Friday, October 21, 2016

Will You Miss the Rapture?


Growing up, in the church in the 1980’s I had the delightful opportunity as a ten-year-old to see the Christian movie “A Thief in the Night.”  If you haven’t seen this cinematic masterpiece, it essentially depicts the terror and horror that many Christians believe will take place in a 7-year period known as “The Great Tribulation,” which happens after God has taken Christians out of the earth in the “Rapture.”  


Why anyone thought it would be a good idea for me at ten years old, to watch this movie is beyond me.  I still remember how the scenes of people getting their heads chopped off for not taking the “mark of the beast,” kept me awake at night for months.   

I also was terrified by the scenes depicting people who thought they were Christians, but who for some reason or another weren’t considered good enough or faithful enough to be taken in the “Rapture.”

There even was a Pastor who was left behind.  
I guess his theology wasn’t quite perfect enough!

The thought of being “left behind” literally gave me nightmares!  I remember getting up at night and sneaking over to my parent’s bedroom to put my ear up to their door to see if I could hear them breathing. 

Because I knew that if Mom and Dad were still here than I was OK!  
I knew that there couldn’t be any better Christians than my parents. 

One day my Mom took me to get my sweet mullet trimmed at the high-end beauty salon known as “Fantastic Sam’s.”  While I was getting my hair cut she said that she was going to run down the street to another store for a few minutes and be right back. 

After my haircut was finished, I remember vividly standing there at the huge glass walls holding my orange balloon and Fantastic Sam’s complementary comb, waiting for my mom to return. 

I don’t know how long it took for her to return, but in my mind, it felt like an eternity!

My mind began to race and I was sure of what had happened.

THE RAPTURE HAD HAPPENED AND I WAS LEFT BEHIND!

My mind began to race as I pictured my head being chopped off for not taking the mark of the beast!
Just as I could picture the guillotine’s blade coming down, my mom’s car pulled up!

I ran out to the car crying, “Mom, Where Were You?”
(I know my mom will fell horrible reading this blog. Don’t worry mom, after many counseling sessions, I am now able to forgive you for abandoning me!  Just kidding, love you, mom!)

I tell you this story for a reason.  I had this distorted perception that I had to be good enough for God. 

Matthew 5:8 says “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” 

I thought I was a good kid, I went to church my whole life and prayed and “asked Jesus into my heart” at five-years-old. 

But when you look at the definition of “pure” it means “blameless, innocent, and unstained by guilt.” 

I thought I was good, but I knew that I couldn’t possibly be that good. 

I pictured God like a judge who was constantly grading my behavior to see if I added up or not. 

Like he was Simon Cowell on American Idol, and after my best performance he would say, “That was just horrible.” 

I had been taught that God loved me, but I wasn’t sure that he liked me!

My problem was I didn’t understand what had taken place when I put my faith in Jesus as a child.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

When we place our faith in Jesus he exchanges our sin for his perfect righteousness!

Once the exchange is made, when God looks at you, he sees the sinless perfection of Jesus!

1 John tells us that “If we are afraid it is because we haven’t fully experienced God’s perfect love.”  He also says that we can “face God with confidence on the day of judgment.” 

As a child,I was afraid of God because I didn’t fully understand what Jesus had done for me.

It has taken me a long time to begin to understand the grace of God, but I now understand what forgiveness really means.

I don’t have to be afraid of God, and neither do you!

Regardless what your theology is about the end times.  Whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-millennial, post-millennial, or amillennial doesn't matter. We are probably all wrong!  What matters is that you find forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ!

2 comments:

  1. Good article Brad. What about missing the "rapture" though? You didn't answer that question, as far as I can see. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good article Brad. What about missing the "rapture" though? You didn't answer that question, as far as I can see. :)

    ReplyDelete