 |
| Morning Glory 2011 |
Christians today believe in the popular rapture teaching, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up…to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Ironically, our dust-kicking jubilation has blinded us from seeing its narrow but bold assertion—that in order to participate in the rapture, we must be “alive and remain”!
Many of us can count the number of Christian friends and family who believed in the rapture but are now waiting for their resurrection. Obviously, something has been overlooked in the rapture-teaching. If that’s true, then our rapture-conditioned mindset must be open to correction and instruction. Yet we all know how difficult it is to change fixed mindsets, don’t we! Even Jesus had a hard time convincing the leaders of his day to change theirs, especially when he claimed, “…if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51-59).
When rapture occurs is not a mystery. The Scripture clearly states rapture happens after the resurrection of those who are in Christ. So, when we see our Christian ancestors, grandparents, parents, children, cousins, uncles, friends, etc. begin to resurrect from their graves—or other places of rest—that’s when we know our rapture is imminent! First the dead in Christ will rise; then the rapture of those who “are alive and remain” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
To be “alive and remain” for the rapture is do-able by those who have entered into Jesus’ promise to “live and never die”; otherwise, it’s the resurrection.
=============================================================Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment