At Exactly 12:34

Chester argued all the way back to the kitchen. What does God have to do with the 5 Wisdoms. They are the very part of the nature around us. Science has proved all this through centuries of experimentation and observation. No religion has had these 5 truths buried in its arcane past. And none of this proves God exists. At least not to me. If God exists he must give me a sign. But a sign from God would have to be pretty creepy to make me believe." Chester had a grin of a confident man.

The Master took a basket from the kitchen, obviously made by Sanjiv, and walked over to the back porch. There was a small table with a digital clock on it, clustered around the table were several pillows. Up against the wall were several paintings covered by a cloth. The Master motioned for Chester to sit. As he laid out the lunch, Master explained. "God is a personal experience. And it occurs in your heart and not in your brain. God has been showing you a sign for over 20 years. He is about to show it to you again. Chester, what time is it?"

Chester was startled and quit reaching for the warm rolls. Glancing at the digital clock he did a double take. It read 12:34 pm. Chester felt a rising panic as he watched the Master uncover a painting of his 6th grade science project. It was a mechanical clock that had wheels with numbers on it that peeked through holes to show a digital time. It didn't work very well and always quit at 12:34. The Master had painted him as a boy working on his project with the clock showing 12:34. Then he pulled out several more, each with Chester looking at a digital clock and it being 12:34. All I know is this is your sign from God but I don't understand exactly how. Would you please solve this mystery I have had for many years. Why have I painted so many paintings with the time of 12:34 being a theme?"

Chester was stunned. This was Chester's most private secret. He had never ever told anyone of the little head game Chester had played with himself since he was a boy. Chester's voice quivered as he tried to get the words out. "When I was a boy I read all about Merlin the Magician and fancied myself as a powerful wizard. And since all of the religions seemed to hate magic, I liked it even better. So I invented my own special secret magic. I came up with it at the same time I was doing my science project. I decided I was an all powerful Wizard at exactly 12:34 and any wish I made while it was 12:34 would come true. So I started playing a game of trying to notice exactly when a digital clock said it was 12:34. All of the clocks in my house were the old fashion analog clocks with second hands and such. So I invented a digital clock that was made of 2 wheels that turned behind 2 holes in cardboard face. It was the source of my magic power. Only I knew the secret of seeing 12:34 on a digital clock before they were even invented. Years later when they were actually being sold as alarm clocks and wristwatches I remembered my childish nonsense of magic. However a very queer thing started happening. I would absent mindedly look up to see what time it was, and it seemed that for several weeks at a time, almost every night and every day I would just glance and see 12:34. Then I started trying to catch the clock at 12:34 on purpose and would miss it every time. I've played this game for years. It drives me nuts. The harder I try to catch the clock at 12:34 I miss it. When I finally give up and leave it alone it plays the game with me. I start seeing 12:34 in the weirdest places. On buses, on billboards, on the clocks, but never when I was looking for it. I've never told anyone about this because I'm sure they would have thought I was crazy. It has been the only irrational part of my life that I know of. How does this prove God exists?"

The Master looked at Chester and sighed. All I can say is, "I asked God for a sign many years ago when I realized I was a Master Mystic of the true knowledge. You see a Master Mystic must pass on his knowledge to his successor. It is how the information is passed down. I asked God to give me a sign so I could recognize my successor and he showed me 12:34 as glowing numbers. About 10 years ago, my meditations showed me I should learn how to paint. About 5 years ago I started having visions that would trouble me until I painted them. The troubling ones have always turned into paintings of you."

Chester was feeling strange. Tears were streaming down his eyes yet he seemed distant and detached as he started experiencing a powerful "I've been here before feeling!"

Continue with The Story part 8.

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The Reluctant Messenger of Science and Religion Novel

Science And The World's Religions Are Pieces to a Puzzle that Need Each Other to Form A Complete Picture

The Essential Teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong


His Teachings Focused on The Incredible Human Potential. Did He Solve the Mystery of the Ages?
New Book about HWA's Teachings. Recommended!

The Story