“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For 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 word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until 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.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man.”
“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Make straight the Way of the Lord. Prepare the Way of His coming. Lay down your weapons of war, for your warfare is over. Every crooked place shall be made straight. Every high place shall be brought low and every valley shall be raised up, and the way shall be made ready. Hear, O hear, My people. Incline your ear to hear My voice. The walls of Salvation are being raised up and the gates of Praise are being put into place. The temple is being made ready for the coming of the Lord.
The time is now, says the Lord, when I shall open the doors. The Refiner’s fire has been burning and consuming the evil intentions of the hearts of Men. The chaff has been burned off and the dross has surfaced to be skimmed off. The time is now. My people are ready to go forth. Hearts have been tried by fire and a sincere cry for the Lord’s coming is going forth. The Bride is calling in her Bridegroom and He is coming. The maidens are waiting with their lamps trimmed and burning. The call has gone out and those who hear are coming into the Lord’s chambers. Soon whole cities, towns, and communities will be filled with the presence of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shall cover all the earth.
The branches are leafing out. Know that this is the season of the coming of the Lord. Two men will be in a field and one will be caught away and the other left. Two women will be grinding. One will be caught away and the other left. When you see the Lord coming, do not go back to get your belongings, for you will be snatched up by the power of His Spirit. Do not look back, but keep your eyes on Him. When the trumpet of the Lord sounds, those who are His shall be taken up to be with Him. Rejoice, rejoice, O people, for the Lord Your God shall come and you shall be raised up on that day.
Wait on the Lord and you shall renew your strength. Take time with the Lord, to sit at His feet. Learn of Him. He is gentle and full of compassion and He will delight in you as you spend time with Him. He wants to clothe you in His mantle of humility, for the poor in Spirit shall see God. Let go of the things that entice you, the things that call out to you and seek to steal your time and affection. Direct your thoughts unto the Lord and learn of Him. Open His Word and meditate on the Word of Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, offered to all who would come. In this secret place you will be changed, for your mind shall be renewed with the Word.
Take up the sword of the Spirit, the breastplate of righteousness, and the helmet of salvation. Prepare yourself with the gospel message for the time is now when you shall be taken out and go forth into all the earth. The Spirit of the Lord is upon you to preach good news to the poor, release those in darkness, set the captives free, and bring sight to the blind. This is the day, and this is the hour of the vengeance of the Lord. Those who walk in darkness will see a great light, the light of the Son. Take the message of the gospel into the streets. Proclaim it from the rooftops. Freely give it out, for you have freely received.
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