“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13 NKJV). Sure, I’d like to go, if there’s a Rapture, but how do you know it’s so? Harpazō is the NT Greek for catching up or rapture. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Greek, harpazō] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17). Here, harpazō is understandably connected with the “coming of the Lord” (4:15). We will be “caught up” (4:17) to the Lord in the air to reunite with our predeceased brothers and sisters before we all return with Christ. Harpazō also occurs in Revelation 12:5, where the “woman” (12:1), representing Israel, brings forth the Messiah, who is “caught up” (12:5) to the throne of God. Likewise, the Church as the Body of Christ will be raptured to Heaven, after which Israel will be forced to flee “into the wilderness” (12:6). May the Spirit of Christ “comfort” you (1Thessalonians 4:18) with these words, but let us not be impatient or contentious with one another, least of all, about the Rapture. “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29).
Life Requires Faith
How Is Your Faith?
The only way you can prove you have faith is to presently walk in faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7 KJV). Faith is sensitive to the present. We may have first believed in the past, but we must continue in the present, or there is no faith. We hope to walk in faith to the end, but we must continue in faith in the present to get there. Our great enemy is the deception that faith is not active. We deceive ourselves, when we are not trusting Christ for “all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2Peter 1:3). If we are truly in the faith, then let us avoid shipwreck by allowing Christ to direct our hopes and fears through all the opportunities and troubles of life.
Cure for Fear
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3 KJV). Better than whistling a happy tune, because the One we trust is greater than anything that can harm us. David didn’t stop there, but went on. “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (56:4). In God We Trust may only sound like an advertising slogan minted on coins, but true confidence in God is deceptively powerful. Faith is so effective an antidote for fear, the enemy mocks and trivializes it in hope the godly will be lulled into a false sense of “maybe this is too simple to work.” Exactly. Because it is not about us, but about whom we are trusting. Almighty God. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14).
If It Works for You
How do people rationalize their belief that God created the universe in six literal days only thousands of years ago? “God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4 KJV). Two years ago [2022], I posted these articles: A Young Earth Creationist’s Speculative Use of Einstein’s Gravitational Theory of General Relativity (GR) and Starlight and Time: An Amazon Book Review. I attempted to reconcile a literal interpretation of Genesis with the more prevalent evolutionary understanding. I quoted a creationist scientist, who used terms like ‘six days as measured by which clock,’ ‘gravitational time distortion,’ and ‘GR [General Relativity].’ But, I would only emphasize, Whatever works for you to make your confidence in God to stand, whether you agree with my position or not. “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (14:10). God bless you!
Is Faith Optional?
Is faith optional? No, doubting God is the alternative to faith. Do we have to believe? Yes, it is our only way to please God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV). Everything about our life requires faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7 KJV). Faith has a relationship with love, opportunity, and understanding. Faith is compelled and “worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6 KJV), while the opportunity and understanding of faith are considered purposely rejected, whenever one “knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 KJV). It does us good to think through God’s thoughts after Him. We are only guilty of over analyzing, when we are stalling for time and should be doing.
We Need A Miracle 