December 17 - Encouragement

December 17 – Encouragement

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

Paul has plenty to say about the return of the Lord and much of it is sprinkled throughout his letters, but in his letters to those living in Thessalonica, he gave some specific direction.

His teaching on death versus sleep in the first part of this passage is debated, misunderstood, debated again and generally glossed over. Which is exactly what I’m going to do. We don’t know enough about what death looks like from the other side, whether they are sleeping until Christ returns or are active … it makes no difference to this story today.

What Paul does say is that those who have died before us will precede us into heaven. But, then in 1 Thess. 4:16, Paul begins telling us what it is going to look like when the Lord comes back. He will come with a loud command – his voice like an archangel (who are known messengers) and the trumpet call of God! We will be caught up in the clouds with those who are sleep if we are still alive and meet the Lord there.

Take a moment to ponder those images! When the Lord rides in on the clouds to gather His people, we will be caught up and will meet Him midway.

The other night, I was chatting with my nephew, who desperately wants to ride a spaceship. If there isn’t one readily available by the time he can afford to do this, he says he wants to design and build one. I told him that I’ve always been ready for a spaceship to show up in my backyard. All they have to do is beckon me, and I’m there.

This ride will be better than any spaceship – from this point on, we will be with the Lord. We will be with the Lord forever! I don’t know about you, but the word forever is overused these days. We say we will love someone forever, but that word means eternity … beyond the time that we can possibly know. The promise that we will be with the Lord forever is the only promise that is guaranteed.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul repeats Jesus by saying that this day will come like a thief in the night. Just about the time we are comfortable in our lives, destruction will come. His assurance, though, that those of us who are followers of Christ will not be surprised reminds us that we have nothing to fear. Darkness can’t consume us.

Paul’s words in 1 Thess. 5:9 continue the message of salvation, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep (alive or already dead), we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

That message is what we need to always remember. Salvation comes from the Lord to everyone. Encourage one another, build each other up, remind each other just who it is that we trust. God sent Jesus Christ to die for us so that we do not have to suffer His wrath. What an amazing gift!