The Disappearance of a Pied Piper

Grace Restored

"Can you believe what we're seeing out on the street?" Bud asked.

"We were warned that this would happen," said Preacher Jim.

"How so? I don't follow," Bud said.

"It's all in Revelation 20, Brother," Jim said. "Listen to the first three verses. 'And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.' You remember the Justice The Lord, King Jesus meted upon Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet at the beginning of this Millennial Reign of Christ. The part, that focuses on Satan is found in these three verses."

"Is that why we are having to break up free love orgies in Central Park, pretty much every day?" Bud asked.

"Look at the last phrase of verse #3, 'till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that, he must be loosed a little season.'" Jim said.

"According to this verse and my last count, it's not time, yet, for the devil to have limited free reign," Bud shook his head. "It has only been about 960 years, but you may as well call this the 1960s because people are losing their minds to be free to do whatever they feel like doing."

"True, Bud," Jim said, "It hasn't been exactly 1000 years, yet, but I've always wondered if the phrase, 'loosed a little season' happens at the thousand-year mark or leading up to the 1000 year date."

"What's the difference?" Bud asked.

"That's just the point, Bud. I don't know if there is a difference," Jim said. "Do you remember how the 1960s seemed to be the catalyst for the downhill slide for Society as it, and the Church even, fell away from the Truth of The Gospel? Free Love caused our terrible moral decline and societal implosion. Could it be that the release of Satan upon our unsuspecting world could be the final downfall of human society, before Jesus says, 'Enough,' cleans house, and arrests the final batch of sinners to be forever incarcerated in Hell, and for the Earth to pass through the Final Fire as Time merges with Eternity?"

"The timing doesn't change what I have to do, right now," Bud said. "Lawlessness means I have to employ more police officers, and you need to preach straight-shooting messages more often. We've got to or die tr-"

"Mayor Best," came a message over the intercom.

"Yes, John Wesley."

"I have two police officers in my office."

"Show them in. I'll take it from here."

"Do you need me to leave, Bud," Jim asked.

"No. I need to you hear this. I need your prayers and counseling."

The door opened, and the officers stood at attention. "Mayor Best."

"Yes, Sir."

"We have your daughter at city lock-up."

"Amy Grace."

"Yes, Sir."

"What are the charges this time?"

"Upper body nudity."

Bud's head fell into his open hands.

"Would you like to come and post bail?"

"Does an eagle need to fly? You have to ask that question?"

"It's Procedure, Mayor."

"I know it's Procedure. I used to be the Police Chief of a small town."

"Sorry to upset you, Sir."

"It's not you officer. Sorry to get riled. This father is grieving at the moment."

"We understand, Mayor," the lead officer said. "Would you like a ride to the jail? We can take you in the back way, avoiding the press."

"Yes. That would be appreciated," Bud said. "Would you give both of us a ride home, once I've posted bail?"

"Absolutely, Sir. We're just doing our job."

"I know," Bud said. "The Law does not discriminate because the criminal is the mayor's daughter. Let's take the employee elevator in the back of the building."

"We should leave the way we can in, Sir, but we'll drive the car around and meet you at the back entrance if that meets with approval."

"Indeed it does. I should be in place in about five minutes."

"We'll be there in four, waiting on you."

"John Wesley, keep doing what you're doing. Answer the phone, take appointments for me, but if anyone asks, I'm gone for the rest of the day."

"Yes, sir, and I'll hold down the fort," John Wesley smiled.

Bud smiled, too.

The ride to the jail was quiet, but alone with his thoughts a lifetime flashed before Bud's eyes. A little girl sang, "Jesus Loves Me" in front of the church at age three. She recited John 3:16, KJV, a year later in front of the same church. She joined the children's choir at age six and never missed a rehearsal or performance. She joined the youth choir at 12, and was there, once again, for every rehearsal and performance. In high school, she joined her high school's main choir as well as some smaller groups, including a female choir, a female quintet, and a mixed group of madrigal singers. Amy Grace learned to play the guitar in order to sing by herself whenever she wanted to sing. She couldn't get enough of singing at every opportunity, especially when she had solos. She loved to be seen, to be heard, the praise, and the faces of people, who enjoyed themselves as she sang with all her might.

As he sat in the back seat of the police car, Bud paused for a moment to choke back tears, and to compose himself for his appearance at the City Jail.

Still three minutes to ride, he thought, letting the memories wander through his mind.

After high school graduation, Amy Grace enrolled at NYU. There she was introduced to unsavory characters, like the professors, who denied the existence of God, and students, who offered her something they called, "Weed," which made her feel VERY relaxed every time she smoked it. Soon she was in and out of jail for possession, deciding that her Daddy couldn't possibly love her anymore. She decided to try the free love scene in the Park, and already had two abortions, making her family find out after the fact.

Amy Grace has always liked acting out for attention, Bud thought, but now she's getting out-of-control. "Oh, Lord Jesus, what am I going to do? Please, guide me. In Your Great Name, Amen."

At the jail, Bud followed the two officers into the courtroom, where Amy Grace was being held in handcuffs, until he spoke with the judge on duty. He sat on the first row behind the defendant's desk, waiting for the judge to approach the bench.

The judge rapped her gavel and looked right at Bud. "Mayor, this court is merciful, but I am now in a difficult place. Your daughter has been in front of me multiple times without any apparent contrition. I have the power to put her behind bars for five years, starting this very night, but I am willing to give you one month to see if you can talk some sense into her head. I'm willing to release her into your custody for a $10,000 bond, but I have some terms. She must stay under house arrest in your home, even if that requires you to work from home for a month, to make sure she complies with this modified incarceration. Also, if she is ever seen out in public in that condition, again, I will throw the Book at her. Am I being clear?"

"Very clear, Your Honor," Bud said. "Am I permitted to ask a question?"

"Considering the fact, that you just did. The answer is Yes," the judge said.

"Is there any possibility that Amy Grace could avoid, doing time in jail or prison?" Bud said.

"That depends on her," the judge said. "If I see real contrition at her next appearance, then leniency is possible, but I need to see real respect for my court and a true conversion of her lifestyle. Is that all?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Bud said.

"Then, once you've paid the bailiff, and signed the paperwork, you are both free to go," the judge said. "Amy Grace, this is your last chance. Do you understand?"

Amy Grace nodded, and even managed a soft, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Officer, remove the handcuffs," the judge ordered.

Bail paid, papers signed, silent ride home in a police car, then Bud thanked the officers and dismissed them as he turned to lead his daughter into their home.

It was now late afternoon, and still too early for bed. So, Bud shuffled into the living room, sitting down on their largest couch, taking a deep breath, trying to relax.

Amy Grace stood in the hallway for a long minute and finally decided to sit on the couch next to her dad. Neither of them spoke for a long while until Amy Grace broke the silence.

"Aren't you going to scream at me?" she asked.

"I don't have time," Bud said, "I'm trying to figure out how I can hand over the Mayor's Office to someone else, and surrender myself to the judge to take your prison time."

"Why would you do that for me?" she asked.

"Someone did that for me about 2000 years ago," he said.

"How is that even possible?" she stormed.

"I was under the judgment of eternal incarceration in Hell, but Jesus lived His perfect life for me, fulfilling The Law, He died for me to pay my Sin-debt, and he was buried, and rose on the third day, making sure, that His Double Jeopardy would never be able to turn around, taking any of The Elect to Hell, being accused of the same Sin," Bud said. "'Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.'"

"I think I want that because I don't want to go to prison," she said with a tear coursing down her cheek.

"Being made right with The Lord is more than the desire to avoid punishment," Bud said. "I can't save you. I couldn't save myself, and I can't keep myself saved."

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

"That's just the point, Sweetheart," Bud said. "You don't have to do anything because you can't do anything."

"I don't understand," she said.

"All these terrible things you've been doing for months are because you are Totally Depraved, which doesn't mean, that you are as bad as you can be for a human, though you seem to have been trying to be that. It means, that you can't be more dead spiritually than you were born to be. You've been living this."

"I admit that, Daddy," she said, "I'm starting to see just how bad I have been for the first time, that I can remember."

"You appear to be changing, Amy Grace," Bud said, "I believe the Holy Spirit is working in your heart, according to Unconditional Election. Like your name, Grace is unmerited favor, and Only The Lord Jesus Himself can choose you to receive His Grace."

"I'm listening."

"When He chooses you, He applies His Limited Atonement," Bud said, "which means, that he died on the cross for only The Elect. The ones He chooses are the ones he saves."

"This is becoming clear for the first time in my life," she said.

"I'm convinced that's due to Irresistible Grace," he said. "When The Father draws you unto His Son, Jesus, (John 6:44, KJV) He is working on your 'want-to,' changing your heart so that His want to for you to be saved becomes your want to in your heart to be saved. (Philippians 2:13, KJV) As part of The Elect, you are a gift from The Father to The Son. (John 6:37, KJV) His Grace becomes irresistible because you can't imagine not wanting it after He changes your heart to want the same thing He wants."

"Why are you sure you can never become, like the sinner I have been for so long?" she asked.

"Because of the Perseverance of the Saints," Bud said. "What God saves, He preserves. In some ways, it's like how you started out life at conception. Sperm and egg become zygote at conception. The Lord says, 'What God hath joined let not man put asunder.' The new human at conception can never stop being a human. Abortion kills a human, but it can't return that human to the simple cells of sperm and egg. That which is started by God can never be aborted in actuality. The Elect individual, that God saves can never return to the state of spiritual death and darkness. The Elect persevere because they are preserved by God throughout all of Time and Eternity. Once you can see The Kingdom of God, you can't unsee it."

"I'm starting to see and understand what you are talking about," she said.

"That's The Holy Spirit at work," Bud said. "You can't do it, and I can't do it for you. Take time to think about the TULIP of Salvation. God can make these concepts clear to you in a way, that I can't. We have the next month to talk. I'm sure you will have a much better idea of what to say to the judge the next time you stand in front of her."

"What is the TULIP of Salvation," she asked.

"TULIP is an acrostic, and I've been explaining it to you for the last few minutes," Bud said. "It stands for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and The Perseverance of the Saints. We can talk over these concepts more later, but now, let's get some supper, and rest awhile."

"Thank you. I'm all for that," she smiled.

Bud's walkie-talkie squealed an alarm. "This is Bud."

"This is Stan. I'm across from Central Park with my brother, Jim. You need to turn on the TV. The Park is under siege. There are fires all over the place. It's like Satan has set up camp in the heart of our city."

"Maybe he has," Bud said. "The Enemy knows his time is short. He's apparently trying to take as many of our young people as he can with him down to Hell. Am I needed on site?"

"Not right now," Stan said. "Stay safe at home. We've called in the National Guard to help the Police Force and the Sheriff's Deputies. The Fire Department is already on-site fighting the fires."

"It's like I told your brother earlier in the day, these days at the end of Revelation 20:3 are like the 1960s, but I'm willing to amend that statement to say, that these days are at least five times worse," Bud said.

"No arguments from me," Stan said. "I'm monitoring the situation from one of the main gates. Will call you with news."

"I'll be listening and praying," Bud said. "Be safe, Stan, and Jim."

"We are. Thank you, sir."

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Amy Grace asked.

"Amazingly enough, it is your friends, the peaceniks and the potheads, who are fomenting open war. Are you starting to see how you could have been killed today if The Lord had not stepped in and overruled in your life?"

"I do, and I'm sorry," she said. "Do you think the Lord would ever save me, considering all I've been?"

"I do not doubt that my Sweet Daughter," Bud said. "I believe He already has. Do you hear the difference in your voice, since we got home?"

"I do," she said. "Can I possibly stay out of prison?"

"I don't know, but that is my hope," he said. "The judge used the term, 'leniency.' We'll pray to that end."

"The peaceniks are throwing everything they've got at us, Mayor!" Stan called. "They're moving toward our position. Do you have any more resources we could call on?"

"I think so," Bud said. "Give me a couple of minutes, and I'll get back to you."

"5 X 5. Out," Stan said.

"Amy Grace, let's pray," Bud said. "We need help beyond our human ability."

"Okay, Daddy," she said. "I don't really know how to pray, but I'll try to pray."

"That's all I can ask, Sweetheart," Bud said. "Lord Jesus, we are out of our league in this battle, today. Will you please send us help, support, and aid in whatever way You see fit? The battle is starting to leak out toward the city. Please, send a garrison of Your angels to contain the battle in the Park. Please, have them form a perimeter, and lines that crisscross the Park like a spokewheel. If you don't help us Lord, I fear we could lose this battle, today, since we're about to be outnumbered. It's in your Hands, Lord. I don't know what else to do. Thank You in advance for what You will do. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

"'The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.' (James 5:16, b, KJV)" Jesus smiled. "Look out the window, Bud. What do you see?"

"I see an angel army, surrounding Central Park, and crisscrossing the interior, like a spokewheel," Bud said.

"You're welcome," Jesus continued to smile. "The peaceniks are contained. The police and sheriff's forces are making headway along with the National Guard. Satan is trying to set up a beachhead in Central Park, but I am limiting his activities, even though Revelation 20:3 says, '(Satan) must be loosed a little season.'”

"You have a purpose, even in this mayhem at the end of the peaceful Millennial Reign, don't you Lord Jesus," Bud asked.

"I always have a purpose in everything, that exists, and everything acts according to the way I have created everything to exist," Jesus said. "When all is over and said and done, every person, human, angel, demon, and animal creature will know, that I rule in Sovereignty. No one does anything apart from my decree. Every time I give Humanity a new clean slate for starting over, there is peace for a while, but the farther you go into that epoch, the more human nature raises its ugly head. I gave Adam and Eve a perfect world, and The Original Sin broke the perfection. Death entered the world. I destroyed all the evil people of the world in Noah's Day. Righteous Noah got drunk and laid around in the nude. After thousands of years, you saw what the world was like in The Great Tribulation. I arrested that wicked generation, and consigned them to the Lake, that burns with Brimstone. The Millennial Reign was peaceful for nearly 1000 years, while Satan and his cohorts were bound by my decree in that burning incarceration. However, I have let them loose to show, that Mankind has not changed. Ultimately, I will have to arrest this group of dissenters, put the world through the Fire, and cause all of The Elect, which includes you, Bud Best, one of the Tribulation Saints, to have the new eternal body of purity and holiness, before we can finally relax in the Eternal Kingdom."

"We are so broken, Lord Jesus," Bud said, "that without Your Substitutionary Atonement on the cross of Calvary, none of us could ever be in Heaven to serve you forever," Bud hung his head.

"Lift up your head, Son," Jesus said. "I died for you. I'm well-pleased with the man you've become, according to my work in your life. Rest in Me."

Bud smiled.