John S.
Hi, how are you? You know we always look at the point of scripture here in 1 Thes. as being Ch. 4. But in reality this letter from Paul to the Thes. was much more. Look at just a couple of verses around chapter 4.
(1 Th 1:3 NIV) We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Th 5:5-8 NIV) You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
We always seem to want to keep this end of times thing on the forefront of our minds in this age, but Paul is saying many other things such as the "armour"(chap.5:8), and looking at the labor produced by love.(chap. 1:3) These are things that produce fruit in the Church, and when we are all tied up doing these things, it really will not matter when the Lord comes as we will be "ready", so to speak.
What do you think?
God Bless
dan
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