Hearken and Escape

And that is just what happened. So I spent the majority of my time trying to find a way to escape. Each night when the moon shined a couple of us went out to look for an exit. Remember I have no idea how many days we were in this place. It could have been years for all I know.

So night after night we looked for a way out. At this time their security was a little loose, for no one had escaped yet. The open gate that the line of people who were being led into the school went through at the beginning was still open. I thought it was some kind of trap so we waited to see what would happen.

Night after night, guards came to the gate and tried with all their strength to shut it but could not. So after one time trying to shut the gate each night they would just post guards around the open gate. But even, by the grace of God, the guards would sit with their backs to the path and seldom turn around to look at it. The reason that they did not care is because no one had tried to escape yet.

So one night we decided to try to make an escape. Out of the twenty of us left only eight decided to try the escape. The others thought it to be too risky. So my wife, eight others, and myself prepared to leave this place that was still starving us.

When I walked out of the school on my right was the football field. (I say on my right because I was facing away from the school. Remember in the beginning the football field was on my left because I was facing the school.) Directly in front of me was the path that led through the open gates. Once again after trying to shut the gate and not being able to, the guards sat with their backs to the path. Very seldom looking back at the path that led to freedom.

We walked as close as we dared without being seen. Just then I got scared. I was worried about trying to escape. I thought, they have not tried to kill us here yet. Sure they starve us but I am not hungry. Why should I risk getting caught when everything albeit was not perfect in the school, I was alive. For everyone knew that if you got caught trying to escape then you would be beat and possibly killed.

I turned to my wife and said, "we will not go." She looked surprised but also relived. I could see she had the same feelings as I did. But she was starving. I said to myself, ‘if I were starving I would try to escape as fast as I could indeed. But I need nothing, sure freedom would be nice but what if I was never able to make it home and was killed on the way. There is just too much to lose.’

Another man with me looked saddened that I would not go but nonetheless he had made up his mind. The other seven and him were going to try it. We all bid each other farewell and asked God to bless one another. Then they stood up to leave.

My wife and I watched as they slowly made their way up to were the first guard sat. My wife asked, "why are the walking instead of running?"

I replied, "because if they run then the sound of their footsteps will alert the guards. But because they are walking they are making no sound and the guards have no idea anyone is trying to escape. Why would they even think it? No one has tried to leave yet." After I finished saying this I felt sick. I knew they were going to make without any problems and we could have been with them. Why did we not go with them? O fear you are cruel and wicked. You have prevented me from going.

Nonetheless we watched as they left through the open gate. The guards had no idea my eight brothers and sisters had left. They had made it without so much of a worry. It had been so easy and now I was kicking myself for not going. Why did I not go!

"Maybe we should try?" My wife said.

She was right, we should try! Why not? The guards would have no idea we even left, just as they had no idea the others had left. Why should they have had any reason to think someone would leave? There was no reason to.

I thought, yes we can make it just as the others did. My courage and strength had returned to me. It burned as strong as it was before old cruel fear put that the fire out, no, it burnt even stronger now. So I said, "ok let’s go!"

But before I could even stand up, the gate leading to the woods beyond, to freedom, and to home slammed shut. The guards jumped up and ran to the gate. Despite the fact that the gate being shut, is what they wanted all the time, the guards tried to open it. I couldn’t understand these silly people. I felt like telling them to be content, if you want the door closed and it is closed why are you trying now to open it back up? You have gotten what you wanted, why do you now want to open back up the gate? I couldn’t understand their actions. But nonetheless just like before when the gate was open and they couldn’t shut it, now the gate was closed and no one could open it.

O no, it’s too late. I waited too long. When the road was clearest and easiest I did not go. Now I’ll have to find another way of escape. These were the thoughts that were running through my mind. My wife must have been thinking the same thing cause at that moment we both started to cry.

Time Rolls On

After this in my vision I saw that we went back to the room in which we stayed. The ones that were keeping us in this "prison" found out that eight people had escaped. In their anger we were punished. Instead of eating once a week, like we had been doing, we could only eat once every other week. (Need I say those who were weak got weaker? I continued to stay strong but since I did not go when I was supposed to, I started to get hungry, albeit slightly) They also installed lights out in the field, so they could see the next time someone tried to escape.

After everyone who was in line had their choice to accept Jesus or take the bushel of apples in their hand, the wheat had been separated from the weed. The numbers of wheat was only twenty-four, that out of the thousands that had to be in line. But remember four of the wheat had decide after the persecution they suffered to take the bushel of apples, in which they lost God’s favor and forgiveness. For they were willing to do for Christ Jesus but were not willing to go through persecution for him. Then eight others escaped through the open gate before the Lord shut it. So now counting my wife and I only twelve people who decided they would die for Jesus remained.

Since the numbers of us was so small I seen in my vision that those who held us captive was able to have more control over us. They filled us up with fear every chance they got. They attacked us with words rather than action and I could see the ghost in each of us get weaker every day. And of course they only fed us once every other week.

In the day, every day, I continued to preach. (That despite that fact that our captors did not want us to even speak of God, little on have service. But just as they had no power to turn off the light that shined above us, they had no power to stop us from serving Jesus) In the night, every night, I continued to look for a way to escape.

I eventually found a way but the lights that our captors put in the field prevented any chance to escape. Because they would see any attempt we made to escape. So I needed God to perform a miracle for me to get out. (Remember when I told you what was in the field, while I was in line waiting to enter the building. To the left of me was the football field. Behind me was the path that led through the gate that was open at that time but is now closed. To my right was nothing at all, all the way to where the high fence was. That is where I saw a way to escape. There was simply nothing at all in that part of the field so the guards only slightly patrolled there.) Also I knew that since this was a way out, if God performed a miracle that is-in which somehow He could turn off the lights our captors had installed so that no one would see us escape-it was going to be a hard way out, since the fence was so high. It would not be as easy as it was for my other eight brothers and sisters who left this place on the path that led through the open gate. In my vision I kicked myself for not going at that first, easiest chance I had. O fear you are cruel and wicked!

So time went on and each day and night I prayed that God would provide a miracle. (At night I no longer wasted time looking for a way out because I had all ready found one) But after eating three more times, no miracle came. So my wife and I decided to try to escape anyway.

Second Try

That night we stood as close as we could to the light above the high fence. We patiently waited for the guard to make his round and when he turned to walk away we prepared ourselves to go. Just before we took off running, (now the time was growing short so we had to run instead of walk like before), we heard a cough. I looked and saw a guard sitting on the ground leaning against the fence. If we would have ran and tried to escape at that moment then we would have been killed for this man would have had an easy shot at our backs as we tried to climb the high difficult fence.

We both breathed a sigh of relief and right there we thanked God for allowing us to hear this man cough. We also prayed for repentance and forgiveness for trying to escape on our own without God. We could not do such a thing. We had to have God help us; we could not do it on our own!

Later that night as I started to fall to sleep in my vision I heard God speak to me out loud. God said, "I have heard your cry’s of repentance. In my mercy you have been forgiven. Be prepared for tomorrow I will provide a way out for you! I will send you someone tomorrow. Listen to his word for his word is my word and my word is a true word." I fell asleep praising and thanking God. He is my shepherd, for I am but a lost sheep. He is my provider, for I have nothing. He is my salvation, for without him I would be dead. Those who do not know Christ stand dead already. Those who do not obey the commands of Jesus stand dead already. Those who do not obey the words of God, whether it be spoken or written, stand dead already. These are the words I prayed right after the Lord spoke to me!

When I woke up the next morning I told my wife what the Lord had said. She said, "then let’s go." But she just didn’t seem to be into the thought of obeying what the Lord said too much. But I didn’t worry for I thought perhaps that it was because she was still tired after just waking up.

That day I gave a sermon on the power of God. Through this sermon I could see God moving on the eleven people who were listening. There was dancing, singing, and speaking in tongues. I also could see these people got refreshed and stronger. Albeit they were still weak. Only now they were not weak unto the point of death. In my vision I praised God for his love.

Our captors got madder than ever before, because of the power of our service. So a guard was sent in to our room. He hit each of us with all his strength but could not hurt us at all. This made him even madder yet. He left the room and came back with seven more guards. They all hit us with all their strength. But still they could not get us down. Of course they got even madder but what could they do. Nothing.

Before all the guards left the room one of them turned around. He looked at each of us and screamed, "you will get no water at all today!" I saw that my fellow Christians who just moments ago withstood eight guards could not withstand this punishment. Except for me everyone sunk down in his or her chairs. When the guard seen this he smiled, he had found a way to get to us.

After he left the room we prayed but the prospect of no water for the day kept everyone down. I couldn’t understand my brothers and sisters. Why couldn’t they hold on? I could see that they couldn’t take much more. How much more could I take? But I knew the Lord would provide a way out this very day. (Now I had tried to get the others to go with me but like at the beginning, they did not want to go)

After we all prayed together I went into the corner and prayed till it got dark. When it did get dark I went outside with my wife to look around. It felt like hours that we stood out there without any sign from God. I started to get worried cause the day was nearly over.

Then a man came up to me, I knew the man but in my vision I did not. He said, "I have been sent to you. I am a prophet of God."

I replied, "yes I know you are."

He said, "do you see that light?"

I replied, "yes, it’s the light that stops me from escaping."

This prophet of God said, "tonight I will turn that light out! If you do not go tonight then you will die. O you will find another way of escape but you will not see the land where you would have been safe. For you did not listen to the word of God, so you must die!"

I got scared and replied, "I might not have the strength to go."

"Then go anyway and let God be your strength. Heed these words for they are a true word. Do not disobey the Lord. Did He not tell you last night that He would provide a way out for you? Why do you not listen to the never lying word of God? I know you are saved. I know you are called to preach the word. But I also know that you are weak because of the worries in your life. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself, those are the words of the Lord. Heed them and you shall be saved. Disobey and you shall die. Just trust the Lord, He knows what is best for you."

Within a flash this prophet of God was gone. I looked all around but he was no where to be seen. I looked at my wife but she seemed unaffected, this troubled me for I was scared. So I asked, "where did that man go?"

"What man?" She asked.

I said, "that man, that prophet of God I was just talking to. Where did he go?"

I do not know for I did see no man." She replied.

"There was a prophet of God talking to me. After he had finished what he had to say he vanished. Gone, into thin air!" I said.

"Well what did he have to say?" My wife asked.

So I told her all there was to tell. After I had finished we were both scared and excited. We knew the light would be turned off soon so we prepared ourselves to leave. We would go as soon as the light went out, lest we die.

Then it happened, the light blinked out! Here was our chance to escape. We would make it. I did a quick eye scan to see where the guards were. The light going out stunned all of them. They had no idea what to do. They certainly wouldn’t hear us or see us escape. I grabbed my wife’s hand and prepared to run. I said, "are you ready?"

She replied, "I wonder how the kids are doing?" My kids were with my parents. How they got there and the story behind how we got caught, rounded up, and brought to this place was in the first part of this vision. All that happened before we were standing in line, and a lot did happen, I simply could not remember. As for the kids, we had talked about them every day while in this place. This was just the first time I mentioned it because this was the first time it was relevant.

"I am sure they are fine." I replied but my heart was not on the conversation. Instead it was on escaping.

My wife continued asking unimportant questions, I say unimportant because none of them mattered unless we got out of here. But for some reason despite my will to leave this place I answered all her questions. Before we knew it we had been talking for ten minutes since the light had gone out.

At this moment I awoke with a start. I jumped out of bed wide-awake and ready to go to work. My heart was beating fast because I was scared of this vivid vision I had. Then the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "lay your head back down and sleep for awhile." So I did.

I was back at the same place. Standing in the same field with my wife. The light was still out but yet we still had not tried to run. What was wrong with us, the Lord had told me to go, a prophet confirmed the message, but yet we feared trying to escape. What were these chains tied to my heart. I felt like saying in the name of Jesus depart from me chains! But to even say that, I could not.

Then we saw the man who had held the knife up to my neck when I chose between Jesus and the apples. I saw that this was a man of power. He spoke and people listened. I heard him say, "fear not my people, in ten minutes I will have this light on!" Everyone cheered.

I knew our time was running out. We simply had no more time to waste. I grabbed my wife’s hand again and said, "come on." But once again as I jumped, ready to run, doubt hit me, it hit me hard. I started thinking that the fence was too high to climb. There was no way I could make it over the fence. I knew if I tried then I would fall. I was just too scared, O fear you are cruel and wicked!

Then my wife said, "you preach here every day. I have responsibilities to the others here also."

With her statement I was filled up with even more doubt. So we talked for awhile about leaving. Should we go, perhaps God wanted us to stay here for the sake of the other prisoners we would be leaving behind. (Despite all my fears and excuses the fact is that God had told us to go)

Then the light turned on, I heard the guards cheer. I seen them fall to their faces and worship the man who had held the knife to my throat. Then I saw the man who held my arms down make the others praise the first man. But now that the light was on I knew we wouldn’t be able to escape over the fence anymore. At that moment the fence looked easy to climb, the road didn’t look that hard after all. So I cried, why didn’t we go?

I then heard the words of the prophet God sent me. "Tonight I will turn that light out! If you do not go tonight then you will die. O you will find another way of escape but you will not see the land where you would have been safe. For you did not listen to the word of God, so you must die!" When the words came back to me I cried even more. I lost all my strength and I became weak like the others. I was completely defeated.

The next day I did not give a sermon. For I didn’t have the strength to preach. When the others seen this, that I had no more hope or will, they to seemed to lose all the hope they had left. Not hope of our salvation for we all truly believed that we were saved. For that was our only hope, the hope of another, better place that we had had set aside for us.

But we lost our hope of living in this life. So because of this we all were weak, including myself, weaker than we ever had been before. (There had already been times the others were weak. But now all of us were weak unto death)

When those in control, the three men I meet in the hallway after I entered the building the first time, seen our weakness they attacked with every thing they could. So they sent in guards to beat us. Remember before these guards had no power on us. But now they were able to inflict tremendous pain on all of us. It was all most too much to bear. But as soon as we thought we honestly couldn’t take anymore, those in control called the guards off of us.

Now that they seen how easily the guards hurt us, they called for they’re so called "ministers of god." Once again these men and women entered our room. (I told you earlier that they came to us in the cafeteria the first time. But I also wrote that almost every day they came to us. Our room is where they came) I was worried for my brothers and sisters and myself for we were so weak. Would we fall onto their deadly sword? I prayed to God, asking him to accept my cry of repentance and to grant me forgiveness in his mercy. I also prayed that he would protect all of us in our time of need. And this was indeed, a time of need!

As soon as they came closer to us with their deceived smiles I felt the presence of the Lord. (By not listening to His spoken word I was unfaithful to Him but He was faithful to me) I saw that all of these so-called "ministers of god" wore tight pants on this day. This is not something they had worn before. But since they did wear these tight pants I saw a chilling sight. Instead of walking normal like people do, they had a strange walk. Their knees didn’t bend in the normal way. Instead they bent outwardly. Causing these people to walk crooked. I couldn’t think how they stopped themselves from falling over. They nearly fell with every step. Then I saw that with every step their walk got worse and it became more of a struggle. I thought, it won’t be too much longer before they fall over completely.

I looked even closer and seen that they all had diseases. But none of my other eleven brother and sisters, including my wife, could see the condition of these "ministers of god." It was all they could do just to stay awake. For all of us were not only weak but also tired. But one look at these sad people, these so-called "ministers of god", and all your weakness and tiredness slipped away. For I wanted to make sure that I did not fall into the pit that these poor people had. It was a grim reminder to me of how truly bad hell had to be. Because what I saw was truly bad but I knew it couldn’t be as bad as hell. So for this I got scared and completely ignored the words they were trying to say to me.

But my fellow brothers and sisters, including my wife, were listening to the words of these lost people. So I stood up and shouted, "do you all not see the way these people walk and look?" They still didn’t seem to understand what I was saying so I said, "look at their legs! They walk sideways, they are crooked. Look at their faces and bodies! They are diseased, they will soon die." When I pointed these things out my fellow Christians seen what these so called "ministers of god" looked like. At this they, like I had already done, completely ignored these people.

This made those in control mad so they decided to try something they had not done yet. They decided to let us see our family and friends. Albeit we could only see those who had taken the bushel of apples in their hands. For this I was distressed. Because I knew that if our family and friends tried to talk us into denying Christ then because we were weak we might do just that.

I saw our family and friends walk into our room, they were all wearing baggy pants. They came at us with reasoning and so called love. They acted like they cared for us and our best interests were the only things on their minds. They were trying to trick us, through the power of the mind, saying that God had forgiven them. They knew that this was the way things were. All of them cried for us. All of them mourned for us. Saying, "please in the name of God receive what will save your lives!"

I seen that both the reasoning of our family and friends and the love that my fellow Christians had for these people was started to get to all of us. We were on the verge of giving in, an action that I knew would mean we would die. So being scared past a point that I had never been, not only in this vision but also in my life, I prayed. I asked for God’s protection once again.

Then even though our family and friends wore baggy pants God showed me what these people looked like. I saw a chilling sight. Instead of walking normal like people do, they had a strange walk. Their knees didn’t bend in the normal way. Instead they bent outwardly. Causing these people to walk crooked. I couldn’t think how they stopped themselves from falling over. They nearly fell with every step. Then I saw that with every step their walk got worse and it became more of a struggle. I thought, it won’t be too much longer before they fall over completely.

I looked even closer and seen that they all had diseases. But none of my other eleven brother and sisters, including my wife, could see the condition of these family and friends. But one look at these sad people, these so called family and friends, and all your weakness and tiredness slipped away. For I wanted to make sure that I did not fall into the pit that these poor people had. It was a grim reminder to me of how truly bad hell had to be. Because what I saw was truly bad but I knew it couldn’t be as bad as hell. So for this I got scared and completely ignored the words they were trying to say to me.

But my fellow brothers and sisters, including my wife, were listening to the words of these lost people. So I stood up and shouted, "do you all not see the way these people walk and look?" They still didn’t seem to understand what I was saying so I said, "look at their legs! They walk sideways, they are crooked. Look at their faces and bodies! They are diseased, they will soon die." When I pointed these things out my fellow Christians seen what these so called family and friends looked like. At this they, like I had already done, completely ignored these people.

So the so-called "ministers of god" walked sideways. These people were crooked. They were diseased. Our so called family and friends walked sideways also. They were crooked like the others. And they to were diseased. I knew that both the "ministers of god" and our family and friends who had taken the bushel of the apples would die and soon!

Then the man that I said was a man of power seen that his attacks could do no damage despite the condition we were in. So in his anger he yelled, "I will not put up with you much longer. Soon, very soon, you will die!" But this threat from a man that could only kill the body and not the body and soul affected none of us. Matter of fact I saw in my vision that most of us yearned for death in the way that you do when you want to see someone you haven’t seen in a very long time.

Every one of those who were trying to convince us that we should take the bushel of apples tear there clothes and mourned. The guards, the "ministers of god", and our family and friends. They all mourned as they left our room. I thought to myself, I should be mourning you but yet you mourn me. I will be in a place of peace very soon; you will be in a place of torment very soon. This thought made me weep for these people.

That night I tried to find another way out. I saw that in the football field was were all the guards stayed in their tents. I saw that the guards were having a party tonight. The reason they were celebrating was because their ruler had said that soon we would die! But because they were having a party tonight there was only three guards watching over the entire field. I knew that if I could knock out at least one of the guards then I would be okay. I then could escape.

I crawled over to where one of the guards, the other two was walking together, stood scanning the area. I heard music coming from where the other guards were having a party. I smiled because in their fun I was going to escape.

When I had gotten close enough to the lone guard I stood up. With my left hand-I was behind him-I covered his mouth. With my right hand I tried to knock the guard out. I tried a move that I had seen in the movies a long time ago but it didn’t work. So I tried again but with the same result. I seen that I was lost, I couldn’t knock the guard out so now what was I supposed to do? What else could I do but pray.

The guard had been stunned by my surprise attack. But when he seen that I couldn’t do any damage to him he laughed out loud. (He still couldn’t get loose from me holding him.) Then he hooted over and over again. Each time getting louder.

The guards at the football field would never be able to hear the guard I was holding. For they were having a party and their music was loud. But the other two guards would hear this guard very soon. I didn’t know what to do.

He kept getting louder with every hoot. The two guards patrolling were getting closer and soon they would hear the hooting. So I decided the only thing I could do to quiet the guard I was holding down was to tickle him.

The man started to laugh. I quickly realized I shouldn’t have tickled him. For his laugh was louder than his hoot. The two patrolling guards heard him and started running toward us yelling at the top of their lungs.

I couldn’t run back toward our room for that was the direction the guards were coming from. I knew I had to do something quick so I took off toward the bleachers by the football field. What else could I do?

I hid under the bleachers but by the time I had got there the alarm had been sounded. What I seen next scared me worse than anything else I had seen. I knew there were a lot of guards at this school but I saw so many, more than I could count. I saw some were little, some were big. But there were so many they couldn’t even move that well! Led by the man of great power they searched the field looking for me. How would I escape?

Since their numbers were so many it wasn’t long before they found me. Some of the guards took me and led me to the one of great power. They beat me severely before I even reached their leader. I nearly died from this abuse.

When we finally reached the man of power, the guards holding me dropped me hard to the ground. Because I had been beat so bad this drop to the ground knocked me out. But just before I passed out I heard this man say. "Gather all of them together! My patience, which has been so great, is worn thin. I will kill them all!" Everyone cheered and I passed out.

I woke up and seen that I was lying on the floor in the hallway of the school right at the bottom of the steps. There was a guard holding a gun toward me. I looked and saw my wife standing by me and my fellow Christians standing in a line leading into a classroom I never had been in before. Inside the room I saw a few guards and the three men from the beginning of this vision. The one who sat in the large expansive chair offering the bushel of apples. The one who held the knife to my throat and the same who had great power. The one who held my arms down, threw us all in the classroom at first, and made the other guards worship the man with great power. All three of them were in this classroom.

"What’s going one?" I asked.

"They’re going to kill us now." My wife said with no emotion. She continued, "they wanted to kill us first. But they couldn’t wake you. So they put us in the back of the line. They’ll torture you and me because you’re the one they truly hate. So now we have a little more time but were still going to die. And now we have to watch all of those whom we love die."

I said, "I love everyone in this building." I struggled to get up but couldn’t. I don’t know why I couldn’t get up, I was hurting but not severe enough to the point I couldn’t get up.

So my wife bent down to help me up. But before she could we heard the man with power say, "this is your last chance. Die or accept the apples."

I heard one of my sisters in Christ Jesus scream, "I choose to die!" With that I heard a gun shot go off. Then those in line started crying and screaming. I heard a woman shriek.

My wife looked at me and said, "were going to die." I saw a part of her was broken but a part of her was happy.

I said, "we will not die."

She asked, "why do you say that?"

I told her, "remember the Prophet God sent me? He said, ‘O you will find another way of escape but you will not see the land where you would have been safe.’"

She smiled but just then we heard, "this is your last chance. Die or accept these apples."

I heard one of my brothers, the one whose wife was just killed, tearfully but calmly say, "I choose to die." With that came another gun shot. I heard more crying and more screaming. I heard the same woman shriek but this time I heard something else.

"Boss, boss!" A soldier came running down the steps. "They need you boss, it’s urgent. Come with me now and I can get you there in less that three hours."

Then the man with the power and the man who held my arms down walked out of the classroom they were in. As they neared me so they could go up the stairs I heard one of the guards ask, "do you want me to kill these people?"

The man with the power said, "kill them all except for these two." He pointed at my wife and I. "I want to kill them myself." With that he brought a boot straight down on my head. I passed out immediately.

"Get up, hurry!" I heard my wife say. I struggled to get up but with my wives help I was able to stand, unlike before. "Hurry, come on!" My wife started to walk up the steps so I followed.

The guard who was on the steps with his gun pointed at us was still there but his gun was facing down now. We walked past him and he didn’t say anything. When we got to the top of the stairs I asked my wife, "where are we going?"

"Were leaving." She replied.

"From the second floor?" I asked. I didn’t understand because we entered from the floor below.

"The place that you thought was the second floor is really the first. And the place you thought was the first floor is really the basement or lower level." She said. "Now we’ve got to be quiet so we can sneak past the cafeteria."

"Okay." I said. I didn’t talk again until we were outside. Even though I had a lot of questions like why did that guard on the steps let us go? Are all my other brothers and sisters dead?

But for now we were in the hallway leading to the cafeteria on the "first floor." We heard a lot of voices coming from the cafeteria. Judging by what they were saying I knew they were guards. Also judging by what they were bragging about I knew that all my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus were dead!

Very quietly we walked past the entrance to the cafeteria. None of those inside the cafeteria saw or heard us walk by. Just after the entrance to the cafeteria, which is on the left side of the hallway, there was another hallway on the right. This hallway led outside! We walked through the doors and we were now outside. There was no fence blocking our way. There was no guards watching over us. For all the guards except the one on the steps were in the cafeteria drinking, eating, and being merry.

We walked to the main road and I turned around to take on last look at the place I called home for so long. (Remember I do not know how long we were there.) Then while I was looking at this school I realized it was the school I went to as a kid. Why hadn’t I known this before? I know this school like the back of my hand. Why didn’t I know this place? These were my thoughts at this time.

I then saw that I was looking at the main entrance of the school. I knew that what I thought was the second floor was indeed the first floor. The reason that both the first floor and basement floor come out onto land without having to go up or down is because the school was built on a hill. But indeed the entrance of the school I was no looking at was the main part.

After this we started to walk home. I asked my wife the one remaining question I had. Only now the question was burning me in my soul. I didn’t understand so I asked, "why did the guard on the steps let us go?"

"I don’t want to talk about that right now." She replied, so we didn’t. But this question was burning my soul and I had an awful feeling about it. I couldn’t understand what was wrong.

(On our way home we crossed some hard times. There were at least three or four incidents that occurred. But I can not remember what happened. I do know that only by the grace of God did we make it home safely.)

We walked into our house and it appeared that no one was there. Then we got scared for we didn’t know where our kids were. So my wife screamed their names. That’s when we heard our kids yell for us. We went running in the direction of the sound and meet my parents and our kids in the hallway. We all embraced and cried for our great happiness.

I asked my parents how they got back here. (I do not remember what happened before my wife and I was standing in the line going into the school. But I know we were not at home when the people who held us captive captured everyone. Instead we were all visiting a certain family member.) My parents answered the question I asked but I can not remember their answer because I can not remember what happened before what I have written. But I do know that like my wife and I the only reason they made it home was because of the grace of God.

They asked us what happened to us and how we got out of the prison we were in. So we told them everything. After this we all just enjoyed each other’s company.

Some time passed and I said, "you do know we have to go, right?"

With that my mother cried and while in tears said, "I have big and nice carpet here. I won’t have such nice carpet somewhere else." Her tears flowed even harder. Then she asked, "do you think I’ll be able to take the carpet with us?"

My father said, "there is no way! We won’t have the room for that. We are just going to have to take the things we need. Nothing else but what we need!" After hearing his answer my mom left the room crying all the more.

I stated, "something else is bothering her." Everyone agreed. At that time my dad left the room to see what was wrong with my mother. Leaving my wife and my kids in the room alone. We played and laughed. We thanked and praised God for his kindness. It was a joyful time. While playing with our kids I saw that even though we had been in prison for a long time our kids had not gotten a day older.

At that moment the question that burned in my soul came to mind. So while we were still playing I asked my wife. "Why did that guard on the steps let us go?"

I saw she got nervous. "Please, I said I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t ask me again." I knew something was wrong and this question had to be asked. But for now I did not want to ruin this happy reunion so I said nothing more.

After this I went to talk with my mother. She was in her room and I walked in. I asked, "what is truly bothering you?"

At first she didn’t answer so I stood there in silence. Then she finally said, "I have planted too many trees in this area just to up and leave. This is hard on me; it’s just too hard! This is just too much stress! Do you know how much stress this is causing me?"

I did understand the stress she was feeling, for I was feeling it to, but nonetheless if she didn’t leave then she would die. So I said, "would you rather die?"

She simply stated, "I don’t know."

I then left the room for there was nothing more to say. When I got into the hallway God knocked me to the ground. In my vision I had a vision.

That’s when my spirit and body was back in the hallway of my house. I was on my knees and sweat was pouring down my face. Then God spoke, "if you kill by the sword, you die by the sword. Because of the wickedness of your wife death was brought upon the man whom let you go. And because of this, death will be brought upon you and your family."

On my knees in the hallway I cried loud and hard. All of my family ran into the hallway to see what was wrong. So I told them everything God told me. My family got scared and started crying. My wife went into a bedroom, all alone, to pray and ask God for forgiveness.

After a few minutes my dad said, "we’ve got to go now then! They’ll be here soon to kill us all!"

My mother replied, "I don’t know if I can go. How can I? I have to many trees here, how can I leave them?"

"What good are all these trees if you’re dead?" My father stated. "Would you rather be dead with trees or alive with trees? I don’t understand you!"

My mom replied, "if we are going to die anyway, why go? Why not just die instead of making death hunt us down?"

My dad then asked me, "what do you think?"

I was still on my knees and while my parents were having this conversation I was praying for my wife. As soon as my dad asked the question of me I felt like God in his loving mercy granted all of us forgiveness. My wife must have gotten the same felling in her prayers because when I stood up she walked out of the bedroom. I smiled at her and she knew why I did so she smiled back.

I then looked at my parents and told them that the prophet of God said I was going to die. Then I said, "and even though my wife has been forgiven I believe that she will die to for punishment of her sin. If both of us die then that would fulfill God’s promise when he said; ‘death will be brought upon you and your family.’ (That is assuming that God only meant my wife and I, we did not know at this point.) Let my wife and I go first. You and the kids will come almost directly behind us. So that when those who hate Christ Jesus capture us, you’ll be able to make it to the beautiful land. I honestly believe you’ll make it if you come almost directly behind us."

We were all in agreement, so we gathered to pray. We told one another that we loved each other. My wife and I kissed the kids and told them that we would be back together soon. Because our kids were so young they would not be able to understand that their daddy and mommy would soon be dead. To say this farewell was sad would be an understatement.

So just before my wife and I walked out to leave I went and got some money. This was money I received from my last paycheck just before they gathered everybody together at the school. (My memory fails me a little at this point.) I know that the total amount of money I had was in the $600 range. It’s what bills that equaled this amount that I forget. I had ten $20 bills, two $100 bills, and a $278 or $287 bill. Or I had ten $20 bills, one $100 bill, and a $378 or $387 bill. (Through prayer I have been told what everything in this vision stands for and means except this part. What is the significance of such a strange bill? I do not know.)

Nonetheless my wife and I left the house. Now because the Lord told me a long time ago to keep my car filled every time I come home I have at least kept one of them full. The one with a full tank of gas is the one we got in and drove off. During this first part of the trip we didn’t talk much for sadness was in our hearts.

About twenty miles from the house I realized the car was near empty. Perhaps I didn’t have the tank full, but I’m almost positive I did. So we had to stop or run out of gas. I pulled off the highway and into a gas station. The gas station was packed. That was not something we needed for we were trying to stay out of sight.

Now I know that we were only twenty miles from the house and the area I grew up in. But even though the gas station was packed everyone there was someone I knew. Either friends or enemy’s from school and my younger life. Family members or those I have worked with before. This sight troubled me.

I filled the tank and my wife went in to pay. While I was filling a few of my old friends came up to me. These are two people I thought would never have done me wrong. But one of my old friends was full of hate. He cursed at me and then he spit on me. He would have fought me or even killed me if not for my other friend.

This other friend grabbed the one who was attacking me and told him to leave. The one whom was attacking reluctantly walked away. "Thank you." I said.

This old friend of mine said, "just be careful next time. He looked genuinely sad for me because I did not have any apples like he did.

At that moment my wife walked out of the gas station and said, "they won’t accept our money." She was scared. "What are we going to do?"

My friend said, "I will take care of this for you, don’t worry about it."

I said, "I can’t pay you back my friend."

"That’s okay. I have an unlimited amount of apples. I don’t need to be paid back." My friend then paused and said; "I must ask you a question. Now that life is so much easier due to the one great man, why did you not take the bushel of apples? Why do you want life to be so hard?"

I replied, "there is nothing I’m going through that Jesus did not go through first. And if I would have taken the bushel of apples, then like all of those whom did, I would go to hell!" I saw this offended him, I continued, "now I must ask you a question. For the sin of Adam God said, in not as many words, ‘through hard work you will eat and live.’ Now knowing this, why do you think life should be easy?"

He suppressed his anger and said, "I understand your view point, wrong as it may be. But nonetheless the one who gave us the bushel of apples has bypassed this curse God put on man. He is putting an end to all poverty and misfortune. If you want to know the truth, he has done more than this Jesus you say you love!"

I said, "I thank you for the gas but our conversation is over. It is useless to talk for it is too late for you anyway. I will cry for you!" After I had said this I saw he wanted to kill me. So my wife and I jumped in the car and fled.

As we were pulling off I heard this old friend of mine yell; "I hate you! You need to be killed for you don’t even know what the word love means!" As soon as we were out of sight of my old friend, out of love for him I cried.

For the next twenty miles my wife and I thanked God for delivering us out of the hands of our enemy’s. We praised and rejoiced. We laughed and we sung.

But then I saw the gas tank on my car was near empty again. What was going on! Why was our gas running out so quickly? But because we would have ran out of gas I pulled off the highway and into another gas station. This one was packed with people like the other one was.

Before I got out I said, "God provided someone to pay for our gas last time. Perhaps He will do it again. But if this where we die just remember God is in control and I love you."

There was a tear in her eye when she said, "we should pray."

I replied, "yes we should pray. Not only for us but also for our kids and my parents. Because we had to stop again they would have to be past us already. Let’s pray for us and them." So we prayed and then I got out.

Despite the fact that we were now forty miles away from the house and the area I grew up in, I knew everyone at the gas station. I looked for someone that would pay for my gas. When I saw three of my cousins walking up to me I started to fill my tank. For surely one of them would pay for my gas.

Two of my cousins were full of hate. I thought to myself, O no, here we go again. Like before they cursed at me and then spit on me. They would have even fought me or killed me if not for my other cousin.

This cousin of mine stood in between my other two cousins and me and told them to leave. Since they didn’t want to start a fight with both my cousin and I, they walked away acting as if they won a fight. "Thank you." I said.

My cousin replied, "no problem. Do you need any help?"

I replied, "yes I need someone to pay for this gas I am pumping." Right after I spoke the hose shut off, the tank was full.

I replaced the nozzle as my cousin said, "don’t worry about it, I’ll take car of it."

At this moment I felt sad for this cousin of mine. I had always known he wasn’t exactly smart. He had accepted the bushel of apples probably not knowing how truly wrong it was. So I said, "I only wish I would have been able to talk with you before you took the bushel of apples. I could have showed you how wrong it was to do that. Yes I believe that that is a regret of mine."

He replied, "I knew perfectly well what I had done." His intelligence surprised me, then he continued. "I only pledged my allegiance with the true savior of all men. He has given me great knowledge and that is more than Jesus gave me. Fear not my dear cousin, I only denied Jesus who was a man of lies and embraced the true man of peace. My only regret is that my child died before he could receive the bushel of apples."

I was deeply saddened for this cousin of mine so I spoke again. "I believe you should thank God for taking your child for He save your child’s eternal life."

This made him mad and he said, "I will pay for your gas because I have said I would. But look around this gas station. Everyone here hates you because you do not know love. Leave now before I kill you myself!" I looked around and saw everyone there wanted to kill me.

So as I jumped in my car to flee I said, "I will cry for you." As before as soon as we were out of sight from my cousin, out of love for him I cried.

For the next twenty miles my wife and I thanked God for delivering us out of the hands of our enemy’s. Not once, but twice. We praised and rejoiced. We laughed and we sung.

After this I saw once again that the gas tank on my car was near empty. As I pulled into yet another packed gas station I said, "this is the last time. If the gas runs out this fast again then it is meant for us to walk. But like before if this is the place where I am to die then remember God is the one in control and I love you." My wife was near tears once again but didn’t say anything. I stepped out of the car and without looking around I began to fill my tank.

Once the tank was full and the nozzle replaced I looked around. Just like before, even though we were now sixty miles from where I grew up, I knew everyone. I couldn’t understand. Three gas stations completely packed full of people and I had not seen one stranger. It just didn’t make sense.

Then a man and a woman walked up to me. These were two people I considered true friends. At one time the man followed me around trying to be like me. And at one time the woman was someone I could tell anything to. We were as close as friends could get. But it was the man who cursed at me and spit on me. He would have even fought me or killed me if not for the woman who was my friend long ago.

She told him to leave and that she would take care of everything. This man who once wanted to be just like me reluctantly walked away. "Thank you." I said.

"Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to see you again. Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked. 

I said, "yes, please pay for my gas." She said she would so instead of getting into another fight I said, "once again, thank you. I wish you the best in all you do." I wanted to leave before something bad happened.

I started to get in my car when she said, "please do something for me. I want you to accept the bushel of apples so that you won’t be killed. Just do it so that you will live! Look around you, do you see all these people in this gas station? They all accepted the bushel of apples. So have most of the people in this world. Only a small few have not. Please for me, will you do it?"

I can not." I said, then I continued, "besides I am not of this world. Jesus was not of this world. I must, in every aspect of my life, be like Jesus. So you trying to convince me because the rest of the world has done it will not work. That argument only makes my conviction stronger because the Bible said this would happen. A matter of fact there is no way you could convince me. I will not deny my Lord Christ Jesus."

She said, "look around again! Are you trying to tell me that all these people are wrong but you are right? Perhaps you forget that I knew you long ago. I knew the way you were and to say your right and the rest of the world is wrong is nothing more than you being the way you were. I thought this Jesus was supposed to make a change in you. But what I see is the same person. I do not see love in you but rather hate for all the people of this world."

I answered, "Jesus has made a change." At this moment I saw the man who at one time followed me. He was walking back up to my car but this time he had five other people with him. These five people were at one time people I called my friends. I would have liked to continue my conversation with this old friend of mine but could not.

The woman in whom I could, at one time, tell anything to said, "go! I’ll stop them from getting in their cars and chasing you. Hurry go and take care of yourself.

I said as I jumped in my car, "I will cry for all of you." I then took off just as the men were upon me. As I pulled away they were yelling insults and threats.

I saw that the hostility at this last gas station was much worse than the first or even second one. I knew I could not stop for gas or for anything again. Besides I had already told my wife that if we had to stop again then it was meant for us to walk.

After I was out of sight of the gas station, out of love for all of them who were there I cried. This time I cried longer than before. I was getting to the point that I couldn’t take it anymore.

Nonetheless for the next ten miles my wife and I thanked God for delivery us out of the hands of our enemy’s. Not once, not twice, but three times. We praised and rejoiced. We laughed and we sung.

But this time everything changed. The rest of my life changed. While I was driving in my vision praising God I had a vision. My spirit was taken back to the house where we all had been.

At this moment I was back in the car with my wife. The car was slowing down even though I was pressing the gas. I saw that while I was having the vision I had also drove over ten miles. I then saw the gas hand was on empty. We had run out of gas. But what I did not know was who had drove the car while I was in the spirit having this last vision?

As I pulled the car off the road my wife asked, "what are we going to do now?"

I replied, "it’s meant for us to walk!"

She heard the emotion in my voice so she asked what was wrong? We got out of the car and started walking. We headed away from the highway and toward some nearby woods. As we walked, I told her of my vision. We both broke down in tears. All we could do was hold one another. Finally we stopped walking and dropped to the ground where we never got up again.

After a long time my wife asked, "why would God kill our kids?"

So I prayed about it for a long time. Then finally I received an answer from God. So I told my wife the answer. "You and I will die in this position very soon. You will die because you lied and brought death upon another. I will die because I did not listen to God when I knew He was speaking. My father has died because he did not take control of his house. Instead he let my mother run it. My mother died because she controlled my dad and because her stuff was much more important than God was, when you get right down to it. So therefore our kids were killed for their own good. Because there was no one other than children of satan to take care of them. That is why our kids were killed and I thank God for it." This answer was a comfort to both of our hearts.

Happiness In Death

Then we saw the man with great power and around a hundred men walking toward us. My wife and I held hands and smiled at each other. We knew this was it, we knew both of us would be killed. Thank you God. Thank you for everything. The last thing I saw in this vision was the smile on the face of the man of power, also the sword in his hand that he was going to use on us.