Praise the Lord! How encouraging it is to know that Jesus is coming back for us and that He wants us to spend eternity with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16For 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. 17After 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.
I love the end of 1 Thessalonians 5; I envision Paul saying these words like a coach at half-time of the championship game:
12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. ... 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise of reunion with your Son Jesus Christ. Lord, I ask that you make me holy in every way and that you make me blameless in spirit, body, and soul. Lord, use me to minister and encourage others to follow your will. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah 58
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