I guess this immature attitude toward God and His salvation results from our belief that the events of the last days, such as the catching up, will take place as a Divine intervention independent of our response. No faith will be needed, no obedience, no prior preparation.

If we have followed God for any length of time we know it ordinarily is not God's way to suddenly, without preparation, bring us into a strange, new setting. Sometimes when we are deceived we think God is going to bring us into some kind of "Hagar" experience, into that which is romantically, exotically different from the commonplace. But if we stay with God we find Him in the ordinary day-to-day struggles that always have been true.

Our view of Heaven and mansions often tends to be fantastic. We would like to be suddenly lifted into Oz or Disneyland, but usually that does not happen. I think we will find the future to be more of what we have been used to than we imagine at the present. All experiences with God require faith, patience, trust in God's love and integrity. The resurrection will be no different.

So the trumpet sounds, but we have been prepared by the falling of the stars, the darkening of the sun and moon, the shaking of the heavens. We know these are the fig tree putting forth its leaves and the coming of the Lord is imminent.

We will still be what we always have been, either interacting with Jesus on a moment by moment basis, or a nominal believer who serves the Lord only when it is convenient, only when it does not cost too much.

We will be instantly ready to be changed and rise to meet the Lord in the air, or we will behave as we always do, hedging, dodging, delaying, questioning, fearfully clinging to the familiar until it is too late. Our prior experiences have guaranteed that, like Lot's wife, we will not be delivered from the judgment of God.

Let us say the newly resurrected saints are standing around us, their glorified bodies shining as the sun. We ourselves have been transformed physiologically from flesh-and-blood metabolism to Holy-Spirit metabolism. Then our body from Heaven has clothed our Spirit-driven flesh and bones.

Now, think about this picture. Do you believe Antichrist and the wicked will have any power over such saints?

Do you believe God will have to carry them to Heaven because they can be harmed by Antichrist or the great tribulation?

They cannot be injured, tortured, starved to death, suffocated. There will be holy angels among them who will take care of the monsters of the spirit realm.

Thus the teaching of the pre-tribulation "rapture" is a myth, being neither scriptural nor logical. It is amazing that it ever gained ground among devout, intelligent believers. It is an error that came out of the spiritual ferment in the British Isles of the last century.

In any event, belief in the unscriptural "pre-tribulation rapture" of the believers in Christ prevents the churchgoers of today from becoming serious about preparing themselves for the age of moral horrors we are approaching.

To be continued.