Rise of the Beast (30 page)

“How do you do, Mark,” said Serena extending her hand.

“I’m really good right now, ma’am,” said Mark, shaking Serena’s hand.

“But you weren’t just a few minutes ago,” said Claire, looking over at Mark.

“No ma’am, I wasn’t,” confirmed Mark. “I was hurt real bad in a bus accident
when I was eight. My back got broken, and I haven’t been able to walk ever since. But I’m better here in Heaven.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Serena. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, just a few minutes,” said Mark. “But I gotta go back to Earth so I can meet you.”

“So you can meet me?” asked Serena, who seemed a bit confused.

“Oh, he’s still crippled,” confirmed Claire, “at least for now. You see, like you, he’s just a visitor here. We’ve had a real nice talk, haven’t we, Mark?”

“Yes ma’am,” confirmed Mark, looking toward Claire. “I like Heaven a lot. Especially if it has nice people like you in it.”

“It has lots of nice people like me,” confirmed Claire, but you’re not coming here to live just yet. You have a few things to do on Earth first.” She turned to Serena. “I’ve got news for you. Today is the last day of your revival in Mississippi. But it’s going to end with a bang. The Father has heard your plea and has sent me to talk to you. Mark is going to walk again. The Father is going to use you as His healing vessel. Don’t be afraid. Be bold.”

Yes, be bold,” echoed Mark. “Please, I want to walk again. I want to go fishing and playing with my friends again.”

There was an almost pleading aspect to Mark’s request. It brought a tear to Serena’s eye. “You will, Mark. I promise.”

“Well, time to go,” announced Claire, looking to Mark. “I’ll see you again, soon, OK?”

“OK,” said Mark.

A second later, Mark vanished from their midst. “Wow,” said Serena.

“OK,” continued Claire, taking a deep breath. “I didn’t want Mark here when I told you this. You must understand that this precious gift from God carries with it certain consequences on Earth. Lusan is not going to like it one bit. He’ll blow a gasket. He’ll see you as trying to steal his spotlight. He may even come after you.”

“Nothing new about that,” confirmed Serena. “There’s been bad blood
between the two of us for a very long time. But, I guess you know that.”

“Yes,” confirmed Claire. “I know.”

“I just want to serve God,” replied Serena. “I’ll do whatever it takes, no matter what.”

Claire’s smile broadened. “Oh, dear, I know you would, and so does the Father.” She gazed up. “It’s time for you to wake up.”

Serena nodded. A second later, she was in the RV. Morning sunlight was streaming through the window. She looked over at Chris. For some reason, he’d been left out of this journey. She wouldn’t wake him. Furthermore, she wouldn’t tell him about this visitation, at least not yet. She would wait and see what this evening’s service would bring.

It was the better part of an hour before Chris woke up. They had their morning devotions and then went shopping for groceries. The day went slowly, and neither of them seemed to be in very talkative moods.

The revival started at six, but they were there two hours early. A different evangelist or preacher had spoken each night. As the Lord would have it, Chris and Serena were scheduled to speak tonight. Following that, there was to be an altar call.

The people started arriving just before five. Serena scanned the crowd in search of Mark, but she couldn’t pick him out, at least not yet. Still, it was a large place, and she could easily have missed him.

Never had she been so nervous before a meeting. She’d spoken to crowds of this size before, but never had so much been riding on a meeting. She scanned the crowd again. She figured that she had underestimated how many people would be in attendance. The place was nearly full.

At six sharp, the service opened with music. There was old-time gospel, country music, even rock, with the new Christian rock band Glory. Yet, all of it glorified the name of Jesus. The people were excited and that excitement was growing with every song. Something was in the air, and the people could feel it.

It was just after 7:00 when Chris and Serena took the stage. They spoke of their experience beyond this life, eight years ago. They spoke of the wonders of Heaven and the terrors of Hell. It was not so different from many of the other services they had had over the years, at least at first. It was near the end of their
message that Chris spoke of a dream he’d had the previous night. It was a revelation that caught Serena totally by surprise.

“I found myself in what appeared to be the private quarters of the prince of a great nation,” he began. “The prince sat at the bed of his beloved son who was gravely ill. He spoke words of comfort to him, though he knew that his son could not hear them. What he wouldn’t have given to have his son’s health restored. As it was, his life would surely end, and soon. Then a man in flowing robes entered the room. He had the looks of an ancient alchemist, or a wizard of some sort, dressed all in black. He told the prince that he could restore his son to health, but there would be a price. The day would come, once the prince had become king, that he would ask a favor of him; he would ask to be the advisor of the new monarch. He would ask him to accept his council in matters of spirit and state.”

Chris paused, looking out over the multitude that listened in silence. He stepped to the very edge of the stage. His eyes seemed so intense.

“But you see, the prince was desperate. Nothing in this entire world meant more to him than the life of his son. He agreed immediately to this stranger’s terms. With no more than a touch, the stranger restored his son’s health. Then he departed. But all was not as it seemed. You see, the stranger, this evil wizard, had agents within the palace all along, agents who had been slowly poisoning the boy. It was they who were behind his illness. The sly wizard had administered an antidote to the boy. So, you see, he was the author of both the disease and the cure.”

Again Chris was on the move, making eye contact with as many people in the crowd as he could as he walked along the edge of the stage. Serena was astonished. Never had she seen her husband so totally inspired. At meetings, he was usually the quieter one, but not this time. She very much enjoyed what she was seeing.

“Then, the time came when the prince ascended to the throne. And on that day, the dark wizard returned. He had the new king’s ear when it came to matters of the spirit. He poisoned his mind when it came to dealing with God’s own people. Though it was the king’s words that ruled the land, it was the wizard’s plans that he was promoting. An otherwise good king had become an unwitting pawn in the hands of this darkest of all people. Through the king’s own popularity, the evil one beguiled all but a few people within the great kingdom. In the end, the people turned away from the light, preferring the darkness. Indeed, they held those who chose the path of light in great contempt.

“For a time, the kingdom was prosperous. Then a great natural catastrophe fell upon the kingdom. Yet rather than turn to the light in that hour, the people were plunged even further into the darkness. They hated God’s people, persecuting them in ways that had not been seen since the light entered the world. Yet at the height of the persecution, the people of God vanished and no one could explain it.”

Again, Chris paused. There was now an undercurrent that echoed throughout the arena. Did the people hear and understand what Chris was talking about?

“Then I found myself standing on a hilltop, overlooking a battlefield,” he continued. “Two great armies were approaching the field of battle, one from the north and one from the east. There were trumpets blowing and drums rolling. It was like a battle out of the past, not the current age. The soldiers of the army coming out of the north were all dressed in the deepest blue uniforms, while the army from the east wore orange. They were huge armies, millions of men, and even women, marching in precision like a well-trained army might in a parade.

“It was then that I noticed an angel in white standing beside me. He was like any of the angels I saw in Heaven. I didn’t recognize him, but he was clearly one of Michael’s minions. I asked him what it was that I was witnessing. Who were these soldiers, and why were they going to war? He told me that the army in blue was led by the beguiled king, while the army in orange marching out of the east had come out of Asia. They were fighting over the few resources that could still be found on this dying, polluted Earth, an Earth that was reaping what it had sown—the judgment of the Most High God. Yet before the armies could unleash the last of their mighty weapons, the children of God, along with God’s firstborn, returned. The days of terror had to be cut short before all life vanished from this world.”

Chris returned to the pulpit, to his wife’s side. Serena was so proud of him. Truly, his words had been inspired of God. Yet his final point was yet to be made.

“I tell you this,” concluded Chris. “This path to the end of the age has already been set in motion. This Wizard of darkness is already among us. Never before has there been more of a reason to be strong. Walk close to the Lord; accept His council. People, the clock is ticking.”

The words of this evening’s speaker had been bold, bolder than any that had
come before it. It left the crowd in shock and wonder. It was time for the altar call. Twenty-three pastors and evangelists took the stage to pray over the sick and to help those in need. A great multitude came forth. Yet Serena was looking for only one person, a young man by the name of Mark.

Then she saw him. He was in a wheelchair being pushed up the ramp onto the stage by a young woman who might have been his mother. Serena rushed toward him. Almost immediately their eyes met.

“You’re really here,” he said, tears coming to his eyes. “It wasn’t just a dream; you’re really here.”

“Yes I am,” said Serena, “Nice to see you again, Mark.”

The woman pushing the wheel chair seemed surprised. “I’m Mark’s mother, Martha,” she announced. “My son has been saying all day that he had to come here, that he had to see you. The two of you haven’t met before. I’m quite sure of it.”

“No, we haven’t,” replied Serena, “at least, not exactly.”

“We met in a dream,” replied Mark.

“That’s right,” confirmed Serena.

Martha’s eyes opened wide. “But that was just a dream,” she objected.

Already, Serena had placed her hand on Mark’s head. Never in her life had she uttered the words that she was about to say. It was bold, expecting a miracle. Yet, Serena had total faith. “Mark, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Serena gazed up to see the cameras all focused on her. Her microphone had carried her words for all to hear. Well, this was it, the moment of truth.

Yet, if Serena had no doubt about the miracle to come, Mark had even less. He took a deep breath and pushed himself up out of the wheelchair. Serena took his hand and pulled him forward.

“No,” said Martha, who reached out in an attempt to keep her son from falling.

But he didn’t fall. He stumbled for two steps then stabilized himself. He was standing on his own two feet, a thing he hadn’t done since the accident.

“I can feel my legs!” he cried, “I can feel them.”

The whole house turned to the boy who now stood steady on his feet. He took a step, then another. His steps were steady and deliberate. He walked another five paces, turned around and went straight into Serena’s arms.

“I can walk! I can walk!” he cried. “Thank you, Jesus! I can walk!”

At this point the entire crowd was turned toward the exuberant youth and the woman whose hand had brought about the miracle. Serena was unprepared as a young man of about 25 with a white cane in hand was led to her by a young woman.

“Please, ma’am, I saw what just happened. Lay hands on my husband, please,” pleaded the young woman.

Serena realized that she should probably have anticipated this. What now? She hadn’t seen this man in a vision. Would God honor her prayers for him? She had to believe that He would.

“I’m right here,” she said to the blind man, touching him on the forehead. “Do you believe that God, through His Holy Spirit, can restore your sight?”

“I believe,” confirmed the man. “Oh how I believe. I just want to see the world. I never have, but I’ve been told that it’s beautiful.”

Serena hesitated, and then touched his eyes. “In the name of Jesus Christ, see the world.”

A moment passed. The man spun around, his eyes darting back and forth. “It’s getting brighter. Everywhere, it’s getting brighter. Oh my Lord!” He turned directly to Serena; their eyes met. “I can see you! Oh, praise Jesus!” He spun around. “I can see all of you!”

More people came to Serena—people with cancer and heart disease, people whose conditions had been diagnosed as terminal, people who knew they had only one chance to live. Serena laid hands on every one of them. Pain vanished immediately, limbs straightened and strengthened. She could not be certain that healing had occurred in all cases, but she believed it. By the end of the night, she had prayed for over a hundred people with ailments ranging from arthritis to broken bones. When it was all finished, she felt thoroughly drained, yet oh so good.

As the meeting ended, people were still singing as they filed out of the arena.
They praised God for his mercy and goodness. They had been witnesses to such miracles. Surely God had been in this arena tonight.

“We need to work on our communication,” noted Chris, as they drove back to the RV. “No secrets, OK?”

“OK,” said Serena, “no secrets.”

Right now, Serena was on top of the world. Over the next weeks, she got word that no fewer than eight full remissions from cancer had occurred on that evening. In addition, doctors had confirmed the restoration of a defective heart valve, arthritis vanishing from joints, and broken bones mending by themselves.

Still more healings were documented at the hands of Serena Davis at a revival in Louisiana the following week and at three in Texas during the two weeks following that. Suddenly, the world had two great healers in its midst.