Rev. John Rainey served as pastor of my home church in in Georgia in the early 1940’s. Severely afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis, he had great difficulty walking. His wife drove him everywhere he went in order for him to fulfill his pastoral duties. He sat on a kitchen stool behind the pulpit during the entire length of each sermon. He was one of the most sincere and effective Bible preachers I ever knew.
Some years later when he was serving the Bluewater Baptist Church near Dublin, Georgia, he became very ill and came very close to dying. It was during this time that he had what is called “a near death experience.” He later described himself as consciously moving from earth into a world with celestial beauty. He was taken inside a room filled with brilliant light where he did not see Jesus, but heard him say, “John, I’m not ready for you yet. There is still work for you to do on earth.” He opened his eyes and began to recover.
On his first Sunday back in the pulpit he shared his near death experience. At the end of his sermon when the invitation was given for people to respond to the call of Jesus upon their lives, several people, all of whom were adults, walked the aisle and made a public profession of their faith in Christ. One of them was a man for whom his family and friends had prayed for many years to become a Christian. I believe this was a part of the unfinished work the Lord wanted him to complete before finally going home.
Pastor Rainey only saw briefly what lies beyond the door of death and was able to remain on the earth. Many others in the course of human history bore witness to what they saw as they were leaving for their heavenly home. For example, the first Christian martyr, Stephen, said as he was being stoned to death, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).
Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist of another generation, said not long before he died, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Earth recedes! Heaven opens before me! If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling and I must go!”
“No,” said his son who was standing at his bedside. “You are dreaming, father.” Moody replied, “I am not dreaming. I have been within the gates, and I have seen the children’s faces. This is my triumph! This is my coronation day! It is glorious!” J.W. Macaulay captured the joy Moody was experiencing in these words:
“Here we labor, here we pray,
Here we wrestle night and day,
Here the battle rages sore
Here the tempter ne’er gives oer;
There we rest from toil and pain,
There all losses turn to gain,
There we lay our burdens down,
There we wear the victor’s crown.”
Suggested Title: On getting an early glimpse of heaven
The Paper Pulpit 