“We have fellowshipped at my wife’s home church in Edgewater. And we’ve popped in and popped out of a few other churches.”
“But not mine?”
Pastor Landris placed another bite in his mouth and savored the warm cheese and macaroni alongside the fried, crusty taste of the crisp outsides. “No, not yours.”
“I extended a personal invitation to you in December as soon as you arrived. I thought you would come. Then I saw you last month and invited you.”
“And you made me a proposition that I politely turned down.”
“True. But you were also interested in that building I happen to be in control of. Have you located another place yet to get started with your church?” Reverend Knight ate a spoonful of his clam chowder. He shoved it away from him. “This is cold.” He looked around for their waitress. When he got her attention, he beckoned for her.
“Yes?”
“Could you bring me some fresh, hot soup? This is cold.”
She looked from him to the bowl of chowder. “Sure. I’m sorry about that.” Sherry picked up the bowl—it was still hot.
Reverend Knight wiped his mouth with his white linen napkin and looked at Pastor Landris, still awaiting an answer. “A place—have you found one yet?”
“Not that it’s really any of your concern—”
“Or business. You can go on and say it.” Reverend Knight ate some more of the fried macaroni and cheese.
Pastor Landris couldn’t help but smile at this man. “I’m still looking.”
“What are your plans if you don’t find a suitable place soon?”
“Careful, Reverend Knight—you might start to sound like you really care.”
Reverend Knight ate his last bite. “You doubt that I do?”
“The thought has occurred to me a few times, especially after I learned my almost done-deal became a none-deal at your hand.”
“Again. What are your plans?” His new bowl of chowder arrived. He tasted it and nodded his approval. Sherry smiled and left.
Pastor Landris finished off the last of his fried macaroni and cheese. He wiped his mouth. “Who knows? Since quite a few people are interested in me getting started, I might just begin in my home. I’m sure you’re aware that’s where the early churches in the Bible began—inside people’s homes. There’s no shame in that.”
Reverend Knight began shaking his head. “Please don’t do that. You have too much of a reputation to allow that to get around town. I can see the headlines now: The Great, Magnificent, and Anointed Pastor George Landris, Reduced to Holding Church Services Inside His Home.”
“Nothing embarrassing about it to me. As long as people are hearing the Word of God and getting saved, what difference does it make where a service takes place?”
Their entrees arrived. “Whoa, Nellie,” Reverend Knight said as he watched both plates being placed before them. “I always forget how much food they give you here.”
“Can I get you gentlemen anything else?” Sherry asked.
“What was I saying?” Reverend Knight said, ignoring her. His cell phone began to buzz and vibrate on the table. “Oh, yeah—I can’t let you go out like that.”
Pastor Landris smiled at Sherry and said, “We’re fine. Thank you.” He turned his attention back to Reverend Knight. “You can’t let me go out like what?”
“Look, Doc, I like you. I like you a lot. I have more respect for you than you’ll ever know. Why would you put yourself through things when you don’t have to? I was even thinking maybe we could become something like preach-partners. We could take that building you were looking at, fix it up just like you envisioned, and it could become an extension of The Church of Revelation.
“One church; two locations: Westside and Eastside. You could be responsible for the East while I continue to lead the West.” He tried to gauge Pastor Landris’s face to see whether he should continue; his face gave up nothing. “So what are your thoughts?”
“I’m honored you think so much of me that you’d be willing to do that…but, it’s not what God has told me to do.”
“Okay, two weeks ago you told me you had received a better offer. I respected that, especially when it appears I was beat out by God. Arms are too short to box there. Maybe God is somehow in this, though—you and I meeting like we did in the first place had to be ordered by the Lord, don’t you think? Let me ask you—do you still want the building?”
“I liked it and thought it would work for what I need short-term. But if I don’t get it, I’m sure God will send something along as good or better.”
“Well, here’s my offer: the building—it’s yours.”
Pastor Landris sat back against the seat. “What’s the catch? It’s mine if what?”
“It’s yours…if you want it.”
“At the same price I offered originally that you—or should I say, your nonprofit organization—accepted before it was taken off the market?”
Reverend Knight shook his head. “No.”
“I thought not.” Pastor Landris leaned in. “So how much is it going to set me back?”
Reverend Knight tore off a piece of yeast bread. “I’m not interested in your money.”
Pastor Landris looked at him and began a fake chuckle. “Yeah, okay. So what are you looking for in exchange—my soul? To agree to come on board with you, regardless of what I want to do? Oh, I know…we can pretend I’m in charge; meanwhile, you’ll be the puppet master pulling my strings.”
Reverend Knight leaned back and shook his head slowly. He turned down the sides of his mouth in a smirk. “No…strings…attached.” He placed both hands on the table. “Nothing in my hands.” He then turned them over, both palms showing.
Pastor Landris sat back and cocked his head to the side. “You must really believe I’m the most gullible person you’ve ever run across. First, you show up at a building I just happen to be checking out. I’m curious—how did you know I was there?”
“The realtor called and told me someone was going to look at it. Naturally, she was excited. We had been aggressively encouraging them, if you will, to hurry and secure a buyer. I don’t own that building alone, just in case you’re wondering.”
“Okay, so she calls and lets you know someone is going to look at it. Did you know it was me when you happened to show up?”
He gave a short laugh. “Of course I knew. You don’t honestly think I would waste my time showing up for just any old body, do you? Please.” He placed a forkful of grilled salmon in his mouth, followed by a bite of heavily sprinkled, pepper-sauced collard greens. He closed his eyes, savoring the taste, and said, “Your food is getting cold, Pastor.” His eyes opened. “At least eat while you grill me.”
Pastor Landris dipped his jumbo shrimp into cocktail sauce and stuck it in his mouth. He chewed slowly. “So you specifically showed up to meet me?”
“If the mountain won’t come to the sea, then the sea must come to the mountain. I believed you’d visit my church when you first hit our city. You didn’t. Even though I had my secretary send you a personal invitation on my official stationery, there was no response. Not a peep.” His cell phone buzzed.
“I’ve acknowledged I received it.”
“So I figured it was divine intervention when the realtor called to inform me that this pastor was looking for a building to either buy or lease, and he was interested in ours. When I happened to ask who this fine minister might be, she, of course, blurted out your name—not even realizing who you were. She couldn’t know that a building that size would only contain you, for what? A year? Maybe. She’s so used to regular folks trying to figure out how they’re going to make their payments. She had no idea that if you chose to buy the place, you most likely would be handing her a cashier’s check for the entire amount without a mortgage.”
“Who said I have that kind of cash to be dropping on a building?”
“You were buying a ten million dollar radio station. Cash, from what I heard.”
Pas
tor Landris paused. “How do you know about the radio station?”
“I know about a lot of things—including the fact that the deal fell through, and that you’re having a little trouble getting your cash back.” He reached down and picked up his cell phone. “Pardon me. Someone appears desperate to speak with me.”
He answered the phone, talking in code as far as Pastor Landris was concerned.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Reverend Knight said when he finished. “Looks like I have to cut lunch short. I have a preacher friend who may be having a heart attack. He’s one of those faithful friends. You know, the ones that start out with you and stay until the very end. I need to see him.” Reverend Knight took a few rushed bites as he beckoned for Sherry.
“Yes,” Sherry said, seeing his plate practically empty. “You two ready for dessert?”
“Duty calls, my dear,” Reverend Knight said as he pulled out cash and handed it to her. “This should cover our meal as well as dessert, should the good pastor here decide he’d like to indulge himself.” He looked at Pastor Landris, then Sherry, and grinned. “The rest is for your tip, madam, and for the fine way which you have served us today.” Sherry was then summoned to another table.
“Pastor Landris, I highly recommend the peach cobbler,” he said. “I’m somewhat of a cobbler connoisseur. And I’ve yet to find any that can touch this establishment’s cobbler, including my own mother’s—God rest her sweet soul—who was a champion cobbler cook, hands down.”
He stepped into the aisle and slipped on his overcoat. “Doc, if you want the building, let me know. You have my number. It’ll be available for as long as you want it at no charge. Think about it. Pray about it. Talk it over, but get back to me one way or the other. The sooner, it would seem to me, the better—for you.” He placed his hat on his head.
“However, if you choose to pass on my offer,” Reverend Knight said, “there are others right now who have—out of nowhere, it seems—lined up to purchase it. Two other groups must have heard you were looking at it. Now they want it and are willing to pay our asking price. I enjoyed lunch, I truly did. Maybe you and I can do this again soon.”
“Thank you,” Pastor Landris said. “And thanks for lunch. I’ll be in touch.”
Reverend Knight patted Pastor Landris twice on his shoulder as he left. He acknowledged various people as he made his usual showboat exit.
Chapter 8
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:133)
When Pastor Landris walked into her office, Johnnie Mae was working on the computer but actually waiting for him to get back from his meeting with Reverend Knight.
She looked him in the face to be sure she saw every expression. “So, what happened?” she asked. “Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“He offered me the building.”
“How much does he want for it now?”
“He said he wants nothing.”
“What?”
Pastor Landris took a deep breath. “He offered me the building. He wants to give it to me to use for as long as I want. Reverend Knight…the organization…whoever is doing this, wants to give me the building for nothing.”
“Wait a minute. You’re telling me he wants to let you have that building for free?”
“That’s what he said—nothing. But he did try again to get me to come on staff with him.” He told her about the Eastside/ Westside congregation idea.
“I sincerely hope you turned him down,” Johnnie Mae said.
“You know I did. I just don’t get him, though.” He shook his head. “I haven’t quite figured him out. On one hand, he seems to want me to join him. But on the other, it appears he’s trying to set me up. For what, I’m not sure.” He sat down.
“He knew about the radio deal.”
“Who?” She threw him a hard frown. “Reverend Knight?” Her voice cracked.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know how. I was just about to find out when he was conveniently interrupted by an emergency phone call. There’s just something about him I don’t get. But he wants me to pray about his offer. He said, ‘No strings attached.’”
“You and I both know what’s probably going to happen,” Johnnie Mae said, shaking her head. She turned to her computer and clicked the Save button to make sure her last entry wouldn’t be lost. “Okay. So he wants to let you use the building with nothing legal to protect your interest. Yet, you’re supposed to sink $200 to $300,000 into something you really won’t have any rights to afterward? Something that can be taken away at will? Nope.”
“My sentiments exactly. But he’s a preacher. So why should I question his integrity? If we acquired that building right now, it would still take two to three months to fix it up. We might be able to get one area completed enough to begin services in a month. The crew could possibly work on the rest without disturbing us. I don’t know. Could this really be God at work? I’m just not sure what to do at this point. But he wants an answer from me pretty quickly.” Pastor Landris sat back down in the chair.
“Then you know what? We need to kneel down right here, right now, and seek God’s guidance and direction. Landris, you don’t have to do anything until you hear from Him. I don’t care what or who’s pressuring you. When you don’t know what to do, it’s best not to do anything until you get clear direction about it.”
Pastor Landris nodded and reached out his hand for Johnnie Mae to come to him. She walked around her desk, and they knelt down together beside the chair he’d been sitting in. As they held hands, Pastor Landris began to pray.
“Dear Lord, I come to You, not leaning to my own understanding, but acknowledging You in all my ways. Direct my path, O Lord. Order my steps. You’ve told me to wait on You and to keep Your way. In Psalm 37:34, You say if I do this, You’ll exalt me to inherit the land. Lord, you know the hearts and motives of everyone walking on the face of this earth. I lift Reverend Knight up to you right now. I admit—I’m not sure whether he’s for me or against me. Protect me as I do Your will. Not my will, but Your will be done. I’m committed to go where You tell me to go, to do what You tell me to do, to say what You tell me to say. Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from evil, that nothing may cause pain. You’ve told me to wait on You; I’m waiting. You’ve told me you would supply my every need. You know what I’m in need of right now.
“Lord, we need a place for the ministry You sent me here to begin. You have begun a good work in me. I realize the enemy will use others to try to hinder or stop the work. It’s up to us to keep pressing. Psalm 91:11–12 assures me that You will give Your angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways. These angels will bear me up to ensure I don’t even dash my foot against a stone. You say in Psalm 91:15 that we can call on You and You will answer, that You will be with us in trouble, You will deliver us, and honor us. Speak to me, Lord. Tell me what You desire me to do. This I pray and thank You in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
“Amen,” Johnnie Mae said. “Hallelujah, Lord. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus for answering this prayer. We thank You that it’s already done.”
“It’s already done,” Pastor Landris chimed in with praise. “Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Father, that You hear me always.”
“Thank You, Jesus for being our advocate…for interceding for us as You sit on the right hand of our Father…forever interceding on our behalf,” Johnnie Mae said in agreement with her husband. “Thank You for saving us. Thank You that You’ve already made a way. Right now, it’s already done. Hallelujah to Your name.”
“It’s already done, in Jesus’ name,” Pastor Landris said as he realized that was his Word from the Lord. “It’s already done.”
Chapter 9
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
(Genesis 37:18)
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��Poppa Knight, how did it go?” a tall, slender man with hair cut low to his head asked as soon as Reverend Knight sat down in the recliner in the great room.
Five preachers were in attendance: Reverend Marshall Walker, Reverend Perry Grant, Reverend Moses Beam, Reverend Theodore Simpson, and Reverend Paul Knight.
“I think it went quite well. From the look on his face when I left him at the restaurant, he’s seriously thinking about my offer,” Reverend Knight said. He picked up a pastry from the platter—cream cheese with a pineapple filling. “Are these fresh?” he asked, poking it before taking a bite.
“Yeah, they’ve just been sitting out a while. We’ve been here waiting on you for over two hours now,” said Reverend Beam, who was almost as round around the waist as he was tall. He picked up a pastry with raspberry filling and consumed it in three bites. “Taste fresh to me.”
“So you left him wondering a little, you think?” the tall Reverend Walker asked.
“Your plan executed to perfection, Reverend Walker,” Reverend Knight said as he looked straight in the eyes of his good friend Marshall. They’d known each other since elementary school and had been cut-buddies since middle school.
Reverend Walker had always been the brains of their group of five. Or, at least, that’s what they let him believe. He was the one who devised this plan after learning Pastor Landris was pursuing the purchase of a building their organization owned.
The five took this information as a sign from God for them to put a halt to Pastor Landris’s efforts before he got started. It was Reverend Walker’s idea to send Reverend Knight. He made Reverend Knight believe it was his, since on paper, this was his organization. It was his place, by right, to take the lead in the matter.
“What about when the phone call came in of our dear preacher’s heart ailment?”
“I think he was frustrated at the timing, Reverend Walker. Especially since I’d just dropped the bombshell about my knowledge of his defunct radio station deal. You called back just before he could get any answers to his questions,” Reverend Knight said.
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