Your loved one has passed away, and the great time of reflection has begun. While mourning is appropriate for a season, you realize that you must make sense of what has happened and eventually move forward without your dearly departed. Two distinct pathways lie before you.

First, you can just go back to the way things have always been and simply trudge through life, day after day, knowing you will never again see the one you have loved so dearly for so long. Or, a second choice is available, which seems to always be presented by the peculiars (some call them Jesus freaks), after someone who lived for Jesus passes. Perhaps, listening to those who tell you there is hope to see your loved one again, at what they call the rapture, is the best way forward. After all, it could not hurt to at least listen to what they have to say about your most pressing question, what now?

Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, death comes for each and every person. God did not intend this. Instead, He created man and placed him in a beautiful garden in which was the tree of life. The fruit from this tree provided eternal life. However, God could not allow men to live forever in a state of sin brought on by eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil. To prevent this, he removed mankind from the garden (Gen 3). ^[1] Without the tree of life, men began to die, and the pattern has been the same ever since: Birth, followed by a limited number of days of living, then death.

This surely seems to be a very bleak outlook, but not for all. No, a group called Christians seems to have found a way to live longer. They, in fact, say they have found a way to live forever. When asked where this hope comes from, their reply is simply, “From faith in Jesus Christ.” Perhaps this is why they are considered Jesus freaks, a term usually used in a disparaging way by unbelievers toward believers, who, if asked, would simply say they are “the people of the way.” You guessed it; the ‘way’ is Jesus Christ, and belief in Him replaces the need for a physical tree of life:

John 14:6

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

This idea that Christians follow the way is bolstered by the fact that, before they were called Christians, throughout the book of Acts, those who followed Christ were referred to as “people of the way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). This simply means Christians are people who have discovered that following Jesus is the only ‘way’ to live.

The question before you today is how do you want to live from this moment forward? Do you want to return to your former daily routine without hope of a reunion with all of your believing loved ones who have gone before you? Or, would you rather investigate the ‘way’ of Jesus Christ and begin a journey that will result in eternal life? The choice is yours. You see, God did not force man to serve Him in the Garden of Eden, nor has he ever mandated worship. Instead, He made a way whereby men could freely choose to believe in the one truth that can set men free.

John, the beloved apostle, recorded perhaps the most famous Scripture of all in John 3:16. However, most stop short of the intended message of this passage which actually extends from John 3:16 through John 3:21:

John 3:16-21

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Rest assured, God the Father sent God the Son to earth. Being conceived by God the Holy Spirit, in a virgin named Mary, ensured that Jesus was born sinless. Fortunately, Jesus remained sinless, and He willingly died for all sinful people. This death made it possible for God, when judging man, to see the blood of His Son instead of the sin of each man or woman. There is only one catch; each person must decide whether or not to place their trust in this ultimate sacrifice of Christ. This trust is what affords the blood covering which washes white as snow (Psa 51:7; Acts 22:16; Eph 1:7; Heb 10:19-23; 1 John 1:7-9; Rev 1:5, 7:14). Scripture calls this making a way where there was no way (Isa 43). Oh, by the way, the good news does not stop here.

God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:11); and Jesus, after ascending into heaven, now prepares a place in His Father’s house for those who believe in Him (John 14:1-3; Rom 8:12-13). Jesus considers those who believe in Him, His bride, and He now awaits the command of the Father to come to retrieve His betrothed and bring her to the place He has prepared. By the way, this bride consists of all who have ever believed in Jesus. This means that all of your believing loved ones will be raised from the dead, just as Christ was; and any who are alive when Jesus returns will also be changed into incorruptible beings, in other words, immortals, who will live forever as the bride of Christ.

Sounds like any number of the current Hollywood productions, huh? Rest assured, what is about to take place is not fictional. No, the events outlined here are as real as it gets, and anyone who knows Jesus will tell you the time for the event called the rapture is upon us. All of the conditions you are seeing around you are proof positive that, indeed, the end has come. ^[2] The real question is how will you deal with the ‘what now’ that you face? ^[3]

God, in His Word, has provided everything you need to know about the conundrum you are experiencing. However, with all the distractions that vie for your attention, hearing what God says has become very challenging. Especially when everywhere you look, the Word of God is shunned: No longer is God accepted in schools; No longer is God accepted in the public square; and sadly, no longer is God accepted in society at large. Incredibly, some people only hear anything about God at the funeral of a loved one.

This great shunning of God’s word has created two distinct groups of people. First, the peculiar—heaven-bound who, having heard the Word of God, place their trust in Jesus Christ. Second, the earthbound are those who agree with the shunning of God’s Word and only put their trust in the things of this world. ^[4] Sadly, to shun God’s Word is to shun salvation itself. For, the very faith one needs to experience salvation comes from hearing God’s Word. Scripture makes this very clear:

Romans 10:8-15

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Today, I have been sent to you. The Lord God desires to commune with you. He wishes to provide you comfort, which can only come from Him, especially at this moment of bereavement. You see, the story shared earlier about Jesus returning for the bride is meant to bring you comfort. In fact, the apostle Paul encouraged the first members of the church, who had started to lose loved ones, by assuring them that Jesus would return for both the dead in Christ and those still living who trust in Christ. For greater clarity, here is what the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica:

1 Thess 4:13-18

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (emphasis mine).

This teaching on the rapture is, therefore, intended to bring peace in the midst of this fierce storm you are in. ^[5] Paul provided further comfort amidst instruction on how to go forth in your quest to meet your loved one again, in the words he penned in a letter to one of the leaders of the church, Titus:

Titus 2:11-14

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Couple this message of blessed hope with the encouragement which comes from the teachings presented here today about the rapture, and a great formula for success emerges. However, first things first; in order to believe any of the aforementioned scriptural truths, one must believe that, because of the sinfulness of man, God sent His Son to die for the sins of all; and that Jesus fulfilled His mission after which God raised Him from the dead. Then and only then can any other scriptural truth be known. Once this giant hurdle of unbelief is finally cleared, you are ready to draw comfort from the fact that Jesus is coming back for you and all of the believing loved ones who have gone on before you.

By the way, if you choose to take option two and learn of Jesus Christ, you too will now be considered a peculiar one. Albeit, once you become peculiar, the meaning of the term takes on an entirely different meaning. To a believer, being peculiar does not mean being odd or out of place. Instead, it is indicative of a holy life, a life now set apart for the Master’s use. With this in mind, being peculiar is actually the best way to possibly live since the ordinary represents the sinful nature of man. ^[6]

Conclusion

Losing loved ones is part of the process of life. Immediately after birth, the dying process begins. Only God knows the number of days each will have. Therefore, I pose this question. How will you spend the rest of your days? Will you go back to the status quo and just try to go along to get along? Or will you decide, right here and now, to make a change that brings life eternal? God has made a way for you where there was no way. Will you accept the fact that He loved you enough to send His only begotten, sinless Son to die for you? Will you join the peculiar and assume the posture of the bride of Christ and await the forever faithful bridegroom, Jesus Christ, who will reunite you with your loved ones? If so, you can expect to have peace in the midst of this and any other storm you may face.

Website: In His Commission

March 22nd, 2022

[1] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”

[2] For better understanding, see the article, “The Five W’s of the Rapture.”

[3] If the rapture has already taken place, see the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.”

[4] For better understanding, see the article, “Heaven or Earth Bound?”

[5] For better understanding, see the article, “Why We Explore Eschatology.”

[6] For greater understanding, see the article, “While We Wait.“

Way back in my school days (1950’s – 1964), we had a cheer at sporting events that went: “Two Bits; Four Bits; Six Bits; A Dollar – All for (school name) stand up and holler!” At that point, everyone would stand and yell “Hooray” at the top of our lungs. Can you just imagine the shout that will be going up when all Believers are taken up to meet Jesus in the air? For those who don’t know, 2-bits is a quarter or 25 cents. (Scripture ESV – emphasis mine)

There’s going to be shouting for sure, but no one that will be left behind will hear it or be involved. Looking at 1 Corinthians 15:52-53, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trumpet. For the Trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

One dictionary definition states that “twinkling of an eye” is the time it takes to blink once. Several other sources say it’s actually too fast to measure and would be counted in nanoseconds. Each nanosecond is one billionth of a second (Oxford languages / Miriam Webster.) For those who believe that the Rapture can’t take place so fast, nothing is impossible for our Heavenly Father.

To put my “two bits” in at this point, once the Rapture starts, it will be too fast to measure. For those who actually believe they will be able to call out to be saved when the trumpet and shout take place, that won’t be a possibility.

Sadly, there are many more souls so caught up in earthly things that they have made no plans for their eternity (Matthew 7:13-14). Even though it doesn’t seem like it right now, our time on earth isn’t even “a twinkling of an eye” compared to the eternal life we all face. With this in mind, I invite all who are reading this to take a brief moment and think about the only two options that everyone has.

The first option is for all who accept Jesus’ offer of eternal Salvation. The steps are found in Romans 10:9-13 and basically are: Admit we’re all sinners in need of a Savior; Believe that Jesus is the only one that fits that title (John 14:6); and if we Call out to Him to forgive us, He will do so, and we will be saved. One must receive and accept the Gift given to us by Our Savior. To try to buy or earn His gift is an insult to Him.

Before anyone tries to say they’re not a sinner, please read Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23. When it says “all,” that includes every soul that is on earth, has ever been on earth, and will ever be on this earth. The only exception is our Savior, Jesus the Christ. His time here was totally sin-free, and He completely fits the title “Christ” or “Anointed One.” He is the only “human” that could ever fulfill the Father’s need for a pure-blood sacrifice that could cover all the sins that will ever have been committed on this earth. Just thinking of the sins I have committed in my lifetime, and knowing that Jesus paid for my pardon with His blood, is totally amazing to me.

Even more amazing, He paid for everyone’s sins, and the cost for us mentioned earlier is to receive and accept His gift. Sounds like something that no one would refuse, but also, as stated, more will reject Him than accept Him.

That leads to the second and only other option available. For anyone to take their last breath on this earth without Jesus as their Savior, their eternity will be absolutely miserable.

First, look at Matthew 25:41. Jesus tells of the “eternal fire” prepared for the devil and his angels. Then, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10, and Revelation 20:11-15 give the final destination of the antichrist and false prophet, Satan himself, and finally the long line at the Great White Throne. That line started forming with the beginning of earth’s time and will go through the Millennial Reign of Jesus.

All who were out of the will of God from creation to the crucifixion will be in that line. All from Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that will not have received and accepted Him as their Savior will be there also. As stated, that’s all the way to the end of the time remaining on this earth.

Please note, no matter what false prophets may try to tell you, all who enter the Lake of Fire will be there forever. There is no pardon or suspended sentences. They will not have an advocate to speak on their behalf as all Believers have. They will be responsible and will account for every sin, great or small, they ever committed throughout their time on this earth.

Logically, one would think that everyone would really give some thought to becoming a part of the Shepherd’s precious flock. For all who truly receive and accept Him, they are “reborn” to a new eternal destination, and all their sins will be forgiven.

In fact, Psalm 103:12 gives us the assurance that “as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.”

Then, when – not if – we sin after being saved, we have 1 John 1:8-10 and 1 John 2:1; “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10). “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father; Jesus the Christ, the Righteous” (1 John 2:1).

We were given this pathway because God knows all of our weaknesses. He loves us so much that He provides this for all who have Jesus as their Savior. Once we leave this earth, we will have forever immortal, imperishable bodies and a mindset such as our Savior that is absolutely sin-free. No more falling into temptation ever. Just living and loving and serving our Lord and Savior. It will be totally beyond any description we could come up with in earth terms.

Just seeing how many changes have taken place over the past couple of years should be an indicator that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled rapidly. In Luke 21:28, Jesus told us that when all these things “begin” to take place, we’re close to going Home. Each day, this earth turns more and more evil, and all the attitudes Paul gave us in 2 Timothy 3 are here right now. Anyone who wishes to put off calling on Jesus is choosing to gamble with their eternal souls to the delight of the devil.

Please know that your soul is the most valuable part of you that will ever exist, and the Father will not force anyone to accept eternal life with Jesus. He leaves the choice up to each and every person individually. As given in 2 Peter 3:9, He doesn’t want anyone to fail but will honor whatever choice we make. It is our decision of who we will serve. It will either be Jesus or Satan. There is no third option available.

Jesus sacrificed Himself so we could have the opportunity to live with Him forever. He has even personally prepared a place for all His flock as given in John 14:1-3. Satan only wants to pull souls away from the Savior and will use every evil means to do so.

Today would be a great time to join the Great Shepherd’s flock of John 10. His sacrifice was for everyone, not just a few – John 10:16. The gift has been totally paid for and is ours for the asking.

Call now before it’s too late. You will be eternally thankful that you did.

Shalom!

huebshman46@gmail.com