This will be lesson 12 from 1 Thessalonians ch. 4:13-18 and ch. 5:1-11

This will be lesson 12 from 1 Thessalonians ch. 4:13-18 and ch. 5:1-11

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 KJV

13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words
King James Version (KJV)

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
King James Version (KJV)

What comfort in these two passages and as we read them, they cause us to be drawn closer and closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They also cause an alarm bell as it were to go off inside of me when I think about those who may not be ready should Jesus come tonight. friend or family member who is asleep in the spiritual sense. Paul says, “we are not of the night nor of darkness. Let us examine ourselves…let the Holy Spirit shine His light upon us and look into our hearts and see if there is anything there that would hinder us from being ready when the trumpet of God sounds . The Happy Goodmans sang a song which contained a line that stated that one day the trump would sound so loud it would wake the dead. And that is just what Paul, that great Apostle of the Lamb states here in ch. 4:16…the trump will sound and the dead will rise. This is what Paul preached concerning the rapture. Remember what the angels said in Acts chapter 1”This same Jesus shall come in like manner as ye have seen Him go.” Why stand ye gazing?” Are we as a people just gazing or,like the women at the tomb are we telling His disciples that He is risen? Ca n the world see that we believe? I reflect back to our missions convention last October. One of our Spanish brothers presented a report on missions ministry in North Africa and he illustrated that scripture in Acts 1:11.
Let’s be a people doing, going and ready to do what He would have us do. Let us continue in prayer for the lost, especially our loved ones.