Were We  LEFT BEHIND?

The left behind series caused some to fear being left behind during the rapture. A biblical fact is, we are all left behind, we were left behind at his ascension purposefully,  to do the works that He did (John 14:12) and to establish a colony of Heaven here on earth (Phil 3:20) We have not yet fully accomplished that purpose.  

 Actually the verse in Lukes Gospel (Lk17:34) stating that "one will be taken and the other left" used to support the "Left Behind" theory  is slightly ambiguous and can be easily misunderstood. The Greek wording in this text implies just the opposite of the pre-tribulation position that one is taken away to heaven & one is left here to suffer Gods wrath.

 The actual rendering in the Greek can easily be interpreted another way,-that the one "taken"( paralambano-received with force) is taken away for judgment and the one "left"( aphiemi -forgiven) remains here waiting for Christ's return and the new Jerusalem as it comes down from heaven. In Acts 1:9 when speaking of Jesus being taken to heaven, the word (epairo-) to lift up or raise up, is used not paralambano.

   Leaving His church behind was a one-time event. When He returns it will be to receive us to Himself forever. We were left once but we were not left alone, abandoned, nor were we left without purpose. We were left with a comforter, guide and teacher. Left here for a purpose;  to accomplish what God has for us, to do the work He did, to be His ambassadors on earth, to use the authority He gave us to defeat the enemy of the Kingdom of God, and to prepare ourselves to be His bride.

   One fact is certain, He will not leave His people behind forever and His return will not be a secret. Matthew 24:27 states that His coming will be for all to see in the eastern sky, none will be in doubt. Saint and sinner alike will know who He is and exactly why He came back.

  One of Gods titles in scripture is "The Lord of Host." Host means army. He has always had an army of angels but He has also always had an army of His people in each generation doing His will on earth.

 God could zap what ever He wants into existence but rarely does so. He normally uses people to do His will on earth. He is now choosing whom He will use to bring about His will on earth for the end time period. The rapture will come about at the proper time but preceding that event, in the immediate future, we will need to be about His business. There is still much to do. He is now choosing the army that will do His end time work on the earth.

 Rather than fear missing the future "Rapture", I think a more present danger and a more reasonable fear is that we would be left behind as God passes by searching for those who will be a part of this end time army that will fight the battles necessary to usher in His Kingdom in full dominion on earth.

   He is presently choosing His army for the next climatic event. I for one don't want them to pass me by and march on down the road. I want to be in that group of chosen folks.

  I hope that no present day church or saint will be like the Israelites who camped in the wilderness of sin rather than follow the cloud when it moved. Let's follow Gods leading and prepare ourselves for His service. The greatest fear we should have at this present time is being left behind when His army moves out.

                                                                                     Ray Cleghorn