Gather Up Courage

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

If there’s ever been a time when we need to know our prepositional God, that He is with us and for us, it’s now (Joshua 1:9, Psalm 118:6). We need to know that He is behind and before us, and that His hand is upon us in these final darkening days (Psalm 139:5). One of my teachers taught prepositions using a tree: in a tree, beside a tree, with a tree, above a tree, etc. Over the years, God has used His pre-position, where He has always been and will always be in relation to us as believers, as a way of assuring me we’re never alone in our suffering or pain or desperation. While we as rapture watchers are waiting for Him to come, we can find courage in knowing that He’s already here. He is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). That never changes, even and especially when we see this world spinning out of control.

I think most of us would say that we thought He would have come for us long before now. The fact that the rapture hasn’t yet happened may have many of us reeling and feeling a little stunned to be seeing the rise of evil and the fall of our nation. Make no mistake; no candidate or party will or can save us. There is only one Savior, the One who is tarrying for perfect reasons that adhere to His perfect plan. We can trust that. We can trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Continue reading…

I seriously thought we would be out of here in 2020, then in 2021 and 2022 and 2023. Yet here we are, still waiting and longing and hoping. Might 2024 be the year? Or will we be called to endure another year, God’s gift of time offered to this lost and dying world? If another year is required of us, how might we better embrace the waiting?

I admit, I’m not the best at waiting patiently. I’m guessing you’re not either. If you’re anything like me, you’ve done more complaining than embracing along the way. How can we not with the sorrow and turmoil we experience in our families and in this world? Some days I find it hard to view our extended time here as we wait for the Lord as an opportunity for the lost rather than a burden to the found. I’m burdened. Every. Single. Day.

I host a group on Zoom for rapture watchers. Folks from all over the U.S. meet to discuss last-days topics (You’re always invited. See more here.). Last week, Nancy (aka my mom) closed us out in prayer. She thanked the Lord for our time here (on earth) and even asked that He leave us a little while longer to reach the lost. Jokingly, I told her we were kicking her off the prayer team for asking for more time. But deep down, her prayer struck a nerve with me. It’s something I’ve written about a few times, how they, the lost, are worth our extended time here. I know we all “know” that, but it’s still a tough prayer to pray. So thanks, Mom, for praying from your heart and piercing mine. Continue reading…

Below is an advance copy of my upcoming article for Rapture Ready. Share if you’d like.

The holidays are here, more aptly, the holy days, that time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Set aside the arguments of when, specifically, the Christ child was born, and most believers will agree that December is a time when even those who don’t know Jesus as Savior are more willing to consider His birth. That’s a miracle in itself. There’s something special about this month in the hearts and minds of most, but what I’ve noticed over the years is how the trappings of the act of Christmas tend to overshadow the birth that Christmas observes. I’m as guilty of that as anyone.

We, as rapture watchers, need something true and excellent and lovely and pure to fix our eyes upon, something besides the evil of the WEF, the UN, the WHO, the IMF, the …, well, you get it. Can we take a break from the darkness rising and watch for that Christmas star signifying the coming King? I think our rapture-waiting hearts need it, to get caught up in the exquisite glory of God with us, Immanuel.

This year, my question is: How can we dwell in the holiness of Christ-mas rather than being trapped by all its trappings? Continue Reading…