The Rapture

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This passage of scripture describes what is referred to as the rapture of the church. For some reason, many 'evangelicals' have decided that this is 'escapist' and God is not going to remove the believers in the catching up into the air. These folks are quite critical of the rapture. They are embracing social justice and ecological concerns because they believe that we are going to clean up the world in preparation for the coming of Jesus.

Many of these folks are also critical of the importance of evangelism. Instead of the church focusing on the salvation of men's souls, it seems they are focusing on social and environmental issues. So they don't like the rapture and they have rewritten the Great Commission.

Here is a link to an article by Tullian Tchividjia, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian church. Tullian is Billy Graham's grandson.

God's Evacuation Plan?