“But instead of detesting the one who defiled us, we hated all men, and found solace from the same sex. It felt right to engage with my own gender. Like your brother, Felix, I started believing I was born that way.
“Ironically, many of us were brought up in God-fearing households. To the Church’s great discredit, instead of being more loving and understanding toward us, church leaders took too harsh a stance and became too judgmental. Instead of potentially reaching us for Christ, they scared us away. At least that’s what I was told in the gay-friendly church I went to before the Rapture.
“Now that I have been set free, I oppose homosexuality. It isn’t God’s plan for humanity. Before I went into hiding, I tried sharing God’s message of hope and redemption with some of my homosexual friends. I got to experience first-hand the same level of harshness and flamboyancy I used to dish out to others.”
“I also believe we were knowingly living in sin and would be judged for it. If God didn’t judge us, He would rightly have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah for destroying them, due to their same sinful lifestyles. Lila snorted, “Try sharing that with homosexuals…”
“Satan can dress up the very worst of sins and make them acceptable in the eyes of most humans. But it’s still sin. Just wish I could make them understand I didn’t go from gay to straight. I went from lost to saved, like all other redeemed sinners.”
“Ooh, I like that.” Tamika said. “Well said.”
Lila sniffled and smiled faintly, “Anyway, soon after that, I started having dreams, which led me here. I went from entertaining audiences on the big screen, to being part of the cafeteria crew at safe house number one.” A weary smile crossed her face, “I wouldn’t trade my place in the world now for anything. Just wish I still had my two children…”
Tamika and Marta both nodded their sincere understanding…
Dr. Singh looked at her watch, “As much as I don’t want to end this wonderful bonding moment between us, ladies, I have other patients to see. But let me just say I will always cherish this time we shared. I have never felt this close to anyone in my life, as I do with the three of you.”
“Amen to that!” a teary-eyed Tamika said.
Meera Singh smiled, “Let us pray before I go…”
The women circled Lila’s bed and joined hands and prayed for her full recovery, especially for her immediate emotional well-being...
At that, Meera left to check on another expectant mother…
23
THREE DAYS LATER
AFTER THREE DAYS OF serious contemplation, capped off by a new round of dreams each night, Yogesh messaged Brad Henriksen with two questions for which he already had answers: Why would Ajit risk losing so much for something that may or may not be true?
Brian and Jacquelyn were just settling into bed for the night when Brian’s phone vibrated. Seeing it was Yogesh Patel, he said, “Hallelujah!”
Since sending the video to him, there had been no communication between them. Brian wasn’t sure if he would hear from him again.
Their joy knew no bounds.
Brian dictated into his phone: “Ajit risked everything because it is true, Yogesh. In fact, it’s the only true thing left in the world.”
Yogesh replied quickly: Are you aware that he receives constant death threats because of his belief in Jesus, and he was excommunicated from his family and friends?
“Yes, I am. Much like me and my wife. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have for me, Yogesh. But can we talk instead? It’ll be so much easier than sending text messages back and forth…”
Yogesh replied quickly: My English isn’t good…
“If you talk the way you type, we should be fine…”
After a long pause, Yogesh replied: What is your Skype address. I will go for a walk and call you in a few minutes.
Brian sent his Skype handle to Yogesh then waited…
Yogesh left the house and had to push his way through the growing crowds loitering out front of his new home, as if it was a shrine. The moment he broke free of them, he added Brad to Skype and called him.
“Hey Yogesh! Nice to have the chance to talk to you!”
“Likewise.” Yogesh coughed into a fisted hand and came straight to the point, “Are you aware that many in my country think Ajit now suffers from mental illness?”
“Doesn’t surprise me…”
“No one can fathom why he suddenly walked away from a lofty government position, and now lives in hiding, for something that may not even be true? Including me. It doesn’t make sense.”
Brian said, “Believe me, I understand. Some think I’m crazy, too, including my own father.”
Yogesh said, “Go on…”
“The Apostle Paul said to those who were perishing the cross was utter foolishness. But to those who were being saved, it’s the power of God. Once Ajit’s eyes and ears were opened spiritually, he realized what the world viewed as foolishness was the only means to his salvation. Knowing there was nothing he could do to atone for his sins, he repented before his Maker and ask forgiveness through Christ Jesus.”
“I don’t understand, Brad. How does this apply to me?”
“Last time we communicated, you told me you were doing just fine and didn’t need his religion. From a financial and materialistic standpoint, I agree that your life has been greatly improved since the birth of your daughter. But don’t be fooled by your recent good fortune. Everything you have will be lost again.”
A group of women walking to his house noticed Yogesh and waved to him. He waved back but kept walking, “Why do you say that, Brad?”
“Not to further scare you, friend, but according to the Christian Bible, everything on the planet will soon be destroyed, including your personal belongings. There’s nothing your newfound riches can do to prevent it from happening.
“Even if you gave your fortune to the poor, it still won’t bring you any closer to God. Like Ajit said, we’re not saved by works! None of us are good enough to save ourselves from our sins.
“Come Judgment Day, unless God sees Jesus standing in your place, you will die in your sins and be eternally separated from Him, regardless of how much money you have in the bank.
“When it comes to sin, there are only two ways God’s justice can be satisfied. Either you satisfy it, or Christ does.”
Yogesh stopped walking. With a strained expression on his face Brian couldn’t see, he said, “Can you further explain that to me?”
“You can satisfy it by being banished from God’s presence forever. Or you can let Jesus satisfy it by trusting in Him as Lord and Savior.”
Yogesh protested more, “What if you’re wrong?”
“Not to sound disrespectful, Yogesh, but what if you are, and you end up in hell with your wife and daughter because of it?” Brian wanted to include Romanero’s name but refrained for now. He refused to call the child by the name her parents gave her at birth.
Jacquelyn smiled and fist bumped her husband. She inched in closer so she could hear more of the conversation.
“What did Ajit meant when he said everything that’s happened since the disappearances was foretold long ago? Can you give an example?”
“Sure! Have you heard about the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem breathing fire out of their mouths?”
“Yes. I saw it on TV many times. It’s quite alarming to watch.”
“The Book of Revelation, which is the last book in the Bible, vividly describes them. In chapter eleven, verse five, it says, ‘And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed’.
“Scripture declares these men will have great powers. But I don’t have to convince you on that point. You saw it with your own two eyes. Soon they will turn the waters into blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.”
Yogesh gulped hard and scratched his head, “I had a dream…”
Brian said
, “What kind of dream?”
“Before I tell you, can you talk about the one-hundred and forty-four thousand Jewish men mentioned in your Bible?”
Wow! Brian was overjoyed. “Sure! According to Scripture, God will soon use them to open the eyes and ears of many Israelites, and people from all tribes, nations and tongues...Including India.”
Yogesh shivered, “Go on…”
“They will be sealed by God and will spread the Gospel message of Jesus Christ with unbridled passion, without fear or the fear of persecution. Not even Romanero will be able to stop them initially.”
Brian winced. This was his first mention of the man responsible for making the Patels wealthy and turning them into household names. He braced himself while awaiting the next reply.
Yogesh asked, “What do you mean not initially?”
Brian shook his fist in the air in victory. “Like the Two Witnesses, the one-hundred and forty-four thousand will be killed at some point, but not until God’s appointed time has come.”
Yogesh asked, “When will that time be?”
“Roughly at the halfway point of the seven-year Tribulation period. In case you don’t know, it’s the times we’re now living in, as recorded in the book of Revelation. Until that time comes, as Christ followers are forced into hiding hoping to escape capture, these anointed men will preach the Word out in the open with boldness and without fear, because they will be protected by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Yogesh asked, “Who are they?”
“You can read about them in the Bible, in the book of Genesis. But, for now, tell me about your dream…”
“I was visited by a man named Yitzhak. He proclaimed to be one of the one-hundred and forty-four thousand you just described. He stood outside my house in the middle of the night waving for me to join him.
“I obeyed and was taken to a place out in the woods not too far from my home, where many others from my country had also gathered to hear him preach from the Holy Bible. It went on for three straight nights.”
Brian and Jacquelyn exchanged glances. Chills raced up and down their spines. Incredible!
“On the fourth day I went there for real, without Hana and the baby. Yitzhak wasn’t there, but the other people I saw in my dream were. I couldn’t believe it—they had the same dream I had!
“They all knew I was Salvadora’s father, but no one pestered me or begged for money as usual. As you can imagine, I receive constant emails from opportunists all over the world seeking capital. But not these people.
“Like you, my worldly status meant nothing to them. All they cared about was our shared dream and the Word of God. It was remarkable how we recalled various Bible verses Yitzhak had shared with us.”
Brian was astonished, “This is fantastic! The same thing happened to me! Only I saw the Two Witnesses in my dream, before they surfaced in Jerusalem. How interesting that you’re dreaming about the one-hundred and forty-four thousand before they’ve been sealed…Simply amazing!
“Can you tell me more about your dream?”
“Sure. As it turned out, many had dreams about them, including hundreds of thousands of Catholics, which just happened to be my religion before the Rapture. I was already saved by this time. But God used me to rescue a Catholic priest from the religiosity of the Church.
“In my dream, I saw a Catholic priest at my former church saying mass to a completely packed church. Suddenly, light smoke protruded through his priestly garments and drifted skyward. I smelled the smoke as it rose up toward me. It smelled like burning flesh.
“The more he spoke to the congregation, the more the smoke intensified. Suddenly, smoke started pouring out of everyone within the sound of his voice, yet he kept on preaching.
“Just as he was about to give the benediction, everyone burst into flames! When the Catholic priest blessed his sheep by performing the sign of the cross, anguished screams filled the cathedral. They begged him not to continue; his words and actions only intensified the agony they felt. But he kept going until everyone was completely engulfed in flames. Only no one was consumed by it. At least not initially.
“In the back of the sanctuary, the Two Witnesses now in Jerusalem took turns preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their message was unmistakable: ‘Repent or burn!’
“I still vividly remember what one of them said, ‘The only chance of being rescued from the flames of hell is by discarding everything you’ve been taught in this condemned house of idol worship and repent before a just and Holy God, before it’s too late!’”
“Some who heard and believed the Message sincerely repented of their sins and placed their complete trust in Christ Jesus.”
“Yogesh said, “How do you know they were saved?”
“They were plucked out of the fire and rescued from eternal damnation. Miraculously, there wasn’t a single burn mark found on any of them. It’s as if they were washed white as snow.
“Everyone else screamed in agony begging to be rescued. But since their hearts remained hardened to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, they were ultimately consumed by fire, and were without hope or excuse.
“After seeing demons coming out of the statues, and all other points of idol worship in the church, and fleeing the smoke and flames, there was a loud explosion as if a bomb had been detonated.
“Once the smoke cleared, all things pertaining to the Catholic Church were gone, completely incinerated in the flames, replaced by a serene field full of fertile soil where the church once stood.
“I saw Jesus standing in the center of the harvest field saying, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Everything else is merely chasing after hell.’
“No one else was with Him. No Popes. No cardinals. No bishops. No priests. No Mary. No statues. Only Jesus! And that’s when I woke up in a pool of sweat, without knowing what had become of Father Dunleavey.
“As it turned out, he had the very same dream. Except in his dream, he saw himself standing in judgment before his Maker in the end. The reason God brought us together was that He wanted me to share the true Gospel with him.”
“Has he since become a believer?”
“Yes, praise God, and a very good friend.”
“Why do you think God is using dreams to connect people?”
“Perhaps with so much spiritual deception and strong delusion in these last days, dreams give us something we can trust and cling to in a world full of distrust. What validates them in my eyes is that they’re always connected to other people, who further confirm them.
“I can say with conviction that every dream I’ve had so far has come true. Not always as quickly as I want, but always in God’s timing. In truth, the reason I contacted you in the first place, was that God spoke to me about you and Hana the day your daughter was born.”
“What did He say to you?”
“I didn’t hear a voice; but he clearly spoke to my heart, my soul, rather, urging me to contact you. When it took longer than I had hoped to hear back from you and your wife, I started questioning the dream. Then God shifted my focus to just you. And here we are.”
Yogesh said, “I confess I had a dream about the package you sent me, before it arrived. I didn’t know what was inside the box. All I knew was it was addressed to me, not Hana, and whatever was inside the box was intended to have a great impact on my life.”
Brian glanced at Jacquelyn and smiled. “Once again, God has proven Himself faithful. Are you familiar with Joel, chapter two, verses twenty-eight and twenty-nine?”
Yogesh said, “No.”
Brian recited it from memory, “‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.’ This prophecy is being fulfilled in these last days…”
“Interesting. I have one last question...”
“What is it?”
“When will the hundred and forty four thousand appear?”
“Good question. All I can say for now is they’re here among us, but they haven’t been sealed yet. Once it happens, everyone will know...”
“Thanks for clarifying these things for me, Brad. I should go now. I want to eat before meeting with my new friends again this afternoon…”
Brian said, “I have a confession to make…”
“What is it?”
“My name’s not Brad. I can’t tell you my real name. Hope you can understand. Sorry for my dishonesty.”
Yogesh sighed, then thought about Ajit Laghari, “I understand…”
“I know you must go now, but I want you to read Mark, chapter eight, verse thirty-six.”
“What does it say?”
“I want you to search it on your own and really think about it.”
Yogesh said, “I will.”
“Call me anytime, Yogesh. I’m always here for you…”
“Thank you, whatever your name is. I appreciate it so much.”
At that, the call ended.
Brian went to tell the others and asked them to keep praying for the Patels, especially Yogesh.
Before going home, using his mobile device, Patel searched for and easily found Mark 8:36. “What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul?”
Yogesh gulped hard and brushed off a shiver when Hana’s image came to mind. Hmm…
24
AT ONE A.M. THAT same evening, Yogesh and Hana were awakened by the cries of their daughter. Whereas Hana was home entertaining guests all day, Yogesh spent much of the day out with his new friends.
Hana turned on the small night light on the table next to the bed to nurse her daughter. She glanced over at Yogesh, who lay in a pool of his own perspiration. “Are you okay?”
The Sealing Page 16