Deception and Preparation: A Novel

By John Sherrer

Deception, Preparation, Rapture: Are You Ready? In the midst of war and political unrest, World Government representative Barry Barnes promises local church members peace, prosperity, and security if they will attach an electronic device to their hand or forehead. As the situation intensifies, some question the motives of this supposed savior, including Christians who refuse to accept the device and form a community based on following the one true God and helping each other survive.

How will the Antichrist come to power? Will believers be deceived? And how close are we to seeing similar events unfold?

Inspired by a prophecy given to author John Sherrer by God, Deception and Preparation will encourage you to pursue a genuine relationship with Christ. This thrilling novel will inspire you to prepare for the last days so that when the time comes, you will not be deceived.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creation House
• Release date: May 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781621363101

Book preview

DECEPTION AND PREPARATION by John E. Sherrer

Published by Creation House

A Charisma Media Company

600 Rinehart Road

Lake Mary, Florida 32746

www.charismamedia.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010, 2011, International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NAS are from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

The characters portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people, whether living or dead, is coincidental.

The testimony in Chapter 13 is used courtesy of Victoria Boyson. Please visit her website at www.victoriaboyson.com.

Publisher’s Note: The views expressed in this book are not necessarily the views held by the publisher.

Design Director: Bill Johnson

Cover design by Nathan Morgan

Copyright © 2013 by John E. Sherrer

All rights reserved.

Visit the author’s website: www.americastribluation.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: 2012946654

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62136-309-5

E-book International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62136-310-1

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Iwant to thank my wife, Fran, of thirty-eight years, for all the time I spent away from her to work on this book, and for her input from time to time.

I want to thank Holly Sprinkle, my daughter, for the technical questions she answered for me.

I want to thank Matt Sprinkle, Holly’s husband, for helping me with the novel’s web page.

I want to thank my daughter Tiffany for helping me select the cover design, along with my wife, Fran. This is important since I have no vision.

I want to thank Pastor Dwight Jester for his teachings and prayer on forgiveness. Pastor Dwight can be reached at:

P. O. Box 249

Lewisville, NC 27023

336-766-7236

[e-mail]

Pastor Dwight has a ministry where he ministers to people on the phone.

I want to thank Jim Bakker for items he said on his show that became detail items in this book.

I want to thank Pastor Fran Berry for allowing me to use a sermon written by her. Feel free to contact Pastor Fran to respond to the sermons at [e-mail].

I want to thank Terry Ricklefs for allowing me to use her testimony on forgiveness. You may contact Terry at [e-mail].

I would also like to thank Victoria Boyson for allowing me to use her article on forgiveness. Victoria Boyson, www.victoriaboyson.com.

If God does not judge America, then God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

—BILLY GRAHAM

THE GREAT FALLING AWAY

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Deception

Chapter 2: The True Church

Chapter 3: What Is Going On

Chapter 4: New Beginnings

Chapter 5: Monday Night Meeting with Gene and Gloria

Chapter 6: Community, Relationship, and Gold

Chapter 7: Surprise in Ohio

Chapter 8: Economic Program

Chapter 9: Here Comes the Mark

Chapter 10: Preparation

Chapter 11: Urgency

Chapter 12: Forgiveness at Ted and Barbara’s

Chapter 13: Freedom from Unforgiveness

Chapter 14: The Three Mighty Mens’ Adventures Start

Chapter 15: Beth and Lucy

Chapter 16: Penny Ministers to Beth and Lucy

Chapter 17: Smash Brings Beth and Lucy to Ted and Barbara’s House

Chapter 18: Dana

Chapter 19: The Rusty Axe and the Prophet Who Prepares the Way Emerges

Chapter 20: Bridal Shop

Chapter 21: Susan Kelly at a Refuge

Chapter 22: Third Sunday Afternoon Donut Shop Meeting

Chapter 23: Marriage and New Identity

Chapter 24: Two Couples

Chapter 25: Miles and Penny Get a New Truck and SUV

Chapter 26: Home Meeting, More on Forgiveness

Chapter 27: Liquor Store

Chapter 28: Tony and Maria

Chapter 29: Miles and Penny Visit Community

Chapter 30: Dinner at Community

Chapter 31: Saturday Morning at Community

Chapter 32: Saturday Lunch at the Community

Chapter 33: The Dark Priesthood

Chapter 34: Donut Shop Update

Chapter 35: Dan Kelly Gets Chastised

Chapter 36: Dress Shop Again

Chapter 37: The Three Mighty Men and Mike Back to the House of Ill Repute

Chapter 38: Monday Night Meeting

Chapter 39: Tuesday Morning

Chapter 40: Warning

Chapter 41: Battle

Chapter 42: After the Battle

Chapter 43: Wednesday Night Meeting

Chapter 44: Battle Plans

Chapter 45: Picnic for the Area Around Winston-Salem

Chapter 46: The Church Grows Darker

Chapter 47: Afternoon Donut Shop Group Discusses Barry’s New Worship Parks

Chapter 48: The Mighty Men Decide to Fight

Chapter 49: Barry’s Dark Secret

Chapter 50: Three Small Armies Against Three Men

Chapter 51: Reunion

Chapter 52: Tuesday Morning at Barry’s Office After the Battle

Chapter 53: Statewide Picnic

Chapter 54: The Church Bonds with the New World System

Chapter 55: Sunday Afternoon at the Donut Shop

Chapter 56: Monday Night Meeting

Chapter 57: Last Shopping Trip

Chapter 58: Wednesday Night Meeting Farewell

Chapter 59: Sunday Church Meetings

Chapter 60: Seventh Sunday Afternoon Meeting

Chapter 61: Barry Prepares

Chapter 62: The Rapture

Chapter 63: Sealing the Communities

Chapter 64: Rapture Again

Chapter 65: Yellow Alert

Author’s Note

About the Author

Contact the Author

PREFACE

This book is a work of fiction. Even though it will not give the reader an accurate depiction of the end-times scenario, many of the scenes in this book could happen, and I believe that many will happen and are happening right now. But how the end times will come together, we will all have to watch and see. Hopefully all the readers of this book are already in a conversational relationship with the Lord. Then the reader will be ready for whatever happens when it happens.

This book is written to reflect a true church culture. I hope that as you read the story, you gain a glimpse into the way God intends the church to exist: in support of each other and for God’s glory.

INTRODUCTION

Just before the republic came to an end, the American government passed a law that applied the death sentence to hate crimes. It also passed a law requiring all churches to have homosexual clergy, with the ramification that church bodies who failed to do so would be convicted of hate crimes.

Most churches looked for homosexual people to hire as assistant pastors. Some even went into gay bars looking for people to hire as staff members. The Catholic Church’s top-level people in the United States were executed for hate crimes, so the Catholic Church scattered and went underground. But many churches that were seeking the kingdom of God dissolved their churches and started meeting in homes with small groups, just as the early church did.

During this reign of hate crimes Jews were required to allow Muslim rabbis in their synagogues. But the Jews would not submit to this, so they were brought to trial. All the way to trial they held to the belief that they were protected by the US Constitution. After they were brought to a death camp in Colorado, still they said, This cannot happen. This is a free country. The Constitution will protect me.

Many Christian groups arose to help Jews hide and then moved them to Israel. This also happened in Europe. And during this time the US economy kept failing due to uncontrolled government spending. God’s blessing on the United States had left long before, and instead of sending a righteous curse upon the country, He simply did not interfere anymore. This led to the Jews being blamed for the country’s rush toward the depression.

Just before a primary election, a storm in Kansas developed into several tornadoes and damaged about one hundred homes, three of which were so damaged the residents had to find shelter elsewhere. The president declared martial law.

Those wanting to run for office who complained were sent to a FEMA camp and were never heard from again. All antigovernment activities were dealt with the same way. This filled up the FEMA camps with people screaming about how they were protected by the Constitution, even as they were locked up and never heard from again.

During this time, and even before, the Lord sent His prophets to warn the people of the United States that if they divided Jerusalem, He would divide the United States. But just as the United Nations, under the leadership of the United States, had forced the leaders of North African nations and Middle East nations to submit, so it forced Israel. The United States moved into its temporary location into a sector of Jerusalem and gave money it did not have to build a new United Nations complex in the middle of Jerusalem.

Exactly forty days after this division of Jerusalem, the United States experienced the worst earthquake in its history. It fell along the New Madrid Fault Line, along the Mississippi River bed, and shook the towers in Chicago so violently that windows were popping out of tall buildings and falling on scrambling and screaming pedestrians below. Those in cars could not move at all. The shaking prevented running away on foot, so when rubble from above smashed car windshields, the passengers were cut into pieces or smashed beyond belief.

The power grid failed, and no public transportation worked. Lake Michigan shook like a glass of water in the hand of a ballerina, causing tidal waves two thousand feet high every five to six minutes. Those people facing toward the lake, unobstructed by swaying buildings, saw a mountain of water rise up and waltz into the city with immeasurable force.

This turned Chicago into a pile of rubble—and not a very high pile, since the rubble was pushed five to ten miles inland. On the other side of the lake, in Michigan, nothing remained of Holland or the other coastal cities. Calumet City was soon under sixty feet of water, and the lakeshore moved past its ancient foundry of Ridge Road.

Then the water receded. After three months the lake was an empty soup bowl.

The waters of the Great Lakes started flowing into the Mississippi River with such force that changes were made to its course. A new great lake formed in the areas of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri, like a giant swelling of the Mississippi River. It came to be called Mississippi Lake.

The course of the Mississippi River moved through the middle of Louisiana, abandoning the Mississippi Delta. Since the land was slowly lowering due to offshore oil drilling, the Gulf Shore moved inward about one hundred miles. New Orleans became an afterthought, a legend alongside Atlantis.

No bridge survived, often the river was not flowing on its old riverbed, and travelers and truckers were stuck until the military started running ferries across the river. But no main road was in good shape for three to five hundred miles. Roads had broken up, bridges had fallen, and cars and trucks littered the roads, making travel extremely slow and difficult. Only those who had to travel and could carry enough fuel to make their trip could drive on the roads. They often had to get off the roads to get around obstacles. Many of those vehicles would carry as many people as could find a way to hang on to the outside of the vehicle.

But most travelers walked, hoping to get a meal here or there, as they did not have much luck hunting game such as squirrels and ground hogs. And when someone was able to kill an animal, fire was often not available; however, several people would still want a share of that raw meat.

The National Guard and reserve units secured their families at the armory where they had food and shelter, and then they started search and rescue efforts. They enlisted local firemen and policemen too. But after a week or two, gangs of armed men formed to rape and steal from survivors. When the small military groups engaged them, they killed them. No one was taken alive, for there were no resources to deal with prisoners and no means for a trial.

In the midst of all this, the United States went to war with China, who was secretly in league with the Muslim world, especially Iran and Iraq.

The US dollar kept falling in value, and this angered the Chinese. They held a lot of the US debt. The US president’s solution was for China to forgive the debt. In addition, since the United States had gone into a depression, the people of the United States were not buying many Chinese goods. And after the earthquake, all imports stopped. This led to economic problems in China.

One of the president’s advisors suggested that if the United States went to war with China, we would not have to pay back the debt, and the war would bring the nation out of the depression. The president wanted the favor of the American people.

Meanwhile, OPEC made a move to stop taking US dollars for their oil. The United States had stopped importing foreign oil after the earthquake, with the exception of oil from Canada. This OPEC move was designed to bankrupt the United States. The United States was already bankrupt, but because the country was always seen as the savior of the world, that belief persisted worldwide.

All of this activity made the Chinese even angrier, so they stopped allowing TV programs from the United States into China, hoping the networks would put pressure on the government to buy Chinese goods. When this did not work, they called back their debt, demanding that the US give gold for all money loaned. But the US president said, We made no such agreement to allow you to recall your loan.

The depression got worse. It is hard to know who actually started the war. Was it the president, who had stopped elections since he imposed martial law? He had become a dictator who wanted to fix the economy to get the support of the American people. Or was it the Chinese, who hated the United States? They saw how the earthquake greatly weakened the country in every area, making it look like an economic recovery would be impossible, and leaving the military extremely weakened.

The Chinese-American war lasted a couple of years. The Chinese sent intercontinental ballistic missiles toward all US military bases and posts. They hoped to keep most of the infrastructure in place, since they were convinced they would conquer the United States in a short time. The only allies that fought with the Americans were Great Britain, Canada, and Australia.

But this story starts when the war is over and the US troops are having a hard time getting home. The US military functioned in an excellent manner, overcoming the Chinese much more effectively than expected. But since the military is very expensive to operate and the government had no money to replace the ordnance used up by the war, the United States was left extremely weak and poor.

What’s more, the policies of the government during the time of the Republic had brought the United States into a depression, eventually bringing about the dictatorship. A poor country gives a nation and its leaders little power—even a dictator must have the people behind him to stay in power. This president, now dictator, had been put into power in the first place by a group of people who wanted a one-world government. They purposely caused the United States’ economy to fail so that their power could be secured by offering a solution to the problem.

As the Chinese troops were being defeated and withdrawing, United Nations troops came to help the American troops. The United Nations troops did not engage the Chinese troops in battle, staying at least one hundred miles from any action. They then came in behind the Chinese as an occupying force. This solidified the power of the Antichrist, but now they also needed the cooperation of the American citizens.

A plan was instituted to install people—like Barry Barnes, whom you’ll meet in the next chapter—in every city in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other countries around the world to increase the power of the Antichrist.

SOURCE OF THE ILLUMINATI

During the time of the Dark Ages, goldsmiths played an important role in the local community. They may have struck local coinage, but they also built up stores of gold for themselves. Eventually they offered to store customers’ gold and in return give them a script stating that they owned that gold. After a while the goldsmiths realized no one knew how much gold they had, so they began issuing scripts for gold they did not have. These goldsmiths were often Jewish. Since Jews were not allowed to own land for farming, they had to learn trades. The religious people at that time did not want others to know they had money, nor did they want to handle money themselves. So the goldsmiths and others like them started a banking system where they offered to lend money at usury.

In the sixteenth century a particular family in Belgium did very well with this banking system. That family covenanted together to eventually own and control the world. In the 1880s they sent a man to New York City to direct their activities there. He found the Rockefellers and created a large oil company, Standard Oil. Then they got into the railroad business and brought the Vanderbilt family into power. The list goes on. And all the while the Belgian family increased its money and power, eventually becoming an oligarchy. In time they created the Trilateral Commissions and the CFR to increase the control of the US government.

From this family’s beginnings in the Dark Ages, they learned occult power that was passed on from generation to generation. As time passed, they learned to improve that power. They studied the ancient Egyptians, knowing they had power that had opposed Moses. They wanted the power that put the stones in place in the pyramids.

They also created twelve banks worldwide; these banks owned every central bank in each nation that needed one. This included the Federal Reserve Bank in the United States, which came with the bonus of owning the IRS.

They looked worldwide for a likeminded leader who could become the leader of the world—someone they could teach to handle and wield the power of the occult that they had mastered. And they found that young man in a political family—a Jewish family—from New York City.

They also needed a prophet to lead and prepare the way for the emergence of this leader. They looked for young men to train, eventually deciding they would put a race of prophets throughout the nations.

In the 1980s they made a search for intelligent American boys in dysfunctional families whom they would raise up for leadership positions. Offering large rewards, they found twice as many as they wanted. They wanted boys who were fatherless, who didn’t know their fathers or have a way of knowing them. They had to be extremely intelligent, the kind of kids who would sit in a classroom and get poor grades because of boredom. Their target age was twelve years old—the time that rebellion often kicks in. And even though they were looking for boys—and found twice as many as they’d hoped to find, they came across nearly as many girls who fit that same profile. So girls were enrolled in a similar program.

Once a boy was adopted into this program, he was given a scholarship to a martial arts school. If an appropriate martial arts school was not found in the boy’s community, they created a reason for the child and guardian to move. (All of this was done without the child or guardian knowing what their true motives were.)

The mother or other female guardian of the child was tricked or forced into relationships with men. This information was then revealed to the boy or girl with the purpose of raising his or her anger. The martial arts schools they attended taught them to fight in anger and beat up the helpless—sometimes children five or six years old. Through all of this the boys and girls were being groomed to submit and obey their leaders, to have their way with people in general, and to abuse the helpless.

After high school the child was offered the opportunity to attend the college he or she wanted at no charge—just the agreement to go to Belgium after graduation and be trained to work in a leadership position in the United States. If the child did not want to go to college, he or she would go directly to Belgium to begin such training.

Once in Belgium, they were taught a more honest form of martial arts and worked out three hours a day. They were also trained in handling money or banking, with a focus on how to handle people and keep them under control. They were taught several languages, customs, and other necessary skills. And once a young man or woman was declared a candidate to be a prophet, he or she started learning the occult, Jewish mysticism, and Egyptian magic. Surprisingly enough, they also studied the Bible an hour a day.

In the final year their graduation plans depended upon how quickly they understood and were willing to obey. And in this final year they met the Antichrist and were taught to worship him, as well as how to lead others to worship him. The Antichrist would eat lunch and supper as often as he could with these last-year students.

When an assignment was found for a student, the Antichrist would lay hands on that person and give him or her power to heal and control minds. They would complete a two-year internship program and then be given a city or other area to rule on behalf of the Antichrist, preparing the way for his emergence as the one-world leader.

It is at this point in the development of events that we begin our story.

Chapter 1

THE DECEPTION

Barry Barnes got into his Volkswagen hybrid and headed to Dan Kelly’s Baptist church. He was going to prepare them to be his servants.

As a child Barry had been quick to get involved with the program set before him. He had caught his mother with men several times, and these were set up by the people watching him to mature him in anger, rage, and obedience to the cause. But Barry Barnes figured out when he was fourteen years old that his life was being manipulated. He noticed a fellow that would watch him about once a week, so he made contact and they understood that he knew what they were doing. He was invited to stay in Holland and Belgium in the summers. Barry went to three Ivy League Colleges, and got a master’s degree in physics. He decided that he wanted to learn something interesting; the stuff they wanted him to learn was just too easy and boring.

When Barry Barnes was offered the job in Winston-Salem, just before the war, he jumped at the chance. He liked the area, and he wanted an area where no one worked before. But just as he got to Winston-Salem, the war started and he had orders to hold off on introducing the human interface.

It was something he’d been preparing to do for a long time. He had studied the American church as part of his training, and he understood its weaknesses and the weaknesses of each denomination. Today he was going to bring not only the Baptist church but also the Presbyterian church, the Pentecostal church, and the charismatic church under his spell. It was time to introduce human interface to his most powerful allies.

BAPTIST CHURCH

The auditorium of the very large local Baptist church was a huge rectangular room with medium green carpet, with padded wooden pews going around a stage. The rows of pews sloped up as they went away from the stage with a balcony about fifteen feet above the stage, but not as far forward as the pews on the floor. The auditorium had white walls and a white ceiling holding very bright lighting in squares several feet apart.

Pastor Dan Kelly walked onto the stage wearing a dull red sport jacket with light gray pants and looked out over the huge auditorium. His gaze swept up to the balcony fifteen feet above him and then roved to the far back of the room. Then he boomed into the microphone: Last week I said we would have a special guest today; and here he is! Give Mr. Barry Barnes, a member of the Department of Justice, a hand!

Barry Barnes stepped up to the stage wearing a black three-piece suit, his thick black hair combed back from his large square forehead and his extra thick eyebrows arched over piercing eyes. He had a large black dot in the middle of his forehead and wore a purple tie with the image of He Who Will Not Be Named emblazoned on it. He stepped to the microphone with a great smile as the audience stood and clapped to receive him.

Hello, everyone, he began. Thank you for the great reception. I am here in the spirit of the separation of church and state, and I come in the name of He Who Will Not Be Named—the man who died from a gunshot to the head and was raised to life by the god of this world! I proclaim peace and prosperity, security and safety to you!

He lifted his hands over his head with his palms facing the crowd, then spoke quietly, I speak forth a spirit of friendship. I speak forth a spirit of trust!

Barry Barnes motioned for the crowd to sit down. Then he began the speech he had prepared. "Before the war with China, the United States Congress passed a monumental bill to stop all crime called Citizen Protection Act. It’s a bill that allows American citizens to get rid of their credit cards, their passports, and even their cash by having an electronic device attached to your hand or forehead.

What a great way to stop crime, right. You have no need to keep a checkbook! No credit cards can be stolen! No cash to fumble with! No more Big Brother reading the chip in your debit card or credit card! Need a loan? Just call the bank—no paper work, just your yes or no on the phone. No more identity theft! Make online purchases and do your online banking with peace of mind—no fear! Life will be so much easier this way. Trust in us and be rewarded!

The crowd clapped at these words, but not as many as had clapped when he first took the stage.

He went on. Some businesses will be ready to complete transactions with the electronic chip tomorrow. Four weeks from now this will be the only way to buy and sell. No more Mafia and no more drug lords! No one to prey upon your children—just trust in us!

Half the audience stood up and clapped.

Barry Barnes lifted his hands again and said quietly, Be mesmerized.

Then he spoke again. "This is fantastic news! Life will be fuller and happier this way. Life will be so much easier!

"This Saturday afternoon, to celebrate, the Department of Justice will sponsor a party at Joe’s Steakhouse. Come have a steak dinner on us! For each member of this church who gets their electronic device installed at the party, the church will get one hundred credits! And it only costs you a signature! What’s more, every man, woman, and child over twelve years old who signs up to be free from crime will get one thousand credits to spend on groceries!"

Over three-quarters of the crowd stood up and clapped when they heard this news. The pastor motioned for them to sit down and calm themselves, but they kept clapping for five to ten minutes.

Then Pastor Kelly chimed in, I have heard some nonsense about the mark of the beast, but all of you know as well as I do that the mark of the beast will only come after the Rapture happens. We will all be gone before the mark of the beast! So do not worry about this electronic device. Barry Barnes assured me you need only sign for it—it will be given to you at no cost, and this is good for all of us. Our families will feel more secure! Let’s thank Mr. Barry Barnes for speaking with us!

Yes, thank you, Barry Barnes replied. And now I have another meeting to attend, so I must go. Come join us Saturday afternoon for freedom and prosperity!

At that, 90 percent of the church members stood up and clapped loudly. As Barry Barnes exited the auditorium, he heard Dan Kelly introduce his sermon on the subject of the Rapture.

Howard, a short man with an even build, short black hair, and bushy eyebrows, and a dark three piece suit with a gold chain going to a pocket watch pocket, smiled from ear to ear as he listened to the closing song of the service. He then shook the hand of Hank, his longtime friend, who was tall and lean and wearing a western style three-piece suit with a large bowtie with a dress cowboy hat covering medium brown hair and blue eyes.

As Howard moved to the aisle at the conclusion of the service, he allowed his family to go ahead of him. What an inspiring message today, he said to Hank. I can’t wait to be raptured out of this world when things get hard.

Are you going to get that electronic device attached on Saturday? Hank asked.

The man said it was free, and I like parties, Howard replied.

Yeah, I love fellowship in the church, Hank said, but I feel uncomfortable about the device.

You don’t like change—you never have.

That’s true, Hank agreed. I guess I’ll go on Saturday and decide then.

That Barry fellow is a good guy, Howard commented. I wonder if he would have coffee with us.

You know, I feel like he is a brother to me. I bet he would.

Yeah! What a guy!

They moved into the crowded aisle, moving slowly toward the pastor who was shaking everyone’s hand at the back door. When Howard’s turn came, he put both his hands in his pockets. Hank shook the pastor’s hand, and then Howard smiled and moved his eyebrows up and down and spoke with both hands in his pockets. What a great and inspiring message, he said to the pastor. I can’t wait to be taken up out of this world.

You will be head of the crowd, Dan Kelly replied, chuckling at Howard’s facial expression.

Hank and Howard exited the church and then walked down the steps of the church together.

Are you still homophobic? Hank asked.

I just don’t feel right when I touch him, Howard said. I shook hands with him once, that should count.

He does have a wife, you know.

Howard shook his head. He’s a little mixed-up.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Not far from the Baptist church stood the Presbyterian church, a traditional style church with three sections of pews and a podium raised about four feet above the first row with stairs on either side. A table in polished walnut stood on the lower level in the front of the room, used for the Lord’s Supper. The solid black walnut pews in the room gleamed with fine polish.

After the offering, the pastor, tall, thin, with gray short hair and blue eyes, wearing a conservative brown pinstriped suit with large lapels and a black tie, addressed the congregation. Before we get started, he said, I want to have an important man speak to us for a few minutes. But he is not here yet. We’ll be having a party Friday evening, starting at 6:00 p.m., hosted by the Department of Justice. But more will be said about that once the gentleman arrives.

Just then Barry Barnes entered the door at the rear of the church, and the pastor motioned him forward. Here is Barry Barnes, who will intrigue us with his words now.

Barry Barnes walked forward to the podium and said, "I come in the name of He Who Will Not Be Named. This is the man who was slain with a wound to his head, and the god of this world brought him to life again. Will you serve him? I proclaim peace and prosperity, security and safety! And I am glad to be here in the spirit of the separation of church and state.

"I have good news that will make life much easier for you. Our government passed a law called the Citizen Protection Act just before the Chinese attacked the United States. This new law was not put into effect because we went to war. But we are putting it into effect now. This act provides US citizens with an electronic device that identifies each person and will connect you with your debit cards, credit cards, drivers’ license, and other forms of ID.

You will no longer have to fear losing your credit card, checkbook, or even your driver’s license. You won’t have to fear being robbed. How safe is this! Even your health care information will be just a wave of the hand away. All allergies and current medications will be a wave of the hand away too. Need a prescription filled? Just wave your hand, and you got it. What a blessing!

The church erupted in clapping, and the church members stood up.

Barry Barnes lifted his hands above his head and said quietly, Spirit of friendship, go forth. Mesmerism, go forth.

After things settled down, Barry Barnes said, "You will never handle cash money again—what a blessing! Think about it. When you go to your favorite super market, they will give you the bags as you walk in with your cart. When you are done shopping, your bags will be loaded and you will just walk out. Everything you’ve bought will be rung up and taken from your bank.

No waiting in line! he ended with a shout.

The crowd stood up, yelling and clapping again.

After the church members sat down, the pastor interjected to say,

I have never seen such a positive reaction to any speaker here before! Barry Barnes, tell us about the party.

Barry Barnes turned to the audience and said, "Friday night Uncle Sam will buy the food and drink at Joe’s Steakhouse. We’ll have the whole restaurant to ourselves! You’ll sign a paper, and we’ll install your personal device; then you’ll be good to go. In four weeks, this electronic device will be the only way you can buy or sell anything.

Also, your church will get one hundred credits for each person who signs up. It costs nothing! It’s free! And steak dinner on us! I like this group, so I will throw in 1,000 credits for groceries to each person who signs up too, including kids twelve and over!

The church members jumped up, shouting and clapping vigorously again.

Barry Barnes continued, I need to move on to another group now with this good news. Good-bye, and see you Friday!

The crowd erupted again.

After Barry Barnes exited the building, the pastor moved forward to start his sermon. It’s hard to follow an act like that one, he said, but I will try. As I have said many times in this church, our God is a tolerant God. Would a tolerant God throw a man or woman into hell because they have a number on their hand or a number on their forehead?

After the service was over, William, a husky man with gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue sports jacket with gray pants, slowly walked down the aisle, in line to shake the pastor’s hand on his way out. When his turn came to greet the pastor, he said, Great sermon, speaking how God is very tolerant, allowing us to get to heaven any way we want. It makes things so simple.

The pastor took both of William’s hands in his, shaking them, and said, God is very tolerant and loving to us, not caring what we do, just so long as we are good people and acknowledge Him. Will I see you and your family Friday night for the dinner?

Of course, anything to help the church, said William.

The pastor’s companion came up to William and asked him, I have a book of my recipes, would you like one?

I do not cook much, William said, and then he started out of the front door.

As he walked to his car, William thought, That Barry is a nice guy. I wonder if I can have lunch with him. I will go to that dinner so I can talk to him, but I don’t really need that electronics thing.

When he got into the car, his wife, Peggy, who had gotten there ahead of him, said, I don’t like that electronic chip thing. I like to watch my groceries get rung up. I need to make sure they charge me right! I like quick sales and I like good deals, and he wants to take that away from me. I know you are going to tell me I have to get that thing, but I don’t want it!

William said, I really do not want that thing on me, either, but I want to go to the dinner and talk to my friend, Barry. I would like to meet him.

Yeah, he is a nice guy, Peggy said. He has some ideas that could stop bad guys from crime, but I just like things as they are. I don’t buy drugs, so why should I miss quick sales?

PENTECOSTAL CHURCH

The local Pentecostal church down the road from William’s church seated 150 people in two rows of padded chairs gracing one aisle with a worn gray carpet.

Willy Watson, the pastor, emerged on the stage in a brown pinstriped suit with a multicolored tie and cried out, Are you ready for the Rapture train?

Marvin Day, one of the church members sitting in the audience, jumped into the aisle and started screaming, Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, like a train, circling his arms around. Jesus, come get me out of here!

Amen! Amen! Amen! Willy Watson cried.

Then Barry Barnes stepped up beside Willy Watson on the stage. Willy said, I want to introduce Mr. Barry Barnes to you all—a man who loves people and has found a way to help people.

Barry Barnes nodded to Willy Watson and said, Thank you for that graceful introduction.

I am glad to have you here, said Willy Watson.

Glad to be here, said Barry Barnes. Then he turned to the audience and said, Do you folks want good news?

Several shouts of Amen were heard.

He said, "Would you like to walk the streets with no fear of being mugged? Would you like to buy things in the store and then leave the store quickly, with your groceries being paid as you leave the store? Would you like your checking account balanced all the time without the possibility to bounce checks ever again?

"I have good news for you: this is happening now! The Citizen Protection Act was passed by Congress just before the war with China started. It was never enacted here, but it has worked very well in Europe the last couple of years. And we are bringing the technology to you now!

Just think—if your mother or father ends up in an emergency room, the doctors will instantly know their medical needs. You could pick a car at your local car dealer and get a loan just by saying yes or no. You’ll never handle money again!

The church was very quiet.

Willy Watson stepped in and said, That sounds very interesting, Barry. Now, you want to take us to a steak dinner this Thursday night—isn’t that true?

Yes, that is true. There, you will have the opportunity to get your new electronic device installed. You’ll just sign in and get your device and a steak dinner. And I will give this church one hundred credits for everyone who signs up. And if that was not enough, I will also give each person who signs up 1,000 credits toward groceries. Will that work for you?

He got a less-than-enthusiastic response from the church. So he decided it was time to press in.

Every man and woman here has in their wallet or purse some chips very much like the mark of the beast! Your debit cards, credit cards, ID cards, all of which started with magnetic strips, have switched to microchips. You are using these things now! Even you old-fashioned folks use checks that have magnetic numbers on them! I am offering you an electronic device that you can wear that is not a chip! Plus, did you know God wants you to wear this electronic device? He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face since he had broken into a sweat.

Folks, this is truth! Willy Watson interjected. Don’t you feel the presence of God here today? If Barry Barnes here was talking about the mark of the beast, then your checks are also the mark of the beast, your debit cards are also the mark of the beast, your credit cards are also the mark of the beast, and your drivers license is biometrics! Are those things the mark of the beast?

He continued, Do you want to get cash to spend money all the time? Do you want to save up before you buy something? Why do you test God on this matter? God would not have sent Barry Barnes to us if this was not real and true!

He started lifting his arms in such a way to encourage the church members to stand up and clap and then said, What a great man! Thank you for coming and sharing with us!

Barry Barnes said, Thank you for inviting me. I have another meeting to attend now, so I will need to go. See you Thursday.

As he began making his way down the aisle, one of the church members stood up and yelled, This is the mark of the beast!

Willy Watson yelled right back. "Have you folks got bubble gum in your ears? Do you take a sleeping pill when you come into this church? Has a steam roller parked on your head? Just about every Sunday I speak about the Rapture. Everyone here knows that the Rapture will happen before the mark of the beast comes! What we just heard from Barry Barnes concerns a fake mark of the beast, but it is good for you and good for the church and good for our God."

Then some men yelled, Amen.

I will let you in on a secret, Willy Watson continued. Barry Barnes will try to get us a new church building if our turnout is over 95 percent on Thursday night. Please bring everyone you can think of—even give them a few dollars to come. Remember, a really good steak dinner is included. And Barry hinted that he did not care if you brought your neighbors.

Then several church members called out, Amen!

Bring your friends and get them saved! cried Willy Watson.

He started running down the aisle, then jumped on both outstretched hands and flipped over three times, from hands to feet to hands and so on.

The church stood up and screamed praises to God.

The Rapture is real! Willy