From Hell

by Seth Barder

Both walked up the rectangle path leading to the porch. On either side of them was a row of flowers perfectly placed so each plant had enough room to grow. The place looked…normal and homey. It made Josh feel almost nostalgic for his parent’s place. From what he could see in the dark, the lawn looked well-kept, the bushes were trimmed, the white paint wasn’t peeling off the side of the house, none of the windows were busted, and even as he headed towards the screen door he could tell there were no holes on it that needed to be mended. Driton stopped just short of the screen door. He looked at Josh, sighed, then gave him a little smile, nod, and looked back at the screen door. With Driton's leading, both walked through, immediately transporting to the other side.

  The living room looked just as inviting as the outside. The layout made Josh want to simply sit down on the couch and stretch out. He felt comfortable and at ease. The light Josh had seen through the window came from a lamp sitting on an end table to their right. In front of the couch was a coffee table and, in front of that, on the other side of the room sat an old floor television set. The kind of television with doors that slide out from the sides of the screen to cover the front, “hide-away doors” Josh remembered his parents calling them. He smiled remembering the times he laid in front of the TV to watch all those great television shows, his elbows on the floor and his hands smooshing his face into a pudgy smile.

  Beyond the living room was the dining room with the kitchen just to the left. The tile on the floor, an older eighties style, looked like the original and spanned throughout the dining room and into the kitchen. An oval hardwood table stood in the middle of the dining room under a light that hung from the ceiling. Sitting on the far side was a lady with long, dark hair mouthing something unintelligible. Across from her sat a middle-aged man looking intently at the woman as if waiting for something to happen. To his right sat a woman, presumably his wife, looking a little frightened but anxious. Driton and Josh moved closer.

  “She a medium?” Josh asked

  After a long pause Driton spoke, “Kind of.” He knew he’d have to explain but didn’t want to understate his point.

  The medium finished what it was she was mouthing then gazed passed the man and his wife as though looking right at Driton and Josh.

  “I see something!” she said pointing in their direction.

  The man and woman grasped hands. Both hesitated a little but glanced behind them in the direction they thought she was pointing. Josh looked behind him to see who she was pointing at. He saw no one. He looked back at the couple and, for a moment, thought they might recognize Driton and him standing at the edge of the dining room entrance, but from the look on the couples’ faces he could tell they weren’t quite sure what to look for. Josh looked at the medium. She was pointing at Driton. Driton’s face remained unchanged even though Josh’s mouth gaped open wondering what Driton did differently to be seen by her.

  “I see,” the medium continued, “a man dressed in white.” Josh didn’t know why but he started to get nervous. No one was supposed to be able to see them. He looked at Driton again but Driton hadn’t taken his eyes off of the medium neither had his face made so much as a twitch while she spoke. “He has beautiful blond hair down to his shoulders.”

  The expression on the woman’s face changed slightly. It went from an almost nervous excitement to a questionable one. She looked at her husband, “But Frank had brown hair.”

  The man, coming out of his own excitement turned toward the medium and agreed, “Frank did have brown hair.”

  The medium closed her eyes again, turned her face to the light hanging low from the ceiling and spoke again, “Frank Cummings!” she called out, “I command you to appear before me!” Driton and Josh stayed in their place when Josh heard a noise behind them. He whipped his head around. A man, probably in his mid-twenties and with brown hair, walked timidly up to the table. As though she sensed the man, the medium opened her eyes and gazed almost assuredly beyond Driton at the figure walking towards them. “I see the man!” she announced again, “He's wearing a brown tweed jacket and tan trousers!”

  Driton gently pulled Josh to the side allowing Frank to move nearer to the couple.

  Their doubts alleviated, the couple resumed their excitement, “That's what he was buried in!” the man said to his wife as he turned around to look once again in the area the medium was pointing.

  The woman grinned, "Frank always did like to dress in those jackets."

  "He loved 'em." The man said.

  The couple’s eyes darted around the room trying in vain to see a distortion, a shadow, or even a breeze blowing past indicating there may be some kind of entity among them. Some kind of proof their dear loved one stood near them.

  By now Josh was amazed and encouraged by what he’d seen. Amazed because he'd never been to a séance and encouraged because what he just witnessed meant there was hope he might get a message out to his daughter. He knew there had to be some kind of loophole. He was so thankful Driton had changed his mind and showed him this. He made a promise to himself he’d never tell another…soul about this in order to keep Driton from getting into any trouble. Now he just had to figure out how Frank was able to speak to people. Not now, obviously, but when all this was over. So Josh stood there, waiting patiently, trying to glean anything he could from Frank as he spoke, trying to guess whether it was the manner in which he did it or possibly the spirit in which he came to the medium. He really couldn’t tell. It might not be either one. It might be the medium who possessed the skills required to hear from the dead. Josh almost hoped so. It would save him a lot of time. He thought of questions he wanted to ask, keeping in mind he might not have long to speak to him so made sure to word them as concise as he could.

  The medium continued, “Frank! Do you have a message for your loved ones!?”

  Frank looked down at the man and woman sitting in the wooden chairs. “Tell them I love them very much. And that I miss Todd’s horrible tasting quiche.” Frank placed his hand on Todd’s right shoulder.

  “He says he loves you both very much,” repeated the medium, “And he misses your horrible tasting quiche.” She smiled at Todd.

  Tears began to collect in Todd’s eyes. He clutched his wife's hand a little harder and smiled, his lower lip quivering some. He looked up at about the height he remembered Todd to be. “We love you too.” He choked out.

  “I can tell from his spirit that he loves you very much.” the medium said, “His hand’s on top of your shoulder there.” She pointed to Todd’s right shoulder.

  Todd let a tear fall down his cheek as he touched his shoulder with his left hand. “I love you too, Frank. I knew it. I…I knew I felt something on my shoulder. I just…didn’t believe it because I couldn’t see.” The medium herself looked as though she would cry. She’d seen this many times, but still got emotional when loved one’s were reunited.

  Todd had several questions about Frank's finances. Then the woman asked questions about what death and heaven was like. If either of them were skeptics before entering the house that night, they were true believers now. Josh started to have second thoughts about getting some information out of Frank. The way the couple spoke to him Josh deduced Frank hadn’t been dead for too long. Asking him questions might prove to be a lost cause since he too might be new to all this and didn’t know how any of it really worked. No, Josh had to skip the middleman and go for the medium. He just had to find a way to talk to her, or somehow get his daughter to the medium’s house.

  “Interesting isn't it?” Driton asked

  “It's more than that,” Josh said revealing his thoughts, “If I can somehow get Nikki here...”

  “Really,” Driton said matter-of-fact, “And then what?”

  “Well, then I could speak to her. Tell her to follow Jesus with her whole heart and not let the things of this world influence her.”

  Driton groaned as though Josh hadn't heard a word he'd said all this time, “Josh, that's not Frank Cummings.”

 
“What?” Josh acted as though he hadn't heard what Driton said.

  “That's not Frank Cummings,” Driton repeated.

  Josh unglued his eyes from the reunion and looked at Driton, “Of course it is,” he said as though Driton didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “No, Josh he isn’t. He looks like Frank because he needs to look like him. If he didn't, all three of these people wouldn't believe anything he said. It’s all an act to fool everyone into believing anything he needs them to.”

  “But the things he knew. Some things…,” he looked back at the group around the table, “…only they’d know.”

  “What both you and the medium sees as 'Frank' is really a demon, Josh.” Driton was a little more blunt that time.

  “What?” Now Driton had Josh’s full attention, “But all the things he knew....” Josh seemed stuck on that fact.

  “He's what humans commonly refer to as a familiar spirit. Their job is to stay with a family, and do so for many generations.” Josh made a look, as though he could hardly believe it. “Remember, Josh, angels and demons don’t age. This means demons have a lot of time to watch humans, waiting for them to do something they can use to manipulate them.” Josh looked back at Frank who was responding to a question the man asked him. Josh was so focused on what Driton was saying that he didn’t catch what it was, but all of them were laughing out loud about it. Driton went on, “If a demon stays with a family long enough they'll be privy to secrets no one else should know.” Driton leaned closer to Josh and said in a low tone, “Those hidden things people do when they think no one’s watching.” Then he straightened back in his place. “They use these little tid-bits for different purposes, depending on when they need them. Sometimes it’s to make them feel guilty about it later or, like ‘Frank’, lead the family members to believe they truly are the person they wanted to contact.”

  Josh looked at Frank again. “He sure doesn’t look like a demon.

  “They can look like anything they need to. It makes it easier for them to deceive people. It’s proven to be a powerful weapon against people who don’t,” Driton paused not knowing whether he should keep repeating himself. He shrugged as he finished, “know the truth. That’s why they’re called ‘familiar spirits’. They familiarize themselves with the family. It’s their job.”

  “That’s just…” Josh was starting to get flustered, “Gha! I can’t believe it” He knew if all this were true he’d never get a message to Nikki.

  Driton could see Josh was upset. “If the couple believes all this is real they'll keep coming back. These fine people here,” he gestured to the man and woman with his hand, “will walk out of here today fully believing this is truly how death works. They’ll be so intrigued that they’ll defend this belief no matter who tells them differently. I’ve personally seen some people who go even further, but I don’t want to get into all that right now.” Josh looked back at the medium who was still relaying messages to the couple. Driton went on, “People have a hard time accepting death, Josh. So few prepare for it. They forget there's a world waiting for them after this one.”

  “You got that right.” Josh was still stewing a little.

  Driton motioned to the table with a nod of his head, “All this fascinates people. It takes them out of their ordinary, and what they often feel is mundane, life. Others do it because it gives them answers to their questions…or so they think. Still, others do it because they think God’s abandoned them so there’s nowhere else to go.”

  Driton continued to talk but Josh's mind was on his daughter. He felt like his dreams had been shattered. He’d never get a word to her and she might never know the horrible things that waited for her if she didn’t follow Jesus. Now he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He watched Frank’s mouth as it formed each word, he spoke so kindly to his people. The medium smiled and nodded as she listened. It suddenly occurred to Josh that the demon acting like Frank is able to speak clearly to the medium. Why couldn’t Josh still do it then? Just like he’d thought about before, cut out the middleman and go straight for the medium. The demon was using a normal speaking voice. He wasn’t yelling as if speaking to someone who had trouble hearing. Maybe there was some way Josh could get a message across. In the back of his mind he remembered what Driton said about no one being able to hear them but maybe it was because most people lack this medium’s ability. Maybe he could get a message out. Maybe this was a way that no one else had tried. He knew he, as a human, was far different from a demon and wouldn’t have the proper spiritual insight, but maybe if Josh tried harder he might get a word out. Maybe the medium would hear Josh’s voice, even faintly, calling his daughter’s name. There was a chance it would stick in her mind and she’d go find her. It was so ingenious it just might work.

  “Nicole Hedges!” he yelled out towards the medium in near desperation.

  Driton abruptly stopped speaking, “Josh, stop it,” he said gently grabbing Josh's arm.

  For a moment it looked like the medium heard him. Her eyelids twitched a bit. Possibly she heard something somewhere in the distance behind “Frank's” voice. Josh thought if he were closer, she might hear him better. He moved to the left side of the medium and out of Driton’s grasp. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he had to try something.

  “Frank” turned his head and glared directly into Josh's eyes. His face distorted into an ugly figure Josh had never seen before. A terrible feeling came over Josh. He sensed the demon’s fierce anger at what Josh had done and stopped inching towards the medium. Like a deer in the headlights Josh froze in fear staring back at Frank. It became all too real what Driton had been trying to tell Josh. There was definitely something not human about him. Not simply the way he looked anymore, but now something Josh could feel emanating from him.

  “Frank?” the medium spoke up out into the air, “I'm losing him,” she said, speaking to the couple but still looking in Frank’s direction.

  The medium kept calling for Frank to “come back” repeating she was “losing him” several more times, but Frank was keeping his eyes on Josh. Frank clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth. Josh was so scared he was even afraid to move back next to Driton. He feared any motion would cause this demon to leap over the couple in front of him and attack Josh. For some odd reason Josh began to calculate how quickly he might be able to sprint towards the medium and hopefully yell something into her ear before Frank could leap on him. Josh carefully moved his eyes to look at Driton still standing where he’d left him. If anything were to happen, Josh wasn't sure if Driton would jump in to save him or not. Again Josh remembered that man who hadn’t listened. He perished as a result of his disobedience. Maybe it was a demon like Frank who overpowered him and took him back to hell. Josh really didn’t want that to happen but he loved his daughter so much all he wanted to do was rescue her and keep her safe and he didn’t know how to do that. Now, in his desperation, he did something he shouldn’t have, something stupid. He had to think, he had to weigh his options.

  What would happen if he tried to get a message to the medium and she didn’t hear him? Had she really heard him when he yelled or was it something else? It could have been something else. If it were, he might get close to her but would do little good if he yelled again. His one chance would be lost and Frank, from the way he looked at Josh, would seize the opportunity to lunge after him. And if his time in hell taught him anything it was that devils are much stronger than he was. Frank would have no problem overpowering him. Josh would definitely need Driton's help since, Josh could only assume, angels were stronger than demons. But he still wasn't sure if Driton would come to his aid. For all Josh knew, their relationship could be broken the moment Josh disobeyed leaving Driton bound, by God’s law, to allow Frank to do what he wants with Josh. Josh had a serious dilemma. If he didn't try, he'd never know. If he did try, and even succeeded, all he might be able to get out would be her name. Then Josh would have to hope, while burning in hell, that everything will w
ork out the way he’d hoped. The medium would have to wonder why she heard the name and nothing else. Then hope the medium can’t get Nikki’s name out of her head. Furthermore, she’d have to search out every Nicole Hedges in the city, provided she still lived in the city. After all this, the medium would have to go to Nicole's house and convince her it was her father who sent the medium from beyond the grave. But then what? Josh thought hard about what would happen next.

  Nikki might get hopeful in contacting her father, go to the medium to try but Josh would be in hell by then. Josh could imagine the medium calling on his name while Nikki waited on the other side of the table in anticipation, just like these good people were. Then, after several tries, the medium will see Josh. The medium would say, “I see a man with red hair.” And Nikki would begin to get excited and nervous all at once, believing her father had never left her. Only it wouldn’t really be her father. It would be a demon, that familiar spirit that hovered around his family line waiting for its chance to deceive one of them. Then, only God knows what that demon would persuade her to do. Nikki, like so many others, would be deceived into believing a lie and end up down the same road to hell and it would all be his fault.

  Josh kept his eyes squarely locked on Frank’s, trying to anticipate any movement he was about to make. In the few seconds it took Josh to think about the entire scenario, he was forced to admit there was nothing good that could come from him dashing towards the medium. Josh swallowed hard. The room became eerily quiet. He thought he might have slipped into some other kind of spiritual dimension only angels and demons experienced. His body tingled warm all over. Cautiously, Josh began slowly backing away from the medium who had also become strangely quiet. Josh hadn’t slipped into some spiritual dimension after all. It may be, in fact, that everyone in the room, humans and nonhumans alike, felt the tension between Josh and Frank.

  Gingerly Josh walked back to where he had left Driton. With each step backwards Josh saw Frank’s demeanor slowly fade from the evil form he was beginning to become, back into the humble man the medium saw and the couple expected. The more he transitioned back into Frank, the more in focus he became to the medium, to which she announced she could see something faint appearing, until his whole form was in front of her once again. Relieved and delighted, Todd and his wife resumed their questions, completely oblivious to what had just transpired around them. Frank stood there again, looking kindly and innocent, speaking to the couple in an almost modest tone of voice. With a gesture of his head Driton motioned for Josh to follow him back outside.

  Standing outside in the dark Josh thought he felt tension coming from Driton. He’d have had good reason to be upset though. He tried to warn Josh so many times, even when they first met, but Josh ignored it feeling what he wanted was more important.

  “I'm sorry I didn't listen to you in there.” Josh said when they both reached the sidewalk and started back towards the city. Driton didn't answer. “It's just that...,” Josh looked to the ground, kicking at nothing with his foot, “I wanted to get a message to my daughter so badly.” Still Driton didn’t respond. “Look Driton, you gotta be able to sympathize, man. If there was someone you loved wouldn't you do whatever it took to reach them?”

  Driton stopped walking and turned around to look at Josh, “Josh, God loves everyone. He does whatever He can to reach them. There are plenty of things that warn people. Whether they listen or not is up to them. It's their choice. I don’t know why you can’t understand that.” Driton didn’t sound genuinely upset, he seemed more concerned for Josh’s welfare than anything else. It helped Josh relax. “Your daughter, too, will be given that chance. I promise you.”

  “Yeah but, people are thick headed sometimes,” Josh smiled, “God knows I sure was. For some people it takes something more than reading the Bible, going to church, or simply having someone tell them God loves them. They need some kind of…,” Josh tried to think of the right word.

  “…Pizzazz?” Driton offered

  “Yeah!” Josh was glad Driton understood what he was trying to say, “That’s why I wanted to go back and warn them. I know something like that would really cause them to believe. But if I can’t do even that, I’d, at the very least, like my daughter to hear a word from me.” Josh hung his head a little lower, “I realize it’s been some time since I’ve seen her, I think she’d be about eight now. But I have to believe nothing, not even death, will break the love a daughter has for her father.”

  “Josh,” Driton saw Josh was having a difficult time understanding all this, “they won’t listen. Not even her.”

  Josh looked confused, as though what Driton said wasn’t logical, “Of course she will. Who wouldn’t listen to someone who sends a message from beyond the grave? Especially someone telling them they should be more faithful in their walk with Jesus?”

  “Don't you remember the story in the Bible about the rich man and Lazarus?”

  Josh looked to the ground thinking about it. “Is that the guy Jesus raised from the dead?”

  Driton smiled, “No, no. Heh, yeah, people back then did have awfully similar names. The rich man and Lazarus.” Driton began walking towards town again, “It's about a rich man who dressed in fine clothes and lived a life in splendor every day and a poor man named Lazarus who was homeless and had open sores all over his body. Every day the poor man saw the rich man pass by him as he, the rich man, came in and out of the city. The poor man saw all the rich man had and so much wished he could, at the very least, just eat any food that fell from the rich man's table and onto the filthy floor. In time both men died. Lazarus, the poor man, went to heaven while the rich man went to hell to be tormented night and day. When the rich man looked up into heaven he saw Lazarus being comforted by their ancestral father Abraham while he himself was in agony. He cried out to Abraham, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’” Josh shuddered, remembering his own agony in that same flame, “But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.' So then the rich man had another offer. He said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him,' speaking of Lazarus, 'to my father's house, for I have five brothers that he may warn them lest they also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham told the rich man that his brothers already had something to warn them, what you, Josh, know as the Old Testament. The rich man argued that all those things were well and good but if someone were sent from the dead, then they'd listen. Abraham finished with the memorable quote, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'” Josh did seem to recall hearing a story like that when the group came to the missions. “So you see, Josh, people have the Old Testament to warn them, the New Testament to warn them, and finally Jesus risen from the dead to warn them. How much more do people need? What should God do, every hundred years or so do an unexplained miracle to reaffirm He’s real just so people will follow Him? What would happen then when that miracle loses it’s ‘pizzazz’? A hundred years is long enough for anyone to explain away His power into any kind of natural phenomenon. Every hundred years He’d have to do something bigger and greater just to prove Himself. God shouldn’t need to prove Himself over and over again. Would you want to have to prove your love to someone bigger and better than the time before? Or would you rather they believe you love them because you say so?” Josh lowered his head again.

  Seeing Josh had nothing more to say, Driton sighed then motioned that they should go. Josh walked beside Driton, and only a little behind, thinking about the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Sure, his family had the Bible to warn them, but how often did they read it? He wasn’t even sure if they owned a Bible. He knew Nikki must have heard of the Bible, but knowing of it and actually knowing it were two different things. It sounded like something Driton would say to
Josh. Josh smiled to himself. He felt so smart.

  Josh had to finally concede there was little more he could do to get word to his daughter. Going back was out of the question. Sending word through a medium was too. It was solely up to Nikki. Her life, her real one, was entirely in her own hands. Josh had to simply believe she’d read about ‘Moses and the Prophets’.

  Josh straightened a bit from his slumped position. His mind began to reel. Of course he wasn’t allowed to go to a medium; they were used by the devil. But a prophet! A prophet was a man of God and God spoke to people through His prophets. God was a Spirit; it would only stand to reason that prophets could talk to spirits. Josh wasn’t technically a spirit, but how much difference could there really be between a spirit and a living soul? It sounded logical and it was something he hadn’t heard anyone trying.

  Convinced it could work Josh busied himself by formulating ways he could find a prophet. They would have to be a mature prophet of course, one that had been doing it for years. Josh wanted to be sure he would be heard clearly. Only Driton would know where the right one was and after his failure at the medium’s house, Josh wasn’t sure how to gently ask Driton to take him to one more place before they left. He had to assume anything he asked would be looked at with suspicion. So Josh waited.

  They were back in the city before he spoke again, mumbling loud enough to get Driton’s attention, “Wish there were prophets”

  “What?” Driton asked as he walked

  “Oh, uh, nothing. You just mentioned in that story that the people had Moses and the Prophets and I was just wishing there were still some around like they were in Biblical times.” It was a horribly weak try. Josh was almost sure Driton would see through this kind of manipulation but he really wasn’t sure how else to get his questions out there.

  Driton made a look like it was going to be another tough discussion to explain. “There are, but—”

  “Let me guess,” Josh interrupted, “not like I think.”

  Driton smiled at Josh’s quick thinking, then shrugged, “There are many who claim to be prophets Josh, but are proven to be false later on. It’s a coveted title, just like Apostle or Preacher. Titles like those make the person sound as though they should be treated with more respect than the ‘commoners’, I guess you could say.”

  “So, how can you tell if they’re really a prophet then?” Josh asked curiously, hoping to weed out the real from the fake.

  “Ah, Josh. Once again all your answers lie in the writings of the Bible.”

  “Of course it does.” It would figure.

  “The Bible says only if a prophecy comes true will you know they’re truly sent by God.”

  Josh gave it some thought before he asked his next question.

  “So…the people I’ve seen on TV givin’ dates when the world will end and stuff like that—.” He thought of the men and women who predicted tragic things happening on specific dates, only to have those dates uneventfully come and go.

  “Which is how,” Driton hurried on before Josh could flood him with more questions, “you know they’re false prophets. The fact that nothing they described happened on the date they predicted Biblically proves God doesn’t really speak to them. It might be the devil trying to lure hundreds away, or it simply might be pride in their own human heart.”

  “Yeah, but what if they just miscalculated? I mean, they’re human too right?”

  Driton eyed Josh curiously as if wondering whether Josh really thought about what he was saying, “True, but God doesn’t miscalculate. If God says there’s a date then there’s a date and no one will be able to change that. Period.”

  “So, not even if something came along and changed the events of history?” Josh asked, trying Driton’s comment.

  Driton didn’t seem fazed, “God is entirely in control here, Josh. There’s not a historical event He hasn’t allowed to happen since the beginning of creation.” Josh thought of historical world events while Driton continued explaining. “The bottom line is, if someone states something and it doesn’t come true they’re not a true prophet of God. There has never been a true prophet of God that has spoken a word from Him then when it didn’t come to pass say ‘Oh well I got the dates wrong.’ It still amazes me, as well as others, that there are Christians out there who hold the Bible, the very Word of God, in their hands and still follow people who prophecy falsely when the Bible clearly tells them how to detect someone who doesn’t have His Spirit in them.”

  Josh was intrigued, but wanted to get back to his original purpose for asking the question. He hoped this round-a-bout way would cover his real intentions and soften the blow, so to speak. For the moment, then, he would keep leading the conversation, hoping he could bring it back around and ease in his question.

  “You mean people won’t know they’re being deceived until the very end?” Josh asked acting naïve, “Then what? For years they follow some kook only to find out they were misled?”

  Driton nodded, “It’s hard to discern between what’s from God and what’s from the devil, especially when the devil tries to copy what God has done. That’s why the devil does it. Humans don’t understand, the devil only vaguely knows what’s to come in the future. Not that the devil can see into the future,” Driton reassured, “but even he can read the Bible and tell what’s to come.” Josh was about to say something when Driton held up his hand to quiet him, “Sure the devil can make things happen. He can deceive anyone into doing anything. All he has to do is keep doing the things you’ve witnessed. That is, simply, manipulate them into thinking, and eventually doing, things they think are right. By doing this, the devil can predict anything and get anyone to believe it.”

  If Josh understood Driton correctly this meant not every scholar, scientist, or professional should be trusted merely on the fact of their position. He was tickled that a person with so much intellect could be so wrong. Josh was far from an educated man, but what he’d learned so far was simpler than what many people led him to believe. Could it be that the Bible wasn’t as difficult to understand? And it’s because of its simplicity that it fools even the most intelligent humans? Josh felt smarter already. He also felt he’d belabored this round-a-bout long enough. He went back to his original question.

  “So…,” he started, trying to act cool about it, “where are the real prophets?”

  “Well…,” Josh’s eyes brightened, “you have to understand, a prophet’s function in the body of Christ.” until he heard that. “It’s not to stand up in church and tell the congregation what God said to them two seconds ago. A prophet is used to encourage, or ‘exhort’ as some Bible translations call it, the body of Christ.”

  Josh looked disappointed, but was still hopeful, “So…,” he let the word linger as if asking a question.

  Driton smiled, “Look, people in the Old Testament were prophets because God filled them with His Spirit. Since Jesus’ death His Spirit has been poured out on all who believe.”

  “So there are many prophets.” Josh didn’t feel he was getting the core of his question across to Driton.

  Driton, still smiling, squinted a little knowing what it was Josh really wanted, “Not like you’re hoping for.”

  Josh’s whole body sagged. He’d been putting a lot on being able to get a message out. But now the only way seemed to be through Driton and Josh knew he’d never break any of God’s commands. Josh felt hopeless again, unable to warn his daughter, to save her from any unhealthy choices.

  As Driton and Josh walked on Josh again found himself dwelling on his own choices. Again he wished he’d gone to church more, taught Nikki who Jesus was and lived the life of a genuine Christian. To show her an example of what a Christian man should look and act like. He’d failed her. The guilt felt like it was eating him up inside, overpowering him, and he hated himself for it. Josh couldn’t deny God had provided many ways and many chances for him to turn from the road he was on. Josh remembered clearly how God tried to get his attention every year at the co
unty fair, every year many years ago when he was a teenager.

  Chapter 9