Has the Rapture ever been the solution to any of the trials that God has ordained for our growth?
10/06/2018
The following is a letter to a brother who has a YouTube ministry. In it, I shared something crucial that I had gotten from the Lord; that being an appreciation for the trials to which I have been subjected for my growth and maturity, and a realization that I, along with many others were looking to the Rapture as an escape from those trials:
Hi Brother, God put me through something of an attitude adjustment yesterday, and I feel like I should share it with you. I read an article by Greg Lauer at Alittlestrength.com which basically cautioned believers that the rapture, though amazingly imminent in the scheme of world history, could yet be a few years away. The article is here and I strongly recommend it. The thing that God showed me was that I have been looking to the rapture as the solution to my failing health. I believe many believers are suffering under a similar misconception. I keep up a correspondence with Diane, and here is what I wrote to her this morning:
“God bless you and thank you so much for your prayers and your concern. God showed me something yesterday that I think will help us all as we wait for the Lord. It’s kind of a hard message and it was related to the article written by our brother Greg. I realized that I personally had come to see the rapture as the solution to my problems, my ebbing strength, and the trials being endured by people I love, like you. Putting it into perspective though, the trials God is putting us through are for the perfecting of our faith. These are little ‘t’ tribulations, not the big ‘T’ Tribulation that He has promised to save us from.
If we begin looking to the escape as the solution to the purification process that God in His infinite love has ordained for us to experience, it’s like we neglect our homework for Sanctification 101, just assuming there will be no test because we’re going to be outa’ here. Of course, God knows what we’re up to and accomplishes His work in our hearts anyway, but I suspect it amounts to us doing it the hard way. It may be a fine point, but I think instead of trusting God’s promises as He leads us along, we stomp our feet like a willful child and insist He take us home.
The rapture has never been the solution to any problem any Christian ever faced. God’s provision; God’s leading has always been the answer. It’s like all the students at Godon High (good name for a heavenly high school, eh?) have stopped studying for our finals because we think we don’t need to. In reality, our service to the Lord is not over when He takes us home, it is just beginning. Imagine having a perfect brain with perfect total recall, learning at the feet of Jesus for all eternity as we rule and reign with Him.
The apostle Paul, servant of the Living God could have accomplished his service to the Lord with smooth sailing (literally). Instead, he was beaten within an inch of his life on multiple occasions, literally stoned to death at least once, shipwrecked, imprisoned, lied about, persecuted in every way we can imagine, all for the Glory of God and for Paul’s good.
I am not fibbing when I say that I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. The relationship that Lord Jesus has established with us through these trials seems to me to have been an amazing bargain. The joy that is set before us, the joy of knowing we are eternally saved and that He is ordering every step we take is worth any price.
By the way, having said all of that, I still believe the rapture is imminent; the Lord right at the door, coming at any second to snatch us away before the sh*t hits the fan. It is our blessed hope.”
I’m sorry if this is too long, but I hope it will have some value to you and your blessed ministry.
In Christ, Jerry
This brother shared my message with his viewers, and was inundated with outraged messages protesting the admonition to work through the things which God has ordained for our growth and quit looking for an escape in the Rapture. The magnitude of the outrage indicated the scope and presence of the problem, but sadly, after publishing a video where he back-peddled away from the message, he didn’t mention it again.
Photo Credits
- Adapted from #91237724/Jankovoy-adobe stock.com
- Adapted from #81509955/Darren Whittingham-adobe stock.com
- Don’t Mess With Israel by Greg Lauer @alittlestrength.com
A New Name 