1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

[StaceyLovesJesus]

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
KJV
16 For 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:

17 Then 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.

 

[Work4Peanuts]

... and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Amen and amen!

 

[Andy C]

There is not any problem I have now that the rapture wont solve.

Today, tomorrow, next month, next year, it does not matter when, because we know when its His time, our glorious future will come to pass.

 

[Batman]

Come Up Hither!

 

[Margery]

I'm in Psalms right now in my nightly Bible reading, it was Psalm 89 the other night. Verse 15 stood out.

In some English versions the Joyful Sound is translated Joyful Shout. The wording relates to the trumpet blasts of the Feasts, but I thought about the Rapture when I read it.

It reads this way in my NASB

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.

here it is in the Amplified Classic
15 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who know the joyful sound [who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts]; they walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!

and the Amplified
15 Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet’s blast]! They walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!

Common English Standard
Happy are the people who know the joyful shout;
Lord, they walk in the light from your face.

Darby
15 Blessed is the people that know the shout of joy: they walk, O Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance.

 

[StaceyLovesJesus]

@Margery I'm sorry for the loss of your Father that didn't know Jesus, that must have been heartbreaking for you, i have been praying for my 80 yr old dad for over 33 yrs that he will invite Jesus into his heart soon

 

[Kaatje]

@Margery I'm sorry for the loss of your Father that didn't know Jesus, that must have been heartbreaking for you, i have been praying for my 80 yr old dad for over 33 yrs that he will invite Jesus into his heart soon

And God does work miracles, I can testify to that.
My father was a person that wanted to have nothing to do with faith.
He thought being a good person was better than to be like "the hypocrites he saw going to church every sunday".
So when I got saved at age 13, I got a lot of push back from him.
I couldn't talk about my belief, but maybe persevering was a testimony in itself.

Anyway, my father got lung-cancer, and while in hospital, he found his way back to God. Or better said, God came to him. I can't explain how I felt when that happened.
Overjoyed, of course, but also humbled. Because although I prayed for him, I didn't really believe my prayers would be answered. It seemed too farfetched. But God didn't need me. He touched my fathers heart in an unexpected way, and I just marvelled how Great a God we have!

So please keep praying for your father, Stacey!

 

[LightOfMyLife]

Our Blessed Hope yearning for the day believers go home. Titus 2:13-15

 

[LatterRain]

There is not any problem I have now that the rapture wont solve.

Today, tomorrow, next month, next year, it does not matter when, because we know when its His time, our glorious future will come to pass.

Amen. God is in control and everything will happen according to His plan. We who love the Lord have no worries at all.

All you need to do is:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

- Proverbs 3:5-6

 

[StaceyLovesJesus]

And God does work miracles, I can testify to that.
My father was a person that wanted to have nothing to do with faith.
He thought being a good person was better than to be like "the hypocrites he saw going to church every sunday".
So when I got saved at age 13, I got a lot of push back from him.
I couldn't talk about my belief, but maybe persevering was a testimony in itself.

Anyway, my father got lung-cancer, and while in hospital, he found his way back to God. Or better said, God came to him. I can't explain how I felt when that happened.
Overjoyed, of course, but also humbled. Because although I prayed for him, I didn't really believe my prayers would be answered. It seemed too farfetched. But God didn't need me. He touched my fathers heart in an unexpected way, and I just marvelled how Great a God we have!

So please keep praying for your father, Stacey!

 

[StaceyLovesJesus]

Hallelujah that's beautiful story of your dad, Erika! Thank you for sharing that with me. i will never stop praying for my dad.

 

[Margery]

@Margery I'm sorry for the loss of your Father that didn't know Jesus, that must have been heartbreaking for you, i have been praying for my 80 yr old dad for over 33 yrs that he will invite Jesus into his heart soon

thank you!

Let me tell you about God's grace with my father in law. 103, dying, his very last week of life and he finally lets me talk about salvation. He was feeling scared, he spoke about that and I was able to quickly lead him to the Lord.

Using JD Farag's ABC's of salvation because there simply was no time. He was breathless (dying of congestive heart failure) and too tired to talk long.

BUT HE GOT SAVED! And we all rejoiced. He died shortly after, in his sleep at the ripe old age of 103. George my beloved husband is with him now, he died in March this year.

My dad didn't --but there too, God in His comfort and mercy has comforted me with the remembrance of all the times Dad was offered salvation and turned it down. The last night before he died from that awful MAID program here in Canada, I had the door open (GODS GRACE!) for one last time to present the gospel and ask him to reconsider. He was a bit nicer than usual in turning me down and went on to talk of other things.

As I reflected on his death I thought of all the times, all the people who had tried to tell him of Christ from my late mother who he adored, to her family (2 missionary aunties, a creation scientist uncle, my grandparents both solid believers on mum's side who he respected and loved) and me- my sister too. Those were the ones I knew of. I prayed for his salvation most of my life with the exception of my very early years.

There is sadness but not the bitter grief I expected. There is comfort in remembering the times I was able to turn the conversation to the Lord and his need for salvation. Remembering that I did everything I could, God opened so many doors for the gospel over his life, he was prayed for more than most people and yet his choice remained to reject God.

There is a sense of peace in "having done all stand". Knowing that all that could have been done was done, and that it truly was his choice.

Now let me also tell you about my 96 year old brother in law. He's not saved......yet!

My son in law was showing me his new barn up at their farm a few weeks ago and he said something about my brother in law

"What's keeping him alive????" he asked and said "I don't know how he keeps living!"

I laughed and looked at Kyler, and said I KNOW!!!!

OK WHAT THEN???

I told him remember my father in law??? (Kyler knew him well and had rejoiced with us when he got saved)

Yeah???

I've been PRAYING for him just like Grandpa!!! God's keeping him alive because of GODS GRACE and mercy!"

Kyler got it then.

Thing is I don't know if my brother in law will accept the Lord, but I've been praying for him for decades. He came of Christian parents but he never believed.

I gotta think his parents prayed HARD for him, I know I would have.

I think I've been praying for him for the better part of 46 years now. He's 96.

Maybe he will be like my father in law. I hope so.

I know it's hard, when we pray so long for an unsaved loved one, but look at my father in law! Praise God.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

Margery, so glad to hear he got saved. It is a miracle he lived to 103 to be saved. It would have been too late for him if he didn't. He finally made the right choice before it was too late.

 

[StaceyLovesJesus]

thank you!

Let me tell you about God's grace with my father in law. 103, dying, his very last week of life and he finally lets me talk about salvation. He was feeling scared, he spoke about that and I was able to quickly lead him to the Lord.

Using JD Farag's ABC's of salvation because there simply was no time. He was breathless (dying of congestive heart failure) and too tired to talk long.

BUT HE GOT SAVED! And we all rejoiced. He died shortly after, in his sleep at the ripe old age of 103. George my beloved husband is with him now, he died in March this year.

My dad didn't --but there too, God in His comfort and mercy has comforted me with the remembrance of all the times Dad was offered salvation and turned it down. The last night before he died from that awful MAID program here in Canada, I had the door open (GODS GRACE!) for one last time to present the gospel and ask him to reconsider. He was a bit nicer than usual in turning me down and went on to talk of other things.

As I reflected on his death I thought of all the times, all the people who had tried to tell him of Christ from my late mother who he adored, to her family (2 missionary aunties, a creation scientist uncle, my grandparents both solid believers on mum's side who he respected and loved) and me- my sister too. Those were the ones I knew of. I prayed for his salvation most of my life with the exception of my very early years.

There is sadness but not the bitter grief I expected. There is comfort in remembering the times I was able to turn the conversation to the Lord and his need for salvation. Remembering that I did everything I could, God opened so many doors for the gospel over his life, he was prayed for more than most people and yet his choice remained to reject God.

There is a sense of peace in "having done all stand". Knowing that all that could have been done was done, and that it truly was his choice.

Now let me also tell you about my 96 year old brother in law. He's not saved......yet!

My son in law was showing me his new barn up at their farm a few weeks ago and he said something about my brother in law

"What's keeping him alive????" he asked and said "I don't know how he keeps living!"

I laughed and looked at Kyler, and said I KNOW!!!!

OK WHAT THEN???

I told him remember my father in law??? (Kyler knew him well and had rejoiced with us when he got saved)

Yeah???

I've been PRAYING for him just like Grandpa!!! God's keeping him alive because of GODS GRACE and mercy!"

Kyler got it then.

Thing is I don't know if my brother in law will accept the Lord, but I've been praying for him for decades. He came of Christian parents but he never believed.

I gotta think his parents prayed HARD for him, I know I would have.

I think I've been praying for him for the better part of 46 years now. He's 96.

Maybe he will be like my father in law. I hope so.

I know it's hard, when we pray so long for an unsaved loved one, but look at my father in law! Praise God.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

Margery, ing that your brother-in-law comes to the realization that he too needs to be saved before it is too late. he comes to the right decision very soon!

 

[StaceyLovesJesus]

Beautiful @Margery thank you for sharing your story. what is your brother in law's name? I will pray for him.

 

[Margery]

Beautiful @Margery thank you for sharing your story. what is your brother in law's name? I will pray for him.

Bob, and thank you! I've been praying for him, his wife my sister in law (George's only sibling) and our 2 nephews their sons. They all need salvation. I take the openings when God provides them and pray that when the opportunity arrives, they will get saved. What is your dad's name Stacey? I can return the favour.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

Bob, and thank you! I've been praying for him, his wife my sister in law (George's only sibling) and our 2 nephews their sons. They all need salvation. I take the openings when God provides them and pray that when the opportunity arrives, they will get saved. What is your dad's name Stacey? I can return the favour.

ing that all these people you mentioned will be saved , and Stacey that your dad will be as well.

 

[Margery]

I was thinking a bit about the Rapture- how it spurs us all on to pray for and witness to the people around us who need Salvation. I know some in the church who don't believe in a literal Rapture (or even a Pre Trib Rapture) accuse us of being escapists, who should pay attention to Salvation of the unsaved around us, instead of longing for Christ's return to take us in the Rapture.

It couldn't be further from the truth.

It's not an either or situation though --like they make it out to be.

Everyone who has this hope, purifies him and herself as 1John 3:2-3 says here in NKJV:

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Verse 2 explains that John is referring to the hope of the Rapture when John talks about "this hope". I include it for the context.

Verse 3 says it purifies us, in our walk with the Lord and that includes having a heart to see people get saved. That's part of a healthy Christian life.

We know how close the day is getting, we don't know the day or the hour, but the fact is since the early church, the hope of the Rapture purifies the Church. It puts everything into perspective. Including doing everything we can to get people saved.

Turns out the very hope we have of the Rapture is why we are so concerned for people's salvation.

I looked at this thread, and it's a perfect example of that verse I quoted