After Ahmed recovered from the radiation poisoning, they took him in and treated him as their third child. The kids loved him. They all attended church together. The kids were involved in youth group, Sam and Jackson in a couple's Bible study group, and Jackson had joined a men's breakfast group that met once a week. He was learning a lot and became good friends with several of the guys.
Turns out, they all had a lot in common. Some were cops, ex-military, firefighters, and public servants. He fit right in.
They all attended church on Sundays, and Jackson found he was really starting to like it. He saw things differently now. No one was promised one more day on this earth, and he was learning about God's real love for each person.
He loved the music and the teaching. It was not phony at all. It was like an entirely new family. Each member of the family volunteered for a different ministry service. The kids helped in youth group, Sam at the coffee bar, and Jackson was, naturally, asked to be on the security team.
After discussing things with their pastor, he made the decision to get baptized. His parents had baptized him when he was a baby, but the pastor explained that babies were never baptized in the Bible. It was decision made by each individual when they decided to follow and identify with the gift that Christ gave us through his life, death on the cross, and resurrection. It was explained that it was not the act that did the saving, but an outward sign of obedience to God. The old life was dead, your sins buried in the water, and a new life had begun. A witness to the world that they now identified with Christ.
They set the date and Sam started calling and emailing everyone on the sly. She was afraid if he knew, he would back out, so she kept it secret. Jackson had gone through a class on what to expect and had recorded a video testimony.
Two weeks later, the big day came. They all had breakfast and everyone got ready.
Sam came in to his room and said, “Jim, I have never been happier than I am right now. I believe you are a changed man. I am so proud of you.” She hugged him like she had never done before.
“I'm the luckiest man in the world, just to have you consider taking me back, Sam. I love you so much.”
They embraced for a long minute and then separated.
“Well then, let's go do this,” she said as she brushed his hair with her hand.
They got to the church and the greeters showed him the place to change before and after. The kids and Sam went right down to the front row and waited excitedly. Jackson went back to the changing room.
The band started and they were better than ever. The music was intense and joyous today. The pastor got up and talked about all the people who were being baptized that day.
He said that in Heaven, the angels all rejoiced more than the greatest choirs in the world when even one person came to know God.
There were fifteen others before him, and Jackson stood in back, watching each person's story before their baptism.
He was deeply moved by each one.
Finally, it was time. He walked out and looked down at Sam and the kids. They were all smiling. Both kids were waving and Sam was wiping tears from her eyes. He looked up and down the first few rows and saw everyone he knew. George, Lindsay and Liza. Ryan, Adam and his wife. Sheriff John. Julia and the kids, Tom and Brad. Barry Yant, Dumitru and Andrei, with two women and a man he had never seen, Aaron and Ibrahim, Paul, his old boss. Even Doug and Joy from the La Hacienda were there.
Tom and Brad had brought a half dozen PTSD recovery cops and soldiers with them.
The pastor came up as Jackson stepped towards the water pool just as his video started to play.
“Please stop the music and video,” he said to the sound techs and musicians.
The place went dead silent.
“Jim and his team were called to do a work that saved us all. But they will tell you, it wasn't them that did it. They admit that too many things happened that enabled them to perform this heroic act. These were not coincidences. In fact, it was God who chose them. He did the work through these men and women. There can be no other explanation. None of them went looking for this assignment. He planned it, so it would happen exactly as it did. Jim has chosen to recognize Him now. Let this be a powerful testimony to the entire world, of the saving and loving nature of our great God.
“Now, If I may read some scripture:
“Ephesians 6-12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. And one more:
“Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
“We know this is truth. It is not our fellow man that we are called to stand against, but other powers. There is only one way to combat that evil power and that is to accept the free gift that God has offered you. Once you do, you will be in the right relationship with him through the sacrifice of his Son. If you do not know his power or his love, now is the time. There is no better day or time for you, my friends. You can also be baptized today. This can be the greatest day ever. To be ushered into the kingdom and baptized on the same day. Anyone wanting to do that, please form a line by the door off to the right. We will make sure you can do this, right now.
“In the meantime, the band will play quietly, and I ask everyone in the room to pray and earnestly ask God to show himself to you.”
One person stood up and walked to the side door, then another, then two entire rows of them got up. Even Dr. Al-Hazi, who had made the trek from Moldova and was staying with Dumitru, Mrs. Drazov, and Andrei. Ibrahim came forward, too. Ahmed had been baptized a few weeks earlier in his youth group. Eventually, the line was huge. There must have been one hundred people standing in line.
Jackson's video testimony played as the pastor baptized him in the water. He came up with his arms and fingers pointing to the sky. The congregation roared in applause. He looked down and Sam and the kids were all crying. Then, one by one, the others did the same. It took two more hours, but no one left. The place was filled with rejoicing and a true sense of love and peace.
Afterwards, the party headed to El Chorro for brunch on the outside patio. It was one of Jackson's favorite places, right at the base of Camelback Mountain. Sam had set up a fabulous reception for everyone.
Once they were all seated, Jackson cleared his throat. He stood and said, “I want to thank you all for coming today. Sam really pulled a fast one on me, but I am so glad she did. It wouldn't have been the same without all of you. For those of you that came forward and got baptized too, congratulations. Welcome to the brotherhood. Now, I just have one thing left to do.”
With that, he pulled out a small box and went over to where Sam was sitting.
He got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and said, “Sam, will you marry me again?”
She burst out in tears, nodding and hugged him as the entire restaurant broke out in applause.
The sun had just set in the tiny border town of Aqua Prieta.
A man walked down a dusty road just south of town. He was shuffling along at a brisk pace, trying to get to his rendezvous point.
He looked at his watch and saw he only had ten minutes to go.
He hustled along and finally came to a fork in the road. There was a fence with a small cross on top of it.
Off in the distance, he saw a cloud of dust approaching. “It must be him,” he said out loud to no one.
A van pulled up and the door slid open.
He gave the password.
The driver, a Moon God Warrior, said, “Get in.”
He climbed in and looked to the rear as the door slammed shut and they took off at a fast pace.
“Welcome, my brother, Juan! We have very much work to do. The infidel stopped us last time, but won’t again,” the voice said.
“Thank you, m
y Imam. Allahu Akbar!” Juan replied.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider joining my email list. I am currently working on Black Flag Warning, A James Jackson Thriller. Volume 2. http://jesserussellbooks.com/join-the-team
Afterword
The bulk of this book was written in 2015, when the border stood wide open, the government was ripe with corruption and terrorists were flowing freely back and forth into and out of the United States. The following links are but a fraction the hundreds or even thousands that I could cite here. Unfortunately, the mainstream media either chose not to report these things, or purposely covered them up.
But happen, they did.
A Few Citations:
http://counterjihad.com/fbi-7700-terrorist-encounters-usa-last-year
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/10/15/two-suspected-isis-recruits-traveling-mexico-busted-texas/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social
http://pamelageller.com/2016/10/france-creates-national-guard-to-battle-jihad-terrorism.html/
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2016/10/dhs-orders-border-agents-give-haitians-africans-russians-armenians-asylum-via-mexico/
http://pamelageller.com/2016/10/florida-muslim-convert-threatens-jihad-massacres-at-schools-beaches-bases.html/
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/world/europe/kosovo-charges-5-people-in-plot-to-poison-water.html?_r=1
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/patrol-border-vigilantes-donald-trump-9125531
http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/border-patrol-agent-admin-treats-illegal-crossings-like-traffic-ticket/
http://www.americasfreedomfighters.com/2016/10/17/clinton-mexican-cartel/
http://www.vocativ.com/368572/facial-recognition-databases/
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/11/01/coyotes-eat-corpse-dead-migrant-texas-remains-scattered/
http://pamelageller.com/2016/11/thousands-of-mideastern-illegals-busted-at-u-s-border-with-forged-papers.html/
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/justinholcomb/2016/11/14/ernst-warns-obama-of-growing-isis-threats-in-latin-america-n2245605
http://conservativetribune.com/safe-trump-border-agents/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=TeaParty&utm_content=2016-11-15&utm_campaign=manualpost
Black Flag Rising: A James Jackson Thriller Page 28
