October 12-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
Observe what it is saying.
Another issue raised by Timothy after returning from his visit with the Thessalonians was clarification of what happens to the believers who have died. So, Paul writes this assuring paragraph to give comfort for all who have lost a believing loved one. The Thessalonians had concluded that "those who fall asleep" would miss the victory and glory of the Lord's return. Paul chooses to use the phrase “those who fall asleep” instead of the "the dead" because of death's temporary nature for Christians. "Sleep" is an appropriate term because of the promised bodily resurrection they will experience. Resurrection was a doctrine Paul had previously taught the Thessalonians when he was with them. Death for believers did not mean a state of unconsciousness but a condition of consciously being with Christ. "Those who sleep" will continue their relationship with Christ in heaven while their bodies are in the grave. Paul differentiates the kind of grief experienced by those outside the faith from Christians. Unbelievers grieve because there is no hope of an eternal future in the presence of Jesus for their loved ones. Even though it is quite natural to grieve the lost relationship we have with fellow believers, Christians have no need to be sorrowful for them because we know they are in the glorious presence of Christ.
Relate it to your life.
Do I hold on to the promise of hope for believers when I grieve?
Do something.
Lord Jesus, thank You for making grief more bearable for believers who have a fantastic future. Amen.
October 13-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:14, For 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.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul gives the first reason for the hope we have from verse 13. This hope is based on the most important confession of the church. Christians believe Jesus died and rose again. Paul bases the comfort we have about the future on solid Christian theology. We cannot have hope without knowing and believing the true message of Jesus. There are many who deny the impact of Jesus’ death as bringing salvation, and many more who refuse to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. These “unbelievers” are not just found in the general public but even in some pulpits across the land. Good theology matters because it offers true hope and peace concerning the most significant issues of life and death. I cannot say it strongly enough: It matters what we believe! So, Paul affirms once again this central truth that Christ really died and bodily rose from the dead. Included in this theology is that after His resurrection, Jesus was exalted to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, but, also, promised He would return. As a result of this core belief, then we trust when Christ returns, those who have died (“fallen asleep”) will accompany Him. This adds evidence to the fact that our spirits are with Jesus when we die, and, so it should be no surprise, that when Christ returns those spirits will join him for what is yet to come.
Relate it to your life.
Good theology matters for peace of mind and hope for my soul.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I ask for Your help in rejecting false teaching so that I can fully embrace the truth which fuels my spiritual strength to endure this world in order to enjoy the glorious future that is yet to come. Amen.
October 14-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:15, According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Observe what it is saying.
"The Lord's own word" appears to be a direct revelation given to Paul himself. New Testament apostles, like Paul, were to instruct and comfort believers using predictions about the future. This information may have come as a special revelation to Paul as he answered their question through Timothy. It was now the privilege of the Thessalonians to know these details about departed believers as related to Christ’s return. Paul instructs them that believers who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will not meet Christ before the dead in Christ have already done so. When Paul uses "we," he seems to place this event within his own lifetime. How then can it be explained that Jesus did not come before Paul's death? In view of Jesus' own teaching about our not knowing the day or hour of his coming, Paul would not have limited it to his own life span. The best solution is to see Paul setting an example of expectancy for the church of all ages. Christian anticipation includes the possibility of His return at any moment. It will be sudden and unexpected. Without setting a date, Paul hoped that it would transpire in his own lifetime. Paul believed and taught that the next event on the church calendar was being gathered to Christ. Just as God intervened in history through Christ’s first coming, so He will do at his return. So, Paul assures the believers who are concerned about those who have already passed away that there is no need to fear for they are already with Christ and will be ahead of those still alive.
Relate it to your life.
It is reassuring to know that my family and friends who have died in Christ will be with Him in His return.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, empower me to stay vigilant and expectant for Your return. I do not want to miss out! Amen.
October 15-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 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.
Observe what it is saying.
The Lord comes down because He had ascended to the Father’s right hand in heaven. It is at this very moment the Lord’s Prayer will be fully answered, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” There will be "a loud command" in order to awaken "those who have fallen asleep." Associated with this command will be "the voice of the archangel," which is likely Michael. And then there will be "the trumpet call of God." The trumpet is used throughout Scripture to announce the presence of God and the fact that something new was about to happen. This will be a defining moment that no one will miss for it will be the most astounding visual and sound effect this world has ever experienced. In fact, it will be so powerful that it will cause bodies to resurrect and unite with the believing spirits that have accompanied Jesus. Far from being excluded from the coming of Christ as the Thessalonians worried they might be, they will be the first participants in the Lord's return. This word of comfort must have brought great relief to their believing family and friends, and it has certainly done so for Christians ever since then.
Relate it to your life.
We do not have to fear for loved ones in Christ or for ourselves if we pass away, we will rise again!
Do something.
Lord Jesus, thank You for these comforting words that serve more than empty platitudes but are a real source of hope for the future for all who have put their trust in You. Amen.
October 16-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:17, 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.
Observe what it is saying.
Yesterday’s Scripture reported that those who pass before Christ returns will be resurrected first. Now, he turns his attention to those who are still alive when Christ makes His triumphant return. We will be whisked away into the clouds to meet the Lord in the sky. I hope you are not afraid of heights! It will not matter. We will be so overwhelmed with joy that we will no longer have our earthly fears. They will be gone in a flash. We will be reunited with all the saints of the past. The ones we read about in Scripture. The ones throughout history who have been faithful and influential in building up the Body of Christ. The ones who were well-known will be on among the resurrected, but they will have lost their earthly luster. We will all be joined together as one. As the old hymn goes, “What a day of rejoicing that will be!” The final promise is that we will be with the Lord forever. All of us who followed Jesus will continue to be with Him throughout eternity. So, it is vitally important that we do not delay in walking with Jesus now so we can enjoy the unimaginable eternal benefits headed our way.
Relate it to your life.
I cannot miss the finale of my faith. I must stay true and vigilant to the day of Christ’s return.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I do not want to miss out on the day of Your return. Guard and protect me so I will be found to be faithful to the very end. Amen.
October 17-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:18, Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Observe what it is saying.
So, what are we to do with this teaching on the return of Christ? We encourage one another in the midst of their grief. We do not deny the reality of grief. In verse 13, Paul gave us the reason why we can grieve differently, “you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” We still grieve, but we grieve with hope. Paul taught the hope for believers is that we will rise again and will be safely taken into His presence. We will be with the Lord forever. As I think about my mom on her birthday in heaven, I am grateful for the strong faith in Christ she instilled in me that gives me hope that I will see her and my dad once again. After all these years apart, we will spend eternity together! Such knowledge still does not take all my sorrow away, but it does give me something to hold on to. It gives me something to look forward to. Christianity’s keystone belief is the hope that we will be gathered with all believers for all eternity in the glorious presence of Christ our Lord and God our Father. If you are uncertain about where you stand with Jesus, today would be a great day to declare your faith in Christ and obediently follow after Him. This will not only give you peace in your soul about your future, but it will offer tremendous peace of mind to your believing loved ones who care deeply for your eternity.
Relate it to your life.
Who can I encourage with this message today?
Do something.
Lord Jesus, because of You, I do not have to grieve like the rest of mankind who does not know You. I acknowledge I still grieve the loss of my believing loved ones, but my grief is tempered by the hope I have in Your promises of resurrection and eternity. Thank You for the incredible peace this gives me. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
Observe what it is saying.
Another issue raised by Timothy after returning from his visit with the Thessalonians was clarification of what happens to the believers who have died. So, Paul writes this assuring paragraph to give comfort for all who have lost a believing loved one. The Thessalonians had concluded that "those who fall asleep" would miss the victory and glory of the Lord's return. Paul chooses to use the phrase “those who fall asleep” instead of the "the dead" because of death's temporary nature for Christians. "Sleep" is an appropriate term because of the promised bodily resurrection they will experience. Resurrection was a doctrine Paul had previously taught the Thessalonians when he was with them. Death for believers did not mean a state of unconsciousness but a condition of consciously being with Christ. "Those who sleep" will continue their relationship with Christ in heaven while their bodies are in the grave. Paul differentiates the kind of grief experienced by those outside the faith from Christians. Unbelievers grieve because there is no hope of an eternal future in the presence of Jesus for their loved ones. Even though it is quite natural to grieve the lost relationship we have with fellow believers, Christians have no need to be sorrowful for them because we know they are in the glorious presence of Christ.
Relate it to your life.
Do I hold on to the promise of hope for believers when I grieve?
Do something.
Lord Jesus, thank You for making grief more bearable for believers who have a fantastic future. Amen.
October 13-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:14, For 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.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul gives the first reason for the hope we have from verse 13. This hope is based on the most important confession of the church. Christians believe Jesus died and rose again. Paul bases the comfort we have about the future on solid Christian theology. We cannot have hope without knowing and believing the true message of Jesus. There are many who deny the impact of Jesus’ death as bringing salvation, and many more who refuse to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. These “unbelievers” are not just found in the general public but even in some pulpits across the land. Good theology matters because it offers true hope and peace concerning the most significant issues of life and death. I cannot say it strongly enough: It matters what we believe! So, Paul affirms once again this central truth that Christ really died and bodily rose from the dead. Included in this theology is that after His resurrection, Jesus was exalted to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, but, also, promised He would return. As a result of this core belief, then we trust when Christ returns, those who have died (“fallen asleep”) will accompany Him. This adds evidence to the fact that our spirits are with Jesus when we die, and, so it should be no surprise, that when Christ returns those spirits will join him for what is yet to come.
Relate it to your life.
Good theology matters for peace of mind and hope for my soul.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I ask for Your help in rejecting false teaching so that I can fully embrace the truth which fuels my spiritual strength to endure this world in order to enjoy the glorious future that is yet to come. Amen.
October 14-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:15, According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Observe what it is saying.
"The Lord's own word" appears to be a direct revelation given to Paul himself. New Testament apostles, like Paul, were to instruct and comfort believers using predictions about the future. This information may have come as a special revelation to Paul as he answered their question through Timothy. It was now the privilege of the Thessalonians to know these details about departed believers as related to Christ’s return. Paul instructs them that believers who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will not meet Christ before the dead in Christ have already done so. When Paul uses "we," he seems to place this event within his own lifetime. How then can it be explained that Jesus did not come before Paul's death? In view of Jesus' own teaching about our not knowing the day or hour of his coming, Paul would not have limited it to his own life span. The best solution is to see Paul setting an example of expectancy for the church of all ages. Christian anticipation includes the possibility of His return at any moment. It will be sudden and unexpected. Without setting a date, Paul hoped that it would transpire in his own lifetime. Paul believed and taught that the next event on the church calendar was being gathered to Christ. Just as God intervened in history through Christ’s first coming, so He will do at his return. So, Paul assures the believers who are concerned about those who have already passed away that there is no need to fear for they are already with Christ and will be ahead of those still alive.
Relate it to your life.
It is reassuring to know that my family and friends who have died in Christ will be with Him in His return.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, empower me to stay vigilant and expectant for Your return. I do not want to miss out! Amen.
October 15-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 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.
Observe what it is saying.
The Lord comes down because He had ascended to the Father’s right hand in heaven. It is at this very moment the Lord’s Prayer will be fully answered, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” There will be "a loud command" in order to awaken "those who have fallen asleep." Associated with this command will be "the voice of the archangel," which is likely Michael. And then there will be "the trumpet call of God." The trumpet is used throughout Scripture to announce the presence of God and the fact that something new was about to happen. This will be a defining moment that no one will miss for it will be the most astounding visual and sound effect this world has ever experienced. In fact, it will be so powerful that it will cause bodies to resurrect and unite with the believing spirits that have accompanied Jesus. Far from being excluded from the coming of Christ as the Thessalonians worried they might be, they will be the first participants in the Lord's return. This word of comfort must have brought great relief to their believing family and friends, and it has certainly done so for Christians ever since then.
Relate it to your life.
We do not have to fear for loved ones in Christ or for ourselves if we pass away, we will rise again!
Do something.
Lord Jesus, thank You for these comforting words that serve more than empty platitudes but are a real source of hope for the future for all who have put their trust in You. Amen.
October 16-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:17, 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.
Observe what it is saying.
Yesterday’s Scripture reported that those who pass before Christ returns will be resurrected first. Now, he turns his attention to those who are still alive when Christ makes His triumphant return. We will be whisked away into the clouds to meet the Lord in the sky. I hope you are not afraid of heights! It will not matter. We will be so overwhelmed with joy that we will no longer have our earthly fears. They will be gone in a flash. We will be reunited with all the saints of the past. The ones we read about in Scripture. The ones throughout history who have been faithful and influential in building up the Body of Christ. The ones who were well-known will be on among the resurrected, but they will have lost their earthly luster. We will all be joined together as one. As the old hymn goes, “What a day of rejoicing that will be!” The final promise is that we will be with the Lord forever. All of us who followed Jesus will continue to be with Him throughout eternity. So, it is vitally important that we do not delay in walking with Jesus now so we can enjoy the unimaginable eternal benefits headed our way.
Relate it to your life.
I cannot miss the finale of my faith. I must stay true and vigilant to the day of Christ’s return.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I do not want to miss out on the day of Your return. Guard and protect me so I will be found to be faithful to the very end. Amen.
October 17-Thessalonians-Hope
Write out the Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:18, Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Observe what it is saying.
So, what are we to do with this teaching on the return of Christ? We encourage one another in the midst of their grief. We do not deny the reality of grief. In verse 13, Paul gave us the reason why we can grieve differently, “you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” We still grieve, but we grieve with hope. Paul taught the hope for believers is that we will rise again and will be safely taken into His presence. We will be with the Lord forever. As I think about my mom on her birthday in heaven, I am grateful for the strong faith in Christ she instilled in me that gives me hope that I will see her and my dad once again. After all these years apart, we will spend eternity together! Such knowledge still does not take all my sorrow away, but it does give me something to hold on to. It gives me something to look forward to. Christianity’s keystone belief is the hope that we will be gathered with all believers for all eternity in the glorious presence of Christ our Lord and God our Father. If you are uncertain about where you stand with Jesus, today would be a great day to declare your faith in Christ and obediently follow after Him. This will not only give you peace in your soul about your future, but it will offer tremendous peace of mind to your believing loved ones who care deeply for your eternity.
Relate it to your life.
Who can I encourage with this message today?
Do something.
Lord Jesus, because of You, I do not have to grieve like the rest of mankind who does not know You. I acknowledge I still grieve the loss of my believing loved ones, but my grief is tempered by the hope I have in Your promises of resurrection and eternity. Thank You for the incredible peace this gives me. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals