What If?

WhatIf?

MMy best friend Jean told me so much about the night she had given her life to Jesus and was now

‘saved’. She rang me so excited saying, “He really is alive” and she went into much detail of how I needed Him too.

I was happy for her but I was busy working hard in my career and making plans for retirement; so I certainly did not have time to accept her invitation to church to hear more about Jesus. She so wanted me to have what she had found but Sunday was my busiest day at home after working all week.

The more she learned about Jesus the happier she became and she tried to pass this on to me. I do remember however that she talked a lot about Jesus coming back to take us out of the judgement and tribulation that was coming on the world. Although I found this fascinating I must admit I secretly thought it was a bit farfetched and that maybe she had lost it.

As she fell more in love with Jesus our friendship began to become strained and I could see she had a real relationship with Jesus this was not religion. It was okay, for her but I thought it wasn’t for me.

As the world had a so-called ‘pandemic’ which took away our freedom from many things, unable to see family and friends, having to wear masks being found as a criminal with fines if you did not comply. Was this really England that so many had fought for our freedom?

I became afraid of the future and she tried to explain that some of these were signs that Jesus would soon return for those who believe and trust in Him. She began to tell me more urgently, even quite upset at times, about my need for Jesus and of the signs He said we were to look for (Matthew 24). And above all GOD HAD AN ESCAPE PLAN.

I was too unbelieving to admit my need for Jesus. Jean told me that IN HIM I WOULD HAVE PEACE. She tried to comfort me by showing me many Bible verses like...

2 Thessalonians 2:7-11 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

1 Thess 4:18 “For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Jean called it the ‘Rapture’ i.e. THE GREAT ESCAPE.

She showed me many Bible verses but this one came to mind this morning as I turned on the news and saw there was mass hysteria as thousands of people had gone missing all over the world. The Rapture she told me about had happened. She was gone. I was left behind.

What a fool I had been in believing lies and not the friend who had loved me enough to tell me the truth. I am left to go through the awful indescribable things that will now come upon the world, God’s wrath. Jean had escaped because she believed the words of Jesus Christ.

“...let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many [mansions; if it were not so] I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, YOU MAY BE ALSO.” John 14:1-3

When I jumped out of my sleep and realised it had only been a dream I was so relieved. Hang on, what if when it really happens I’m not ready and REALLY get left behind? This question really WOKE ME UP! p

By Barbara Payne intercessor, evangelist, minister, holds Women Unite events in the UK