1 Thessalonians 5:16-17-19 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 18 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
This text is a part of Paul's teaching on Christ's return. The exhortation here is to be cheerful no matter what, pray all the time, and thank God no matter what happens, for this is God’s will for each of us who are in Christ Jesus.
In a world deeply blinded by comfort and a false sense of security, it is incredibly easy to shut our eyes to the reality of the times. While the world around us is fast asleep, the church cannot afford to doze off.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that the return of the Lord will come "like a thief in the night," meaning that His coming will be unexpected and suddenly. Will we be spiritually ready or spiritually asleep? We alone can answer this question.
People of God, our identity is rooted in the light of Christ. To be spiritually awake means that we must live with our spiritual eyes wide open, consciously aware of God’s presence and what He is doing in the earth.
This wakefulness requires an intentional, daily alignment with the Holy Spirit who indwells us. To help us stay alert, Paul provides a specific survival kit for the soul in this text before us.
This radical lifestyle is God’s absolute will for each of us. Let us awaken from our sleep, stir up the fire of the Holy Spirit within us, and stay alert because Christ's return could be at any time. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or many years to come, but the assurance we have today is that He is coming back; therefore, we must continue to stir up the gift of the Holy Spirit within us until His return.
We can no longer afford to be deceived into spiritual laziness, drifting aimlessly while our eternal destination hangs in the balance.
One day very soon, each of us will stand before the throne to meet Christ face-to-face, giving a final account of the life we lived with the time we were given.
People of God, let us awaken from spiritual sleep, break free from complacency, and live every single moment fully awake, deeply prepared, and completely surrendered to the will of God for our lives.
When our journey on this side is over, and when our name is called out of time into eternity, let Jesus find us fully dressed in our armor. Let our lamps be burning bright and our hearts (mind) fully awake. The time to be ready is now! Today is the acceptable time!
Today is the day of salvation! Christ promised a second return, but He did not say when. Let’s get ready, people of God!
Thank you all for visiting here on tonight, and enjoying the ride with Jesus.
God Bless!
Min. Aiken
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