I read an article this past week that I have to say is a sad commentary on the state of the western church.
In this age of “doctrine does not matter anymore” it appears that this idea has made in roads to our own doctrine in regards to the rapture.
No more do people believe in the doctrine of immanency, that Christ can return at any moment.
This has been replaced by the idea of escapism.
No longer do we share the gospel or even position ourselves to even try to share the gospel. Now more than ever we should be looking for the opportunity to share.
Another doctrine that has gone out the window is that the rapture has no events tied to it for the rapture to take place. It is a standalone event.
This doctrine has been taught and yet it too has gone out the window. We try to tie events in Israel, wars, future wars, economic meltdown, you name it. People, myself included have tried to tie events to the rapture.
Thing is, it isn’t biblical.
We point to events taking place and even base ideas on what is going on here in the US, but like it or not the rapture is not tied to any one or series of events.
Yet there are those teachers and authors out there that are giving the wink and the nod and saying that due to the economic instability of the US and the world, the rapture is going to be the catalyst that will throw the world into a global one world government.
And because of this, why do we really need to share the gospel?
It blows me away that the one thing that could save this nation as well as the world; no one is really bothering with, that is the sharing of the gospel.
So many are so concerned about getting the heck out of dodge, that they have forgotten the great commission.
No more do we care about sending out missionaries.. I mean why should we since the economy is going to hell and the rapture is coming.
Daily solid bible preaching and teaching churches are shutting their doors out of lack of support. I mean why should we, the housing bubble is going to pop again and cause financial meltdown, why should we support solid bible preaching and teaching since we are not going to be here much longer?
We’re now at the point where the dollar and the bond market could collapse at any moment. So let’s all eat, drink for tomorrow we are going to be raptured outta here.
Where have the solid doctrines gone to?
Our modern idea of cherry picking bible verses to suit our needs, desires and out and out laziness to our duties to the Lord is astounding.
We are more worried about watching for the next event on the horizon so that we can “go home” over the job that we should collectively working together at.
That job is sharing the gospel.
Christ told us himself…
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Now I am just as guilty of wanting to “go home” and watching the signs.
But God has given us these signs so as to stir us into action and being busy about His work.
Can everyone go to deepest darkest Africa? No they can’t but they can help support and keep those who do in prayer.
But what is happening is that instead of supporting and praying for those who are in trenches, the “need” for a big screen TV takes precedence, or that trip to Disneyland.
We need these things now because the rapture is taking place soon and they may not have Monday night football up in Heaven. So I need to enjoy the “fruits of my labor now” that is why God blessed me right? (yes, I actually got an email stating basically this idea.)
Yes, the rapture is coming, but God did not tell us to stop being busy about the Lords work. If anything we need to step it up a notch.
Folks, I am going to drop the bomb here. There is no guarantee that the Rapture will take place due to an economic downfall. Nations come and nations go. To think that God’s Throne is draped in the American flag is a huge mistake.
The rapture has no event/s tied to it taking place. So using fortune cookie theology to guess and speculate the timing of the rapture is folly.
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
So no matter what I say, other bible prophecy teachers say, what signs we point to, no man knoweth… period.
Now, I know that this is something that most people do not want to hear, but we need to wake up from this stupor we have placed ourselves in and get with the program again.
God has placed us and this nation where we are for a reason.
First and foremost He has placed us where we are on history’s timeline to get our attention and to give us cause to repent and turn back to Him.
Second He has placed us here on history’s timeline so that we can get busy again and start getting serious about sharing the gospel with all the world.
He did not place us where we are on history’s timeline to sit around on our thumbs and do nothing.
It amazes me that churches no longer are the community support. No more food closets, clothes closets, no more door to door evangelizing, no more caring for the needs of the community.
The sad thing is that if we had to go out and share the gospel, most of us could not because we have not positioned ourselves to be independent enough to be effective for the Lord.
We have become so strapped with bills, debt, working long hours, keeping up with the Jones and chasing the “American dream” that there is no room for helping with the Lord’s work.
All the while we are running on the rat wheel just waiting for the rapture to come take us away.
Folks, I am not talking negatively about the rapture, what I am talking negatively about is that horrible attitudes we have developed due to being self centered and selfish. No longer caring about what we can do for God, but more worried about what God can do for us.
The basic definition of Laodicean is the “church of man” or “of self.” In other words it is all about me. That is why Christ is standing outside the church knocking.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Our attitudes toward the blessed hope have become tarnished. Instead of the imminent rapture and blessed hope being the catalyst that goads/prods us into action on behalf of the Lord; we have made it the excuse to do nothing except wallow in our selfishness and things of the world.
It is like we need to get a taste of the world one more time before being raptured home.
Where are we going to be if the Lord tarries another 25 years?
Where will the church be? Look where it is now.
The answer to this nation’s woes is simple. Get back to being the Godly nation we were at one time, start sending out missionaries to all the world. Get back involved with solid bible preaching and teaching churches.
In fact, get involved again with ministries like our own Prophezine.
I used to get so many emails about people sharing the PZ Insider Report and how it changed friends and families lives. I barely get them anymore.
In fact reading our work has become “more of a pain” and people “just don’t have the time” to read it let alone pass it on to those unsaved or to those sitting on the fence.
This is why Tracye and I do what we do. To equip you with solid information and news so that you can pass it on to others. It is so easy to do, but why should people care when the rapture is going to take place here soon?
It is a sad state of affairs that the gospel is no longer important.
So what is?
Football, pizza, the latest videos and DVDs, Nintendo, Xbox.. eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, just as scripture said it would.
Matthew 24:36-39 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them (Noe) all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
It is sad knowing that many will miss the rapture. People who thought that they had it covered will learn a hard lesson.
That lesson will be that they should have chosen the narrow path over the broad way. They should have been concerned with doing the Lord’s work in their lives over that of their own selfish desires.
See, I am one who believe that there will not be millions upon millions raptured out.
Why? Because Christ himself stated that “few there be that find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Use the rapture and a means to inspire and motivate one to action. Don’t use it as an excuse to do nothing.
Now more than ever we are seeing God’s mighty hand at work. So many who are lost are asking questions, but to give an answer for the hope that is within us we need to be ready to share.
We need to be reading our bibles so that we can give scripture and verse to those who ask.
We need to praying asking God to lead the lost and put them in our path so that we can plant seeds of hope.
We need to be positioning ourselves so that we can boldly share with credibility the hope of our Lord and his soon return.
We need to be telling the lost the consequences of sin, and that they are sinners in need of a savior and that if they do not chose Him, they will burn in hell for all eternity.
We need to be busy helping in some way to do the Lord’s work.
God’s promise of the rapture is to inspire and motivate not to move us to complacency.
That is where we are today, a complacent nation.
We then wonder why we are where we are on history’s timeline and then have the audacity to have some escapist mentality because we have not been doing the work God put us here to do?
By Ray Gano
