The unveiling, p.19
The Unveiling, page 19
part #3 of Chaos Series
Would they ever reopen?
It was still too soon to tell...
The entire business world, as a whole, was in a whirlwind of trouble. No one knew for sure if the trillion-dollar cash infusion into the world’s banking institutions would serve to boost the world economy. After nearly a month, there was only slight growth to speak of.
And with so many savings and loan banks closing their doors forever, it was next to impossible for business owners—even those with exceptional credit scores—to secure loans of any size, let alone have insurance companies insure them.
In many cases, there was nothing to lend. It would get worse.
As strange as Thanksgiving was last month in America, it couldn’t compare to now. Christmas was a global holiday which always brought out the child even in most grownups.
With no children around to emulate, why be childlike?
Everyone was forced into total seriousness.
Despite all the good that Salvador Romanero had done in the world, most were still struggling to define their “new normal” in life, filling the air with yet another burst of uncertainty this Christmas Eve.
As the song said, “Christmas is for children,” in most people’s minds Christmas ceased to exist the day the children vanished.
Those who were still on Earth failed to realize that, while Christmas may have been for children, in the final analysis, children were secondary when compared to the real Reason for the blessed holiday.
The birth of Jesus was what had spawned the holiday for Christians in the first place.
He was the true Christmas Child...
37
BUT NOT ALL WAS bad this Christmas Eve. New believers crammed churches and makeshift churches worldwide to celebrate the birth of the King this night.
With power still out in some places, many were forced to conduct services by candlelight. With countless billions of candles already burned this past month, worldwide, candle supplies were rapidly dwindling. For those without power who didn’t have backup generators or fireplaces, candlelight was their main source of light. Candle makers worked around the clock replenishing supplies but couldn’t keep up with the demand.
Nevertheless, with one heartbeat, new Christ followers sang heartfelt songs to the Lord Jesus Christ in their native tongues on this celebrated day of His birth. Songs like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bell Rock weren’t among the consortium of songs being sung.
Many tears fell, as new believers finally understood the real message, the true meaning of Christmas.
As Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day in much of the world, Christmas Eve services were just beginning in America.
Brian Mulrooney was parked outside Southeast Michigan Evangelical Church, in Sterling Heights, Michigan—a small town just north of Detroit—waiting for Jacquelyn Swindell to arrive.
After miraculously receiving a check from his now-bankrupt insurance company, and being fully relieved of his previous automobile loan, he was able to purchase a pre-owned Hyundai Sonata.
Windshield wipers on, Brian kept a steady lookout for Jacquelyn’s red SUV. But the falling snow rendered the wipers useless at times. As soon as snow was cleared away, it came right back.
Four more inches of the white shroud was still expected. Maybe more. It was beautiful to look at, but difficult to navigate when driving. As it was, Brian nearly wrecked his car twice while en route to the church. Treacherous as it was, staying home wasn’t an option.
Nothing would stop him this night. Or no one, including Renate!
Jacquelyn pulled into the church parking lot ten minutes before six. Brian wrapped his left arm around her back for added support, so she wouldn’t slip and fall in the snow if the crutch in her left hand gave way. They made their way inside and found a place to sit near the front of the sanctuary.
With fifteen hundred people expected, many would be forced into the aisle-ways. But no one would mind.
For new believers in Christ Jesus, church was the place to be. Of course, had they understood the real meaning of Christmas prior to the Rapture, they would all be comforted with friends and relatives in Heaven instead of preparing for the worst times the world would ever encounter.
Brian and Jacquelyn first started attending Southeast Michigan Evangelical Church three weeks ago. Prior to the Rapture, this was where Jacquelyn’s brother, Dennis Legler, had served as youth pastor for eight years. Everyone left behind spoke glowingly of Dennis and Michele.
“I knew them both very well,” said one church member to Jacquelyn. “Your brother and sister in law were true warriors for Christ. They were instrumental in the church’s overall growth. I was once part of their life group. Never took it too seriously though. But I always thought they made the perfect Christian couple.”
Jacquelyn was deeply touched by her words. The only drawback was that it made her wish she’d paid more attention when Dennis and Michele shared the Gospel with her all those times.
Brian wondered what it was like to be a Christian couple. It sounded so comforting, so assuring. Now that he was a believer, that’s exactly what he wanted; someone he could pray with, study God’s Word with, be totally transparent with, without the need for secrecy.
These were things he didn’t have with Renate. Strangely enough, though only friends, he had all these things with Jacquelyn.
Was this realization a sign from God?
Brian and Jacquelyn weren’t surprised to learn most members at SMEC had vanished last November. But there were some surprises.
One was assistant pastor Jim Simonton. Most were shocked that he was still among them. After fasting for three straight days and repenting before his Maker, Simonton was unanimously voted in as SMEC’s new lead pastor.
In his first sermon, he explained to the congregation, “Now that I’ve been truly converted, I plan on preaching the true Gospel from this pulpit, and no longer the watered-down version I preached for far too long.
“The end result of my weakness over the years is that many I had prayed with to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior before the Rapture were also left behind. Many of you are here tonight. The reason you took it so lightly is that I took it so lightly!
“Guess you could say I was a false convert breeding other false converts; a spiritually dead sinner praying for others to be reborn, when I was just as lost as the next person.”
Pastor Jim shook his head; his face was covered in shame. “I had made a complete mockery of the Word of God. The price of my foolishness has cost me dearly. Instead of being part of the Church Age, which ended at the Rapture, like you, I’ll be invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
“I still don’t understand what it all means, but what I do know is that I’d rather be part of the Bride of Christ than to be an invited guest at the Wedding Supper. But it’s too late; that time has passed.” Pastor Simonton buried his face in his hands for the longest time weeping. The pain in his heart was palpable.
After a while, he was finally able to regain his composure, “From this point forward, as I diligently seek answers to this most troubling question, you can expect me to preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, day and night from this pulpit, until the very last person hearing my voice understands it! Anyone rejecting the message will have to answer to God. But my days of time-constraints and watered-down preaching are over!”
This was something Simonton repeated each time he preached. As a result, hundreds of new conversions had taken place at SMEC since the Rapture. Brian rejoiced for each of them. The Holy Spirit was alive and well at Southeast Michigan Evangelical Church.
Brian’s joy knew no bounds two Sundays ago when Jacquelyn reached for her crutch at the end of the service and limped to the altar. After hearing the Gospel preached for three straight hours, God opened her eyes and ears and Jacquelyn received Christ as Lord and Savior.
When she returned to her seat, she looked completely transformed. It was as if she’d just been given a priceless treasure.
Brian knew exactly how she felt and was moved to tears.
He also felt relieved. First and foremost because Jacquelyn finally had eternal assurance. The other reason was, until that moment, he was still reeling from the huge bombshell he dropped on her head last month, when he told Jacquelyn her late husband was doomed for all eternity.
All guilt vanished that day.
As the snow fell steadily outside, the congregation continued to swell inside. More than 1,500 people spent nearly two hours worshiping the Lord in song before Jim Simonton delved into his message. And what a message it was!
Pastor Simonton didn’t hold back on anything. His topic was, Are you ready to die for Jesus?
He ended his two-hour sermon by saying, “Make no mistake: the freedom we have to worship in this church won’t last. The time is fast-approaching when we Tribulation saints—a title we’ll be given after the signing of the peace treaty—will suffer more persecution for our faith in God than any other group of believers in history, not counting the Jews. There’s no getting around it!
“I don’t know about you, but I’d rather suffer temporary persecution from the enemy, intense as it will be, than to be thrown into hell for all eternity. We must never forget that we win in the end! As true believers, we must always cling to this eternal promise! You all know where I stand. Question is, where do you stand? If you haven’t already done so, I hope you choose Jesus before it’s too late!”
As the congregation belted out the lyrics to O Come All Ye Faithful, more than 300 people, overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit, received Christ as Lord and Savior.
Everything in Brian Mulrooney sang out in celebration. He never felt this intense presence of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Church. It wasn’t the music. It wasn’t the preaching. It was the Spirit of the Most High God dwelling among them. It was the most amazing sensation.
When they sang the chorus for the last time, “Oh come let us adore Him, Oh come let us adore Him, Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord,” there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere in the sanctuary.
But Southeast Michigan Evangelical Church wasn’t the only church experiencing God’s peace that surpasses all understanding in this strange, new, apocalyptic world.
Churches worldwide were experiencing similar results. Atheists were being saved. Agnostics were being saved. Muslims were being saved. Buddhists were being saved. Hindus were being saved. Protestants were being saved. Catholics were being saved.
Jews were being saved. Mormons were being saved. Jehovah’s Witnesses were being saved. Homosexuals were being saved. Alcoholics were being saved. Drug addicts were being saved. Convicts were being saved. Ex-Satan worshipers were being saved.
And on and on it went.
Come next Sunday, church leaders would pick up where they’d left off, warning of the Antichrist who would soon emerge to deceive multitudes, but not tonight.
Tonight, it was all about celebrating Jesus.
As joyous as they were this night, it would be all uphill from here on out…
38
WITH HER SHIFT OVER, Tamika Moseley drove to Mitzi’s Delicatessen for a bite to eat.
By choice, and thanks to her boss’ sincere understanding of her predicament, Tamika hadn’t taken a day off since Thanksgiving. Nor was she planning to anytime soon. If it were her choice to make, she would work double shifts seven days a week, so by the time she got home she’d be too exhausted to do anything else but sleep.
Sometimes her boss allowed her to work two shifts per day. Most times he didn’t. Today was one of those days. He appreciated her willingness and all, but enough was enough.
“What you need is sleep, not another shift,” he had said, staring at the deep bags under her eyes.
Visiting Craig Rubin in a crowded restaurant was the next best thing to working. Aside from caring for her pet Cocoa, the very thought of going back to an empty apartment filled Tamika with great angst.
She dined at Mitzi’s at least three times a week, usually for dinner. The rain check Rubin offered last month for returning his phone was paying huge dividends, in that Tamika only paid for one meal thus far; and only because Craig was called to the other deli in Brooklyn on that day.
The free meals came as a blessing because for every dollar she used to make in tip money, she now averaged about 10 cents. And this meant the extended hours at work weren’t putting any extra cash in Tamika’s pocket. Cab fares were way up, but tips were way down.
But Tamika couldn’t fault her customers. Who could think of tipping generously with the outrageous cab fares her company now charged for rides? But the loss of tip money, plus the fact that she would no longer receive child support from Isaac, took a severe toll on her finances.
Craig and Tamika were similar in that Rubin also planned to work throughout the holidays. To lose a mother, best friend and restaurant all on the same day was a staggering blow for anyone to absorb. Even one month later, his older brother David still did his best to leave Craig feeling guilty over his mother’s death.
The unspoken word from David was, “Had you not taken yet another vacation—one that ironically ended before it ever started—Poppa would have been home with Momma that day instead of covering for you, and Momma wouldn’t have died of a heart attack!”
Craig knew it wasn’t his fault, but the guilt lingered. Keeping busy working 14-hour-shifts, seven days a week was the only thing that seemed to help.
Thankfully, Mitzi’s was one of the few businesses not completely pulverized last month. It was busy as ever. The business boom they experienced at the two remaining locations nearly made up for the lost revenues suffered in last month’s fire.
For that, the Rubins were grateful.
As much as Craig Rubin liked seeing Tamika, the only drawback was that it forced him to recount the tragic events of last month. Despite his best efforts to avoid the topic, having gone through hell with the woman and barely surviving, it was impossible to avoid discussing it.
Tamika noticed that whenever she mentioned Brian’s name, Craig would tense up and quickly changed the subject. It was as if he was silently distancing himself from Brian. Tamika knew it was because of the Gift Brian gave to him. But was this how one should treat a lifelong friend?
Tamika thought not. Yes, it had to be the Bible. At any rate, she admired Craig’s inner strength and determination.
Unlike him, she couldn’t just pick up the pieces and move on like he had apparently done. If anything, she felt lonelier and weaker and more hopeless with each new sunrise.
Unlike Craig, Tamika Moseley needed to know exactly what happened last month. Most importantly, she needed to know why it happened.
Until she found answers to these questions, she feared she would never rest again. Something had to happen soon in her pathetic life before it was too late, and she did the unthinkable.
As it was, she was barely hanging on...
39
CHARLES CALLOWAY WAS AN emotional wreck. Again. All alone inside his 4,000 square-foot-home in Siesta Key Beach, he was doing his best to be joyous this Christmas Eve.
One minute his hands were raised high above his head, praising His Savior with all that was in him. The next minute he was on his knees sobbing uncontrollably, with visions of his family dancing in his head.
What he wouldn’t give to wrap his arms around his loved ones again. At one point, he grasped at the air pretending it was Monique. If they could somehow materialize, he would never let go again.
But they weren’t coming back, and Calloway knew it. This sobering realization caused his inner-torment to intensify to even greater heights.
He fought strong urges to leave Florida and travel to New York to visit Tamika Moseley, or perhaps fly to Michigan to spend time with Brian Mulrooney. He was even tempted to drive to Atlanta to spend Christmas with Santana Jiles at his late father’s church.
Calloway finally decided against it because he wanted this Christmas to be a special one between himself and Jesus, despite the intense agony.
Brian Mulrooney called earlier and did all he could to persuade his brother in Christ to go to his church in Sarasota, if only for the fellowship. Charles appreciated his concern, but he told Brian he wanted to stay home and read and study the Word of God without any distractions.
An hour and a half later Mulrooney called back.
When Charles answered, Brian said, “Since you’re not going to church, let me bring church to you, my dear brother.”
Instantly, Calloway heard many voices at Brian’s church praising their Savior. Charles dropped to his knees in his living room and lent his voice to the choir a thousand miles away. He then listened to Pastor Jim Simonton’s powerful sermon. It was both comforting and inspiring.
Brian was right. It was just what he needed.
During the service, Calloway checked his home church website and wasn’t surprised to learn that he wasn’t the only one left behind. One person, a man named Stephen Candelaria, whom Calloway did not know, posted a desperate plea on the church home page the day after the disappearances urging anyone still alive to contact him immediately.
This meant Pastor Collins was gone. No big surprise there.
Calloway emailed Candelaria apologizing for taking so long to make contact. He explained that after being stranded in New York City for ten days, he felt led to hibernate in his house studying the Word of God day and night.
