A Hero's Heart. Joseph David Hightower

       Yours both today and forever.

       I pray this is the name of the Father

       and in the name of the Holy Spirit

       and in the name of Yeshua. Amen.”

      After they had finished praying together, they laid their heads back and stared up into the night sky. They both began to drift into a deep sleep. While Ojiisan slept soundly and without a flicker of an eyelid, Heru began to drift into a pleasant dream filled with all the images of his childhood and the times recently spent next to the refreshing pools of the waterfall. As he went further and further into the dream world, he found himself pulled back to the grassy bank of the waterfall. He looked up to find Yeshua standing over him with a beautiful smile covering his face. “I am so very proud of you Heru, you have made a wise decision this night. Your travels will take you a long way and many battles will come into your path, but never fear, I Am always with you.” Get some rest, you are to sleep here next to the waterfall tonight, I must minister to your young heart and I want you close to Me. I love you Heru and you have made my heart fill with joy at your acceptance of both Me and My Father. Close your eyes now and get some sleep.”

      Never had a man experienced a more peaceful and rejuvenating sleep than the rest that Heru got on that night.

      Chapter 15

      Kokoru leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. “What a journey!” he thought to himself. “Imagine speaking with the Son of God and then knowing that He was calling you a friend. I wish I had a connection like the one that Heru had.”

      Kokoru looked up at the sound of the door opening. Mr. Kisame stepped into the room with a bright smile on his face. “I see that you have covered a lot of ground in your reading. Have you found anything that intrigues you yet? Do you have any questions that I may have the answers too?” he asked as he sat a plate of sushi rolls and rice in front of Kokoru.

      “Yes, actually I do have several questions for you. First, do you believe that a person can speak with God in their dreams? If they can, then why have I never heard His voice or seen His face?” “Secondly, why would Heru need to carry an old man on his shoulders and just where did he get that pack from?” Kokoru said around a mouth full fish and rice.

      Mr. Kisame took a moment before replying. “To answer your first question young master, yes, I most assuredly believe that one can speak with God in their dreams. In fact, according to the Bible, that is how He has spoken to most of His people for generations upon generations. For the second portion of your question, I am not sure why you have not heard God speak to you in your dreams, I think that perhaps you have and just did not realize who it was that was doing the speaking. You must first know who He is for you to understand the things that He speaks to you. He does not speak like others around you, but instead He speaks with a soft quiet voice, one that if you are not listening closely, you will miss it. As for Heru carrying the old man on his shoulders, it was a way of showing humility and courage. The pack was placed on Heru’s back by his mother as he was leaving the village. With everything as chaotic as it was, he did not notice the heaviness of it until much later.”

      Kokoru sat in his chair eating and trying to absorb everything that was being explained to him, but he just could not get his mind to comprehend the ability to speak with the God of creation in a dream, or anytime for that matter. He looked over at Mr. Kisame and before he could even voice what was plaguing his mind, Mr. Kisame held up his hand and leaned forward taking Kokoru’s shoulders in his old gnarled-up hands and squeezed. “You will soon understand the things that seem so very complex, just be patient and continue your reading. Heru found everything to be a bit baffling as well” he laughed. With a smile still in place he gave Kokoru another gentle squeeze and slowly stood to his feet. “Get some rest and begin fresh in the morning, Heru’s story has been here for generations and it will not disappear if you get some much-needed shut eye”.

      Kokoru nodded his head and gave the old man a smile in return, but he knew within himself that he would not be able to sleep without knowing what Heru was dreaming about himself. He wanted to learn how to speak with God the way that Heru could. He sat at the table for a while longer after Mr. Kisame left and slowly finished his meal. Pushing away from the table he crawled onto his bed and pulled the book to him and began to once again travel with Heru.

      While Heru was still sleeping soundly, he felt himself being pulled to another time, another place. He sat up and as he rubbed the sleep from his young eyes, he saw Yeshua standing before him. Yeshua held out a small cup of the cool refreshing water. As Heru was taking a drink, Yeshua began to hum a soft song that seemed to fill every pore in Heru’s body. All the trials that he had faced and all the heartache seemed to just melt away and all that was left was a joyfully clean soul.

      “Hello Heru, I am so very glad that you were able to visit with me again. I have so much to teach you!” Yeshua said with a smile lighting up His face. He reached out and took Heru by the arm pulling him to his feet. “I have some things that you must know before your journey goes any further. These are things that you would probably rather not hear, but you must in order for you grow into the young warrior that you are meant to be.” He said in a quiet tone. “As you know already there is one that wishes for you to fail and not succeed in saving your family, his name is Satan, and he is the enemy of your soul! Please do not allow him to deceive you!” Yeshua cried. “He has many demons that do his bidding for him and now the time has come for me to show you some of their many faces. These are those that have enslaved and tormented your family for generations. It was these vile creatures that I defeated upon my death and resurrection!” He said with a voice of triumph.

      He once again reached out and took Heru’s hand and before Heru’s eyes, Yeshua was transformed from the simple carpenter into a mighty warrior clad in armor befitting that of a great and mighty king. There was a long saber-like sword at His right side and an enormous shield held easily in His left hand. His magnificent chest was covered with a gold plate that was inscribed with every demon that had ever been defeated blazoned across the front. Giving Heru a blindingly brilliant smile, both He and Heru were transported across fields and plains and valleys, the ground moving at a lightning speed, but the two of them never taking a single step.

      As the ground beneath their feet came to a stop Heru could see a gigantic cave in front of them. This cave had the appearance of a monster’s gapping mouth. As if it were waiting to devour a searching soul seeking solace from the surrounding land. It had moss covering the upper jaw like a sinister mustache and huge stalactites hung from the roof of the mouth dripping water, they were like the teeth of the most venomous snake.

      The lower jaw was what appeared to be a gigantic moving tongue. However, upon closer observation one could see that the floor of the cave was covered with thousands and thousands of spiders, big and small, and enormous scorpions ready to strike its deadly poison into anything that moved. It was a thing that seemed to come straight from the very pit of hell. It was a cave that conjured up every nightmarish dream that a child or an adult for that matter could have. Heru knew that if it was evil than it would be found inside this place of destruction.

      Chapter 16

      Standing in the entrance as they were, Heru began to feel a wind that had no source coming from inside of the cave, almost like the monster was breathing on him. Heru turned to Yeshua and asked him about the strange wind. “It is the breath of the accuser breathing out his constant lies” was Yeshua’s simple answer. As he was saying this they were moving further into the inner chamber of the mouth of the cave. Inside this open space, in the very center, sat what appeared to be a throne of sorts. It was made from bone and rocks and sitting in the throne was a suit of Red Ronin Armor holding the masks in its gruesome fist.

      Suddenly, the armor jumped to its feet and gave a thunderous roar. When the echoes had finally subsided, a strange light seemed to be lighting up the rooms around them. It was not until this point that Heru had even noticed