“Tony, I am
not trying
to make you
mad,” Julie
pleaded.
“Then why do
you call me
and start
preaching
this
nonsense?”
Tony
snapped.
“I mean do
you know how
ridiculous
you sound?
Don’t you
realize that
all your
friends
think you’ve
lost it?
That you are
some crazy
right-wing
religious
fanatic? A
Jesus freak!
Yet for some
strange
reason, Sis,
you feel the
need to call
me as if
there is
something
wrong with
me?”
“I’m not
saying
anything is
wrong with
you, Tony.
What I’m
saying is…”
“Oh, I know
what you’re
saying.
You’re
saying that
I’m going to
hell,
right?”
“No Tony,
what I’m
saying is
that if you
don’t accept
Jesus Christ
as your Lord
and Savior
then He says
those who
reject
salvation
seal their
own fate.”
Tony,
becoming
more
frustrated
replied,
“Like I
said, you’re
saying that
since I
haven’t
jumped on
your Jesus
bandwagon,
that I’m
going to
hell. Quit
dancing
around, Sis.
I know
perfectly
well what
you are
getting at
and I’m
totally sick
of it!”
“Listen,
Tony, the
LAST thing I
want is to
argue with
you. I have
no desire to
condemn you
or make you
mad, but
you’re my
brother and
I love you.
What can I
do to get
you to
listen
without
getting so
defensive?”
“Listen to
what?” Tony
quipped.
“To what I’m
really
saying,”
Julie
replied.
“Okay Sis,
you’ve got
two minutes.
I really
don’t have
time for
this.
“Tony,
you were
there all
those years
in Sunday
school. You
know what I
believe. You
know the
Bible
stories.
Jesus died
on a cross,
Tony, but
why did he
do it? Why
did He die?”
Defensively,
Tony
replied, “Oh
no, I’m not
answering
any
questions.
You’re the
one with all
the answers
Sis, you go
right ahead
and tell
me.”
Julie’s
voice spoke
with
boldness,
“Tony, he
died for our
sins. He
took our
penalty. The
Bible says
it and
history
confirms
that Jesus
Christ was a
Man who
lived and
died on this
earth and
was buried
in a
borrowed
tomb. Three
days later,
He rose
again
confirming
His message
that He
truly is
God. Tony,
Jesus
promised
there would
come a time
when He
would
return.
That’s why
I’m calling
you. Jesus
is coming
soon. I
truly
believe it!”
Tony
becoming
more annoyed
yelled out,
“No way! No
way!
Are
you telling
me that you
believe
that myth?”
Julie, with
hurt in her
voice
replied,
“Tony, I
really do.
If you read
the Bible
and study
what it
says, you’d
believe it
too. Israel
is God’s
prophetic
time-piece.
He said
there would
come a day
when the
whole world
would focus
its
attention
upon that
tiny piece
of land
watching for
peace to
come. When
has there
ever been so
much media
attention
paid to that
nation as
now?
Demanding
that they
give-up
land?
Tony, the
Bible
teaches
there would
come a day
when global
markets in
unison would
begin to
shake and
that the
whole world
would cry
for someone
to bring
calm. When
have you
ever seen or
heard of a
time when
entire
countries
are on the
verge of
bankruptcy,
and
prosperous
states like
California
are going
broke? All
the news is
talking
about this
bailout—and
that
bailout. The
truth is
there will
never be a
bailout.
This world
is going to
hell and
Jesus said
that today
is the day
of
salvation.
Now is the
appointed
time, chose
this day who
are you
going to
serve.
Please,
Tony, I beg
of you,
please. I
didn’t call
you to hurt
you or
attack you,
but just to
tell you
that I love
you. My hope
was that you
would pray
with me.”
Tony, in
anger,
replied,
“Pray, for
what?
Julie
continued to
put forth
her case.
“For Jesus
to be the
Lord of your
life and
your Savior
and that He
will spare
you from
what is to
come.”
“There you
go again,
my
“sins? What
about your
sins, huh?
You think I
don’t
remember all
your lies,
Sis? How
many times
in your life
have you
messed up? I
remember the
bad things
you’ve done.
So forgive
me if I
don’t just
run to my
knees to try
to be like
you!”
Julie, in
tears, said,
“It’s not
about being
like me,
Tony. It’s
about
realizing
that the God
who created
you is
trying to
get your
attention
and call you
unto Himself
before it’s
too late.”
Tony,
unaware of
her emotion
replied,
“Oh, spooky
Sis! Too
late, for
what?”
Julie
continued,
“Too late to
be ready to
escape
what’s
coming,
Tony. Jesus
said there
would come a
time when He
would call
His people
home. Right
after that a
season of
trial would
come upon
this earth,
such as the
world has
never seen,
much worse
than even
the
Holocaust.”
Tony,
laughingly
said, “Oh,
Sis, you
have lost
your mind. I
can’t listen
to this
anymore. So
let me tell
you this, I
love you
too. I
appreciate
what you are
trying to
do, but to
be honest; I
think you
need to see
a
psychiatrist
or
something. I
really do.
But hey,
like I said
earlier, I
really don’t
have time
for this.”
“Tony...”
Julie’s
voice
cracked.
Hearing the
sadness in
her voice,
he replied,
“Oh Sis,
please,
c’mon, see,
that’s why I
don’t want
to do this,
right now.”
Julie
continued
with tears
streaming
down her
face, “Tony,
just promise
me you’ll
think long
and hard
about what
I’ve said. I
pray that
you will get
on your
knees and
call upon
Jesus while
there is
still time.”
Tony,
becoming
aggravated
again fired
back, “Okay
Sis, that’s
enough. I’ve
had about
all I can
take
tonight. I’m
going to
hang up now.
Love you,
bye.” Tony
turned off
the phone in
a rage
shouting out
loud, “I am
so sick of
her
know-it-all
attitude!”
Julie
turned off
the phone
and cried,
and then
prayed, “Why
won’t he
listen,
Lord?”
Over the
next couple
of weeks,
Julie went
about her
life. She
prayed and
witnessed to
other
friends and
family
members.
Urgency
continued to
fill her
soul. Tony
continued
living as if
there is no
God, doing
his own
thing. Then
one night
just as he
made himself
comfortable
in front of
the TV,
flipping
through the
channels, he
saw an odd
message
scroll
across the
screen.
BREAKING
NEWS:
“This just
in at 6:00
p.m. PST.
Newsrooms are
being bombarded
with reports
that
thousands
and
thousands of
people from
all over the
country and
even around
the
world…suddenly
and without
warning,
have
just disappeared!”
Tony
jumped out
of
his recliner.
His cold
beer dropped
out of his
hand as he
rushed to
pick-up his
remote to
turn up the
volume.
Shock and
panic flowed
through his
entire body.
He picked up
his cell
phone—frantically
dialing his
sister’s
number. NO
ANSWER! Just
moments
earlier,
Julie had
been reading
some of her
favorite
Scriptures,
winding down
for the
night. She
had heard
the words, “COME
UP HERE”
and was
taken to be
with Jesus…
She was
ready!
Footnote:
This is
the seventh
in my series
of short
stories, 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