There is a letter in the New Testament that is recorded from 3 first century Christians...the Apostle Paul, a writer( scribe) named Silas, and Timothy, a person Saint Paul regards as his spiritual son. Saint Paul is of little doubt the main author of this letter, yet all 3 seem to heartily agree as to the contents of the letter.
The first letter to the Thessalonians has been assessed as one of the earliest of Pauline letters and this letter in particular may have been written only 20 years after the Resurrection of Christ Jesus in 33 A.D. Saint Paul is thought to have been on his 2nd journey of 3, spreading the Good News into Asia Minor, what in now modern Turkey.
Bible scholars point out that Paul sent out this letter from Corinth. Corinth, a city in Greece located about halfway between Athens and Sparta, was an early Christian church that had Paul continuously dealing with issues...from sexual sins, drunkenness, to numerous arguments amongst themselves. At the same time, the Corinthians received letters from Paul that are filled with guidelines on how to live the Christian life, including 1 Corinthians 13...the great love chapter that has been quoted through the ages. It was in Corinth that Paul faced his own Jewish brethren that were adamantly against Paul preaching Jesus as The Messiah...he was hauled to trials and continuously harassed because of his faith.
Through all these various challenges and scenarios that Saint Paul would find himself in, he takes the time to encourage other believers and remind them what this life is all about. He writes of the many heartbreaks the first century Christians were facing...namely death. Many who gave their hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus found persecution from various authorities, and as a result loved ones, friends, and fellow believers were put to death for their personal beliefs.
Yet, Paul takes the time to remind them what is up ahead...and although tragic to witness the death of others because they proclaimed Jesus as their only Lord...they are only asleep...for He is Coming...and He is Coming to get us!
A Gleaning from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 through 5:11
" I do realize the weight of your thoughts living in this present life and the sorrow of others lives being taken because of their love for Christ Jesus. Yet with this pain in our hearts, it is important to not be ignorant of what our real outcome is. Let us not allow ourselves to go into an unnecessary sorrow like those who have no hope and are completely in the dark.
The grief we share in the loss of family or friend for His Name's sake, is not like how the world carries on about a loss...for they have no hope. We have the Lord Jesus in our hearts, accepting His love for us by going to a cross and dying for us...yet He has done something no other man or god could ever do...He broke free from the grips of Death...and is alive! Because of His victory over Death, He provides a way for all of us to pass through Death and become alive again...through Him. The fact is Jesus has gone to His Heavenly Father, who is now our Father through Christ, and has promised He will return for us...and with Him....all those who died in faith believing in Him!
The Lord Jesus Himself has made this perfectly clear...and desires all living here on earth to understand this, here then is His plan: 1) The Lord Jesus Christ will come down from Heaven with a mighty shout!, 2) an archangel will also give a shout, 3) followed by a blast of a trumpet...the trumpet call of the Father.
Then, here is what will happen next: 1) all those who have already departed (died) in this life will rise first, 2) then all of us who are alive will be caught up with those who have already passed, 3) and together we meet the Lord Jesus in the air, 4) to be with Him forever.
So let these very thoughts be the "heart of your courage" in what you might be facing...and comfort one another with these very thoughts.
As far as to when this event might take place, His plan is simply for us to be ready. His Coming return cannot be marked on a calendar, nor is it like making an appointment with the doctor, His desire for us is to be always ready...and be expectant of His arrival.
While we are here on earth we see those who live complacently, giving one another credit for their ease of comfort in this life, boasting of their own achievements. Suddenly, Our King will arrive for us from Heaven, and He will expose those who have rejected Him...as all the hearts of men will be exposed, it will happen unawares, like birth pains to a woman.
Yet for us...our hearts are committed...to the Author of Christian courage!...Jesus!
Now as for us, we have put our faith in Him and because of Him we are not engulfed by Darkness...we watch for His arrival...our armor is on...on guard waiting for His arrival. We walk by the Day...our skies are bright, the day is clear, and we see a wide-open horizon.
We have no need to go out in the night and get drunk to escape the pain around us...rather...we remain sober, get our needed sleep, and trust in the protection of His armor. Our helmet is the promise of our salvation...and His Return is our guarantee!
When the Lord Jesus returns for us...He comes not to punish us...rather...He comes to save us!
Always keep in mind Christ Jesus died for each one of us...so that we can live with Him...forever! Remember, He first desired us...when we had no use for Him...yet, He changed all that...because He came for us anyway...and now our hearts are united with Him! Because of Him, we have His heart alive within us...the "Heart of Christian Courage"!
The first letter to the Thessalonians has been assessed as one of the earliest of Pauline letters and this letter in particular may have been written only 20 years after the Resurrection of Christ Jesus in 33 A.D. Saint Paul is thought to have been on his 2nd journey of 3, spreading the Good News into Asia Minor, what in now modern Turkey.
Bible scholars point out that Paul sent out this letter from Corinth. Corinth, a city in Greece located about halfway between Athens and Sparta, was an early Christian church that had Paul continuously dealing with issues...from sexual sins, drunkenness, to numerous arguments amongst themselves. At the same time, the Corinthians received letters from Paul that are filled with guidelines on how to live the Christian life, including 1 Corinthians 13...the great love chapter that has been quoted through the ages. It was in Corinth that Paul faced his own Jewish brethren that were adamantly against Paul preaching Jesus as The Messiah...he was hauled to trials and continuously harassed because of his faith.
Through all these various challenges and scenarios that Saint Paul would find himself in, he takes the time to encourage other believers and remind them what this life is all about. He writes of the many heartbreaks the first century Christians were facing...namely death. Many who gave their hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus found persecution from various authorities, and as a result loved ones, friends, and fellow believers were put to death for their personal beliefs.
Yet, Paul takes the time to remind them what is up ahead...and although tragic to witness the death of others because they proclaimed Jesus as their only Lord...they are only asleep...for He is Coming...and He is Coming to get us!
A Gleaning from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 through 5:11
" I do realize the weight of your thoughts living in this present life and the sorrow of others lives being taken because of their love for Christ Jesus. Yet with this pain in our hearts, it is important to not be ignorant of what our real outcome is. Let us not allow ourselves to go into an unnecessary sorrow like those who have no hope and are completely in the dark.
The grief we share in the loss of family or friend for His Name's sake, is not like how the world carries on about a loss...for they have no hope. We have the Lord Jesus in our hearts, accepting His love for us by going to a cross and dying for us...yet He has done something no other man or god could ever do...He broke free from the grips of Death...and is alive! Because of His victory over Death, He provides a way for all of us to pass through Death and become alive again...through Him. The fact is Jesus has gone to His Heavenly Father, who is now our Father through Christ, and has promised He will return for us...and with Him....all those who died in faith believing in Him!
The Lord Jesus Himself has made this perfectly clear...and desires all living here on earth to understand this, here then is His plan: 1) The Lord Jesus Christ will come down from Heaven with a mighty shout!, 2) an archangel will also give a shout, 3) followed by a blast of a trumpet...the trumpet call of the Father.
Then, here is what will happen next: 1) all those who have already departed (died) in this life will rise first, 2) then all of us who are alive will be caught up with those who have already passed, 3) and together we meet the Lord Jesus in the air, 4) to be with Him forever.
So let these very thoughts be the "heart of your courage" in what you might be facing...and comfort one another with these very thoughts.
As far as to when this event might take place, His plan is simply for us to be ready. His Coming return cannot be marked on a calendar, nor is it like making an appointment with the doctor, His desire for us is to be always ready...and be expectant of His arrival.
While we are here on earth we see those who live complacently, giving one another credit for their ease of comfort in this life, boasting of their own achievements. Suddenly, Our King will arrive for us from Heaven, and He will expose those who have rejected Him...as all the hearts of men will be exposed, it will happen unawares, like birth pains to a woman.
Yet for us...our hearts are committed...to the Author of Christian courage!...Jesus!
Now as for us, we have put our faith in Him and because of Him we are not engulfed by Darkness...we watch for His arrival...our armor is on...on guard waiting for His arrival. We walk by the Day...our skies are bright, the day is clear, and we see a wide-open horizon.
We have no need to go out in the night and get drunk to escape the pain around us...rather...we remain sober, get our needed sleep, and trust in the protection of His armor. Our helmet is the promise of our salvation...and His Return is our guarantee!
When the Lord Jesus returns for us...He comes not to punish us...rather...He comes to save us!
Always keep in mind Christ Jesus died for each one of us...so that we can live with Him...forever! Remember, He first desired us...when we had no use for Him...yet, He changed all that...because He came for us anyway...and now our hearts are united with Him! Because of Him, we have His heart alive within us...the "Heart of Christian Courage"!
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