What happens when I stay up late with an urge to write? ...Sometimes that answer can be awesome, intense, epic...or just plain creepy...

Here's an excerpt from a project I'm working on...it is definitely going to be a ride...

     Dust covered stones crunched underneath booted feet, sending puffs of parched earth and sand into the air. Heat waves shimmered brightly in the distance, and to the untrained eye the bleached white sand appeared as water, rippling lightly in the slight breeze that blew softly.

     Despite the scorching sunlight that bore down on the earth below, the tall man wore all black. Rivulets of sweat dribbled down his face, and the man’s charcoal sweat-soaked hair hung limply around the back and sides of his neck.

     In one hand the man held a canteen of water, and in the other, a gun. His large hand absently tightened around the rifle every few minutes before relaxing. Out of habit or randomness no one knew. The man himself was not sure. All he knew was that the gun was a tool…a tool of power…one to be used wisely.

                No one knows me, but they will…you bet they will. Soon, things will change.

     A grin stretched on his face, showing gleaming white teeth. The man raised the canteen to his lips and took a deep gulp of water, then wiped his stubbly chin with his sleeve.

     A scream sounded off…echoing eerily in the wind. It was far and distant, but not distant enough to escape the man’s ears. He peered into the seething distance and saw a building ahead, which was only one of many that lined a dirt road. It seemed peaceful and serene; your typical Nevada town, but the man knew this was far from the truth.

                This is where it all begins…so be it. They’re screaming…and they don’t know why. But soon, they will…you bet they will…

     The man turned towards the buildings, and began the long, tedious walk across the rocky terrain. The wind blew in powerful gusts, picking up dust and sand in its wake. The dust coated him in a thin brown film, making his black clad attire appear less ominous. But no matter, the more he looked like he belonged here, the better for first impressions.

     As he neared, the man almost grimaced…but he shook off emotions such as hate. Emotions only caused defeat, and defeat was not an option. A tall building near the entrance demanded awe. A large polished white cross rose high in the sky, a beacon of hope for all…

     Hope…the man spat to his right and glared up at the sight with narrowed eyes. Hope was dangerous. With hope, miracles could occur. With or without hope, these people would see miracles. But not necessarily the kind they were used to. He was the first of his kind to enter this town unnoticed…but he had a feeling that that would change soon…too soon. He would use his unannounced arrival to his advantage before things went sour.

     And when things went sour, the fun would begin.

That was one of the begenning scenes to Eleven, a novel that is sure to have thrills, chills, and spills! Who knows when it will be done, but when it is, it's going to be awesome!

It is time to rise!

Deep inside every human's soul, they silently scream for a savior.

 Their true selves chained inside, they hopelessly wander, blinded from the truth. Like dead men they waste away, seeking light, but finding none.

 Deep inside, they scream to be freed from manifested wounds inflicted on lost souls. Truth and justice flee, replaced by a malicious darkness and a vile enemy, whispering lies and deception in dulled ears.

 In a mad scramble, they fight amongst themselves in a desperate fear to acquire wealth and power; but in the end they lose it all and fade away to nothing.

And yet, despite their hate, they still cry out for someone to come and save them. They yearn to drown in His love, but have lost their way.

 Some shout and roar, screaming in rebellion and hate of this love, but do they know the truth? No, they are blinded by their own deception. They amble about in preconceived lies, believing deception as truth.

Despite wretched souls like these, mercy came. the Ruler and Creator of all, Jesus' power had no bounds.

 As master and King of all flesh, it was His right to rule. But he did so not with an iron fist crushing the indignant horde, but with love and compassion.

 Man, in their fallen state, was brought low, destined to die for their sins. But in His great mercy and love, the King stepped in and changed all of our destinies.

 The Master of the universe came to Earth, not as a king, but a servant. The Master of all time and space confined himself to a mortal form, but He did not proclaim His right to rule.

Through humility and compassion He waged a different kind of war, a battle fought not waged by blade and blood, but mercy.

 It was for the very ones who drove the nails into His body that He died. He died for the mockers, the murderers, the liars, the betrayers…He shed His blood so they could be freed from the curse. When He rose from the grave, it was as if all creation had been commanded to take notice, as they should. The King had risen back to glory, and the enemy was defeated once and for all.

 Through His example, people began to realize that through their voices, they could proclaim His Word. When they rose up, it was not by man's ability, but by someone greater. Like Jesus had when He dwelled amongst us, they fought in a war unlike any before or to come.

 Suddenly, the enemy realized that they had underestimated the very people they believed had been brought low. Their voices raised to a roar, they refused to be silenced. Their proclamation of God's love and redemption rang through time, and it still resonates today.

 ~

Once again ignorance and deception are attacking this land. A people, if united under a common cause, could stand strong. This is war! It is not a racial war, a political war, a religious war, or even a war of ideals and opinions. It is a war that has been raging since the dawn of time, a battle between good and evil. It is time for people to WAKE UP! We spend so much time and energy in things that do not matter, and yet fail to remember our true calling; setting the captives free and showing them God's wondrous love. We need to rise above the deception and see the truth behind the lies! We cannot afford to be afraid to tell the truth, for the truth will set us free!

Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal…none of these things matter anymore! We must cast these molds aside and love one another! Black, white, what really is the difference? We are all human! We all feel pain, hurt, regret, happiness and love; it hurts my heart to see Christians caught up in the demonic assault.

 No longer, we need to learn to love, not hate. We are all human, and we all can get along. God loves us all, He does not favor one over the other. God needs to be at the center of this country, or else life will not remain the way it is. Forever in my heart, the motto rings true, 'In God We Trust.' Political affiliations no longer matter, God matters!

 

It is time to rise! We must no longer stay in this state, it is time for us to take a stand for what we believe in! If we do not raise the standard, who will? If we do not make a stand, who will? It is our time to make a difference in this dark day, we need to allow God to shine through us, and if we do, anything can happen. We must make a difference, and the only way for us to do so is if we make a stand.

 

Trusting God, even when the darkness seems to be winning the battle

     Have you ever come to a spot in life when you are about to take a big step of faith, and then everything seems to crash down?

     It seems that something good was about to happen, and then BAM, something bad rushes in. It could be a bad decision, bad day, a sudden circumstance or problem; but you think that all that seems to matter is the problem you now face.

      But no matter what may happen, we must realize that we have two choices; give in to the fear, or stand up and fight.

     The enemy wants us to feel defeated, he wants us to feel like we've been beaten and can't get back up again. He so desperately wants you to believe that you are down and out, and that nothing or no one can change that. But he is a liar, and he is wrong.

     You see, the devil knows that we have a destiny that God has planned for us from the beginning, and he most certainly does not want us to discover this fact. If we were to discover who we really were and stood up against him, things would go really bad for the enemy.

     We are warriors in the Army of The Lord, and we have weapons to fight his wicked schemes. And the only way we will be ready and equipped to fight the enemy is by reading His Word. His Word is our sword, and we can use that sword to deal heavy damage on the enemy.

     The devil knows his day is coming, and he will try to drag down as many people to hell with him as he can. He is working overtime right now, determined to spread hate, lies, deception, and destruction in our world and our ranks. We must stand up and not let that continue.

     We must realize that our voices are our weapons. We can use our voices, words, and actions to glorify God instead of satan, and we need more people who are unashamed to do so! We can sit around and complain about the world we live in, but it will never change unless people like us who see the problem do something about it!

     The time is over when we could sit and complain. Now is the time for action! You can do something. Yes, you. It may not seem big or important, but whatever you do for the Kingdom (or are doing) will make an impact. That impact might not be the huge splash you were hoping for, but you never know who will be ministered too. Even if whatever you did only saved one person from hell, it would be worth it all.

     As Christians, we need to re-focus on God and not on the things of this world. We need to read His Word more (trust me, I need to do the same) and spend more time in His presence. He will give us wisdom and knowledge for the challenges we will face. All we must do is trust Him.

     So next time the enemy throws something your way, instead of cowering in fear, stand up and rise your sword in the air!

     Devil, get away from me, my family, friends, belongings, and everything else! I am a child of God and you cannot stand! You are under my feet, and have no power over me, for I am a conqueror and you are defeated!


     In the name of Jesus Christ, the One True King, Amen!