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VICTORY IN BABYLON--PART TWO    [Chapters 5-8]

Copyright: January 1993, Family Services, Zurich, Switzerland.        DO

        Required reading for all, age 7 years and up!

        THE STORY SO FAR!--In 605 B.C., young Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were taken from their homes in Jerusalem by the invading army of King Nebuchadnezzar, & carried away as captives to Babylon. Because of their excellent upbringing they were chosen to be in the king's court. Now in Heaven over 2,500 years later, they have been looking back at all the mighty miracles that the Lord did for them during their time in captivity--as well as the precious lessons of desperate prayer, trusting the Lord, & standing up for the Truth that they learned! This is in preparation for a top level Council Meeting with Jesus Himself, to which they have been invited.

CHAPTER FIVE
THE MASTER'S PLAN!

        To see Jesus seated on His Throne in all of His Majesty & Power & Heavenly Glory is such an incredibly awe-inspiring experience that, like the 24 elders, you can only fall down & worship before Him, pouring out your heart in ardent* love & praise & adoration*! (See Rev. Chapters 4 & 5.)
        However, to meet the Lord face-to-face in a Heavenly council meeting, a fun fellowship time, or a personal talk-time, is a very different experience! He welcomes you as a friend (see Jn.15:15) & helps you to feel totally relaxed, loved & at ease!
        "Ah, My dear friends! Please do come on in!" the Lord said to Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego as they entered the Main Council Chamber at the Royal Palace. He arose from His seat to give them each a hearty embrace. "Daniel is already here, as you can see, as well as Joseph [Jacob's son], & quite a few others!"
        "I'll show you to your seats," said a beautiful smiling female attending Angel.
        Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego took their places beside Daniel at the huge round conference table, made of the most beautiful Heavenly mahogany*.
        Seated around the table were about 40 different Saints* from many different time periods of Earth's history, including a few of the early Christian martyrs. They also noticed some former members of the famous "Children's Crusade"*, along with a couple who had been Gypsy children in Abrahim's band. Also present were a couple of more recent arrivals--Abner & Phoebe & a few other graduated Family Members! Because of their background as members of David's Endtime Family, they were often invited to meetings in which "Family" matters were being discussed.
        Besides the 40 Saints, there were about an equal number of Angels of various ranks* & powers. The Archangel Michael was expected to arrive soon. He was not much seen in Space City these days, as he was one of the chief protectors & overseers of the children of David on Earth.
        While waiting for Michael to arrive, Jesus took the opportunity to help everyone feel at ease by sharing inspiring tidbits of Heavenly news! Then they "oohed" & "aahed" as He gave them a thrilling little preview of exciting new plans & projects & creations that He had in the works! As the pretty little attending Angels served delightful drinks & mouth-watering snacks, they all enjoyed this special little time of precious fellowship with the Lord!
        Suddenly the trumpets of the Herald Angels in front of the Palace sounded, which usually signified* the approach of some very important visitor! Sure enough, a few moments later the Archangel Michael himself was shown into the Conference Room! He was still wearing his battle robe, & looked very rugged & strong, & extremely handsome.
        "Lucifer knows that every time I am called away from the battlefield, it must be for some very important reason!" Michael explained, as he took his place at the table. "So he hurled everything he could at me, which wasn't much, thanks to the power of Your Spirit & the wisdom You give.--But it did manage to delay me a little!"
        As Jesus thanked & commended Michael for his great faithfulness in defending His children on Earth, Daniel smiled as he remembered back so many years ago!--How the Lord had sent a mighty angelic messenger to deliver a very important Endtime prophecy to him in Babylon. However, the demon prince of Persia had managed to delay the Angel for three weeks, until finally the Lord sent Michael to help him in the fight to get the message through!
        How Daniel's heart thrilled that the hidden meanings of those mysterious prophecies, which the Lord had kept locked & sealed for thousands of years, had now been revealed to the great Endtime Prophet David, & were even at this moment being fulfilled! (See Daniel Chapters 10-12.)
        "The Devil, the Enemy of God, is very busy with his wicked activities on Earth right now," Michael reported, "particularly against the children of David! The Devil knows that they are the greatest threat to his diabolical* plans to set up his Satanic One World Empire!--So he is trying to get at them in any way that he can! The other Angels on my team are having to work harder than usual to keep the little devils within their bounds! Not that they mind! In fact, it makes guard duty a little more challenging for them! But it does seem that Lucifer is realising that his time now is very short, so he's trying to stir up all the trouble that he can!" (See Rev.12:12.)
        "Yes," smiled the Lord. "And I also know about his upcoming plans against My children, because he does nothing without My knowledge.--Which brings Me to the reason that I called you all together for this meeting!"
        Jesus then activated* the large round viewing glass that was set into the middle of the conference table. Through this they could gaze down at any country, city, town, neighbourhood, house or person on Earth! On the screen appeared a large house in a pleasant neighbourhood with a nicely kept garden surrounded by beautiful green trees. In the garden, about 18 children of various ages were enjoying a game of dodge-ball. Immediately the members of the Heavenly Council could sense that this was a Family Home!
        "You're right!" said the Lord, reading their thoughts. "This is the 'Green Trees' Home! Now let's take a closer look at My beautiful children!"
        Everyone smiled as the picture zoomed in to show close-ups of the happy smiling teens, JETTs & younger children, & some of their dear parents & Shepherds!
        "Look, there's David & Sharon!" exclaimed one of the Angels. "They used to be in the Home I was assigned to guard in the Philippines. Now they're teens!"
        "And is that Peter & Praise?" exclaimed another. "I helped Praise witness to Peter in 1973 & win him to the Family!"
        "They're a beautiful couple!" the Lord beamed. "I've blessed them with six children! That's their oldest boy, Danny, who is throwing the ball right now! He's 16. Then there's Love--14, Martin--11, Jesse--8, Precious--4, & Jamie who is 3!"
        "What's that little one's name?" chuckled Abednego. "He's so cute!"
        "That's Brian," Jesus smiled, "the youngest son of Jeremy & Jerusha!"
        Looking every bit like a proud Father, the Lord then went on to introduce His other children in the Home! First, little Brian's older brother & sisters, Naomi--15, Paul--10, Clara--9, & Suzy--5.
        Then there was Bart & his Japanese wife Angel, with their twin girls Aiko & Nina, who were both 6.
        Also in the Home were Tommy--9, & Lily--3, who were the children of Bathsheba, a single mom.
        "Oh, over there is Gabriella," said the Lord, as He pointed to her in the garden. "She's the 11-year-old sister of David & Sharon."
        Then Jesus went on to announce, "I have chosen these children to be a very important part of a very important plan, through which the entire nation in which they are living will be reached with the Gospel! Satan is always trying to attack My children. He's angry about their witnessing, but he'll be trapped himself through this plan."
        Then the Lord, Who always loves to make things a little bit of a guessing game or mystery, added, "Would any of you like to guess what the plan may be?"
        "Well, Sir," volunteered Meshach, "knowing the backgrounds of some of the people present at this meeting, & since Abednego, Shadrach & I were asked to review the victories that You helped us to win as captives in Babylon, could it be that You are planning on allowing something similar to happen with these children?"
        "Exactly!" confirmed Jesus. "However, I will allow these children to be captives of this World's System for only a short time! Michael, you are almost as familiar as I am with the personnel in each one of My Family's Homes!--How do you think this particular Home would do if I were to allow them to suffer persecution?"
        "Well, Sir," the Archangel replied, "You've made sure that the Family has been very well prepared spiritually for any future persecution with a wealth of recent strengthening Word, victorious testimonies & triumphant* prophecies on the subject! These powerful publications have greatly strengthened the Family's faith, & have radically changed their attitude towards being persecuted! Even the children have been encouraged by the prophecies they have read about Lamb's children & Pearl's baby. Recent victories in Japan, Australia & various other countries of the World have made most of the teens & JETTs actually look forward to persecution as a thrilling challenge!--A time to be able to boldly stand up for the Truth & witness like the Endtime soldiers of the Lord that they've always dreamed of being! My only suggestion is that You may want to consider waiting until some of the children are a little older, & are a little stronger in the Word."
        "Thank you, Michael, for your very good counsel," replied Jesus. "However, in this case I want to prove that, with My help, any of My children in the Family are strong enough right now to overcome the worst that the Devil has to throw at them! Indeed, this experience will greatly strengthen & sober them--especially some of the children in their Home who tend to be rather shallow & foolish--& turn them into the fiery young Endtime soldiers that I have created them to be!"
        After a round of enthusiastic "Amens!" the Lord again drew their attention to the viewing glass. This time they could see not only the Home, but also the activity in the Spiritual World around it! The Home was surrounded by a glowing circle of many powerful policemen Angels! (See Job 1:10; Psa.34:7.) Beyond them was an even larger circle of devils, imps & demons, who were shouting & screaming in frustration & anger at all that the Family Members were doing for the Lord!--They were also screaming in pain when they foolishly approached too close to the Angels & got whacked or singed*!
        "As you can see," said the Lord, "the Family in this Home are very powerfully protected. However, for the battle that lies ahead, they are going to need a lot more help. Now here's the master plan!"
        All eyes were fastened on Jesus, excitedly wondering what He had in mind.
        "As you know, except for My King David & his Queen Maria, there is nobody on Earth that the Devil fears as much as My disciples in David's Family & the children that have been raised to serve Me! These children are a generation that has been raised nearly unpolluted by the Devil's System! They are pure & innocent in heart, honest & true, & strong in the Word & Spirit, & Satan knows how greatly I plan to use them to defy* & destroy his Antichrist System! Therefore he will not be able to resist the opportunity that I will allow him, to seize* some of My little ones & place them in one of his ungodly institutions*, hoping to be able to corrupt them with his vile* & worldly ways! However, I will see to it that his whole wicked plan backfires, that the children are released, & that their story & sample reach the people in that nation through the newspapers, radio & television!"
        There was a buzz of excitement around the table, as the different Saints & Angels wondered what their part was going to be in the Lord's big plan!
        "As you can imagine," Jesus continued, "this could be quite a shocking experience for My dear children to be suddenly separated from the Family for the first time in their lives! So, Michael, I want you to make sure that the Home is warned in advance of the Enemy's intentions with dreams & checks in the spirit, & that the children are thoroughly prepared."
        "Yes, my Lord, it will be done."
        "Also I want to provide these little ones with the very best help possible from My Heavenly helpers & Angels! Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, I am appointing you three as a teamwork to oversee the children during the time they are held captive in the institution! You can work with their present guardian Angels & spirit helpers, as well as have as many other helpers as you think you will need!"
        "Yes, Sir. Thank You, Sir!"
        "You will report directly to Daniel, who will remain here at the Royal Palace in his present position as one of My chief advisers & Elders. Daniel will be working in teamwork with Joseph to help oversee the entire operation & will be reporting directly to Me! This is a very important mission, & nothing shall happen to any of My precious little ones that will not be for their own good, & so that My Gospel can be preached! I Myself plan to be very, very close to them during this entire battle!"
        The Lord then explained to the other Saints & Angels that they would be assigned to give extra help to the various Family Members, friends & lawyers who would be playing key roles in the drama, & that Daniel, Joseph & Michael would give these Saints & Angels their orders directly after the meeting.
        Jesus then asked if there were any questions. Joseph raised his hand & asked how long the children would be held in captivity.
        "Well, a lot will depend on the prayers of the children & of the Family," the Lord replied, "but I have every confidence that enough desperate prayer power will be generated for Me to be able to work miracles on their behalf, & have the children released within a short time!"
        There were many enthusiastic reactions to the Lord's plan! Daniel brought up another important "Romans 8:28" that would surely result from this situation.--The children who hadn't yet learned to rely on the power of prayer would learn to do so through this experience! As a result they would in the future be able to benefit from all of the spiritual power & gifts that Jesus was waiting to bestow upon them, if they would only learn to pray more! To depend on prayer was one of the main lessons that Daniel & his friends had learned as captives in Babylon. Daniel was sure that being taken into captivity would be as much of a turning point in these children's spiritual lives, as it had been for him & his friends!
        The meeting then wound up with the Lord having each one then pray to the Father for the families & children involved.
        "The Devil never seems to learn from his mistakes!" Daniel commented. "Whenever he was allowed to persecute God's children, it ended in a humiliating defeat for his evil kingdom!"
        "Yes," Michael replied, "his attacks only cause the Lord's children to grow even stronger, & the Gospel to be preached to far more of the World than if he hadn't persecuted them in the first place!"
        Finally a time & place was set at which the whole team would assemble*. A flying saucer, big enough to comfortably accommodate their whole party, would be made available to transport them to their mission.
        With the meeting over, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego took time for a leisurely* stroll through the breathtaking beauty of the Palace Gardens, talking excitedly together about the mission ahead! Then they soared gracefully into the air, flying together towards their Heavenly mansions!
        On the way they passed tier* upon tier of the most gorgeous mansions imaginable! Many of them were newly built & vacant*, waiting to be occupied by Saints who presently were still "running the race" on Earth! (See Heb.12:1.)
        "If only those children of David could see what the Lord has waiting for them," said Meshach, "their trials on Earth would seem like nothing in comparison!" (See Romans 8:18.)
        The three of them then flew into their neighbouring mansions, to tie up any unfinished business, & say goodbye to their sweethearts & children & friends.

CHAPTER SIX
"HELL'S CHILDREN!"

        In a plush executive office on the top floor of a downtown skyscraper, the lights were burning late. Outside the weather was cold & icy, & snow was falling. The armed security guards, who were patrolling the outside hallway, nervously fingered their sub-machine guns*. Their leader, who normally had a very smooth & charming manner, took on a whole different personality, especially when he was upset.--And tonight he sounded mad about something! They could hear him ranting & raving behind the closed door of the office, in which he was huddled together in an emergency meeting with his closest aides*.
        "I WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE, DO YOU HEAR ME?" he bellowed*, squeezing a paperweight so hard in his fist that his knuckles turned white.
        "Here I am, almost ready to save the World from the mess we've helped it get into, & be heralded* as its Supreme Lord & saviour, & my plans are being exposed by this tiny, but extremely dangerous little group of Christians! LOOK AT THIS!" he choked with rage, slamming the paperweight down on top of a copy of a "Watch Out for 666!" Poster. "And this & this & this!" On his desk were a wide variety of Endtime Posters & Videos. "How many times have I given orders to stamp these people out!"
        "We've done all that we can, Sir!" muttered one of the aides apologetically. "But under the present World system it's very difficult. None of the false charges we've accused them of have ever stuck. Each time they manage to get out of it."
        "What about the smear campaigns* in the newspapers & the media, haven't they turned the people against them?"
        "Well, Sir, for awhile we thought that our campaign of lies & false accusations had forced them underground*.--They no longer seemed to be exposing our future plans as vigorously as they used to! However, it seems that they purposely changed their priorities* during this time to concentrate on the education & training of their children."
        "Yes," another aide carried on, "and unhappily for us, the young people & children of this group are now as great if not even a greater threat to us than their parents were! That's not to say that their parents have become any less zealous*. In fact, now both the parents and their teenagers are launching a major new offensive* against us & distributing millions of these Christian Posters worldwide!"
        "I tell you these people are even a greater threat to us than terrorists*!" growled the Antichrist. "They are one of the only groups in this World that know the details of our plans who are broadcasting it worldwide. This secret conspiracy* has taken many generations to engineer*, & I will not have it exposed by this little flea-size group of religious fanatics*!"
        Suddenly he fell quiet & brooded* awhile in silence. "That's it!" he muttered at last, an evil gleam coming into his eye. "We'll hit them where it hurts them the most!--Their children!"
        "With due respect, Sir, we've already tried that a few times. We've had the children taken into custody* & cooked up* many false charges of child abuse*, but it hasn't worked. We've never won a single case against them."
        "Then make it work, do you hear me? If we can just win one case anywhere in the World, then that will make it easier to win other cases & have their children taken away from them. I want you to start on this right away! I don't care how much money it takes! Bribe* & pay off whoever you need to get them on our side! Oh, yes, & contact our people who are running the intelligence agencies* & the anti-cult network*, & tell them to rake up as much filth, muck & lies as they can to sling at them in the media & in court! Are you getting all of this?"
        " Y ... Yes, Sir!"
        "Also try to get the help & approval of those Christian churches that we've managed to dupe* into siding with us, thinking they do God service! (See John 16:2.) And finally, I want you to work especially hard at subverting* any of the group's former Members who can be deceived into distorting the truth & telling lies against them. Pay their plane fares, their hotel fees & whatever money it takes to encourage these backsliders to witness against them! Maybe some weak Members will backslide, turn traitor & help us! Choose one of the group's Homes that we already have under surveillance*, & persuade the local authorities to move against them as soon as you can."
        "Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir!" said the aides, already scrambling into action.
        Meanwhile their leader walked over to the window. Silently he gazed out over the glittering lights of the city below, & into the darkness beyond.
        "Soon, this will be mine, all mine!" he whispered. "I will show the World that no one is powerful enough to stand up against me!"

* * * * * * *

        Meanwhile, Joseph & Daniel had been monitoring the Antichrist's secret meeting on a Heavenly Communicator at the Palace.
        "It makes me so mad to see him up to his old tricks again!" said Joseph. "He's always after the children! Look at how he tried to wipe out Moses when he was a baby! (See Exo.2:1-10.) Also Jesus! (See Mat.2:13-23.) Really, I don't know why he keeps trying!--He knows how jealously the Lord guards His children!"
        "Yes, is he going to really be upset when he sees the victory that the Lord is going to get out of this!"
        "Well, would you like to watch the AC's men contact the media & the anti-cult organisations?"
        "No, I think I've seen enough evil for one day!"
        "Me too! I'm in the mood for some refreshing Word time! Would you like to join me, Daniel?"
        "Oh, yes, thank you, Joseph, that would be good! And after that how about dropping by to pray for the team that is leaving on the mission?"
        "Praise the Lord! A splendid idea!"

CHAPTER SEVEN
THE ANNOUNCEMENT! --Amos 3:7

        (At the Green Trees Family Home)
        "I just have one more announcement!" said Uncle Peter towards the end of an inspiring devotions on "Faith & Trust", attended by the adults, teens & JETTs at Green Trees Home. "Are you tuned in, Martin?"
        "Er ... yes, Sir!" replied JETT Martin, whose attention had been sidetracked by the task of trying to scrape some dirt out from under one of his fingernails.
        "Good, because what I am about to share is very important!"
        Martin straightened up in his chair.
        "Within the last week," Uncle Peter continued, "two adults in this Home, as well as one of the JETTs, have received very similar dreams! When we prayed about them we got the verse, 'Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the Prophets.'--Amos 3:7. So we believe that the Lord is trying to warn us in advance of something that may happen!--He is warning us & helping us prepare, so we can know that we shouldn't be fearful or worried about it!"
        The teens & JETTs' hearts started to beat a little faster! This sounded exciting!
        "Well," continued Uncle Peter, "in one of these dreams we received a visit from the police & social workers, who were very rough & rude to us. Someone else dreamed about a big court battle in which our enemies told a lot of evil lies about us to the judge! Someone else dreamed you children were separated from us. Thank the Lord that each of the dreams had a very happy ending & the Lord got a wonderful victory!
        "Amen!" said the teens & JETTs enthusiastically.
        "Anyway," continued Uncle Peter, "God bless you for being faithful to pass those dreams on to us!--Especially as the Lord has spared us from having to suffer any serious persecution in this country for many years! However, what does 2 Timothy 3:12 say?"
        "Yea, & all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution!" everyone chorused.
        "Right! And are we trying our best to live Godly in Christ Jesus?"
        "Yes!"
        "So God's Word promises us that we will suffer persecution! We can count on it! But should we be nervous & fearful about it?"
        "No!" said teen Danny. "The Lord tells us, 'Rejoice ye in that day, & leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in Heaven!'--Lk.6:23. And that we should 'rejoice & be exceeding glad ... for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you!'"--Mat.5:12.
        "Amen! Hallelujah, praise the Lord!" said Uncle Peter. "Okay, let's read what Grandpa & Mama have already said in the Word about situations like this, shall we?"
        "(Maria: Almost every real Christian sometime in his life does suffer some persecution.) Oh, the Scripture proves it! It says, 'They that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.'--2Tim.3:12. I was really praying & asking the Lord why, 'Why do You let Your Own children go through such suffering as this sometimes? Why?' And it came to me as clearly as anything, the main thing, it is a testimony to others. Another thing, it's a test. It's a test of you & your own faith & how much you love the Lord.
        "It's good for you! Persecution, even some of these threats & threatenings, don't they make you pray harder? Doesn't it make you get close to the Lord & get down to business with God, get serious with your work & work harder & try harder to get your job done before they stop you? Amen? So don't worry about it! Even if you do get some persecution, it's good for you, it makes you stronger, more ardent, love the Lord more, pray more & work harder & faster for Jesus!--Amen?"--ML#1141:64; 1889:131.
        "Amen!" everyone agreed.
        "Well, after praying about it with Praise & Mary, we felt that the Lord definitely wanted us to take these warnings seriously & do all that we can to be prepared. Yes, Uncle Martin?"
        "As a confirmation, a couple of times recently I've felt that I was being followed on the way back from outreach. I'm sorry I didn't mention it. Afterwards I thought maybe it was just my imagination, but at the time I had a definite check* about it!"
        "And something else," added Ben, the handyman. "I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but a number of times recently there's been a suspicious* van with tinted windows parked on the opposite side of the street! The neighbours are gone on holiday, but someone comes there each day anyway. There could be somebody inside watching us."
        "Well, praise the Lord," Peter encouraged everyone, "let's all be on the lookout, & mind any checks that the Lord may be giving you!--And please do mention anything you think may be suspicious! But most of all let's be sure to stay in the Word & prayer, & desperately seek the Lord for His help & protection! We have done absolutely nothing wrong, have broken no laws, & have nothing to hide."
        "Uncle Peter," asked teen David, "if it looks like this persecution is really going to happen, maybe we should just move. Wouldn't it be safer just to not be here?"
        "That's a good question, David," Uncle Peter answered soberly, "and something we have considered & prayed about. But we do have a very fruitful ministry here. We are winning lots of souls, & our follow-up meetings are going very well. When we prayed about it we didn't think we should abandon this harvest field just because the Devil says 'boo!' Do you agree?"
        "Yes, amen!" agreed the Home.
        "There's a good quote about that in the MOP," added Uncle Bart. "'Just because you get a little persecution & endure a little suffering or get a few little boos & scares from the Devil, doesn't necessarily mean you're to run right away, as long as you can keep on witnessing & litnessing & preaching the Gospel.'"--MOP 92:77.
        "I didn't think of it that way before. Thanks for explaining it, Uncle Peter," said David.
        "Besides," Uncle Peter added, "the Lord may want to give us a chance to witness more openly and to more people. The Lord often uses persecution to expose the evil lies of those who attack us and who are trying to stop our work for Jesus. So, with the Lord's help, this could turn into a real witnessing opportunity!"
        The Home then discussed together how best to prepare the younger children for persecution, & even for the possibility that the children might be separated from their parents for a short while. Of course, it was a trial for both the parents & the JETTs & teens to even have to think of such a thing happening!--However, everyone agreed that the children did need to be prepared, & be encouraged, no matter what happened, to keep in prayer, be honest & be a good witness & sample. The most important thing was to pump them full of the Word on the subject! They needed to see from the Bible that the Lord had allowed the Devil to try to attack His children many times before!--But from such seeming defeats He always brought wonderful victories! "Maybe for a starter the groups could review 'Jesus Cares for His Own!' in Kidz Mag No.76," suggested Auntie Praise.
        The Home then pow-wowed some practical preparations that could be made. Mary mentioned that, although the main purpose for fleebags was so that in the event of a fire, or earthquake or flood, or other such emergency, they would have sufficient clothing, personal supplies & essential papers handy, this was also a good reminder to make sure that each child had a fleebag or travel bag packed, so they would have what they needed in the event that they were taken away from their Home. They made a list of what could go in each fleebag.
        Uncle Peter also said that he would work it out for each of the children to have an envelope that they could hide in their fleebag, in which would be the telephone number of the Home, as well as the number of their lawyer*. It would also contain a little emergency money for telephone calls, & for whatever else they might need it.
        They also discussed with the teens & JETTS why it might not be best to talk about the possible persecution in front of the younger ones. They were encouraged to be very prayerful about any comments they might make or discussion they might have with the little ones.
        They then committed the situation to the Lord in desperate prayer, praying against the devices of the Enemy, & asking the Lord, if it was His Will, to turn back this possible attack. They then received some very encouraging verses & faith-building prophecies:
        "Ye are of God, little children, & have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the World!"--1Jn.4:4.
        "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World: and this is the victory that overcometh the World, even our faith!"--1Jn.5:4.
        "Put on the whole amour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil."--Eph.6:11.
        "Be strong & of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee!"--Deut.31:6.
        After a few of the teens & JETTs had received these verses, Uncle Ben got a prophecy, "Fear not this persecution that shall come upon thee! For I shall turn it unto thy good! Every device of Man shall be turned back upon his own head, & many people shall hear of thee & I shall show them I am with thee & none shall dare touch thee except by My permission! For I am thy God & thy great fortress round about thee which is in the Heavenlies, & which no human power can touch, which is above all earthly powers, & none can stand against thee, for thou art My children, & thy enemies are but specks that shall be blown away!"
        As Uncle Ben was giving the above prophecy, teen Sharon, who knew that she had the gift of prophecy, but was often shy about exercising it, felt really pressed in the Spirit. The first words of a prophecy came into her mind, & she knew that she would be failing the Lord if she didn't step out by faith & give it!--Even though she didn't know what the Lord would give her next after the first few words. As soon as Uncle Ben finished she decided to "go for it" before she had a chance to think twice & change her mind.
        "When ye pass through the waters I will be with you," she suddenly burst out, "and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, & the fire, it shall not be upon you, but I shall bring you forth as gold--yea, as much fine gold in this trial that is soon to come upon you! And many shall say, 'This is the Lord's doing, is it not marvellous in our eyes?' For I shall be with you to deliver you, saith the Lord!
        "So therefore fear not the things which shall rise up out of the darkness against you, for all the forces of the Devil shall be as ridiculous little pieces of trash which shall be blown away by the mighty Spirit of God! And all those that do lift even a finger against one of the hairs of your head shall perish, for I am your Father & ye are My beloved children, & I have loved you with an everlasting love, & I have promised that I will never leave you nor forsake you, but will be with you always, even unto the end of the World!"
        Auntie Angel also remembered an encouraging prophecy that had been given at another time for some other Family Members who were being persecuted: "It is a battle, for the forces of the Enemy are unleashed on these, My weak children. For they know that if they attack here they have greater chance of success, but I will smite them! In My wrath, I will smite them. For they shall be brought to nought, & every one that riseth up in anger against My children shall be brought low. Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place & it shall be no more!"
        A number of the parents had been having trials wondering if they or their children would be strong enough to go through such an ordeal*, but these personal Words from the Lord Himself were a great comfort & encouragement!--Precious promises they could now type out & give to everyone to claim & cling to throughout the battles ahead!
        Uncle Peter then asked if anyone else had received anything that they wanted to share. Teen Naomi put up her hand, her eyes moist & shining from hearing the Lord speak through Sharon, & from the beautiful vision that she had seen! "While Sharon was giving the part about us going through the fire & coming forth as gold, I saw a vision of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego! They were right here in this room! They had these great, big, beautiful, cheery, heavenly smiles, & were trying to encourage us that there was absolutely nothing to worry about! There were a lot of other Angels & spirit helpers around us too!--But I had the impression these three had been sent especially to help the children, as they were just teens themselves when they were taken as captives to Babylon!"
        Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego had in fact just flown in on the flying saucer that very morning, along with the rest of their party of extra Angels & spirit helpers! No doubt Naomi & Sharon would have been greatly encouraged if they could have heard what they were saying right at that very moment!
        "Praise God!" said Meshach. "We've got some good clear channels amongst the teens that we'll be able to work through! Naomi had no trouble seeing that vision of us, & Sharon repeated that special message from the Lord that we brought for them!"
        "What's your first impression of the rest of the teens & JETTs?" Shadrach asked Abednego.
        "Well, during the prayers & prophecies, I was monitoring the thoughts in their minds, & the feelings in their hearts. Most of them were taking it very seriously, & were turned on that there are such exciting days ahead!"
        "Yes!" agreed Shadrach. "After all, the Lord created them for such a time as this, & it seems that they can sense it in the Spirit that the hour of their destiny* has finally arrived, & that the exciting Endtime warfare, for which the Lord has been training them for their whole lives, is beginning!"
        "Hallelujah! However," continued Abednego, "I noticed that some of the JETTs, Martin & Gabriella, were not entering in so much, & we'll have to do our best to wake them up to the reality that these things are really going to happen, & that they need to be prepared!"
        "Would you like to see the OCs & the younger children now?" asked Moonstone, one of the female Angels who worked with the younger ones.
        "Yes, please," said Shadrach. "We're particularly concerned about the OCs, because if the Lord allows the System to divide the children into a Senior & Junior group, then the OCs will be the ones whom the Lord will have to raise up to inspire & shepherd the younger ones!"

* * * * * * *

        (In the OC classroom:)
        "Jesse, I'm sorry, but if I catch you acting foolishly again & distracting others," said Auntie Jerusha firmly, "I'm going to have to ask you to miss one hour of our special activity time today. Is that clear?"
        "Yes, Ma'am," mumbled Jesse, almost inaudibly*.
        "And that goes for you too, Paul! In fact, I thought I asked you two boys not to sit together. Now, will you please help me by giving me your attention? This is a very important class. Will you make it easier for me by tuning in? I really need your help."
        The vision Naomi had received of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego had given the teachers a fun idea! They would make a list of all God's heroes in the Bible who were also just children when the Lord first called them for some special job that He had for them to do.
        The OCs had already come up with quite a few:
        David was just a young boy when the Lord asked him to leave home to live in the palace of King Saul! Although David was only a shepherd boy, through his trust in the Lord and wholehearted praises, the Lord gave him great power to overcome both physical & spiritual enemies! Not only did the Lord help him slay a lion, a bear, & the giant Goliath, but his music of love & praise to the Lord was so heartfelt & anointed that every time he played his harp, the evil spirit that was tormenting King Saul had to leave him quickly!(See 1Sam.16:14-17:58; Treasures, pages 157-158, 620-622.)
        Samuel was barely weaned from his mommy's breast, when she "lent him to the Lord" & brought him to the Temple to live with Eli, the High Priest. (See Treasures, pages 414-417.) Although Eli's sons were very bad boys, who said & did all kinds of wicked things, Samuel stayed true to the Lord & His high calling! He refused to be dragged down by the bad boys' horrible sample, or mimic* their foul language, or be influenced by their worldly ways.
        One day the Lord Himself came & visited Samuel, & spoke to him in an audible voice. Even though he was still just a young lad, the Lord gave him a very "heavy" prophecy to give to Eli. He said it would make everyone's "ears tingle" who heard it! God bless little Samuel! He was faithful to speak the Words of the Lord to Eli, the High Priest!--Even though it was the "bad news" that Eli & his sons would have to suffer because he hadn't disciplined his boys, & had allowed them to grow up to be such bad samples & "rotten apples". (See 1Sam. Chapters 1-3.)
        Also there was Moses, who had to forsake a happy home-life with his Hebrew family, & be brought up in a pagan* palace as the son of Pharaoh's daughter! However, God was with him, & all that Moses went through turned out to be just the training he needed to eventually become one of God's greatest leaders of all time. (See Exo. Chapters 1-2.)
        Josiah was only 8 years old when he was crowned the boy king of Judah. His father, Amon, & his grandfather, Manasseh, had been very bad kings & had led Judah into terrible witchcraft & fiendish* idolatry. However, little Josiah determined that no matter how bad everybody else was being, he would try to do his very best to do "that which was right in the sight of the Lord, & turn not aside to the right hand or to the left."--2Kgs.22:2.
        King Josiah became one of God's idol-smashers! He wiped out all the Devil's wicked priests & completely devastated* all their vile temples & idols! The Lord Himself said that out of all of His kings, young Josiah was one of the greatest!--"Like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart & with all his soul, & with all his might ... neither after him arose there any like him."--2Kgs.23:25.
        "Wow!" said Tommy. "I never realised that there were so many kids that God used in the Bible!"
        "Oh, yes," said Auntie Jerusha, "and I'm sure that we could think of a lot more! Even JETT Jesus had to leave His parents for a short while when he was twelve 'to be about His Father's business'! Remember when they found Him discussing the Word with the elders in the Temple?" (See Lk.2:41-52.)
        "Oh, I just thought of another one!" said 9-year-old Clara enthusiastically*. "What about the little Hebrew girl who was the servant of Naaman's wife?"
        "Yes, that's right!" replied Auntie Jerusha. "Who can remember that story?"
        No one could remember the story better than the Hebrew girl herself--who, unseen by the children, was right there with them in the room! (For this story, we will call her Ruthie.) The Lord had suggested that Ruthie be added to the teamwork to be responsible for the special needs of the girls that were in the group.
        Yes, how well dear Ruthie could remember that day when the marauding* band of Syrian soldiers had broken into her happy home & carried her captive back to their country! It had seemed like the end of her world at the time!--And oh, how she had fought & begged & cried to go home!
        However, when the wife of Naaman, the commander of the king's army, chose the little Hebrew girl to be her personal maid servant, Ruthie began to have the faith that maybe the Lord had a very good reason behind it all--although she couldn't yet see what it could be.
        How dearly she now cherished* the memories of how her trials in captivity had driven her close to the Lord! How sweet were the precious times of prayer & fellowship she enjoyed in her lonely little attic room with Him! It was not easy to worship the Lord in the midst of an evil nation of idol-worshippers. But the Lord had given her the courage not to compromise when her masters invited her to join them in their idol worship. She even learned to pray for the ones who had captured her, that they would turn away from their heathen* idols & worship the one true God.
        And how many times she remembered crying out to the Lord to heal Naaman from the dreadful* disease of leprosy with which he was afflicted, & also praying that he & her mistress would find faith in Him!
        Her sweet & loving ways, & the cheerfulness with which she went about her duties, soon won the hearts of Naaman & his wife, who began to respect both her & her faith.
        Then came the hour of her destiny!--The day when her desperate prayers were answered, & the reason for all that she had suffered became so wonderfully clear!
        Now it was plain to see that all of the unexpected & unexplained changes that the Lord had brought in her life had been leading up to this.--To put her in the right place at the right time to say the right words to the right person!
        One evening, as she was helping her mistress get ready for dinner, Ruthie had noticed that she was looking very discouraged & distressed.
        "Poor lady!" she thought to herself, sympathising* with the woman. "How sad that her husband can't hug her or that she can't hug him because of that disease he has."
        Suddenly Ruthie felt the Spirit of God urging her to tell her mistress about God's Prophet Elisha & the miracles he had performed!
        "I wish to God that my master would see the Prophet who is in Samaria," she mentioned, "for he could cure him of his leprosy!"--2Kgs.5:3.
        How surprised & overjoyed she was when she found out that the Lord had used her to inspire Naaman's faith! He had decided to act on her advice! In fact, the king of Syria himself had given him permission to go to Israel to look for the Prophet that could heal him.
        And it was the most thrilling day of her life when, by & by, Naaman returned from his pilgrimage* with the reward for his faith! Taking his beloved wife in his arms, he was now able to love & kiss her!--His unsightly & leprous skin was now as clean & ruddy* & healthy as a fresh-faced young boy's! Oh, how happy Ruthie was when that night both Naaman & her mistress joined her in thankful prayer & praise to God!
        And so, a few wise & loving words of concern & comfort by one of God's precious little ones sparked the fire of faith, & started a mighty chain of events that led to Naaman's miraculous healing & Salvation, with his testimony being a powerful witness to the whole nation of Syria. Furthermore, the Lord rewarded His faithful captive child Ruthie by recording the whole wonderful story in the Bible, to inspire the faith of countless millions more of God's children throughout all time. (Read 2 Kings 5 for the full story of Naaman's remarkable healing adventure in Israel!)
        "Dear Jesus, I pray that You'll really use these stories to inspire your precious Endtime children also," prayed Ruthie. "Help them to see that if You could use us that much in olden times, with as little Word & training as we had, it is awesome* to think of the power & anointing You could give these children, who have been soaked in the Word since birth. Help them to do their part, Jesus, to be sober, to be vigilant, to hold fast to their crowns, & to be doers of all the Word that they've learned, & not hearers only!" (See 1Pet.5:8; Rev.3:11; Jam.1:22.)

* * * * * * *

        "Hello, this is Daniel at Heavenly Headquarters with a message to all those at Green Trees!"
        "We're hearing you loud, & seeing you clear!" replied Meshach excitedly on behalf of the rest of the crew. Everyone eagerly crowded around the Heavenly Communicator. They were always hungry to receive any counsel, news or direction from Above!
        "Well, Team, this is it! We see that the Enemy is planning to go ahead with his plan to raid the Home tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. Unless you feel that it should be delayed for any reason, then the Lord is going to give His final approval for the raid to be allowed to take place!"
        "Good! Please go ahead!"
        "Wonderful!" smiled Daniel. "Also, good news! The Lord has asked the Archangel Michael himself to be present during the raid to oversee the children's physical protection & spiritual security. He wants to make sure that the Old Boy doesn't try to overstep his limits & pull any fast ones. And, of course, the Lord Himself, as always, will be tuned in to each one of His dear children's prayers, & will be ready to personally intercede*."
        Right at that very moment the Lord was listening to His children's prayers as they settled down for the night in their bunk beds. Knowing that the children were going to be up earlier than usual in the morning, their guardian Angels were doing their best to help the children calm down & get their minds on the Lord, so that they could get a good night's sleep!
        Sparkles, a little comforter Angel, was busy floating around spreading happy thoughts! She flew into Peter & Praise's room, where Naomi had just finished praying with two-year-old Brian.
        "Goodnight, Brian!" said Naomi, as she gave him a final kiss on his darling little cherub* cheeks. Sparkles waved her wand & Brian felt a warm & comforting golden glow. "I love you, Naomi!" he whispered, as he fell asleep.
        In the younger girl's room, Aiko, Nina, Suzy, Precious & Lily, who had just returned after Parent Time, were praying for the night with Teen Sharon, who was going to be sleeping in their room that night.
        Meanwhile, in the boys' room, Uncle Jeremy was trying to settle an argument between Jesse & Paul as to what Tape should be put on. Finally, Uncle Jeremy let Tommy decide.
        After a final warning from Uncle Jeremy, the boys settled down.
        As 9-year-old Tommy lay quietly listening to the beautiful "Fear Not!" Tape, the gorgeous song for Romans 8:18 came on! Tommy softly sang along,
        "For I reckon that the sufferings
        Of this present time
        Are not worthy to be compared with the glory ...
        The glory which shall be revealed in us! ... "
        Suddenly, out of the blue, a verse came to him. "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for His sake!" --Phil.1:29.
        "I wonder what it's like to really suffer for You, Jesus?" Tommy half wondered & half prayed. Then he was almost startled as he heard a still small voice speaking clearly in his mind, "If you suffer with Me, you shall also reign with Me."--2Tim.2:12.
        Tommy lay quietly & thought this over for a moment, & then prayed, "Oh, Jesus, I've never really had to suffer for You at all! You've put me in such a wonderful Family, the best in the World! I've never been cold or hungry; I've never felt lost or alone. I haven't suffered like lots of children in the World do.--A lot of them are hungry, or sick or poor or lonely. And worst of all, they don't even know You, Jesus. Forgive me, Jesus, for taking Your blessings for granted, & not being as thankful for them as I should!
        "It looks like You're preparing us for bigger battles than the ones we've had so far! I love You, Jesus, & I want to prove it to You! Lord, please help me to be willing to fight & suffer & even die for You! There are not many years left to live now before You come & the Millennium begins, & I know that it will be a lot easier to serve You then--because we'll have our super bodies! Dear Jesus, I want to be willing to do whatever You need me to do & I don't want to give unto You that which has cost me nothing! (See 2Sam.24:24.) So please take these years that I have, even if it is not very many, & use me how You know is best, even if it means I have to suffer. Because I know You promised that if I suffer for you, I will reign with You & enjoy Heaven with You!"
        Jesus wiped a tear from His eye, He was so touched by Tommy's heartfelt prayer!
        "And so you shall reign with Me, my dear one," Jesus whispered tenderly, "so you shall! But My yoke is easy, & My burden is light, & you shall not suffer the slightest bit more than you are able to bear!--Yes, My son, you shall suffer with Me a little, but you shall reign with Me forever!"

CHAPTER EIGHT
THE RAID!

        RING! RING!RINGGGGGGGGGG!
        Teen Sharon stirred sleepily.
        RING!RING! RING! RINGGGGG!
        "Who could be ringing at the door at this time in the morning?" she yawned, as she cracked one eye open. Outside it was still dark.
        RING! RING! RING! "OPEN UP! IT'S THE POLICE!" yelled a gruff voice.
        Suddenly Sharon was wide awake, her heart thumping. "Police?--Wow! This is it! The dream! It's happening!"
        Downstairs she heard a loud THUMP, followed by the sound of splintering wood, as the front door was forced open. Then strange voices in the front hallway, followed by the clump, clump, clump of heavy shoes, first on the stairs, then on the landing, & finally stopping outside the girl's room!
        "Dear Jesus, please help the little ones not to be frightened!" was all Sharon had time to pray before the door was rudely opened & the stern face of a policeman looked in.
        "Excuse me, officer*," said Sharon firmly, "but this is a girl's room, & you have no business being in here!"
        "Oh ... er ... sorry," hesitated the policeman, stopped in his tracks by Sharon's determined look. "I'll ... er ... send a woman officer."
        "Sharon, what's happening?" asked the younger girls, who by now were all awake.
        "PTL, it looks like we may be going witnessing!" Sharon said, as she gathered the little ones around her. "I'm not sure what is happening, but we know Jesus is with us, & even if we don't understand, He does!"
        Naomi, Love, Gabriella & Clara, hearing all the commotion, came in from the adjoining older girls' room. "Come on, let's get together quickly & pray!" said Naomi.
        Aiko, Nina, Suzy, Precious & Lily jumped up & held hands with the older girls in the centre of the room! Right at that moment the bedroom door swung open again & in stomped a large, middle-aged lady.
        "I am Miss Rottweiler* from the Children's ... "
        "Excuse me, Ma'am!" interrupted Sharon, "but we are praying!"
        She remembered what Grandpa had said about the power of prayer!--That there was hardly anybody who wouldn't be convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit through it! Before the lady had a chance to utter another word, Sharon launched the children into an on-fire prayer!
        Desperately she asked the Lord to take complete control of the situation, & that none of the children would be alarmed* or afraid. Sure enough, as long as the children were praying & claiming verses, Miss Rottweiler could do nothing except stand there fuming* uncomfortably, waiting for the girls to finish!
        "As I was saying," she continued, "I am Miss Rottweiler, from the Children's Welfare Department. We'll be taking you into our care. There's nothing for you to worry about. We just want to ask you a few questions to make sure you're okay. We have a nice bus waiting for you outside, & it will be leaving very shortly, so please hurry up & get dressed & come downstairs ... hey, hey ... girls! ... What are you doing?"
        Sharon, Aiko & Nina were already diving under the bunk beds & pulling out their fleebags, so they could check if they had the clothing, toiletries & reading material they would need! Naomi & Clara slipped back into their room to get the older girls' bags, while Gabriella & Love stayed to help Sharon & the little ones.
        "Pack your Word books first!" whispered Sharon. "This may be our only chance to get them! Then use the time left to get dressed & pack any extra clothes! Love, please help Aiko & Nina! Gabriella, you help Suzy, & I'll help Precious & Lily!"
        "Thank the Lord that our fleebags are already packed!" whispered Love, as she stuffed in a Bible, Treasures, Daily Might, & a Bible Flannelgraph set & Bible story book, as well as a Life with Grandpa Vol. 4 and Kidz True Komix Vol. 1 for the little ones!
        "We can also take our Good Thots & Word Basics!" Sharon reminded them. "Plus, very important, don't forget your review system!"
        "Will they let me take my guitar, Sharon?" asked Gabriella.
        "We'll insist on it! Also bring your songbook! I'll remind the boys to bring their guitars too!--Oh, & also let's bring the tape recorder & Tapes ... "
        Sharon overheard another lady who had gone into the older girls' room telling them they could not pack any of those books--& that other books would be provided for them where they were going. Sharon's heart sank, but when she glanced up to see if Miss Rottweiler was going to say the same thing, the woman was busy looking out into the hallway at whatever was happening out there. Sharon was glad she had obeyed the check to pack their little books first, & she quickly closed up her bag, praying that she would have a chance to read them. She thought about the class Uncle Peter had had with the teens the other day. "Teens," he had said, "I hope you know your Bibles--because one day that may be all you have left!"
        "Wow," thought Sharon, "I sure didn't think that day could come this soon!"
        At that point two more ladies came in to help hurry them along. As the eight girls were ushered towards the bedroom door, clutching their fleebags, guitar, tape recorder & teddy bears, four-year-old Precious turned & waved goodbye to her favourite picture of Jesus, which hung by her bed.
        "Bye, bye Jesus ... " she said.
        "Wait!" exclaimed Sharon, as she ran back in & unstuck the picture from the wall & gave it to Precious. "It's hello, Jesus! Jesus is coming right along with us! Remember what Matthew 28:20 says, "Lo, I am ... "
        "Lo, I am with you always," continued Precious, "even unto the End of the World!"
        As she gently took the picture of Jesus in her tender little hands, it seemed as if the sweet smile on His dear face was beaming at her bigger & brighter than she had ever seen it before!

* * * * * * *

        Downstairs, it was quite a shock to see their Heavenly Home crowded with about 30 different police & workers from the Children's Welfare Department.
        By the time Sharon & the younger girls arrived, the rest of the OCs, JETTs & teens had already been rounded up & were sitting in the main room, also clutching their Word-stuffed fleebags! The JETTs gathered the younger children, who began to be a bit tearful, & put their arms around them to comfort them, while the teens were already on the attack as they talked with the police & social workers:
        "We want to see the warrant* that authorises* you to do this to us!"
        "Before we go anywhere with you we have a right to phone our lawyer!"
        "Our parents have broken no laws & have done nothing wrong! Can't you see, this is religious persecution!"
        "Where are our parents? We want to see them, right now!"
        A lot of the policemen, & even some of the social workers, looked quite nervous. They didn't seem to have much confidence that they were doing the right thing! The only reply they could give to the teens' demands was that they were just "following orders" & "doing their jobs".
        Then little two-year-old Brian & three-year-old Jamie were brought in. They were too young to be able to understand what was happening to them, so they were crying for their mommies. Danny & Naomi immediately insisted on taking them. The two tiny tots soon calmed down when they were held in the arms of their older brother & sister, who prayed with them & assured them that Jesus was not going to let these people hurt or harm them in any way.
        While all this was going on, Teen David was speaking to Sergeant* Biggs, the police officer in charge of the raid. David insisted that they be allowed to see their parents. Meanwhile the parents, who were being held under guard in one of the bedrooms, could be overheard angrily demanding to see their children!
        Finally, Uncle Peter & Auntie Praise were allowed to come in, but only for a few minutes. They & the other parents were, of course, extremely upset, but they had prayed & asked the Lord to help them be as encouraging as possible to the children.
        "Well, children, this is it," said Uncle Peter, "the day for which we were preparing!"
        "Oh, yeah? How come you were expecting this?" interrupted Sgt.* Biggs. "Did someone tip you off?"
        Uncle Peter nodded at the children to "sock it to him" with the answer!
        "Yes! Jesus did!"
        "He told us in some dreams!"
        "Oh, baloney!" scoffed Sgt. Biggs. "I don't believe that!"
        "Then how did we know?" piped up Tommy.
        Sgt. Biggs fell silent.
        "Children," Auntie Praise reassured them, "you have absolutely nothing to worry about! Remember, the Lord has allowed this to happen because in some way He is going to use it as a mighty witness so the Gospel can be preached!" It was hard for her to hold back her tears. The children were trying to put on such brave little faces, even though she knew their little hearts must be breaking inside.
        "Although ... although you'll be apart from us for a little while," Auntie Praise continued, "Jesus & all of your guardian Angels are going to be right there with you, & they will take the best possible care of you, as long as you are faithful to stay in the Word, stay united, & pray ... "
        "Alright, that's long enough!" cut in Sgt. Biggs, who couldn't stand too much talk about Jesus--especially when he was in a hurry to get this raid over & done with.
        Auntie Praise quickly motioned to the children that they were going to pray, as she bowed her head & began, "Jesus, please go with the children ... "
        "Wait, I said that's enough," Sgt. Biggs tried to interrupt. But Auntie Praise kept right on praying.
        "Lord, we trust You to be with them, to hallow them under Your wings & protect them wherever they go. Please give them the faith, conviction & strength they will need, & help them to keep looking to You for your leading & guidance. We know that You will care for Your Own, & they are Your children, so we ask You to take care of them. In Jesus' name--amen."
        As Auntie Praise reached down to give one of the little ones a hug, Sgt. Biggs said gruffly, "That's it! On to the bus!"
        "But we want to see our daddies & mommies before we go!" insisted Gabriella.
        "Yes!" echoed the other children.
        "We'll allow them out to the bus to say goodbye to you once you are all on board!" smirked* Miss Rottweiler as she motioned for the children to start heading in that direction.
        "Don't worry, Jesus will be right with you!" Uncle Peter called after them. "And remember, no matter what they tell you, we will be fighting to get you out!"
        Once outside, they were startled to see that their Home was surrounded by newspaper reporters & camera crews from all the different television stations.
        "Boy, we're big news!" said David to Danny. "The police must have tipped off* the media that this was going to happen!"
        The Family kids were ordered to line up, & then give their names & ages. Then, with the TV cameras rolling, they climbed up one by one onto the bus.
        "It beats me why we're doing this!" one policeman mentioned to another, as they watched little Precious clamber up onto the bus, her picture of Jesus clasped tightly to her. "I've never seen such a bunch of nice-looking kids!"
        "Yeah, if you ask me, there's more to this than meets the eye!" replied the other police officer. "I know that Biggs & Rottweiler have been called to some pretty high-level* meetings recently. It's my guess that there's some pretty 'big boys'* behind all this, who have been putting on the pressure to see this done!"
        As soon as all of the 18 precious Family children had taken their seats on the bus, Sgt. Biggs signalled the driver to shut the doors & pull out.
        "Hey, wait!" shouted David, as he realised what was happening! He ran down the aisle to talk to the police driver & the guard. "Wait! They promised that our parents could come out & say goodbye to us!"
        The younger children began to softly sob a bit, but were immediately comforted as the older ones cuddled their smaller brothers & sisters, & held them in their arms.
        "I'm sorry, son," mumbled the driver, as he quickly shifted up to second gear, "but I'm just following orders!"
        David turned to the rest of the teens. "What liars!" he said in disgust. "I can't believe that Rottweiler woman could smile to our face & lie like that!"
        "I guess that's what we can expect from the System!" said Naomi.
        "Boy, it makes me fighting mad!" fumed Danny.
        "Good!" said David, as he realised the need to encourage everyone's faith & reached up to the luggage rack to grab his guitar. "Come on, let's get everybody fighting!"
        Suddenly the driver & guard's eyebrows shot up as the bus exploded with, "We're going forth to conquer, conquer! We're going forth to conquer the World!"
        "I've seen & heard a lot of things in my time," the police guard said, as he shook his head in amazement, "but never anything like this!"
        That was nothing compared to how absolutely flabbergasted the poor men would have been if, at that very moment, they could have seen Michael the mighty Archangel flying directly in front of the bus, flanked* on each side by a dazzling* formation* of police Angels! And the driver probably would have shrieked* & driven into a ditch, if he could have seen the colourful array of Bible characters & departed Saints, who were filling up the aisle & all the empty seats! And what would their reaction have been if they had known that Jesus Himself was at that very moment looking down with a look of such Fatherly pride at the faith & courage & fight of His valiant* Endtime children!
        "The Devil is going to curse the day he decided to tangle with that bunch!" Jesus laughed. "Look at how a little persecution has already stirred up their fight & fire!"
        He watched Sharon, who was opening her Bible to find some fighting Psalms that they could all review together.
        "Hmmm! I know just the right verse to encourage them!" Jesus smiled.
        "Hey everybody!" yelled Sharon, as the song finished. "Listen to this! The Lord had me open my Bible right on these verses!--They're Deuteronomy 20:3 & 4! "Ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies! Let not your hearts faint! Fear not, & do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them! For the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you!"
        "Praise God! Hallelujah! Amen!" everyone shouted, & then went into singing,
        "Keep on fighting, fighters! Keep on fighting for the Lord! Keep on fighting, fighters, & you're bound to win the war!"
        "So you want a fight, do you, you Devil!" Sharon challenged the Enemy in prayer, as she felt the Spirit of God rise up angrily within her! She narrowed her eyes & clenched* her teeth. "Well, you've got it! But let me warn you, you puny little Devil, you're going to be mighty sorry you ever messed with God's children!"

        TO BE CONTINUED!....

GLOSSARY:
        "big boys" -- people in high positions of leadership in the System
        activated -- turned on
        adoration -- great love, admiration & devotion
        aides -- assistants
        alarmed -- suddenly afraid of danger
        anti-cult network -- a group of organisations whose goal is to destroy new religious movements
        ardent -- fervent, impassioned, very enthusiastic
        assemble -- come together
        authorises -- gives permission
        awesome -- very inspiring
        bellowed -- shouted
        bribe -- give money, favours or gifts to someone to get them to do something which may be wrong or dishonest
        brooded -- thought gloomily or moodily
        check -- a gentle hint or reminder by the "still, small voice" of God
        cherished -- held dear in one's heart
        cherub -- a beautiful child with chubby cheeks; a baby Angel
        child abuse -- treating children badly
        Children's Crusade -- A religious movement of children, ages 10 to 18, which took place in Europe during the Summer of 1212. It was during the time of the Crusades, when soldiers from Europe fought the Muslims in the Holy Land (Israel). Thousands of French & German children marched across Europe, setting out to win the Holy Land back from the Muslims by love instead of by force. Many of the children didn't make it to the Holy Land, but they succeeded in being a testimony against the indifference of their elders.
        clenched -- closed tightly
        conspiracy -- an agreement to perform together an illegal, treacherous or evil act
        cooked up -- made up, usually a fictitious tale
        custody -- confinement under guard
        dazzling -- very beautiful, shining
        defy -- challenge or resist the power of
        destiny -- a specific plan for one's life
        devastated -- destroyed
        diabolical -- very wicked
        dreadful -- terrible
        dupe -- deceive; convince to believe a lie
        engineer -- plan
        enthusiastically -- eagerly; with much interest
        fiendish -- very cruel and wicked
        flanked -- were at the side
        formation -- the pattern in which the Angels flew together
        fuming -- filled with rage or irritation
        heathen -- someone who doesn't believe in the true God
        heralded -- announced; proclaimed
        high-level -- top leadership
        inaudibly -- can barely be heard
        institutions -- buildings of established organisations, such as schools, prisons, hospitals etc.
        intelligence agencies -- government spies
        intercede -- to enter a difficulty in order to help; to plead or ask a favour from someone for another
        lawyer -- a man or woman who has studied the laws of a country. Lawyers are needed to represent people when they have been accused in a court of law. If we have been falsely accused of breaking laws, our lawyer can help prove that we have not broken any laws.
        leisurely -- relaxed
        mahogany -- reddish-brown hard wood that comes from tropical trees
        marauding -- invading to take goods & lands
        mimic -- imitate; repeat
        offensive -- attack
        officer -- a respectful name to call a policeman
        ordeal -- a difficult situation
        pagan -- someone who doesn't believe in the one true God; one who worships other gods or idols
        pilgrimage -- a journey made to a holy place
        priorities -- items or plans considered most important
        ranks -- positions or grades; for example, an Archangel is the highest ranking Angel
        religious fanatics -- those who are very enthusiastic & wholehearted about their religion. The word "fanatic" usually implies too much zeal or enthusiasm
        Rottweiler -- (pronounced: rot-why-ler)
        ruddy -- having a healthy glow; rosy
        Saints -- people who love and serve Jesus
        seize -- to take hold of suddenly and forcibly
        Sergeant -- (pronounced: sar-jent) a rank in the police or military
        Sgt. -- abbreviation for "Sergeant"
        shrieked -- yelled loudly in surprise
        signified -- showed, or made known by a sign
        singed -- slightly burnt
        smear campaigns -- organised plan to spread lies
        smirked -- gave a phoney or fake smile
        sub-machine guns -- guns that fire rapidly & repeatedly
        subverting -- causing them to turn against their beliefs; corrupting
        suspicious -- causing distrust
        sympathising -- feeling the sorrow of another
        terrorists -- those who threaten & use violence to frighten others, or to get their way
        tier -- rows placed one above another
        tipped off -- told in advance
        triumphant -- victorious
        under surveillance -- being watched
        underground -- to work in secret, not in plain sight of others
        vacant -- empty; with no people living in them
        valiant -- strong & courageous
        vile -- evil; wicked; disgusting; filthy
        warrant -- a legal paper that authorises the police to take action
        zealous -- very enthusiastic

[Picture captions:]
        Look, there's David & Sharon!
        Beautiful!
        Satan knows how greatly I plan to use them!
        We'll hit them where it will hurt them the most!--Their children!
        The Lord is trying to warn us in advance of something that may happen!
        I shall bring you forth as gold!
        Lord, help my mistress to turn to You!
        If you suffer with Me, you shall also reign with Me!
        "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the End of the World!"

[End]

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family