Ronnie Update: 2-18-02

Dear friends:

Last night Rev. Ron Patterson called me just to chat and share. Ron is the father of 19-year-old Ronnie, who, in September 2000, had an unusual visitation from the Lord, who gave him an astonishing vision of (or visit to) heaven and told him that He was returning so soon that Ronnie getting his driver's license was not worth the trouble. It was later clarified that Ronnie has a learning disability and it would have taken him about a year to get his license, or the fall of 2001.

Ron is also a close and long-time friend of ailing Dr. Richard Eby, who also had a visit to heaven following a clinical death experience many years ago, and later another time when the Lord appeared to him. Ron shared with me last night that after Ronnie had his experience in the year 2000, Dr. Eby asked to speak with him and get Ronnie's description firsthand. After speaking with Ronnie at length and asking questions, Dr. Eby told Ron that he was positive that Ronnie had, indeed, visited heaven and that he had an experience similar to that of the apostle Paul who was taken up (2 Corinthians 12).

Ron said that Ronnie's experience was a radically life-changing one, and that he has not been the same since, and that he has never seen anything like it. He said that Ronnie's excitement about the soon rapture grows with time instead of diminishes, and that Ronnie mentions it to him probably 2-3 times an hour. Whatever happened to him in September 2000 is a total, life-changing reality to him.

Because due to the learning disability it would have taken Ronnie until the fall of 2001 to get his license, Ronnie says he believes it would not have been "worth the trouble" if the rapture occurs anytime in the year 2002. Ron is personally persuaded that it will be in the year 2002, but he does not speculate when. He is not looking to any particular day, or even a Jewish feast day. But he says he will be shocked if it does not happen this year. We discussed this with other indications, such as Dr. Eby's failing health and God's promise to him decades ago that he would still be alive at the rapture, and he is near age 90.

I told Ron that it seems to me that God gave Ronnie that experience not just for himself but as an encouragement to all other believers who know about it and are watching for the Lord's return. The same goes for Dr. Eby.

For a full description of Ronnie's amazing experience, see http://www.oocities.org/bramlett2000/updates2001/ronnie.html http://www.oocities.org/bramlett2000/updates2001/ronnie2.html http://www.oocities.org/bramlett2000/updates2001/ronnieupdate.html

God bless,

Jim