“Awaiting Our Rescue” by Jackie Alnor

 

“Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

I think this applies to our day and age as we await the Bridegroom’s rescue. I was asked the other day if I believe in the pre-trib rapture. I responded that it is my greatest hope, but I’ve never been dogmatic about it. Perhaps that’s because I was weaned as a new believer on Chuck Smith and Walter Martin whose Bible studies I frequented in my first decade as a believer. Chuck was dogmatically pre and Walter just as post. The preemies jokingly referred to their post friends as “Post-Toasties” and the posties called them “Escapists.” I learned their biblical arguments and all the ones in-between. All base their understanding on several passages, not just one. But we loved one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and did NOT divide over the topic.

Another man once said, it is wise to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. There are many lessons to be learned from Joseph and Moses. So many parallels to today — too many to go into detail here.

Joseph had God’s wisdom when he advised Pharaoh to store up food during the seven years of plenty in preparation for the coming seven years of drought. Today, we know of a coming seven years — no coincidence that it’s 7 — where this world will see the worst ruler in all of history and God will bring down the plagues upon him and those who follow him and take his mark. So it would seem prudent that Christians prepare ahead of time for the possibility that we will be hunted and persecuted before our rescue — all the time looking up for His return, while looking out for one another

Four hundred years of servitude after Joseph passed, God anointed Moses as His deliverer to rescue His people. As a baby he was preserved during the slaughter of the innocents. An evil ruler would not let the people go. It was like a tug-o-war between that pharaoh and God. We know who lost. All of Egypt — and that included the Hebrews — suffered under the plagues since ALL the water turned to blood — frogs, locusts, hail, came down upon the entire land. It was only the last plague from which the Hebrews were protected by the blood on the doorposts.

I have the faith to trust in Jesus no matter what lies ahead — be that being sprung from this planet ahead of the final week of years, or like many Christians in the past, win a martyr’s crown.

Joseph and Moses inspire us to make earthly preparations, along with Daniel’s friends who were thrown in the fiery furnace that was heated up 7-times hotter. They held out against compromise telling Nebuchadnezzar “Our God is able to deliver us, but we will not serve false gods.” God did not snatch them out of the fire, but went in with them. The king was amazed when he saw “one like the Son of God” alongside them.

We are told that we are not appointed unto wrath and we can take that to the bank. We must also “be ready always” as Jesus said that in Matthew 24 — so He did NOT mean ready to die — but ready for His return which was the topic of that chapter. We’re therefore instructed to look for the rapture of the saints imminently.

So that brings me back to my subject — be prepared for any eventuality. How can we be wise in doing so when this planet is now set up for the New World Order — one in which we do not belong?

If we are taken before the last seven years — and that’s my greatest hope — what time have we wasted if all our preparations are left for our unsaved loved ones? When we are raptured, they will then understand. We do them a disservice if we don’t prepare for them. And who knows what will go down between now and then when we might need to access our provisions.

This is not the place for endless arguments over timing. It’s time we put our heads together for preparing for those seven years — either for ourselves or our precious unwise virgins left behind. How do we live under the radar with the tracking systems we’re all connected to? When the electronic money system replaces hard cash and requires a chip or tattoo in the hand to buy or sell, how do we eat? How do we survive off-grid for basic necessities — water, food, shelter?

Will it be like Joseph and Moses? Will it be like Noah and Lot? Or will it be a bit of both?

The birth pangs have now peaked — it’s time to get serious.