The year of 2025, as of November 1st, has been a tremendous faith journey for me. This spiritual growth spurt includes church membership and attendance, two Bible studies a week, co-teaching a youth Sunday School class, co-leading the girls' devotions at our church's Wednesday evening Youth Outreach program for neighborhood kids, reading and studying the Holy Bible, and listening and watching videos and podcasts conducted by Biblical scholars and pastors online.
The Discipleship Pastor at my church, West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama, conducts a Sunday evening Eschatology study. That is the exploration of End Times. Perhaps it is because I am 67, retired, a widow with no kids, with parents who passed in 2017 and 2018, or simply because I love learning more about our Lord Jesus Christ and the topic of Salvation. Still, I am particularly fascinated by the idea of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture happening, sooner rather than later. It is not that I dislike my life. I actually live a very comfortable life. I adore my two brothers and their families. I have lovely friends. I love my church. I enjoy crocheting, loom knitting, reading, watching videos, preparing the Bible lessons for the youth, doing the homework for my Ladies Bible Study class, lunch outings with buddies, etc. But, part of me would love, love, love for my King Jesus to grant me the honor of seeing Him face-to-face without having to undergo a physical death. I think 2 Corinthians 5:4 describes it best. 2 Corinthians 5:4 (ESV) For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. I have often heard it said and quoted it to others when appropriate: "Old age ain't for sissies!" Naturally, my body is not as young as it once was. Lol! But I am so grateful to God that, all in all, my more challenging health-wise times appear to be behind me. All thanks and glory be to God, I have been in remission from breast cancer for 15 years. And the Mild COPD diagnosis of 2015 is easily managed by pacing myself and remembering to take deep breaths when necessary. Other than that, I do pretty well day to day.2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
If you ask me when I got saved, I cannot pinpoint a particular day. It has been a process spanning about 20 years. But I will say that my biggest testimony is God getting me through my Breast Cancer Journey of 2010 and God lifting me and comforting me when I lost my husband, Mom, and Dad in a 3-year stretch from August 2015 to April 2018.
A month after my earthly dad died, I turned 60. I felt the Holy Spirit inspiring me to retire early from my job. I also felt His guidance in June of 2018 to move from East Tennessee to Northern Alabama so that I would be within 2 hours of my remaining family.
Of course, the whole world went through COVID. Before and after, I did quite a bit of cruising until I completely fulfilled my travel bucket list. When my apartment complex decided to raise my rent sky-high, I put myself on a 'cruise diet'. Lol! Then, I spent an entire year writing a 7-book series about the last week of Jesus' life. I call the series Bible Books for His Glory. You can find those books, written under my maiden name, Debbie Dunn, on Amazon, should you be interested.
Then, in January of 2025, I finally found the church that feels like home: West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama. We are small but mighty. If you ever choose to visit, you will likely have a similar reaction. The congregation is extremely loving and authentically welcoming to one and all.
I decided to start this blog topic because there is a 'needs-improvement' opportunity for me to avoid the temptation to become spiritually lazy. And since I learn best by writing, I approached this exploration in this manner.
So, back to my current fascination with the idea of being Raptured sooner rather than later. I spend quite a bit of time listening to YouTube and Facebook videos on that very topic. About two-thirds of them focus on date-setting. About a third of them do not. I am well aware that people have strong opinions about whether the Rapture will happen before the 7-year Tribulation, halfway through, Pre-Wrath, at the end, or not at all. As for me, a Pre-Tribulation Rapture makes the most sense Biblically.
This morning, I listened to a speaker pose the idea that the delay to the Rapture might be because so many Christians are either lukewarm or not devoting enough of themselves to 'dying to our flesh and living a more Holy Spirit-led existence. By the way, this is not a Salvation topic. It is a reward question for Christians who are truly Saved. Nevertheless, it got me wondering if I merited the reward of an early removal from this earth to live my Eternity with Jesus Christ.
After all, read what the following Bible verses state.
Matthew 10:38 (NLT)
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
1 Peter 2:21 (NLT)
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
Luke 9:23-24 (NLT)
23 Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
These very verses were what motivated me to start this blog. I wanted to explore how those verses apply to my current life.
Now, don't get me wrong. I know that I am Saved by the Blood that Jesus shed on the Cross at Calvary. I am confident where I will spend my eternity. That is not my concern.
I am also not proclaiming that you have to do a finite or infinite number of works to be Saved. We are only Saved by the Grace of what Jesus sacrificed on the Cross.
Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
I am simply exploring and challenging myself to ascertain whether I am worthy of being included in the group of Christians who will be taken up in the Rapture, whenever that particular event occurs.
By the way, I hope this blog might inspire a new, current, or past reader to accept the free gift of Salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That way, you will not be one of the ones left behind to face the horrible events of the 7-year Tribulation.Here is one version of the Sinner's Prayer:
Luke 21:36 (AMP) But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming]." If you Google what it means to take up your cross daily, you will find a list of questions to pose to yourself. The answers could differ for each person, depending on their current life companions, lifestyle, finances, obligations, jobs, etc. Even though this is my blog, I don't wish it to be all about me. Therefore, I prefer to pray about it, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit on how I can do a better job of 'dying to my flesh' and living a more Christ-centered life. I will give you an example of one of my recent challenges. I might open YouTube or Facebook to look up a single topic. The next thing I knew, an hour or two had passed as I scrolled through video after video after video. It would have been wiser to spend my time reading the Bible, creating the next devotional role-play for the Youth Outreach program, or doing my homework for the next Ladies' Bible Study class. Therefore, to do a worthier job of 'dying to my flesh,' I could perhaps set a timer to scroll for no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Then, force myself to close the APP and open up my Bible to read and study it instead. In other words, each day, am I doing what God wills me to do, or am I spending most of my time doing what I feel like doing? Some days, I do better at this than others. I am indeed a work in progress, as are we all. Got Questions.org has a very illuminating answer to that question. Consider reading that article next. Click What did Jesus mean when He said, "Take up your cross and follow Me"? Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day!
