Professing to be Wise, They Became Fools

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”               Genesis 6:5-8  NKJV

Tuesday will be the anniversary of Noah’s flood, (if you use the sighting of the new moon to establish the start of the Jewish month as they did in Old Testament times), and I thought since Jesus linked the flood of Noah to the end of this age I would share some of my thoughts on the subject.  For no reason I can think of, (other than the prompting of the Holy Spirit), I have always been fascinated by the story of Noah.  In fact, at one point in time I spent considerable time and effort researching the possible location of where the ark might have come to rest.  

Much has been said and written lately on the subject of God judging this world, even singling out America as a nation deserving God’s special attention.  As we see evil growing and manifesting itself in sometimes horrific ways not only around the world but here at home, is it any wonder that many believe that we are approaching or even have arrived at the time where God will once again reveal Himself to mankind by directing His wrath upon an unbelieving, sinful world.  As believers, we know that God has already warned that there will be a coming time of judgment just as there was in Noah’s day but instead of using water, this time He will use fire.

“knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth whichare now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”             2 Peter 3:3-7  NKJV

While many in the world would use promises like this to portray God as being cruel and vindictive, they choose to not only ignore the fact that this judgment is well deserved, but also that God has provided both a way of escape and given mankind ample opportunity to make the right choice.  In Noah’s day, even those witnessing the ark being constructed over a period of so many years never made the choice to join Noah and his family on the ark.  It has been almost two thousand years since Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again as a sacrifice for mankind’s sin, yet slowly but surely that sacrifice has been ignored by more and more of the world’s population until we find ourselves once again facing the time of God’s judgment.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”                       2 Peter 3:9  NKJV

Many find it hard to believe that we are still here after all that has occurred so far this year, and you can count me among them.  Unfortunately though, some people mistake God’s patience for indifference or “slackness”.  I can recall while raising my children and setting boundaries they often mistook my patience for indifference.  The looks on their faces when my promise of judgment actually occurred was often priceless.  Although God has promised a sure and final judgment, He is giving the world time to make the right choice because as a loving father, He wants no one to go to hell.  Yet as in Noah’s day, more will choose to ignore God’s providence than accept it.

“And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”                                2 Thessalonians 2:11-12  NKJV

The lie that God will not judge is the same one that Satan introduced in the Garden of Eden so many years ago when he convinced Eve to ignore God’s warning not to eat the fruit of the tree.  Just as he was able to deceive Eve, he is also able to deceive many in the world today.  The question for us as believers is how do we react to the situation we find ourselves in as the world looks more and more like it did in Noah’s day?  Noah made the choice to be obedient to God, and followed His instructions to build an ark.  In much the same way, salvation by faith in the gospel of Christ is the modern day ark which will save mankind from the coming judgment, and it is our responsibility to share it with an unbelieving world.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”                                  Romans 1:16  NKJV

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16. NKJV

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.  Have you?  Have you made the choice to accept the gift of salvation made possible by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ?  If not, if you are reading this you still have time to do so before God’s judgment begins.  Becoming a believer is accomplished by asking Christ to come into your life and to begin to help you live life as He directs.  If you want to do that today, simply pray this prayer to Him;

 "Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins.  I want to turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."  

If you have done this today, or have done it in the past, you have God’s promise that you will be spared from the judgment He has promised is going to occur to those who choose not to believe.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,”               Romans 1:18-22  NKJV

Keep watching.

Three Deliveries?

 

“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,”    2 Peter 2:4-9  NKJV

Like many fathers to be, my first trip to the delivery room was an eye opener to say the least.  While you can try to prepare yourself, experiencing it is really the only way to understand what really goes on in there.  Fortunately for me, the gravity and apprehension I was feeling lightened considerably thanks to something that happened in the time leading up to our delivery.  My wife and I were walking the halls trying to speed things up when we approached a room where a woman was quite obviously in labor.  Truth be told, my impression from the volume was that it was a difficult and painful labor and my anxiety began to rise immediately.  Imagine then my surprise and relief to hear the nurse shout loudly, “oh for crying out loud, it’s not that bad.  Put a cork in it honey!”

Now as humorous as that incident might have been, I am certainly in no position to judge.  While some might find delivery easy, it stands to reason others might find it hard.  My thoughts this past week seemed to focus again on Jesus’ use of childbirth and labor to describe the end of this age.  It occurred to me that there are three deliveries on our immediate horizon that we all should be concerned about as only one could be considered easy, while the other two will be as horrific as anything you could imagine.  Fortunately, it’s completely up to us to choose which one to participate in.

“the Lord knows how to deliver the godly”  The next delivery on God’s calendar is the taking of His Church to heaven in the event we call the rapture.  It is God’s promise to all who have chosen to believe in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for our sins. 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”   John 1:12  NKJV

We are told by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians that there will come a time when Jesus will return and take all of those who have made this choice to be with Him forever.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord”.   1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  NKJV

I believe it is fair to say that this delivery is going to be the easiest, if not the most joyful delivery anyone has ever experienced.  In the blink of an eye we will all be changed and receive the body we will have for eternity as we enter into the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This is the delivery everyone should be watching for right now if you consider all the signs which point to it being about to happen.

“and to reserve the unjust under punishment “.  The second delivery takes place immediately after the first one as those who chose not to believe are left behind to experience God’s judgment.  We are told that part of the first delivery is the removal of the “restrainer”, or the Holy Spirit and when that occurs the evil that He has been restraining for thousands of years will be released.  We have witnessed in the past few months anger and rioting on a scale that surprised many but imagine if you will the violence that is going to erupt when there is nothing to hold it back.

The disappearance of millions of people in the blink of an eye will terrify and enrage those who are left behind and it is easy to imagine how the world will react.  The resulting breakdown of society and inability to enforce order will set in motion Satan’s plan for someone to step forward who will promise to restore peace and stability to a world gone mad.  The Bible calls him the anti-christ, and his ascension to power will set the stage for the third delivery we are told will occur and that is the point in time where God will choose to judge His chosen people for their refusal to accept His Son as their Messiah.

“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”   Daniel 9:27  NKJV

The third delivery is the nation of Israel entering the time of their judgment from God which is most commonly referred to as the tribulation.  It is also called the seventieth week of Daniel, a result of the prophecy found above, and also as the time of Jacob’s trouble which personalizes this period as being directed specifically at the nation of Israel.  At this point you might be wondering why I differentiate between the second and third deliveries.  It is a result in my belief in what is called the “gap theory” which I have shared with you before. 

Traditional belief was that the tribulation period immediately followed the rapture of the Church, but many have now agreed that there are events which the Bible tells us about that must occur first, preceding the tribulation.  That requires a period of time, or gap, between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation. A question that often arises when the subject of the tribulation comes up is why isn’t the United States mentioned in reference to this time period?  I believe that it is a result of the judgment which falls upon this nation following the rapture. After the second delivery occurs, the US is unwilling and/or unable to involve itself in the affairs of the Middle East.

A question I almost invariably always get when I talk on our prophetic future is the same one the disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 24.  When will these things take place?  The simple answer is that we don’t know.  Yet considering how much Jesus talked about them, especially His referencing the Days of Noah and the birth pangs of a woman in labor, and then throw in for good measure that we were told if we watch we will know the season, many believe we are already in the delivery room waiting for the delivery.  So just to make things even more interesting, I want to share something with you today which could possibly prove to be the sign we have been waiting for.

There are two eventful days in the story of Noah which are highlighted for us in Genesis chapter 7.  The first is the day that Noah was told by God to enter the ark, and the second was seven days later when the flood arrived.  Exactly one week apart, they occurred on the tenth and seventeenth days of the month of Heshvan.  Many have wondered if, because of God’s propensity to arrange for events to happen on the same days of the year throughout history, the coming judgment of this world could possibly arrive once again on the anniversary of the first judgment.

I believe not only is that possible, but entirely likely, all things considered.  Of course, as always, let me make things even more interesting by sharing something I realized a few weeks ago.  If you recall, back in the beginning of July I wrote about the length of time for a normal pregnancy being forty weeks, according to what I found while researching on the internet.  As a result, because I have daughters who have more experience than I at such things, it was determined I should do a little more research as forty weeks seemed a bit too long.  After doing so, I found that either thirty-nine or forty weeks are typically used simply because there is no agreement as to when you should start counting.

So at the risk of sticking my neck out too far, because I strongly believe that life begins at conception, I vote to start counting from that point.  As I thought of that, I was reminded of an expression I encountered often as a history major, which is the term “seminal event”.  It is used basically to refer to a single event which produces consequences that go far beyond what was expected and in many ways affects the course of history.  When I discussed this subject back in July, I used the beginning of this year as a reference point for the count to begin, but in truth there was no seminal event in mind.  Then a few weeks ago a brother in Christ suggested that all the misery this year has produced began on Tuesday January 28, when the Mideast Plan for Peace was finally unveiled.

Most of you will recall that there were many delays in producing this plan with no firm date given to reveal it.  Why was this particular day chosen?  I have no idea, but a few weeks ago I did discover this.  If you count thirty-nine weeks from Tuesday January 28 you come to Tuesday October 27 which is the tenth of Heshvan and the very day God told Noah and his family to get in the ark.  If you count forty weeks from that date in January, you come to Tuesday November 3 which is the day the flood began.  Did I forget to mention that it is also the day our nation goes to the polls to vote?

You are free to make what you will of this but for one, I am glad I chose to become a member of God’s family and my place on the “ark” is guaranteed.  Have you made the choice to accept the gift of salvation made possible by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ?  If not, if you are reading this you still have time to do so before the delivery of the Church to its eternal home occurs. Becoming a believer is simply accomplished by asking Christ to come into your life and help you live life as He directs.  If you want to do that today, just pray a prayer like this to Him;

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins.  I want to turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen." 

 

If you make that choice, we have God’s promise that we will be delivered from this world; spared just like Noah and his family were, from the judgment that is coming in the second and third deliveries.

 

Keep watching.

Noah Redoux

 

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”   Genesis 6:5-7  NKJV

The story of the flood of Noah is one of, if not the, most recognizable story related to mankind in the Bible.  Surveys have shown over the years that virtually everyone, believer or not, are familiar with the account of a worldwide flood which destroyed mankind with the exception of Noah and his family.  As I recall, even as a young child first hearing this story, it surprised me that the world could reach a point where God would choose to judge mankind so completely and powerfully.  I also was left with the lasting impression that quite obviously, mankind deserved exactly what they got.

At this time of the year, when the rest of the world is preparing to celebrate Halloween, I am always reminded of the flood because the Bible tells us it occurred on the seventeenth day of the second month on the Jewish calendar. That puts it around the same time of the year as Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve, The Day of the Dead, and many other names it has gone by throughout history. Of course, this particular holiday being celebrated at the exact same time of the year that the flood occurred, which was God's judgment on the world that resulted in the death of all mankind, seems a little too coincidental.

The second thing that came to my mind as I studied the account in Matthew was a phrase we find in verse thirty-eight. If you look closely at the passage, notice something Jesus said. He said that people in Noah's day went about their lives doing what they did "until the day that Noah entered the ark".  After reading that statement, I believe we would benefit from looking more closely at the passage in Genesis that talk about that day.

"Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."     Genesis 7:1-4 NKJV

What these verses tell us is that God told Noah to go into the Ark because in seven days the flood was going to begin. Matthew tells us that the normal, everyday life of the unbelievers of Noah's day continued until "the day" Noah entered the Ark. If the flood did not begin until seven days after Noah entered the Ark, what happened on that day that got their attention to the extent they changed what they had been doing? Since Noah had been going in and out of the Ark for 150 years while he built it means something different had to have happened this particular day. Considering this, the only answer I could come up with is found in the following verse. 

"So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in."    Genesis 7:16 NKJV

Putting t it another way, after everybody went in, God shut the door! Now when I got to thinking about the door, the first thought I had was "just how big was it"?  Obviously, it had to be big enough for the largest animals on the earth to walk through, so it follows that it must have been huge. With a background in construction, my next thought was how was it engineered? Hinges? Sliding? Let's not forget the weight either. Made of wood thick enough to withstand the pressures it would face from the sea, and treated with pitch which would make it even heavier, it would have taken a massive effort on the part of Noah and his sons to put that door in place, much less close it.

But the Bible tells us God shut the door. What exactly did the people outside see and hear when God shut it? Did they see it closing seemingly all by itself? Did it close slowly or slam shut with a loud noise? Maybe a little thunder and lightning thrown in for good measure?  I'm willing to wager as well that the door, up until this point, had never been shut.  Whatever happened, because we are told that life changed after the door shut, when that door closed there must have been a message there that they heard loud and clear. What might that message have been? I wonder if it was the realization that no matter if they changed their minds or not, they had lost their chance to get in? Thinking about this led me to a couple of other passages where God talks about closing a door.

"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' "   Matthew 25:10-12 NKJV

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' "     Luke 13:24-25 NKJV

Taking a good look around right now, especially at the events of the past few months, do you think it is possible that we are approaching a similar time in the world’s history where God will once again choose to judge man for his actions?  We as believers know from the Word that this going to occur again, the question is when?

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”  2 Peter 3:5-7  NKJV

I think the message God intends for the world is clear. In order to escape the judgment that is coming, you must enter before the door is shut. In Noah's day, I believe the people of the earth had a good idea what was coming when they saw the door shut, and realized they had lost their chance to escape the coming judgment. When the world sees the church disappear in the rapture, they will know just as the people of Noah's day knew, that the door which leads to deliverance from God's judgment is shut. My prayer is that you have made the choice to enter in before that door closes. The day that Noah entered the Ark, the tenth day of the second month on the Jewish calendar will occur just ten days from now, Tuesday October 27. Have you made your choice? Jesus said this;

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."    Revelation 3:20 NKJV

I pray you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, and have given your life to Him. If you have, we will walk through that door together and hopefully soon. Many of us believe we are fast approaching the day of the rapture of the church. As you can see, we are also fast approaching the anniversary of the time God judged the world the first time. With all the examples throughout history of God choosing to use anniversaries of events in Israel's history to do other things, is it possible we will see the next judgment of God on this earth begin at the same time it did back in Noah's day?

Keep watching.

Taking Care of Business

 

“Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. “So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’”  Luke 19:12-13  NKJV

“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”  Luke 12:43  NKJV

Once again, showing my age, back when I was in college I spent much of my summer months taking road trips around the western United States taking in the sights.  One of my favorite music groups to drive fast to was called Bachman Turner Overdrive, or simply BTO.  They had one song which was usually pretty good for getting a speeding ticket or at least a warning and it was called “Taking Care of Business”.  While the music often distracted me from concentrating on the business of driving, this past week I could not help but wonder if all that has gone on since the start of this year has caused many in the body to be distracted from doing our Father’s business.

I will be the first to admit that it has, at times, been more of a challenge to focus on doing the work God has entrusted me with than in the past.  In fact, I would have to say that the last time I felt even remotely normal was last Christmas and New Years Day.  Like many of you, thanks to the new reality, life has definitely changed for the worse with no light at the end of the tunnel.  Yet as we know, believers were never promised a life free from struggle and in spite of our difficulties, we see here that our Father expects us to make His business our priority even in these uncertain times.

In the passage from Luke, the phrase “do business” is also translated “occupy”.  I want to share an excerpt with you today from an article by Jack Kelley on this passage which I hope you will find encouraging, especially as we are so close to going home.

 

No One Knows the Day or Hour

Most people have no idea that the Lord only spoke this phrase in reference to the 2^nd Coming, never the rapture. Even so, no one knows exactly when the rapture will happen. But the Bible gives us a number of signs as to when the end of the age will arrive, and tells us the rapture will precede it. And for the first time in history, every one of those signs is visible today.

Paul said the coming Day of the Lord should not take us by surprise because we’re children of the light (1 Thes. 5:4-5). That means we’ve been given all the information (light) we need to know the times and seasons of His Coming. The only people who can be taken by surprise are those have not made themselves familiar with end times prophecy, whether by accident or design.  In other words, those who say we can’t know the nearness of the rapture simply haven’t made an effort to inform themselves.

Read what the Lord said to the generation that wasn’t expecting Him the first time He came.

“When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:2-3).

It was not that they couldn’t have known He was coming, because their Scriptures contained hundreds of prophecies of His first coming, many of which pointed to their time. It was that His coming had become less important to them than knowing what the day’s weather would be, so they didn’t bother learning about it. He could say the same thing to much of the Church today.

Some scholars are calling what’s happening in our time the convergence of signs. That means we don’t just have a few signs showing up, which would be exciting enough. It means that all the signs we were told to look for can now be found and they are all converging on a point in our not too distant future. No generation since His first coming could say this.

Does This Mean I Can’t Have A Life Of My Own?

Truth be told, the Bible never promised us a life of our own. In fact it says, “We are not our own. We’ve been bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). But God never forces any of His children to do anything. The single condition for our salvation is to “believe in the One He sent” (John 6:28-29). So you can have a life of your own. If all you want is to have your “fire insurance” policy paid up, you did that by becoming a believer (Ephes. 1:13-14). Even if you never do a single thing for the Lord and all your works are burned up in the fires of judgment, you yourself will still be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor. 3:15).

In Romans 12:1 Paul said, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy …” He didn’t order or command us, he urged us. Even the Holy Spirit is only our counselor, not our commander. No one will force you to do anything.

Instead, what this means is you can have a better life than the one you’ve planned for yourself. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). In the first place, when you turn your life over to the Lord, He will see to it that all your needs are met, so you won’t have to worry at all about what tomorrow might bring (Matt 6:31-34). He will see that everything works together for your good (Romans 8:28). He will give back to you all out of proportion to what you give to Him (Luke 6:38). He will make you rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion (2 Cor. 9:11), and you’ll be storing up untold treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21) as well.

So you see, neither camping on a hilltop and waiting nor getting on with life while waiting is the Biblically correct approach. To occupy till He comes is to be engaged in the conduct of the business He has called us to.

Final Thoughts

In closing, I’m reminded of my favorite paraphrase of James 2:17 where the apostle wrote, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by deeds is dead.” The version I like goes, “If what you say you believe does not result in action, maybe you don’t really believe it.” If you’re not longing for the rapture and engaged in the Lord’s work while you wait for it, then maybe you don’t really believe it’s coming soon.

When viewed from a strictly human perspective, the rapture of the Church is the most incredible event in history. The resurrection of believers is the fulfillment of a promise that was made on the cross, the delivery of the greatest blessing ever given to mankind. And among resurrected believers, no other group has been or will be blessed as richly as the Church. Paul said God is doing this so that in ages yet to come He might demonstrate the incomparable riches of His Grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephes. 2:7).

But even above all this, He has chosen one generation of the Church to pass directly from mortal to immortal without experiencing death. This generation will be standing on Earth in our mortal, sin filled bodies and then in the twinkling of an eye we’ll be transformed directly into a perfect, immortal version of ourselves.  Immediately, we’ll be transported to the home He has spent the last 2,000 years preparing for us to begin a life with Him that is literally beyond imagining. And it could happen any day now.

But what if it doesn’t happen today? I was a business consultant when I became a believer 30 years ago. One of the services I provided was to help individuals and companies identify and achieve long term goals. Following my own example, I had binders full of five year plans for myself and my company which I faithfully tracked each month and completely updated annually.

I had learned about the rapture early in my life as a believer and, like most people, I was immediately excited about it. When I felt the Lord telling me to put my plans for my life aside and follow the path He had laid out for me instead, I thought, “Why not? We won’t be here that long anyway.” I decided to stop making my own plans for the future, and began letting Him implement His plan instead. Later I realized that this is what He meant in Matt. 16:24-25.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

That was 30 years ago, and I haven’t made any future plans for me or anyone else since. The life I have today is nothing like the one I had planned for myself. But it’s more exciting and more fulfilling than anything I could have imagined. I still see the rapture as an “any day now” event and I’m ready to go the instant I hear the trumpet. But I also realize that if that doesn’t happen today, the plan the Lord is unfolding in my life is the next best thing that could have happened to me, because I’m occupying until He comes. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah 02-21-15.

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/occupy-come/

As difficult as is it during these times we are all now experiencing, my prayer is that as a body we can put our concerns in their rightful place behind taking care of God's business until He calls us home.

Keep watching.