Hello Paul,
In response to your posting: http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/sep2008/paul96-1.htm, I can relate to your situation, as I am
sure many others can also. After reading
your post, I asked the Lord “What do
you do when faced with this sort of situation?”
There are so many who feel as your wife does and most are not interested
in what the Bible says or simply do not believe it. I don’t know where your wife is concerning
God’s Word, but what is apparent is that she does not accept the idea that
Jesus’ return is imminent.
Perhaps there may be more to it than her simply not
accepting the truth. Sometimes we feel
unworthy because of doubt of forgiveness from God, or we simply cannot forgive
ourselves. You may want to lovingly ask
your wife if there is anything in her heart that she needs to be forgiven for or
if there is something she has refused to forgive herself for. Another thing to consider is that often we go
to God and ask Him to forgive us, which He does, but we don’t always forgive
ourselves. If God forgives us our sins,
yet we refuse to forgive ourselves of those sins, then we remain in those
sins. He does not override our will even
if we choose to remain unforgiven by not forgiving ourselves. Not to forgive
oneself when the Lord is willing to forgive is in essence a rejection of God’s
grace.
That rejection causes one to walk in darkness. One who is in the dark cannot see the love of
Christ. He confines himself to that
which he feels he is worthy of, which is bondage instead of redemption. Thus, an underlining “fear” takes hold
whereas it becomes unthinkable to think about the idea of a rapture whereas
believers in Christ will be snatched up to heaven. You’d be surprised at the multitudes of
people including believers who deep down don’t really believe they deserve to go
to heaven so they cling to this life believing and hoping that it will never
end. They consume themselves with the
things of this world because the world is in darkness and only this darkness to
them makes any sense. A reality that
they can understand is the reality they live in the world. This is why they continue to plan for
tomorrow, next week, and next year as if the patterns of time they have always
lived will continue uninterrupted.
They are horrified of any existence beyond the only existence they
know—this world.
Paul, let your heart not be troubled by the fact that your wife rejects
the coming rapture. Instead, love her as
you have never loved her before. Your
love towards her will represent the new world you have already no doubt told her
about. Your love towards her will show
her a comparison between the world she chooses to cling to and the one you are
already a part of. Talk to her about
what Christ did on her behalf. Let her
know that God’s wrath was upon all of humankind and that He was poised to
destroy the entire world because Satan distorted and perverted everything the
Lord set forth. Let her know that there
was only one who could appease the Lord’s anger – no one else could. Let her know that God loved the world so
much, which includes her that He sent His only begotten Son to earth to die a
brutal death on the cross in our stead.
Instead of God crushing us, He chose to crush His own son. Let your wife know that because Jesus shed
His innocent blood, we were given a free gift of righteousness. There was absolutely nothing we could have
done in and of ourselves to earn or obtain it.
We are now able to enter heaven because we have the righteousness of
Christ.
Let her know that the reason the troubles have been escalating in the
world and that the reason God’s wrath will come upon this world is because the
people in the world have chosen to “reject” the righteousness of Christ. They have chosen to reject Christ’s death on
the cross, His cleansing blood. They
have chosen to turn their backs on God and follow Satan. The rapture is for the benefit of those whom
chose to follow Christ believing on Him that He did in fact die for us and
washed away our sins, which made us pure in the sight of God through
Christ. God looks at His Son who was
raised from death, and through Him He sees you and me—who have confessed
and believed on Him—spotless and blameless.
Let her know that this is how the Lord desires to see her. Let her know that though she may not know or
understand Him, He already loves her and called her name. If this were not so, she would have never met
and married you, for the Lord calls the husband and the wife desiring them both
to come. If after this Paul she still
doesn’t believe, love her anyway.
Don’t underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit who is
well aware of the spiritual condition of your wife. Intercede on her behalf. I will do so also
and I am asking that every brother and sister on doves pray on behalf of Paul’s
wife. I believe that the Lord will open
her eyes and in her heart, she will “see” what you see and that she will accept
Jesus and believe on Him.
May God bless you and your bride mightily Paul!
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Your brother in Christ forever,
Rick Wynn |