Recently the thought came to me, "What if every preacher and evangelist in the country decided there would be no pre-tribulation rapture, that we are going to keep on living on the earth throughout the troubles that are coming? How would this affect the rank and file of believers?"

Think about this.

Have you ever faced a dreadful prospect, such as a court appearance, a lawsuit, a dangerous operation, or some other fearful circumstance? How did it affect you? Did you pray more? Did you read your Bible? Did you draw closer to the Lord?

Suppose you were told by the doctor that you had six months to live? Would you draw closer to the Lord? Would you entrust your loved ones to the Lord?

Now let us suppose you were then assured that none of these things were going to happen because the Lord loves you so much. There would be no court appearance, no lawsuit, no dangerous operation, and your life expectancy was above normal.

How would you react then?

You might become giddy with relief. You might thank God, but you probably would not be seeking God with the same intensity that had been true when you were facing disaster. You probably would not be arming yourself with a mind to suffer.

Many of us are kept sober and prayerful by the Lord by the problems that come our way each day. Is this true of you?

The Bible tells us to prepare for the evil day.

Now, if there is to be no evil day, the urgency of putting on the full armor of God is dissipated. Isn't this true?

It is my personal opinion that if the hope of the pre-tribulation rapture were removed from the Christian churches we would see a big change for the better in terms of increased prayer, Bible reading, and general holiness and sobriety of behavior.

Ask a friend of yours how he would react if his or her hope of the pre-tribulation rapture were removed.

One lady said, "If I thought God would let me suffer I wouldn't serve him." This hardly is an apostolic viewpoint.

We have too much of this self-love in America and the doctrine of the "pre-tribulation rapture" is nourishing it!

The pre-tribulation rapture hope is unrealistic. According to its proponents this hope was held by the Apostle Paul and preached to the churches. If such were the case it is well that the Christians of two thousand years ago did not order their lives in terms of an any-moment rapture. Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Christians since the days of Paul have been tortured and slain for the Gospel. Families have been destroyed. None of the original Christians or those of succeeding centuries were delivered from the evil day, so we trust they prepared themselves to suffer.

Escape by rapture was not taught in the Christian churches until the middle of the last century, from what we have read.

Today in Sudan horrible things are being done to believers.

Yet the comfortable American Christians are too precious to the Lord to be allowed to suffer? Do you believe this? I don't!

Well, what about the future? Does God have a plan for His Church during the age of horrors we are facing?

Indeed He does, and it is not a cheap retreat, an evacuation from the battle. God's trumpets do not sound retreat!

To be continued.