The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest creed of the Christian faith. I grew up reciting this every Sunday. It's a beautiful and forthright statement of faith, of what the believer in Christ believes.
I don't know about you, but this 65 year old body of mine looks forward to that day! An incorruptible body means that it will never, ever see decay again! No more pain. No more disease. No more sorrow. No more worries. No more sin. No more evil. And the best part? Spending eternity with the God of the Universe who created me.
Jesus Christ made it possible for one, everyone, to have this hope. Through His death, burial and resurrection He made eternal life in Heaven available to all who believe on Him. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
As I’ve stated so often, we are living in such tumultuous and unpredictable times. Yet the Bible did predict just what these present times would be like hundreds of years ago. In the past few years Bible prophecy has sped up. Events are now materializing at break-neck speed. Evidence is pointing to this “blessed hope” for the believer to happen soon. It will take place in what is known as the rapture. The apostle Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians speaks of it:
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (died in Christ), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
*Caught up in the original Greek language is the word, harpazo, which was later translated into the Latin word, rapio, where we get the word rapture. It means to be caught up, taken by force, snatched out of harm’s way.
The rapture is God’s rescue mission for the Body of Christ. All born-again believers in Jesus will be changed into glorified bodies “in the twinkling of an eye” and caught up in the air to meet Jesus. Sounds like an episode from a sci-fy show doesn’t it?! But I do believe in it with all my heart, just as I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. He is the only way to the Father. The only way to Heaven.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”A rescue mission?
“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (1Thessalonians 5:9-11)
What follows this great event, called the rapture, is another event that is also great, but horrific. It’s called the Tribulation. It is God’s wrath, His judgement upon an unrepentant world. For seven years it will be Hell on earth. There are many that are aware (even many who don’t believe in Christ) that something terrible is coming. Whether they believe it to be a great world war, governments collapsing, frightening weather and geological events, or a combination of all the above; people know something is about to break. Once again the Bible predicted these things would happen and we are already seeing precursors, what the Bible refers to as “birth pains.”
Prepping supply companies are thriving. Many people are stocking up for whatever might happen. But all the prepping in the world won’t keep one safe from those seven tumultuous years to come.
So God has promised to keep His Church from this horrific time via the rapture.
Many Christians say that those who are looking for Christ and this blessed hope of the rapture are just escapists. To that I say, “Guilty as charged!” Yes, I do want to escape what is to come and go to the place that my Savior has been preparing for me—“and for those who long for His appearing.”
Are you rapture ready?
What does it take to escape God’s wrath to come? How is one counted worthy to do so? His name is Jesus. If you have trusted in Him as your Savior and Lord, believing that is through God’s grace only and not of your own works or righteous deeds, you will be saved from having to go through the Tribulation. That’s what it takes to escape.
I hope to see you on the Other Side, that great “by and by!” It’s going to be glorious.
Please, come to Jesus Christ. Trust in Him now. Time is running out.
I’m praying for you.
—Dave
