A Bible Answer to the Winter Blues

Winter has a tough time getting over its bad reputation. “The Winter of our Discontent” of literary fame and the lay person’s “winter blues” were bad enough. Now, SAD or “Seasonal Affective Disorder” has been elevated to an official psychologically-based malady. When it’s cold outside, when the snow and ice comes, when the days get so short that we leave the house and come home in the dark, then all our negativity starts to “snowball” (sorry) and we tailspin into depression-like symptoms. For those of us who live in the frozen north, losing three to four months a year to winter represents a major loss to inactivity or doldrums.

Not everyone hates winter. Ski enthusiasts, ice-fishermen, skaters and snowmobilers, sledders and tobogganers, hunters and hikers revel in the blustery months of December, January and February. Most kids squeal with delight at the first sign of snow. And, of course, guys with snowplows on the front of their F-350 diesel-powered pick-ups salivate at more than two inches of the white stuff, not to mention retailers who would love to sell a record number of snowblowers, snowshovels or even bags of rock salt.

Most of us, however, dread winter. We just grit our teeth and grind it out. Our secular friends have all kinds of remedies for the winter blahs, from changing diets, to feel-good pills, to building light boxes, to re-arranging the furniture, to vigorous exercise, and to long trips to Hawaii . Not all of us can or should do it all, like the Hawaiian thing or especially not the drugs, but we can all do more than just sit there and suffer. We can turn our negatives into positives through applying the principle of scripture to the situation.

God made winter. Remember that. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22. You may not like everything about winter, but if you accept the fact that it is from God, you will have a better frame of mind to deal with it. When the temperature plummets and the snow flakes pile up, look up into the heavens and breathe a thank you to God. If it were not good for the earth and for us, God would not have built it into the ecosystem. Hatred and annoyance are bad choices that you do not have to make.

What’s good about winter? Outside, good things happen to the ground. Secret processes in the fields prepare the soil for the spring planting, slow melting snow waters the ground in ways that a rain cannot accomplish and the bitter cold kills off many bugs and bacteria that would otherwise overrun us. (When’s the last time you slapped a mosquito in January?) Inside our homes and in the confines of our hearts, winter lets us busy ourselves with activities that summer affords us no time to do.

The Apostle Paul used the term “wintering” in several places. “I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey.” 1 Corinthians 16:6. And, “Be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.” Titus 3:12. Paul accepted the reality that he could not travel in the winter. Therefore, he set aside the time to do the things that he put off during the summer. Reading, research, praying, meditating, thinking, writing and planning for the spring is more than enough to fill up our dreary, overcast winter days. When you burn the light on the inside, it doesn’t matter what the weather is on the outside.

Whining and complaining about the weather shrinks your brain and shrivels your spirit. It makes a difficult situation a thousand times worse. Praise God for even the cold and the snow. Make it a productive venture. Don’t frown and grimace your life away. Life does not stop in October and re-start in April. The days of winter are just as much a part of your life as the summer. I happen to believe that wintering well will give you a far better spring and summer.

Now, don’t get me wrong. A trip to warm weather in February may be just what the doctor ordered for you! Just don’t make getting away the only solution to your winter survival. Your survival can become a glorious revival!

If It Weren’t for Christmas. . .

Like a tidal wave’s annual visit to the shores of a placid existence, Christmas inundates us all, turning lives upside down, putting normal routines on hold, receding only with the greatest reluctance, and leaving behind debris-strewn houses and worn-out parents. The joyful chaos of Christmas now gathers in the first of December to New Year’s Day in order to celebrate with all the loved ones in the various circles of family, friends and acquaintances. The damages nearly require federal assistance. I’m not complaining. As out-of-breath as the season makes us, we need appreciate it and make it as merry as we can.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never get to see some members of our family except at funerals or under traumatic circumstances.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would totally lose touch with people from the past who still remember to send us cards and photographs.

If it weren’t for Christmas, our houses would never glow with strands of lights and scented candles and happy faces.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never pack the car with gifts and take off to some out-of-the-way little village to see Grandma and Grandpa.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never rise at five in the morning to get that special present.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we may never finish that remodeling job to entertain guests for the parties or even rearrange the furniture to make room for a tree or piles of presents.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never give or receive expensive, exotic gifts that have little practical value except that they make us squeal with delight.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never smell the aroma of freshly baked cookies, sink our teeth into Macadamia Nut fudge or drink chocolate brownie flavored coffee.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never visit a nursing facility or a shut-in’s home with a group of well-wishers and sing Christmas carols.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we wouldn’t hear voices of loved ones over the phone lines or air waves whom we talk to so rarely.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we may never feel generous enough to drop dollars into red kettles, write checks for a needy family or spend a little more than we should for a special person.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we may never wear that stupid hat or that obnoxious red and green battery-operated tie with flashing lights and makes everyone giggle or groan.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never sit through a play that we’ve seen fifty or sixty times to hear amateur children with wavering voices and forgetful minds stumble through their parts.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we wouldn’t have traditions of eating turkey, ham or lamb trimmed with dressing, accompanied by cheesy potatoes, green-bean casserole with a crispy onion topping, or cheesecake with graham-cracker crust.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we may never dress up and grin big for group pictures, family photos or cute shots of the newest babies making silly faces.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would have nothing to turn our cold, bleak, overcast December days into festive occasions when everyone has such a great time.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never be dazzled by fabulous displays in department store windows or see huge Christmas trees lit up for the community.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we wouldn’t see splashes of color on wrapping paper, creative ways to make bows, or imaginative ways to decorate rooms and inspire hearts.

More importantly, if it weren’t for Christmas, we would be spiritually impoverished without the Christmas story prophesied by Old Testament prophets.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would never know the One whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father or the Prince of Peace.

If it weren’t for Christmas, there would be no celestial angel choir, no reverent shepherds bowing before a manger, no guiding star.

If it weren’t for Christmas, we would have no wise men seeking out the Christ child and no gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

If it weren’t for Christmas, there would be no incarnation; if there were no incarnation, there would be no Word made flesh; if there were no sinless flesh, there would be no sacrifice for sins.

If it weren’t for Christmas, there would be no redemption of lost man, “for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Spiritual Incarceration

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

The glass door to the church office had not yet closed behind him when he stuck his hand out to me. “Pastor, I’m a free man.” His haggard, but relieved, expression accented his words. It wasn’t the shame of incarceration or the anger at the justice system that dominated his emotion. After a three month lock-up, it was obvious that nothing was more important to him than simply to regain his freedom.

But, why do we imprison people? Over the centuries, the purpose of imprisonment has gone from justice, to punishment, to correction, to reform, to rehabilitation, to protecting society from offenders. In the United States today, the crime rate is lower than it has been for a number of years. At the same time, the prison population is at an all time high, suggesting that when the bad guys are locked up, the crime rate indeed goes down. The following paragraphs explain what people believe who are familiar with the correctional system today:

“As a society, we have chosen to prioritize the public safety of our citizens over programs designed to enhance the personal growth of inmates. Bear in mind that most, if not all, rehabilitation programs offered in our prisons were also available to them before their incarceration. All states provide tax-supported programs to benefit their citizens — be it academic and/or remedial education, vocational skills training, and chemical abuse, psychological, and/or psychiatric treatment. Every inmate had the opportunity to avail themselves of any or all of these programs before their incarceration. Every inmate made a choice — to drop out of school, to join a gang, to drink, to use drugs, to commit a crime. Just like everyone else — whether you’re a CEO , a shift worker or a homemaker — every inmate must acknowledge and accept the consequences of their choices and decisions.” Dianna Clemons, President, Justice For All

“Most of us, while growing up, learned that human life was sacred, and that murder is the most profound injustice. We learned that the courtroom was the place to search for truth and that justice would prevail. In ‘What Murder Leaves Behind,’ Doug Magee says, ‘In the aftermath of murder, families need some sense of counterbalancing justice. Exactly what that justice might entail differs from survivor to survivor, but all agree that they expect a realistic expression of regret and concern from the criminal justice system.’ All too often, this is not forthcoming. For the ultimate crime of murder, society must have the courage to take a stand, denounce the act as abhorrent, vow not to tolerate it and follow through with a tough sentence. The murderer deserves to be segregated from society, not only as a penalty (punishment) but for the safety of the rest of us. Perhaps convicted murderers could be rehabilitated to be constructive within the prison environment. My personal opinion (and that of many survivors) is that violent offenders should not be shown leniency.” Jean Lewis, Member of Board of Parents of Murdered Children

It seems quite obvious to me that the most practical purpose for incarceration is to keep criminals away from an open society so they will not hurt themselves or anyone else. Unfortunately, some people exist who simply cannot be trusted to behave themselves. They do not have enough control over their actions to be permitted to live side-by-side with their fellow citizens. We have a reasonable expectation that citizens in a free society should impose their own internal restraints upon themselves. Those who cannot refrain from deliberately injuring others around them must have external restraints imposed upon them. This means jail. Whether or not punishment is served, or rehabilitation occurs, has no bearing on the intended goal of incarceration. Once a person becomes a part of the correctional system, their fate and/or reform progresses according to a different set of criteria than the purpose for the initial lock-up.

Two conditions must exist for society to enjoy a viable existence: 1) it must incarcerate offenders; and 2) individual citizens must embrace societal norms for themselves. If we didn’t have prisons, anarchy would prevail and we would return to the wild west. At least for these elemental reasons, I think most of us would agree that we ought to have prisons for lawbreakers. Yet, the Bible also has an interesting point of view for prisoners.

Isaiah 42:5-7 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Ps 142:5-7 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

How can Bible-believing citizens in our society favor prisons when the very Bible to which they claim allegiance inveighs against it? Before we go too far, we should clarify the difference between incarceration in ancient times and that of today. In Bible days, people in prison were much more likely to be there for reasons other than committing violent crimes. Debtors prisons were common, as well as prisons for political enemies. So, what is this prison to which the above scriptures refer? Theses scriptures are metaphorical and they include the prison of sin, the prison of self-righteousness and the prison of their captors, such as the Babylonians, Assyrians, and the Medes and Persians. It also includes the prison of religion.

The Religion of Incarceration

Yes, I did say the prison of religion. The fact is that man has fashioned a prison out of the sacred and honorable trappings of religion. It is apparent that the Bible does not always hold religion in the most favorable light. Five reference to religion appear in the scripture:

“Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.” Acts 26:5

“For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God , and wasted it.” Galatians 1:13

“And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.” Galatians 1:14

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:26

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

Of these five references, one can reasonably assume that the Apostle Paul does not hold a positive view of religion. In fact, he admits that religion became the reason and impetus for persecuting the church. History buffs know that religion has killed more people throughout the ages than raw imperialism or hunger for power ever did (with the possible exception of Hitler’s holocaust and Stalin’s pogroms of genocide). James talks about vain religion, and then he defines pure religion as having two aspects: good works and a virtuous life. If there is pure religion, there must also be an impure religion. If not, then James would have only needed to use the word “religion” without the qualifier “pure.” This comes down to my overarching contention in this article: impure religion results from doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

Religion evolved into a kind of external restraint, a set of imposed beliefs to which its adherents were expected to conform. The Jewish religion, especially through the efforts of the sect of the Pharisees, suffered immeasurably from man’s propensity to codify everything. Nelson’s Bible Dictionary contains the following comments on the Pharisees:

“Pharisees observed the Law carefully as far as appearances went, but their hearts were far from God. Their motives were wrong because they wanted the praise of men (Matthew 6:2,5,16; 23:5-7). They also had evil desires that were hidden by their pious show (Matthew 23:25 -28). That is why Pharisees are often called hypocrites: their hearts did not match their outward appearance.

“The Pharisees thought they could match God’s standards by keeping all the outward rules. Luke 18:9 says they “trusted in themselves that they were righteous.” This can easily happen when people think God’s will is the same thing as their list of what they can and cannot do. Their desire to keep all of God’s laws was commendable, but sometimes they put the emphasis on the wrong places. Minor details became a major preoccupation, and they forgot the more important things (Matthew 23:23 ).

“Finally, because Pharisees thought they were doing their best to keep God’s laws while others were not, they often looked down on such “sinners”-especially people like tax collectors and prostitutes. Religious people need to remember that they, too, are sinners in God’s eyes, and that Christ died for everyone.” (from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

The Pharisees represented the best and the worst of religion. For those who possessed a great respect and reverence for godliness, religion seemed to offer more than any other belief system. To those who obsessed on externals, however, Phariseeism became an insufferable measuring stick for judgmentalism and discrimination. Indeed, the Pharisees were so notorious for their odious self-righteousness that Jesus singled them out numerous times for condemnation.

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” Matthew 23:13-15

“And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute.” Luke 11:39-49

The weight of this condemnation should resound loudly in our collective ears. The Apostolic church has always contended that Pentecost is not a religion, it is an experience. Yet, methodically and inexorably, we have kept at it until we have turned it into a religion, nonetheless. Many converts to the Apostolic church were born into a religion. It was a collection of rules, regulations, and beliefs that were imposed upon them. Some were baptized as infants or confirmed at a young age as more of a rite of passage than a heartfelt wish. These beliefs were not a product of a personal experience with God.

Herein lies the crux of the matter: Religion is imposed from the outside. Salvation comes from an internalized experience with God. Religion forces, salvation grows. Religion incarcerates, salvation liberates. Religion doubts the intents of the heart; salvation affirms the intents of the heart. Religion uses rules and regulations to control; salvation embraces rules and regulations as an expression of love to God. Religion needs no relationship with God to thrive or even survive; salvation utterly depends upon its relationship to God to survive. Religion monitors its own progress, checks itself against the prescribed rules and gets fueled by its own pride and self-motivation. Salvation needs the constantly abiding Christ, the engrafted Word and the indwelling Spirit. In the end, religion glorifies the adherent; salvation glorifies God.

Religion from the Heart

From its beginning, the Church of Jesus Christ held that each person had to have his or her own experience with God. Not only is this manifest from Old Testament prophets, it dominated the preaching and teaching philosophy of the New Testament church. Here is a sampling of the scriptures:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” Acts 10:44-48

“And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth , Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus : and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.” Acts 19:1-7

The emphasis on each individual receiving a personal Pentecost underscores the value of a relationship with God that is embraced, not imposed. Without an individual experience, one had a need to gravitate toward religion. This is because he or she has no internal motivating power. Little wonder then, that as the spiritual gifts waned in the later history of the early church, the need for religion grew stronger. Without Christ ruling from the heart, the church had to rule from the throne. That which was intended to be a servant of mankind became its cruel master. Instead of pastors becoming shepherds over souls, they became wardens of spiritual prisons. It’s not that the inmates of a prison live by a different standard of morality than those on the outside; it’s just that inmates would not live that way without maximum supervision. Free people on the outside live by that same standard of morality because their lives are governed by an internal respect for the rule of law. Same morality, different methods and motives. David understood this law of the inner man:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19

Nowhere in scripture do we find this concept spelled out so succinctly as in Romans 6. As you read it, pay special attention to the use of the phrase, “from the heart.” Paul knew all about the external religion, imposed by man. He saw through it. It was shallow, self-glorifying and cruel. His conversion to Christianity changed his observance of certain ceremonial regulations, but it did not change his morality. He continued to believe in righteousness, perhaps even more fervently than before. What did change was his motivating factor. The God above him became the God within him.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:16-23

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.” Ephesians 6:5-7

God’s plan is not for us to be incarcerated in a religion. It is for believers to embrace his righteousness, his holiness and his saving grace voluntarily, from their own hearts. The external rules and standards exist for definitions of truth and guidelines to living a holy life.

In summary, we must continue to believe, preach, teach and practice those forms of holiness that we find in the Scriptures. What we must lose is our tendency to turn the hallmarks of holiness into sledgehammers of condemnation. Problems with living righteously invariably stem from a flawed spiritual heart. The answer is not better prisons. The answer is a better relationship with God. If all we have is the ability to build prisons, we are doomed because the younger generation will always discover a new way to escape. If we lead them into embracing a secure relationship with God, they will find a permanence and stability in their lives that religion can never give them. Now, more than ever, it is time to love God from the heart.

Have We Been Trained NOT to Win Souls?

I recently listened to a fiery preacher tell the congregation that they should win souls and plant churches in cities still unreached by the Apostolic message. During the message, the audience seemed ambivalent at best, unreceptive at worst, to his appeal. Aside from an occasional “amen,” the people looked stunned. As I stood at the altar invitation and took it all in, it occurred to me that they didn’t have a clue how to do what he was telling them to do. You may as well have thrown them into the middle of the lake without the slightest knowledge on how to swim. I was equally stunned, except my astonishment was the slow realization that they were astonished.

Then, it started to make sense. They were exactly what we had made them. These were not people of the world. These are the products of our pulpits. They are people who had been trained for three or four generations to stay away from the world. They are faithful and obedient saints who responded precisely to the teachings of their pastor. Neither they, nor their parents or grandparents were drunks. Their great grandparents may have been godly persons as well. How could they possibly relate to the raw sinners of the world? The people in our congregations dress modestly and godly because they had been taught to dress that way for three or four generations. They are trained to have little or no tolerance for scantily-clad people who dressed according to the fashions of the world. Anybody dressed like that had no business in church. They are not reveling, party animals. None of them have pupils dilated by illegal drugs, breath smelling of liquor, piercings, tattoos, freaky hair styles, halter tops, painted faces and fingernails or other outward signs of blatant worldliness. And yet, we strongly admonish these same people to wade out into the middle of a world that practices all these things and somehow relate to them.

Apostolics have been trained to stay away from the worldly crowd, not mingle with it. “Evil communication corrupts good manners.” Why should it be any wonder, then, that they would find it so difficult to enter into the society that revolted them? Their first reaction is to run from the loose, lewd, drinking, smoking, profane people. Some of them do manage to stick around for a while, but they unlimber their bibles and begin to preach against all the sin in range of their eyes, ears and noses, a practice that is not usually appreciated by the audience. This scenario gets enormously complicated when the offending persons are members of the same family. Reunions, Christmas gatherings and birthday parties are events not to attend if everyone wants to avoid WWIII. The aversion of saints to these occasions is a function of good, solid teaching they have received in their churches.

The body of laity we have created has become a vast study in the law of unintended consequences. We have trained a bugle corps and sent them to do an infantryman’s job. We have trained an army of supply clerks and have asked them to jump from airplanes with paratroopers. We have made them line up with “ABC” and then expected them to perform “XYZ.” We never intended for them to become so acclimated to the padded pews that they would shun the streets in search of souls. Regardless of our rhetoric to the contrary, the practical outcome of our sermons, exhortations, admonitions and pastoral counseling sessions have equipped our people to sing in the choir, play in the orchestra, teach Sunday school children, read the Bible and live cleanly and righteously before God and the world. It has not prepared them to tackle the real world of lost souls.

Insulation has turned into isolation. Separation has become segregation. Outreach looks more like inreach. Preaching the word sounds like preaching to the choir. Sharing the gospel consists of joining hands with the person across the aisle to give them a word of cheer or encouragement instead of reaching the lost with truth. Our beacon of light has been confined to sanctuary chandeliers rather than placed in lighthouses along the shore. Our worship seeks for applause from the church when it should be looking for its affect on the unchurched.

Is the gospel so offensive, the Holy Ghost so anemic or the influence of the world so powerful that we cannot venture out to win souls? Is our holiness so shallow, our belief system so weak and our relationship with Christ so tenuous that we cannot interact with unbelievers for fear that they will influence us away from God instead of the other way around? Are the church walls our only source of protection spiritual? Is our timid silence the only way to preserve our doctrinal integrity? Are we so fearful that we will be found out that we refuse to sound off? Do we seek the shadows instead of the sunlight so we will avoid painful and embarrassing confrontations?

Who among us will break out of this straitjacket of Pentecostal paranoia? Who among us will declare that the Apostolic truth deserves a worldwide hearing? Who among us will refuse to leave the witnessing to the door-knocking Jehovah’s Witnesses, or the bicycle-riding missionaries of the Mormons?

Our training to live for God is no excuse to hide from the world. Our dedication to holiness and righteousness is not so fragile that it cannot be put on display for the world. We have a divine presence dwelling within our lives that will always be greater than any external threat. Witnessing, soulwinning, outreach and evangelism cannot be seen as somehow dangerous to the church. They are, in fact, the lifelines of the church. We have no way to fulfill the vision of Christ for the church without a total commitment to reach the lost.

Soulwinning has always been a dirty job. It inconvenienced the Samaritan, forcing him to get his hands and knees soiled with dust and blood and costing him money for medical care. It drove a proper Jew called Simon Peter into a Gentile’s house to preach the gospel against the visible opposition of his Jewish cohorts. It put Paul in the company of thieves, rowdy sailors, demon-possessed people, worshippers of the goddess Diana, snooty philosophers on Mars hill and dank, rat infested prisons. It leads believers to the edge of fire to pull people out, it ends up in the middle of a murderous rabble to touch prospective hearers and it throws chosen vessels bound before kings.

It is at this point that the old, familiar fears erupt. What? Am I suggesting that we abandon our holiness? Are we to shed our godly appearances in order to effectively traffic in the corrupt haunts of lost humanity? Absolutely not. Does a surgeon contract cancer to be more adept at excising a tumor? Does a policeman take a few drinks before breaking up a barroom fight? Does a counselor destroy his own marriage so he can repair the marriages of others? All of these interventionists know they must keep themselves free from the troubles of their patient/clients in order to help them. Soul winners must depend on the Holy Spirit to protect them as they conduct search and rescue missions into hazardous situations.

Let us refocus. Let us abandon our sterile ways of non-soulwinning and take up the messy mission of real life outreach. Let us learn how to mingle with the sinner without being influenced by his sin. Let us study how to kneel in the dust beside a beaten man whose blood oozes from open wounds instead of kneeling only in the air-conditioned comfort of a carpeted prayer room. Let us practice our trust in the keeping power of the Holy Spirit instead of fearfully hiding out in a church sanctuary where nobody threatens us. Let us follow the example of our Chief Shepherd who ate dinner in the house of sinners, who permitted a woman of ill repute to anoint his feet and wipe them with her hair, and who hung between two thieves as he departed from this world.

The gospel is rugged. The worst thing that can happen to it is to remain unused, archived and kept from the volatility of a tumultuous world. It will work if we will let it.

Questions You Love to Hate

“You did keep the receipt, didn’t you?”
“Did you turn off the stove?”
“The expiration date on that hamburger meat was good, wasn’t it?”
“My insurance will cover this flood, won’t it?”
“You did ask him which kidney he was going to remove, didn’t you?”
“You did get your flu shot, didn’t you?”
“Did you shut the upstairs windows?”
“Did you get my check out of my pocket before you washed my pants?”
“Did you remember to let the dog out yesterday?”
“Quick, do you have an air sickness bag?”
“Now, where did I put that hunting license?”
“Did you pack the phone charger?”
“Did I tell you that mother was coming?”
“You can wait until the next rest area, can’t you?”
“Why is the cover standing open on the gas tank?”
“You paid that insurance bill, didn’t you?”
“What? Don’t you trust me?”
“You do know where this place is, don’t you?”
“What time did you say the wedding was?”
“Did you just call me by your old girlfriend’s name?”
“This isn’t the pair of pants with the rip in the back, is it?”
“Was that wet paint?”
“Think you can beat that red light?”
“Was that a cop back there?”
“Did you put the vehicle registration in the glove compartment?”
“Didn’t they tell you I had lactose intolerance?”
“Do I look like I am a people person?”
“That camera wasn’t recording just then, was it?”

The Net

Someone recently opined to me that life is the sum of all our relationships. Expanding on the thought means that my father, plus mother, plus sisters, plus friends, plus everyone else I knew made me what I am today. I rejected the notion at first, because it seemed patently preposterous. No one has that kind of control over me. I am my own man. I determine my identity and life purpose through my own values, understandings and internal cogitations. Don’t I?

After some serious rumination, however, I find myself coming around to the same notion as my friend. I have not arrived at my present identity in a social vacuum. Whether or not I admit it, or even if I can’t fully comprehend it, I can see that I am a product of significant people, role models who influenced me and persons to whom I was either attracted or repulsed. I have obeyed, accepted, embraced, pleased, loved, admired, trusted—or I have hated, debated, ridiculed, resented and rejected—individuals who interacted with me from my infancy onward. The fabric of those relationships has molded my entire psyche.

How much do your relationships affect you? All of us understand the reality and need for relationships in our lives, but few of us understand the impact they make on us. Maybe an illustration from the world of physics will help us grasp this idea. We know that the gravitational force on Earth pulls everything toward the ground. This concept was formulated by Sir Isaac Newton, the renowned scientist of the 1600’s, who observed an apple falling from a tree and began to wonder why. He determined that a universal attraction affects all masses of matter through the force of gravity. This is called the Theory of Universal Gravitation. He posited that not only does the Earth propel the apple toward it by the force of gravity, but the apple also pulls the Earth toward it by that same force. In the same way, every person in one’s circle of family, friends and acquaintances affects that person. Conversely, that same person also has an affect on every other person in his or her universe. This creates an enormous and complex network of interdependent people, all of them connected to each other in some way, whether directly or indirectly. The things we hear, see and feel in other people in our network exerts either a positive or negative force on us.

There are many ways you can test this concept. You can start with the impact your parents had on you. Your physical appearance, behavior and personality were directly produced by your mother and father through your DNA . The primary way that babies and toddlers learn is by imitating others. Your accent is the product of the speech brogue in the locale in which you were raised. Your loyalties and preferences are most likely shaped by the people, groups and institutions in your same city or state. Social scientists have coined terms like acculturation and socialization to describe how people come to hold views espoused within the norms of their particular culture. Famed criminologist Edwin H. Sutherland formulated the theory of differential association based on his findings that people develop criminal minds through associating with other people of similar backgrounds and experiences. Groupthink, gangs, peer groups, classes, schools, cadres, political parties, clubs, factions, denominations and wings all testify strongly to the behavior of people in groups.

The old saying, “birds of a feather flock together,” refers to the fact that people tend to stick with those who most likely resemble themselves. The Bible says, “Evil communications corrupt good manners.” Based on the realities of social development outlined above, we can readily see the powerful truth contained in this scripture. A person who does not think in evil ways can grow to be evil through the company he or she keeps. A pure mind and heart can be corrupted by associating with people who have evil hearts. This means that a person’s life is not merely a function of his or her own internal thought processes. We often make huge decisions, not by intellectual musing, education or thoughtful analysis, but by the innate desire that we possess to conform to our group. Moreover, this pressure can be exerted upon us by even one significant person in our lives.

To put it bluntly, you do not make up your own mind. A little of what this person thinks and a little of what that person thinks become influential factors in your final decisions. Added to that, a desire to please one person or a strong resistance to one person contributes to the end result as well. Deny it if you want, but you are extremely interested in what people think about you. Even when you boast of your independent spirit, you are playing off of some person or group. You use people, good and bad, as your reference point in establishing your identity. Whether you seek their approval or you reject their control, you end up judging yourself by what they think.

Even though I am of a certain age, I still wonder what my father would think of decisions I make or developments in my life, twenty-five years after his death. In my mind, I have carried on conversations with him and imagined what he might have said. My ability to do this is based on my familiarity with his values and opinions, my knowledge of similar decisions he actually made, and my deep respect for him as a man. In a very real sense, he continues to influence my life today. Other people who played a major role in my life also continue to speak into my life. High school teachers, college professors, bosses, ministers, coaches and relatives still govern my thought processes because of their words and examples. Psychologists believe that older adults often live their lives in quest of the approval of their parents—even after their parents are deceased!

The whole point of this essay is to show how important relationships are to the quality of our lives. We should enter into new relationships with the utmost care. We are wise to evaluate our present relationships to determine the effect they have on us. For example, would you have hired on at your current job had not someone “talked you into it” or at least spoke favorably about it? Would you have chosen your educational major, your career or your profession had you not interacted with others who made the same choices or who encouraged you to do what you’re doing? Do you regret some choices that you made in life because a person (whom you later discovered did not have your best interests in mind) influenced you? It is highly improbable that smokers, alcoholics, drug users, gamblers and criminals simply woke up one day and decided to partake of their vice or lifestyle. Undoubtedly, they were led into their behavior by someone or some group.

The house you live in is very likely one that other people liked. Even if you couldn’t afford it, even if was not convenient to your work or church, even if it lacked some features you wanted, you still bought it because someone important to you thought it was an outstanding purchase. The same goes for your car, clothes, furniture, paint, carpet, decorations, vacations…and on and on. Many people choose their husband or wife on the basis of a significant person’s urgings. It is said that married women dress, not to please their husbands, but to impress their female friends. Regardless of how you slice it, you are greatly influenced by other people in your life.

A net neatly illustrates this concept. Nets are constructed by tying many pieces of twine or rope together. If a fish is caught in the net, the entire net feels the pulling pressure, even though the fish actually touches a small part of it. Each knot represents a person and the length of rope between the knots represents the relationship between people. Whatever happens to others in the network pulls on each individual person to some degree. Their experiences, opinions, ideas and problems, both positive and negative, cause those connected to them to shift positions. Those closest to them may feel extreme stress on their lives. This scenario helps us frame a strategy to bring sense to our universe of relationships.

First, all relationships are important. Accept as a given that each relationship into which you enter will change you in some way. Your close association with an individual may intensify your passions, inflame your anger or inspire you to nobility. If the relationship becomes especially meaningful, you may engage in radical kinds of behavior that you would never have contemplated otherwise. People have been known to kill over relationships. You may give away everything you have, you may move to some distant point on the planet, you may turn your back on your achievements, you may sacrifice cherished possessions, you may become an essentially different person, all because of the profound impact that one person makes on your life.

Second, get out of bad relationships. If someone is bad for you, if they bring out the worst in you, you cannot afford to stay in close association with him or her. A term has evolved in our society to describe women who are married to an abusive husband. Women who suffer physical and mental abuse over a lengthy period of time, usually by a husband or other dominant male figure, are called “Battered Women.” Helplessness, constant fear, and a perceived inability to escape are listed as typical of this syndrome. (From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3d ed). While it may be too late for some, if you have an opportunity to leave an unhealthy relationship, you will either leave in a body bag or walk out on your own. Even the proscriptions of the scripture against divorce do not warrant a spouse to offer himself or herself up for murder. Obviously, marriage vows are important and I certainly encourage married partners to seek out counseling to reconcile their differences before something tragic happens. A relationship that corrupts or abuses, however, needs to change or come to an end.

Third, enter into new relationships carefully. Love-struck romantics often cast all care to the wind when they profess their love and commitment to each other. Unfortunately, their naiveté tanks all too quickly when they really learn what each other is made of. In pre-marital counseling, I take the lead in asking probing questions, like:

“Are you in debt?”
“Are you in trouble with the law?”
“Are you on parole?”
“Have you been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor?”
“Have you ever been committed to a psychiatric facility?”
“Do you have serious health issues?”
“Have you shown your prospective husband or wife your health records?”
“Have you been honest in talking about previous relationships?”
“Have you been a user of illegal drugs?”
“Do you have any dependents that you have not mentioned?”
“How secure is your job?”

Questions like these—and many more—are not only difficult to ask, people who want the relationship badly enough will consciously avoid asking them for fear that they will get the wrong answer. If this happens, they may forever rue the day that they put their heads in the proverbial sand and chose to be willfully ignorant. Pay now or pay later…that’s my advice.

Finally, edify those with whom you are in a relationship. If you don’t want others to drag you down, do your best to lift other people up. This is a fabulous secret that too many people do not understand: When you add value to people around you, you will never be lonely. Lifters attract. People will feel stronger, more secure and more inspired when they associate with you. You are not only influenced, you have the opportunity to be an influencer. Accept this role heartily and with great passion. You may very well be the person who is responsible for powerful and positive changes in the world.

Life indeed consists of relationships. Manage them wisely. In them, you will find all the quality of life that you have ever wanted.

Thanksgiving: The Key to Wholeness

So there you are, scarfing down turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, waddling back into the kitchen for seconds, deciding whether or not there’s room for a slice of ham plus a piece of Aunt Mabel’s carrot cake. You told yourself not to do it, that things were going to be different this year, but another Thanksgiving comes and goes with pigs eating turkeys and overstuffed uncles stuffed into overstuffed chairs wheezing at each other. But beneath all those layers of food and fat, an authentic idea of thanksgiving really exists. It elevates Thanksgiving from a holiday to a profound spiritual truth.

We generally believe that thanksgiving is just a courteous thing to do. It is more of a good public relations issue rather than an absolute requirement. When people don’t express gratitude, we think they are only being uncouth or thoughtless. A far different profile emerges, however, from scripture. Thanksgiving actually turns out to be a fundamental spiritual principle. True thanksgiving opens the door to deep spiritual healing and experience.

This powerful fact is incorporated into the incident of the lepers whom Jesus healed in Luke 17:12-19. Only one man out of the ten returned to Jesus to thank him. When this man fell down on his face to give thanks, Jesus asked about the others. Ten were healed but only one returned to give thanks. This man, because of his gratitude, received more than healing. Three words describe what happened to him. He was cleansed (purified), healed (cured) and made whole (saved, preserved). All ten were cleansed and healed, but only the one who gave thanks was made whole. That’s the difference.

Many Bible characters were blessed, healed and touched, but not made whole. In this incident, there were ten lepers who prayed the prayer of desperation. “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” In order to answer their prayer, Jesus sent them to the high priest. “And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet , giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.”

This odd development raised a question in the mind of Jesus. “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God , save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

The leper who came back to give thanks broke into a new spiritual dimension. His conscientious act of thanksgiving communicated several key truths to Jesus. He confessed that Jesus changed his life for the better. He understood that he could not have had this healing without Jesus. He realized that he was forever indebted to Jesus. He knew that Jesus did not just restore his health for his purposes, but for God’s own purposes. Clearly, the simple act of sincere thanksgiving triggered a divine response from God. The nine who did not return to give thanks grabbed whatever blessings and advantages they could get from Jesus and ran. They wanted to be healed to get on with their lives, to pursue their own interests. They either had no concept of God’s purpose or they were totally self-indulgent. Whatever they received, they felt like it was a deserved benefit.

It is possible to have enough faith in God to receive miracles and blessings from him. This does not necessarily lead on to true discipleship. It is possible to be healed without being made whole. Wholeness requires an attitude of thanksgiving towards God. Wholeness releases pain; it neutralizes long-standing dysfunctional effects; it makes people comfortable with who they are and what they have.

The most important truth to embrace about thanksgiving is that your relationship with God supersedes your relationship with yourself, your family, your friends, your acquaintances, your past, or any other person, even or thing that can be named. In fact, it would be better to be spiritually whole and remain a leper than to be healed and remain an incomplete person. Paul discovered this truth with his thorn in the flesh. “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me…for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

For gluttons, Thanksgiving is a food binge. For sports fanatics, Turkey Day is for football. For retailers, the holiday is the day before the biggest shopping day of the year. For workers and students, the day off is a day off. For true disciples, Thanksgiving represents a perpetual attitude of humility and gratitude for God’s providence. The attitude is where you find healing and wholeness.

The Rapture: Now, More Than Ever

For years, the world has known that just one deranged dictator with nuclear weapon capabilities could send the planet over its shaky precipice into oblivion. We have known that one rogue nation with poisonous chemicals could wipe out major population centers. Weapons of mass destruction detonated by an evil regime could cause destruction on a scale unknown to man. The difference between what we have known in the past and conditions that presently exist is that in 2008, we now have two such dictators, at least one such rogue nation and an unknown number of states armed with chemical weapons. Academic scenarios drawn up in war rooms of the generals have been replaced with a clear and present danger.

The scriptures boldly prophesy that catastrophic events like this will take place in the end of time. As we grow closer to the appointed time, the blurred images that prophecy preachers of the past construed from Bible passages have continued to sharpen in focus until it takes little imagination to picture such scenes around the world today. Add to this the present evidence that the other calamities outlined in Revelation have progressed to the imminent threat level, and you have a serious case for the rapture of the church.

The United Pentecostal Church, International believes that Jesus Christ will rapture His church at the appointed time in the future and we have incorporated this doctrine into our Articles of Faith. Yet, despite the frightening trends of our present world, we do not base our belief upon the status quo but upon clear statements from the Word of God. Readers who profess even a modicum of faith in the Bible need to know about the rapture of the church. We all need to understand that it could happen much, much sooner than we might imagine.

Christ’s coming is twofold. First, He will come for the church. This is really the core of the Rapture doctrine. “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” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Also, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him” (II Thessalonians 2:1). Phase one of Christ’s coming, then, will not actually occur upon the earth, but rather above it. Phase two of Christ’s coming will happen when He comes with His church. “The LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee” (Zechariah 14:5). This will begin the thousand-year peaceful reign of Christ on the earth (Revelation 20:6). These are the two elements of the coming of Christ. They are coordinate actions, each one complementing the other.

The rapture of the church holds great significance for believers. Paul referred to it as our “blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Jesus set it forth as a great incentive for Christian living. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:34-36). Finally, the Scriptures tell us that the Rapture is a great comfort to the church. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:18).

Immediately following our Lord’s ascension into heaven, two men (angels) gave this message to discouraged disciples: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up unto heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This message clearly describes a literal, physical event. It places deliberate emphasis upon the identical person (“same Jesus”), the identical method of return (“shall so come in like manner”), and the identical means of perception (“as ye have seen him go”). I Thessalonians 4:16-17 spells out the exact order of events in which the saved who have died, the saved who are still living, the archangel and Christ Himself shall participate in the Rapture. Revelation 1:7 tells us, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” Without question, Christ will appear personally and visibly.

The Rapture will signal a marvelous change in the material makeup of the bodies of the saints. Our bodies will undergo a transformation from mortal flesh to a new, glorified substance designed to inhabit heaven throughout eternity. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (I Corinthians 15:51-52). The properties of this new body will apparently be like that of the resurrected body of Christ. He appeared and vanished at will and defied even the force of gravity. Such a change will enable the saints to be “gathered” to Christ. The transportation of our bodies will follow their transformation. In I Thessalonians 4:16-17, the phrase “in the air” signifies an actual journey from this earth to heaven. However it may occur, we shall appear with Christ in glory. “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). The Scriptures always refer to heaven as a place above, up, or beyond. In Revelation 21:2, John saw the New Jerusalem as a place separate from the earth, coming down out of heaven.

A study of the rapture of the church inevitably leads to the question: When will it happen? The exact time is classified information, known only to God. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Forecasting the exact date of the Rapture is a sure sign of a false prophet. It is within the realm of man’s knowledge, however, to understand seasons, trends, and times with reference to Christ’s second coming. In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus pointed out that “When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves

that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:30-31). To illustrate this principle from nature, someone may not know exactly when it will snow on a given day, but during the winter months it could be anytime. Therefore, everyone must be prepared for bad weather throughout the winter season, even though the skies may be clear on many of the days. In the same vein, merely because we cannot know when the Rapture will happen does not relieve us from our responsibility to be ready for it. In fact, our very lack of specific knowledge calls for sustained preparedness. We do know that a certain spiritual climate will exist in the world at the time Jesus comes. Last-minute preparation is impossible simply because God has made sure we would not know when the last minute would be. Many visible signs now in existence point toward the soon return of Christ. A large number of books have been published on this subject alone. Some of the most commonly known signs are these:

• The return of the Jews to their homeland (Ezekiel 36:24).
• The increase of knowledge, technological advance, and travel (Daniel 12:4).
• Social chaos and widespread evil (II Timothy 3:1-7).
• International distress (Luke 21:25-26).

Those who devote much time to studying the signs emphasize that there is nothing to prevent the Rapture from taking place at any moment. Our response should not be to stop all activity and go into hiding, but rather to keep our hearts right, continue working for the kingdom of God, and comfort one another with this blessed hope.

Up to this point, we have considered the Rapture from the standpoint of the future. It will be an awesome, miraculous event. But unless each Christian is scripturally qualified to be translated with the saints when it happens, all his knowledge about it is meaningless. Jesus Christ is not coming for “just anybody.” The Bible is replete with qualifying factors for each person who wants to make the Rapture. None of them require wealth, ability, talent, fame, pedigree, or human power. All of them require faith and desire.

• The raptured must be in Christ. “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Dying in Christ or remaining in Christ is necessary to be “caught up.” (See also II Corinthians 5:17-21.) Getting into Christ requires the new birth experience (John 3:3-5; Acts 2:38).
• The raptured must belong to Christ. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (I Corinthians 15:23). Christ is coming to claim His own purchased possession. Those who want to go with Him must belong to Him at the time of His coming.
• The raptured must be accounted worthy. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). Of course, Christ stands in our stead, reckons Himself worthy, and then imputes that worthiness to us. We, in our flesh, could never be worthy, but we do have the responsibility to live by obedient faith. We can and must live a repented, holy life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• The raptured must be pure. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:2-3). The purifying agent is always the blood of Christ. Those who long to see Jesus will make continual application of the blood to their souls to stay pure from the contaminants of this world. The raptured must be without spot or wrinkle. The church is like a bride in her wedding dress awaiting her husband. Jesus used this analogy in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The Rapture is like the presentation of the bride to her husband. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). That great moment must find the church at her best.
• The raptured must be spiritual. Spirituality is in direct contrast to carnality, or a flesh-governed life. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest … they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). A man who gorges his fleshly appetite cannot hope to make the Rapture. Instead, he must deny, or crucify, his fleshly tendencies and cultivate true spirituality. “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” (Titus 2:11-13). The inward hope generates outward righteousness.
• The raptured are blessed and holy. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:6).

In conclusion, just as Jesus Christ actually lived, died, and rose again, He is also returning to complete His work on the earth in an actual, literal sense. Those who have this hope are indeed a blessed people. In light of this, each person should ask himself, “Am I ready for Christ’s coming?”