the real reason why so many Christians
will be left behind at the rapture
in the great assembly of Believers in
this vast sea of Christianity a deeply
unsettling reality casts its shadow upon
the church I have often found myself
reflecting on the words of the Apostle
Paul recorded in first Thessalonians 4
16 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
what a glorious promise
what an astonishing hope
yet I fear many who count themselves
among the faithful will be sorely
disappointed on that fateful day
now you might ask preacher why would any
Christian be left behind at the rapture
to that I answer with a heavy heart it's
because though they claim to know him
Jesus Christ does not know them
it's not about simply knowing of him
folks
it's about having an intimate personal
relationship with our savior The Living
Lord Jesus Christ
Pew Research Center reported in 2021
that about 65 percent of American adults
describe themselves as Christians when
asked about their religion this was down
from 77 in 2009. now I want you to ask
yourself do you really think this is
accurate do you really think 65 of
Americans are Christians according to
the parameters set by the Holy Bible
or do you think that within that 65
percent a large number of those are
Christians according to the parameters
of the world and not the Bible
there is counterfeit Christianity in our
generation counterfeit Christianity who
do not love the Lord Jesus Christ
my point is this there are people who
describe themselves as Christian but
Jesus Christ does not know them
therefore when Christ comes to collect
his church at the Rapture they will be
left behind for Christ does not know
them
they will be left behind
we've filled our churches to the brim
we've got our rituals and our Traditions
Our Song services and our prayer
meetings
yet there's an emptiness in many of you
a vacancy that isn't about a lack of
bodies but a lack of genuine connection
to Christ
you see it's not about the number of
times you've set foot in a church or the
countless verses you've memorized no
it's about knowing Christ in the depths
of your soul and being known by him
now I want to be clear the Rapture won't
be executed by some angel with a
checklist nor a Messenger
cross-referencing names with the church
registry
no
the Bible says the Lord himself will
descend
Jesus the King of Kings will come down
personally to collect his Saints
why
because he knows those who belong to him
he knows his sheep and his sheep know
his voice
Jesus knows those that truly belong to
him if you are truly saved you do not
have any need to be scared about whether
you will make the Rapture or not Christ
will by himself Rapture you out on that
day when he shall call up his Saints
he knows every one of us that belongs to
him by name he is our Shepherd and we
are the Sheep of his pasture when the
trumpet shall sound at Rapture none of
the Saints will be left behind
we are not going to be caught up by our
own strength but by the spirit of him
that raised Jesus from the dead we shall
be quickened to rise above the skies
second Timothy 2 verse 19 says
nevertheless the foundation of God's
stand is sure having this seal the Lord
knoweth them that are his
and let everyone that nameth the name of
Christ apart from iniquity Christ said
that it is not all that call him Lord
that will enter into the kingdom of God
but those that do the will of his father
so Christ knows those who call him Lord
with their mouths but have their hearts
far away from him and he also knows
those that call and serve him from a
pure heart the question we should all
ask ourselves is
am I really serving God or am I
deceiving myself
all those who call on the name of the
Lord are to depart from iniquity
once you are serving God with purity of
heart you can be sure that Christ will
find you at rapture
the Rapture will be selective only those
who Christ has in his register are going
to be caught up
the church may have your name in her
record but does Christ have you in his
register what matters most is that
Christ should recognize you
if you are not recognized by Christ you
cannot make the Rapture but if you have
been serving the lord Faithfully there
is nothing to fear you are prepared for
the Rapture and up you'd go when the
trumpet sounds
Watch and Pray
Mark 13 33 reads Taki heed watch and
pray for ye know not when the time is
it is not enough to go to church or to
attend a prayer meeting you must examine
whether your passion for the Lord is
growing or declining
the love of many is already waxing cold
deep down many of us know that we are
not prepared for Rapture because a lot
of things have taken away our passion
for the Lord activities have taken the
place of True Fellowship with the Holy
Spirit in our hearts
brethren we all need to examine
ourselves and judge ourselves before
anyone else does
right now how can you define your walk
with God
are you still consistent with him
unfortunately there are many of us that
are battling with secret sin but we die
in silence rather than cry out for help
some may ask
how can we ensure Christ knows us
it begins with genuine repentance and
faith in the finished work of Jesus on
the cross
when we recognize our sinful nature and
turn away from our sins placing our
trust in Christ alone for salvation a
transformative process begins
Romans 10 verse 9 States
if you confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heart that God
has raised him from the dead you will be
saved
it is an intimate relationship birthed
out of sincerity and humility
Christ warned in Matthew 7 verses 21 to
23 not everyone who says to me Lord Lord
will enter the kingdom of heaven but
only the one who does the will of my
father who is in heaven on that day many
will say to me Lord Lord did we not
prophesy in your name and cast out
demons in your name and do many mighty
works in your name
and then will I declare to them I never
knew you depart from me you workers of
lawlessness
this is a stark reminder that mere
religious activity or even mighty Works
in his name are not indicators of
genuine faith
it's not about the volume of our
religious Deeds but about the
genuineness of our relationship with him
it's about a heart transformation which
results in a life that is in harmony
with God's will
the Christian journey is akin to
building a deep meaningful relationship
think of your closest friends and family
why are these relationships so deep
it's not merely because of the time
spent together or the things done for
one another
rather it's about understanding trust
commitment and love
just as in any true relationship knowing
Christ requires open communication which
we find through prayer it requires
seeking understanding which we gain
through studying his word
and most critically it requires a heart
willing to be molded and transformed by
the Holy Spirit
consider the parable of the five wise
and five foolish virgins in Matthew 25.
all were awaiting the bridegroom but
only half were prepared when he came
those who were unprepared found
themselves shut out with the
heartbreaking response
truly I tell you I don't know you
this underscores the vital importance of
not just waiting but waiting in
preparedness in relationship and in
intimacy with Christ
so my friends I want to Echo Paul's
words in second Corinthians 13 verse 5.
examine yourselves to see whether you
are in the faith test yourselves
is your faith genuine is it rooted in a
personal relationship with Christ or is
it merely a ritualistic surface level
claim
when our hearts are Anchored In Christ
there's a sense of peace that transcends
understanding
a piece that stands firm even in the
face of tribulations knowing that our
savior holds Us close
and as the world around us seems to
spiral as the days darken this peace
becomes our Guiding Light
the will of God will not take us where
the grace of God cannot sustain us
do not fear the Rapture or any event of
the end times for that matter
fear after all is not from God
instead let these truths inspire you to
draw nearer to Christ
to lean into his word his promises and
his love
the call isn't to live in a state of
paranoia or anxiousness but to live with
purpose passion and preparedness
love Christ deeply know him intimately
and trust him holy love him with all
your heart soul mind and strength when
you do this not only will you find that
Christ indeed knows you but you will
also find yourself enveloped in his
overwhelming love and grace
and that love casts out all fear
for if God is for us who can be against
us
in conclusion while the concept of the
Rapture and the events surrounding it
can be daunting our focus should not be
on fear but on fostering our
relationship with Jesus Christ
a heart truly submitted to him will be
ready Come What May
let the love of Christ be your Guiding
Light leading you into deeper fellowship
with him each day
and when that trumpet sounds when the
call is made may we all be found ready
not because of our works but because of
our deep-rooted personal relationship
with our Savior Jesus Christ