The Reunion of the Church

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these word.

Insights: The word “meet” in these verses carries the idea of meeting a person of royalty.  It is not by accident that Paul used this particular word.  When Jesus came the first time He came as a lamb led to slaughter.  He was the sacrifice required by God to pay for my sin and yours.  When He comes again, however, He comes as the Lion of Judah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  He will reign forever and His kingdom shall have no end.  He will appear in all His glory and He will radiate with His majesty.  He is the most royal of royalty and none can compare next to Him.  The beautiful thing is that all of us who have faith, been born again, will be reunited together with each other and with Christ Jesus, this glorious King I have just mentioned.  We will see Jesus in all His glory and it will last forever.  That day will be a glorious day indeed.  If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you will not be one reunited with Him and the church.  If you have, however, then praise the Lord, you are going home one day.  I pray you are just as excited about this family reunion as I am.  I can hardly wait to see all of my family.

Questions:

1.  Are you looking forward to your heavenly reunion?

2.  Are you prepared for this wonderful day because you know that Jesus lives inside of you as Lord and Savior?

Prayer: Father, I can almost not contain myself with the desire for eternity.  I want to go home so terribly that at times it hurts, but as long as You tarry and as long as I have breath, let me serve You faithfully so that Your name may be brought glory and praise.  Amen.

The Rapture of the Living

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Insights: The word rapture is not used in the Bible, but the meaning of the Greek word rapto is to seize, to carry off.  It means the same as the word Paul used to describe those being “caught up”. First Corinthians chapter fifteen and verse fifty-two states this moment of being caught up will happen in the twinkling of an eye.  Since the shout, the voice, and the trumpet apply to God’s people, there is no reason to believe that the unsaved masses will hear them and if they do, they will hear sounds without meaning. Millions of people will vanish instantly, and no doubt there will be chaos and great concern.  This verse, however, gives great comfort to those of us who are born again.  We know that we will hear Jesus’ call and we know that we will be caught up into the sky with Him.  We will instantaneously be transformed into glory.  On a side note, today is Thanksgiving.  May this Thoughts by Scott have brought to your heart a spirit of thanksgiving at the promise of Jesus’ imminent return.  It will be a great day of rejoicing and we will truly be grateful; therefore, let us walk this day with this thankfulness on our hearts because of all of God’s amazing blessings.

Questions:

1.  Do you understand that if you are alive when Jesus returns that the only way you will meet Him in the sky is if you have received Him as your Lord and Savior?

2.  You will know that Jesus is in your heart by the peace and joy you experience on a daily bases as His child who is abiding in Him?

Prayer: Father, I am so thankful that Your Son is going to return and take those that are His into the air.  It is a wonderful promise that You have given to me.  Amen.

The Resurrection of the Dead

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Insights: The doctrine of a bodily resurrection was foolishness to Greek philosophers because they could not understand how a decaying body could be resurrected.  Nor could they understand why one would want a body to be resurrected because they thought the body represented all of their sin and evil. What these philosophers did not grasp was the illustration Paul used in first Corinthians chapter fifteen where he described the resurrection to that of a seed and a plant.  The seed produces a new plant and the new plant is not the old plant, but does bear some resemblance. We will receive a glorified body just like the glorified body of Jesus. This resurrection assures us that death is not the end.  The grave is not the end.  The body goes to sleep, but the soul goes to be with the Lord.  When the Lord returns, He will bring the soul with Him, will raise the body in glory, and will unite body and soul into one being to share His glory forever.  This new body will never decay.  This new body will never get sick.  This new body will do the same things Jesus’ resurrected body does.  As we know from Scripture, His body could go through solid walls (how this was accomplished I don’t know, but He appeared in the upper room even though the doors were locked [John 20:26]).  Again, we know from Scripture, His body ascended into the sky (Acts 1:9).  The point I am trying to make is the Lord redeems His creation that belongs to Him.  If you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are promised this new body.  So, all of the saints who have died before Jesus’ second coming will have a bodily resurrection and then those still living will ascend to meet our Lord in the air.  This day to come will be a glorious day.

Questions:

1.  Are you grateful for the saints that have gone on before us being raised to a glorious new body?

2.  Does your new body get you excited about your future in glory with our Lord?

Prayer: Father, I truly am grateful for the body with which I will spend eternity.  I am so glad You truly redeem, for those in Christ Jesus, all aspects of this sinful world.  I look forward with great anticipation my eternity with You.  Amen.

The Return of Christ Jesus

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Insights: Notice what the passage states about Jesus - He DIED. Notice what the passage states about us in Christ - We SLEEP. The emphasis here is that Jesus died so that we don’t have to fear death.  Death does not apply to us who are born again in Jesus. Notice with me that Paul did not say that the soul went to sleep at death.  We know from other passages of Scripture, like second Corinthians chapter five and verse eight that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  It is for this reason we know that the soul of the individual who dies on this side of eternity will be with the Lord at the moment of their death. In other words, it is not the soul that went to sleep when they “died” here on earth, but rather their body is what went to sleep.  Let me overemphasis this, the soul went to be with the Lord.  There is a second thing about Jesus return I want you to notice.  Paul used the word we, in reference to those who would still be alive at the Lord’s return. The point is Paul thought he would be alive when Jesus returned.  The fact that Paul thought Jesus would return in his lifetime helps substantiate the doctrine of Jesus imminent return. Imminent means about to happen.  In other words, Jesus’ return is about to happen at any moment.  He can return at any minute. The point of these verses is this:  Jesus is returning!  Because we know that Jesus is going to return, we must be ready to meet Him.  The only way to be ready is to have a relationship with Him.  The only way to have a relationship with Him is to have received Him as your Lord and Savior.  The moment you receive this grace gift, He promises to come and live within you and you are from then on known as having been born again.  You are new creature in Christ Jesus and He is returning to take His own back home with Him.  I pray you are ready for that day!

Questions:

1.  Do you understand the distinction between “soul sleep” and “bodily sleep”?

2.  Do you understand that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord?

Prayer: Father, I am so grateful I get to be with You the moment I die in this mortal realm.  I am also grateful Your Son, Jesus has promised to return to and usher in the eternal life with all of its radiant glory.  Amen.

The Revelation of God's Word

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 15a

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope…. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord,

Insights: The church of Thessalonica was very concerned and confused about what happened to their brothers and sisters in the faith that had passed away.  Paul wrote the verses which we will examine this week to help comfort these confused baby Christians about what happens to a person after they die.  The first thing I want you to understand this week is that God’s Word is the authority by which we live our lives.  Notice in verse thirteen Paul tells them not to grieve as those who do not have hope, and when you get to verse fifteen, Paul tells them why they don’t have to grieve as one without hope.  The answer is because God has given them a word regarding this subject matter.  His word is a promise and can always be counted on as being good.  We have God’s words given to us in the Bible.  Those words are inspired, infallible and without error or contradiction.  We as His children need to learn how to live life based on the authority of the Bible and not based on our experiences or the advice of others.  Let me give you a Scott’s paraphrase of a statement Dr. Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was quoted as saying in an article recently published.  He said, “I don’t base my theology on polls.  I base my theology on what the Bible says.”  Dr. Mohler’s point is that public opinion does not shape his theology.  Just because the masses may think something is okay or acceptable, if it is in contradiction to the Bible, then it is not okay or acceptable.  It may be hard to live life under these kinds of perimeters and one may experience great pressures to fall sway to the public opinion of the day, but God’s Word is the standard by which Christ-followers live their lives, period.  It is for this reason these individuals from Thessalonica could take comfort in Paul’s words because they were inspired by God and were really God’s words to them.  As we progress through this passage this week we will discover God’s promises to us which are very comforting.  Beloved, run to God’s Word and drink from His rich truths and by guided by His wisdom.  

Questions:

1.  What is your authority by which you make life beliefs?

2.  Are you aware the only true authority we have here on earth is the Word of God, the Bible?

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me Your Word, the Bible.  Thank You that no matter what the world says, I can always trust and rely on Your Scriptures to give me guiding advice as I travel through this world.  Amen.

A Supernatural Conversion

Scripture: Acts 9:17-19a

So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened.

Insights: Today we conclude this passage of Scripture surrounding the conversion of Saul.  The final step is the step required of everyone to enter into heaven.  That step is the receiving of salvation and being filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Lord coming to dwell within His own is what conversion is all about.  The only One that can bring this gift of life into a human being is the Lord, and because He is the only One that can do this work, then it is supernatural in nature.  The key evidence of life change is the filling of the Holy Spirit.  It is at this point in the history that Saul, who becomes Paul, really is born again.  Notice that the first thing Saul did was to become baptized.  Baptism is the first step of obedience and demonstration of evidence of a life truly surrendered to the lordship of Jesus.  Beloved, on this day in history the heavenly hosts rejoiced over this conversion.  Today, for every soul that comes into a saving relationship with Jesus, the hosts of heaven are still rejoicing.  Let us be diligent to go out into this dark world and share the love of Jesus with all the Lord prompts our hearts to share.  May our lives reflect His glory!

Questions:

1.  Have you received the gift of eternal life found in Jesus Christ and become born again?

2.  Do you understand the only way to heaven is through Jesus?

Prayer: Father, all week has been a celebration for Your wonderful gift of salvation.  Everyone that enters into heaven must first experience supernatural conversion because You did all the work.  Let me never forget what You did for me and may I spend all of my eternity worshipping You for Your grace.  Amen.

A Surprising Response

Scripture: Acts 9:10-16

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Insights: At this point in the text the historical emphasis changes to another character in the story.  Ananias is a believer and he has heard of Saul’s murderous intentions; and yet, the Lord has just told him to go and visit this man.  I have titled this Thought by Scott as A Surprising Response and have done so because I think if Jesus came to a Christian today and given this command, most of us would have not complied with the commission.  We would have made the same excuses Ananias made, but at the end of the day we would have chosen rebellion instead of obedience as he did.  We would have said the cost was too great and the task to challenging.  I believe the reason for this cowardly response, by the way, of which I am all too often guilty, is because we have left our first love, Jesus Christ.  We no longer understand the cost of discipleship, to quote the title of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic work on what it means to be a Christ-follower.  Beloved, let me again challenge you to not let your moments of obedience be surprising to a watching world, but rather let your actions be stalwartly pointing to the hope of your salvation, Jesus Christ.  May your actions of obedience bring our Lord glory, honor and praise.

Questions:

1.  Is God surprised when you choose to obey Him?

2.  Or, is it your natural response and it brings a smile to His face?

Prayer: Father, I know that Your love for me is not dependent upon my actions or my obedience.  Your love is unconditional, but just like with an earthly father, it blesses Your heart when Your children live in a way that honors You and that is displayed through obedience.  Help me, O Lord, to live a life like this for You.  Amen.