Chapter 4: THE PLAN

As I watched the man approach, it seemed that he was dressed in the style of Colonial American times. His hair was long and gray, and I suspected it was a Colonial wig. He walked with purpose and was a little bowlegged as if he had spent much of his life on a horse.

"She is right. Wells can help a few people, but they are mostly temporary. They often become polluted or dry up. You certainly have a treasure here," he remarked.

"Yes, I have never tasted anything so wonderful," I replied.

"I was talking about the girl," he said.

"Yes, she is truly remarkable for one so young. I have never met anyone like her," I responded.

"You are about to meet many more like her, both boys and girls. They will be better fighters than most men in your times. You must be prepared for them."

"How do I prepare for them?" I asked.

"You must learn to ride this horse."

"Who are you?" I inquired.

"I am John Wesley. I am speaking to you as a torchbearer who was also given a horse like this one. You are here to help prepare the coming ones. In my time there were but a handful of torchbearers and only a couple who rode the white horses. In your time there will be thousands of torchbearers and hundreds of these great stallions.

"You are here to learn about your purpose. You are called as one of those who will help awaken the coming great host. Then you must help to train them, preparing them for the last battle."

"I hardly feel that I can train anyone here. I am learning more from this little girl than I am teaching her," I responded sincerely.

"It is because you are willing to learn from her that you will become a trusted teacher. Keep drinking and keep listening. I will help you, as will all of the torchbearers who have gone before you. I can teach you in a few hours what it took me a lifetime to learn. What we cannot give you, the children will. They are wise because they are teachable.

"If you remain teachable, you will be wise beyond your years, regardless of how old you get to be. You can receive the wisdom of the ages. Remember that your primary purpose is to learn, not teach. The primary teaching that you have for the coming ones is to teach them how to learn. This is what it means to be a disciple-you are forever a student. Each one that you meet will teach you more about how to learn, and you will teach them the same."

"We are certainly in a situation that is beyond my present knowledge or wisdom to know how to handle," I responded. "It seems that this horse and learning how to ride it are the keys to us defending this stream. If you are here to help me, I am ready."

"One thing that you must know and not forget," Wesley said sternly, "Is she was right when she said you cannot retreat. You are now surrounded, and there is nowhere to run. A few wells are left in this region, but they are drying up fast. You must defend this River and gather your army here."

"How do I gather an army if there are just a few wells in this region? Are there enough faithful ones to build an army?"

"No, there are not. You may gather a few from them, but your army is the very one that is descending on you here. Your victory over this evil horde is to convert its soldiers. Then you must teach them to drink from this stream. You must add others to them, and they must go forth to conquer. I can also assure you that if you will fight and not give up, you cannot lose."

Then the little girl spoke up. "I knew it! Many of my friends and relatives are in that evil army. I knew they would one day be soldiers of the King."

"You are right," Wesley continued. "You must do more than just set them free from their bondage. You must train, equip, and release them to go and recover the wells the enemy has stopped up and heal the streams of the river which have been polluted and buried."

As I looked up and thought about the huge horde above us, I remembered what a great general once said when told that he was surrounded: "Great! Now we have them where we want them-they can't get away this time! Attack in every direction!"

As I was thinking about this, I noticed Wesley looking at me. He asked, "Can you be so bold?"

"It doesn't seem that we have a choice," I replied. "It is a remarkable thing. They are so numerous and have us surrounded, and we are so few, but they are in our trap! Certainly, only the Lord could ever pull off such a victory."

"And certainly it will be the Lord who gets the credit for it," Wesley and the girl both said.

I looked at the fortress that the evil horde was building in the valley. Already it would be hard to conquer with many soldiers. I listened to the commotion of the horde at the top of the mountains all around. It was massive, multitudes and multitudes. What could a girl, a horse, even John Wesley and I do against such a force?

"I can no longer fight the battles which are on the earth. I am now a part of the great company of witnesses. Through my life I can still speak and teach, but you must do the fighting. I can encourage you that several times in my life I was surrounded like this, with very few with me. Each time I saw the victory of the Lord. Do not become discouraged by how dark it becomes or how many rise up against you. You cannot lose if you do not retreat."

Then the little girl chimed in, "I know my mother is a captive in the division called 'Ridicule.' She is there because she needs the approval of others. I also know she has never known true love in her life. I know that if I can love her faithfully she will be freed.

"I believe all who are in that division are like her. We can free the captives with the truth of God's love. If we can do this with them, then there must be other keys which will set the captives in the other divisions free."

Wesley did not say anything but just looked at me to be sure I understood how true this was. It was obvious that this simple truth was the key to our victory. The truth of who God is can break any bond.

I then had to ask, "Please tell me, why are some given a torch but not a horse? How can we use them together, other than just being able to cover more ground?"

"Many have the honor of carrying a manifestation of the Lord's presence, but few are called to start a movement. The torches are all given to start movements, but not many carry them forward in such a way to start an advance of the truth. The horse represents the movement which you have been called to start.

"Movements have the purpose of taking ground back from the enemy. They are for establishing strongholds of truth, which the enemy cannot prevail against. These become safe places for the captives who are released from their bondage to be healed, restored, and armed to go back out into the battle. Many will draw close to those who have the torch, but they will only follow into battle those who have the horse as well.

"Your first mission is to defend this place. Then mobilize those who are true seekers of the Water of Life. They must be trained and equipped to go and retake what the evil horde has fouled and trampled under its feet.

"Every captive who is freed from that horde can heal and restore more than they once destroyed. Life is stronger than death. Remember that you are not called to just take back the earth, but to restore those who are called to rule over the earth.

"As your armorbearer here has told you, the more who drink from this stream, the larger it will grow. In this way you can turn this little stream into a river that overflows until it reaches many other places. As it begins to grow here, when it breaks out in other valleys and deserts, it will be much stronger and deeper."

"How do I draw others here?" I asked. "It is obvious that we need a lot of help if we are to convert this army that surrounds us."

"You will draw others by drinking from the River yourself. Remember, the River grows as you and others begin to drink from it. The blind will follow anyone who can see, and the better you can see, the more who will be drawn to you. When they come, many will still be blind, and most will be wounded.

"You must teach them to drink until they are healed and can see. Regardless of what they look like at first, many who come to you will be the mighty ones that Enoch prophesied would come in your times."

Then he looked at me with a penetrating stare as if looking to see if I could understand something very important.

"The torch that you carry will also draw many to it, but the presence of the Lord is not enough."

"How could the presence of the Lord not be enough?" I asked. "There is nothing greater than that! It is even more wonderful and invigorating than this water," I protested.

"You are right about that, but many who love His presence still remain weak and immature because they only want to experience the joy of the Lord. Such are seldom willing to face the conflict of the times. His presence will always be the best and the most wonderful gift. Even so, for eternity we will have this. Right now there is a battle to be fought."

Wesley walked over to the little girl and laid his hands on her shoulders. Then he looked up at me and continued.

"You need worshipers who are also warriors. All who are not trained and equipped for the battle will be overcome by it. Even if they do love His presence, they must also be taught to love truth and to love it enough to resist the evil one. This is a strength that I developed- to train and equip people to stand for truth and fight for it. That is why there are things you must learn from me.

"Few have been able to build the people into a force which conquers. I did this by building small groups of people into small fortresses of truth. Some of these rose up to take their neighbors for the gospel. Others grew into mighty fortresses that took villages. A few took cities. Together we shaped the destiny of nations-even your nation."

I felt when he said the words "your nation" that it was, in some strange way, the valley where we were standing. As I pondered this and looked back at him, he had that unmistakable knowing look. Then he continued.

"Your nation still honors Paul Revere for waking up the people and calling them to the battle, but even more than that, Heaven will honor those who wake up the people and call them to the battle, which must soon be fought.

"Just as the great messengers of the church age were all only seeds of the mighty ones of valor who are about to be released on the earth, the enemy has been sowing his seeds, too. You will have to fight every evil that has been released on the earth, and fight it in its full maturity.

"With this horse you must ride and warn the people about the invasion of their land. You can mobilize them to fight the good fight. You cannot retreat any farther. There is nowhere else to go, but if you resist the enemy he will eventually flee. If you do not resist, you are doomed."

The little girl was watching me intently. She stood erect, vigilant, and ready. Both Wesley and I were looking at her. I thought she must be like a Joan of Arc. If there are even a few more like her, I knew that these would certainly be marvelous times. Wesley continued.

"The Lord called a dozen men. He changed them, and then they changed the world. In your time He is going to do the same with children. It is also the time of the lioness. Great are the company of women who will preach the gospel. There will be many great men of God in your time-but the great marvel and great honor will be for the women and children who walk in the ways of the Lord.

"Remember, it was the woman who was deceived and had enmity with the serpent, but it will be her seed that crushes its head. Women have a special place in this fight."

He looked into the eyes of the little girl. "It is your time as a woman. It is your time as a child, for the children will be for signs and wonders. They will turn the tide of the last battle. Gather the children and help their mothers. Great is the Lord in you for all you need."

My attention was then caught by something flickering out of the corner of my eye. The fortress that the evil ones had built was being used to hurl fiery arrows in all directions. It was apparent that they were trying to scorch the beautiful valley we were in.

Wesley turned and put both hands on my shoulders just as the Lord had done, saying, "You can't put out every little fire. You must destroy that fortress."

Then I was suddenly alone, sitting in my room.