A few months ago, not far from my home, construction was finished on a new church building. It’s huge and very luxurious. The parking lot is equally huge with sculptured mini gardens throughout. My friends all believe in the rapture, but they all say there is no way to know when it will be. They all talk about seeing their children grow up and marry, and about retirement one day in Florida or the mountains. I’ve asked several of them about this attitude, and I am always told that we need to plan as if there was no rapture, since we don’t know if it will be tomorrow or even in our lifetime or that of our children or grandchildren. All this does is to put doubt in my mind as to the nearness of the rapture and if we’ll ever live to see it.
According to recent research over 90% of Christians live in a manner that’s indistinguishable from their unbelieving counterparts. Most local congregations are filled with such people who for the most part are completely given over to the things of this world.
Most of them plan as if God doesn’t intervene in human affairs and act in a manner opposite to the Bible’s teaching. They walk by sight instead of by faith, seeking worldly gain instead of God’s kingdom and His righteousness. They store up treasure on Earth instead of in Heaven and in general act as if the 70 -80 years they’ll live here is all the life they’ll get, without a thought for the eternity that lies ahead.
And why shouldn’t they? When have they ever been taught any different? Certainly not in their churches, where the same worldly attitude prevails among the leadership of most denominations. Anyone who wants to learn how close we really are to the rapture has to look outside the church for answers.