Sat June 20

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the word Lord.

Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18—Always With the Lord

Optional Reading

Phil 1:21-26

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

We will one day always be with the Lord.
We will one day all be reunited.
This should be a source of encouragement for us.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

When you die, will you stay dead?
What is your hope in death?
Does this hope encourage you?

Notes

(See below for all authors. Today’s notes are from a commentary on 1 Thessalonians by J. Philip Arthur.)

Then comes the grand reunion. The word ‘together’ is particularly important. It reminds us that the conclusion of these tremendous events will be the most thrilling reunion that ever took place. Separation will be a thing of the past.

First of all, every believer, all those who have died in years gone by as well as those who are alive at the time, will be united with his Lord. In the here and now, what we know of the presence of Christ is ministered to us by the Holy Spirit through the means that God has appointed. When the great day dawns, however, the longed-for moment will have arrived. Every Christian will look upon the face of Jesus! And this will be no brief treat. We shall not be required, after a period of time, to go back to the present situation where we meet our beloved in prayer, Bible-reading and the ordinances of the local church. We shall enjoy face-to-face contact with the Lover of our souls for ever. It is a prospect which sets the pulse racing. The years that must pass before it all breaks in upon us will seem like seconds once the joy of it has burst upon us.

Secondly, we shall be together with our brothers and sisters—the whole family reunited at last.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 118d, 111d

Prayer

Praise God for the hope of the resurrection and the life of the world to come.
Pray for the reading and preaching of God’s word tomorrow.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.

Notes this week are drawn in part from commentaries by John Calvin, William Hendriksen, Kent Hughes, Tony Merida, J. Philip Arthur, the Theological Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments (TDOT, TDNT) and notes from the CSB Study Bible, and the Reformation Study Bible (RSB).