Our Mansions are Ready! Are you?

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 shall 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

I can’t begin to describe what I feel when I read this verse! It is hard to put into words the emotions that are stirred up when I think of the day when the Lord will return for His bride. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. That part alone is enough to cause excitement and anticipation for those who are waiting for His return, and repentance for those who are not. I remember a conversation I once had with someone when I was still a baby in Christ and I could not recall exactly where this verse was but I remember quoting it to this person and saying “I don’t know about you, but I am going to heaven”. After I got home I looked for the verse and when I found where it was I let the person know where to find and I never forgot it. This has to be one of the most powerful verses in the Bible! This verse not only proves that there is a place where we will be with the Lord forever, but it is also a promise for those who are anticipating His return. We must have our ears fine tuned and sensitive to the Holy Spirit to ear these trumpets. I don’t even want to think about what happens if we don’t hear them when they sound but there are those who need to know. It’s quite simple actually, if you don’t hear the trumpet when it sounds, you will be left behind. That is a distressing thought, I know, which is why we have to be prepared and live each day as if the Lord were coming today because the Bible says that we do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of man will come! We must live each day expecting our Lord’s return and that He would find us ready with our lamps burning and full of oil! Praise God!! The dead in Christ shall rise first. Those who’s physical bodies have long decayed, who have died anticipating the return of Christ shall rise first. But they shall not rise as skeletons. No! They shall rise in their glorified bodies! In the incorruptible body that we all will be transformed into. How awesome is that?!! Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to the meet the Lord in air. If anyone tries to tell you that there is no such thing as heaven or that only a small portion of believers are going to heaven, know that it is a lie straight from hell. The word clearly tells us that we will be caught up! To be caught up is to be snatched up, lifted up, kind of like in a whirlwind motion I imagine, to be taken up into the clouds! Helloooo!!!! The clouds are part of the sky and the sky is part of the heavens and if we are to be caught up into the clouds and meet the Lord in the air, where do you think you will be?? Sweet heaven!!!! Yes!!!! God is good!!! I love talking about these verses and I get excited thinking about that day when the Lord will return with the trumpet of God. Finally it says, and thus we shall be with the Lord always!! Hallelujah!!!!!!! Oh my God I cannot describe what I am feeling right now! Thus we shall be with the Lord always!!! Not for a year or a thousand years, but always!! God promises us eternity with Him! In His presence where we will have no need for the sun because His glory will shine upon us. Oh come on people if you can’t get excited about that what can you get excited about?! God is an awesome God!! When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His death and resurrection, He said to them “In my Father’s house there are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that were I am, you may be also.” (John 14:2-3) The above verses clearly confirm these verses. Jesus told His disciples and is telling us, that He has gone to prepare us a place that where He is, we may be also!! Oh my God!! Is anybody hearing me this morning?!! We are going to be where He is!!!! Everday, 24/7, 365 days a year, where time does not exist! Where an hour is like a second and a year is like a day! I can’t wait!!!!! Praise God, I can’t wait!! Let us pray that the church of God, the bride of Christ, would be ready to hear that trumpet and that beautiful voice calling us home to Him. If we are not ready, let’s get ready for the coming of our Lord for He will be here sooner than most think! Oh hallelujah! People we need to be ready and let others know that He is coming soon!!! And He is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle.

Heavenly Father,
We give you glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving, for Your awesome Word that regenerates our minds, uplifts our spirits, and reminds us of Your promises of eternal life and the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father, we pray that You would strengthen Your church in these last days, that our ears would be fine tuned to hear the trumpet call homeward where there will be no more pain, sickness, death or suffering. Oh Lord, we pray for those who do not know You yet, that they would come to You and submit to Your saving grace so that they too can be caught up to meet You in the air on glorious day when You return for Your church. We honor You this morning and everyday that we live and breathe on this earth, knowing that we are aliens on this earth and citizens of heaven, longing for the day when we will go home forever. In Jesus mighty name, I ask for strength, joy, peace, and a double portion of Your Holy Spirit for each of my brothers and sisters who will receive this word this morning. I ask for revival for Your church that those who may have been steered in the wrong direction may find their way back to Your truth, that those who may have had the fire quenched in their hearts may still have an ember left that can be stoked into a roaring flame again for everything that pertains to You. Father I pray for mercy for those who may be leading Your sheep away from Your pasture. For those oh Lord who are compromising Your word and sugar coating it to accommodate the flesh, I pray that these people will receive correction, recognize the truth of Your word and preach it unadulterated as You would have them to. For those who are preaching Your word unadulterated, as You give it to them, such as our Pastors, I pray that You give them strength to continue to speak what You put in their mouths to admonish Your people, to bring encouragement to the discouraged, hope to the hopeless, and conviction to those who are not aware of their sinful condition without You. Bless them, strengthen them, and continue to use them for Your glory. Prepare Your church Father, for that glorious day when we will go home to You.

In Jesus name,
Amen!!