Laying face
down, the
floor
stained with
tears after
hours of
prayer and
travail,
Pastor
Howard
slowly stood
to his
knees. “Yes
Lord,” was
all he could
say. He
picked up
his Bible
and headed
toward the
sanctuary.
His message
today was
not
“googled”
off the
Internet. No
“special
goody” would
be served.
No, this
word was a
word in
season. The
sanctuary
was
unusually
crowded, but
the pastor
hardly
noticed.
With his
thoughts
very serious
and intense,
a powerful
boldness
arose within
him.
“Take me
past the
outer
courts, into
your holy
place, past
the brazen
altar, Lord,
I want to
see your
face,” the
people sang.
Pastor
Howard could
barely
contain the
words within
himself. He
moved
forward
toward the
podium as
the song
came to its
end. Laying
his Bible
down on the
podium he
gazed out at
the crowd,
“People, we
are going to
skip
announcements
if you don’t
mind. Choir,
you are
dismissed.
Never in all
my years of
ministry
have I ever
been so
stirred to
deliver a
message. I
can truly
relate to
the Prophet
Jeremiah—what
he said
about God’s
Word. It’s
like a fire
shut-up in
my bones.
Father in
the name of
Jesus, I ask
for your
help. Let
not a word
come out of
my mouth
that is not
coming by
your Holy
Spirit. Let
all who have
ears to
hear, hear.
And all who
have eyes to
see—see. Let
no life
leave here
without
knowing they
have heard
from you. Oh
Lord, give
me clarity.
I pray for
your glory,
in Jesus’
name, Amen.
The title of
this message
is simply,
‘ARE YOU
READY?’”
He opened
his Bible to
1
Corinthians
15 and began
to read:
“Behold, I
tell you a
mystery: We
shall not
all sleep,
but we shall
all be
changed in a
moment, in
the
twinkling of
an eye, at
the last
trumpet. For
the trumpet
will sound,
and the dead
will be
raised
incorruptible,
and we shall
be changed.”
The pastor
thundered
with great
passion. His
heart’s cry
was that no
one in the
building
would be
found
wanting when
that moment
in time came
to pass. He
preached as
if this
would be his
last
message. A
flame of
emotions
burned in
his soul
knowing the
terror of
the Lord. He
begged and
pleaded with
all who
would hear.
“Today is
the day of
salvation
and now is
the
appointed
time. Many
of you might
be tempted
to scoff at
this message
saying, ‘Oh
sure, we
have heard
Jesus is
coming many
times and it
has been
2000 years
and yet the
world
continues.’
Peter said
this, ‘Beloved,
I now write
to you this
second
epistle (in
both of
which I stir
up your pure
minds by way
of
reminder),that
you may be
mindful of
the words
which were
spoken
before by
the holy
prophets,
and of the
commandment
of us, the
apostles of
the Lord and
Savior,
knowing this
first: that
scoffers
will come in
the last
days,
walking
according to
their own
lusts, and
saying,
‘Where is
the promise
of His
coming?’
I tell you
the truth.
Jesus will
descend with
a shout and
call his
church home.
If you
neglect such
a great
salvation
today, if
you harden
your heart,
if you mock
or turn a
deaf ear,
you will
find
yourself an
enemy of God
heading for
a time of
his wrath
that is to
come. If you
happen to
die in your
sins, you
most
certainly
are
appointed to
stand to
face the
Lord at the
Great White
Throne
Judgment
with the
condemnation
of an
eternity in
a lake of
fire.
You might
think that
this is
too much
condemning
preacher
but that’s
why I’m
standing
here,
preaching
with
everything
in me. Hear
me: This is
a final call
to someone
here today.
I feel it in
my spirit.
Jesus came
not into
this world
to condemn,
but he came
to save!”
The pastor
continued
spelling out
for the
crowd what
the Bible
says will
happen
during the
seven years
of the
Tribulation.
“In closing,
I want no
head bowed
and no eyes
closed,
for Jesus
said this:
‘If you will
confess me
before men,
I will
confess you
to the
Father. But
if you deny
me before
men, I will
deny you to
the Father.’
If you want
to KNOW that
you ARE
READY and
that your
sins have
been
forgiven,
and you are
ready to
make a
public
declaration
of your
faith and
devotion to
Jesus
Christ, I
want you to
get out of
your seat
and run up
to these
altars. Fall
on your
knees and
say this
very simple
prayer,
‘SAVE ME
JESUS’”
Inside that
great
sanctuary, a
holy fear of
God had
fallen. When
the pastor’s
call went
out,
hundreds got
out of their
seats and
ran to the
altars. With
tears
flowing,
people
believed and
repented.
Just a few
weeks later
the pastor
walked past
some new
Bible-study
classrooms
in session.
A joy sprang
up in his
soul seeing
the rooms
completely
filled with
new eager
students.
That night
the pastor
and those
new converts
heard the
shout, “COME
UP HERE!”
They were
ready!
Footnote:
This
is the
second of a
series of
short
stories from
my,
Sounding the Alarm Preludes to the Rapture collection. Please feel
free to
download the
stories as
formatted
and use them
as
witnessing
material.
Tim Cameron
timcameron@centurytel.net