It's never too late
It's never too late
They were running now, trying
to get back to the camp where the motorbikes were parked. The sky above them erupted again in a blaze
of light, which sent them diving for the cover of a thicket. Down in the valley below a state power line pylon
dissolved in a molten mass of sparks and flame, leaving the high voltage wires
writhing and hissing like snakes on the ground.
‘That was too
close for comfort, let’s get outta here,’ said Ryan, setting off again in the
direction of their overnight camp, deep in the Smoky Mountains of North
Carolina.
Chad and Ryan,
two seventeen-year-old friends, had heard about certain strange events that had
been taking place worldwide. Newscasts
had predicted solar flares may be reaching earth soon, but the boys had not
expected anything like this.
‘Do you think
this is the start of the end time tribulation that the Bible predicts will
happen?’ ventured Ryan cautiously, knowing that Chad would scoff at anything that
smacked of religion.
‘Don’t start
with that baloney now,’ said Chad predictably. ‘Solar flares happen all the
time, it’s just that these are a bit worse than usual.’
They reached
their camp and started packing up immediately.
Slinging their packs on their backs they mounted up. ‘Let’s head for the stream and fill our water
bottles,’ said Chad, ‘mine is empty.’
They headed down the track and arrived at the stream. Jumping off his
bike, Chad was about to dip his water bottle in the water when he let out a
yelp. ‘Ryan, check this water out, it’s like red and sticky.’ Ryan joined him and dipped his hand in the
stream. ‘Chad,’ he said, ‘I think this is ……… at least it looks like …….blood?’
‘How can that
be, what does it mean?’ stammered Chad.
‘I think this
is it,’ said Ryan, wiping his wet hand on his jeans. ‘I think we are near to
the end.’
‘What do you
mean by ….. the end?’ Chad’s face was ashen.
‘Are we gonna die out here? I can’t die yet, man, I’m not ready. I haven’t done
what Ma wanted ………..’ He was cut short
by a massive explosion above as the sky lit up with sparks from horizon to
horizon, as if a giant hand was arc welding in the atmosphere above them.
Ryan grabbed
Chad by his shoulders. ‘Get a grip on
yourself, man, and don’t panic, we are not alone. What did your Ma want you to
do?’
‘She said I
should go to church, and I wouldn’t go. She begged me, but I didn’t listen, now
it’s too late.’
“But church won’t
save you, you must believe in Jesus. All
this stuff happening could mean that Jesus is coming to save us soon. If you believe in Him, you’ll be safe. You just need to believe in Him. Why are you
worrying about joining a church now?’
‘Because Ma
said it's the first step,’ stammered Chad, tears rolling from his eyes. ‘Now it’s too late to do what she wanted.’
‘Maybe not,’
said Ryan, reaching for his satellite phone.
‘If this thing is still working, you can join a church right now, and
even listen to the Word being preached and join in prayer with others. It's a church online. I’m sure there
are many people praying about what’s happening around us now.’
‘How can you
have a whole church that’s online, that doesn’t make sense?’ Chad asked, but he
now had hope in his eyes.
‘Think of it
as a church without walls; imagine a congregation that’s joined in the Spirit, but spread
all over the world. Hey, I’m connected,
not everything is haywire yet. Here’s a
good online sermon
entitled a Fresh Start, let’s listen.’
The two
listened in silence, ignoring the explosions around them. They heard the pastor
encourage the congregation not to be afraid, even though they do not know what
lies ahead.
‘Lord Jesus,
make me part of your Kingdom,’ whispered Chad softly. Ryan placed his hand
gently on Chad’s shoulder and whispered: ‘Thank you, Lord.’
Suddenly the
sky became incandescent as a huge coronal mass hit the atmosphere directly
above them, sending tons of molten plasma hurtling earthwards.
The two boys
lifted their hands, and looking upwards murmured, ‘Jesus.’