Inspiration & Worship

from Smart Living Elite - July/August 2022

Your Outings ................................................... 27

Inspiration & Worship A Hopeful People

No matter what’s happening in the world, our faith is rooted in hope that some day we’ll be together with Jesus Christ.

Most of us fear and grieve the end of life in this world. It’s the only world we’ve known. This is natural. Even Jesus prayed for God to take away the ordeal of physical death set before him.

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will. – Matthew 26:39, AKJV

But after his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus made various appearances to his disciples and others, for 40 days, before ascending and disappearing into a cloud. As his apostles watched this phenomenon, two angels told them:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” – Acts 1:11, NIV

Knowing that Jesus Christ will someday return to earth is a source of hope, joy and comfort to us. When writing to Christians at Thessalonica, Paul said:

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 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.

According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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.

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. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” – I Thessalonians 4:13-18, NIV

And so we do encourage one another with these words, believing the Word of God is truth.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12 NIV ❚ –Janine Pumilia