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“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead
in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
so we will be with the Lord forever.”
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Every now and then I’ll hear my Pastor throw in this line in
his Sunday sermon, “I have no better
insight as to the date, but I promise it will be on Tuesday or sometime after.”,
referring to the date of the rapture. It’s
still amazing to me that people still only half-heartedly believe that this
date will come in their lifetime and live their life accordingly. They look at the scriptures, understand the promise
and the outcome, yet still live as if it’s going to happen after they’ve passed
away. I’m not a psychologist, but it
seems like a sure case of denial syndrome complex to me.
Many of us have read and believe that there will come a day when Jesus Christ returns but without the ability to schedule it in our day-timers it lessons the importance. Jesus tells his disciples clearly in Matthew 24:36 – ““But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Even Jesus Christ, Himself, doesn’t know the date that the Father will proclaim justice on the world. So does this lack of knowing give us the freedom to deny that it will happen?
We get so wrapped up in the controlling things in life that we often forget to focus on the big picture. My day-timer is full every day from the moment my feet hit the floor to the moment my head hit’s the pillow each night. The things I place on my calendar each day are temporary though, they are immediate action items, prioritized for a 24 hour period of time. I can control the actions it takes to accomplish these things every day. I know how long each project will take and I realize the risks and obstacles that will have to be overcome. I can look out into the near future and plan my days with clarity for a week, maybe two then it begins to get a little less controllable. Big things, I can plan out as far as a few months at a time; and lock in the date and prepare for each accordingly. The problem is that at any time a tragic event can happen and all of a sudden I am no longer in control. An accident, a health issue, a death in the family or any other sort of calamity will instantly upset the balance of knowing what my day holds.
You see, when it all comes down to it, as much as we think we are in control of our daily lives , we’re not. You can’t schedule a tragedy or foresee every possible obstacle that will arise in your perfectly planned day timer, any better than I can. We must accept the fact that there is only One who has certainty in planning the events that occur in each of our lives and that is God the Father. The sooner we come to realize that He is in control, and His plan accounts for the obstacles and the uncertainty; it becomes much easier to manage through the daily schedule. Knowing this, it brings to the forefront that there is an end to His plan, and we must be prepared for that ending without knowing when it will happen. You are not guaranteed one more breath, despite what your calendar says. What you are guaranteed comes from scripture, but you must embrace it’s truth and do not lose sight of God’s consistency in delivering upon every one of His promises. In doing so, you allow yourself to take control once again, and this has danger written all over it.
Where would you least want to be when Christ returns? If you were in a “Gentlemen’s club” and Christ returned, or in the midst of an affair, or passed out at a party, or in the middle of an unethical business deal . . . . you get my point. Christ tells us to live as if He were coming at any moment. Do you take that advice seriously, or are you in a state of denial – knowing that His word is true, but fully embracing your control over the situation? I don’t know when Christ is going to return, but I know He is and I can assure you, His return is not predicated on anything I am or could do. Live as if it’s today and make decisions as if it is any minute.
Many of us have read and believe that there will come a day when Jesus Christ returns but without the ability to schedule it in our day-timers it lessons the importance. Jesus tells his disciples clearly in Matthew 24:36 – ““But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Even Jesus Christ, Himself, doesn’t know the date that the Father will proclaim justice on the world. So does this lack of knowing give us the freedom to deny that it will happen?
We get so wrapped up in the controlling things in life that we often forget to focus on the big picture. My day-timer is full every day from the moment my feet hit the floor to the moment my head hit’s the pillow each night. The things I place on my calendar each day are temporary though, they are immediate action items, prioritized for a 24 hour period of time. I can control the actions it takes to accomplish these things every day. I know how long each project will take and I realize the risks and obstacles that will have to be overcome. I can look out into the near future and plan my days with clarity for a week, maybe two then it begins to get a little less controllable. Big things, I can plan out as far as a few months at a time; and lock in the date and prepare for each accordingly. The problem is that at any time a tragic event can happen and all of a sudden I am no longer in control. An accident, a health issue, a death in the family or any other sort of calamity will instantly upset the balance of knowing what my day holds.
You see, when it all comes down to it, as much as we think we are in control of our daily lives , we’re not. You can’t schedule a tragedy or foresee every possible obstacle that will arise in your perfectly planned day timer, any better than I can. We must accept the fact that there is only One who has certainty in planning the events that occur in each of our lives and that is God the Father. The sooner we come to realize that He is in control, and His plan accounts for the obstacles and the uncertainty; it becomes much easier to manage through the daily schedule. Knowing this, it brings to the forefront that there is an end to His plan, and we must be prepared for that ending without knowing when it will happen. You are not guaranteed one more breath, despite what your calendar says. What you are guaranteed comes from scripture, but you must embrace it’s truth and do not lose sight of God’s consistency in delivering upon every one of His promises. In doing so, you allow yourself to take control once again, and this has danger written all over it.
Where would you least want to be when Christ returns? If you were in a “Gentlemen’s club” and Christ returned, or in the midst of an affair, or passed out at a party, or in the middle of an unethical business deal . . . . you get my point. Christ tells us to live as if He were coming at any moment. Do you take that advice seriously, or are you in a state of denial – knowing that His word is true, but fully embracing your control over the situation? I don’t know when Christ is going to return, but I know He is and I can assure you, His return is not predicated on anything I am or could do. Live as if it’s today and make decisions as if it is any minute.
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