Left Behind Kids - Death Strike Part 3

Bruce asked Judd to insert a video of coverage from the temple inIsrael.

"Remember what Eh and Moishe predicted would happen when Nicolae dedicated the temple?" Bruce said.

"Something about blood turning to water and water turning to blood, right?"

Bruce nodded.

"Watch this."

Judd was amazed to see a sacrificed heifer's blood turning to water. In another ceremony, a high priest recoiled as water drawn into a pail turned dark red. The man's movement made the blood splash, and it splashed and stained his robe.

"Wow," Ryan said, "but what does all the blood and water stuff mean?"

"The Jews who don't believe Jesus is Messiah have gone back to sacrificing animals to show their devotion to G.o.d," Bruce said.

"What they're doing is rejecting the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. They're doing it their own way, and that's displeasing to G.o.d."

"But why does it have to be blood?" Ryan said.

"Blood is the symbol of forgiveness," Bruce said.

"In the Old Testament it says there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. That's why Jesus had to die. By turning the blood to water-something powerless-G.o.d is showing his disapproval of the sacrifices in the new temple."

"The Israelis are blaming the witnesses for it," Judd said.

"But it's their unbelief and rejection of Jesus as Savior that are to blame," Bruce said.

"Nicolae Carpathia has urged Buck Williams to use Global Community Weekly to speak out against the intrusion of Moishe and Eli."

Ryan approached Bruce after the meeting.

"We're gonna be together now, right?" he said.

"You and Vicki and Judd and everybody from now on."

Bruce put a hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"I'd like to think we'll all see the glorious appearing of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation," he said, "but I can't promise. Many will die for their beliefs before Christ returns. It's already happening. "

Ryan nodded and ran to the car.

"Why does Lionel always get to sit up front?" he said.

"Lionel was here first," Judd said.

"Don't start."

Later in Ryan's room, Lionel said, "What's bothering you?"

"Nothin'," Ryan said, staring at the computer screen.

Lionel sat on Ryan's bed.

"Lonely without me at school?

Ryan nodded.

"All the excitement's at Nicolae High."

"It's more boring than you think," Lionel said.

"Judd says you're doing a good job on the Web site." "He never told me that," Ryan said as he clicked the mouse.

The images of two men appeared before a cyber Wailing Wall.

Eli and Moishe quoted Scripture and proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah.

"Pretty impressive," Lionel said.

"I can do more than that," Ryan said.

"Right now all I'm good for is answering E-mails and handing out used Bibles."

"Where is your stash, anyway?" Lionel said.

"Am I going to have to follow you someday?"

Ryan smiled.

"No way," he said.

"Only one person has a clue, and I'm not telling."

Vicki was closely watched from the day she set foot again in Nicolae High. Judd insisted she not be part of writing or distributing the Underground, so when she found a copy in her gym locker, she was as surprised as anyone.

But Vicki did not stop talking about G.o.d in cla.s.s or in private. Some students began to seek her out and ask questions. Others called her names. When one girl discovered she had I been adopted by Bruce Barnes, Vicki became I known as "Preacher's girl." Vicki only smiled.

The shock of the new year was Mrs. Waltonen. At first, Vicki wanted nothing to do with the woman, but over time, Vicki felt sorry for her. When Vicki saw her, she spoke kindly.

They didn't talk one-on-one like before, but Vicki sensed a change and hoped they would.

In late November Bruce sat Vicki and Chaya down in his office.

"I have a surprise for you," Bruce said.

"I've been in contact with Janie."

"How is she?" Vicki said.

"You'll find out for yourself tomorrow," Bruce said.

"She's coming here to live."

Bruce told them he had negotiated with the juvenile facility. He went before a judge and agreed to take full responsibility for Janie's actions while she was in his care. The system was so full of troubled kids, his offer was readily accepted by the authorities. "But we need to set some rules," he said.

"Chaya, this is where you come in."

When Janie arrived the next day, Vicki was excited. Janie seemed cautious as she walked into Bruce's house.

"Nice place," she said.

Bruce laid out the rules. There would be no tobacco, no drugs, no alcohol.

Janie shrugged.

"No problem."

But Janie bucked the rules. That night Vicki found her on the front step, smoking.

"Bruce said no smoking in the house," Janie said.

"I'm not in the house."

At school, Janie quickly made friends with the druggie crowd, wore sloppy clothes, and used vulgar language.

Chaya wouldn't let Janie get away with bringing booze or drugs into the house. But Chaya couldn't be with her all day.

Janie seemed bored with the Bible and spiritual things. She sat through Bible studies and church, sighing or even sleeping. Vicki began wondering how long Bruce would let Janie stay.

"I feel responsible for her," Vicki told Bruce after a Young Trib Force meeting.

"I thought she'd change."

"G.o.d loved us before we ever loved him," Bruce said.

"Let's keep showing Janie a little of G.o.d's love."

Meanwhile, Vicki felt new emotions about Judd. He was something special. She had always thought so.

But he'd graduate the following June, and he wasn't the kind of guy to stay home and vegetate.

Chaya had helped Vicki sort through her feelings. She tried to adopt the same att.i.tude as Chloe Steele had toward Buck.

If something happened between Vicki and Judd, fine. If G.o.d wanted something totally different for her, she would follow G.o.d. But she couldn't help sneaking a prayer in every now and then.

"Lord, if it's OK with you, I pray Judd and I would become more than just friends."

Judd invited everyone to Thanksgiving dinner, but Vicki quickly shot down that idea. "Ever cooked a bird?" Vicki asked.

"There's a first time for everything," Judd said.

"Just bring dessert to Bruce's place," Vicki said.

"I'll get Sh.e.l.ly to help me."

The table looked fabulous on Thanksgiving Day, which the Global Community and Nicolae High now called Fall Festival Day.

"I don't remember anything like this since my family left," Lionel said.

"Where's Janie?" Bruce asked as they stood behind their chairs.

"Still sleeping," Vicki said.

They held hands as Bruce prayed.

"Father, our country and our world no longer celebrate this day, but we do...."

During the meal, talk turned to Nicolae High. They scoffed at the upcoming "winter holiday" and how far the school went to make sure the word Christmas was never mentioned.

"We gonna do a Christmas edition of the Underground?" Ryan said.

Judd nodded, smiling.

"But don't tell Vicki," he whispered.

Sh.e.l.ly said, "No matter how much the Global Community wants people to forget, they still remember it's Christmas. What if we printed an edition that goes outside the school? I work in the office, and there's a master list of addresses for every student, parent, faculty member, and employee. We could mail it."

"Good idea," Judd said, "but the postage cost alone could sink us."

Bruce shrugged.

"If G.o.d wants you to do it, he can make it happen."

"What about Sh.e.l.ly?" John said.

"When the faculty finds out they all got the same mailing, they could trace the list to her."

"Everybody's in the phone book," Sh.e.l.ly said.

"I'll take the risk."

Everyone turned as Janie scuffed into the room in her pajamas. She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. "Why didn't somebody tell me it was time for breakfast?"

After the Sunday morning service, Bruce pulled Judd aside.

"I brought up your idea with a few church leaders," he said, "and someone's given an anonymous gift to cover the postage." That afternoon Judd and the others went to work. They concentrated on the prophecies about Jesus' birth. In simple language they laid out the same claim Dr. Tsion Ben-Judah had made. Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary, was G.o.d in the flesh. Not only had he come to earth and died for people's sins, but he was coming again.

The mailing went out the week before Christmas. By the twenty-fourth there were hundreds more hits on the Web page.