Steven’s Amazing Adventures,
and the Future of the World
(A Story about the End Times
with Messages from God)
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(This story chronicles the adventures of Steven O'Neill, his wife Sarah, and their friends during the End Times. Judgment has already struck the U.S., and Steve and his friends have reached the vast continent of Asia. Witness the amazing things God will reveal about the coming kingdom of the Beast (or the Antichrist), the Mark of the Beast, and the Tribulation period. This story should keep you fascinated, as a realistic account of the future unfolds in the form of a fictional story.
But, this story is not just a story. It contains messages from God and prophecies that actually shall happen. It is written as fiction with fictional characters, but the message of the story is very real, and the cataclysmic events, touched on in this story, will actually impact this earth as God’s Holy Bible and its prophecies unfold. The world will soon enter a time much like that portrayed in this story. I encourage you to seek God about this to see what He will show you.)
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Chapter One
"Russian Winter"
Four people hiked down the icy path through the snow. Tall pines rose up on either side, like green fingers poking through a white sea. The northern wind whispered through the trees and ruffled woolen and leather parkas. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The sound of their footsteps would seem strange to a dweller in the tropics. This thought sometimes flashed across the bearded man’s mind as he crunched through the packed snow slightly ahead of the others.
“Steven,” a woman’s voice came from behind him. “Wait up, please.”
The bearded man stopped and turned to see his wife’s pale face poking out from her hood. She looked beautiful to him with the snow falling around her and her breath coming out in small clouds of vapor.
“Sarah, honey,” Steven said, “how are you doing?”
“I’m feeling a little tired,” Sarah admitted.
“How are we doing?” a man with brown hair and a clean-shaven face asked. He wore a warm, green parka and black boots. Beside him stood a man with a red beard and a leather parka. “Just a little tired, Jason,” Sarah said.
“Honey,” Steve said, “remember how Father God gave you strength to stay up all night and still hike during the next day?”
“Yes,” Sarah said, nodding, “I do. I get it, Steve. I should ask God for strength.”
“Yes,” Steve said. “He will give you what you need. Remember what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13? He said: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’”
“You’re right,” Sarah chuckled. “I sometimes forget.” Turning to where she sensed Jesus to be standing, Sarah said, “Dear Jesus, will you give me the strength to keep walking. You know I’ve struggled to believe you sometimes, but I choose to trust you to strengthen me even though you know I’m tired.”
“My daughter,” Jesus said to her spirit and soul, “I am with you and I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Rest in Me. I will give you the strength you need to reach the village. It is only a couple miles from here. I will take good care of you. Rest in Me.”
“Yes Lord Jesus,” Sarah said, “I choose to trust you. Thank you that you will help me.”
The group continued walking and Sarah soon started to walk faster.
“Sarah, you’re picking up speed,” Steve said, excitedly. “Praise God! He’s answered your prayer.”
“Amen. He sure has,” Sarah said, smiling.
Less than forty minutes later, a small village appeared at the base of a mountain. Wispy smoke rose up into the late-evening air from chimneys in small izba cottages. Simple wood buildings formed the majority of the town’s structures while graveled streets divided the village up into a rough grid layout. In the distance, standing like massive, limbless trees, three tall smoke stacks rose up out of the forest from a mostly concealed, rundown factory complex. The forest had started to grow up around the complex over the decades since it was closed. The woods were starting to eat up the land that had once belonged to derelict, soviet-era collective farms near the edge of the town.
Passing through the streets, the small group came to an izba, or cabin house, just two blocks from the edge of the village. It was somewhat larger than nearby homes. The red-bearded man stepped from behind Steve and approached the front door of the izba. He knocked three times. There was no answer. He placed his mouth close to the door and spoke somewhat loudly in Russian, “Sergey, it’s me, Alexei. I have some people with me who love the Lord. You can trust them. If you are not sure, seek God.”
“I will,” a man’s muffled voice came weakly through the door.
Half a minute passed. The door was still locked shut. Wind blew along the ground, stirring up powder and sent snow flurries sprinkling against their thick coats. Steve was glad for the coat, but he remembered what Abba Father God had told him regarding staying warm. It was God who ultimately would make sure Steve was safely warm. Still, Steve wondered if the door would remain closed. The temperature was dropping to probably below -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Later that night it would drop even more.
A minute later, a scraping sound came from behind the cabin door. Could it be a gun? The thought flashed in Steve’s mind, but he rejected it. God also promised to protect him from guns and from weapons. Strong angels always maintained a watchful guard around all Christians, and had the power to supernaturally protect believers.
The door swung open and a burly man with a brown, medium-length beard peered out at the bundled up people in the snow. He wore a brown, wooly vest, a green flannel shirt, and tan wool trousers.
“Come in,” he said in Russian, “but make sure you don’t attract attention.”
The group filed into his cabin quickly and the Russian quietly closed and bolted his door. A small fire crackled and popped in a green, pot belly stove and caused a tea kettle to simmer on the stove top. An old couch, with quilts hung over it, rested up against one wall, below a small window. The red-bearded Alexei plopped down into the couch cushions, followed by Jason. A rocking chair occupied a corner of the living room space on which rested a sleepy, brown cat. The cat eyed the strangers with some curiosity before it closed its eyes and rested its head to nap.
“Now,” the Russian host said in Russian, “God showed me that you are His children and that I should trust you. So, I will. You are welcome here as long as you like.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. ...?” Steve said.
“Oh, forgive me, Steve,” Alexei said. “This is Sergey Ivanov. He is a rural blacksmith. He once was the mayor of this town some years ago.”
“And, this is Steven O’Neill and his wife Sarah.” Alexei motioned toward the couple. Motioning toward the clean-shaven man, he said, “And, this is Jason Harper.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sergey said as he shook hands with the married couple, and then the two other men.
“And, of course you know I’m Alexei Khlebov,” Alexei added, grinning.
Sergey chuckled. “Yes, my friend, I’ve known you for some time.”
Motioning toward the steaming kettle, Sergey said, “Does anyone want some tea? I was hoping to hear your reasons for coming to Medvedski.”
Even though Steve never learned the Russian language from anyone, he spoke it fluently and understood it when people spoke Russian to him. Sometimes, however, he didn’t understand signs in Russian. But, understanding and speaking Russian was a supernatural gift that God had given Steve, Sarah, and Jason, and the people in the book of Acts.
“We have come to warn the people of this village about the judgment that God will have to bring down on Russia, due to its sins against Him,” Steven said.
“What might that judgment be?” Sergey asked, curious.
“There will be great shakings in Russia that will strike its finances and economy,” Steve said. “But, this will also strike the economies of all countries in the entire world. Russia will suffer greatly through the shaking, but it will hold together, but just by a thread.
“Life will be very hard for all who do not call upon Jesus during the difficult times ahead. God has sent us to warn Russians in the rural areas to seek God and make Jesus their personal Lord and Savior. We are a type of missionary that God is calling in these last days.”
“May I ask a question, Sergey?” Sarah asked.
“Sure,” Sergey said.
“Where is your wife?” Sarah asked after a pause.
There was silence as Sergey processed the question and all the emotions that came to him.
Sergey walked over to his bed and sat down on a single-wide mattress with a rustic, wooden frame, which was nestled up against the wall a short distance from the pot belly stove. Some jeans hung over the bed railing. A kitchen area with a small, wooden table; two chairs; and a large ice chest lay a short distance away. Pots and pans hanging from pegs in the walls reflected the white glow of a battery-powered electric lantern that dangled from a hook in the ceiling.
“I had a wife, but she died instantly in a tragic car accident,” Sergey said with some sadness in his voice.
“I feel bad for you. I’m sorry for bringing that up,” Sarah said.
“No, don’t be,” Sergey said, wiping away a tear. “I love to tell my story. After that terrible event, I cried out to God and He heard by cries. I told Him that I needed to know Him and that I couldn’t keep living, unless I had Him close to Me. And, God answered my prayer. I read my late mother’s Bible cover to cover, and became convinced that only Jesus Christ could save me.
“After I trusted in Jesus for salvation and started really seeking Him, I felt peace and joy come to me that I’ve never felt before. I felt that God really did love me, even though I had done many bad things during my life. But, He forgave me.”
“Praise God for His forgiveness and love,” Steve said, smiling, looking upward.
“So, tell me your story,” Sergey said. “How did you get all the way to my little village?”
“Well, that’s a long story,” Steven said as he walked over to the dining room area, which was beside the kitchen. “May I bring some chairs?” he asked.
“Oh. Of course,” Sergey said. “What was I thinking?” He was about to stand and head for the dining room, but Steve had already grabbed both chairs. Sergey stood and helped Steve bring them into the living room, which had no partition between it and the rest of the lower story, except for the bathroom, which was nestled beside the front door; and the closet, which was across the room from the bathroom.
“Here Sarah,” Steve said, setting one before his wife. She thanked him and both sat down.
“When Russia conquered America, we Russians were shocked,” Sergey said. “We never expected our countries to go to war. But, rumors were starting to spread up to where we live that war was possibly on the horizon. But, a nuclear war was far from my mind. Well, as you know, America was the aggressor. They sent an attack on Russia that provoked Russia like never before, but what my country did to your country was surely destructive.”
“God had told us about the judgment,” Steven said, “years prior to its release, and what would happen, and why. He was calling out to a rebellious people to repent, but they would not repent, no matter how much God called out to them. Then, America’s leaders ordered an attack on Russia to provoke it to wrath.”
“That is when,” Steve continued, “your country launched its full attack on America. But, God had brought Sarah, me, and my parents out of harm’s way, and into a place of safety. From there, He had his angels very move us almost instantly, or translate us, from that temporary place of safety to a base He prepared for us in Eurasia.”
“He had angels carry you from one place to another?” Sergey asked, amazed.
“Yes,” Steve said. “You’ve heard of what God did for Philip in the book of Acts—Acts 8:39-40?”
“He baptized an Ethiopian eunuch,” Sergey responded.
“That’s right. But, how did the eunuch see Philip leave him?” Steve asked.
“God caught up Philip and brought him to Azotus,” Sergey said, remembering, and his eyes widened with excitement. “You are telling me that God did the same for you as He did for Philip?”
“That’s exactly what He did,” Steve said. “In the Bible, God tells us that He never changes. In Malachi 3:6, God tells rebellious Israel: "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." He also said that nothing is impossible to those who believe. Mark 9:23 says: ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’”
“That is truly wonderful, but I believe it. Praise God’s Holy Name!” Sergey said, standing up suddenly and clapping his hands, waking the dozing cat. “God does miracles still!”
Looking down at his guests, Sergey smiled. “I believe God will do the same for me if I need to be moved someplace quickly and safely.”
“God did the same for us,” Jason said. “I was in a refuge area that God had led me to. Then, He spoke to me and told me to be ready to be translated to Eurasia. So, I got together a backpack of stuff and sought God. After about a week had passed, I was in a house and God spoke to me. He said, ‘Jason, My son.’ I said, ‘Yes, Abba God?’ He said, ‘I shall translate you now.’
“That instant, I and my backpack were instantly moved to a village somewhere in the Eurasian land mass. I couldn’t point to the exactly location. There I saw a village full of new wooden buildings. They appeared to be ancient Chinese in design. As I approached the village, I saw people approaching me. An Asian man asked me where I came from. I said I came from North America. He asked me how I arrived in his continent. I told him God had translated me, and he rejoiced. He told me he had also been translated to the village.
“I asked him what that place was and he told me it was a city of refuge that God had put on the hearts of His people to build. The Asian also said that angelic beings from Heaven had arrived, looking like men, and they assisted the first arrivals in constructing the village waste system and buildings. The angels, who resembled ordinary men, had brought wood and building materials. I asked him why God’s angels would assist men. He told me that the Bible says that angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. I think that is in Hebrews chapter 1, verse 14.”
“I remember that verse,” Alexei said. “It says: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?’”
“So angels minister by physically assisting us too?” Sergey said, stroking his beard in thought.
“You folks must be hungry,” Sergey said, standing up a few seconds later. “I will fix something for you.”
He walked over to the ice chest in his kitchen and quickly unlatched it with a handle and reached in to pull out a covered cooking pot. Then, he opened a small cabinet and pulled out some ceramic mugs and bowels.
“Would you like tea?” Sergey asked.
“I would, thank you,” Sarah said. A few others agreed.
From a lower drawer in the cabinet, Sergey retrieved spoons. Then, he filled up the mugs with hot water from the kettle and dropped some packets of tea into the mugs. Once done, he brought them to his guests.
“I will now warm up some ukha, which is a fish and vegetable soup,” he said as he set the large pot on the stove top. He added a few more large sticks to the fire and closed the firebox door.
Once the soup was heated, the group prayed, ate and conversed for a couple more hours. Then, Jason suggested they have a prayer time.
As he prayed for God to bless Sergey and to guide him in God’s ways, a loud knock came from the front door. Rap. Rap. Rap.
Sergey stood and whispered, “Hurry up and head to the upstairs. There’s a staircase.” He pointed to a narrow wooden staircase, at the back of the house, that resembled a ladder more than it did a staircase. The four visitors quickly headed up the stairs, while Sergey cleared their dishes from the room and placed them in a pile in his small kitchen sink. The knocking continued. Rap. Rap. Rap.
Then, he walked to the door and waited for the last person to reach the second floor of his two-story izba cabin. He quickly asked God what to do. “My son, go open the door,” Abba God’s voice spoke to him.
Unlocking the bolt, Sergey opened the door. A man stood outside, bundled up in a leather coat and a furry ushanka hat. The ear flaps were down and tied together by small cords. His breath came out in small puffs of vapor.
“Sergey,” he said, “it’s Kostya. What took you so long to answer the door?”
“Sorry about that delay. What is happening, Kostya?” Sergey said, closing the door behind him to keep the heat indoors.
“I came to warn you that I’ve heard a powerful snow storm is coming tomorrow,” Kostya said. “I also want to tell you that I’ve heard that you are a Christian, and so I want to ask if you will help me. You see, I am having some relatives stay with me for the winter because their house was burnt down in an accidental fire, and they have no where to go. But, I know that you are single, so I wonder if you would mind hosting some of them in your second story?”
“Let me seek God about that,” Sergey said before closing his eyes.
Speaking in a quiet whisper, he said, “Father God, what should I do about this predicament? I have guests in my house, but I can’t have all these people stay with me right now, can I?”
“My son,” Abba God said, “I am with you. You may have the relatives stay with you tonight, for I will translate your guests away before your new guests come. Trust Me. Go ahead and tell the man ‘yes,’ that you will have his relatives stay at your house in the second floor. I will provide for your food needs. And, I the Lord your God and Abba Father have spoken.”
“I will trust you,” Sergey said, swallowing. Turning to Kostya, he said, “You can bring them over now. They are welcome in my home.”
Kostya breathed a sigh of relief and shouted, “Thank you, Sergey! You’re a true friend in need.” He jogged away through the snow, and vanished behind a neighbor’s house.
Sergey stepped into his cabin and closed the door. He felt fear grip him. ‘What if Kostya’s relatives arrive while the four guests are still here?’ he thought.
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Sergey hurried toward the steep staircase and climbed the wooden steps. He emerged in the second story and found two electric lanterns turned on, hanging from hooks in a long hallway that ran through the upper story. Power outages had cut the power to his home for nearly five hours, keeping it mostly in darkness. There were six doors on either side of the hall leading to five small bedrooms and one bathroom. He snatched an electric lantern from a hook in the ceiling and tried the first door to his right. Inside sat an empty bed, some cardboard boxes full of bric-a-brac and children’s clothes, and papers piled on the bed.
“Alexei,” Sergey said, “where are you?”
He knelt to the ground and peered under the bed. No one was underneath. Standing, Sergey hurried toward a closet. The closet was full of cardboard boxes containing his late wife’s clothes and clothes that were donations to distribute to poor people. No one was in the closet. Sergey left that bedroom and hurried across to the next closest bedroom. It was also completely empty. He returned to the hall and shouted, “Sergey, Jason, Steven, Sarah, where are you?”
There was no answer. ‘That was very strange,’ Sergey thought. Then, he heard a loud knock at the front door below. Hurrying, he scurried down the stairs and dashed across the first floor, past the pot belly stove. He paused at the front door to ask if he should open it, and God said, “Yes.” Once it was unbolted and open, Sergey peered out into the cold night air.
Standing before him was Kostya Petrov. Behind him, fifteen men, women, and children patiently waited. They were all bundled up and somewhat shivering. Feeling compassion for them, Sergey motioned for them to come.
“Come in,” Sergey said. “I have a warm fire and plenty of room.” Deep inside, he hoped that the four visitors were gone, like God had told him they’d be.
As the group filed in, he recognized one of the people in the group. It was Vasily Volvakov, a man he had worked with before. Vasily had threatened to beat him up if he mentioned the name of Jesus ever again. But, that was twelve years ago. Now, Vasily’s thick brown hair was graying at the temples, and gray stubble covered his face. What was he doing here?
“Vasily,” Sergey said after the group had entered his house, “what are you doing here tonight?”
The sixty-year-old man frowned. “I lost my job, Sergey. I was staying with a family kind enough to give me a spare bedroom. You heard Kostya tell you that a house burned down, but actually two houses burned down. My hosts’ house was one of them. I thank you for your hospitality.”
“You are welcome in my home,” Sergey said, stretching out a hand for Vasily to shake.
But, Vasily kept his hand to himself. “I accept your hospitality, but I don’t accept your religion. I was born a communist and I shall die a communist.”
A tinge of fear struck Sergey in his gut. He saw the older man staring coldly at him, but grinning, nonetheless.
“By the way, Sergey,” Vasily said, “it is not too late to renounce your religion. I’ve heard rumors that the new government of the Russian Federation will soon be cracking down on Christians who are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church. There are also rumors that they will soon be offering handsome rewards to anyone who is willing to turn in a non-conformist Christian, such as a Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal. Sergey, I recommend that you change your beliefs before they persuade you to.”
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[Note: Russians are not the enemy, neither are the Chinese. Both are people just like you and me. But, God will use Russia and China to judge wicked nations, which will not repent from their rebellion against Him. And, the devil will seek to stir up men to persecute the Church. But, God will deliver all who seek Him and trust in Him.]
Chapter Two
(Click here to see The Table of Contents.)
"Angelic Visitation"
Steven, Sarah (his wife), Alexei, and Jason walked down a footpath through a snow-covered, deciduous forest. Leaves and snow crunched under their boots while a light breeze swayed the upper branches and twigs of the ancient, towering trees, sending myriads of snowflakes down through the winter air. The moon’s solemn face peered through the bare branches. Dark shapes of hunting owls swept across the night sky, flapping their wings noiselessly. A throaty hooting sound echoed through the forest from some distance away as an owl, perched on a branch, warned other owls not to come into its territory. But, despite the cold around them and the dark forest, the group was fairly cheerful.
“I hope Sergey is okay,” Jason said. “We left him shortly after a knock came to his door.”
Just fifteen minutes ago, they had vanished from the second story of Sergey's home only to find themselves in the forest. Invisible angels had picked the four up and taken them, in the blink of an eye, to a forest somewhere in the northern Asia. Philip had been translated, or quickly moved, from the Ethiopian eunuch by the same method in the book of Acts. God had spoken to Alexei and told him that they were going to meet some people that they were to stay with for a short time.
“He will be fine,” Alexei said, grinning. “God is taking care of him.”
A cracking sound came from the forest suddenly, arresting their attention. ‘Is it an animal?’ Steve wondered. ‘Or, could it be a soldier?’
He felt some fear strike his chest at that thought, but he quickly told his Heavenly Father about it, and left the concern with Abba God. God had promised to protect them.
Some more snapping sounds came, and a dark figure emerged from the trees, but was concealed by shadows.
“Hello,” he said in Chinese. “You must be Steven, Sarah, Alexei, and Jason. Am I correct?”
“We are,” Steven said, understanding the language. “Who are you? How do you know us?”
The figure stepped into the moonlight and Steve could see a Chinese man wearing a hooded jacket and thick gloves.
“I don’t know you personally,” the Chinese man said, grinning. “But, God showed me to come to the footpath and that I will see four people, whose names I just said.”
“Praise God!” Steve said, thumping his gloves together. “God told Alexei that we were to meet up with some Christians in these woods.”
“Great is our God! My name is Wang,” he said, in Chinese. “Come, follow me.”
“Just a second,” Steve said, before he closed his eyes and prayed quietly. “Dear Abba Father, what should I do? Can I trust Wang?”
“My son,” Abba God said, kindly, “you can certainly trust Wang. He will guide you to a small encampment of Christians, who have fled from the villages some miles away. I am providing for these people. You will speak to them about the village, which is a city of refuge that you came from. I will then have you teach them from My Word to prepare them for the journey to the city of refuge. I will translate you to that city, but I will need to refine you and these people some more. And, I the Lord your God and Abba Father have spoken.”
“Thank you, Heavenly Father,” Steve said, smiling. He felt peace return to his heart.
“Okay, Wang,” Steve said, in Chinese. “The Lord showed me that I can trust you.”
“Of course you can,” Wang said, grinning. “Come, follow me.”
The Chinese believer led the group into the forest and on a rough course through thickets, narrow, winding animal paths, over dead, fallen trees, and around boulders. Steve was sure that without either the Holy Spirit or Wang to guide him, he would get lost.
At last, they arrived in a small open area that was relatively flat. Some rugged tents appeared here and there. Some rested under bushes. Others sat beside boulders. Some were just a few yards away, and others were more than a dozen yards from Steve. A group of about a dozen people huddled around a fire while a lady was stir-frying some vegetables and meat in a large wok, which rested on some stones.
Many people away from the fire were shivering a little while they waited for their turn to warm themselves at the fireside. Steve could tell that the fire was fairly small for a group that size. There had to be at least twenty-five people huddled together or in groups talking with each other under the frosted trees.
As the four newcomers drew closer, some very dim flashlights turned on and shined toward Steve and his friends. Voices spoke quickly in Chinese: “Who are these people?” “I don’t know. I haven’t seen them before.” “They look like Americans or Europeans.” ‘They must not have been aware,’ Steve thought, ‘that God had given us the ability to understand their language.’ Then, a man and woman came forward from among the others and greeted Steve and his friends.
“Hello,” the Asian man said in Chinese, “you must be the four people Wang spoke of.” He held in his right hand a flashlight which cast a dim beam of light.
“We are indeed,” Steve said in Chinese, bowing slightly toward both of them. The couple bowed in greeting. He had learned that custom since he first arrived in Asia.
“I am Sung-woo and this is my wife, Mi-yeon,” Sung-woo said. “We escaped from Korea. It was a miracle of God how it happened.”
“You said you escaped from Korea?” Sarah asked. “You mean North Korea?”
Sung-woo shook his head and said, “You must have not heard about what happened in the Korean peninsula.”
“No,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “What happened?”
Sung-woo took a deep breath and said, “The North conquered the South and set up an oppressive government over our people. They are beheading Christians who will not bow to the new leader. I have many friends who are in concentration camps right as I speak.
“I tried to warn them that judgment was coming to the Korean peninsula, but they did not take me seriously. They were focused on maintaining their jobs, keeping their bosses happy, and getting their children into the best schools. But, like America, they were focused too much on their own will, and very little on God’s will, and very little on knowing God.
“God showed me and Mi-yeon to leave our house and meet a certain person, who would help us escape from Korea and enter Eurasia before the invasion from the North took place. We had left just days before the North attacked and plunged through the South like a knife through butter. So many were slaughtered, it is unimaginable.”
“I pray for our children every day,” Mi-yeon said, wiping away some tears from her eyes. “They heard our warnings, but they did not want to seek God much. They loved hanging out with their friends at the university and were not taking their walks with God very seriously.”
“That is very sad,” Sarah said, patting the Korean lady on her shoulder. “I could only imagine how you feel. I do not have children because the Lord has not given me any.”
“If you had children, they would be very young,” Mi-yeon said, wiping away a tear. “You appear to be about twenty-eight.”
“I’m actually thirty-four,” Sarah said, grinning. “Steve and I got married three years ago.”
“You seem to be very cheerful,” Mi-yeon said. “You and Steve must be a good team.”
“We are,” Sarah said. “He and I really love each other in spite of our differences, and I’ve learned that we have more similarities than differences.”
Suddenly, a fire flared up from a bush twenty feet from the cooking fire, drawing everyone’s attention. A woman screamed and ran for a bucket of water. Some men ran toward a tent and pulled out some large blankets.
Steve felt a strong urge to speak to the small group. “Stop, everyone,” he shouted. “This fire is from God.”
The people ignored the warning, and a man carried a bucket of snow up to the undulating flames, and threw it toward the burning bush, but the snow hit something invisible and fell to the ground, just a foot from where he threw it. The next moment, a shining being appeared standing just three feet from the man with the bucket. The being resembled an ancient Greek warrior. Instead of the breastplate, skirt, and shin guards of Hellenistic soldiers, this being wore a full suit of armor and a helmet that somewhat resembled the Greek Corinthian helmet, without any helmet plume. He carried a round metal shield and held a fairly long sword in his right hand.
More of these angelic soldiers appeared around the burning bush and on the edges of the encampment. Glowing skin appeared through their sandals and on their hands and faces. Their hair appeared white because of the bright light that shone from their skin.
The humans gasped and fell down before the angelic hosts, and some fainted.
One of the angels stepped forward and spoke. “Humans, fear not. The Lord your God has appeared in the burning bush to prove you and show you that He cares greatly for you. Stand to your feet and witness the power of God. We are His servants and your brethren sent forth to minister to you.”
The people stood to their feet, with renewed strength from God’s Spirit.
“You see us before you now,” the angel said, “because God wants you to see how He protects and provides for you. Do not fear. We are on your side. We are given an order to protect you at all times. Nothing shall harm you. No bullet, bomb, or weapon can harm you, for the Lord is on your side, because you have put your trust in Him. Now, witness and see that God is with you, and fear not. We will escort you to a place of safety. Fear not.”
With that, the angelic hosts vanished from sight. But, the bush continued to burn, however it was not consumed by the fire. The fire got stronger and brighter and provided warmth and light to all who remained within twenty-five to thirty feet from its flames.
“Praise God,” Steve breathed. “What an awesome miracle you did, Father God. What an awesome miracle…”
After a few moments of contemplative silence passed, many of the people began singing a song of praise. Soon, others joined in. “Praise the Lord, for He is great! Praise His great and awesome Name! He bows the heavens and comes down. The earth smokes and shakes before His power. The mountains skip like rams and the little hills like lambs. Praise God’s great and awesome Name!”
There was more singing, clapping of hands, and shouting. After a while, the people gathered together into a large group. An Asian man stepped forward and faced the people.
“Brothers and Sisters,” he said, smiling radiantly, “isn’t our God great?”
“He is. Praise His Name! Blessed be the Lord our God!” a lady cried.
“Amen, sister,” he said. Turning to the rest of the group, he said, “We are blessed by our great God and Father. It is from Him that we receive blessings and goodness. It is He Who protects us and provides for us. We have nothing to fear regarding the future or the present. Right now, we are safe in God’s hands. We are safe and shall always be safe in God’s almighty hands. Let us now rest in Him and speak often one to another of His great goodness and love.”
Motioning toward Steve and his friends, the man said, “These four visitors God has sent our way will help us prepare for going to a city of refuge. That is what the Lord has shown me.”
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"Sergey Speaks"
Sergey plopped some folded blankets and sheets down on a bed in a second-story bedroom, and a woman and her husband thanked him and began spreading them out. He opened the closet door again and drew out pillows, pillow cases, and some sleeping pads. It had been his late wife’s idea to help out orphans and poor people, and provide a place for them to stay. Sergey had saved up some money and used it to purchase a larger house to accommodate the needy people they planned on helping.
But, after his wife passed away in the car accident, Sergey didn’t feel like hosting people at his house. Instead, he closed up the rooms and tried to keep them as dust free as possible. He fought with depression and sought God, with more and more of a desire to know Him better.
After some time, he met a man named Alexei who had a deep love for God. They befriended each other, but Alexei moved away from the local area to start home evangelism in a town about an hour’s drive from Sergey’s village of Medvedski. Alexei then visited Medvedski several times to witness and conduct Bible studies while he rented someone’s basement bedroom.
But, Sergey kept his mouth shut and had no desire to witness to the people of his town. Everyone in Medvedski knew he was the former mayor, and he struggled with the thought that they might reject him if he openly shared his faith.
Now, it seemed that the new Russian government was going to crack down hard on anyone who shared their faith, if their faith was not officially approved by the new government. Sergey left the couple to prepare their room. He walked down the hallway to a bathroom at the end of the hall, off to the left. Closing the door, Sergey knelt down on the tile floor. In the dark, he cried out to God and told Him his deep concern.
“My son, Sergey,” Abba God said to his spirit and soul, “I am with you. Be not afraid. You are doing My will in hosting these guests. I shall provide for you and protect you through all trials that come your way. Soon, you will move on from this home, and you will be living in a city of refuge like your previous guests told you about.
“I will translate you there so you will not have to walk all that way. I shall be with you every step of the way, and My angelic hosts shall guard you each step you take. So, rest in Me. Now, I want you to call your new guests down into the lower portion of your house, and share with them a warning about the times ahead. Give them a message I will show you. I will be with you, My son. And, I the Lord your God and Abba Father have spoken.”
“Thank you, Abba,” Sergey said. “I will follow your guidance. Just give me the strength and courage I need, for I can only do it with you.”
“I will, My son,” Abba God said.
With that, Sergey picked himself up, reentered the hall, and said loudly, “Everyone, come down to the living room. I have something I need to share with you.”
At each bedroom door, a man or woman appeared. “What is it?” the closest man to him said from a bedroom entrance.
“I have a message and a prophecy about the future. Come down to the first floor.”
The people left their bedrooms and followed their generous host to the first floor. The parents found their children and brought them together in a group of about fifteen people, including the children. Sergey added some small logs to the pot belly stove to keep the fire going while he waited for the group to gather. Soon, everyone was present and looking at him, except for young children, who were playing with small toys.
“My friends,” Sergey said, “I must tell you I am grateful to help you and assist you during these hard times in which we live, but I am called by my God to warn you of the future and how it will be harder for you to live. There will be natural and supernatural events that will shake this world and all of Russia. Nations will collapse into anarchy and war. Violence will increase.
“The book of Revelation speaks of great famines, great loss of life, fallen angels, wicked creatures, plagues, and pestilences. A man called the Beast will cause all the world to worship him, and if any refuses to worship him, they will be killed. I’m not making this up. The holy scriptures speak of these catastrophic events.
“We cannot be self-reliant. We must turn to God for our salvation. I’m not talking about going to a church or becoming a monk. I’m speaking about turning our lives over to Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for each of us, to save us, if we believe on His Name, and repent, and make Him our personal Savior and Lord.
“This is a personal choice for each one of us. We can either accept His free gift of salvation, paid for by this death and innocent blood, or we can reject Him and His free gift. The choice is up to us. But, I implore you that you make Jesus Christ your personal Savior and Lord, and that you choose to depend on Jesus to help you forsake sin.
“He will help you if you look to Him. There is a cost of being a follower of Christ. But, the reward is infinitely great. Right now, you will be able to experience God first hand, and you will live forever in Heaven, a glorious paradise beyond human words to describe.”
“Excuse me,” a man said. “You mentioned that there will be a cost for following Christ. What is it?”
Sergey replied, “It is nothing compared to His presence now on earth and eternal life. But, the cost is that you willingly deny yourself, be willing to suffer persecution for His sake, and follow where Jesus leads you to go, and what He leads you to do. But, I am telling you, it is worth it.
“God cannot let sinners enter Heaven because sin would corrupt Heaven, and sinners would not be happy there because Heaven is about worshiping God and enjoying His presence, just as it is on earth, for a Christian. But, Heaven will be infinitely better.”
“So, what happens to those who don’t make it to Heaven?” a lady asked.
“The only place one could go when he dies, if he does not know Jesus, is a placed called Hell. It is a terrible place that you do not want to go to. There is no peace there and only torment and pain. And, it is forever. You don’t want to go there. So, please don’t reject what I say to you.”
“I’d like think about it more,” a man nearby said.
While Sergey was engaged in conversation with the people, one of the men slipped out a side door near the kitchen. Vasily glanced behind him to see if he was being followed. Seeing no one was present, he walked down the graveled street about a block. Once he was some distance from the house, he pulled out a cell phone from a pocket. It was a low-cost phone that was provided by the government. He dialed a number and waited.
After some time, a voice spoke through his phone: “Hello, this is Alexander.”
“Alexander, this is Vasily.”
“How are things going for you? I heard you lost your job,” Alexander said.
“I did. But, I am staying with a man who is someone you might be interested in, since you work for the Department of Religious Affairs.”
“What is his name and who is he?” Alexander asked.
“He is a non-conformist Christian. His name is Sergey Ulanov. I know him from way back. Listen, he just had a witnessing or evangelistic time in his home. A couple families and their friends are staying with Mr. Ulanov since their homes have burnt down. He gave them the Gospel message that Baptists, Methodists, and Pentecostals preach.”
A pause lasted for a several seconds on the phone. Then, Alexander said, “Vasily, I need you to do a favor for me.”
“I’ll do anything for you, my friend,” Vasily said eagerly.
____________________
[Russians are not the enemy, neither are the Chinese. Both are people just like you and me. But, God will use Russia and China to judge wicked nations, which will not repent from their rebellion against Him. And, the devil will seek to stir up men to persecute the Church. But, God will deliver all who seek Him and trust in Him.]
NOTE:
The characters in this story are not intended to reflect actual people living today. Any similarities the characters may have to people living today is entirely coincidental.
The writer understands from God that countries mentioned in this story will actually seek to persecute the Church and to attack other countries in the future. But, God uses one nation to bring judgment on another nation. It is not this writer's intention to condemn or cast blame on any of the countries mentioned in this story.
Rather, this writer is giving prophecies that God gave him to encourage the Church and to let them know some of the things that shall happen in the last days. Not every detail is prophecy, but the majority of it is. This story is not entirely fictional. This writer encourages the reader to seek God about what He would reveal concerning this story and the prophecies within.
