Bulletin Articles
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
This passage is rich with truth and hope about Jesus’ return, and has enough visual and aural cues to keep our imaginations going for a lifetime. What will it be like?!? If we’re still alive, will we know it’s really happening?!? Yes, of course, we will! No one will miss it.
How often do you think about this end-all event? Does Jesus’ return give you hope? Listed below are snippets of hymns we sing together about this very event. If you’re new to Christ and perhaps unfamiliar with these texts, let’s begin learning these hymns together! For those of us who know them deep in our hearts, I hope one of them gets so stuck in your brain that it both bugs and encourages you all week. As we work till Jesus comes, let’s keep one eye on what we’re doing, and the other eye on the sky.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
When clothed in His brightness transported I rise to meet Him in clouds of the sky; His perfect salvation, His wonderful love, I’ll shout with the millions on high.
And Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely forever; One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring, Then anew this song we’ll sing: Hallelujah! What a Savior!
