Friday, November 21, 2014
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
A TRIUMPHANT MESSAGE TO SHARE
The apostle wrote to the Thessalonians with certainty and conviction about these last things: Jesus will return. Those who have died in Him will be raised from death. Christians who are still living at that time will join them, caught up to meet the Lord in the air. We will be with the Lord forever.
This is the Lord's own word that we can now take upon our own lips!
On the surface the saints do not always appear very triumphant. Jesus' believing children still suffer from pains and diseases, they still face loss and sorrow, they still experience financial hardships and other earthly troubles. Above all, Christians are often belittled and marginalized by the world. But the triumph will be more than obvious in the end.
Perhaps we could all take a hint here from the Apostle Paul and speak these words of encouragement to each other more often than we do. For each of you know these truths about Christ's coming and the resurrection of the dead. Each of you know that those who fall asleep in Jesus will live, so each of you are fully equipped to give comfort and encouragement to one another in the face of death, or to help one another through any of the various struggles in life by reminding fellow believers that all God's saints are triumphant.
Make the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting part of your everyday thinking and part of your everyday speech. With these powerful words, encourage each other!
