Chapter 2: The Chamber’s Secret
We reach the end of the door-less corridor. There are only three things here. At eye level is a chiseled cinderblock. A cross and scripture reference to “2 Timothy 2:11-13” were carefully dug into it; in the same design as the entrance stone. Just below it, sits a bulging cloth atop a plain rustic altar. Lifting the cloth reveals a much worn Bible. A red string marks the page to that prolific passage. The words are: “If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” I realize these words to be the key to everything.
This passage from “Timothy” is intended to touch the very soul. The safeguard to this system is a series of things that must be done to reveal its hidden treasures. “EVIL” could not and would not ever do the following. It seems the pastor knew this. Only a repentant response will start the unlocking procedure. And, only a truly repentant heart will find the hidden chamber. It starts by kneeling in repentance. Pressing the attached knee rest down moves the unlocking device. A truly repentant heart will then lean forward while clasping their hands in prayer on the altar’s table top. The combined continuous pressure on these devices set into action a simple mechanical timer. A secret passage clicks unlocking its entry way when a prayer continues for one minute. This sound echoes throughout the chamber making its origins impossible to find, thus the entrance is impossible to find. The secret is in the cross. It took Paul a week to figure this out and what to do next.
Paul is our new pastor. He had to keep resetting the locking system before finding the next chamber’s entrance. This took many attempts by resetting the device and trying, and retrying over and over. Resetting can only be done by sliding open and closing the original entrance stone. He was ready to give up in the midst of his weeping when a realization hit him. Revelation is found only in the cross itself. In his repentant position he touched the cross. He slid his finger tracing the cross’s incision feeling a slight burr of metal protruding. He pressed and slid it from the horizontal beam’s left side to its right side. Paul could hear stone rubbing against stone as something happened. There is a door in the floor half way back the corridor. It pops up only one half inch. Stepping on it will again lock it, and sound the intruder alarms in the underground cavern. You can step on the door and not even notice it. Its marble context matches the floor exactly. Sliding your feet is about the only way to find it. You will know it when you feel your shoe bump its lip.
Dave repents as I lift the unlocked stone door. We step down into a virtual city of supplies and information. The original pastor built his church over what must have been a huge underground military bunker. We cannot stay down here long though. This place has limited living space. It’s dedicated essential to supplies we need for living. It has running water, a small complete bathroom, and electricity. None of us have figured out where the electricity is actually coming from. We’ve found the pump bringing in the well water, just not the source of its electricity. We believe the former pastor installed and hid some sort of protected solar power system somewhere around the neighborhood.
Upon entering this lower chamber you’ll see a makeshift chapel. It can hold thirty two of us. We assemble here on Sunday only. This is where we plan, pray, and replenish. We would love to all take safe harbor here, but we cannot all fit. The “T” members all agree no one will live here. This place is for supplies, information, and Sunday worship only. The only other time it can be used is in extreme cases of emergencies-like Dave and I am currently in. Today is Thursday.
There are several room entrances jutting off this corridor with the main supply chamber at the far end. The first room you’ll come to is the chapel. It’s on the left.
A DVD dangles from a bent paperclip hanging over its entrance way. There is a laptop on a small table as you enter the chapel. I remember the first time I played that DVD. I live by its words now. “Don’t give up. You do have hope. You have repented and are covered with eternal grace of God’s mercy. Our God is on your side. He will help you. I will not lie to you. Your life will be extremely hard, brother, until Jesus returns with all the fellow Saints. You have one advantage no one has known before. You know exactly when Jesus will return. You have three options concerning your life here, and in eternity. One, don’t take the brand and stay alive exactly seven years. The seven year countdown starts on the exact day a particular man will broker a seven year peace accord between the Holy Land of Israel and its enemies. The second is being caught by the Son of Perdition or his followers. You will be tortured to death. Both of these options require extreme faith. There is one last option. It is to give up and believe his lies and wonders. Most everyone still alive will. You cannot and must not be willing to take this Great Deceiver’s mark. He may or may not end your torture. He might even promise you great powers and wonderful pleasures. But, it will be for a short time. He is the king of lies. You will know his mark. It will be his requirement to buy and sell. You will then worship him. His mark will be used to distinguish his followers. Stay away from him. Stay away from all his agents and his followers. They have sold their very soul to him. They are all damned to an eternity of pain in Hell.” This large black pastor left his words forever etched in my mind and in my heart. His last words were the most important. “The Holy Spirit now dwells in you my dear brother, and will help you towards Christ.” He left a file next to the laptop with written instruction surrounding the inventory of supplies and hundreds of one hour long DVD sermons. Each one’s filled with scriptures dealing with this particular time. We use a new one every Sunday. It gives us the strength we need to make it through each week. At my inauguration I was given: two each-three by five inch Bibles.
One’s for my personal use and one is to give away when the proper time arises. Both are now hidden in my home.
Dave and I grab a meal ration from the supply room and return to the sanctuary to eat. I decide again to ask Dave about what happened earlier at my house. He starts begging me to stay at my place. I gently try refreshing the rules us Irreverent brothers all agreed on. “It’s safer if we all remain separate.” Dave already knows no “T” member knows more than one other member’s address. This is to prevent a captured member from revealing more than one other member. The added benefit is each person is commanded to state they live alone, or with their family members only. The theory is: if a member is captured, the LD most likely would just execute their prisoner; since there is no reason to torture them. But, where there are two, there are more. You’d most likely be tortured and be in the midst of Demons, until you die; that’s if they’d let you die. One last point to being alone is: your senses are better to distinguish intruders. The theory is: you know the sounds you make. You can even smell trouble better. “Our senses would be confused Dave. I might not know whether you made a noise or a LD, or if you were causing a particular smell or if it was from another source. Our advance warning would be compromised. The odds are just so much better alone.” He starts sobbing, “I can’t do it any longer all alone. I’m so, so scared; especially at night!” He bends over into a sitting fetal position blubbering, “Oh God, pleeease help me-I just can’t take it anymore!” I knew he experienced something horrific before his earlier intrusion. I bend close to him and whisper, “I guess we’ll somehow do this together Dave; Lord willing.” He reaches his right arm over my left shoulder, cupping the back of my neck. He remains fetal and pulls me slightly towards him while reverently gulping, “Thank you, thank you, thank God, and thank God for you.”
I give him a minute to gain himself. I tell Dave, “Come on buddy, we got to go. The Demons will be out soon.”
Demons love the dark because of the fear it creates. We slide the entrance stone back over and dash, while bending over to run. We then race methodically to the tree line.
Dave is bigger than me, but I’m battle tested in fear. It’s not that he’s weak; it’s just that I’ve been thro
ugh more. I’ve seen war and experienced suffering. I guess my life has more surrealistic moments than most others. His life has been more real. Well, at least till “Harpazô Day.” That day he lost his wife, Becky, and his kids, Sammy, and Brittney. That day he also lost his mind.
Dave heard something come on the news at work that day, while I was working under my truck in my garage at home. I drive a “big rig” across country for a living; or I used to. I live by myself, so I was not alerted to what was happening. I figured something was wrong a couple hours after. I live on the outskirts of town. Most all of the activity was in town a few miles away. I heard sirens screaming by my house; one chasing after the other. After the third one passed I rolled out from under my truck and lifted my garage door. There were pillars and pillars of fire off in the distance. Each one was belching enormous amounts of filthy dark smoke. Not the regular black smoke that comes from the occasional forest or house fire. I saw this type only in war. Only JP 5 (jet fuel) burning fuselage cause fires like these. It burns everything it touches with the heat of Hell itself. I knew each pile had a fuselage, and each one took a lot of lives. As I was looking, a fire engine and several rescue trucks raced towards the closest pillar of smoke about 8 miles past town. I counted a dozen fires before deciding to go help.
Dave told me he raced out of work after hearing the commotion and mayhem coming from outside. Dave’s first concern was to go check on his family, but when he got outside he walked into a different world. He saw car after car crushed in accidences everywhere.
People were frantically running and screaming. Some were grotesquely injured and others ran mentally impaired.
He tried to maneuver around all the devastation and drive home, but there were too many deformed vehicles and dead bodies in his way. Dave leaped from his car and started running towards home. He tried calling, but all communication went haywire. He remembered chanting, “My babies, my Becky,” like a cadence, all the way home. But, he didn’t get that far. He found a “big rig” with two cars crushed under it. He recognized Becky’s license plate ID. He dropped to his knees yelling, “My God,” as he continued crawling over the bloody asphalt towards the mangled mess. He imagined what he knew he’d see, but he was wrong. All the doors were compressed way past the point of opening. He could only frantically reach his arm inside to feel around, and felt no one. He then replaced his arm with his face through the broken window hole. There was no blood and no bodies in the wreckage. The last thing he saw was the clothes he remembered them wearing when he left for work that morning. The only thing he found in the car that day was three distinct sets of clothes in three individual piles. That’s when he lost his mind.
Dave leaps ahead of me taking point. I carefully scour the surroundings. We are close to home and it’s getting shades darker. It’s pretty close to sunset now. I suddenly spot a female LD, and worse-she sees me! My only defense is to stay far enough away so it can’t spot the fake “Trinity” brand on my forehead. I shake internally as I stand in my fear, but I remain unemotional exteriorly. I decide to fake that my shoe came untied and bend over to hide my forehead in the process. I begin silently praying for divine protection that she stays far enough away from me that our spirits won’t conflict. If she gets to close she’ll be able to sense my spirit is sanctified. I nod a “good day” and stand to notice her empty presence continue walking by on the opposite side of the street.
I return walking robotically and unemotional as possible passing the hidden body of Dave below in the bushes. I continue staring out of the corner of my eyes that lock onto her black empty ones. Her direction influences my direction of travel. My blank stare seems long enough to convince her I am LD too. I think, “If she only knew how scared I really am?” My head snaps from my sideward glance forward to what lay ahead. I can feel her stare as my inner consciences says, “Continue on, and don’t fear.” I’ve made it a block without any alarm. I turn the corner and proceed to duck and cover behind some bushes. I see Dave dodging, observing, and covering as he makes his way to up to my location. I see that the sun is almost completely down while waiting for Dave to catch up. I reinsure my confidence by realizing it’s only one block more till we’re home.
Most of the debris filling the streets has been cleaned off the streets the last year. That use to help hide us as we’d travel back and forth to “T”. It’s getting much harder now to maneuver without getting caught. We make it to my house and sneak onto my property. Its abandon appearance has so far kept “Trinity” agents and the LD away. I hope no one noticed that the window was open. The last thing I want is to raise any suspicion. I crawl up the side of the house first, and then through the window. I view the perimeter and wave Dave up. We slide the plywood back in place and secure it.
We’re finally in for the night. Dave snaps and shakes the green glowing light into a “glow stick” then hooks it on a wire that I impaled in the middle of my front room floor. The wire sticks up about a foot and is shielded 180 degrees. It only gives its green glow inwards, producing just enough light to read a little before sleeping, or to light my escape route-just in case. Dave looks at me and whispers “Thanks brother.” Feeling safe, he rolls over and slowly drifts off to a better place.
I remove a blanket from my upstairs bed and return to cover Dave. I take the glow stick and check the damage he caused to my back door. I then secure it temporarily by forcing a chair under the knob, and then sliding it tightly against the door. I return to my bedroom while whispering a prayer of protection over this house, and on us.
I sit on my bed shaking my head in disbelief. Why didn’t I believe? Why didn’t I at least research it? Everyone I love disappeared that day. My momma and sis invited me to share in their faith, but I refused to be indoctrinated. I don’t want some set of rules condemning everything I do. I refused to know their compassion as they tried over and over throughout the years. They’d always end each conversation with, “I’ll pray God reveals His love to you,” or a simple, “God bless you Joey.” I weep now every night before retiring. “Thank you God for your revelation, and answering the prayers of my momma and sis.” They both went in the great snatching away.
I now know the truth. Not only do I know it, but I feel it. I open my Bible to read a chapter as I do twice a day. I’m starting in the book of “Titus” tonight. I try memorizing a verse a day. It is like soul food that provides protection. It answers every question I can come up with. It is not about a list of rules no one can follow. It’s about the love of God. It’s about a relationship with God. It’s about accepting the gift of God by just saying, “I need you in my life Jesus.” These words won’t make you perfect. These words just make you forgiven. Then, God’s Holy Spirit (His helper) fills you. No evil can enter the house where God dwells. I am protected and have peace amidst all my fears. I am eternally forgiven and eternally loved by my Abba, my daddy. My eyes grow heavy as my hearing grows more alert. I mumble thanksgiving to my creator and ask for blessings while dozing off.
Immediately, my bedroom floor rumbles as I sink into my bed. Invisible arms start pulling me down through my mattress. I try wrestling them off me, but there’s nothing grab. Their amazing strength squeezes the life from me, and their evil presence crushes the faith right out of me. I do the only thing I can do. I cry out “Jesus.” These arms release me as the enormous weight of their evil presence pushes me through my bed, through my house, and through the ground below.
My heart melts in its abandonment as I fall through this endless despairing darkness. I slam to a stop shattering every one of my bones into pieces. The pain is so immense I think I never wanted to die so much. It’s beyond description. The extreme cold of loneliness and helplessness battles the ferocious heat for possession of my eternal soul. My eyes swim through my tears as they fearfully move up to see that warning plaguing me. The sign slowly swings as it creeks a hideous song of captivity. It whispers with a multitude of voices over and over the hopelessness of this place. All my senses are perfec
ted here. Every one of them feels, taste, and hears everything dripping from this awful place. Every one of them is warning me the “Relentless” come to tear me apart.
They draw nearer as I pry my heavy head up. The pain and depressing gravity seems to have glued my sizzling broken body to the jagged iron floor. I see their glowing eyes and feel their thirsty presence surrounding me. I draw in as much of this poisonous air as my hurting lungs will allow me, and in one last futile attempt I exhale “Jesus.” I now surrender myself to the hopelessness of Hell.
The nature of the approaching snarling creatures’ suddenly changes. Their swiping claws turn to defend their gruesome faces as their heads jet upward. It’s not my body’s feast that centers their attention, but what their senses are screaming to them what is coming down. I am so, so thankful for the momentary reprieve from my intense throbbing. The shout of his name magically numbs me. My eyes drown me with hopeless tears that soak every aspiration in my heart. I am poured out and spent with fear as I lay prostrate in pain.
I hear the “Relentless” cry out in agony as their screams chase after their hasty retreat. The malevolent hand squeezing my heart suddenly lets go. The heaviness jumps off of me which confuses me. Something comes that must be more wicked. I am surely cursed.
I stare up and see a prickle of light. It releases a sparkle that showers down the greatest feeling I’ve ever felt. I feel its hope. Its bright light overwhelms my eyes. This wonderful joy is beyond my imagination. I just want more of it. I’m totally blinded as this light blankets me, and then it starts slowly filling everything, and flowing everywhere. I continue to stare through my blindness, at its hypnotic origin. I can’t see anything, but its peace is moving closer and closer. All of a sudden, I am totally and emphatically over taken. I hear these words bellow with the power that shakes the very foundation of Hell. “He’s mine!”
My heart, oh my heart has returned me. I can’t speak now.....! I can’t talk now....!
My tears reverse their flow and stream out of me. Each one carries the gratitude of my heart. All this love over taking me is..., is..., tremendously magnificently perfect. I feel my worthlessness compared to the admiration the approaching entity somehow feels towards me. All I want is more as I babble and tremble out my simple worthlessness. “You are not worthless my son, you are one of my special jewels.” He wraps His warm adoring arms around this frail and broken body as I weep, “Abba, daddy.” He scoops me ever so gently. His touch spontaneously heals every one of my ailments. His overwhelming perfect love for me is unbearable. I feel 10,000 times beyond wonderful.
We rise softly while He stares down. I feel His emotion as He holds me securely in His embrace. Our hearts share the pity His heart feels for all those hopeless eternal souls we forever leave behind. He speaks to me as we jet away, “I bring you to a place of true wonder. I am bringing you home son.” My spirit adjusts to His embrace as it composes many questions. I feel His strong absolute power scaring me into absolute submission. “Oh my dear, I know your thoughts.
Don’t worry my child. I truly love you and will protect you forever. We travel now beyond my universe. What you see between us and the distant galaxies are moments in time you have experienced.” In this vision it’s like I’m watching a movie playing over a celestial movie screen. I see a backdrop of galaxies, nebula, and wonderful amazing colors swishing by. There are all types of objects stirring about, with infinite shapes and sizes. Over this background a moment from my past begins to play out.
I am five years old watching my little friend Samantha from my front yard. Her kitty was just run over by a passing car. I stare as she frantically tries summoning her kitty from the curbside, but it just lays there motionless bleeding in the middle of the street. I hear her cry and call out to him. I don’t know how to help her as she stands all alone sobbing. I do the only thing I can think of. I walk over to her side and place my little arm around her. I tell Sammy, “Don’t cry. He’s in heaven now.” Oh, the compassion in this moment. Oh, the sorrow we share.
I see another, another, and still another instance come alive. It’s every moment of my life playing simultaneously. I clearly see, completely feel, and thoroughly comprehend every revealing bit. Suddenly, all the visions vanish. I now see just my dear sweet grey hair momma. She is kneeling while praying a bedtime prayer. Now, I begin hearing all her prayers flooding over me as she pleads the same prayer night after night. All her rushing voices suddenly disappear. I now listen to their essences sum up in this one heartfelt request. She sweetly asks Jesus to come save me-her little boy. I want to weep, but I cannot. God’s immense love for me won’t allow it. I now see my sis and all the times I shunned her invitations to accept Jesus.
As this movie continues, I see many more moments of my rebellious life flutter by. I just feel sorrow for the way I lived, and how I treated all those whom really love me. In the midst, Jesus opens His hand while extending His arm, and then swishes it side to side. “Joey, those rebellious moments are remembered no more. They were forgotten the instant you
welcomed me in to your heart. Now, you will remember them no more.” Instantly, the weighty burden is lifted. My sorrow disappears as an invigorating freshness envelope me. I now see and feel only His immense love, awestruck wonder, and captivating glory as we briskly leave this universe behind.
In a moment we stand facing each other. I find I’m staring into His compassionate eyes as He stares lovingly into mine. Suddenly, I feel life coming from the grass carpet I’m currently squishing between my toes. This immediately startles me! I begin hopping, trying not to hurt it. “It’s alive, it’s so alive!” I see His mouth form a gentle amusing smile. “Relax Joey and enjoy the grass. You will not hurt it. I created it. It adores your presents and desperately desires to embrace your feet. Stand upon it.” I rest without worry as its tickle wraps around my toes. In this moment I begin to notice the beautiful music coming from all around. A heavenly breeze usher an awesome sensation of sweet fresh flowers. All of a sudden I realize I can actually taste the nectar it’s producing just from its aroma. I stick my tongue out to catch as much of this delicacy as I can. My ears are lured back to the sweet charming music coming from every direction everywhere. I can’t see the source, but I know in my soul this music is devoted to worshiping Him. He answers before I even ask, “This is the beginning of Heaven. Everything overflows with my praise. The grass, the trees, the flowers, and every creature sing’s praises to me. This is even the yearning of your soul.” I discern that I do feel it singing choirs of quiet praises. I listen and giggle at my soul’s awesome joy. I begin to become aware of my senses. Each is intensely receptive. Each combines with the other’s function.
I can taste the sounds permeating my tongue. “Wow!” Each sound taste uniquely different. I can even taste the amazing tapestry of colors I feel all around. I look towards the sky and taste the difference between the fluffy whiteness and the deepness of the blue. Each is so vibrant. It’s like I’m a baby experiencing everything for the first time. The flavors explode in my mouth. My new super vision allows me to see colors beyond color, and things at incredible distances. I experience each shade is a different morsel of ambrosia. I spread my arms outward while leaning my head backwards in my attempt to soak in every new sensation. I have a second epiphany while using my new and improved senses. I can even taste the sky with my eyes. My senses are no longer independent of each other, but act as one large tongue lapping everything up. The sky is the bluest hue of blues, and its smell is like fresh picked blueberries. I can even feel its smooth sweet moist texture with my eyes. I gobble in each and every sensation my soul will devour. As I begin to notice having more than just my ordinary five senses, I hear Jesus speak, “I’ve brought you here for a reason Joey. It is to give you hope. It is to share this hope with those I will bring to you. It is to give you, and them, the strength to overcome the pain and horror you will face. Remember, I will never ever leave you, or forsake you. Your nightmares were given to you to w
arn those hardhearted. Some will only come to me through fear and despair. Use your nightmares as a warning of the eternal pain and suffering, and Heaven as their eternal reward. I will protect you from the reoccurring nightmares. They are no more.”
All of a sudden, I begin drifting away from Jesus. My heart cries out, “No, I won’t go back to that awful place! It’s full of fear and despair.” But, my heart also shouts submission to His will. “I will do whatever you ask me Abba. I know the importance of what you ask.” I feel His love carry with me, as His final words resound and slowly dissolve, “No man knows the wonders I have waiting for those whom truly love me.”
In a moment I am back in bed. The depression of this place over takes me, but a holy remnant of His glory shines through the plywood crack covering my window. This single golden beam’s warmth is giving me amazing new strength. I know my new mission and the reality of this past night. I can only say, “Thank you Lord.” His awesome love empowers me to do what I have not before. This is to bring the message of salvation without reservation. I am not afraid anymore, for I know now that I am truly blessed.