The Goal of Every Believer

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord!

Beloved the scripture above gives us a graphic picture of what will happen on the day of rapture. This scripture is saying that the Lord Jesus Christ will come down from Heaven to summon His bride with a distinct call. Only His bride will hear this voice. He will do this with a trumpet (shofar) that has a distinct musical note that no man or trumpeter has ever played. But the bride of Christ will recognise it and obey the call. Who is this bride of the Lord? They are those who walk and walked with God, who have/had a perfect relationship with Him. They are those that please God while sojourning here on Earth. They are the sheep of Christ who when they hear the trumpet shall immediately recognise that it is the call of the Lord. They shall then meet with the Lord in the cloud.The goal of every believer should then be to meet with the Lord in the cloud and be with Him from eternity to eternity. There is no dream like that dream.

   

1 Thessalonians 2:10

10 You are witnesses, [yes] and God [also], how unworldly and upright and blameless was our behaviour toward you believers [who adhered to and trusted in and relied on our Lord Jesus Christ].

1 Timothy 4:12

12 “...but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Beloved this scripture teaches us that there should be hard evidence that you are the bride of Christ. Firstly, fellow believers and secondly God Himself, must testify that you are indeed the bride of the Messiah. For you to rapture God expects your relationship with others to be adjudged upright and spotless. Your walk with God must be a holy walk, your life a blameless one and your faith in God must be justified by faith in Christ Jesus.

I wonder how many Pastors, Bishops, Evangelists and Believers can stand boldly in front of a congregation of believers and make this declaration made by the Apostle Paul. Can you stand boldly in front of fellow believers who know you inside out and make this declaration? Even if you can, can God also bear the same witness?

Beloved you must set your mind on things that are above not on the corruptible things of this World.

Colossians 3:1

If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Beloved do you know that when you walk with God you are raised with Christ from the dead. When Christ was raised from the dead He was far above the corrupt things of this sinful World.  You must cast your mind on eternal treasures that await the bride of Jesus Christ. You must seek to own treasures where moth, thieves, terrorists have no access to them. That place is eternity in Heaven. So for you to walk perfectly with God, you must be Heaven conscious. You must pursue holiness, which the bible says without holiness no man shall see the Lord.

Making sure you are walking with God

To make sure you are walking with God you must do the following consistently:

• —  A daily renewal of your consecration. There must a daily rebirth of your dedication to God. Every day provides a fresh opportunity for a new start with your walk with God. Use the blood of Jesus Christ to do this daily. Yesterday’s renewal is not enough.
• —  Always seek to be closer to God; minute by minute, second by second. Seek closeness with God by yielding your entire being - leaving nothing behind. This must be done with your whole spirit, soul and body. Your spirit must witness with Holy Spirit that you are close to God.
• —  Meditate on the word of God daily and promptly obey His word and voice.
• —  Never, ever neglect your fellowship with other believers. Remember, iron sharpens iron.
• —  Never compromise your faith. Keep off from every false doctrine.
• —  Examine yourself daily by God’s standard not by your own standard or the standard of men.
• —  Finally, pray and always ask for the grace of God in everything.