By Jerry D. Ousley
I was so proud of my boy. When our son, Jeremy, was old enough to join the band and choose an instrument, he chose the trumpet.
We went through the period of squawks and squeaks that drove our patience to the limits, but after a while it started to sound much better. The time came when he was actually playing music.
By the time he reached his senior year he was playing first chair in the trumpet section of the school band, and I had to get a shirt with a support collar to hold up my swelled head.
What really made my shirt burst the buttons and seams was when he was approached by the local VFW to play taps at military funerals. What an honor to see my son standing tall, playing all the right notes of “Taps.” It took much practice, but he went from squeaks and squawks to playing near professionally (at least to a proud dad that is).
Over the centuries the trumpet has been an important tool in the military. It was used to sound attacks, charges, and retreats. It has sounded to let soldiers know that it was time to rise and shine, and to end the day. In our own times it is used mostly ceremoniously, but it has had its glorious day.
Paul tells us of a very important trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He wrote, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
In this passage we find that, although we may sorrow over loved ones who have gone on, we are not hopeless as those who don’t know God. Those who have not come to the Lord believe that this life is all there is. We live, perhaps the best we can, and then after death there is nothing. We just cease to exist.
But those of us who have come to know Christ as our Savior, know that this life is but the preliminary for eternity. When this flesh has been struck down in death, our living soul, that which was breathed into man when God created Adam and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils - breathed in an eternal soul that will never cease to exist. The difference is whether it exists in eternal death or eternal life. When we come to God then we have eternal life.
That day will come, one which no one knows when, and suddenly a trumpet will sound. The voice of the archangel will cry out and those who have died in Christ will be rejoined with their eternal soul that returns with Christ (verse 14). The trumpet will sound the catching up of believers, first those who have departed and then those of us who are alive and remain.
Only God knows when that day will come. But surely it will. Some may not believe this. Some may believe the Earth will go on and on and on just as it has done. But I tell you, the Bible is true. Its word will not fail, because it is the very word of God. There is hope of a tomorrow, even if this life ends.
We will fall asleep in death and awake in Paradise, waiting for that day when Jesus says, “Okay folks. The Father has told me that today is the day. Let’s go get your new bodies!”
The archangel will cry out with a shout that echoes in every crevice and corner found on Earth. Then he will lift his lips to that trumpet and with its blast, in a blink of an eye, the dead will rise, and we will too. We will all be changed and forever be with God.
So, I ask you today, “Are you listening?” Listen closely. Listen intently. Because one day, soon I believe, we will hear that very special blast that has been reserved just to call God’s people upward to Him. Are you listening?
—————
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit spiritbread .com to download these and more completely free of charge.
I was so proud of my boy. When our son, Jeremy, was old enough to join the band and choose an instrument, he chose the trumpet.
We went through the period of squawks and squeaks that drove our patience to the limits, but after a while it started to sound much better. The time came when he was actually playing music.
By the time he reached his senior year he was playing first chair in the trumpet section of the school band, and I had to get a shirt with a support collar to hold up my swelled head.
What really made my shirt burst the buttons and seams was when he was approached by the local VFW to play taps at military funerals. What an honor to see my son standing tall, playing all the right notes of “Taps.” It took much practice, but he went from squeaks and squawks to playing near professionally (at least to a proud dad that is).
Over the centuries the trumpet has been an important tool in the military. It was used to sound attacks, charges, and retreats. It has sounded to let soldiers know that it was time to rise and shine, and to end the day. In our own times it is used mostly ceremoniously, but it has had its glorious day.
Paul tells us of a very important trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He wrote, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
In this passage we find that, although we may sorrow over loved ones who have gone on, we are not hopeless as those who don’t know God. Those who have not come to the Lord believe that this life is all there is. We live, perhaps the best we can, and then after death there is nothing. We just cease to exist.
But those of us who have come to know Christ as our Savior, know that this life is but the preliminary for eternity. When this flesh has been struck down in death, our living soul, that which was breathed into man when God created Adam and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils - breathed in an eternal soul that will never cease to exist. The difference is whether it exists in eternal death or eternal life. When we come to God then we have eternal life.
That day will come, one which no one knows when, and suddenly a trumpet will sound. The voice of the archangel will cry out and those who have died in Christ will be rejoined with their eternal soul that returns with Christ (verse 14). The trumpet will sound the catching up of believers, first those who have departed and then those of us who are alive and remain.
Only God knows when that day will come. But surely it will. Some may not believe this. Some may believe the Earth will go on and on and on just as it has done. But I tell you, the Bible is true. Its word will not fail, because it is the very word of God. There is hope of a tomorrow, even if this life ends.
We will fall asleep in death and awake in Paradise, waiting for that day when Jesus says, “Okay folks. The Father has told me that today is the day. Let’s go get your new bodies!”
The archangel will cry out with a shout that echoes in every crevice and corner found on Earth. Then he will lift his lips to that trumpet and with its blast, in a blink of an eye, the dead will rise, and we will too. We will all be changed and forever be with God.
So, I ask you today, “Are you listening?” Listen closely. Listen intently. Because one day, soon I believe, we will hear that very special blast that has been reserved just to call God’s people upward to Him. Are you listening?
—————
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit spiritbread .com to download these and more completely free of charge.
