Will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep:

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

            Paul was writing to the Thessalonians to comfort them. They were concerned that if there loved ones died before Jesus returned that there would be no resurrection hope for them … that they would be dead forever. Paul was assuring them that indeed there was great hope for them. They would rise again. In fact, the dead would go before the living.

            It seems in verse 17 as if Paul was expecting to be one of those still alive when Jesus returns. Whether we are still alive or not, there will be no one left behind of His people. Remember, we’re not debating exactly when in reference to the Tribulation that this will occur. We just know that it will; and we will.

            What a Great Promise and what a Great Hope we that are Christians have. We do not yet see it happening, but one day it will. We will hear His shout, whether alive or dead and we will rise to meet Him in the air.

            Got your ears on, good buddy?

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You need not fear, My children. I will not leave you alone. I will not leave you stranded. You are not going to have to face the world alone. I will come back for you. I will come back for all My children, whether they are alive or dead. There is no other way for Me but to bring back My own when I come. I will bring you into My Kingdom at the end. You will be with Me in My Kingdom. We will reign together in My Kingdom. We are victorious together. You are My special people, and we will rule and reign together.”

            88. When Jesus returns, I will hear His shout whether I’m alive or dead and will rise to meet Him in the air.

Chapter 10

Second Coming

            There are many people in the world that do not know that Jesus the Christ has already come the first time. They are still looking for a savior. But Jesus is coming a second time. For the Christian, that is great news, but for the rest of the world it will be a time for great tribulation.

            Jesus is coming to bring judgment to the unbelievers, but to take His own to be with Him forever. It is our destiny. Heaven is not our goal. It is our destiny. But we should not take that destiny for granted. We should become the best we can be and do the most we can do to bring others into His Kingdom.

Process:

            Dead shall live:

John 5:25

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

            He who has ears to hear among the dead will hear the Son when He shouts. They will then come to life again. Jesus said that if we die, we shall live again. That is a physical death. We won’t ever die spiritually though. We will never experience the second death which is eternal separation from God. Tune up your hearing. The Son will soon be shouting in triumph.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I am coming, My children. Do not despair! At the right time; the right moment I will come, and I will bring judgment upon the unbeliever. I will bring judgment upon those that do not recognize Me as being their God. I will bring swift vengeance upon those that disparage My name and that say things about Me that are not true. You will not be among those that are judged, when you walk in My Word. My Word is true, and My Spirit is Truth. There is no other way to get to Heaven outside of Me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no other way to avoid judgment outside of coming to the Father through Me. I am the way into His Kingdom. There is no other way outside of Me. I have brought you into that Kingdom, and you shall shine brightly before all men. Do not despair. I am coming quickly. Do not lose patience at My delay. I will come at just the right time for you, My little children.”

            87. If I die before He returns, I will hear the voice of the Son of God from the grave when He does return and will live again.

Other:

            Fellow-citizens of God’s household:

Ephesians 2:19

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

            We are fellow citizens with all the other believers. We are not alone, and we are not excluded. We are together. We are also of God’s household. We are family. We are one. Do not look down on other believers just because they belong to a different local church. They are a part of us, and we are a part of them - so that others may believe in Him.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "There is no other family but Mine. That is the family to which you belong. It is a glorious family and shall prevail in this life and in the next. You are of this family and shall overcome together. You are not of the family of this world, but are of Mine. It is My pleasure to make you members of My family. It is My pleasure to give you the Kingdom. You have the keys to My Kingdom in your hands. Look to them to overcome the world. What is of Mine, overcomes the world. You are of Mine, and you shall overcome the world.”

            86. I am a fellow citizen with all the saints and am a member of God’s household.

            Yes, it is our destiny to be one with other believers. Most Christians, though, live in a divided community. If others do not believe exactly like we do, we exclude them from our fellowship. We are destined to be one that those around us will desire to come into the Kingdom of God. Then we will all experience the true destiny He has for us.

Thy glory I’ve given them that they may be one: 

John 17:22

22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;           

            It’s also the glory. This is another key ingredient to help make us one. We need this to help overcome our human frailties. We want to be the chief. The others can be with us, but we should be in control. God wants the unity of the Holy Spirit to be maintained. It takes the glory to achieve that. In the presence of His glory, nothing of a sinful nature may exist. He removes it far from us in the midst of His glory. Again, this is to bring others into His Kingdom.

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are in My glory, My children. You are experiencing it even now in this life. You shall overcome through My glory; for My glory is in you and you shall overcome through it. You are not of this world, My children. You are of the world and the age that is to come. Nothing shall overcome it, and nothing shall overcome you as you walk in My Word and rely on My Spirit. You are of My household and shall show forth My glory as My Son did.”

            85. I have received of His glory that I may be one with my fellow believers.

Unity:

            Keep them in Thy name

John 17:11

11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.

John 17:21

21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

            What a powerful Name … the Name of Jesus! It is powerful enough to keep (guard) us. Because we are in the world (but not of it), we need to be kept. We cannot venture out alone unprotected. The reason Jesus said to keep us is so that we may be one even as the Father and the Son are One. It wasn’t just for the disciples. It was for us too. Jesus said in another verse that it was for all who heard their word and believed on Him.

            And why would He want us to be one? It is so that the world would believe that the Father sent Him to die for their sins. Unity is such a powerful thing that it will bring people to God. We think it’s our great preaching. But it is the love for one another and our unity that will bring people to Him. Those things are so rare that people will come from miles around to experience it in a local church.

            We will also be in Them (Father and Son). How this can possibly happen is a mystery; however, it is true. We are in Them and they are in us. Because we have God Almighty dwelling within us, what kind of people should we be in our behavior? What kinds of things should we expect to accomplish for God because of this?

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Again, you are safe, My children. There is nothing of the devil that can harm you. There is nothing in this creation that can overcome you; for you have My name, and everything that has My name has My power and nothing can overcome My name or My power. You are safe in Me and in My name. We are one, and nothing can overcome us together.”

            84. The Father is keeping me in Jesus’ Name so that I may be in Him and in the Father and that the world may believe in Him.