Are They Sleeping?

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 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. 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. 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 words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB

Tombs at the Mount of Olives - Israel

Comfort? Those words cause an unsettling in some people. Those who are grieving the loss of a loved one may find comfort in that those who have died believing in Jesus are “fallen asleep in Jesus” and they will be resurrected—they will rise. 

Listen. Will you hear the trumpet sound?  Did you see the words of verse 14…if we believe that Jesus died and rose again...? That word IF is a loaded word. If we believe that Jesus died and was resurrected…then…those who have died—fallen asleep in Jesus will we will be “caught up.”  Those who are still alive will be “caught up” with those sleepyheads.

Thirty some years ago I went to a revival in which a chalk artist each evening did a large picture depicting a Biblical event. Once the chalk painting was done he would turn on a black light and illuminate the painting. One of the hidden pictures involved believers in white robes going up into the air. Being “caught up” and going to heaven. It was exciting to consider that we could be together with those who were resurrected from their grave sites or that we could be caught up with them. 

We are admonished by Jesus to “be ready”—be prepared. What are you doing to honor Jesus with your life?

Prayer ~ Lord God—help us to be prepared as we go about our daily lives. We don’t want to miss your message like some of the people of Noah’s age.

Daily Bible Reading: Nehemiah 6-7

(Recycled from 2017 Banquet With The King blog)

© 2018 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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