1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 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 by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Maybe you fear this earthly death we all face.
It can be a scary thought.
After all, we have never died before.
Sometimes it is hard to look past this life and the troubles we have.
But I want us to see this message as coming from the One Who has.
Jesus died and rose again for us.
He experienced both the death and the resurrection first, for us.
The Lord gave Paul this message for us.
So, we could read and understand and not be afraid.
If we die here, we will sleep until the Lord comes.
When He comes, there will be a shout that calls us to true eternal life.
We will rise to meet the Lord in the air.
What a wonderful thing to look forward to.
How fantastic will that be?
From then on, we will be with the Lord eternally.
Think on this.
Meditate on it and look forward to it.
Anticipate it, without ignoring your life here.
Keep it as a special treasure in your heart.
Bring it out and remember it to lift your spirits, especially in hard times.
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