Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: I Thessalonians 4
‘The Lord Himself’

‘The Lord Himself’

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‘The Lord Himself’

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

I Thessalonians 4:16

Christ finishes what He starts, and makes good on all His promises.  On the night before He went to the cross He declared to His disciples, ‘I will come again and receive you unto Myself.’  When He ascended from the Mount of Olives after His resurrection, the angels said to the disciples, ‘Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.’ From these passages, and others which we could cite, we conclude that Christ will inevitably return, personally, and powerfully.  Over the centuries, believers have differed about some of the details of Christ’s return.  Upon one point we most certainly agree:  Christ is going to return.  According to our text, He will return visibly, openly, ‘with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God.’  On every other promise which Christ has ever made He has been as good as His word.  We have every reason to believe, on the basis of the character which He has demonstrated thus far, that He will fulfill His word in this matter as well.  We live daily in the light of this promise.  He may arrive in our lifetime, or after we have passed from this scene of time.  Either way, His return will affect us.  He will either raise us from the dead, or ‘gather us together with Him in the air’ at His arrival.  Here is a future expectation toward which we can look today.  Jesus is coming again.

Our Glorious Savior, and our Living Lord,
we look forward unto the day when our faith shall become sight.
With all the ancient saints of God, we say,
‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
‘We’

‘We’

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‘We’

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I Thessalonians 4:17

Yesterday, we considered the heavenly congregation who will gather together at the Throne of Grace. According to the passage, it involves the ‘dead in Christ,’ and ‘we who are alive and remain.’ These two groups comprise that heavenly congregation. We realize, from the context, that both of these groups have a single thing in common: they are both ‘in Christ.’ This is really the critical issue. Are we in Christ or not? This has more to do with our desire for Christ than it does with our desire to be a part of that ‘congregation.’ If we have come to the place in life where we desire Christ; where we have embraced Him as the Gospel freely offers Him, we are members of His Body, and part of that great congregation which now exists both in heaven and on earth. While the purpose of this little work is primarily to edify those who are already members of that congregation, we would fail in our responsibility if we did not proclaim the Gospel. If you are not certain of your relationship with Christ, heed this invitation: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.’ Embrace Christ as the Gospel freely offers Him. Come to know Him personally. He will transform you, and all of your relationships. He Alone can make you one of His Own. On His behalf we extend this Gospel invitation.

Our All-Powerful and All-Glorious Savior,
we praise You, that You are the only Redeemer of God’s Elect.
We rejoice, that You will gather into one all of Your people
in fulfillment of Your High Priestly Prayer.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
The Greatest Resurrection

The Greatest Resurrection

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1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV)

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
The Heavenly Congregation

The Heavenly Congregation

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The Heavenly Congregation

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I Thessalonians 4:17

The Church of Jesus Christ is all of the redeemed of all ages. This is the Body of which Christ is the Head. These are the people for whom Christ lived, died, and rose again. They are the people who will occupy the New Jerusalem and are the kings and priests of the Heavenly Kingdom. They have never yet convened as a single congregation. According to our text, Christ is going to bring them together at His coming. This is a glorious prospect. It means that all the days of separation between the saints in heaven and the saints yet living on the earth will end. It means that all the people of God will enjoy complete sanctification in glorified bodies. It means that every illness, and every debilitating physical condition will be no more. It means that there will be no more persecution and no more persecutors. The most important prospect is, ‘thus we shall always be with the Lord.’ No other benefit of the Heavenly Kingdom supersedes this one. It is the Presence of Christ that makes heaven Heaven. It is His Presence that makes the Marriage Supper of the Lamb a feast indeed. We lift up our heads today because our redemption and our Redeemer draws near. ‘A few more rolling suns, at most, will land us safe on Heavens coast.’ This is the Promise of Christ Himself and the certain hope of the people of God. ‘And thus shall we always be with the Lord.’

High King of Heaven,
we rejoice at the prospect of seeing You Face to face
and of rejoicing together with all Your Blood-bought people.
We praise You that that day is not very far away.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush Burning
A Glorious Transformation

A Glorious Transformation

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A Glorious Transformation

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I Thessalonians 4:17

Yesterday we considered the greatest resurrection which Christ will ever perform. When He returns, He will raise from the dead an innumerable company of people. The next group to which Paul refers are all those who are still alive on the earth at the return of Christ, specifically the redeemed. He says, ‘Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This ‘catching up’ also involves a glorious transformation. Paul refers to this transformation elsewhere in his discussion of the resurrection of the dead. In I Corinthians 15 we read, ‘Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ This describes, in clear language the transformation of the redeemed to having glorified bodies. For the redeemed this is an exciting prospect. For us, the future holds no fear. We are Christ’s and He is ours. He has redeemed us by Free and Sovereign Grace. His Plan and Purpose for us are unchanging. We need not know every detail of the future so long as we know the One Who holds the future. This enables us to face the future, both Immediate and long-term with joy and expectation. Christ has said He will come again. Everything else He has promised He has infallibly performed. He will do this thing as well. He will raise the dead, and ‘we shall all be changed.’

Our Glorious Living Christ,
we rejoice at the prospect of Your return.
We praise You that You will transform us into Your Image,
as You Alone are able.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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