Have you ever thought about the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Have you ever thought about whether or not you will miss the rapture? I have. The enemy knows how to prey on our weaknesses and fears and insecurities. He looks for any open door in which to enter; this entryway or door is our mind.
When we fear we lack faith, faith in ourselves and more importantly we lack faith in God. Fear torments the mind and causes anguish of spirit. I John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
My Story
Let me tell you about something that happened one day when I thought I had missed the rapture. My husband and I were at home working the ministry God has given us. We were working on The Church Readiness Ministries business, studying, praying and writing, I left the room and went into another room and I was gone for some time. When I came out of the room where I had been I looked in the room where I knew he was working, however, I did not see him so I began looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. I looked out the window but he was not there, I went outside to the car thinking maybe he needed to get something but he was not there either.
“I said to myself, maybe he is playing a joke;” then I looked in the closets and in the bathrooms, but he was not there. You need to understand that my husband never leaves the house without letting me know and he always gives me a kiss. He is a man of God, he has a great relationship with him and God uses him in a mighty way. God gives him dreams and visions of things that will happen. My husband is not a man who plays jokes, he is very serious.
This thought came to my mind, “the rapture came and you missed it.” I became afraid. The devil had found an open door because he knew there had been times when I felt insecure about whether I would miss the rapture. You see this was my fear that God was going to find something; he was going to find a spot, wrinkle or blemish. However the Bible assures me that if I walk upright before him and submit myself to him by presenting my body as a living sacrifice Romans 12:1-2 and if I put off the works of the flesh, and “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” Luke 10:27 then I should not fear about the resurrection.
You might think this is funny but let me tell you it was not a good feeling. I said, “God did I miss your coming? Is it because at the moment my faith in you is weak?” You see that particular day I was feeling down in my spirit. I walked through the house; everything my husband had been working on was still where he had left it. I thought about the scripture in Matthew 24:40-42 that says, two will be in the house, one will be taken and the other left. It really made me search myself and my relationship with God. I knew he was pleased with my service to him, because in prayer he spoke to me, however knowing this did not alleviate the fear that came into my mind because I also knew I could do better.
Remember Satan looks for any weakness and open doors in which to enter. Each of us struggles with something; you are probably struggling with something right now. But whatever it is you do not have to be bound by it. Satan is the accuser of the brethren, the liar and deceiver and he attacks our minds with lies. This is why we must do as Ephesians 4:23-32 which says, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
I began to cry, I turned on the news to see if there were reports. I said; “let me call my daughter to see if she is still here. If she answers the phone then I know everything is fine.” She did but I was not comforted, I was still afraid. I should have known better because I knew that I have a relationship with God. I knew that I have fellowship with him. I knew that I had been born again and that I was walking upright before him, but the fear was still there. We must learn to use the armor of God and come against the fiery darts that Satan throws at us on a daily basis.
I said, “God what am I going to do? What am I going to do without my husband? What about all the promises you have made me? What about the work you have for us to do? I can’t work this ministry by myself; our ministry is more than enough for one person. I said, God, I can’t be left, I can’t be left. Please God, I can’t be left.”
I sat in the front room not knowing what to do next, and then I heard my husband talking outside, he had gone next door to see our neighbor. I was overcome with joy. I began to wipe my tears, and when he came into the house I told him what I thought had happened; he did not realize how afraid I had been.
I praise God because he has shown me what it would be like to miss his coming. I cannot, I will not be left. I am thankful for his blessings, I am thankful that I know him and I know I belong to him. I am thankful for this season in my life. It has been a time of testing and trying. It has been a time of growing my faith in God and testing of patience. It has been difficult at times but I have been able to spend quality time with him.
I believe everyone can learn from my experience. We get so caught up in worrying and fretting about things we have no control over. Getting angry at people, holding grudges, backbiting, having a spirit of bitterness; complaining, not forgiving, etc., but God loves us so much and he does not want us to be overcome with these things. Jesus died to set us free; we are the light and salt of this world. God wants us to walk in His power and authority so that the world sees that he is with us. We just have to learn to walk in that freedom and power.
Have you ever thought about missing the rapture and being left behind?
Nadine Richmond
The Church Readiness Ministries
