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The Silent Harvest
Francis Frangipane Ministries

Ministries of Francis Frangipane September 3, 2009

We realize that this word from Pastor Frangipane has been posted a
couple times in the past. Yet the Holy Spirit prompts us at key
seasons to resend it, reminding us there are others today who need
its message.

The Silent Harvest
By Francis Frangipane

A few years ago, I had a dream in which I found myself inside the
mind of a dying man. The man had been in a coma for some time; his
family had been praying, but they did not know whether or not he had
accepted Christ. All they were sure of is that, throughout his life,
he had resisted their efforts to lead him to Christ.

In the dream, I became so acutely aware of the man’s state of mind
that his thoughts, feelings and struggles almost seemed my own.
Although his eyes were nearly closed and his vision clouded, he
could see his loved ones at his bedside. I watched as he tried to
reach toward his family, but outwardly his arm never lifted.
Perceiving his thoughts, I heard him speak their names, but no sound
whispered through his lips. A loved one holding his hand asked, “If
you hear me, squeeze.” He heard and pressed his fingers against
hers, but no movement was seen; his hand clearly remained limp. He
was conscious, he could hear their prayers, he felt the warmth of
their kisses on his face, but was perfectly incapable of responding.

The pride and isolation that had, throughout his life, stood guard
over his heart were gone. A physical catastrophe had overtaken him.
Death approached, and he knew he was unprepared for eternity.
Submerged beneath his motionless exterior, a war had raged for his
soul, which the Lord won. Subdued by the relentless force of God’s
love, he was finally at peace. It was during his time in the
hospital that he had silently prayed and accepted Christ as his
Savior. I was watching his last effort to tell them as life ebbed
out of his body.

Suddenly, monitoring alarms ripped through the muffled silence of
the room. His heart beat one last time and I found myself looking
down at the body of a man who had just died. The room was buzzing
with nurses, while his family huddled in a corner, grieving. The
idea of their loved one dying without receiving Christ was more
devastating than the reality of death itself. I stirred and then
woke. Yet, just as I left the dream, the Lord spoke to my heart:

“Tell them he’s with Me.”

God is Good
Although some time has passed since I first had this dream, I am
increasingly aware that many of God’s people carry a deep abiding
heartache concerning the death of an unsaved loved one. Obviously,
this dream does not apply to all, but there are some for whom this
experience is divinely directed. Thus, I submit this to you in a
general sense, because the Holy Spirit has assured me He will bear
witness to your heart that this word is for you.

I have also felt an urgency to pass this dream on to you. The Lord
has an important work for you. However, the enemy has used this
unresolved loss to sow doubt into your soul. Not only are you
troubled about your deceased loved one, but you are carrying doubts
about God’s love, and you doubt also the power of prayer. Your
confidence in God has been compromised. Yet, it is precisely at this
time that you need to stand without doubt for other members of your
family.

Beloved, though there are many questions about the mysteries of
life, we must not let the unknown obscure the face of the known: God
is good. We know God loves us because He sent His Son to die for our
sins. Indeed, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”
(John 14:9). When we look at Christ, we see God, and we know that
God cares.

Additionally, some of us have lost loved ones in sudden tragedies,
where they seemingly had no time to repent or turn to God. Let me
remind you of those who have faced near-death experiences. They tell
of seeing their “life flash before [their] eyes.” Indeed, they say
that time itself seem to stop or move into slow motion. I believe
that, even in what seemed like a “sudden” death, time slowed to a
crawl. According to their testimonies, evidently, there often is
enough time in this altered state to see and ponder one’s entire
life - and to make a decision or even call upon the name of the Lord.

In spite of what we do not know about life’s many mysteries, one
thing remains eternally true: God is our loving Father. He does not
desire that any man perish, and He will fight to save us, even to
the moment of our death. Let us, therefore, cast our burdens upon
the Lord, for He genuinely cares for us. And let us again run with
endurance the race set before us, for He has promised that even for
those “sitting in the . . . shadow of death, upon them a light
dawned” (Matt. 4:16).

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins. Lord, there are many
issues I do not know, but I do know that You are good. Those things
I do not understand, I give to You. I trust You with my life, and I
put in Your hands the care of those I love.

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