"I hope the Lord waits until my kids grow up; get married; etc."
"I hope the Lord lets me stay until (so and so) becomes a Christian"
"I'll show 'em; let me be one of the 144,000; or hang out afterwards it can't be that bad at the start..."
The facetious dialogues suggested above are more are less a compilation of several arguments BELIEVERS have given in my presence in the past when this subject came up. Let us examine them in light of the scriptures...
First point; in heaven there will be no regret as far as "missing out" on anything this earth had to offer. That is; unless we have squandered the opportunity NOW to witness and do those things which forfeited rewards in light of the admonitions of Revelation 3:11. Our children will be where their angels are already "beholding the Father in heaven continually." ( Matt. 18:10).
The second argument assumes that God is somehow derelict in His duty to bring the "fullness of the Gentiles in" ( Romans 11:25) which in truth may not occur completely at the Rapture but before the Second Coming. Nonetheless; the multitudes that come to Christ that can't be counted may never have come at least as quickly without the fiery trials the Lord designed to purge out the dross during the Tribulation. ( Revelation 7:9). We should also appreciate the fact in verses such as Psalm 40 which states "many will see and fear" (verse 3). This seems to indicate with the surrounding verses we will be raptured/resurrected from the ground; SURELY the Resurrection of the saints cannot be explained away and will be common knowledge (even if they say the UFO's abducted those raptured it's harder to explain those already deceased).
The third point is that even in the seal judgments there is a direct opening of these seals by Christ Himself with a fourth of the earth dying (at least) at that time. No one can outplan or outwit God in saving provisions for that time (see James 5:3).
"I hope the Lord waits until my kids grow up; get married; etc."
"I hope the Lord lets me stay until (so and so) becomes a Christian"
"I'll show 'em; let me be one of the 144,000; or hang out afterwards it can't be that bad at the start..."
The facetious dialogues suggested above are more are less a compilation of several arguments BELIEVERS have given in my presence in the past when this subject came up. Let us examine them in light of the scriptures...
First point; in heaven there will be no regret as far as "missing out" on anything this earth had to offer. That is; unless we have squandered the opportunity NOW to witness and do those things which forfeited rewards in light of the admonitions of Revelation 3:11. Our children will be where their angels are already "beholding the Father in heaven continually." ( Matt. 18:10).
The second argument assumes that God is somehow derelict in His duty to bring the "fullness of the Gentiles in" ( Romans 11:25) which in truth may not occur completely at the Rapture but before the Second Coming. Nonetheless; the multitudes that come to Christ that can't be counted may never have come at least as quickly without the fiery trials the Lord designed to purge out the dross during the Tribulation. ( Revelation 7:9). We should also appreciate the fact in verses such as Psalm 40 which states "many will see and fear" (verse 3). This seems to indicate with the surrounding verses we will be raptured/resurrected from the ground; SURELY the Resurrection of the saints cannot be explained away and will be common knowledge (even if they say the UFO's abducted those raptured it's harder to explain those already deceased).
The third point is that even in the seal judgments there is a direct opening of these seals by Christ Himself with a fourth of the earth dying (at least) at that time. No one can outplan or outwit God in saving provisions for that time (see James 5:3).
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