The Final Adversary (35 page)

“Seems like most of us have trouble finding out what God’s plans are, Awful. He doesn’t always publish them in the morning paper.”

“That’s right enough,” Gardner answered. “There’s a little gem of a verse in the book of Deuteronomy, lad. It’s the last verse of chapter twenty-nine. It says, ‘The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law.’ ”

Katie broke in. “Strange you should mention that verse, Awful. It’s become one of my favorites.”

“I don’t get it,” Del said, puzzled. “What
secret
things?”

“Anything that God, for His own purposes, doesn’t want us to know,” Awful replied. “Sometimes God has a plan, but it’s so different than anything we could think of, we’d never follow it.”

“Like what?” Barney asked. He had long ago discovered that the uneducated Australian heard from God and was able to get things from the Bible that most people missed completely.

Awful thought for a moment, then said, “Remember when Lazarus wuz sick? Mary and Martha sent for Jesus. Well,
their
plan wuz for Jesus to come runnin’ and heal their brother. Nothin’ wrong with that! I’d do the same thing. But God had somethin’ else on His mind. Jesus said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.’ And so He stayed where He wuz—and let His friend Lazarus die.”

“Pretty hard on Lazarus,” Del observed.

“Aye, we’d think so,” Awful agreed. “And hard on the sisters, too. So the first thing they say to Him wuz what?”

“ ‘If you’d been here our brother wouldn’t have died,’ ” Katie answered. “Just about what I’d have said.”

“Most of us would,” Awful nodded. “But God had a ‘secret’ He didn’t let the others in on. He intended to demonstrate His power by raisin’ Lazarus from the dead. And He did just that.”

Barney mulled over that for a few minutes. “So we don’t need to be making God’s plans for Him? That what you’re saying?”

“No, it’s not
that
simple, I’m thinkin’. Proverbs twenty-five has another little gem. It says, ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.’ ”

“It sounds as if God likes to hide things,” Katie spoke up.

“So He does,” Gardner agreed. “And He likes for us to look for them. Don’t ask me why, though. The apostle Paul called such things ‘mysteries.’ ”

The walls of the jungle seemed to move closer to them, listening and watching as they huddled around the fire, each lost in thought. Barney gazed into the flames, remembering the way God had worked in his life. He raised his head, voicing his opinion. “I’ve discovered that God won’t be backed into a corner. Sometimes we just have to wait. I guess that’s what we’ll do tomorrow, Awful. Just go in and see what God’s plan is.”

“A little bit scary,” Del observed.

“Walking by faith is always an awesome thing, lad!” Awful said, his words fading away as he succumbed to the ever-present drowsiness.

****

The next morning as they approached the collection of thatched huts on the outskirts of Batoni’s village, they were confronted by a band of warriors armed with knives, spears, rusty guns and clubs. The leader, dressed in trousers and an
ancient derby on his head, looked like a gladiator in western dress.

“That’s Batoni,” Awful whispered. He had insisted on leaving the porters behind and walking the last mile. Now, facing the invincible opponent, Gardner knew his frail frame could have been slain by a breath from the warrior’s nostrils.

Batoni carried himself like a king, his bright intelligent eyes spewing out defiance. He advanced within ten feet of the four missionaries, paused, and threw his head up with an imperial gesture.

“Jesus men go away!” he cried, his command echoed by a rumble of voices from the other warriors. Two witch doctors were positioned directly behind Batoni, and at his side stood a young boy about sixteen, carrying a long spear with a wicked-looking spearhead. He took a stance like Batoni and appeared to be his son.

“Chief, we have come for our friend,” Gardner said. He stood straight in the sunlight, his voice growing stronger as he spoke. “You give us our man, and we go away.”

Batoni reached over and snatched the spear from the boy beside him and brandished it over his head. “White man go away!” he cried. The warriors picked up the cry and stomped the ground with one foot, making a booming sound. They held their weapons high and screamed again and again, “White man go away!”

Katie glanced at Barney and Del. Neither one seemed ruffled. Her own nerves were tightly strung, but she kept her face calm.

Finding it impossible to make himself heard over the tumult, Gardner simply fixed his gaze on Chief Batoni until the chief lifted his hand, quieting the natives. Then Gardner said, “We need a place to camp, Chief Batoni. When you are ready, we will talk.”

Batoni glared, his eyes boring into Awful. Finally he nodded. One of the witch doctors came close and whispered in his ear, but he shook the man off and turned to his son.
“Take them to old hut,” he commanded, then whirled and stalked away.

The warriors made a path as the boy marched toward the huts, followed by the missionaries.

“That wuz pretty close, dear boy!” Awful said with relief. “I wuz afraid they’d cut us down without waitin’ to talk.”

“You handled it well,” Del replied, brushing his sweaty brow with his arm. “What now?”

“We wait until the meeting,” Gardner replied. “They won’t miss a chance like this! But it probably won’t be until tomorrow, or maybe even a week.”

“A week!” Katie gasped.

“Yes. That chief is pretty tough. He knows how to break a man’s nerve. So our job is to just enjoy ourselves until he gets tired of tryin’ to break us down.”

The boy stopped just outside a hut with a peaked thatched roof. “You sleep here,” he said and stood aside, watching them carefully.

Barney remained outside. “You speak good English. Where did you learn white man’s talk?”

“Missionary teached me.”

“Is he around here now?” Barney looked at him with surprise.

“No. We chop him.”

The boy gazed at him insolently, proud of having eaten a missionary—although Barney suspected the chief’s son was boasting about his part in the event.

“Did he teach you about God, this missionary?”

The boy hesitated, then shook his head and slapped his chest. “Bendi no listen to white man talk!”

He was the image of his father and was no doubt a pretty tough specimen, Barney noted. Young African males grew up quickly, and in a hard school. Bendi’s teeth were already filed to a point, and his chest was ridged with an elaborate set of tribal markings—a very painful procedure—and he
spoke to the boy with respect. “Did white man tell you about Jesus, Bendi?”

Bendi seemed to shrink from answering, but said, “No. We chop him!”

“Oh, Katie,” Barney said as she came out of the hut, “this is Bendi, son of Chief Batoni. Bendi, this is Katie. She comes from far over the big water. She is a servant of Jesus, of the God who made everything.”

Bendi fixed his eyes boldly on Katie. His eyes revealed nothing as he spoke. “Soon you get food.”

“Pretty hard nut, Bendi is,” Barney said as he watched the boy stride away. “But he’s heard the gospel. I’m sure of it.”

“We’ll have to work on that, but right now I wish I could see Bestman,” Katie responded.

“Better not try it. Remember what Awful said last night?”

“Yes. He has a wonderful gift of bringing the Scriptures to life, doesn’t he?” She thought about it, then said, “It’s like he said, Barney. I’d like to get busy and
do
something! But it might be God’s plan to let Bestman stay a prisoner for a while—just like Jesus let Lazarus actually die so that He could show the glory of His—”

“Barney!” Del rushed out. “Awful just collapsed!”

They dashed inside and over to Gardner’s limp form. He was lying on a bamboo bed, his face ashen and his breathing labored.

“No fever,” Barney said, touching the man’s forehead. He leaned forward and called, “Awful! Awful! Are you all right?”

Fear rippled through Katie—not fear of bodily harm, but the presence of evil. “It’s not a natural sickness,” she whispered. “This is evil. You can
feel
the powers of darkness!”

Barney and Del both agreed, for it was obvious that Gardner had been stricken down, not by malaria or sleeping sickness, but by a sinister force hovering over them.

Barney peered outside. “They’re all gathered outside,” he said quietly.

“Like a bunch of vultures!” Del muttered, as he, too,
checked the situation. “I feel sick myself,” he said, showing his trembling hands to Katie and Barney. “I didn’t think anything could do that to me!” he exclaimed, shocked.

Even Katie was affected—a filthy fear that crept into her mind, so obscene that it shamed her in an inexplicable way beyond her conception. Like Del, she began to tremble, her legs grew weak, her mouth became parched.

Barney watched his friends, his senses reeling in confusion as he found himself unable to combat a force that threatened to destroy him. In the ring he’d learned to face physical destruction, to control all fear. But this fear was foreign to anything he’d encountered. It was much stronger and seemed to settle on his mind like a heavy fog, making him want to flee for his life.
Get out of here!
the voice screamed at him.
You can’t help him—save yourself!

Suddenly from deep within him rose a supernatural strength and he cried out in a hoarse voice, “I rebuke you, spirits of darkness! Satan—you were defeated at the cross of Jesus! By His blood and in the name of Jesus Christ, I
command
you to leave this place, you foul spirits . . . !”

As Barney continued to call on the name of the Lord, Katie could sense an awesome battle in the unseen world. It was as if two armies met in a tremendous clash of arms. She had been caught once in a violent thunderstorm, and the lightning bolts had filled the skies like huge tracks of silver fire as they reached down to smash the earth. She had been rocked with the violence of sound and fire that broke over her. She recalled the battle against the witch doctor and the power of the name of Jesus as the chief was delivered from the death clutch on his life. Now she fell to her knees and cried out the name of Jesus Christ over and over.

As Barney, Del and Katie battled, they felt the darksome power begin to wane. Slowly it left the room like a sullen wave withdrawing from the beach to find its place in the depths of a deadly abode. Katie sat motionless, her lips moving silently, tears coursing down her face.

“Thank you, Jesus!”

Katie’s head jerked up as she recognized the voice. Awful! He was sitting up, his eyes clear, and a victory smile on his face. “Bless the Lord! We gave the devil a lickin’ that time, didn’t we?” he exclaimed.

Katie scrambled to her feet and almost fell before Barney caught her. His own face was drained and pale, but he cried with joy, “Yes, Awful, I think the Lord Jesus won that one!”

Del moved from where he had been leaning against the wall, his face tense and drawn. “That was terrible!” he said hoarsely. “I couldn’t do a thing except call out to God!”

“Ah, well,” Gardner nodded, “that’s all we’re told to do, isn’t it, now? ‘In my name you’ll cast out demons.’ Remember?”

“Do you think it’ll happen again?” Katie asked.

“Maybe. But we’ve got the name of Jesus, lass,” Gardner said. “Let’s check on Batoni. He and his friends expect me to be dead.” He got to his feet and walked to the door and peered out. “Come along. Let’s go out and let them see what the Lord Jesus can do for His servants!”

He walked out the door, the others right behind. Batoni, his headmen, and the two witch doctors had their backs to the missionaries. “Hello, Chief Batoni!” Gardner cried out.

A muted cry rose from the crowd as they whirled in unbelief, eyes like saucers.

“I see you’re all meetin’,” Gardner went on. “Shall I tell you about Jesus? How He is stronger than all your gods?”

Batoni’s haughty expression did not change. Instead, he wheeled away, his entourage at his heels.

“
That
got to him!” Gardner said gleefully. “The blighter didn’t show it, but he lost this time. He expected me to be dead.”

They stayed close to the hut assigned to them, reveling in the joyous presence of the Lord, the wonder of His name, the assurance that His Word was as true that day as when
Jesus walked on earth—and they could trust Him to be all He said He would be.

Two hours later the chief’s son brought some palm nuts and rice. As he set the food before them, Bendi kept glancing sideways at Gardner, a mixture of unbelief, fear, and awe in his eyes. The older man was not dead!

Barney noted Bendi’s expression. He winked at Awful and nodded slightly toward Bendi. “How do you feel, Reverend Gardner?”

Awful responded by throwing his arms out and crying, “Good! I feel wonderful! The Lord Jesus makes it a good place!”

Bendi stood stock-still, watching the drama before him.

Katie perceived the men’s intent and said brightly, “Yes! The old gods are weak. They cannot stand against the great God!”

None of them spoke directly to the boy, but declared to one another the goodness of God, thanking Him over and over. Bendi moved slowly toward the door, delaying his going, then slipped out.

“Well,” Barney smiled, “he was a congregation of one, but he got a good gospel sermon.”

“Batoni is very proud of his son,” Awful nodded. “And the lad is smart. He don’t let on, but he wuz the best student in the school Brother Milum had here when the lad wuz just a boy. Milum stuck it out till he wuz near eighty, Beecham told me. Had a good church, but when he died, the witch doctors moved in, and they got their hooks into Batoni.”

The day passed slowly, with no word from Batoni. That night they slept fitfully, awaking once when it seemed that Gardner was having the same symptoms again. Immediately they took authority over the forces of darkness, and soon Awful was resting peacefully.