The Countering

by Patrick Higgins

  Evangelical Catholics brazenly countered, suggesting that perhaps the reason the Church frowned upon taking the Bible into one’s hands unsupervised was that the Catholic Church stood contrary to the Word of God on so many levels.

  Not only did Brian Mulrooney sound just like them, a growing number of parishioners at his church were also part of the mass exodus now taking place.

  Much like Brian, these people refused to address him as ‘father’ any longer, reciting Matthew 23:9, as the reason. Could it really be true?

  Tom Dunleavey did his best to draw deep breaths. He splashed more water on his face and rejoined Brian. “Time for me to get back to the rectory. Thanks for lunch.”

  “My pleasure, sir. Anytime.”

  The Catholic priest gazed at Brian as if he wanted to say something before leaving, anything, but once again no words came out of his mouth. It was as if God had supernaturally shut his mouth.

  The two men shook hands and Father Dunleavey left.

  Brian watched out the window until his lunch guest drove off, then dropped to his knees and prayed: “Thank You, Father, for the Divine insight and wisdom. I never could have been so bold without Your direct leading.

  “Open Tom Dunleavey’s eyes to Your true Gospel, before it’s too late. I’d hate to see him miss the Call the second time around, only to end up in hell. Please bless those who were praying for me today in Jesus’ name, Amen!”

  DRIVING BACK TO THE rectory, Father Tom Dunleavey’s mind raced faster than his vehicle. Quite the debater himself, he normally could hold his ground. But not today. Brian clearly won the debate; he still had the proverbial egg on his face to prove it.

  But how could the Catholic clergyman retaliate when the young man made so much sense? Too much to brush aside as sheer fanaticism on his part.

  Has the Catholic Church been leading multitudes astray all this time? If so, how much blood do I have on my own hands?

  This wasn’t the first time Tom Dunleavey had pondered such thoughts. Long before the Rapture, he occasionally asked himself if he had 100 percent assurance when it came to his faith in God.

  Sometimes the answer was yes. Other times it was no.

  But one thing he could no longer deny was that the church he’d dedicated his entire life to really was in direct conflict with the Word of God on so many levels. Aside from the things Brian had brought up, Tom Dunleavey had a few other issues.

  Topping the list was allowing gambling and serving alcoholic beverages on church grounds. Wasn’t it supposed to be holy ground? That’s what he always thought. He found it increasingly difficult to bolster these flawed theories. He no longer wanted to.

  These were just some of the things he wrestled with on occasion. Yet, in the end, the Catholic priest always chose the safety and security the Church had provided over seeking closeness with his Maker.

  It took meeting with a former student from his own system to finally realize the gospel he was preaching all this time was a false one.

  Yes, God used Brian Mulrooney to make it crystal clear to him.

  Tom Dunleavey was always a firm believer that Jesus was the Way, the Truth and the Life. After all, it was written. But that’s not what he taught. The Gospel he preached was Jesus plus personal works plus church membership, and a whole slew of other so-called essentials, equaled one’s salvation.

  It was glaringly obvious now. Nausea swam through his body.

  But Father Dunleavey wasn’t the only Catholic thinking such debilitating thoughts right now. Millions of clergymen and women and parishioners met this day with others who’d recently become new Christ followers and had left the Catholic Church. Their spiritual eyes and ears were being opened like never before.

  But it wasn’t just Catholics whose eyes and ears were now being opened. As part of God’s final end-times harvest, the Most High had caused meetings like this to take place among Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  Knowing every new convert for Christ meant one less soul for him, Satan did all he could to disrupt these meetings, but to no avail. It was God’s will that they take place and there was nothing the devil could do to stop it. But certainly not for a lack of trying.

  And it all started with a bunch of dreams...

  13

  SARAH MULROONEY LOCKED THE bathroom door and lowered herself into a steamy bathtub. A cup of jasmine tea rested on a small table beside the tub next to a scented-candle, and the Bible Justin Schroeder had originally left for his now-deceased parents.

  In order to recreate the dream she’d had the past three nights, Sarah made sure everything was exactly where she saw it in her mind. And this was crazy because it led straight to the last thing she wanted to think about, let alone delve into: the letter. So real was this dream that Sarah even smelled the jasmine tea and citrus scent coming off the candle. Everything was still so vivid in her mind.

  The only thing she couldn’t remember was the content of the letter, only the anguish she felt from reading it. So palpable was this anguish that each time she woke, her eyes were moist with tears.

  Tragically, Hans and Janet Schroeder never got to read it. Both were killed in an auto accident on the day of the Rapture. Which is why the Bible and letter were in Sarah Mulrooney’s possession in the first place. Brian left it in her top dresser drawer before leaving for Michigan.

  So, in that sense, she received it by default.

  Or so she thought...

  Mostly thanks to Brian, Sarah had little trouble believing that Justin was in Heaven. But Hans and Janet “doomed”, as her son had said? Sarah knew the Schroeders weren’t churchgoers. But neither were they murderers or bank robbers or violent criminals.

  If anything, they were law-abiding citizens who probably paid their taxes on time and, to the best of Sarah’s knowledge, remained faithful to each other in the 37 years they were married.

  That had to count for something, right?

  According to Brian, no.

  Despite the recurring dream, everything inside Sarah told her to leave the letter alone. The Bible was one thing; the letter was altogether different. It was too personal; too private. The thought of reading something that her son’s childhood best friend wrote for his parents sounded so insensitive on her part, especially since all three were now gone. At the very least, she was being intrusive.

  Even so, as much as she tried fighting it, something she could only call a strong inner-prompting kept pushing her to read it.

  Hence, the locked bathroom door. Sarah took a small sip of tea and unfolded the letter, very much feeling like she was committing espionage. Her eyes foolishly darted left to right to make sure no one was watching. Her heart raced, and her hands shook. But even that couldn’t stop her from proceeding.

  Dear Mom and Dad,

  I bet you’re shocked to be receiving a Bible from me, of all people, especially knowing you reject all things “religious”. You’ve made it clear to me on many occasions that your faith is rooted in science and humankind, not some Higher Power. Even so, I beg you to please hear me out; the Message this Book tells is the sole reason for the many positive changes in my life.

  As I’ve tried telling you both for many years, the change occurred in my junior year in college, after I was invited to an off-campus Bible study. You can imagine how reluctant I was to go. The very last thing I was seeking in Colorado was a relationship with God, of all things. All I wanted was to become an engineer.

  In truth, I only went to get my fraternity brother off my back. But it was God’s will that I be there that night. Before the Bible study began, everyone sang heartfelt songs to the Lord, as if Jesus was there among them. I can assure you their walk with God wasn’t some far away relationship many have with
their Creator. It was real and deeply personal. What struck me at first was that I knew nothing of the Book or the God they cherished so much.

  That’s also where I first met Heather. Anyway, back at my dorm that night, I had a peace inside I’d never felt before. It made me question many things in life. It was the beginning stage of a total life transformation for me.

  After two months of perfect attendance, I came to fully understand my sin condition and my need for God’s forgiveness. God changed my heart and I surrendered my life to Jesus. It was the single greatest decision I’ve ever made, bar none! It’s a decision everyone needs to make this side of the grave.

  Mom and Dad, for the first time ever, life makes sense to me. Going to college paved the way to fulfill my dream of becoming an engineer. But the education I received at the University of Colorado pales in comparison to the many life-altering lessons I learn from reading the Word of God each day.

  Scripture makes it perfectly clear that the wages of sin is death. While most people can admit they are sinners, the majority fail to realize there’s nothing they can do to atone for their sins, despite who they are, who they know, or how much money they have in the bank. This includes you and me.

  The Bible states with absolute authority that only those who trust in the One who is capable of atoning for the sins of man, the Lord Jesus Christ, can have eternal assurance. There is no other Source!

  Because of Jesus, the fear of death no longer has a grip on me like it used to. I know you believe that when we die we simply cease to exist, but nothing could be further from the truth. Heaven really exists, Mom and Dad, even if you choose not to believe it. Hell exists too, I might add. Both eternal dwelling places are more real than anything on this fallen planet.

  Chills shot up and down Sarah’s spine when she read the next paragraph.

  Tragically, hell is where most people will end up when they die. Forgive me for saying this but I fear the two of you are traveling on that same destructive path. Not to come across as disrespectful, but from a worldly standpoint, you did a wonderful job raising me and guiding me down the right path. But spiritually you failed me. Had I remained on the path on which you instructed me to go, it would have led me straight to hell in the end.

  Naturally, I don’t blame you for this. I’ve learned there are two types of people in the world. Those who are spiritually alive and those who are spiritually dead. Without exception, all of us start off spiritually dead. The problem for most is that they remain that way all throughout life, only to die in their sins, which leads to being separated from their Maker for all eternity.

  So even if I was raised in a Christian household, the fact that I was spiritually dead at birth, due to the sin nature I inherited from the two of you, much like you did from your parents, I was already condemned before a just and holy God.

  Yes, Mom and Dad, there is a God, and everyone who’s ever lived on this planet has a divine appointment with Him someday. This life is but a test for the afterlife. Those who don’t believe it now will have no choice but to believe it in the life to come. Despite what you taught me growing up, there is nothing more important than where a soul will spend eternity.

  No one had the power to change my heart and breathe new life into me except the One who knit me together in your womb, Mom. That’s precisely what God did to me. Because of Jesus, I’ve crossed over from spiritual death to life. My prayer is that the same will happen to you, too, before it’s too late. Only then will you see your own sin condition and realize your need for a Savior.

  Here’s what you need to understand: the One who saves you is the very One from whom you must be saved. Truth is, Satan doesn’t have the power to condemn you to hell. Only God does! Hell is merely a by-product of dying in one’s sins.

  With that in mind, I pray you’ll both receive Christ as Lord and Savior while there’s still time. I’ve lived my life both ways, with Jesus and without Him. Now that I have Him, I don’t know how I ever survived on this crazy planet without Him. I really don’t!

  In closing, I want to thank you both for bringing me into this world and for providing for me until I was able to do so for myself. I love you both from the deepest chambers of my heart and hope to see you on the other side someday, the Good side. God Bless you.

  In Christ’s Love,

  Your son, Justin

  Sarah Mulrooney was deeply touched by what she’d just read. Just like in her dream, her eyes were moist with tears. Brian was right. Justin wasn’t the same person she knew as a teenager.

  The Justin she knew was incapable of writing something so deeply religious. It’s like he was the wise parent and his parents were the foolish children.

  Sarah was especially struck by his comment, the One who saves you is the very One from whom you must be saved. It took a few moments to finally register, but once it did, it became pregnant with meaning: the same merciful God who is full of boundless love and forgiveness is the very same One who will judge the nations and punish all ungodly sinners throughout the ages with everlasting destruction. Satan had nothing to do with it.

  It was a terrifying thought, to be sure.

  A personal relationship with Jesus. Sarah liked the sound of that. As a lifelong Catholic, she never felt she had a close relationship with her Maker. Nor did she feel she had God’s forgiveness.

  According to Brian, all she had to do was repent before her Creator and trust in Jesus for her salvation. Even better, no one had to be present when she did this, including a Catholic priest. It was strictly between herself and God.

  These were comforting words, because Sarah never felt comfortable pouring out her heart and soul to a priest in a confession booth. Weren’t they sinners, too?

  If so, how could they possibly absolve anyone’s sins, when they needed the very same forgiveness?

  The problem with this thinking was that it ran contrary to what her husband believed. Like Brian, Dick was on a spiritual high of sorts himself. While Brian’s faith was rooted in Jesus Christ, and no one else, Dick’s faith remained rooted in the Catholic Church!

  There lay the heart of the problem.

  Truly, a line had been drawn in the sand on both sides, placing a noticeable strain on the family. Brian was going in one direction; Dick the other. A chill ran through Sarah: If I keep reading the Bible, what will become of my marriage?

  The thought of possibly not being with the man she pledged her undying love to 35 years ago, was enough to stop her heart from beating inside her chest.

  But that’s what she kept seeing in her dream. Just thinking about it brought more tears to her eyes. In that light, though she was leaning more and more in Brian’s direction, she would remain neutral for the time being; anything to keep her family together.

  No one had to tell her she was being spineless. Even so, that’s where she was right now. Her biggest challenge was once again forgoing her own personal anguish and doing all she could to try and bridge the widening gap between her son and her husband.

  That task took a huge step backward when Brian shared his dream about the Catholic Church with them. Dick went off on him, spewing profanities Sarah had never heard escape his mouth before, as he vehemently defended the Church he loved so much.

  When he was finished, he hung up on Brian.

  They hadn’t spoken since.

  Dick’s temper was such that Sarah distanced herself from her husband at times. He was always so edgy, ready to argue at the drop of a hat with anyone, especially Brian. Unlike before. Whatever spirit was in him couldn’t have come from God.

  As for Chelsea, she barely noticed what was going on. She had pretty much settled back into her normal life of chatting online with friends into the wee hours of the night.

  Even the newfound crazi
ness of the world couldn’t jolt her daughter from sleepwalking through life the way she was.

  And then there were Brian’s ongoing struggles with Renate. All talks of engagement, at least on Brian’s end, were put on the back burner for now. Sarah loved Renate and dreamed of one day welcoming her to the Mulrooney family. Now it looked iffy at best.

  The last time she confronted Brian on the subject, his response had floored her. “What’s the point, Ma? Why be married for only seven years? Doesn’t make much sense now, does it?”

  Of all the things Brian had said since becoming a Christian, all this talk about the world coming to an end in seven-years was the most frightening to absorb. Was it really true? Many were talking about it, but the majority had downplayed it as just another false prophecy coming from a bunch of religious kooks.

  Whether it was true or not, tragic or not, Brian didn’t seem bothered by it in the least. If anything, his faith in God kept strengthening regardless of what happened on any given day, whether good or bad. Indeed, he was a new creation.

  Although Dick strongly disagreed with this, the changes in Brian were clearly for the better.

  Despite all this, Sarah would remain neutral and monitor both sides very closely, once again proving her lack of backbone. But at least she was searching and praying that God would show her what to do and where to go from here before it was too late.

  If Brian was right, seven years wasn’t much time to work with. The last thing she wanted was to die in her sins, as Justin wrote in his letter, and be subjected to God’s fierce, eternal wrath.

  What could possibly be worse than that?

  It didn’t take long for Sarah to answer the question. Nothing.