Farther down the road

Funny how things affect a person.
We did Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames at Pearson, oh, I guess it has been 6 years ago now. We did it 2 years in a row and I was sent to hell both times. Go Figure! One year my sweet hubby played Satan. We still tease each other about him being bad for me....so bad in fact that he landed me in the pit.

But that's not what I wanted to write about. I hope I can put my thoughts into words.

When we did HG/HF at Pearson, we were told that the revival HG/HF started would not be in the people in the audience...that the ones who would be MOST effected by the drama would be the cast. We found that there is life before and after marriage, before and after High school, Before and after College, Before and after Kids, and there is life before and after Heaven's Gates/Hell's Flames.

Today I was reminded of that the experience and how much it impacted me.

My character was the secretary that goes to hell. In my role, after my friend and I die, we stand at the Pearly Gates and she goes up the steps into the arms of Jesus and on into Heaven while I am left at the bottom of the steps. In my desperation, I beg Jesus not to leave me alone. Because I did not accept Him as savior prior to my death, He leaves me...and the demons come and drag me into hell.

Flash forward 6 or so years to this morning. I was in church singing "Amazing Love" When we got to the part where we sang "You are my king...Jesus, You are my King". My mind traveled back to that first night of Heaven's Gates/Hells Flames.... specifically the moment when I fell to my knees and begged, "JESUS! Come back! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!!! JESUS! PLEASE! I BELIEVE IN YOU NOW!"...just before my character was taken over by demons. My heart was pricked by the reality that there are people in my life everyday who will meet Jesus for the first time after their death and they too will scream "Jesus! Please! I believe in you now!"

I am SO thankful that Jesus IS my King. I am so thankful that my sin is forgiven, my past forgotten, that my name is in the book of life and that One day I will meet Him face to face and will be able to fall at His feet and worship Him.

Our sweet little church has embarked on a road that has put our leaders in Satan's cross hairs. My dearest friends, my husband, our kids....have all been brutally attacked spiritually over the past few weeks. I believe that God Himself brought the memory to my mind from HG/HF.... staring into heaven, begging Jesus to please give me one more chance, to please not leave me alone. That's what we are doing this for. We are in the battle. We are fighting for those that will come to know Christ. We are fighting so that fewer will stand at the gates of Heaven and beg for a second chance. The people I love most in this world are on the front line, and here lately, we have been getting hammered.


For the briefest moment this morning I felt like I was in the presence of His Glory. This was different than the times I have felt Him near me personally. For the briefest moment I felt His Glory...and it was overwhelming. It was as if He wanted me to know that He is with us and, more importantly, He's in control. He's got this. All we have to do is follow and not lose heart when we get wounded...In the battle.