The drive to the town of Next Port was short; it was a pleasant day, and the drive was without incident.
The town of Next Port was a small community, a very picturesque seaside town. The port itself was less convenient for larger ships; therefore, there were fewer job opportunities, and many residents of Next Port made a daily trip to and from surrounding communities for work. The residents of Next Port tended to have less income, and the need for ministry was great.
“So what did you find out about Next Port?” Brother asked during their trip. “What did their minister say?”
“Next Port’s economy has always been difficult, and the recent economic downturns have hit their community especially hard,” Warrior replied. “Their minister said most residents are unskilled, manual laborers, mostly seamen. These factors make the residents especially susceptible to being enticed by the allure of the dark ships.”
“Apparently, from what Warrior and I gathered from talking to several pastors, ministers, and priests from surrounding churches,” Seaman interjected, “the dark ships tend to dock more frequently in these out-of-the-way towns where there is greater hardship; no one is completely sure why.”
“Sounds like they target those who are hurting the most,” Brother said.
“Probably,” Warrior replied. “Not surprising when you know how evil operates, though, but I’m incredibly angry they prey on the weak; makes me want to punch something!”
“So what’s the plan?” Brother inquired.
“Warrior and I were invited to meet with the minister of Next Port. He was excited about the idea of formulating a plan to work together with other pastors and communities to eradicate this scourge on our communities,” Seaman replied.
“So what do we do when we get there?” inquired Brother.
“Seaman and I felt the best thing to do was to talk to the minister of the church of Next Port and get as much information as we can and document it—dates, time, which ships dock when and in what town,” Warrior replied. “Once we meet with the other pastors and get their information, we can add that information to what we already know about when they appear in our town as well as Next Port. This will give us a clearer picture, and we might be able to detect patterns. I remember Pastor saying in a sermon once that the enemy isn’t very creative but keeps using the same types of tactics and ploys repeatedly. If we can detect a pattern, we can formulate a plan for banding together with other believers and make a stand.”
“We were also hoping,” Seaman said, “to get specifics on where the ship that’s holding Teenager might be headed. If we know the usual route, maybe we can get ahead of them and rescue Teenager.”
“You guys are amazing!” Brother said. He was so choked up that tears began to well up in his eyes. He blinked repeatedly to keep them from forming and falling. He didn’t want to appear wimpy in the eyes of these powerful men of God.
P
During the rest of the trip to Next Port, the men remained quiet. All were lost in thought and prayer, trying to discern what they needed to do next.
After reaching Next Port, the men had no trouble locating the church. It wasn’t hard to find in the tiny town. The church was a small, white chapel with a cross-topped spire. It was old and quaint and had been photographed on many occasions. As they passed through the entrance to the church, Brother noted that the church bore some sort of historical marker.
The men were warmly greeted by the minister of the church in Next Port. They spent some time getting to know each other. Although the minister was from a different denomination, the four men were of one heart and mind. Although they worshiped and practiced their faith in differing ways, they were all strong believers in the One True Lord. The men formed a deep and lasting bond and were committed to battling the enemy of the One True Lord.
The men exchanged information regarding what they knew about the dark ships. Warrior, Seaman, and Brother provided Minister with information they had regarding which dark ships docked in their town and how often. Minister relayed the same information to Warrior, Seaman, and Brother about the work of the dark ships in Next Port.
“Well, Minister,” Seaman said, “I believe we made a great deal of progress in a short period of time.”
“Agreed,” Minister replied. “I can’t thank you guys enough for calling and agreeing to meet with me. I’ve always thought that some sort of organized effort would work better. What gave you guys the idea?”
“It started when Brother’s younger brother, Teenager, was lured aboard a dark ship recently,” Warrior replied. “We have our usual defenses going, prayer team, etc., but I kept getting this nagging feeling that something more can be done. We need to start playing offense instead of defense.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Minister said with a serious look on his face. “We all know what the nagging feeling is!”
All four men smiled and nodded their heads in agreement.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” Minister said to Brother, “please tell me what happened with your little brother. I’m curious because unemployment and hopelessness plague our young people here, but your town is much more prosperous. I was hoping to get a better picture.”
Brother spent the next several minutes giving Minister the short version of what happened. He included the fact that he had also been on a dark ship for a short period of time. He also provided Minister with the information regarding his family and their lack of faith in the One True Lord and how that affected the entire family.
“Thank you for your candor,” Minister said. “That helps me get a clearer picture. So, gentlemen, what do we do next?”
Seaman looked down at the notes he had been scribbling when Minister was talking about which dark ships appeared in Next Port. As he glanced at the names of the ships and the dates and times they arrived, Seaman’s eyes lit up.
“Look, guys! Look!” Seaman gestured to his notes with excitement in his voice. “If I heard you right, Minister, the captain of the dark ship that’s holding Teenager is due here tomorrow. Is that right?”
Minister leaned over and turned the notepad Seaman had been writing on around to get a better look.
“Yes, yes, it is. They have routinely followed this schedule without deviation. If they keep to their schedule, they should be here tomorrow morning around 9 a.m. Here’s our opportunity, men,” Minister said with cautioned excitement.
“Hallelujah!” exclaimed Brother as he slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand. “Now we’re onto something!”
“How do we make the most of this?” questioned Minister.
For the next half hour, the four men discussed strategy. Brother, Warrior, and Seaman would return to their town and drum up support from their church and other churches in the local community in their town. Minister agreed to talk to the pastors of the other churches in the smaller towns nearby. They would enlist the aid of prayer teams from all the local churches and formulate a plan to confront and, if possible, rescue Teenager. They agreed to keep in constant touch over the next few hours until the formal plan was arranged.
“As excited as I am about this,” Seaman cautioned, “we must lift our plans up to the One True Lord. Without Him on our side, there will be no rescue.”
“Agreed,” said Minister.
“Absolutely,” said Brother.
“No time like the present,” said Minister. “You lead off, Brother.”
And with that, the men of God bowed their heads and prayed, offering their plans to the One True Lord.
“Well then, fellas, if the prayers of a righteous man avail much, I guess we just multiplied that several times over,” Warrior said, grinning.
“True!” Seaman interjected. “But I suggest the three of us return home and meet with Pastor and your family, Brother, and get things started.”
“I might also suggest,” Minister cautioned, “making sure to be well rested and making sure you’ve eaten. We need to be strong physically, emotionally, mentally as well as spiritually. We cannot give the enemy a chance to attack a weakness.”
“You’re absolutely right there, Minister,” replied Seaman. “We’ve all been running on fumes the last few hours.”
“We’ll be in touch as soon as we hear from the pastors of the other churches when we return home,” Warrior replied.
“Looking forward to it, gentlemen,” said Minister with confidence. “Let’s bring this young man home.”
The men shook hands and parted. After seeing the men to the door, Minister returned to the chapel and dropped to his knees.
“Dear Lord,” Minister prayed, “thank You! Thank You for the timing. Thank You for Your provision, and thank You for bringing us together as Your children united in purpose. Be with us and provide us the Spirit to guide us as we endeavor to rescue not only this young man but also to break the grip these dark ships and the Dark Lord have had over our communities. Grant us victory in Your Son’s name. Amen.”
Minister rose from his knees, returned to his office, and started calling the pastors in the surrounding towns.
P
The return trip went quickly for Warrior, Brother, and Seaman. They were excited but concerned. They knew the job tomorrow would be tough, but they also knew that, as the Good Book says, “When two or three are gathered together in the name of the One True Lord, He is in their midst.”
They went on their way rejoicing.