By Elisabeth K.

We watch with baited breath as the world compliantly, cooperatively, gleefully, jumps into the hand basket that is taking it to hell; and we are waiting-waiting-waiting for the Rapture. Maybe I’m not the only one literally looking skyward some days, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus on the horizon. I even had a dream about it not long ago. I was in a beautiful grassy field with thousands of other people, and we were all running up a hill with our arms stretched out–we were all calling for Jesus to come down out of the sky and take us home.

It’s a wonderful thing to anticipate. I literally get a little thrill in my soul when it really hits me that we could all be in heaven soon and our earthly fight will be over. But it isn’t like waiting on Christmas–we can’t just sit here making a list of all the great things we’re going to do and the questions we’re going to ask when we get to heaven.

We need to seriously consider what we each can be doing while we wait, and it won’t be the same for everyone. But we all should be doing something. Personally, I worry about how much treasure I’m storing up in heaven–not because I expect to find a giant pile of angel gold so I can go shopping or anything. I don’t want to get up there and have only a tiny pile of glitter to show my Father simply because I spent so much of my life wasting time by waiting with my hands in my lap.

Now, I’m a very contrary person. Sometimes this can benefit me–most times it does not. But I find that in certain situations, it is just what I need. It keeps me from believing lies–it keeps me from accepting any old story that comes down the pike–it keeps me on my toes. Mega-churches however well-meaning and/or possibly effective they may be in getting the good news out, annoy me.

I have never felt welcome, at home, or even close to God while attending one. Maybe it’s my fault. But because of this contrariness and my aversion to enormous, impersonal churches, I have reached an important conclusion which, while it may not apply to everyone, is certainly applicable to me and those like me.

It’s all about the one-on-one. In this world of enormousness subtlety is a lost art. Everything is the most outrageous-biggest-extreme-deadliest-fastest thing that ever came down the pike. Have you noticed? Talking to people one-on-one and actually relating to them on a personal level is unheard of. We’re a society of reaching-the-masses to the point where the individual is no longer important. We are trite, we speak by rote, and we don’t connect with one another anymore.

I used to think that in order to be effective for God and useful to Him in the world, I had to be capable of making a sweeping global change in some area of service. But we can’t all be Mother Theresa or Billy Graham. Some of us are just regular shmoes who go to work every day and just hope to make it home in one piece. We regular shmoes are just as “important” in God’s plans as world-famous religious pioneers, otherwise why would God have made so many of us?

Every day in my job as a legal assistant at a one-man law firm I come across tragedy, pain, need, hurt, and confusion. And every day, almost without fail, opportunities present themselves to me that I know God is sending. The chance to pray for a young man on his third drug charge–to pray with a woman who has been married for almost 30 years and whose husband has suddenly filed for divorce–to counsel a young soldier who has been duped into marriage by someone he barely knows and who is using him for military benefits and ruining his credit–to offer advice to an older lady who is being taken advantage of by someone.

My boss and I are uniquely positioned to help people every single day we come to work. I fear I have missed many of these opportunities for fear of the reaction I might receive–but God is giving me a boldness which I have never had before in my life. I am convinced He is using me in these last days before the Rapture to try to plant a seed of hope and curiosity about Him in the hearts of those I meet.

I think that is what it has all come down to. You don’t have to shout from a mountain top to be heard. You don’t have to put up billboards and run full-page ads in the newspaper to make a point. You can just sit down with some of the other regular folks you meet each day and tell them about how God is working in your life. What better occupation in which to be engaging when He comes to call you home?

In addition to this daily ministry for strangers, I am preparing my own home and family for Christ’s return. My husband is Jewish, and only barely at that. He likes Chanukah and going to weddings but that’s about it. He tells me that he and God have “an understanding.” I tell him I’m worried about him, and oh, by the way, did you know this or that new thing I just read on the Rapture Ready site? He thinks I’m obsessed and probably a little nuts for believing in “the whole Jesus thing.” He smiles, not condescendingly, really–patiently.

When I remind him when the time comes and I disappear he is NOT to take the mark of the beast, but to accept Christ right away. (He thinks he knows better.) But if the Rapture happens before I die, and he is there to witness it all the things I’ve told him, hopefully he’ll finally believe–pray daily that the Rapture will happen while he and I are in the same room so there can be no doubt.

All this may not seem like much, but I can at least plant the seeds. So can we all–with a friend, an acquaintance, a relative who is not a believer. Who knows who you might be preparing for the Kingdom just by telling them you prayed for them? And my motto has become, “When there’s a delay–it’s time to pray.” Talk about passing the time in traffic! There’s always an endless list of people who need prayer, including me.

I’ll never make a huge impact on the world. But I hope that when I finally get to meet my heavenly Father and look Him in the eye, I won’t be completely ashamed of my efforts. I want Him to place His hand on my head and smile and tell me I did all right–that I didn’t disappoint Him as I fear that I do. And then I want Him to smile on my husband as he comes marching proudly through the pearly gates and I get to tell him, one last time, “I told you so.”

By Paul Vanderstar

Todd raised the question of what should we, as Christians be doing for the Lord. In addition to my personal walk with God, the desire to immerse myself in His Word and my responsibility to keep myself accountable and growing in the knowledge of Scripture, I feel Christians should as true believers, seek to do the perfect will of our Father in heaven.

As believers we experience gradual changes in our lives as we walk with God. We start to put off the “old me” and put on the new as we grow in that walk. Part of putting on the new, we start to feel compelled to do good works as a result of the Holy Spirit working within us through our faith in God.

I believe that although the Holy Spirit works differently in each of us, eventually as we do change, we will be doing God’s will and pleasing Him will become the center of our daily lives. And that we will all feel compelled as Christians to do the will of God. Our desire to do His will may start with changes in our lives in small steps; perhaps witnessing to loved ones or the change may come instantly to us lighting our souls on fire to help every man, woman and child that we can.

As a newly reborn brother in Jesus, I can feel God pulling me, calling me to His service in ways that will advance His kingdom. I feel particularly compelled to work with those who are in dire need of a friend. These people I feel called to help are prisoners and the homeless in America, the elderly and infirmed–particularly in my home state but I look across the ocean and our borders as well.

I’ve learned this through prayer with an emphasis on what my heart tells me to do. My heart reaches out to those less fortunate. I have always felt badly for those people even before I received Jesus. Now I feel compelled to help them rather than just pity them.

Knowing I have a responsibility to witness as a Christian is half the battle. Knowing when to step in and listen to my heart is almost the remainder of the battle. The easiest part of this question on what to do as a Christian, is to find out where can I gain opportunity and witness!

I started recently by looking into my church and the services they offer. Examples to look for within your own church:

• Any ministries the church offers; those that are in need of people to help through volunteer work. Most churches I’ve researched locally are involved in community programs to help those in need work on a volunteer basis.
• Soup kitchens or programs sponsored by the church that help those less fortunate than ourselves.
• Organizations or alliances that form programs to plant churches overseas or right here inside our own American borders.
• The homeless crisis in this country is astounding. There are many programs both within church organizations and state sponsored programs that offer opportunities to share and help others. Also offering comfort in sharing the salvation message when given an opportunity to do so and be a friendly face. Even if you can only offer one day a month this would be rewarding and would help uplift many.
• Check into volunteering in a hospital or similar institution.

After a simple search on my church website, I was happy to report a broad array of services and ministries that help those in need from the homeless in local soup kitchens to those incarcerated in local and state prisons.

Programs are out there that allow close contact with those in need, that will allow the average Christian access to those in need of God’s work most. Those in need of a friend who care enough to take time out of their blessed lives to share the Good News and lead as Christ called us to lead by bringing forth the gospel, or just to spend time with someone in need.

I am actively interviewing to enter one of these ministries, and will be happy to work the soup kitchen or the prison ministry. I will feel blessed just to bring the Good News to anyone willing to hear it. I will also be happy to bring it to those who don’t. I will answer God’s call humbly.

We are all sinners and need that gap bridged through Jesus Christ.

This doesn’t mean we need to go in like gangbusters into a church sponsored program and preach, preach, preach. We are called to witness responsibly. Get to know those to whom you offer your services to. Let that relationship build and lead by example. Identify with the program or person you are talking to and let them into your life.

My firm belief is that we lead by example. Don’t preach at people, you will never gain an audience. Sharing the gospel is not strong-arming those who do not believe. The moment you condemn another is the moment you condemn yourself. Be a listener. Be a friend. The rest will follow in all aspects of your life. Your life will be a living testimony to the power of Christ working in your life.

Remember James 2:20, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

Let your heart convict you as to what you can do as a Christian. Circumstances prevent us sometimes from contributing to His heavenly kingdom. Trust that God will call you to His service according to what you can do!