Can You Imagine - part 2

Can you Imagine 2

Having imagined one side of the “coin”, when we thought about Jesus at work in our lives, I want to take a quick peek at the other side. Today, we need to ask ourselves, can you imagine if we somehow manage to miss the boat; if we miss the rapture? What a horrible thought – but we need to understand what it might mean for us and for those others left behind when Jesus comes in the clouds for His Bride. I believe that it is only when we understand some of these things, that we will begin to understand why the Word of God says that the Lord wants “that none should perish” but that all would come to a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

There you are, suddenly left behind – all the Christians snatched up to meet Jesus – how do you feel at that moment? Just for one moment, imagine yourself in that position. How would you feel? Devastated is how I imagine I would feel. “Why didn’t they tell me?” “Did they dislike me, even hate me so much that they wouldn’t warn me about all of this?” I have a video clip by Penn Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame. He is an atheist who was once given a Bible and he asks, “If you really do believe there is a God, and that either heaven or hell awaits everyone, how much must you hate them NOT to tell them about it?” He compares it to allowing someone to stand in the path of a huge truck and just allowing them to get hit rather than warning them first.

So, can you now imagine a little bit more of how you might feel getting left behind after the rapture? Maybe you can imagine how broken hearted God will feel at that moment seeing so many of His precious creation, that’s us, left behind. But this is only the beginning of God’s woes.

Now you have the beginnings of an idea how either you or our heavenly Father might feel if we get left behind. Let’s change the scene a little. We are now at the judgement seat of Christ, and there is a long queue waiting to stand before the Lord. Can you now imagine the heartbreak He will be feeling as He has to say to so many hopefuls, “Away from Me. I never knew you!” Jesus has warned us about this very thing.  Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ”

What a desperately sad day that will be – unless, of course, we do something about it. You already have the answer. It’s called the great commission and it starts at home with family and neighbours. The Lord hasn’t called all of us to be missionaries, travelling the world winning thousands to the Kingdom. Our mission field starts at the door to our church.

There should be a notice board hung above every church door in the world. The notice faces inwards and it addresses each congregant as they leave their church. It reads, “You are now entering YOUR mission field.”

It’s time for us to stop breaking God’s heart and simply obey His call to each of us to make disciples of all men. Sure some will still turn Him down, but we will at least have started to show more of Jesus love to our neighbours.

Just letting my imagination run a little bit – that’s all.