Come Lord Jesus

DEVOTION
1 THESSALONIANS
COME LORD JESUS!
1 Thess 4:13-18
13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. NIV
I simply cannot break this down into anything smaller than the whole of this idea. Jesus is coming back for me! I care not if it is the one way or the other, although I think it would be darn right exciting to be one of those who are still alive and be caught up with those who had already died in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air. I cannot imagine what else in this world could beat that. How could anything at all even come close to that kind of happening. If I should happen to die before I hear the trumpet call of God so be it. I still will not miss out on hearing it for I shall rise from the dead and ascend into the clouds to meet my Lord and Savior in the air. This does raise a question as to where I am and how I am when I die. If I am going to rise from the dead, I would I assume that means my body will rise as Christ did, in bodily form. But where is my spirit at before that point in time? Is it already with Christ in what is now referred to as heaven? He did tell the thief on the cross that today he would be in paradise with him. So I would have to believe in the spirit and not in the body as the thief’s body remained on the cross. But at the sound of the trumpet even his body will raise from the dead and once again so shall mine be gathered to our Lord for Jesus ascended into heaven in bodily form. This offers so much hope for me. Just the thought of spending the whole of eternity dead and not with Jesus frightens me beyond no end. What happens to anyone who is not raised to meet Jesus in the air? I know the answer, they will perish. I certainly do not want to be among those who perish. No, I want to be with Jesus and so I live my life by faith in him who saves me from that end. Sure some people have written accounts of being in heaven, and that does sound so good. But it is the Word of God which encourages my heart more than anything else. I do not want to place my faith in the words of another person, but in God and God alone. It is possible men can deceive for their own purposes, but God will never deceive me. It is by his own words that I am encouraged I will meet him in the air. I will spend all of time with him forever and ever with no end. Holy moly that is a long time! I almost cannot fathom how long that will be. And I will get to see some of my dear friends, I think if Tom. When I get to see him once again I can just see him twirling his fingers around and around in the excitement of the moment and with his real feet to boot. Glory to God! Come Lord Jesus!