Chapter 7
Two Or Three Gathered
Keel, Carey, and Anne turned their attention to finding out who among the 30 working at the garage were believers. They started with only five and actively talked about Jesus to the others bringing five more to the Lord. It wasn't long before the garage was divided rather starkly between believers and those refusing to listen. They agreed not to push anymore. The ten called themselves God's Dozen. When they said it, they made a minus sign in the air since they were slightly short.
God's Dozen got together every evening to talk about the Lord, the Word, and have prayer. Most of the time, they met in the woods behind the building. They would build a little fire and spend as much time as they could before the Fall evening chill drove them indoors. Carey and Anne thanked the Lord for Keel. It was obvious that Keel was God’s gift to them. He was definitely their answered prayer, but they were his answered prayer too. He stopped being so uncomfortable around others because God was changing his solitary ways to better people ways. He was being used of God exactly like God wanted while he continued to openly share with the group his deeper understanding the Word. He knew more than all of them put together. All those years of being with his father were paying off for Keel and these kids. Even the way his dad spoke about salvation, including the examples and stories his father used to use. He told the group things about the Word that opened their hearts and lifted them up. They couldn't wait to get together to learn and talk about Jesus.
It was surprising the way the services evolved. When they met, they all felt a real presence of God in their midst. As the kids talked about the Lord, they found themselves crying, not from sadness, but
the unburdening of their hearts. They seemed to be breaking themselves before God, a freeing event. In the services, they kept getting a greater sense of God's nearness. They sang songs over and over, feeling God’s presence moving among them. Keel knew a lot of songs, but had a terrible singing voice. He sounded more like a frog with strep, but he still shared from the hymnals he had stowed away. One time, Allister, a 12-year-old, was talking about how much he loved the Lord when the Holy Spirit stirred among them. Allister raised his hands into the air praising God; and soon, they all were doing it.
As a group, they specifically asked the Lord that they not be turned over to Casey for any reason. They claimed protection from him. When they bumped into each other in the garage, instead of saying, "Hi," they said, "delivered." It was a way of reinforcing their protection from harm, and it was embedded into their hearts. They became convinced of God's intention to protect them, and they refused anything bad coming against them. They came to the conclusion that harm was contrary to the God they loved, and this definitely included Casey.
After two weeks of this worship, Anne asked Keel about other things believers in his church did. "Keel, what else can we do? I've never gone to church in my life, even after I accepted the Lord. It's all new to me. Tell me, Father Keel, got any more tricks in your church bag?"
Anne was always funning with him like that, and he loved it. It reminded him of home because Keel’s dad was a chronic kidder. He did crazy things to tease Keel. As a child, Keel didn't take well to it at first, but as time went on, he caught on. Before long, he
joined his dad. Keel still remembered one New Year’s Eve when he fell asleep while waiting up to explode some firecrackers.
His dad shook him awake saying, "It's firecracker time, Keel. Get up." When Keel opened his eyes, he was blind as a bat, and there was a wall of gray in front of him.
He jumped up and started hollering, "I can't see! I can't see!" His dad was cracking up. He had taped his glasses over while he slept. Keel still laughed whenever he thought about it.
They both liked to tease Hennery, his dad’s English bulldog, with a laser pen. They would point the red light on the floor, and Hennery would make mad dashes for it. They'd move it near him, and he’d pounce while trying to trap it under him. They'd shine the light on the linoleum kitchen floor and watch Hennery as he hit the floor, spinning and sliding so much that he looked like a giant spinning top, covered with drool and hair.
Anne’s question reminded him of something. He said, "Wait here," and ran to his backpack and pulled out his dad's communion set. He returned smiling as if he discovered a fabulous treasure.
Anne looked at him, "What in the world is that?" The rest of God's Dozen were gathered around now waiting for his response.
"This is my dad's communion box," he replied. Setting it on the floor, he opened it carefully, reverently. "He used this when he visited hospital patients and shut-ins. He’d share communion with them. You see, it has a little, silver tin with wafers in it, and a little bottle for grape juice."
Anne reached around over his shoulder as he squatted in front of it and grabbed the oil bottle. "What's this? It looks like motor oil." She was about to laugh, and then she saw how serious Keel looked. She handed it back to him and ducked her head slightly saying, "I'm sorry, Keel, but what is it?"
"It's healing oil. Olive oil my dad brought back from Israel. In my church, when someone was sick, we anointed their head with oil and prayed for them to get better." He held the little bottle tightly. As an afterthought, he stuck it in his shirt pocket. It was a full bottle, but still only an ounce.
Anne was still mystified, "Did it work?"
"Did what work?"
"The oil? Did they get better?" asked Anne with Carey chiming in.
"Sometimes it did. I’ve used it on myself before. One time, I had a bad cut on my arm from pruning the hedges around my house. That night as I was studying my Bible, I decided to try it. I didn’t just try it; I believed it. I took Crisco oil and anointed my own head with oil. I put oil on my cut and held my hand on it while I prayed, 'Lord, I pray in Your name for my own healing. You have promised by your stripes we are healed; and also, whatever we pray in faith, we shall receive. I accept those promises as mine.' Then I said, 'Thank you Lord for healing me.'"
Anne was wide-eyed. "What happened? What happened?" The rest were saying the same thing.
"When I took my hand off the cut, the cut was gone and new skin was there." Keel was getting goose bumps just thinking about it, and so was everyone else.
Anne was pumped. She started asking, "Does anyone have a problem? Is anyone sick? Come on guys; if God can do this, I want to see it." Anne started inspecting everyone while trying to find anyone who qualified for healing, but everyone was fine.
Keel was a little embarrassed by it, but he knew what he said was true. If there was someone who needed healing, why couldn't this group of kids do it as much as his church? Wasn't the church made up of the body of believers?
Well, he thought, "God's Dozen qualifies."
Anne was terribly disappointed. Then, she spotted Allister and pointed at him saying, "You’ve got pimples!" Allister’s face turned eleven-shades red. He was so embarrassed that he pulled his cap down to hide his face.
Keel responded, "We all have pimples! What's the deal?"
Keel patted Allister on the back and hugged him sideways. Allister relaxed a little and answered himself. "Hey, Anne, give me a break, will you? My folks were poor. I couldn't afford vitamin A like the rest of you probably could. My dad was so old fashioned that he made me put baking soda plasters on my face to dry up my pimples. He used to do it when he was a kid so I had to do it too. I’m a lot better since I don’t eat pizza anymore.”
Anne felt that retching again at the mention of pizza, but she wasn't about to give up, "Allister, watch my lips." She was close in his face, talking slowly. "You really have pimples. Lots of them. The rest of us just have a pimple in comparison."
She turned to the group speaking normally, "Don't you believe Keel’s story?" They all nodded "yes." "Why isn’t God able to heal pimples? Are pimples excluded, somehow? Did Jesus go around saying 'bring me your sick, but I don't do pimples?’ I don’t think so.” The kids started laughing hysterica
lly. Anne was acting silly but making a valid point.
Keel interjected, "I agree with Anne; but most of the time, it’s important that the person receiving healing wants it and believes that God is able. I don't think we should ram anything down anyone's throat. We stopped pushing Jesus on the other kids for the same reason. Allister, do you want your pimples healed?"
Allister was getting extremely embarrassed from all this attention for the wrong reasons but answered truthfully, "Of course."
Keel made a suggestion, "I think we need to have our service indoors today. No one else is around so let's take advantage of it."
They all stood for a minute looking at each other. The other kids left over an hour ago. They were getting cabin fever so they were walking up to the bridge. It was a perfect place to get away from the lot. They skipped stones, jumped across rocks, and looked for snakes and turtles. God's Dozen was just as alone as if they were in the woods.
Anne looked at Keel and said, "What about the communion? Can we do it too?"
Keel was stumped. He had only seen ordained preachers doing it before. He turned and said, "Can I go to the woods to pray by myself for a little bit? I'll be right back."
They all knew Anne had stumped "Father Keel." They knew that Keel was going to ask the Lord first. They believed Keel could ask God anything and get an answer. They trusted him with all their Christian lives. As Keel walked towards the woods, he felt the presence of God moving in his heart, and his emotions peaked. He felt God was truly with him. He came to the ashes of their last meeting and knelt on the ground weeping. He didn't know why he cried so much. All he knew was that God was breaking his heart, just as Jesus was broken for him.
He prayed as he knelt, "Lord, help me to help these kids. I really believe you want me here. I'm not a preacher. I'm only a kid. Help me to understand Your will. Teach me through Your Holy Spirit. Give me a sign that what I am doing is the right thing and is Your will."
"You okay, Keel?" said a familiar voice beside him.
Keel felt a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move. He knew exactly who this was. Only two other times had he heard this voice. He was so scared he couldn't move and realized that those other times weren't coincidental.
He spoke trembling, "You tell me, mister."
"Aaron," corrected Aaron.
Keel looked up, and it was the same man from the lake. He didn't have sunglasses on this time, and his eyes were blazing stars. Keel fell backwards and scrambled to his feet about ready to run back to the lot.
Aaron said, "Keel, don't go. Don't be afraid. Would you feel better if I said, 'Fear not, I bring you great tidings of great joy?'" Aaron was practicing his wit; it was a learned art.
Keel’s heart made him stay. He knew he was with an angel so he asked, "Why are you here? Are you an answer to my prayer? The sign I asked for?"
"Keel," Aaron said, "you don't need a sign. The Holy Spirit in your heart is the biggest sign you’ve got. Sure, I'm here because you asked for help. What you’re doing right now is only the beginning. God has his hand on your God's Dozen but especially on you. The anointing of God rests on you, even more than with your father. Your father and your family are very proud of you right now. They are all in God's presence. Don't underestimate the power of the anointing in you. Don't withhold the power of God's anointing from anyone with need. God hasn't withheld it from you. Break the bread, Keel. Feed God's sheep. Break the bread, Keel. Feed God's lambs. Break the bread, Keel. The gifts of God for the people of God."
Keel felt and heard every word, including the message about his family. It was better than getting a letter from home. He knew they were okay. He'd always known. He knew God was with him. He knew—if they wanted to pray to heal pimples—they could. He knew—if they wanted to take communion—it was okay. God was creating a new world. He was replacing a world, which had lost its religious structure, replacing it with His anointing.
Before he disappeared, Aaron said, "We are always watching. We are always near. Listen to the voice of God within you," then he was gone.
Keel ran back to the garage and almost broke down the backdoor trying to get in. As he ran to his friends, he yelled, "I saw an angel! I saw an angel! We're doing the right things! We really are doing okay!"
His friends couldn't help but believe him, and his excitement was contagious. They immediately went into a praise hymn, which came from nowhere. It was as if it had been given to them, not taught, they sang "Alleluia, Alleluia" in a Hebrew chant giving them high-rise goose bumps.
Keel reached in his pocket and pulled out the healing oil. "Let's agree to do this together. We must agree to believe God is able to heal Allister. Allister, you must agree it's okay for God to heal you." They all agreed, including Allister.
Allister moved to the center of his friends while Keel took the oil as they all laid hands on him the best they could, and some laid their hands on each other. Everyone was connected in God. As Keel was about to put oil on Allister's forehead, something came over Keel. He took the oil and poured it all out on his hands. It was dripping and covered his hands completely. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, then Keel took his hands and moved them over Allister's face.
Keel said, "I anoint you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. By Jesus' stripes you are healed."
He hugged Allister to his chest while feeling the power of the anointing flowing from his body into Allister's and through the others and back again. Some of the kids moaned; some fell to the ground praying; some were frozen unable to move so powerful was the anointing. Out of Keel’s mouth came a white breath, like the breath on a cold winter's morning, except the garage was at least 70 degrees. It moved to Allister, doing the same to each of them until they all breathed the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Allister’s face was as smooth
and clear as a newborn, not a pimple, not a blemish, and so it was with each one.
When they saw what happened to each other and themselves, they each went to be alone, still praying and praising God. The Holy Spirit was dealing with each one of them individually while working through the layers of damage and need. This was too personal to stay in a group, and they saved the communion for another time.
They continued to pray for deliverance from Casey. Whenever he came by, he would stick his head in to see if he could spot Carey and Anne. He would always wave and wink their direction. They felt chills up and down their spine when he did and didn't feel right until he left. God's Spirit always gave them personal comfort, but they wondered about the other kids at other places. How many were Christians? What was happening to them? They always felt sadness when they prayed for them.
"Please, God, help the other kids."
Anne kept having dreams about Hunter Younger. In the dreams, it was always the same; Hunter was badly hurt, then he was covered with brilliant light and put his hands in the air, praising Jesus, then he too breathed the white anointing.
Anne would wake in a deep sweat and start praying for him. It was Hunter who had won her to the Lord. Something was wrong now or would be. All Anne knew how to do was pray about it. She always prayed throughout the day for everyone, but especially for Hunter. She told Keel about it, and he explained that she had received a "burden."
"God gives us burdens to carry so we will intercess for others," explained Keel.
Afterwards, God’s Dozen started intercessing for others by name. They each identified a person they could all pray for. They joined hands and prayed for them until they felt a release in their spirit. They felt they were making a difference. One person they all felt a burden for was Alex. The Lord didn’t let them stop their prayer meetings until they prayed on his behalf.
Children of the Sanctuary Page 9