Daily Reading February 19 2010 from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV

Day 40

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.15 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.16 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.17 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. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Death Were is Your Sting?
"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep" here Paul makes death sound so temporary and for the believer it truly is. The Bible tells us that Jesus overcame death, hell, and the grave. Paul is again proclaiming the hope of the Cross to these persecuted believers in order to encourage them to persevere. Paul here speaks of the resurrection of the dead when Jesus returns for those who have called on Him. Verse 16 tells us that the Lord will command with a voice and a trumpet call and then at that very moment the dead in Christ will arise and after that those who are still living and serving Christ will be taken away to meet the Lord in the air. This is what we commonly call the rapture of the church. This is the ultimate promise to the believer. This promise should be communicated to all who believer in order to encourage. Not that we should cease from all activity until He comes on the contrary we need to win as many as we can as we anxiously look toward that last day. Paul concludes this chapter with "encourage each other with these words." We spend a great deal of time worrying about our enemy but we can read verses like these and realize even if we are killed for Christ we have the ultimate hope of eternity with our Lord. Aren't you glad you can claim that promise. If you cannot simply call on His name in repentance, He will hear your cry and you too can have this great hope of heaven and eternity with the Savior.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 NIV
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed–52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor Larry