Watch this 10-minute video introduction to get you started. “Rapture – Why Are You Excited?”
Is your heart prepared for the coming King? In the Prepare Your Heart Series, that will be our focus, to be a people made ready for the return of Jesus for His bride. Our earliest topics will cover the rapture to see where we currently stand in our view of it, a heart check of sorts.
Most pre-trib rapture believers fall into one of these three categories: excited for, afraid of, or in dread of the coming of Jesus for the church. Which are you? We should all be on the alert, guarding our homes (hearts) and taking inventory of our feelings and motivations.
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will” (Matthew 24:42-44).
If you’re excited over the rapture and hope it happens before you finish this article, then I’m with you! But please continue on with the series after this “Excited” session since the information that follows will still likely be beneficial for you. In order to have productive conversations with others who fear or are in dread of the rapture, you need to get inside their heads and see where they’re coming from.
I’m so excited over the rapture that I sometimes find myself feeling guilty when considering the ones who will be left behind when we’re gone. I realize the sooner it comes, the sooner they’re left to face a certain, horrific future. More than once, I’ve had to remind myself it’s more than okay to be excited. No bride should feel guilty over her eager anticipation of her wedding day, even if she’s troubled over others refusing the invitation. We, the bride of Christ, rightly feel ever-growing excitement with each passing day. The more we see the rise of darkness, the closer we know our Groom’s arrival is.
Jesus coming sooner rather than later may very well be God’s grace and mercy for those who would only fall for greater deception in a world where good is increasingly being called evil and evil good. In that case and with that perspective, I feel way less selfish for saying, “Come!”
May I do a little meddling? Have you ever stopped and asked yourself what drives your excitement? Of course, we all want to get off this spinning ball of wickedness and go to heaven, but is that your only motivation? Do you merely want to escape here and go to heaven, or do you long to be with Jesus? Out loud, I think we would all answer “Jesus” since that’s the answer to every Sunday school question. But deep down, in that place where no one else can hear your answer, are you more excited about the place – heaven, and all that entails – or are you more excited about stepping into the arms of Jesus?
I know I’ve been in the first category in my life, actually, most of my life. As I shared in the video, there was a distinct time when I had to do an honest heart check and come clean before the Lord. My life’s never been the same since.
Are you willing to spend a season of questioning your heart’s own motives? No one need know but you and Jesus. In light of the passage below, one I studied with all sincerity and found myself lacking, where are you? Do you love Jesus with your all, all, all? I once barely loved Him with my some, some, some. For me, the first step to an all-all-all heart was one of honesty with myself first and then with the Word who already knew the answer.
“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind'” (Matthew 22:37).
With my answer heavy on my heart, I spoke the words to Jesus, “I don’t love You, not as I should.” I was quick to add, “But I want to.” If that’s you, then nothing is more important in your life of faith than to get that resolved; and fortunately, there’s no simpler issue to remedy. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). While this verse in context is focused on us loving others (horizontally), it also applies to our vertical love for God. We can’t help but love Jesus when we catch even a glimpse of how much He loves us.
Maybe, like me, your love issue for God stems from your lack of understanding of love from God. Isn’t it easy to say “for God so loved the world” and believe it? Can you honestly say ‘for God so loves me’ and believe it? If you struggle with that even one ounce, then you have Love to pursue. His love for you is the only foundation that can possibly keep you stable in this ever-shifting-sand world we live in. Run after it as if your life depends on it. Even the slightest collision with His incomparable, all-consuming love for you will drastically alter your life and how you live it, as well as intensify your excitement over the soon-coming Groom.
Bear in mind, the love of God you’re in pursuit of is already in hot pursuit of you. His heart is to show you just how much He loves you. The fact that the Father sent His Son is proof. The willing-to-die-for-you Savior is proof of His love for you. He–Jesus–is right this moment preparing a place for you. The love and excitement of a Groom do that.
Wait! Have you ever considered that Jesus is excited for that day too? Dwell on that. Let your mind consider that your rescue from this evil, spinning ball is what Jesus longs for too. He’s waiting to hear those words from the Father, ‘Son, go get Your bride.’ Beloved of Jesus, you have reason to be excited, not just over your escape hatch, but more so over the wedding you’ll soon attend. Keep looking up, knowing His appearing draws nigh.
Takeaway:
- Take a quiet moment alone and ask yourself what your first words to Jesus will be when you get to heaven. Maybe I should clarify. Once you’re able to pick yourself up off the golden floor, what will you say to Jesus? Your answer may very well set you off on a journey of a lifetime.
- Don’t skim past what was mentioned before. Take time to consider your heart in light of Matthew 22:37. Do you love Jesus with your all, all, all? Even if you’re at the level of most, most, most, there’s no better time than while you’re waiting for Him to arrive to go all in. (**See note below.)
If you haven’t heard it in a while, this would be a great time to listen to We Fall Down (we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus). Worship naturally instills excitement in the heart of a believer when focused on the One before whom we will bow.
I can’t wait to meet Jesus in the air, then when we get to heaven, I can’t wait to see my Granny. Someday, when the party dies down, I hope to meet you too.
Love to you, fellow believer,
Lisa
**I have a nonfiction book, You. Are. Loved, that I offer for free as a PDF here. It brings the love God has for us into narrow focus and challenges the reader to view His love for them as intimate and personal. Guys, hear me out. This was originally written with a female audience in mind, but I believe you can glean much from the material if you choose to read it. Watch the book trailer at YouAreLovedBook.com.
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Free Resources:
You. Are Loved, Live the Love Song – Free book PDF
Daybreak, Last Days of Light – Free book download – fiction account of our world and the nearness to the rapture
How Do I Share What I Know? – Lisa’s Rapture Ready Series
Prepare Your Heart – Series in process
About Daybreak with Lisa:
Daybreak is a way of life, one of exposing the rising darkness and telling of the soon-coming Light. We only have so many daybreaks remaining before that final sunset when we, as believers, are caught up in the air to meet Jesus.
As an author, Lisa Heaton is a storyteller with a heart for truth. Her greatest desire in her fiction and nonfiction work is to challenge the reader to discover the truth of who Jesus is and who they are to Him. Now, here as we wait for the any-minute arrival of Jesus for His church in the rapture, Lisa’s latest mission is to warn the lost and wake the found and to help others discover their unique voice to share the truth of our times. More at DaybreakWithLisa.com.