Adventure Series

"The Chosen Ones"
Fiction Adventure Series
by Brian Carlisle

When the Forces of Heaven encounter evil in the world that is affecting the Body of Christ, they do battle if it is Satan and his angels. But if the perpetrator is a man, driven by his own depraved nature, then they call in the "Chosen Ones."

The "Chosen Ones" is a secret Christian organization that is dispatched at heaven's command. Their mission is to stop evil which is endangering the Church. They have two choices: Stop them by conversion...or by force!

Join Amanda, age 16, as she is trained by an angel named Angela, who, in human form, resembles a ten-year-old girl. Then later, the two girls are joined by Benjamin, an 18-year-old missionary's son. Together they will travel the world as they battle lions, dictators, the Russian Mafia, witch doctors, assassins, demons, communists, and terrorists, just for starters!

Book 1 - A Test of Survival

Chapter 7 - I Will Not Fail

When Amanda awoke the next morning, she was hardly able to move, so for a few moments she just lay there on the soft earth and listened to the sounds of the birds. She was so sore that it seemed that her legs and arms were chained to the ground. Finally, Amanda began to move. Slowly, she sat up and began massaging her arms and legs.

“Boy, I hope today is less strenuous. If I meet up with any lions today, I’ll be too stiff to either run or fight,” Amanda said aloud.

Then, with one more stretch, she decided to go for a quick dip in the creek. But before crawling out from under her covering, Amanda reached over to get her staff. To her bewilderment, it wasn’t there. She knew she had brought it under the tree with her, or had she? Maybe she had; she wasn’t really sure. Besides, she had been so tired when she went to sleep that she reasoned she might not have brought it in after all.

Thinking that she might have left it at the creek, Amanda climbed out from under the cedar tree and began picking out the cedar pins from her hair as she walked toward the stream. She was almost to the creek when she sensed danger.

Instantly, Amanda froze. Without moving a muscle, she began to scan the opposite bank of the creek and the woods beyond. Seeing nothing, Amanda started to believe that she was only imagining the danger, until she felt the hot, humid breath of something on the back of her neck.

Slowly turning her head around, Amanda found herself staring into the face of an enormous lion. It wasn’t El Diablo, but this lion was equally as large and powerful looking. The marked difference was that this lion was light in color and it did not have the look of hatred in its eyes.

The lion lowered his head and stepped closer. With an upward motion he used his nose to push Amanda forward. As Amanda started to walk toward the creek the lion brought his head even with her right shoulder and then shoved her to the left. She understood this as his desire for her to turn left and to follow the creek. As she made the turn, she scanned the ground for her staff. It was nowhere in sight.

Now following the creek, the lion remained directly behind her and occasionally nudged her between the shoulder blades to quicken her pace. Amanda soon became fearful, and began to wonder what was going to happen to her.

If this was one of El Diablo’s lions, she knew that it would either kill her itself or more than likely just march her to El Diablo and let him do it.

Then there was also the possibility that this was a lion from another pride, since he did not appear to be as fierce. But even this didn’t raise her spirits, since she knew that all lions are carnivorous (meat eaters) anyway.

Up ahead, Amanda could see a wisp of light-gray smoke coming from around the bend. She reasoned that this was her destination and began to glance around for a final chance to escape, until she felt the breath of the lion again and then a gentle nudge from him. It seemed that he could read her mind because, every time she thought she saw an opportunity to try to escape, he would block it. If she was thinking of running to the left, he would move up slightly to her left side. And when she saw an opportunity to dive into the creek, he would go to her right and nudge her away from the creek.

Amanda was getting frustrated at this, and thoughts would enter her mind as to what she would do to him if she had her staff. But the anger never stayed. She actually found it hard to hate him. Yes, she definitely was afraid of him, but fear and hatred are different, although one usually leads to the other.

Rounding the bend, Amanda stopped dead in her tracks, and her mouth dropped open at the sight. There, sitting at a small campfire, was Angela. She had two good sized trout roasting over the fire and several potatoes baking around the edges of the fire.

With a warm smile and a wave of her hand, Angela called out, “I see you’ve met my friend Judah.” Motioning toward the lion, she beckoned, “Come on over and join me.” Instead, Amanda just stood there. Just a few minutes ago, she had thought she was being led to her death and was trying to prepare herself for the worst. Now, seeing Angela was not what she had expected at all. She didn’t know what to feel. Amanda felt joy and anger, relief and fear, all at the same time.

Suddenly, Amanda was bounced back to reality by the lion behind her. He gave her one last nudge, then walked around her to the campfire and lay down behind Angela.

Slowly, Amanda blinked, then closed her mouth. She walked over to the campfire and sat down facing Angela. Taking a potato from the fire, she carefully broke it open and then set it on a rock to cool.

Amanda’s mind was so tired, and yet so full of questions that she wanted to ask Angela. But before she could even get one word out, Angela broke the silence.

“Amanda, why don’t you go for a swim and clear your mind. There are many things I need to tell you. Some might be hard for you to grasp. Besides, it’ll give your potato a chance to cool off at the same time you swim. Judah and I will keep watch.”

Amanda slipped off her shoes and ran for the creek. She could see that it was deep enough here for what she wanted to do. Climbing up on a large rock, she dove into the water, clothes and all. She figured her clothes were as dirty as she was, and besides, she didn’t feel like waiting to change.

Amanda swam for awhile and was starting to really relax, when she noticed Angela still sitting by the fire. It was obvious by the way she would take a stick and poke it around in the fire, that her mind was far away. Amanda sensed that there was something troubling her, so she decided to swim to the shore and have a talk with the little angel.

When Amanda climbed out of the water, she saw that the lion had been waiting there for her. Reaching out her hand, she lightly touched his head.

“Go ahead and get acquainted with Judah. You’ll be seeing more of him off and on,” Angela offered.

“Judah, so you have a name, do you? Well Judah, nice to meet you,” Amanda said. She was glad to hear that he was on their side, but after yesterday’s events, she was still timid of the huge creature.

Amanda paused long enough to stroke his fur a few times, then she moved on to the campfire. Judah followed and sat alongside Amanda as she sat back down to eat her potato. Actually, he kind of curled around her with his head on his paws to her right. He was such a large lion, but extremely gentle.

As Amanda took a bite of the potato, she recalled how Judah had led her there. She recalled that when he did nudge her, it was never a forceful push, but a gentle nudge. Now, here he lay, just like a huge, stuffed animal. Amanda leaned back against him and it seemed that the more she leaned on him the better she felt. Her stiffness and her fear left. As a matter of fact, she actually started to feel stronger and her spirits began to rise measurably.

As Amanda finished the potato, Angela took a fish off of the fire and gave it to Amanda. “Eat this, it’ll give you the strength to make it through the day.”

Angela then folded her hands across her lap. “Amanda, you may continue eating; however, listen closely to what I have to say.” She paused, then reached toward the fire and set two more potatoes aside to cool.

Amanda noticed that Angela did this just as she herself was about to get them. “So, you can read my mind, also?”

Angela grinned, “No, I’m not able to read exactly what people think, but sometimes I am able to sense what people intend to do and many times I can sense what they are thinking. Like what just happened, I didn’t actually read your mind but I am able to sense some things. This is part of my defense. What I lack in size, my Creator has replaced with other abilities. My senses are one ability and my skill with my staff is another.”

Amanda lowered her head. “I’m sorry, but I lost my staff last night.”

“You didn’t lose it,” Angela replied. “After you went to sleep last night, I had Judah sneak in and take it from you.”

Amanda looked at Judah, and it seemed as if the back of his mouth curled up almost like he was grinning or quietly laughing at her.

“But why? You knew it was my only defense.”

“You were safe. Judah and I stood guard over you throughout the night. If you would have studied the ground more carefully this morning, you would have seen our footprints around your tree. We did not try to conceal them. Oh, by the way, here’s your staff.” Angela moved aside some fallen leaves, revealing to Amanda her staff. Picking it up, she handed it to Amanda, who placed it at her left side.

Amanda removed the other fish from the fire and began pulling the chunks of meat off and feeding them to Judah. Her feelings for him had gone from fear, to anger, and now to wanting to take him home with her. “I had the dream again last night,” Amanda stated solemnly. “Do you know who the man was that the angels were weeping over?”

“Yes,” Angela answered, “but all that I can tell you now is that he is a Christian worker who will be martyred.”

Angela stood and walked over to sit beside Amanda. “Now back to our business at hand,” Angela smiled, “guard your staff more carefully next time.”

“I will,” Amanda promised, then added proudly, “I’ve been practicing with it, too.”

“I know,” Angela smiled, “and I must say that you also possess a natural talent for its use. We were most impressed as we watched you from the woods yesterday evening. Later, I will teach you more and soon you’ll be an expert in its use. And then only you, I, and the hooded one will know how to use the staff like the shepherd, David.

“You see,” Angela paused, “the hooded one is the only one that I have ever trained to use the staff, except David, and of course he has been dead almost 3,000 years now. It is the Lord’s plan that you become the next expert in its use.”

“Expert, might be stretching it a bit, don’t you think?” Amanda smiled as she reached for another potato. She planned on only eating part of it, and giving the rest to Judah.

“Don’t underestimate yourself, Amanda. You are a very special girl. That’s why you have been chosen. Like the Bible says, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’ You have been selected to be a ‘Chosen One’ because you possess some of the rare qualities it takes to be one. Those qualities which you don’t have now you will either be given or you will learn them.”

“And you are to be my instructor, right?”

“Yes,” Angela nodded. “But before we begin practicing with the staff, let me explain what it means to be a ‘Chosen One.’

“Since the fall of Satan from Heaven there has been a steady war going on between good and evil. This war has not taken place at just one place or country, but this war has extended throughout the universe and beyond. It has been a war with the demons of hell on one side and angels of Jehovah, like myself, on the other. But since the Creation of man, the battles have been fought over control of man and whom he will serve.

“From the fall of Adam and Eve, to the final conflict mentioned at the end of the book of Revelation, we have fought a series of battles with the forces of hell. We have won every battle, sometimes though only through the direct intervention of Jesus himself. But along with these battles with the demons of hell there have been, throughout time, human men whom, through their own fallen nature, have resorted to fighting against the Kingdom of God by their own evil means. If these men are demon possessed or empowered by Satan, then we will become actively involved in their overthrow. But if they are acting out of their own wickedness, then a ‘Chosen One’ must be called upon. We will only intervene if the ‘Chosen One’ calls for help, or if Satan or his demons become involved. The reasoning is this: man has the right to chose whom he will serve. We, the angels, will not destroy him or stop him until he has been given the opportunity to change. And that opportunity must be given by a human, a ‘Chosen One’.

“Your calling is one that not only requires you to be a witness, but you will be sent into some very adverse situations, where you must penetrate the defenses and reach these people with the message of Christ and his redemption. In order to do so, you will have to put your life in danger each time and you must be as cunning as a fox. You will have to see what isn’t there, hear what has no sound, and defeat what can’t be beaten.”

Amanda interrupted at this point, “How can I hear what has no sound, see what isn’t there, or defeat what cannot be beaten?”

Angela reached into a little pouch that was laying beside her and withdrew a small Bible. She handed it to Amanda, who then began to flip through it. “Keep this with you at all times. Never let it out of your sight. There will be places you must go where you cannot take your staff with you, but this you can. It will guide you and instruct you. Study it and learn it because your life will depend upon it. At times this Bible will be your eyes allowing you to see what is not there or your ears to allow you to hear what makes no sound. It will allow you to defeat your enemy when victory seems impossible.

“There is another thing that will help you see, hear, and defeat the impossible: your spirit. Prayer is a must. It keeps the lines of communication between your spirit and Christ’s spirit open. It kind of tunes you in to His frequency, like a radio tunes in a channel. With your spirit in tune with His, you will be able to sense things that most people can’t.”

“Like when I sensed danger this morning, or yesterday when I heard the words ‘Broad is the way?’” Amanda asked.

“Exactly, although the more in tune you are the more keen or exact your senses become.”

“Amanda this is a spiritual battle as well as a physical battle. Your spiritual awareness will help you immensely, but your skills at reading other signs are equally as important. For instance, the footprints that Judah and I left. When Judah took your staff, he broke a few twigs on the branches. Then yesterday on the wide path, all footprints led down the hill, but none back up. All these are signs for you to see and read. I will teach you all that I can about reading the trail.”

Then, looking Amanda straight in the eye, Angela challenged her, “Being a ‘Chosen One’ is not an easy task. You realize by becoming one, your whole life will change. You will live by faith from day to day. Sometimes you will live by faith from moment to moment. You will be giving your whole life to this cause. And even though Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you, death will always be snapping at your heels.”

Amanda stood solemnly. She surveyed everything around her, the trees, the water, Judah, then Angela. With tears welling up in her eyes, she boldly promised, “I will not fail you, nor my Savior in my calling.”

“I believe you, Amanda. But remember that one mistake at the wrong time could cost you your life, because in this calling,” Angela looked away from Amanda as she finished her last statement, “failure is final.”

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