ANGELS AT WAR

PART 2

CRICKET KARR AND THE ROCK STAR

CHAPTER 2

ARCHANGEL QUERIDA

WOE TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH AND THE SEA!  FOR THE DEVIL HAS COME DOWN TO YOU, HAVING GREAT WRATH, BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT HE HAS A SHORT TIME. (Revelation 12:12)

            Throughout earth’s history, I didn’t take on the form of a person very often. But as the time of the end drew near, I appeared as a human being more frequently. Of all the assignments where I met my subject face to face, Cricket Karr is right up there with the most special. Not only because her devotion to the Savior was exceptional, but because she was the main focus of my last task before the end of time and the second advent of Jesus Christ.

            As with the brief account of Enoch in the book of Genesis chapter five, Cricket walked with God. However God did not take her as He did Enoch because He had a special work for her to do. Her culminating work had to do with Sully Sage. Without Cricket’s influence, Sully most likely wouldn’t have become the loudest voice during the loud cry of the three angels proclamations of Revelation chapter fourteen.

            My adversary, Vermillion, along with his team had all but destroyed Sully Sage. The biggest blow had come with the death of Poppy, Sully’s wife. Already under the control of chemical addiction, Sully had fallen deeper into self-destruction. Almost to the point of death. Then he met Cricket.

            Vermillion also sought to destroy Cricket. She often put herself in danger ministering to those in need. But her full confidence in and submission to God was rewarded. As she worked for God, we worked for her. I had to step in personally after a down and out prostitute who went by the name Bambi had visited Cricket’s church. With Cricket’s help, the young woman had begun to get her life turned around. But her demon possessed boyfriend tried to force her back to her own vomit. But guided by the Holy Spirit, she refused his demands.

            Fueled by demonic passion turned to rage, her boyfriend placed his hands around Bambi’s neck and squeezed. Although her earthly life was snuffed out, her soul was safe with Jesus (Matthew 10:28). The scoundrel couldn’t touch that soul which was submitted to God.

            But an evil tranquility came over the killer. He was sedated by an unholy arousal. His Satanic leaders had him calmly wait for his next prey. The potential victim of murder, and likely torture, was none other than Cricket. As she entered the dingily apartment, intent on Bible study and a conversation with Bambi, she softly sang, “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

            It was then that I was given permission to manifest in human form. As Cricket began to climb the steps in  the eight apartment building, I rolled down the steps toward her. Cricket shrieked in alarm. Whoever was home in their apartments were either too absorbed in their personal entertainment, or too inebriated to care about the noise. Arguments, shouts, and door slams were not uncommon in the building or neighborhood.

            “Your head is bleeding,” Cricket declared as she crouched by my side. She pulled a light pink hanky from her purse.

            “Oh, ma’am, don’t mess up your handkerchief,” I told her. “I’m alright.”

            “Are you kidding! Blood is running down your cheek and dripping off your chin! I need to get you to the emergency room!”

            She took my arm and led me to her car. Cricket looked a little frantic as she negotiated the roads to the hospital. I tried to reassure her. “Ma’am, I believe I’m okay. The bleeding has stopped. Just like it never happened.”

            “Well, I’ll be,” she said with surprise. “By the way, my name is Jimena. But people call me Cricket.”

            “You can call me Jack.”

            “Glad to know you, Jack. Ya know, you still should get checked out for a concussion or something.”

            “Trust me I’m fine. I’ve been through enough battles to know.”

            “Are you a veteran?”

            “In a manner of speaking.”

            “Thank you for your service.”

            I nodded. She pulled her car over and said, “I better call my friend and let her know why I’m late.”

            “Actually, we need to call the police. I believe your friend has been harmed.”

            “How do you know who my friend is?” Cricket frowned. “You and I just met.”

            “I’ve seen you go to Bambi’s place before.”

            “Oh,” her frown deepened. “Do you live in her building?”

            “No, but people I care about do.”

            I did indeed care about Bambi. Why my team wasn’t allowed to intervene I do not know. But I believe she will inherit eternal life and I trust God implicitly. God’s timing is perfect timing regardless of how it looks to fallen, flawed people. Like Job, a person’s attitude should be, ‘though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.’ (Job 13:15)

            I got Cricket to focus on calling the police. I convinced her to call a friend as well. I calmed her as much as possible when it was discovered that Bambi was dead and her boyfriend arrested. Thankfully it didn’t take long for Destiny Knight-Storm to arrive at the crime scene, with her large, muscular husband in toe. I slipped away as Cricket hugged the handsome couple from her church.

            Vermillion’s team was outraged, and I needed to get back to the spirit realm. In simple terms, I can see and protect better there. Although I have complete trust in my team, I like to have the full scope of what’s going on.

            I had two more encounters in human form with Cricket over the next couple of years. Once when she went to an old warehouse in a drug infested neighborhood looking for a runaway girl. And another time when she went to a seedy bar to reason with a former church member.

            It was shortly after our last in person encounter when I helped lay the ground work for Sully Sage to come to Iowa. When he  arrived he didn’t ask, ‘Is this heaven?’ Only to be told, ‘No, this is Iowa.’ But if you believe Jesus’s words that the kingdom of God is within (Luke 17:21). Then Sully did indeed find a piece of heaven in Iowa.

            Sully had spiritually and emotionally hit rock bottom. Like a modern day Solomon, he could write a contemporary version of Ecclesiastes chapter two. And as he sat at a table with a bottle of whiskey to his left and a pistol to his right, his thoughts summed up his life with verse eleven. ‘Indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.’

            Sully took a slug of booze, and picked up the revolver. For a third time he pointed the barrel at his temple. He gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes, squeezing a couple of tears out. Vermillion whispered lies into his mind. “Come on, just do it. Third time is a charm. No more sleepless nights. No more substances that give you both pleasure then pain. If you pull the trigger ‘you will not surely die’ (Genesis 3:4), you will be reunited with Poppy.”

            Will I? Sully wondered.

            I tried to speak to his mind as well. But he wasn’t acquainted enough with scripture. So trying to bring forth Bible truths like the last half of 1 Thessalonians chapter four was fruitless. So I ran interference instead. I impressed his cousin to call him.

            Sully’s ring tone was set as an old fashioned train whistle. As he squeezed the trigger to a millimeter away from death, his phone spoke to him. “Hoo, hoo.”

            Vermillion pleaded with him. “Ignore that. Come on, just a little more pressure!”

            But Sully froze. When the phone went ‘hoo, hoo’ a second time, it brought his mind to simple, pleasant things in life. That’s why he chose the whistle as a ring tone in the first place. He gently placed the pistol on his thigh and picked up his phone as it went ‘hoo, hoo’ for a third time. It was his cousin Jeremy. He hit answer and said, “Hey.”

            “Hey, what’s up?” Jeremy asked.

            “Not much,” Sully replied and then glanced at his right hand holding the pistol against his upper leg. He rolled his eyes at the absurdity of his answer.

            “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” Jeremy said eagerly. “My wedding is in two weeks. Are you gonna be able to make it? Or do I need to find another groomsman to take your place?”

            “Oh dude, I forgot about your wedding,” Sully said and then made to slap a hand to his forehead, but it held the pistol. The metal thunked against his skull. “Owe!”

            “What happened?” Jeremy asked.

            “Oh, I, um, stubbed my forehead.”

            “How do you stub your forehead?”

            “I mean, I bumped my head.”

            “How?”

            “Look, when do I need to be there?” Sully asked, hoping his cousin didn’t enquire further how he hit his head.

            “Did more dates get added to your tour? According to what you told me, it was supposed to end a couple of days ago.”

            “No, no, it is over.”

            “Okay, good.”

            “Look, how about I fly out tomorrow?”

            Jeremy paused. “You don’t need to come two weeks early, just two days.”

            “What, you don’t want me around?”

            “No, no, that’s not it. What are you gonna do in Iowa for two weeks?”

            “Well, you live there. What do you do?”

            “I have simpler tastes than you. Plus my job is here.” Then he laughed. “Unless you want to slip me a cool million.”

            “Do you need money? I’d be glad to help you out… Retire you.”

            “No, no, I’m joking.”

            “I’m not. I don’t have much family.”

            “Sully, no! I was kidding. I make a very decent living. I’m just not a jet setting rock star.”

            Sully snorted. Then he said, “I’m coming out tomorrow. I could use a nice quiet place to recoup from months on the road.”

            Unheard to human ears, Vermillion roared angrily, as did his leader. Getting rid of Sully Sage was a big deal to them. They wanted to devour him like a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8) Sully encountering Cricket Karr was dangerous to their cause. With this new development, they needed to play their cards right. Violetta Karr just might be needed in counteraction to her saintly sister.

            “Well, if you’re sure, I’m glad to have you. I’ve got plenty of room,” Jeremey invited.

            “No, I’m used to hotels.”

            “I guess you’re also used to people wanting pictures and autographs.”

            “You’re sure staying with you won’t be an imposition?”

            Jeremey laughed. “Not at all.”

            The next day Callie, Jeremey’s fiancée, called her own cousin, Violetta. “Vi, are you off work?”

            “Yeah, why?”

            “Are you busy?”

            “No.”

            “I was supposed to pick up Jeremey’s cousin at the airport, but something came up and I have to work late.”

            “Yeah, that’s no problem. What time does Lindsey’s plane get in?”

            “Lindsey’s not due until tomorrow,” Callie replied. Then she winced and bit her lip. She knew Violetta and Sully would be like mixing oil and water. Or more like Mentos and Diet Coke. “I need you to pick up Sully Sage.”