Verse of the Day 7/31
1 Thes. 4:13-14 The Message
13-14 And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.
Today’s verses came up in my read through the New Testament plan. Paul speaks of Christ and tells us that the dead in Christ, believers who have gone before us being raised first. But what caught my attention in The Message was the reminder that we all have something to look forward to, new life in Christ for eternity and being joined with those who have gone before us.
What caught my attention this morning in The Message paraphrase was the thought that we all have something to look forward to. No matter what happens here on earth now, it is not the end, Jesus is coming again and we have this living hope. We, unlike the unbelievers whom the NIV says have no hope, have this hope as an anchor for our souls.
Chuck Swindoll writes, “When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy. When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits. When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going… When we fear for the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still in control.” This all applies to us that are grieving as well. We still have hope.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
3
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
4
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Encourage each other with these words.
Blessings,
Mike
Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
New International Version
Believers Who Have Died
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
