Dear friend,

 

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
 

- Revelation 6:2 -

 

I got my first job (other than babysitting) at 15 years old. A few months later I turned 16, got my driver's license and drove my mom's slightly rusty, red convertible to work at a local greenhouse a few times a week. As the oldest of six children I was the first to complete this rite of passage: getting a job, learning to drive, developing my own life outside the home. I was (and am) very close with my family, so my absence was felt… but it was also a great opportunity for them to play pranks. After all, I was gone all day.

 

One midsummer afternoon I came home from my shift to an empty house. This was strange. Five siblings and two self-employed parents meant the house was busy and loud from morning to night. Not only was nobody there, the lunch dishes were all on the table, schoolwork was scattered in the dining room half-done, and there were piles of clothes at intervals throughout the house. Weird… but the quiet is kind of nice. I made a sandwich and went to my room to read in peace. 

 

Half an hour later my family appeared in the doorway. 

 

“Phy! You didn't even LOOK for us?!" They were flushed with laughter and the heat of their hiding places. 

“Why would I?? I figured you went to the store." 

“Because we pretended to be raptured,” my younger siblings crowed. “Didn't you see all the clothes piled around the house?” 

“Yes… I just thought you were either sloppy or changed really fast.” 

Later on, when my dad heard about these antics, he chuckled and patted me on the back. “I'm sure glad to know you are this confident in your salvation – not even a fake rapture could fluster you!”

I look back on this story with humor and affection. But other people would look on this with extreme anxiety. Why was I fearless in the face of a “rapture” when others might be filled with anxiety or fear?

 

 

I am fourth generation Pentecostal (not currently in a charismatic church, but this is my family/church heritage). Pentecostalism was heavily influenced by dispensationalism, the theological viewpoint responsible for teachings on a premillennial rapture. I read Left Behind as a child, heard sermons on the second coming, and even watched churches frantically prep for the pending crisis (and possible return of Christ) during the turn of the millennium. 

 

In spite of all this, the way Revelation and end times were taught by my parents was never from a standpoint of fear and always from a standpoint of hope. The primary voices of my childhood (parents, not youth pastors) taught me that though the world may be in turmoil, Christians are people of peace. Salvation is secured by Christ and Christ is unchanging. So if there is a rapture – I'm with Him! 

 

My siblings' prank was funny, but it also revealed the fruit of my parents' theology and discipleship. I was unafraid of a rapture because I knew I was in Christ. I am still unafraid of a rapture (and unafraid of the “end”) because I've read Revelation – and Revelation is a message of hope.

Many Christians think that the emotionally-urgent sermons of their youth, Left Behind books, and “Thief in the Night” viewings accurately present what Revelation teaches. Afraid of re-triggering themselves, they never read what Scripture says on their own. Fear and anxiety, spurred on by unhelpful mainstream media news cycles, lead them to remain in ignorance about Scripture's teachings. Friends: God does not want you to experience ongoing anxiety about the end times. This is NOT His will, it is NOT the message of Scripture, and it there is SO MUCH MORE available for you!

 

To overcome anxiety, you must have the facts. We fear what we do not know or understand. To get to the other side, you must be brave enough to face what you do not understand, and that is the book of Revelation. 

 

April 1st we start our online, community-wide Revelation bible study. We will read one chapter a week through the summer into August! You'll read verse by verse, chapter by chapter, with other Christians who are also willing to face this book's truths and come away with confidence and peace. 

 

I want for you what I have had. I do not fear the end times. I know the God who saved me, and I know when He does return all will be made right. You truly can look out at the world around you knowing that God will reconcile all the evil, and you will be a witness to His peace.  

 

I hope you'll join us! Grab your print or ebook study in the shop, and click below to join the community. 

A few bestsellers from over the weekend! Revelation is topping our list as people grab their copy in time for the community wide study starting online April 1st!

 

Thank you for celebrating with us and praying over us as we announced our pregnancy with Miracle Baby M on social media!

 

Last year we shared our “faith in process” through some of the hardest months we've ever faced. Now we have the privilege of continuing to share our “faith in process” as we trust God for this new life. 

 

The entire story is saved to my Instagram highlights under “Miracle”. 

Thank you for praying with and for us!