“We’re Nearly There,” A Short Story
Happy 4th of July, Friend!
Right now, our fellowship is teaching through the book of Revelation. It's exciting to study about the end times while we're living in them!
How wonderful it is to see that God has arranged everything for this final goal: to glorify the Son of God who redeemed us from sin. But not everyone agrees with God's final goal. The following story is about three men who are representative of many others who have publicly expressed their goals for humanity, yet few see the danger in what they intend.
May we be men and women of faith in Jesus, standing separate for His good name, waiting for His appearing . . .—David Telbat
We're Nearly There
by D.I. Telbat
Electrician Evan Michaels crawled along the balcony floor overlooking a Manhattan conference room. It was past midnight, but the United Nations delegation was meeting tomorrow, and he'd been contracted to troubleshoot the sound system. There was a short in the wire somewhere up there!
Along the edge of the balcony, he pinched the suspected cord. A man's voice crackled in Evan's earpiece, a device he used for gauging feedback and volume. Sitting up, he pressed the earpiece deeper into his ear. Maybe it was some sort of interference with the auditorium's sound system from somewhere nearby.
But no, the low voices echoed throughout the auditorium, not just in his earpiece. Sure enough, when he leaned over the balcony, he saw three men seated on the stage, which was setup for the summit the following day. They wore suits, yet seemed quite relaxed where they had positioned themselves near the podium. For testing purposes, Evan had left the mic on downstairs, and it was extremely sensitive.
Evan was about to call out to tell them he was working on the balcony's sound system when he recognized all three men. One was a news anchor on a popular news channel. Next to him was a wealthy banker, often pictured on magazine covers and quoted for his financial advice. And the third was a doctor who had a worldwide following that heeded his advice on everything from diet and exercise to mental health and religion.
"I don't see why we can't convince the public to do what we want them to do," said the news anchor. "I can make sure my peers repeat the same talking point over and over again."
Evan moved away from the balcony rail, his eyes wide with indecision. He knew he should tell the men he was there so he wasn't mistaken as an eavesdropper. But he was torn between announcing himself and actually listening in.
"That works for conditioning the public who listens to us," the banker said. "But I want those who don't listen to us to be brought into the fold."
"We need to make them listen," said the doctor. "We've agreed to call them Limiters for good reason. They guard themselves from our goals, even though we know what's best for them. Then they act as heralds against us, even though they're dismissed as crazies and discredited by the media."
"You're welcome." The news anchor chuckled. "I don't see why we should fear such a minority. They grow weaker and fewer by the day."
"Think about it," urged the doctor. "It's taken decades to exchange inductive reasoning for their deductive thinking. People have never made more decisions based on emotion than they do today. And yet we have these Limiters infecting those close to them to rely on other means."
"We can't control people who rely on Jesus," said the banker, "when we mean to control them by their spending."
"I've asked you not to use that name around me," hissed the doctor. "That's why we agreed to call them Limiters, remember?"
"Well, I've done my job," said the news anchor. "I've won arguments on the air for years, sometimes humiliating the opposition. I didn't just share information with listeners. I also told them what to think and how to think about what I've told them. I don't understand how these Limiters have resisted when everyone else is following our thought process. It's for their own good."
"It's not just about thought," said the doctor. "We've thrown down conventional ideas about gender and sexuality, and that hasn't worked to win them, either. The Limiters are hung up on who they worship. They're simply not with us."
"I can ask the board to increasingly squeeze clients," said the banker. "When choices begin to affect their bank accounts, their faith will change like the weather. We'll see who they worship when it costs them more to go to the grocery store or to put their kids through school."
"We need to help people understand that they're better off allowing the experts make their life decisions," said the doctor. "We're educated, and we understand the importance of the social construct. We know how best to govern in ways of environmental concerns and social unity. Can we subtly push that more on the air?"
"Sure, but I don't know why I need to be subtle," said the news anchor. "Honestly, who are we afraid of? The Limiters are the only ones who oppose us. We can just keep pushing for increased cohesion. That'll naturally push out the Limiters' dogma."
"It's time we took significant steps to shut down their social media accounts," said the banker. "When families or the organizations of the Limiters ask for loans and to open accounts, we can press them on their beliefs. We have the right to deny business to whomever we want, if they're committing thought crimes."
"What about discrimination laws?" asked the news anchor.
"What about them?" challenged the doctor.
Together, the three men laughed softly, but Evan didn't laugh at all. He was barely breathing on the balcony where he huddled on his knees out of sight.
"We're nearly there," said the banker. "I sense a profound new world just ahead of us. Something not just new, but actually inspirational."
"It'll make us immortal," said the doctor. "Humanity is reaching new heights. Even overseas, tyrants are bowing before our movement and might."
"If they don't bow, the worldwide government will exclude them, right?" The news anchor shrugged. "Nobody wants to be isolated. Either everyone gathers with us in mutual understanding and survival—or they die."
"And not just figuratively," said the banker. "We squeeze until they join. Like you said: it's for their own good."
"We need to stay on top of these things," said the doctor. "Pass the word tomorrow that it's time we move on to the next step. The war posturing overseas, this continued dispute over Israeli security, and the rise of worldwide inflation—we need to put it all in perspective for everyone."
"There can be no rebuilding without first tearing it all down," said the banker. "It's a controlled demolition to build back something better. It's time we were more transparent. The people are ready. No more vague posturing or theatre."
"I agree," said the doctor. "They know we should lead them. They'll do anything we say now. They've been appropriately conditioned for years. The pandemic worked perfectly. I've never seen so many nations in total upheaval. The time to offer our replacement conglomerate is ripe."
"Again, you're welcome." The news anchor smiled. "I agree we're nearly there. Even the Limiters can't stop us."
"No one can stop us," said the banker. "Soon, we'll control every network and every currency."
"And every mind," said the doctor. "It'll be a perfect world—man at his finest. With the environment preserved, moral constructs will evaporate. Everyone will be at their happiest."
"Whose tool bag is that?" the news anchor asked suddenly.
Evan didn't look over the balcony but he knew they'd spotted his sound equipment gear!
"Someone's probably in here, getting ready for tomorrow," said the doctor.
"What if someone heard us talking?" asked the banker.
"We've been talking for years." The news anchor scoffed. "Think about it. Every time the Limiters try to use our own words against us, nobody believes them. People know we're acting in their best interest."
"It's fine if someone overhears us at this point," said the doctor. "Let's think positively about our goals and wait for the final pieces to fall into place. That includes the Limiters. Somehow, they need to join us or disappear permanently."
"I'd prefer the latter," said the banker, then cursed. "I don't want them to join us, not after all they've done to paint us in a bad light."
"Come on," invited the news anchor. "I'll buy us a nightcap. We have a big day tomorrow."
The three men moved away from the stage, and Evan risked a peek over the balcony. The men continued to visit, but now that they had moved so far from the mic, he couldn't hear them clearly. A moment later, the auditorium door slammed closed and he was alone.
Evan sighed and folded his hands where he sat on the floor. He knew what he’d overheard—world leaders intent on the final stage of molding society to their whims and will. But their way seemed impeded by one particular group.
"Limiters?" Evan whispered, and bowed his head. "Lord, I never knew I was considered a Limiter, but I know You alone are the One who delivers from sin and death. Your Spirit is the One who has set good boundaries for Your people, and I won’t be ashamed for choosing to follow Your Son. Those men may be in their final stage of social and global engineering, but You are arranging the final day of their judgment. Thank You for opening my eyes and saving me from my own sinful destruction. I know You will be glorified in the end. Even those men—they will bow before Your Son and confess that He alone is Lord. I'm ready for that day, Father. I'm so ready for that day . . ."
Evan fixed the wire on the balcony, then fetched his gear downstairs. At the door, he looked back at the stage and thought of the irony. Men thought they were setting the stage for something awesome with mankind on top. But actually, God was setting the stage for His Son to judge all sinners and to take the throne forever.
"Yep, we're nearly there," Evan said as he left the building.
The End.
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COMING UP: Join us next time for David’s newest Author Reflection, “Anticipating the Gathering.”
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