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.

What is a friend? What does ‘be a friend’ even mean? Who are real friends anymore, anyways? Coming from those of us who are in the trenches, these types of questions are becoming more and more common in these end days.

Even though some of us may wish to have lots of friends, we clearly see outlined in God’s Word that “friendship with the world is enmity with God.” So, we shouldn’t want ‘all kinds of friends,’ should we? For example, when our Lord Jesus walked this earth, He had a small, hand-picked circle of friends, which were the 12 Apostles, and the closest of those to Him were Peter, James, and John. We also read that Peter vowed to be ‘steadfastly loyal,’ but when our Lord was unjustly arrested in that garden, the same ‘hand-picked circle of friends’ all cowardly fled away, including the very one who pledged to do otherwise!

John 15:14-15 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

What does the Bible say about friends? | GotQuestions.org

Human beings were created to be relational, and friendships are an important part of our lives. We need friends—people we bond with in mutual affection. But not just any friend will do; having the right friends is key, and discernment is required: “The righteous choose their friends carefully” (Proverbs 12:26). In Scripture, we see what a true friend should be:

A true friend shows love, no matter what (Proverbs 17:17).
A true friend gives heartfelt advice, bringing joy to the heart (Proverbs 27:9).
A true friend rebukes when necessary, but the correction is done in love (Proverbs 27:5-6).
A true friend influences, enlivens, and sharpens (Proverbs 27:17).
A true friend avoids gossip (Proverbs 16:28).
A true friend forgives and does not hold grudges (Proverbs 17:9).
A true friend is loyal (Proverbs 18:24).
A true friend helps in time of need (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

Friends can console and help us when we are in trouble, as when Barzillai the Gileadite consoled David when he was being hunted by Saul (2 Samuel 19:25–26) or when Jephthah’s daughter’s friends consoled her in her sorrow (Judges 11:37–38). A friend may also rebuke in love, proving more faithful than a hypocritical flatterer (Proverbs 27:6).

One of the greatest biblical examples of friendship is David and Jonathan, son of King Saul. Jonathan’s loyalty to his friend David exceeded that to his own father and his own ambitions (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 20:14-17). So attached was David to his loyal friend that, after Jonathan’s death, David wrote a song to him, a tribute filled with heart-wrenching pathos (2 Samuel 1:19–27). Theirs was a friendship closer than brotherhood. In the New Testament, many of Paul’s letters begin and end with tributes to his friends, those who ministered to him, supported him, prayed for him, and loved him.

Friendship can have its negative aspects as well. Supposed friends can lead us into sin, as when Jonadab counseled Amnon to rape his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-6). A friend can lead us astray spiritually, as Israel was warned about (Deuteronomy 13:6-11). Even well-intentioned friends can provide false comfort and give bad advice, as Job’s friends did, making his suffering worse and displeasing the Lord (Job 2:11-13; 6:14-27; 42:7-9). People we thought were friends can prove false, deserting us when our friendship no longer benefits them (Psalm 55:12-14; Proverbs 19:4, 6-7). For all these reasons and more, friends should be chosen carefully. As Paul taught, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

The Bible gives warnings about the wrong types of friends. We are not to be friends with a hot-tempered person, for example (Proverbs 22:24-25). And Proverbs 1:10-19 and 4:14-19 warn against those who entice us to do wrong. We should not associate with evildoers, no matter how great the promised reward or how appealing their “friendship” seems to be. Those whose “feet rush to sin” should be avoided at all costs. The path they choose is no place for a Christian whose choice should be to follow the “path of the righteous.” Only that path leads to friendship with God.

The greatest friend anyone could possibly have is Jesus Christ. He gladly calls us friends (John 15:15), and He proved His commitment and affection for us in a convincing way: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). -End Source

In thinking about ‘what is a friend,’ this song came to mind the other day, and the lyrics describe an experience that not everyone gets to have in this lifetime. And if one happens to, it’s usually not for very long. One, because humans are fickle in our fallen nature, and two, because of the times we are living in where obviously the ‘love of many/most have undeniably grown cold’!

Song Lyrics:

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down a road and back again
Your heart is true; you’re a pal and a confidant

I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off; won’t you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
Well, you would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say

“Thank you for being a friend” (x4)

If it’s a car you lack
I’d surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, any time of the day or night

I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off; won’t you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it’s hard to hear
I will stand real close and say

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you) (x4)
Let me tell you ’bout a friend (I wanna thank you)
Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you) (X3)

And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You’ll hear me call as we ascend
I’ll see you there, then once again

Thank you for being a… friend…

https://youtu.be/eHJuVhLwxW0

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of us could have such true, kind, and stable friendships in our lives? What about a friend that takes the time to write a tribute or poem about you? For instance, King David wrote this beautiful heartfelt piece concerning his beloved friend Jonathan after he tragically passed away.

2 Samuel 1:19-27

“The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

“Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”

The Joy of Friendship / In Touch Ministries Monthly Magazine Article

HOW MANY TRUE FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE? At first, a lot of names may come to mind, but the longer you consider the question, the more likely it is that the number will dwindle. The reality is that we do not have many genuine friends – in other words, the ones who remain loyal no matter what circumstances arise.

Most people long for intimate friendships. In fact, God created us to need relationships with one another. Without them, we can easily suffer from loneliness and depression. Yet healthy friendships don’t just happen. They require intentional effort.

For Christians, the goal is to choose godly friends who share our faith and seek to walk obediently with the Lord. Our closest companions need to be people we can depend upon for good advice, support, and encouragement. Another important component is mutual commitment. As today’s verse says, we need “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

This dependable, intimate closeness is what the Lord wants for us, but it’s a rare treasure. If you have such friends, express to them your appreciation and admiration. And thank God for giving you such a valuable gift.

How to Build True Friendships / In Touch Ministries Monthly Magazine Article

WE ALL LONG TO HAVE GOOD, RELIABLE FRIENDS who love us, but how do we go about making these relationships? The biblical account of David and Jonathan helps us learn how to foster genuine, close friendships (1 Sam. 18-20). Their story demonstrates that true companionship is built upon a foundation of mutual respect, love, and authentic commitment.

Jonathan was the prince of Israel, while David started out as a lowly shepherd boy. Social status didn’t interfere with the cultivation of their friendship. When one experienced joy or sadness, the other did, too, because their hearts were knit together. Trying circumstances couldn’t weaken their commitment. Jonathan even risked his life and future kingship in order to save David from death.

We were designed by God for true companionship. But developing this kind of relationship requires not only time and selfless devotion but also transparency, which means a willingness to reveal who we really are. Taking such a risk requires trust, but unwavering friendships are well worth the effort. – End Source

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

As Christians, we may not have many friends in this world, but the one friend that we can have that truly matters is the One who vows to never leave us nor forsake us. No other can make such vows, pledges, or promises and fully follow through with them than our Maker who is the Lord Jesus Christ. For no greater love has any than the One who laid down his life for us! Isn’t it a comfort to know that He who is Faithful and True is always going to be there? Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a sibling and is One who knows us better than we do ourselves. Who better to be vulnerable with and to let down our guard than the One who knitted us in our mother’s womb and who has the very hairs of our heads all numbered?

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

May it also be said of us that we believed God and it was imputed unto us for righteousness and that we are called the Friend of God.

~And the card attached would say, ‘Thank You for Being a Friend’ ~

Until next time, Maranatha!

Sincerely and In Christ,

Candy Austin

Sign Language and Stuff with Candy – YouTube

The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand – YouTube