Nicole said, "Let's pray." Everyone gathered around Shari, including the customers at the bar. And they prayed. They prayed for safety for Reba, the little six year old girl. They prayed that she would be returned and that no harm would be done to her. They prayed and prayed.
Finally when they felt a release and everyone had gone back to their business, Nicole said, "Shari, come and sit at the bar and we will get you some refreshment. It's on the house."
Shari followed her and ordered a coffee and pastry. "I am so glad I came here. Gary told me to come. I don't know how I know this, but I just feel like Reba's going to be ok."
Casie came over to the bar with the phone in her hand and a huge smile on her face. "It's Gary. He told me to ask you to wait right here for a little longer. Can you do that?" she asked Shari.
"Yes, of course, but why?"
"You'll see in about five minutes," Casie said and walked out the front door.
Maybe not even five minutes later the door opened and in walked a little six year old girl. "Mommy?"
Shari jumped off her seat and ran to her daughter. "Oh baby!" She cried. She held her for a long minute, then pulled herself away and looked her over from head to foot. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"
Reba just stood there shaking her head. "I'm fine, Mommy. I'm sorry I made you cry."
Shari grabbed her daughter again and cried harder. "You didn't make me cry honey. I was just so worried about you. It wasn't your fault, sweetie. I should have been outside with you. I'm so sorry!" And then she asked, "What happened?"
Ray and Gary had followed Reba into the Inn and Ray answered. "It seems as if the man who abducted your daughter got arrested by the Holy Spirit, ma'am. He drove to the police department in Cooper Creek and turned himself in. He's involved in sex trafficking, and when questioned, he said that he had kidnapped the girl with that purpose in mind and that he didn't know what came over him. He was just sitting behind the wheel of the car and it just drove him to the police department. He didn't even know where it was. When he got there, he said that it was like his head was saying, 'Don't go in there,' but his legs weren't listening and just carried him right up to the front desk where he confessed. They called me immediately and here we are."
Shari exclaimed, "God heard your prayers! I want to know your Jesus!" And they led her and little Reba to the Lord right on the spot.
Yes, the Holy Spirit was definitely interested in those who were lost.
It was beautiful watching God provide exactly the right person for each job according to their gift and calling. Since Casie and Nicole usually worked as hostesses who stepped into whatever other job needed attending to at any given moment. They thrived on talking with the people and praying with those who would allow it. At the end of each day when the staff would gather to thank the Lord and pray, every one of them had at least one God encounter to share.
The Inn was so different from what it had been, that some people came in just to check it out, but Nicole wanted to do something to entice more of them to come in and experience God. She remembered hearing about a Christian business woman who had put up a sign out front of her café that said something like, "Free! Prayer, Healings Miracles and Dream Interpretation."
She thought this would be a good idea for them to try and asked Casie about it. Casie readily agreed, but said that they should add "and Cookies." So within an hour of posting the sign outside the door of the Inn that read, "FREE! Prayer, Healings, Miracles & Cookies," they had given away all of the Trinity cookies and had prayed for over a dozen people!
Within the second hour of posting the sign, a young woman with long, dark hair entered the Inn through the front door. The evil presence that was accompanying her was so strong that every staff member felt it before they even saw her. Nicole met her as she came in. "Lord, help us all!" she silently prayed. "Protect every person here and this property. And help me know what to say and how to respond."
What Nicole said out loud was, "Hello. Welcome to the Samaritan Inn. I'm Nicole…."
The woman cut her off. With eyes that were so dark it was impossible to see her pupils, and a low, raspy voice filled with hatred that seemed to barely contain her rage she said, "I know who you are. How dare you infringe on my business!"
Casie came around the corner right at that time, and asked, "And what business would that be?"
"Fortune Telling, you thief!"
Nicole and Casie looked at each other and nodded. They knew that they were not speaking with the woman, but with a demon. Nicole said, "In Jesus' name we are the authority here. I recognize you spirit of Python or Divination. You will not enter this place and make accusations. You are free to either go back out that door or you can be bound and gagged while you are here so that we can have a conversation with your host."
Immediately the woman's eyes rolled back in her head and her whole body jerked and went rigid. The next second, she went limp and would have fallen onto the floor except that Casie quickly grabbed a chair that was nearby and put it under her. She fell into the chair and when she opened her eyes and looked around, she asked, "Where am I?"
"Inside the Samaritan Inn," Casie answered.
"Oh yes. I saw the sign out front and that's the last thing I remember."
"Can I get you anything? A glass of water or iced tea?" Nicole asked.
"No thank you. Time is short and there is something you need to tell me. I am not supposed to be here talking with you and I will be severely punished for this, but there is Someone calling to me and I can't resist Him and I can't seem to access Him either. I need a medium. Can you help me?"
This time when Casie and Nicole looked at each other they smiled and said, "Yes we can!" simultaneously. Then Nicole said, "Come with us."
They led her up the stairs to the tiny apartment in the back of the Worship Center. It was sparsely furnished, but there was a couch, two chairs, a table and a coffee pot.
When they were seated, Casie said, "I'm Casie and this is Nicole. What is your name?"
"Yes I know who you are. I have been aware of your activities here for some while. I have seen that the God you serve is more powerful than mine. I will be punished for admitting that also. But forgive me, my name is Zera."
"Zera, you spoke of time being short. What did you mean by that?" Nicole asked.
"I am a servant of a most high principality. My master is Death. He can be very amiable and kind, even rewarding when I obey him; but when I disobey, his punishment is more than severe. He owns my body and can take over at any minute, so please tell me the message from your God before it's too late."
"I thought I recognized Python when you first came in," Nicole said.
"Yes, Divination is a servant of Death," Zera answered.
Casie said, "You are right that our God is more powerful than yours. He is the creator of all things including your gods. Yahweh came to earth in the form of the man Jesus of Nazareth to restore the broken relationship He had with men and women through sin and death because He loved them and all of us so very much…and that includes you, Zera. He willingly became the sacrifice and gave up His life on the cross, shedding His blood so that every sin, every chain of His enemy would be broken. After Jesus died, He rose again on the third day, overcoming the power of your master, Death."
There was a slight movement of Zera's head and flicker in her eyes, and then she spit out, "Jesus was no god! He was nothing more than a man! All this God talk makes me sick!" And she began to retch.
Nicole said, "In Jesus' name you will stop retching and will not defile this place!"
She stopped and sat up a bit higher, looking back and forth between them with defiance in her eyes.
"We will not speak with you," Casie said to this demon. "We will only speak with Zera. Go down and allow her to come back out."
Again, there was a slight movement of her head and Zera said, "Yes, I'm here."
"Zera, do you know what your name means?" Nicole asked.
"Yes. It is Hebrew and it means 'seed.'"
"You're Jewish?" Casie asked.
"Yes. You are wondering how a Jewish girl has ended up as a witch."
Nicole answered, "Actually I have seen this before. It seems to me that Satan has tried very hard to rob the Jews of their rightful relationship with God. And that explains the Spirit of Unbelief we just encountered."
"My family has been a part of the occult for as far back as we have been able to chart," Zera said. "The spirits are very strong in us. I don't know why I'm even here putting myself in this position. I am going to be very sorry, it's just that when the Voice calls to me and I try to find it, I can't." Her eyes took on a faraway look and then suddenly, she jumped up like a scared rabbit. "In fact I have endangered you and the Inn by my coming. I will go now and try to make this right."
As Zera moved toward the door, Nicole stepped in front of her and said, "Wait! You spoke the truth earlier when you said that our God is more powerful than yours. You don't need to appease him in any way for our sakes because our God will protect us."
Casie added, "Zera, if you will stay and if you want to become free from your master, we can show you the way and the Lord God will protect you as well. In fact, this is the message you came for, isn't it? The Voice you hear is Jesus. He is calling you to come to Him and His love. If you will call out to Him to save you, you can become free of the slavery and bondage you are in through Jesus. But you would also have to be willing to renounce all other gods and masters and choose to love and serve only Jesus."
Nicole suddenly blurted out, "Hey, I know who you are. You are the witch that I've been praying for! I have prayed that God would show you His power and that you would be willing to allow Him to save you for over five years!" The joy in her spirit at the way the Lord had answered her prayers overcame her and she reached out and hugged the surprised woman. "I'm so glad to finally meet you!"
Zera sat back down like she was stunned. Love was the last thing she had expected to find here.
Casie said, "Zera, it is no accident that your name means seed. You have been carrying the seeds of death, fear, unbelief, divination, witchcraft, the occult, and probably many more Satanic seeds throughout your life as they have been passed down from generation to generation.
"Another part of the message God has for you is that these are seeds the enemy of your life has sown as a counterfeit of the real seeds that God created you to carry; seeds of life, love, faith, hope, joy, peace, deliverance and freedom. He wants you to know that He loves you, and that in His power, He will set you free from your evil master so that there will be no more slavery, no more punishment, no more fear. If you will let Him. He has plans for you, for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope."
Nicole opened the Bible and turned to Jeremiah 29:11. "Zera, you can read God's message to you for yourself."
She took the Bible and read through verse 13. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
When she was done, Zera said, "This sounds good, but it can't be that simple. You don't know the things I've done. I don't know why your God would want me."
"It is not easy, but it truly is that simple," Nicole said. "God has already chosen you, and me and Casie. None of us deserve God's love, mercy, forgiveness or grace, and yet He freely gives it to every one who chooses Him. But it has to be your choice. I won't lie to you. It will probably be the hardest thing you've ever done and the fight of your life. It's a process, but God's Word is true that if we seek Him with all our hearts, He will be there for us. Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil, and that means in your life as well as mine."
"I discern that you both have stories to tell," Zera said.
"Every one does, Zera," Casie replied. "But today is the time for the deciding and making of your own story."
"What I will tell you," Nicole said, "is that we have both been under the influence of many evil spirits. The way that we overcame them was through surrender to Jesus Christ and obedience to Him. Revelation 12:11 says, 'And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...' The blood of the Lamb of God delivered, healed and protected us. As we share the testimony of the power of the blood with others, it seals that work in us and it offers hope to others like you.
"Zera, if you choose Jesus, the tables will be turned and you will no longer be their servant. You will have authority and power through Jesus' name and His blood over Death and every other spirit."
Zera was quiet. Casie asked, "Can we pray with you Zera?"
"I'm not ready for that yet," she said as she lowered her head. Then she hopefully looked up at them and added, "Maybe I can come back and visit again sometime."
"We would like that," Casie replied and Nicole agreed.
Zera stood up and said, "I will consider the message from your God. Thank you both for your time and for talking with me. You have shown me great kindness when I know I don't deserve it. I feel that I should tell you that I have spoken many curses over you, cast spells on you and your families, and yet I have seen none of them come to pass. It is like they just fall to the ground and melt away into nothingness. And now I'm glad that they didn't work."
This time as she moved toward the door, Nicole and Casie let her walk through it. They followed her down the stairs, and at the front door Zera stopped and turned to look them both in the eyes as she thanked them again. And then she was gone.
"Wow! What just happened here?" Nicole asked as she and Casie stared at the closed door.
"I don't know but I need to sit down," Casie responded.
They went into the empty dining room and sat down. Trudy and Jana, the girls behind the bar came and sat down beside them.
"Are you guys ok? We were praying for you the whole time you were up there."
"We’re fine. Just amazed that God brought her here," Casie explained. "He is definitely calling her out of Satan's kingdom. I sure hope she listens! I can't believe the love I already have for her."
"I hate the fact that she left without being set free. I'm afraid that she'll be so severely disciplined that she'll die without knowing Jesus, or that she'll wander further into bondage. We definitely need to step up prayers for her. In fact let's pray right now," Nicole said.
The four ladies held hands and lifted Zera's spirit up into the presence of God as they prayed. They prayed for her until they felt released. But there was something else that was going around in Nicole's mind.
"I know that every inch of this property and Inn has been spiritually cleansed and that the Holy Spirit lives here," Nicole said as she was trying to explain what she was feeling. "And yet, after the meeting with Zera, I feel that we need something more. I don't know if it's added spiritual security or what."
"I think I know what you mean," Casie said. "It's like the battle for her soul is so great that there needs to be a place that is totally safe from the eyes, ears and intrusion of the enemy."
"YES! That's it!" Nicole's eyes lit up in excitement. "We need a room that is sound proof and bullet proof. A place free of seeker, scanner and eavesdropping spirits. A place that is set apart for the work and ministry of healing and deliverance and where the only spirits that are welcome are God's Spirit and His angels."
Trudy asked, "Isn't this whole place like that?"
Casie answered, "Yes it is, however as people come and go, many of them bring in things such as spirits that are attached to them, so we are in a constant state of house cleaning. In a place like Nicole is talking about, it would be set apart and always spiritually ready for whatever God was doing."
"There may be many different situations where extra security measures are necessary, or even times when someone needs extra care for a couple of nights," Nicole agreed.
In that moment, Nicole and Casie looked at each othe
r with the knowing. "I think we just found the function of the upstairs apartment," Casie said. Nicole smiled in affirmation.
CHAPTER 10
DO WHAT?
Late that afternoon when the bar and dining room was cleaned up and the rest of the staff had gone home, Nicole and Casie sat alone on the patio sipping iced tea and contemplating the day. Nicole said, "It's even better than I thought it would be."
"What? The Inn?"
"No. Well, that's part of it. But I'm talking about Jesus coming to Samaria. He said He was coming and He did. He's here and He's doing more than I could even think or imagine!" Nicole said.
"It is amazing watching God answer prayers for people. And so quickly!" Casie said. "I feel like we are living in Bible times like when the Holy Spirit was doing all kinds of miracles through the apostles."
Nicole said, "And this is just the beginning. I can't wait until the restaurant opens and we get business in the hotel. I wonder why we haven't had anyone stay overnight yet?"
"It's only been open to overnight guests for a week, Nicole," Casie reminded her. "And we haven't really advertised. Don't worry, all in God's time."
They finished their tea, locked up the Inn and said goodnight. Nicole looked at her watch. Jake wouldn't be home for at least another hour. She was tired, but was restless and decided to take a walk through town with Jo. Maybe some exercise would help her mind to slow down a bit, and it would be good for him too. He had been sleeping under the oak tree all day.
Across the street from the Inn was the Banning Building which housed several businesses; a tax service, a gift/fishing and tackle shop, and a Chamber of Commerce. A few weeks prior, a very disturbing new occupant had moved into one of the empty units; a palm reading and massage therapy business. A massage business wouldn't have been such a concern in and of itself, but pared with the occult, it bothered her a lot. It felt as if the unclean spirit that had left the Inn had taken up residence in the Banning Building when this business moved in, and it was taunting God.
The Soul Redeemer: From Victim to Victory Page 12
