Lon Michaels - Church of Lies

Church of Lies

by

Lon Michaels

AuthorHouse

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2006 Lon Michaels. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/15/2016

ISBN: 978-1-4259-6794-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-0759-3 (e)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

For friends and loved ones past, present and future and especially for my children.

Revelation 12:9

The great dragon was hurled down---that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray . He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Father John Martin was stunned. His eyes watered, his legs buckled. He was in awe at what he had just read. He could not believe or comprehend the knowledge that had been finally given to him.

John was not sure what happened next. He was not sure if he fainted or just collapsed. All he knew was that suddenly he was lying on the floor of the most sacred and secret room in the Vatican's archives. He also knew that in this sudden state, his bladder functions had given out and that he had urinated all over the floor and himself.

The tears in his eyes and on his face were like acid. They both burned and tasted like he was licking a battery. John prayed another prayer like so many, only this time he asked God to kill him. He prayed to die right where he was. He asked God to forgive him for being such a trusting dupe. He asked God to hold his heart and his hand. He asked God to take back all the prayers that he had prayed in vain. He asked God to forgive him for hating his father. He asked God one more time to take his life and then he passed out.

When John awoke he was not sure how long he had been out. There was no electricity in this cavern of the Vatican. Priests were not allowed to wear watches or any other types of jewelry that related to the secular world. The only things that he was allowed to wear were his priestly robes, his white neckband and the beautiful golden cross around his neck.

When he came to Father John was still very lethargic. He somehow mustered the strength to sit up and lean his solid frame against the rock hard stonewalls of the Vatican's hidden room. His thoughts wandered and he cried over people that he once loved but abandoned because they did not believe as he once did.

John grabbed his throat and tried in some feeble way to choke himself. The tears flowed even harder. Several minutes passed and he gave up at trying to choke the life out of himself. His thoughts raced. He thought about his father, that he had always considered an asshole. He thought about his mother, who had taken him to church three times a week and was the reason that he had become a priest.

John tried again to raise himself to his feet. He pulled on the desk that he was collapsed next to. He pulled on the candlestick but the candle just fell. He picked up the candle because he knew that if he did not the whole room could burn.

Father John Martin yanked the white piece of cloth from around his neck. He looked at it and then held it up to the candle. The cloth took a moment to start to burn, then it quickly incinerated in his hand. John's fingers started to burn as the cloth gave into the desire of the flame. Another tear came down his face. He knew that his life had been lived in vain.

What John had read was inconceivable but he knew it to be right. He knew with everything inside him that it was right. John had read that Jesus was not the true Messiah. Jesus was the second beast. Everything that all the world had been led to believe was a lie. He had led the entire world astray , just as the Bible had foretold.

John now knew that the Catholic Church had been hiding the truth, for nearly two-thousand years. He lay down on the cold, moist floor and cried himself back into sleeplessness.

The sound of singing and praise filled the Vatican and it's halls. Somehow, the singing crept between the mortar of the rocks in the scroll room and rousted Father John from his sleep. Again John pulled himself up to a seated position. This time he managed to get up from the floor and onto his feet. He looked down at the desk and the scroll before him. Carefully he rolled the scroll up then folded it. John took the scroll and carefully slide it between his robs. He extinguished the candles in the room and quickly walked to the door. He did not know what time it was but realized that he could be discovered at anytime. Throughout his career in the Vatican John had been chastised many times for entering the scroll room unsupervised. He no longer had any of those concerns but was afraid that the missing scroll could be discovered before he had the opportunity to escape his long time prison.

As John left the room he pulled the door shut and began to walk the long and winding hallways back to the upper levels of the Vatican. He was walking for several minutes when he turned a narrow corner and bumped directly into Cardinal Samuel.

"Well excuse me, John! What has you all the way down here on this fine morning?" said the Cardinal.

"I have been in the prayer room this evening" said John "I was having a crisis and needed guidance from God"

Cardinal Samuel's smile faded into a puzzled look, "Crisis, hum. Does that explain why you are not wearing your band?"

"Yes" John responded. "I burned it."

"You burned it!" Puzzlement faded into outrage as the Cardinal yelled. "I will certainly be challenged to find you a punishment as burning to you!"

"You can shove your punishment" John retaliated. "I am leaving the Vatican, I can't play this game anymore. I've always felt that something was wrong and now my God has finally showed me what I have been asking for since I was six years old, the truth."

"John, what the hell are you talking about?" The Cardinal said, his mood changing to concern. "I have loved you like a brother. Because of me you are the youngest Priest to ever be accepted to the Vatican. I have trained you and taken you under my wing. Because of me even the Pope knows who you are. John you are thirty six years old, what are you going to do if you leave here? Being a Priest is all you know. How will you live? Where will you live? Do you really want to throw everything away? You have a chance to change things here. You can make the world a better place. What did God possibly tell you to make you want to throw that all away?"

"You would not believe me if I told you" said John. "Everything is a lie, everything."

John pushed away from the Cardinal and climbed the stairs back up the main chambers of the Vatican. In a short time he would be in his room and could pack up the few belongings that he had.

Cardinal Samuel burst into the Vatican library. There was a large meeting going on between several other Cardinals and Bishops, even the Pope was present.