Christian Living

You may be scratching your head and asking "Jim, do you really think that there is coffee in Heaven?" The best way to answer
would be "yes, or something like it but so much better." Indeed, there will be no need for a caffeine buzz in eternity, because
we will be filled with the unimaginable joy and energy that will come from being in the presence of our Holy
God. But, within that unimaginable and unspeakable joy will be pleasures untold, and this writer believes that those of us who
love coffee here on Camp Earth will have it or something similar but even more flavorful in the vast, golden expanses of
glorious life eternal. Boy howdy, I can't wait!

So, envision if you will along a golden street of New Jerusalem a small round table with two men seated at it. One would be
me, and you can picture me any way you like. The other man would be the esteemed major prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz--Amoz
having been Amaziah the King of Judah. I am blessed to be sharing a coffee-like beverage with this man born of a royal
bloodline!

I say to Isaiah that it must have been an honor to have seen the birth of the Great I Am so many years before it happened. Although
he is of a royal bloodline, the prophet is humble and glances down at his cup while responding in a low voice, "indeed, it was
an honor. Praise Him, the Lion of Judah." He then looks up from his cup and our eyes meet for a second, but long enough
to notice that his brown eyes are filled with awe even still. "He is the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father and Prince of Peace" Isaiah speaks slowly and deliberately. "Hallelujah" is all I can respond with at that moment--one
word filled with immeasurable worship, praise, love and gratitude for the Lord and Savior who had welcomed us into His home. The one
who the man across the table from me saw come as a helpless baby and then as a conquering king who defeated the Prince of
Darkness--so many years before it all happened.

It was me that was carrying the conversation. There was so much I wanted to tell Isaiah. I told him that his book of
scripture and prophecy was one of my favorite in the Bible. His book details so well the
birth, life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus that even though it exists in the Old Testament, it is considered by
some to be the "Fifth Gospel." The prophet was politely amused by this Fifth Gospel description. I also reminded my friend Isaiah
that his book is 66 chapters just as there are 66 books in the Holy Bible. He replied sternly "I wrote as it was given to me through
divine vision and inspiration and there are no coincidences." "No" I said, "there are none."

The cups were nearly empty and even though there is no measured time in Heaven, I was being led that this particular coffee
session was soon to come to a close. I looked at my friend Isaiah and said "things on earth for me become exceedingly
rough just before the trumpet sounded and Jesus called the Church home." He looked at me with palpable concern in his eyes
and said "please tell me about it, Brother James."

Even though I was now on a New Jerusalem street, in the company of the prophet Isaiah, enjoying the finest tasting beverage to
ever cross my now-glorified tongue, the memories of what were recently left on a post-rapture earth about to enter the Great Tribulation came back
to me like they were not so far left behind.

"Brother Isaiah, (I was thrilled that we called each other "Brother") I was in a bad mess before being awakened from a sound sleep on that
clear summer night to the sound of the trumpet. As Jesus shouted James, come hither I remember looking down at my
bed and seeing my underwear and t-shirt lying there. That clothing also symbolized in that instant all of the trials that
I was forever leaving behind."

"Please continue, Jim" (Isaiah called me "Jim!")

"I was just divorced and living in an apartment with an old buddy, who, praise the Lord is in the Kingdom with us. My sports
memorabilia business, which had been my living for years, had just failed. I was a Christian-Rock singer/songwriter/recording artist
but that was not generating any income. I was deep in debt and going deeper because I was living on credit cards that I
couldn't pay. I also owed money to men who had sold sports memorabilia through me on consignment who I couldn't pay. My
8 year old daughter had custodial residence with my ex-wife, and the pain of not seeing my little girl every day was
difficult to bear. You see, my brother, that little girl was our Holy God's greatest earthly gift to me, and I was responsible
for being her soul winner and mentor in the ways of our Lord."

There are no tears and no more pain here in heaven, but it almost appeared as though my friend and brother Isaiah was crying.
"Jim, you loved her, held her, guided her, and nurtured your little one in ways that you just now have been made aware of since
coming home. You, then a mortal man, faithful to our Lord, planted a seed and the Most High grew it into a fruitful crop." He paused for a moment
to let his words settle into me, and then said "Now, there is more, Jim,
I want to hear it."

"Well, to make matters worse, the 16 track recorder that I was using to record my album So Very Soon mysteriously froze
up as my partner and I were on course to complete the CD for a July, 2009, release. Several friends tried to repair it for us,
or at least remove the song files from the hard drive but to no avail. My partner and I attempted to deliver the machine to
its manufacturer on Long Island one Friday afternoon but were thwarted by Manhattan rush hour traffic and wouldn't have made it on
time. Upon returning to Central New York, I was planning to ship the recorder back to the manufacturer for repair but
couldn't afford to. Isaiah, just before the Wedding Feast it seemed like everything was going against me."

"I was lonely and wanted the love of a woman. My marriage had been unfulfilling and my ex-wife was a non-believer as I came
to faith after we were married. She had no use for Jesus because she was a "good person." Now, she's a good person
who has the choice of becoming a Tribulation Saint or taking the Mark of the Beast. Back to women, there was a young lady I
was particularly interested in but she didn't want to know."

"Isaiah" I continued, "there were times there at the end where I thought that God had abandoned me. It seemed like Satan was using
me as a sparring partner. But, there were two scriptures in particular that you wrote that helped me though those difficult days. They are two
of my foremost favorite scriptures in the entire Bible. Isaiah 41:9-10 gave me strength and assurance that God had not abandoned me:"

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen
you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

"Isaiah 40:31 gave me the hope and the strength to persevere through the desert that I was walking through in those final days
when all I saw was sand from beginning to end:

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint.

"Do not give me credit, my brother. Those words were given to me by He who was, is, and will be. He is the Most High"
Isaiah politely admonished me. "Still, I am pleased that the words of truth given to me helped you in those trying days before
the trumpet of rescue was sounded."

I had been looking into my cup, now filled again, as Isaiah spoke that he was pleased that scripture from his book was a help
to me. When I looked up, the seat across from me was empty and only Isaiah's cup remained. "He must have had important
business elsewhere in the Kingdom" I thought to myself and smiled. It was then that I felt a gentle tap on my right shoulder.
I turned and looked to see my daughter standing at my side. In her glorified body she appeared to be in her late teens, even though she was
8 at the time of the rapture. "Dad", (she always called me "daddy" on earth) "Jesus just said that the Anti-Christ is about
to sign the false peace treaty with Israel and the Arab nations. You know that will signal the start of the Tribulation.
Can we please pray again for Mom that she will come to faith before it is too late?" Again, there are no tears, no death,
and no pain in Heaven, but my daughter's countenance was one of great concern as she spoke.

Cataclysmic days were about to befall the planet earth. Seven years of tribulation were set to begin, the final three and a
half being Hell on earth. My daughter and I prayed for my ex-wife and many others that we had known who hadn't come to
faith before the Rapture. There was a comfort, knowing that some of these friends and family members who rejected Christ
would accept Him now. A few who had heard me speak of the Rapture accepted Christ right after the world had come to grips
with what had happened. "That wacko Jim was right" a few of them would painfully admit. A few others would die after
coming to faith further into the Tribulation after having refused the Mark and being executed. Still, other loved ones and
friends happily accepted the Anti-Christ as a messiah and took his mark, guaranteeing an eternity in Hell.

At the end of the seven years, I, my daughter and the rest of the saints would return to earth again on white horses with Jesus to fight the battle of
Armageddon where the Anti-Christ and his forces and minions would be quickly defeated. On a new and improved earth we
would stay for a thousand years, along with those who came to faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation and survived it.
After that, we would return to the Heavenly New Jerusalem for eternity and reside in that golden city reaching from Heaven to the New
Earth. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty!

Thank you, Jesus, for calling me to yourself. Thank you for the price you paid for me with your blood. And, thank you Lord for
the words written in the Book of Isaiah!