“You don’t know what dead is, but if you cross me again you will… oh, yeah, partner you will!”
Even in the dark of the cramped space of the Corvette, with only the dim dashboard light glow, I could see the silhouette of the man with many names now known to me as Jet. As he faced me his dark eyes flashed cold hatred. The eyes of a shark circling his prey.
I tried a moment of bravado. Turning to face him in my bucket seat, I said,
“You got me wrong, dude, it wasn’t me that made that deal go wrong, so threaten someone else, I am out of here!”
Lightning fast his hand shot to my arm and with a vice like grip he hissed,
“You, Johnny, have mistaken me for one of your punks. One of the weak junkies that beg for a taste of MY goods. I am the man; I am your man. I own you. You need to listen close. I will explain this one time….”
He was now so close I could smell the sweet sick aroma of the nasty, black cigars he always smoked.
“I know the deals you have made and how you have tried to get over on me. You have one more shot at it. Mess with me again and I will kill you!”
As he spoke the aura of his darkness enveloped me. The evil I had experience the first time he had trapped me into dealing drugs returned and crept into my very soul. I knew no matter how this turned out, I was a dead man. Life as I knew it was gone forever. I had tried to escape but now I knew the only way to do so was run. Run, far and fast, but could I ever outrun the darkness that was in me or the devil himself, I knew as Jet.
So many today laugh at the idea of Satan. We make movies where he is either comical or even the hero. It seems, at least in the Western culture, we think of him as imaginary as Darth Vader or as harmless as the dark queen in a Disney movie. But I do not! I know Satan is real. I know his goal is to take your very life. I have sat across a kitchen table from him and in the front seat of a 1968 Corvette with him. I allowed his darkness to swallow me. To take away my life and the life I once shared with my son.
After the incident I just wrote about, a week later I was set up in a parking lot and only by the grace of God did I escape with my life. I did run. I ran far. I hid in plain sight. I became a ghost of the man I was. But no matter how far I ran or in what dive motel I hid. My life was enveloped in his darkness. There was no light. Even though to others I seemed to be a normal ‘Joe’, I was nothing but a pawn in Satan’s game and I allowed him to move me wherever he wanted.
You could say, I exemplified Jesus words,
‘You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
As long as I lived in his darkness. I lied, cheated and stole. I lived like the devil and the world didn’t seem to mind. I did not understand that this place this planet is his realm and we are in the midst of a great struggle. It was only when I came to the light, to begin to read God’s Word, the Bible, that I saw what living in darkness had done. Only then did I see the wreckage I had left along a long road.
Today I can attest that there is truly an evil personage who has had his way in this world. Look at the carnage of what you see every day and if you are honest, you will see it too. But what is more important to me is that I also know that none of us, neither you nor I have to live in that darkness. Because there is another REAL person who is light, in fact, He is the way, the truth and the Life. His name is Jesus. Here is what he offers and what can save even a sinner like me. Read these words of His,
“’Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28.
He offers this ‘rest’ to every one of us. There is no one who cannot come to it. In the midst of this world that seems out of control and in the midst of the darkness that is enveloping you and me. Today it is as simple as looking to the Light of the World and saying, “Jesus, I need you in my Life.” Then believe. Begin to fill your life with His Word.
I have been blessed to come out of darkness into His marvelous light, but only by His grace. I pray today you will not doubt there is truly an evil one who seeks your life, and you will turn to the Light of the World and be saved.
Blessings
John
5/18/2021
