Bible Prophecy Revelation

Bible Prophecy
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STORY

"God is love" (1Jn. 4:8)
On this summary page I would like to share with you a beautiful story which I heard recently.
I believe that this true story illustrates, in a special way God's love for suffering humanity. I pass this story onto you as clearly as I can recall it being told to me (I have not yet managed to trace the information source).
The Minister of a church was preparing for a special Christmas programme. However, in his area of the country there was a severe storm. The Minister went to check on the church building and to his dismay found that water had leaked through the roof and badly damaged a large area of plaster (I think the plaster was on one of the walls). The Christmas programme was to take place very soon and the Minister had very little time to think of some way of covering up the area that was damaged. A little while later he was driving past a second-hand market and called in to see if he could find anything to help him with his problem. He was very pleased to find a large, beautiful table cloth which was just the right size to cover over the damaged area so that it would not be visible to the audience. The table cloth was purchased and carefully hung in the church building.

The day for the Christmas celebrations arrived and many of the public walked into the church building. One elderly lady (I will give her the fictitious name Mrs. Clarence) came and stared at the beautiful table cloth. She turned white. She started to ask questions. She wanted to know where the table cloth came from. Mrs. Clarence told the Minister that she used to live in Austria and that she had made a table cloth exactly the same as the one hung in the church. She and her husband had had to sell it because they were fleeing from Austria to try and get away from the Nazi regime. Mrs. Clarence managed to escape. Her husband was to follow one week later but he was captured by the Nazi's and sent to a concentration camp. She had never seen him or heard from him since. Mrs. Clarence asked the Minister to check if certain initials were found in the corner of the table cloth. Sure enough the initials were found. Mrs. Clarence was deeply moved and after the service the Minister insisted on taking her home in his car.

A few days later an elderly man sitting in the church came to the attention of the Minister. He noticed that this man had come to sit in the church every day for the past three days. The Minister talked with him and asked him why he had come to sit in the church. The man said that he was very interested in the table cloth. He explained that it was the same one that he and his wife had sold some 35 years ago in Austria shortly before his wife had fled the country. He was supposed to have followed his wife but was captured by Nazis and sent to a concentration camp. The amazed Minister said he would like to take the man for a short drive. So they got in his car and the Minister drove to Mrs. Clarence's house and witnessed the most wonderful Christmas reunion he had ever seen.

Surely the heavenly angels, as they obeyed the directions of our loving heavenly Father, must have had enjoyment and satisfaction from arranging these wonderful providences. And surely our loving heavenly Father must have rejoiced as He witnessed this reunion. At the second coming of Christ there will be a wonderful reunion as Jesus calls from their graves all his children from the ages past and translates all the faithful who are living (see 1Th. 4: 16-18). But until then let us trust our heavenly Father with complete confidence -- even when things seem darkest and the hardest to understand.

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.