Erfrische Dich

May I share a Haiku with you?

By a mountain stream

Hear the cold, clear water flow

God will refresh you

(Psalm 23)

Perhaps in 2020?

Will 2020 be the year that Jesus raptures all those who believe in Him and trust only in Him for their salvation, taking them out of this world to be with Him in the heavens?  I don’t know, but I hope so.  I long to be in His presence where we will see Him face to face.  I know that He will bring back with Him the believers who have died up until that moment.  We will have the blessing of seeing our loved ones again.  In His presence there will be no more sickness, death, pain, or tears.  Who wouldn’t look forward to that?

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB) *

In writing this, I am not setting a date or year for the Lord’s return.  I’m just sharing my hope that it will be this year.  Do not lose heart, however, if the Lord waits; if He delays His coming a while longer.  We know He is merciful, and He is waiting until all who will come to Him have the opportunity to do so. (2Peter:3-9)  Our job is to watch for Him, and to be ready.

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night …

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day.  We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.  For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.  But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.  Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (1Thessalonians 5:2, 4-11 NASB) *

  

* https://biblehub.com/nasb/1_thessalonians/4.htm