Comfort For Troubled Hearts

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also...Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you..." (John 14:1-3, 27)

Jesus knew that after his death, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven his followers would still be troubled.  So he left them, and us, with the peace that comes from the promise of his return.  His words were given to comfort them as they testified to the world of his resurrection and awaited his return.

After many years had passed and Jesus had not yet returned, some of those followers had fallen "asleep".  Jesus and Paul both referred to death as sleep.  So Paul was confronted with a question about what would happen to those who had fallen asleep when Jesus returned. His answer to them is one of the most comforting passages of Scripture in the Bible...

"...we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 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. 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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words."  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Many have died over the past 2000 years, but the promise of his return and our rising together to meet him in the air still comforts and gives us peace.

Popular posts from this blog

I Am Not Ashamed

“…I AM NOT ASHAMED of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…” (Romans 1:16) Will preaching about Jesus, teaching about Jesus, or writing a commentary on the Bible change what God has determined to do for humanity? Of course not. And what about preaching, teaching, or the commentaries on the Bible that turn out to be wrong? Will that change anything God has determined to do? No Then why preach, teach or write our thoughts down at all? Good question but for me the answer is simple. I share my views simply to let others know what I believe. I do not want people to think I believe something about Scripture because I was raised in a Baptist church and therefore believe what Baptists believe.  Most people go to the Church in which they were raised. I attended a Southern Baptist church because my Mom and Dad took me to one, and I continued to go for years because I liked the people who attended with me. I was not there to learn what the Bible says because I own a Bible
Read more

Trust Him, He's Got This!

"I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge." (Romans 10:2 NLT) "These ignorantly zealous persons think altogether too much of themselves. According to their idea it would seem to be a marvel how ever the Lord got along before they were born, and altogether a dead certainty that He will have to suspend operations altogether after they are dead." - Arthur P. Adams Such seems to be the state of many evangelists I have heard over the years. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." (Psalm 46:10 NLT) Trust Him, He's got this!
Read more

Gun to My Head Prediction

"  I am coming  again  and will take  you to Myself , so  that  where  I am , there you also  will be." (John 14:3) "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) I am not a "date setter" for the return of Jesus to Earth. However, I read the Bible for clues which reveal the era in which He will return - that era seems to me to be unfolding before my watchful eyes. If someone held a gun at my head and told me I had to give an exact month, day and year for His return to Earth to set up the Millennial kingdom. I would calmly say Saturday, October 4, 2035 AD. Why? Follow this link for why I would give 2035 AD as the year. https://2035thereturn.blogspot.com/ As for the month and day - Saturday, October 4 - it is because that will be the first day of the new year (Rosh Hashanah) in the year 2035 AD. Again, not setting the date, just making an educated guess! 😇
Read more