Markus, Pinklin, and Lizzie stood by the church window watching the young pastor walk up the hill. Pinklin and Lizzie had brought all of their troop divisions. Hemolin and Liketon were positioned just outside the front entrance along with their respective staffs. The other commanders were taking up other strategic positions. It was going to be a big night for Markus. He wanted nothing to go wrong.

Up till now, the war had gone smoothly. Markus's victories had been most impressive, one after the other. Every battle had been successful. Now, Markus was starting to sense that the final victory was near. Markus was convinced that the whole campaign came down to one battle, tonight's battle. A major victory tonight would be so demoralizing that the pastor and most of the members would quit. Thus, the campaign would be over.

The forces started to build for the battle. According to intelligence reports, the forces from upstairs were also mobilizing. They would be prepared to join the battle tonight.

Meanwhile, the Big Boss and Headquarters had suddenly become highly interested in the operation, requiring daily briefings. If Markus was successful tonight, then his future was unlimited. It had even been suggested there might be an opening at Headquarters for Markus as the Seventh Level Ruler of North America. This promotion would make him responsible for the entire North American theater of operations, a powerful position in the organization. However, the price of failure was also high but no one talked about that.

It was about an hour before service when Pastor Brown entered the church. It was time for the final battle of the campaign to began.

Hemolin, a Decaton armed with emotion bolts, led his troop into the first wave of the attack. These were a specialized group of experts called Disrupters. The church buzzed with activity as messengers reported results from all over the city. Hemolin looked at each report and responded with his orders.

Markus stepped out of the church and let his commanders do their jobs.

The effects of the assault were quickly felt in the human world. The members started to call one another. Then the phone rang in the pastor's office.

Pastor Brown rushed to pick it up, saying, "Good evening, Revival Center."

The more the pastor listened, the more he fumed.

He made several calls, each making him angrier than the one before. As he paced back and forth through the hallway, Hemolin signaled for Markus to come back inside.

The first thing Markus heard was the pastor talking to himself. "Who do these people think they are anyway? I ought to wring their little necks...".

After letting Markus listen for a few moments, Hemolin asked, "Well, what do you think? Does he sound like a man ready to pray?"

"Great job!!" Markus responded.

The first wave had attempted to disconnect Pastor Brown from the Guy Upstairs. The more human anger and bitterness in the pastor, the harder it would be for him to pray. It prepared the pastor for the main assault. Hemolin had done well; the first wave was a giant success.

Pastor Brown was out of touch. He was too angry to pray. Markus made a note to put Hemolin in for a medal when this was all over.

Confident with the results of the first wave, Markus sent a messenger to Kiladad with instructions to begin the second wave. The messenger disappeared to Kiladad's command headquarters at the evangelist's hotel.

Kiladad, a Swisher like Lizzie, was the Area Commander in charge of the local gangs. He had researched the evangelist's history and requested the mission. It was his job to try to disconnect the evangelist from the Guy Upstairs. The messenger returned in a few minutes with news that the attack had begun.

It was about fifteen minutes before the service when the evangelist finally knocked on the pastor's door.

Pastor Brown opened the door quickly. "Reverend Young, come on in."

"Thanks," the evangelist responded gruffly as he walked into the office.

Markus and Pinklin could tell instantly that Kiladad had been just as successful as Hemolin. The frustration poured out of the evangelist. Markus was beginning to feel the victory.

"I almost canceled tonight," Mister Young stated flatly. "You wouldn't believe the things that have happened. I was walking out to my car, and you know what? A couple of hoodlums were running off with my battery. Can you believe that? "

"I know. Some people have no concern for anybody but themselves," the pastor said. "I just heard that some of the church members are griping about my hair being too long. Is that the pettiest thing you ever heard?"

"Well, I don't know about all of that, but I had to call the garage for a new battery. They took twenty minutes just to show up. Then, even after he got there, he couldn't put the battery in right. Looked like a leftover from the hippies, long greasy hair and dirty fingernails. He was probably strung out on drugs or something. You see these spots on my...".

"What about these 'more-righteous-than-thou' people?" the pastor interrupted. "They look down their noses at you because you don't look like their version of Christianity. What am I supposed to do, get a committee to build me a dress code? Maybe the board of elders needs to show me how to dress."

Markus watched carefully, then whispered to Liketon, "Begin the third wave. Concentrate on their religious differences."

Liketon stretched his tentacles toward the two ministers. As the emotion bolt was released, he started turning a deep red. Several lower-ranked Decatons stood by to transfer their energy to Liketon as needed.

Markus could almost see a change in the anger as the evangelist spoke.

"You know, I really don't like your attitude. I would have you know that I believe in the old-fashioned Pentecostal Holiness. I don't go for any of this stuff about men's hair being longer than the women either! I mean we need to get that settled right up front!"

Markus walked out of the room. The couple were channeling their energies toward each other. Markus knew that Decatons could not control the human mind. They could only send short bursts of emotion. Human emotions were the property of each person. The individual must decide the appropriate response to each situation, but the Decatons were masters of leading a human into an emotional response, then releasing an emotion bolt to start a chain reaction. They encouraged a person to follow natural response patterns, and in undisciplined men with unbridled tongues, the results could be fantastic.

The third wave was the main assault. It was more successful than ever imagined. Markus had hoped for the ministers to be a little upset, but the religious difference was just too much to pass up. The two preachers could argue about the insignificant differences in beliefs all night.

Who knows? This argument could even kill the revival.

The crowd in the auditorium was becoming to get restless. It was fifteen minutes past starting time.

Mrs. Brown was concerned. At first she thought the ministers were praying to prepare for service. She was almost ready to leave her piano when the pair made their entrance.

There was a definite strain between the ministers as they took their places on the stage. The pastor led the song service, which was as dead as usual.

Markus sat down on the back row and worked on his report to headquarters. He had been a little concerned at first; however, this campaign was going to be a feather in his hat. It definitely could mean a promotion.

The service continued, as strained as it started. The offering plate was passed; couple of songs were sung as specials. The crowd clapped politely with the rhythm. Old Man Jones started to snore again. The pastor took prayer requests and prayed a general prayer to cover them. Checking his list of things to do, the pastor remembered to ask for testimonies.

The first person to stand was Sister Simon. She started to share what God's love meant to her. She described the service when the young pastor brought the children to the church for the first time.

She said, "I'll never forget the love that I felt when I saw little Jennifer. She was standing there so scared and insecure, all alone in a big hostile world. Looking at her, I thought of what Jesus must have felt when He came into this world. He was beaten and mocked. He was isolated by society, just as little Jennifer had been forgotten and ignored."

The church listened closely as Sister Simon's eyes teared. It was a touching moment.

"I decided at that point that if Jesus could love the homeless and forgive everything that was done to Him, then I was going to try. As most of you know, I have taken a special interest in Jennifer, and today at lunch a special thing happened. She accepted Jesus as her personal Savior."

As Sister Simon wiped her eyes, she took Jennifer by the hand and helped her to stand.

"Jennifer, do you want to tell the people something too?" Sister Simon asked in a sweet soft voice.

The little girl stood, wearing a perfectly pressed flowery dress, white shoes, and a bow in her hair.

"I love Jesus!" Jennifer said shyly.

It was a tender moment. Pastor Brown watched the little girl and remembered. He thought about the first time he saw her playing in the streets. All of the other kids were picking on her, making her cry. He remembered the first time she heard the story of Jesus' death on the cross. She cried. It all came back to him now.

Jennifer continued, more confident. "I like it here. I like the Bible stories, and Jesus, but...".

"What is it, honey? It's okay," Sister Simon told her.

"I want my mommy to know Jesus too," Jennifer answered.

The pastor looked over the crowd. He saw it more like the first Sunday. He didn't see the empty seats as a sign of failure but as an opportunity to grow. He remembered the old visitor's words.

There was a long silence in the building while the pastor thought and prayed, "Lord, let me be your vessel and your spokesperson. Use me to speak your words."

With a new sense of courage, he spoke to the people. "I have been wrong. When I took this church, I thought that I could build it into something great. I thought I knew all the growth strategies. I thought I could be the next superstar preacher. I thought I had all the answers. I was wrong. There is no 'I' doing anything. This is God's church. We are God's people.

"I propose that we give this church and our lives back to God. Let Him fight our battles and steer our course. If you will join me in this prayer, I think we may see things start to move around here. We will see people being saved and problems being solved."

The pastor looked over the congregation. He didn't know if he had said the right things or not. He had tried to speak the words that God placed in his heart. Now it was time to see if the congregation would follow his lead.

He felt his faith wavering, but he heard a small voice inside say, Be strong, My son. Be strong.

Lifting his eyes toward heaven, Pastor Brown prayed aloud.

"Lord, forgive me for my foolish pride and haughty spirit. I give You my life to shape and mold. Guide me and direct me by Your will. Lord, as a church we surrender all to You. We are at Your service to command. I stand on the scripture that says, 'Rebuke the devil and he will flee from you.' I rebuke the devil and all his followers. Lord Jesus, send Your angels...".

Markus was stunned.

A messenger ran inside the building. "Markus, the other side! They're marching! A whole legion is approaching!"

Markus was speechless.

Pinklin took charge immediately. "Searon, lead the 1st Division into their flank. Therob, take the 2nd Division and support the front lines."

The troops were active. Markus had ordered every creature to stand by for this battle, even though he had hoped to avoid it.

Pinklin looked at the initial reports and said, "Markus, I can't hold them for more than an hour. You have that long to try to get control."

"One hour? Why so short?"

"There are too many and they are top level troops. Fate be with you, Markus."

Pinklin rushed out the door!

Markus heard the battle raging in the skies above the church. It was ferocious.

The church started to pray together. The people came to the altar and prayed on their own. The revival was turning into a prayer meeting.

Within five minutes the first surge broke through the lines. Pinklin had underestimated the situation.

Five angels descended into the church with flaming swords drawn. A blue light surrounded each of them. They quickly built a parameter and received reinforcements. As they slowly pushed out Markus's forces, the blue light expanded. The once-dark church quickly became embraced by the light.

Within another five minutes the angels had complete control over the building. They continued to push Markus's forces outward away from the church. Then Pinklin's order to retreat was heard above the clamor of the battle.

It was over.

Inside, the prayer meeting grew. The entire congregation surrounded the altar. Everyone praised and worshipped Jesus. The Spirit moved freely throughout the church.

Pastor Brown looked through his tear-stained eyes. It was a blessing to see God ministering to His church.

Then the noise inside the church seemed to subside.

Old Man Jones stood to his feet and started to prophesy. "Listen, My people, to My words! The fields are ripe. The harvest is ready. Put on the whole armor of God. Then go into the highways and byways and preach My gospel. The battle will not be easy, but stand strong against our adversary the devil, and you shall prevail. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts."

Meanwhile Markus received a communiqu� from Headquarters. Slowly he read it:

The high command hereby suspends Sixth Level Supervisor Markus and Second Level Inteller Pinklin from active duty pending an investigation of recent events. Commander Lizzie will temporarily assume command as Interim Sixth Level Supervisor until the results of this investigation are known.

It was signed "The Big Boss."

Markus looked around his inner circle. One by one his commanders looked away, their faces without expression. Slowly Markus lifted his eyes to the sky. The clouds to the west had darkened. He heard the dull roar of the distant thunder.

Markus spoke quietly and without emotion. "Looks like we have stormy weather on the way, doesn't it?"