Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 Our
brothers and sisters, we want you to know the truth about those who have died,
so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. 14We
believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take
back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.
15 What
we are teaching you now is the Lord’s teaching: we who are alive on the day the
Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. 16There will be the shout
of command, the archangel’s voice, the sound of God’s trumpet, and the Lord
himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ
will rise to life first; 17then we who are living at that time will be
gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so
we will always be with the Lord. 18So then, encourage one another
with these words.
Think
Paul believed that when
people died their souls would rest in heaven in God's care (much like the
descriptions from Revelation last week).
But at the coming of the LORD souls and bodies would be reunited at the
resurrection and the final coming of the Kingdom of God.
Paul goes on to remind us how
we should live in anticipation of the coming of the LORD.
Pray
Lord, if you came back today
I'm not sure if you'd find me ready.
Help me, help my church, help us all to live in expectation of your
return.
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