Meditate.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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| New Life - Encourage Life, Love, Hope |
Paul also
taught that we can do anything through Christ who gives us strength (see
Philippians 4:13). Even Job in all his own grief expressed that he would
encourage others if they were experiencing what he was going through. He would
want to take away their grief. No matter what you are going through now—there is
hope for a marvelous, big change in your life, if you believe in Jesus as your
Savior.
But if it were me, I would encourage
you. I would try to take away your grief. Job 16:5
God is good. He
hears our prayers. He may not answer them the way we expect, but He does hear
and answer. The most important prayer anyone can pray is to ask Jesus to be their
Savior.
As soon as I pray, you answer me; you
encourage me by giving me strength. Psalm 138:3
We need each
other—even amid COVID restrictions. We need to see, hear and touch others. It
is encouraging. Personally, I find that Zooming a Bible study or book review with
friends or FaceTiming with family across the country is very uplifting and
encouraging. Just seeing someone and interacting with them is cheering and
inspiring. It is somehow reassuring to see and hear them—that they are OK and
have not given up on God or themselves. It gives me hope. How about you?
When we get together, I want to
encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Romans
1:12
Encourage
others. Share your faith, your hope, and how you are trusting the Lord. Paul
was a great teacher and encourager, as illustrated by his letter to the people
of Corinth.
Dear brothers and sisters, I close my
letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each
other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with
you. 2 Corinthians 13:11
With these
final words today, from me, as written by Paul around 51 AD—be encouraged and
live to please God more and more each day as you seek and serve Him.
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1
Prayer ~ I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Verses of Salvation ~ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) Romans 8:23-25
Do you know the
ABCs of Salvation?
A - Admit
Admit what you have done wrong and ask forgiveness.
- Romans 3:23 All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God.
- Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death.
- 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
B - Believe
Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again as a payment for your sins.
- -John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
- Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
C - Confess and Choose
Confess
and choose to allow God to the be in charge of your life
- Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
- Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
- Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
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