As one who is blessed to be able to spend a little time with the Lord, I am hearing more and more about clouds “as big as a mans hand”. I am reading more and more from the prophets telling me that time is short and to expect revival and the rapture any day now. I also hear the advice that, in the event that the rapture hasn’t happened, there must still be work to be done - so let’s get on with it.
I think that perhaps we have gotten so caught up with the possibility of the rapture that we have tended to put the most urgent and pressing job of “recruitment”, or evangelism, of the not-yet-Christian community. It is because the rapture has not yet happened that the Great Commission is still a valid tasking for us to continue to undertake. Indeed, it is the only tasking the church at large has ever been given. Has anything changed? No? Then while we wait we must surely labour on to preach the Gospel to every man, woman, and child on the planet.
We must endeavour to speak in love to everyone we meet. In the past, many have fallen into the trap of thinking it is their job to convince folk of their sin and bring them to tearful repentance. This is not our job at all. We are to preach the Gospel – period. It is Holy Spirits job to do the rest. It may then become our job to lead them into salvation but conviction and repentance is Holy Spirits job. As it says in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
The key to all of this is love. In the past, and to a lesser extent even today, love has been seriously missing from Christian attitudes and behaviour. Rather than love, hatred and bigotry has been much further to the fore than love. However, with a few exceptions, love is making a comeback within the Christian communities. It is rare, these days, to find the kind of forced Christianity of centuries, maybe even decades past. The church seems to be learning to heed the edict that “by their love shall you know them” – referring to Christians of course. I am not saying that love is a uniquely Christian attitude but it is supposed to be one of the hallmarks of Christian behaviour and something for which we are supposed to be recognised.
In the end then, and in the absence of the rapture, Christian love is the key to our remaining work here on earth. Love is the demarcation between Christian and non-Christian beliefs by being the main reason for our faith. Love is the reason for Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the sole reason for our pursuance of the great commission. It is the defining factor for recognising Christians in the midst of a not very loving world. Love is all we have to offer those who hate us – that and Jesus. But then, Jesus can represent Himself far better than we can represent Him – all we have to do is introduce Him and watch Him work.
“Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven – what other reasons do we need to keep on working until He tells us to stop. Changed and changing – blessed and blessing.” (A slightly modified quote from Pastor Chris Bowater)
No rapture today? Best we carry on then.
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