Sunday April 27th, 2025

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

The Rapture of the Church

Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
“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.”

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The greatest Love

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The greatest number

The entire gospel comes to a focus in this verse. God’s love is not just to a certain group of individuals—it is offered to the world.

The greatest Gift

God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. Here God’s actions defined the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships—when you love someone, you are willing to sacrifice dearly for that person.

The greatest act

Sacrificial love expresses itself without assurance that the love will be returned in kind. The timing of that love was highlighted by Paul’s words, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The greatest Invitation

Apart from God’s intervention, people perish (Mark 4:38; Luke 13:3, 5; John 10:28; Romans 2:12; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Peter 3:9). The word adds a sense of hopelessness to the fact of dying—“to perish” is to come to a dead end. In this verse, escape from the tragic fate of perishing is promised to those who believe in God’s Son.

The greatest escape

Instead of perishing, they will have “eternal life,” or “life in the ageless age.” Perishing is not an end to be desired, for it removes from the picture any vestige of what we could call life. But this verse makes it clear that those who refuse to choose Christ and the life He offers have chosen to perish. Eternal life awaits our decision.

SG. K. Chesterton (1874–1936)

We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.

Bernard of Clairvaux

He loves you more than you love Him, and He loved you before you loved Him.

Augustine of Hippo

For faith ought to go before understanding, that understanding may be the reward of faith.

Richard Baxter

A minister should take some special pains with his heart before he goes to the congregation: if it be then cold, how is it likely to warm the hearts of the hearers?

Augustine of Hippo

The confession of evil works is the beginning of good works.

Richard Baxter

Prayer must carry on our work as well as preaching; he does not preach heartily to his people who will not pray for them. If we do not prevail with God to give them faith and repentance, we are unlikely to prevail with them to believe and repent.

Venerable Bede

Christ is the morning star, who promises and reveals to the saints the eternal light of life, when the night of the world is past.

Augustine of Hippo

They, then, who are destined to die, need not be careful to inquire what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them.

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“Come, Lord Jesus.”

The book of Revelation ends with an urgent request: “Come, Lord Jesus.” In a world of problems, evil, Christ calls us to endure in our faith.

Book of Revelation closes human history as Genesis had opened it—in paradise. But Revelation has a distinct difference—evil is gone forever.

Genesis describes Adam and Eve walking and talking with God; Revelation describes people worshiping God face-to-face. The Garden of Eden was destroyed by sin; but paradise is re-created in the new Jerusalem.

WHO IS JESUS?

The voice on the mountain proclaimed Jesus as God’s “beloved Son.” Many images catch sides of Jesus, from classical art to the musical’s Superstar. But at the heart of it, Jesus is God’s beloved Son who deserves our worship and obedience. Not just a friend, more than a moralist, greater than a fearless leader—this is the Christ. Follow him, worship him. Matthew 17:5

Romans 11:26-27

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

Israel’s Future. Read more.

What is the inspiration of Scripture?

Inspiration comes from the Greek theopneustos, which means “God breathed out.” The Bible says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). This means God breathed or put His Spirit into/on the words of Scripture.

The inspiration is the guidance or influence of the Holy Spirit on the human writers of Scripture so that God controlled them in such a way that they wrote exactly what God wanted them to write without error (2 Tim. 3:15).

Everlasting life—living forever with God—begins immediately when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. At that moment, new life begins (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is a completed transaction. We will face physical death; but when Christ returns again, our body will be resurrected to live forever.

The question is often asked, “If Christianity is rational and true, why is it that most educated people don’t believe it?” The answer is simple. They don’t believe it for the same reason that most uneducated people don’t believe it. They don’t want to believe it. -Paul Little.

Adonai and Wisdom

Mishlei 3:1–5

Proverbs 3:1-5

Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding.

Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom; but fear Adonai, and turn from evil.

Honor Adonai with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your income.

My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline or resent his reproof.

Adonai by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding he established the heavens.

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