1 Thessalonians 4 – 5
Verse 4:11-12 are ones I try to live by:
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one
Oh how I want to air some “dirty laundry” that relates to this subject, but that would only compound the stress in the family. Introspective on this has shown while I live quietly and mind to my own affairs, when it comes to “family” I guess that is not the way to walk. I have little to no respect with most, even though I just keep doing what I feel I should, quietly and without saying much. When I do speak, it blows up into a huge issue, so it prompts me to remain quiet. Guess something has to change and maybe it’s my meekness with family matters.
I try to live by example of how one should not be confrontational. Unfortunately, I may personally “over check” this since my temper is volatile and pulling away is the easiest solution that actually controlling my emotions. I remember a Kipling poem, “If” which starts:
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
I pray I can do this more often and remain calm.
Verse 4:17 talks about a subject that has much debate:
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
The subject of the “rapture” or our bodies being lifted to heaven before the Apocalypse seems to be a great subject since today is the end of the Mayan calendar and many say that other prophets point to this time as the “end times”. Interestingly, we are still here without any strange events, although the power went out on our block for a short time. A quick trip to the gas station made us realize how localized the outage was and not a solar flare disrupting the worlds power grid.
Now where did the term “rapture” become such a “Biblical” term. In a quick search of the KJV, NKJ, The Message, NLT, NIV, ESV and CJB I only found the term used once in The Message and it was not in reference to the “end-times” but rather ones heart. The term was “coined” first by Shakespeare meaning “to be transported by a lofty emotion or ecstasy.” It did not show up in Christian writings until the around 1931 and now with many denominations is a common term. It’s interesting how in such a short time a word that is not in the Bible has become a “Biblical” word.
As with much of Paul’s writing he “dumps” a ton of wisdom, quickly at the end. Verses 5:15 thru 22 is just this:
15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
“Pray without ceasing” is one that jumps out to me. That single verse is quoted more often than many others. When the subject of prayer is preached in church, Pastor can preach a whole sermon on these three words. It’s something we tend to over dramatize the meaning and think we need to lock ourselves up in a prayer closet for hours on end. In reality this means always be connected with God, always be in a state of confession and always ask for guidance. Seek God’s will and you will find it.
As with most of Paul’s advice this is all solid and works well as one lives in this world.