes. God

had given Lucifer the earth (in a formless and void state) that he wanted so badly, but he could

not do a single thing with it. Very soon we will find out the reason why God did not “utterly

destroy” the earth upon the rebellion of Lucifer (Is. 9:6-9/ Jeremiah 4:19-23).

The thought must have entered the mind of Lucifer that God was about to accomplish something

that he (Satan) had no power to perform. The truth is that God foreknew that Satan would rebel,

and this is just the beginning of the plan to rid the universe of the rebellion that invaded the heart

of Lucifer when he ruled as the second in command over God’s originally created universe. God

could have immediately destroyed the devil as soon as he uttered his five pride-filled articles of

war against the mountain of God (Is. 14:12-14). But, that would run the risk of another angelic

being doing what Lucifer had already done – over and over again. God did not want to go the

direction of a quick fix; He wanted a permanent solution to the problem of sin. The quandary

was this: How could God allow man to have a free will, and still “call out” a group of people

throughout the history of mankind to join him in his plan for a universal and eternal

kingdom?

The Awakening Earth

All the eyes of heaven must have been glued to the awakening earth to see what God would do

next. God began restoring the firmament, dry land, plant life, sun, moon and stars – so that men

could deal with time. Then came the pivotal purpose for which God restored the earth. God

reached down, took the dust of the ground and fashioned the form of a man. He then breathed

into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became (only the soul was created. The body was

made.) a living soul (Gen. 2:7). But, notice with me one very important truth. God gave man

something that He gave no other created being. He gave man the IMAGE of Himself.

Thus being intertwined, or encircled with glory and honor. Unknown to Satan, it was going to

be God’s plan to use mankind as His weapon to utterly obliterate the curse of sin from the

universe (Colossians 1:15).

This topic of being intertwined with glory and honor takes me all the way back to my bedroom in

1978. I had just purchased a new album – The Imperials Live, and heard my favorite song of all

time…for the first time. The title of the song was “A New Creation.” I want to share the

following words of that song with you in an effort to cast more light on the incredible gift we

were given when we received the RED PILL of redemption. Adam had all of what I am about to

say before he sinned in the garden of Eden; the intertwined image (spiritual aspect) of God was

lost upon his decision to disobey God by eating of the forbidden fruit. The moment we accept

Christ we “get back” the divine image of God; thus the doctrinal truth of regeneration takes

form. I hope the following lyrics awaken the truth of who you are as a son of God, and what it

really means to be created in His Image and endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit (II

Corinthians 5:17). We are a new class of man when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal

savior.

Created bones of His bones, Created flesh of His flesh.

I am a child whose father is the Almighty God!

We were created in His image.

His divine nature was imparted to me,

And His royal blood – now it flows through my veins!

I’m a new creation – I was created by Him.

Through him we are…a new class of man.

We stand triumphantly…with the armor of God about us…

We can stand victoriously! (Imperials Live – 1978)

Satan was in awe at everything God was accomplishing…until he places man in his old stomping

grounds (Ezekiel 28:13). Well, that was quite enough already. He saw that God had formed the

body of man, gives him a soul, imparted to him His IMAGE (spiritual aspect), and vested him

with the responsibility to “be fruitful, multiply and REPLENISH the earth” – even to subdue it.

Satan was fuming! He was livid when he understood that God was replacing him – the anointed

cherub who was full of wisdom and beauty – with this …new creation called man. God had just

established a beachhead, and man was going to be his instrument whereby to bring Satan to

his knees (Gen. 3:15).

Satan’s immediate attack on man was a frontal assault on God Almighty – AGAIN! The earth

that had laid in ruin for eons of time was now seeing the beginnings of a war that would not

culminate until the pain, suffering, and anguish of sin had run its course through every

possible crevice of humanity. God did not destroy Lucifer in the ancient past because He had a

plan to rid the universe of the curse of sin that began with Lucifer – the father of the children of

pride (John 8:44). When sin had run its course, then – and only then – would God allow man

(the nations) to once again be offered the fruit of the Tree of Life (Rev. 22:1-3), so that he (man)

could go back to the future and accomplish the purpose for the Tree of Life that was available

(but not partaken of) to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

Get this! Jesus became a man (mystery #1: God in the flesh), lived a sinless life, died on the

cross, shed His blood and bodily rose from the dead so that he could – REVERSE THE CURSE!

Only man could pay the penalty for sin, and Jesus did just that when He came to this earth in the

form of a man. He paid the price for sin so that you and I would not have to pay the price. TO

GOD BE THE GLORY – GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE! This act by God would give

mankind the opportunity to join Him in His eternal plan for our lives, this earth and the universe.

We are drawing to a climactic conclusion of the plan that an omniscient (all knowing) God, who

knows and foreknew all things, developed before the foundations of the earth (Psalm 104:5). He

knew the rebellion of Lucifer was going to happen, but it has always been his heart’s desire to

allow His created beings to willingly choose to join Him in the battle raging for truth and

purpose. Now, the time is drawing to an end, and the number of missing rebellious “sons of

God” (angels who fell with Lucifer) is about to be filled. I believe this will happen when the

last person -- in the Church Age -- accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and becomes

the completion of the gap in the “sons of God” that was caused by Lucifer’s pride.

When the last rebellious angel is replaced (sons of God), then the rapture will occur and the

countdown to the last 1007 years of mankind (as we know it), on this sinful earth will

commence. Would it not be wonderful if you could be the soul winner who ushered in the

dawn of a new era for mankind; the beginning to the end of all the pain, suffering and

death we have experienced since Lucifer’s attempt to usurp the mountain of God?

Now – let’s take a sneak-peak into those final 1007 years (beginning at the strengthening of the

covenants with Israel), and see how God is going to finish His plan to wipe out any inkling of the

curse of sin, and establish a universal kingdom that will last for all eternity. When we finish, I

believe you will experience a new found appreciation for end-time prophecy, and the

significance of Isaiah 45:18 and Isaiah 9:6-9 will reverberate through your soul as we journey

through the incredible events that make up the secrets of the world of tomorrow!

MyLife Daily Devotions (Monday through Friday)

Ministry of: Faith Baptist Church

Wednesday The Story: Secrets of Tomorrowland, A Story

Disclaimer #2

You may be asking yourself why you have never been exposed to most of the information in this book before now. Believe me; I know the feeling intimately. For a short period of time I became bitter toward my “spiritual leaders” for not properly equipping me in the work of the ministry. I quickly realized (through the wise and loving Biblical counsel of my Morpheus) that to make a difference I had to aim my “bullets” at the source of this ignorance, and the source is Satan’s incessant attack upon the WORDS of God (Gen. 3:1). I believe the reason we don’t hear about the principles expressed in this book is due to two primary factors. First, most “spiritual leaders” are totally unaware of the original creation, fall of Lucifer and the chaotic earth that was a result of Satan’s thwarted attempt to usurp the throne of God (Ez. 28 / Is. 14). Secondly, I believe that those who know the truth about the spiritual warfare believe that the average church member will think them crazy if they address these issues to their fullest extent. So – they just leave well enough alone! You – The Reader – Are My Judge And Jury However, I have paid my dues (29 years) in the hierarchy of institutionalized religion and have nothing to lose. I can speak the truth without fear of financial retribution. institutionalized religion did not hire me, so they cannot fire me for sweeping out the cobwebs of lethargic Christianity that has spread throughout contemporary “Christianity.” You – the reader – are my judge and jury; I hope you consider the Biblical facts before finding me innocent or guilty. I encourage you to be like those who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). I trust you will enjoy the following pages. I know that I enjoyed getting lost in the future world I created to explain eschatological (prophetic) truth. May God strengthen your resolve to be “Ambassadors for Christ” throughout the following pages of this book. The 7th Dispensation Begins: “There Goes The Bride” Secrets of Tomorrowland is a fictional account of five friends who are about to be caught up in the frenzied events that will lead to the culmination of humanity, on this earth, as we have known it for the last seven thousand years. The names and places are fictional (although I know people with these names), but the events are based on Biblical truth.

MyLife Daily Devotions (Monday through Friday)

Ministry of: Faith Baptist Church

Thursday The Story: Secrets of Tomorrowland, A Story

(1)

-Millions Disappear-

The Bible Study…December 21st, 2020 Presently, five friends are attending a HomeWord Bound Bible study group at Ken’s home. Ken is in his mid 50’s, slightly receding hairline, but is in pretty good shape for a man of his age. You can tell he works out and takes good care of himself. Bro. Ken has recently begun a church based in homes and is facilitating exciting studies on the rapture of the church, while delving a little into end time prophecy. He has just finished explaining the difference between the rapture of the church (the invisible return of the Lord), the second coming (the visible return of the Lord), and is being met with mixed emotions. Let’s join the conversation as it is unfolding…shall we? “You mean to tell me,” Tristan blurted while sitting up on the edge of his seat. “You mean to tell me that people are just going to disappear into thin air…instantaneously…sometime in the near future? That’s just too unbelievable! It sounds like some kind of cult or brainwashing scam to me. How can anyone with a grain of intelligence get duped by that kind of junk?” Even though Tristan knows the whole gang, he is new to the Bible study. He’s finding it difficult to digest all of the new information. He comes from a spiritually eclectic background where absolute truth is thought to be for the weak-minded and uneducated. Bekka, one of Andrea’s best friends, invited Tristan to the study. She has been searching for purpose in life, and wanted to share the information she was learning with Tristan. She was attracted to his beach boys look as she noticed him walking down the corridors of the University they attended together. Ken calmly answers Tristan’s question by holding his Bible in his lap. With the palms of his hands underneath giving it support, he scoots forward in his chair and says, “Tristan, you have a choice to make. You can believe that God told you the truth when he said He would preserve every word of the Bible, or you can believe that God is a liar, and that everything in the Bible is some well put-together concoction of lunatics. And all the inspired writers would have had to be in it together; they all agree.” “I don’t think it’s all a lie. I believe some of it.” Tristan leaned back on the couch and ran the fingers of both hands through his floppy sandy-blonde hair. “Well, you have to believe all of it, or none of it. It is a total package from beginning to ending; it doesn’t make sense any other way,” responded Ken. “Tristan, think about it this way. You are at

bat in a baseball game; the pitch has been thrown, there are two strikes, three balls and it’s in the bottom of the ninth inning. The choice is yours whether or not to take a swing. It is your decision to make up your mind if what I am saying is a strike. But, be careful; your eternal destiny resides on what you do with the Word of God. Hey, I don’t believe there is a lot of time left. All I am asking is that you think through what we’ve talked about and make a decision before it is too late. OK?” Ken sits back while Connor weighs in on the discussion. “Yeah! If what Ken says is true – and I believe it is – then tough times are on the horizon. You’ve got to realize that if you’re left behind at the rapture the rules are going to change. It will be rough sledding for those who miss the catching away of the church.” Connor opens his Bible to Hebrews six. He shows Tristan that during the tribulation you can’t turn from your faith; the rules change. If you turn from your faith – you will lose it. He goes on to show Tristan that it will be impossible to “renew it again” during this time of tribulation. After saying his piece, Connor bows his head and begins to weep for Tristan. Connor was a star athlete, so the group knew that this subject weighed heavily on his heart if it brought him to tears. They had never seen him cry before, not even when he broke his collarbone during the State Championship soccer match in high school. He didn’t tell anyone it was broken until the match was over; he even scored the winning goal with seven seconds remaining. Andrea chimes in and says, “Hey guys. Back off just a little – OK. You’re smothering him. He’ll make a decision to accept Christ when he’s good and ready.” “OK. I’ll do as you ask, but remember…you may not have as much time to make up your mind as you think. Don’t let Satan convince you to put it off until it’s too late. I’m here for you…no matter what!” Ken had a compassionate smile curling on his lips. As they are gathering their notebooks and Bibles in preparation to leave, Bekka says, “Yea…I mean…I know you guys want us to believe what you do, but it’s foolish to think that the world is going to end today. I think ya’ll say that stuff to scare us into agreeing with you anyway.” Everyone turned around because they could not believe that Bekka had just voiced her opinion. Bekka was 5’4”, 104 lbs soaking wet with a Brittany Spears hairstyle – except that she is a brunette. “What?” enquired Bekka as she noticed everyone staring at her. “Nothing -- it’s just odd hearing you put your two cents worth into any serious discussion. You usually keep to yourself about these things,” replied Maverick with a quirky smirk on his face. Connor, never one to let a comment drop to the floor, brings the focus back to Bekka’s previous statement and says, “No. I really believe what the Bible says. It has never been proven wrong, and it is in complete agreement from beginning to ending. The only prophecies that haven’t been fulfilled are those still in the future. Look – you guys are my friends. We’ve shared a lot together. I don’t want you to miss out on all that Jesus has in store for those who accept his free gift of salvation. Please think about it, and make your decision as soon as possible. The Bible says that our life is a vapour that appears for a moment and then vanishes away. We are not promised a tomorrow like today. Everything can change without notice. I want for you to enjoy, with me, all of the privileges that only Church Age believers will enjoy.”

Maverick, who has been somewhat quiet until now, asks what Connor meant when he used the term Church Age believer. Ken looks at Connor and says, “Let me handle this one, if I may? In a nutshell this will be tough to explain briefly…but man has been given, up until now, six opportunities to prove he can become righteous on this own. Every dispensation – that is a stewardship of time -- has met with failure. In this, the sixth dispensation – what we call The Church Age – we have been given the opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as our personal savior. If we choose to accept His free offer of salvation, He will dwell in our lives through the person of the Holy Spirit. That means the Holy Spirit will supernaturally abide in you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. This has not been true for any other dispensation (time period) in the history of mankind. At the moment we accept Jesus we become the Bride of Christ, and as such – the church. Therefore, we call this period of time the Church Age. Jesus is going to return, sometime in the near future, to rapture his church (his bride) to himself. This is going to happen because the church is failing to meet the conditions of their dispensational responsibility found in I Corinthians 4:1.” “Wow! I’ve never heard it put quite like that.” Maverick looked over to Ken with a thoughtful expression. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. I will look into this a little more seriously.” As they were getting up to leave Ken hollers, “Hey guys, come back for a minute!” Ken waited for them to return to the den and told them he almost forgot something very important. “Before you leave I have something to show you.” Ken was standing next to the coffee table. He reached down and picked up a DVD case and held it up so they all could see. “This is a DVD that will answer any question you may have about what is happening.” “What do you mean by – what’s happening?” Bekka had a confused look on her petite face. Ken answers her by explaining what he meant. “If the rapture happens before we see each other again, I want you to know that things will be a little topsy-turvy in the world for awhile. When this happens, and you are looking for answers -- come to my home. I won’t be here, but you can have my house, my car, and all my earthly possessions…but most of all…watch this DVD. It will be lying here on the coffee table when you need it. I hope you won’t be here, but if you are – please watch this before you do anything else.” “Now you’re really freaking me out!” Andrea was holding the top of her head with her fingers intertwined. “Let’s get out of her before something really weird happens. I’m thinking a Latte would be good about now. Why don’t we pile in Tristan’s Jeep and head over to the Cardiac Coffee Shoppe over on the main drag and chill for awhile.” All five got their belongings together, said their goodbyes to Ken, jumped into Tristan’s Jeep, and took off toward the Coffee Shoppe that was located on the main drag for a little down time.

MyLife Daily Devotions (Monday through Friday)

Ministry of: Faith Baptist Church

Friday The Story: Secrets of Tomorrowland, A Story

The Cardiac Coffee Shoppe

The Cardiac Coffee Shoppe was well known for its wide selection of coffee, specialty coffee,

teas, extraordinary array of sweets, the latest of every type of gaming system available on the

market on the upper deck, fireplace in the middle of the log cabin style lower level, and I-net

hookups all around the circumference of the Coffee Shoppe. It had about everything a person

would want or need in order to just hang out. They arrived at the Shoppe with its usual hustle

and bustle of activity, and ordered their favorite beverages. Of course, Andrea had to get the

double fudge brownie to go with her favorite drink – the triple caffeine white chocolate mocha.

Everyone in the group began to sigh because they knew it was going to be an evening full of

vibrant and superfluous conversation.

After some light-hearted talk, Tristan kick starts a serious discussion by saying that he thought

the whole rapture gig was a little far-fetched. “I’ve heard people talking about Armageddon my

whole life, but nothing has ever happened. I think it’s just going to keep going and going like it

always has. Kind’a like the pink bunny in those battery commercials.”

“Tristan, don’t be too cocky,” replied Connor while trying to control his passion for the truth.

“What if it is true? What if what Ken said is going to happen in the near future actually

happens? What will you do then?”

“We’ll, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Besides – it’s just a fairy tale anyhow. I’m

surprised that you really believe all that stuff.”

They chatted for a longtime, and then Tristan got up to order a latte to go. While rising from his

seat he asks if anyone else wanted something to go too. They all say no. Tristan leaves the

table, and Connor excuses himself to visit the little boy’s room before they leave the Coffee

Shoppe.

The Rapture

All hell breaks loose just as Tristan finished paying for his latte. People in the Coffee Shoppe

were screaming; a driverless car crashed through the window, fell on top and crushed a beautiful

young woman that…just moments ago…was happily chattering with her friends at a table by the

fireplace.

Authors Note:

What we are about to witness is the beginning of the culmination of the mystery of iniquity upon

the earth. God – from the beginning – has had a plan to rid the universe of sin, and eliminate the

pain that it causes as it takes hold on individual lives. As we are learning, God has mercifully

given man every opportunity to “get it right;” each time he has failed miserably.

The Seventh Dispensation – The Tribulation Period

The tribulation is the seventh dispensation, and will start when the Antichrist (world leader at

that time in history) will strengthen the Middle East peace accords that have already been agreed

upon by the leaders of the Arab and Jewish political leadership (Daniel 9). So, let’s take a look

at a fictional story that is grounded in Biblical truth. I hope that this brief excursion from our

nonfiction world will open your eyes to the great privilege and responsibility we have to

“reconcile the Word of God to the world.” You never know; with your help, the seeds of this

story just may germinate into a major motion picture coming to a theatre near you. It would be a

great thriller! Help me get the word out by purchasing three books. Keep one for yourself, and

pass the other two along to a friend. It will impact their eternity for the better; I promise!

Chaos Envelops the Planet (Back To The Café)

Tristan scrambles through, around and over the frenzied mob of people as he is trying to locate

his friends. He looks across the room – where just a moment ago people had been involved in

relaxing conversation – to find Bekka and Andrea covering their heads with their arms, while

hiding under a table, to protect themselves from debris that was flying around the room. Tristan

runs over, notices that the guys are not with them and asks where Maverick and Connor had

gone. With a confused and frightened look on her face, Bekka tells Tristan that Maverick had

just left for the bathroom to see if Connor was OK. Just as Bekka finished talking, Maverick

comes running over to the table looking like he had just seen a ghost.

“Connor’s gone!” Maverick was running to them with an exasperated look on his face.

“What do you mean by…he’s gone?” cried Andrea waiting for some kind of reasonable

explanation!

“I ran into the bathroom, checked every stall, but the only thing I could find were his clothes. I

found them crumpled on the ground…on top of one another…as if they just fell off of him.”

Maverick lifted Connor’s clothes up and showed them the evidence of his crazy claim. “I’m not

exactly sure what has just happened, but I think we need to go directly to Ken’s house and take

him up on his offer. I think this fits his description of topsy-turvy.”

Maverick and Tristan reached down to give the girls a lift out from under the tables, and started

making their way through the debris, and out to their vehicle. The sight of Tristan’s Jeep crushed

beneath an LTL trailer greeted them when they stepped outside of the Café. His car was totaled.

Tristan ran over to his car, ran his hands over the mangled frame, and stood motionless while

looking at the remains of this brand new vehicle. After helping Tristan compose himself, the

group retrieved the valuables from his Jeep and began walking toward Ken’s house; it was only a

couple miles southwest of the Cardiac Café.

Utter Devastation And Mass Confusion

The smell of gasoline fires and the stench of burning flesh hung in the air as they walked down a

street that looked more like the aftermath of a war-zone. The wreckage of cars and mangled

bodies strewn on the street and sidewalks was a sight for which the four friends were totally

unprepared.

Before they can acclimate themselves to the situation at hand, a young lady runs up and grabs

them by their clothing – practically ripping Tristan’s jacket off his shoulders. She is weeping

uncontrollably as she tells them that she can’t find her husband or her two children. She told

them that just moments before they had been on a family excursion to the park, and looked up to

find herself alone in a car that was speeding out of control toward a telephone pole. They

noticed the blood soaking her clothes that was oozing from the deep gashes on her face and

upper body. They knew they could do little to help her, but tried to console her as much as

possible until help arrived. It hit close to home when she said that her family was gone, but their

clothing was lying on the seats exactly where they had been sitting before they vanished. They

immediately thought of Connor.

Out of nowhere, Maverick yells for them to move. Unknown to everyone but Maverick, a truck

was hurtling full-throttle toward them. Bekka was the last to move and barely missed being run

over by the driverless vehicle, but the young lady they were just consoling wasn’t so fortunate.

The truck had smashed into her just as she was turning around to see why Maverick was

shouting. They knew she was dead before they ran over to the wreckage; the truck crashed into a

drug store, and she was trapped between the wall of the building and the grill of the truck.

Weeping, they left her remains to the ambulance that had just arrived on the scene.

They continued walking through the downtown area on their way to Ken’s home, and caught

glimpses of news reports, displayed in store windows, that were pouring in from around the

world. The news was reporting total devastation on a global scale, but that America seemed to

be the country that had suffered the most.

Maverick pushed them into the store so they could hear the reports more clearly. The news

continued to report that political leaders from around the world had disappeared, and the planet

was on the verge of anarchy. The news agencies were urging their listeners to try and stay as

calm as possible while the remaining political leaders put together a plan to bring stability to the

world. The news anchor, while choking back her tears, said martial law was going to be

enforced immediately. She continued that thought by explaining that everyone had to be indoors

by eight pm every night. She said that the situation was so grave that anyone out after the eight

pm curfew would be shot; no questions asked.

The news continued to report that the executive committee of the U.N. was being called together

in order to put together a plan to restore world order, and that they would keep everyone

informed on their progress.

“I can’t believe this is happening!” They looked over and saw Tristan staring blankly at the

plasma screen.

Andrea agreed and said, “We need to get to Ken’s house, and as quickly as possible.” They all

nodded their heads in agreement, walked out of the store and headed toward 1327 Third Loop

Road in order to find some answers to the chaos that was enveloping the world.