A THIEF AND THE CATCHING AWAY OF THE CHURCH

Yesterday as we passed a cemetery I thought of how many bodies lay there waiting the day when “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

"And the dead in Christ shall rise first. 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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

But as I read into the next chapter I noticed a warning: “For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

But you are not in darkness, so that this day overtakes you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober...” putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

“For God did not appoint unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5: 2-10).

Then we are reminded to comfort one another with these words. I pray today God renews your faith, your commitment, and fills you with His comfort hope and peace.