By Tim Cameron
With a heavy heart TC mailed the letters he had written to his friends. How they would react was hard to guess, but he knew he had to tell them that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the only way to heaven and the only way to be spared from the wrath to come.
A few days later, TC’s friend, Rex, was just about to look over the day’s collection of mail. But first he popped the top on his ice-cold beer, took a drink and let out a big sigh. Stress from the long day was bearing down on him—so many of his buddies had been recently laid off. A haunting uncertainty was facing Rex. A job he had held for years was on the chopping block. He hit the remote to turn on the TV…“Wall Street fell another five percent today…fears rise worldwide as jobless claims are staggering upward.” Rex flipped through all the networks and finally hit the mute button as he began to look through his mail. “Hmm, a letter from TC?”
Rex tore open the envelope and began to read TC’s heartfelt cry. TC had been Rex’s golfing buddy for years and although Rex knew TC was “religious” they had never really talked that much about faith. As he poured through the letter, Rex sensed urgency in its tone. “Why would he take the time to send this?” he thought. A tear trickled down his face.
In closing, let me just say this again, “I love you all… if this hurts or offends you… I’m sorry… BUT I’d rather hurt and offend you and have you hear this message and make sure you KNOW it, than to stay quiet for fear, and then some day stand before God and hear that you didn’t make it because I cared more for my own pride than I cared for you!”
Rex read through the letter several times and almost picked up his phone, but something stopped him. Instead, he felt led to read this one paragraph one more time: “Please, REPENT if you haven’t already and make Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life…I beg you…because His wrath will soon be poured out.”
Upon closing the letter, something strange began to happen to Rex. His heart was pounding with intensity; he found himself gripped with fear. He knelt down by his couch and began praying, “Jesus, my name’s Rex, I’m TC’s friend.”
Pouring out his heart, broken and urgent, Rex cried, “Please Jesus, forgive me for living so much of my life without you. I beg you to take over and save me.”
Rex got up from where he prayed. The anxiety that had been so heavy upon his life just minutes ago was now replaced with a peace that Rex had never known before. Looking down at the letter he held in his hand, Rex smiled with joy. He had to call his friend, TC, to share the great news. Just as he was about to pick-up his cell phone, a loud shout came from on high, “COME UP HERE!”
Then the news broke…“10:00 p.m. central standard time, millions have disappeared.”
Rex was gone. He had been made READY. But some of TC’s other friends didn’t take the letter so well, and they were not yet aware of the news blasts.
His friend Ricky had just finished reading the letter. He picked-up his cell phone and punched in some numbers.
His buddy Kyle answered, “Hey what’s up? I’m just sitting here reading a letter from our Jesus fanatic friend, TC.
Ricky responded with a laugh, “Yeah, I got one too. Can you believe that guy?” Kyle replied. “Who the heck does he think he is? I can’t believe he would even admit that he believes such nonsense.
Besides, I think he’s forgotten who he’s talking to,” replied Ricky.
“No kidding, doesn’t he remember he was just like us? I mean he drank as much beer as anyone back in the day. He has no business preaching to me.”
“You know what I think we should do?” Kyle asked.
“What’s that?” replied Ricky.
“Take his sorry butt out for a night and get him wasted,” Kyle laughed
No doubt,” Ricky jeered.
“Yeah, this Saturday. After we get done golfing let’s swing by his house. Let’s take him to Hottie’s Sports Bar…but he probably won’t go for it,” Kyle groaned.
Ricky replied with a smirk in his voice, “Oh, he will, if we tell him we read his letter and want to hear more.”
Kyle laughed, “I love the way you think. You are the man!”
Ricky replied, “Okay dude, got to go, I have to work overtime tomorrow. I’m so pumped. Now I’ve got something to look forward to. I can’t wait to put that TC in his place.”
Kyle replied, “Yeah, me either…catch you later.”
Ricky hung-up the phone and walked to the fridge. Grabbing a beer and guzzling it down, he began chuckling to himself as he thought of the underhanded plan he and his friend had concocted.
Rick turned on the TV and these words could be heard: “This just in…breaking news reports are coming in from everywhere of missing people.” Startled, Ricky dropped his beer, his heart racing as panic began to overtake him.
Across town, Kyle had closed his cell phone and hopped into bed. With hisGolf Digest and TV remote control in hand, he tossed TC’s letter into the trash and cussed his name, “You’ll get yours my friend. You’ll get yours.” He hit the power button on the remote.
“This just in…breaking news… reports are coming in from everywhere of missing people.”
Both Kyle and Ricky raced to their phones, but didn’t know who to call. They tried to call TC, but could only reach his voice mail.
“Hello, you have reached TC, sorry I can’t take your call, if I’m not here or there, then I’m in the air, but until then, leave a message and I’ll call you back.”
TC had been caught up to meet the Lord!
Ricky and Kyle were left behind. They were not ready. Left to face a time that the Word of God says unless God shortens the days, no flesh would survive.
Not because they mocked their friend TC, but because they had foolishly rejected Jesus.
This is the tenth 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