1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
Oh Friends, another blessed day has dawned, and wherever you are in this big, wonderful world, I hope it’s dawned with brilliant sunshine. However, if it hasn’t, don’t worry, the Lord is still on His throne, still in control of everything. The weather is only doing what He’s programmed it to do, to fit into His overall plans. Let Peace, LOVE and Faith continue to reign supreme in your hearts, and the darker it becomes, let those three likewise increase in strength, so you’ll always have the wherewithal to withstand whatever darkness comes your way. Hope you can make sense from nonsense there. (smile) Anyway, here’s a simple but very appropriate quote on darkness and sunshine from Thomas Fuller. It says: ‘One cloud is enough to eclipse all the sun.’ And that’s so true Friends, especially when we put it into the context of our everyday lives, where one unpleasant comment, one unfair, unfounded criticism, or one unfortunate incident can spoil our whole day. That is if we allow them to. Oh mih people, the clouds can block out the sun all day, or several times per day, but that doesn’t mean the sun isn’t still there in its lofty position, it’s just that we can’t see it. The same thing happens when we allow incidents to block out the sunshine in our lives. It doesn’t mean there’s no joy and sunshine in our lives, but merely that we’re allowing outside influences to control our lives, our expectations. And sadly, many of them are usually of no real importance. Continuing the comparison, we can’t prevent the real clouds from blocking the real sun, but we certainly can prevent those superficial ones from blocking the sunshine in our emotional lives. Sometimes our expectations are too high, sometimes too low, so anything that happens contrary to them, brings a dark cloud over our emotions and often over our entire lives too. Friends, the only way to counteract this is to try and maintain realistic expectations, so that we won’t get too dark and sombre if and when they’re not met. That brings us to the great and certain expectation of our Bit, where Bruh Paul assures us: ‘Beloved, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ Yes Friends, ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ (1 Cor.15:51-52) Oh my people, we shall all be changed from mortals to immortals. Wow! And what a great day that shall be, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ embarks on His Second Coming, that in the majesty, splendour and glory befitting His Holiness and Royal Lineage. As the scholars point out, this is not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The first is the eventual fiery judgement, while the second refers to what many call the Rapture, the first phase of Christ’s return, which involves all Christians alive at that time. They will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds, instantly becoming immortal, while those who have died ‘in Christ’ will be raised from the dead to join the celebration. ‘For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.’ (Phil.3:20-21) Friends,the best way to possibly bring all of this home is to quote Bruh Paul’s assurance to the Thessalonians, for he went to great pains to explain that all who are ‘in Christ,’ dead and alive will meet with Him in glorified, immortal bodies on that most blessed day. ‘For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (the dead) will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep. 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: 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 (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess.4:14-18) Oh my people, right there is the hope, the assurance that makes our rough and rugged earthly journey all worthwhile. And when this all happens: ‘Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (Is.25:8) O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave (Hades), where is thy victory? (Hos.13:14) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor.15:54-58) Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, there’s nothing left for me to say because Bruh Paul said it all. I can only encourage us to stand strong in the Lord, do the right things and be assured that all His promises are true, for He who promised is always faithful. Never forget that. Till next time then, God willing, Much LOVE!…clouds may darken our earthly days…but none shall ever blot our eternal life…that’s Christ’s promise…
Oh Friends, another blessed day has dawned, and wherever you are in this big, wonderful world, I hope it’s dawned with brilliant sunshine. However, if it hasn’t, don’t worry, the Lord is still on His throne, still in control of everything. The weather is only doing what He’s programmed it to do, to fit into His overall plans. Let Peace, LOVE and Faith continue to reign supreme in your hearts, and the darker it becomes, let those three likewise increase in strength, so you’ll always have the wherewithal to withstand whatever darkness comes your way. Hope you can make sense from nonsense there. (smile) Anyway, here’s a simple but very appropriate quote on darkness and sunshine from Thomas Fuller. It says: ‘One cloud is enough to eclipse all the sun.’ And that’s so true Friends, especially when we put it into the context of our everyday lives, where one unpleasant comment, one unfair, unfounded criticism, or one unfortunate incident can spoil our whole day. That is if we allow them to. Oh mih people, the clouds can block out the sun all day, or several times per day, but that doesn’t mean the sun isn’t still there in its lofty position, it’s just that we can’t see it. The same thing happens when we allow incidents to block out the sunshine in our lives. It doesn’t mean there’s no joy and sunshine in our lives, but merely that we’re allowing outside influences to control our lives, our expectations. And sadly, many of them are usually of no real importance. Continuing the comparison, we can’t prevent the real clouds from blocking the real sun, but we certainly can prevent those superficial ones from blocking the sunshine in our emotional lives. Sometimes our expectations are too high, sometimes too low, so anything that happens contrary to them, brings a dark cloud over our emotions and often over our entire lives too. Friends, the only way to counteract this is to try and maintain realistic expectations, so that we won’t get too dark and sombre if and when they’re not met. That brings us to the great and certain expectation of our Bit, where Bruh Paul assures us: ‘Beloved, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ Yes Friends, ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ (1 Cor.15:51-52) Oh my people, we shall all be changed from mortals to immortals. Wow! And what a great day that shall be, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ embarks on His Second Coming, that in the majesty, splendour and glory befitting His Holiness and Royal Lineage. As the scholars point out, this is not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The first is the eventual fiery judgement, while the second refers to what many call the Rapture, the first phase of Christ’s return, which involves all Christians alive at that time. They will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds, instantly becoming immortal, while those who have died ‘in Christ’ will be raised from the dead to join the celebration. ‘For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.’ (Phil.3:20-21) Friends,the best way to possibly bring all of this home is to quote Bruh Paul’s assurance to the Thessalonians, for he went to great pains to explain that all who are ‘in Christ,’ dead and alive will meet with Him in glorified, immortal bodies on that most blessed day. ‘For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (the dead) will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep. 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: 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 (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess.4:14-18) Oh my people, right there is the hope, the assurance that makes our rough and rugged earthly journey all worthwhile. And when this all happens: ‘Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (Is.25:8) O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave (Hades), where is thy victory? (Hos.13:14) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor.15:54-58) Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, there’s nothing left for me to say because Bruh Paul said it all. I can only encourage us to stand strong in the Lord, do the right things and be assured that all His promises are true, for He who promised is always faithful. Never forget that. Till next time then, God willing, Much LOVE!…clouds may darken our earthly days…but none shall ever blot our eternal life…that’s Christ’s promise…
SCRIP-BITS 