Max Lucado Daily Devotional

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“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV).

The Bible speaks of a reward ceremony that will take place in Paradise immediately after the rapture of the church. This event is called the judgment seat of Christ. The Greek word translated judgment is bēma – the bēma seat judgement. This is not a trial to ascertain whether we are innocent or guilty, saved or lost. That judgment occurs during our lifetime.

The bēma judgment is about recognition. Salvation is based on the work of Christ for us. Our recognition is based on our work for him. Our deeds do not contribute to our salvation. Our deeds do, however, inform our reward.

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There is a crowning in your future. Not in Westminster Abbey, but in Paradise, and not by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but by Jesus. By this point we will have been raptured from earth and escorted into the presence of our Savior. And Jesus will have kept the promise: “I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live” (John 14:3 MSG).

Millions, maybe billions, of people will have vanished. Graves will be vacant. God-rejectors will tumble into a cesspool of violence and pandemonium. At some point a despot will promise to restore peace. He will sign a treaty with Israel, and seven years of tribulation will begin. Thankfully, we will not be here to witness it. As the chaos begins below, the celebration will have begun above.

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The rapture of the Christians sounds fantastical. Yet, before you write it off, remember this is how God works. Did he not flood the earth? Did he not turn the Red Sea into a red carpet so the Hebrews could escape bondage?

God is the God of divine interruptions. Holy surprises. Who could have imagined God living on earth? But he came. Who could’ve imagined God hanging on a cross? But he died. Who could have imagined the empty tomb? But he rose from the dead. He intervenes in mighty and miraculous ways. He has before. He will again.

In the meantime keep an eye toward the sky, and live in such a way that Christ will find you faithfully looking for him. “Always be ready, because you don’t know the day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42 NCV).

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When will the rapture take place? Some Bible students place the rapture during the tribulation, others after the tribulation. It seems best to position it before the years of trouble. Jesus compared this moment to the rescues of Noah and Lot. Noah felt no raindrops; Lot felt no brimstone. In the same manner, I believe Jesus will emancipate his church, and we will not feel the evil of the Antichrist.

Also, Paul urged us to “encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV). How can we use the rapture message to encourage one another if we are going to face the Antichrist and the tribulation? If such were the case, Paul would have said, “Warn one another.” But he didn’t.

The rapture of the church is a reason for comfort and assurance. Yes, the tribulation is coming. But, yes, the church will be leaving. Consequently, be encouraged.

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What a moment of miracles the rapture will be! All prayers for healing will be answered. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask of me, I will do for you” (John 16:23-24, paraphrased). This is no over-promise. It’s only a matter of time.

This calling forth includes all God’s children who were conceived yet never took a breath outside the womb. Miscarriages and abortions took many. Christ will lay claim to them all, and they will live in glorified bodies.

This raptured population includes children who never reached the age of accountability. They lacked the maturity to decide for or against Christ. They are safe in his care. So are people who lacked the mental capacity to comprehend salvation.

This resurrection of the righteous will occur in a “twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV). That is how long Jesus needs to collect his church.

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The rapture. Jesus will appear in the sky, and all who share his nature—who house his Spirit, who have within them the presence of Christ—will be caught up by his magnetic presence to meet him in the air. When we see Jesus, “he will change our humble bodies and make them like his glorified body” (Philippians 3:21 GW). Goodbye, cancer. Farewell, deformity. Hello healing, renewal, and restoration.

At the rapture the bodies of Christians will be raised and reconstituted to resemble the risen body of our Lord. His glorified body was similar to his pre-crucifixion body. He could be touched. He ate and drank. Yet, he also passed through walls and appeared in various locations without any visible means of transportation. And, most significantly, he ascended into Paradise. We will do the same.

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Christians, upon the signal of Christ, will be transported into the presence of Christ. This rescue will be activated by the conclusion of the church age. Or, as the apostle Paul wrote, when “the full number of the Gentiles come in“ (Romans 11:25 RSV). The Lord will come with a loud command. At his side will be the sole figure identified in the Bible as an archangel—Michael—the great foe of Satan.

We will hear a trumpet at the rapture. Roman soldiers learned to respond to three types of trumpets. The first prompted them to rise and strike their tents. The second announced it was time to fall into line. The last trumpet was the signal to march away. Christ will signal for us to march away—either out of the grave or off the earth—and “we will be with the Lord forever.”

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“He will cause deceit to prosper,…When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power” (Daniel 8:25 NIV).

Chapters 6 through 19 of Revelation describe in detail what will happen during the oppression by the Antichrist: famine, death, cosmic disturbances. The Jewish remnant will feel the full force of his anti-Semitic ire. Deception will be standard fare. I’m describing the darkest chapter of human history.

But I’ve not yet told you the good news. The tribulation? It’s going to happen. Satan’s henchman? He will be worse than anyone can imagine. But the wonderful news? If you are in Christ, you won’t have to face him. For by the time he arrives, you will be long gone in Paradise.

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“When rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause outstanding devastation…” (Daniel 8:23-24 NIV).

The Antichrist. At some point after the rapture he will appear. Filled with the fullness of Satan, he will mesmerize the world with his arrogant words. He will even claim to be God. Just as Satan entered Judas on the day of betrayal, so Satan will enter this person. He will rise from obscurity as a great peacemaker. He will negotiate a seven-year treaty with the nation of Israel. Yet, midway through the treaty, he will break it—and all hell will break loose.

You do not want to be on earth when the Antichrist comes. Give your heart to Christ, and he will give his home to you.

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Have you ever heard of the Antichrist? From the old testament book of Daniel: “That leader will make firm an agreement with many people for seven years. He will stop the offerings and sacrifices after three and one-half years. A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city” (Daniel 9:27 NCV).

This is one of the Bible’s earliest references to a time of severe tribulation—seven years in which the entire world will feel the oppression of an evil ruler. Antichrist is the name most used for this scoundrel. He will want people to worship him instead of Jesus, and he will appear on the world stage. This era of anarchy is called the tribulation. Are we in that stage of evil? Not yet, but it seems to be nearing.

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