The Rapture, Pt. 2

I just realized I'm going to come off like such an idiot if I vanish without a trace tonight. That'd be a rare sort of hypocrisy, huh?

I'm forward-posting this now for Sunday's God Blog Theology Post. If that's the last you ever hear from me, oh well! It will be an eloquent testament as to the fact that Jesus saves not based on whether you believed in some dickhead's rapture prediction.

Anyway, the point of the whole thing is not: you're an idiot if you believe you're going to get all SWOOPED UP BY GOD. That'll be fine by me, I assure you. I won't mind however God wants to run it. Sweet deal.

But #1, from a Biblical Authoritative standpoint, the verses cited to support "Rapture" are considerably thinner than the verses Catholics cite to support "Purgatory." And #2, nobody but nobody is right to trick people and tell them that faith's true course is to spit on and walk away from this life while it's still going on. This life, which is a gift from God - and the greatest of God's gifts most of us have seen so far.

Every day we spend on this earth is precious. You believe in Jesus? Are you a Christian? WELL GOOD! Spend your time here being the engaged body of Christ on earth, then. Every day you spend that way, engaged in Grace and living in the active love of God for all the least of our brothers and sisters - who, you know, you might be in a position to succor? - every day you live you walk in the light of God, and that lamp held high that you make of yourself can light others' ways as well. If you've got a job to do as a Christian - that's the job. Live this life engaged. There is much to do.

There is much to do, but not for me to be saved. Salvation's not my concern; I trust Jesus. You don't need to "be ready" or "get ready" for the end. You just need to live at rest in Christ, and trust Christ's got you covered. There is much to do, but it's not for you that you need to do it.

Look: when your number's called, you'll go. Jesus hasn't called you to give up and walk away even one second before the end. Jesus certainly hasn't called you to lead others to reject God's gift of this life, even one second before the end.

Ask yourself what you're doing on this earth. Killing time 'til the end?

Is that what Christ called you to do?