ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE??
Perhaps this is an elementary,
almost redundant question to many of us who have been waiting for a good number
of years for Jesus to come.
I'm one who thinks the rapture
could happen on any ordinary day, not necessary a Jewish feast date -- BUT
I confess to getting all the more excited when a feast date IS approaching!!
:)
And it seems that there are many,
many good reasons that this Rosh Hashanah COULD BE IT!!!
Bea is right; not only is the
world in such a dizzy stir, violence, and unrest, but also seems that just
about every world leader is clamouring to try to bring about peace to the
MidEast. {one of them WILL accomplish this soon after
we're gone, and win the title of world leader!! a.k.a. the AntiChrist}
Sooooo, it seems that many of
us are on the edge of our seats, holding our collective breaths, almost
afraid to breathe -- asking with every fiber of being in us: "Lord is
this it?? Are You coming for us? Taking us Home, by chance, this
coming weekend?"
How shall we pray? What
should we be busy DOING to occupy our time until then?
Unless the Lord has directed any
to work on "special tasks" for Him like training to do mission work in Africa
or something ~ then sometimes it feels almost mundane to keep punching
a time clock at work ~ till the trumpet sounds......
And yet, that's exactly what is
expected of us!!
2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we commanded
you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
Just keep on keeping on ~ much
like Elijah did -- just going on with life as an ordinary work day when suddenly:
**BAA-RRRRROOOOOOOM!!!! BAA-RRRRROOOOOOOOOM!!**
[my best rendition of a ram's horn! *smile*]
And as far as our conduct:
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation
has appeared to all men, 12 teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing
of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
And while some of us are almost
reluctant to get TOO excited with anticipation (just cuz we've been down this
road before & do not want to have the date come & go, and then mope
around with disappointment, even if we do not express it to anyone, even if
we keep the secret all to ourselves of how we were so anticipating that Jesus
would come, and then it's still easy to get disappointed, even subconsciously.)
And NOOOOO ~ I am NOT saying that
the "Lord DELAYS His coming!" Danger playing that game!
[Luke 12] I am not a cold water tosser, and I truly expect Him
just any day. Any day this year will work just fine with me ~ and I
eagerly hope for this weekend!
I'm just merely suggesting that
if He does not come this weekend, rapturing us Home to heaven to forever be
with Him, that we just keep plugging along, just keep on keeping on, and always
abounding in His work until He does call us Home.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord.
WHATEVER that *work* may be ~
even if it's something as daily & ordinary as simply eating a meal ~ we
should do it ALL to His glory. [1 Cor. 10:31]
We think, we hope, we anticipate
that at some point over this coming weekend, during Rosh Hashanah, that we
could be raptured.
But if it does not happen as we
hope, and our time schedule is amiss, then the question will be ~ ARE YOU
READY to just keep plugging along, doing His work, remaining steady, remaining
VILIGENT in watching ~ UNTIL He DOES come!?
James 5:7
[ Be Patient and Persevering ] Therefore
be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits
for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives
the early and latter rain.
James 5:8
You also be patient. Establish your hearts,
for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
I ask in part -- because it seems
the farther along we go, at least in my circle of friends, then people tend
to lose their watching excitement. I'm just the opposite, as I see each
passing day one day CLOSER to being with our perfect Lord in a perfect paradise.
But alas, sometimes it's easy to feel like I'm left alone in this world, watching
by myself. :>{ {thankfully, I have my online buddies
to watch with} But this is just not the case in my circle
of friends...... ie. when I slipped in a plug recently to a Christian couple
of Jesus' soon coming ~ he responded with what was intended to be a joke:
"I hope it's not BEFORE I get to go on vacation next month!"
~~ **UGH**!! ~~
Let's see, which is better:
a weekend getaway in the Rockies, or a rapture ride to golden streets
to be where Jesus is!! I expect the Doves know the
answer to that one, ;) without my having to explain
how glorious heaven's gonna' be. {cue song up: "I can only imagine"
~ except the difference is, soon we will not have to IMAGINE!!}
Just one more sidenote:
I used to find it quite interesting the numbers on mb's of ppl who claimed
they were ready, if called, in a heartbeat to "die for Him". And while
that WILL be the case during the trib, (for those who become Christians after
the rapture RE: Rev. 7), but even so, now I think that for most
Christians now living -- we are not so much called to DIE for Him as we are
to "LIVE FOR HIM". {Romans 12:1,2}
Soooo.... are we prepared to LIVE
FOR HIM?? Come what may? Whether eternity is literally hours away
or whether we yet must be patient for a while longer?
Can we hold on? Can we maintain
the enthusiasm to wait & watch for Him EVERY DAY? Keeping oil in
our lamps and our garments unsoiled? Keeping separate from the world?
It's really a pretty easy task
to abide in the VINE {John 15} ~ believe me, we have vines growing all
over the place & once you're intwined in the vine, it's pretty easy to
STAY there.
Trust & obey!! For there's
no other way ~ to be happy in Jesus, but to trust & obey!
Well, these are my thoughts just
a few days before Rosh Hashanah 2006. May this BE our time of
redemption!!
Looking UP!! ~ and praying for
Israel's peace. Sha-a'-lu Shalom Yerushalyim!