Flying

                Every time I eat something and then doze off, I dream.  I can almost count on it. I once ate a peanut butter sandwich and then went to bed and it brought up a nightmare which causes me to not eat a big sandwich and then go to bed. Most of the time, the dreams are rather interesting but I have some that are exceptional.  One of them is the dream of flying.  Now, I don't mean in an airplane.  I mean flying.  I usually begin by running down a hill and all of a sudden the gravity lessens and I begin to rise.  It's always slowly at first, then I go higher and higher, diving in and around houses and trees and swooping down to rise up still higher.  It's a fun feeling.  It reminds me of the time when I will be able to fly only it will be much faster, much higher and in the twinkling of an eye.  By now, you probably know where I am heading.  First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says,  "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  

           The words, "caught up" are the words which give the translation from the Latin word, which end us in our English word, "rapture."   The world has become familiar with these words through the "Left Behind" series.  What is important to me in these verses is the fact of the being caught up to meet the Lord in the air.  This is one of those things that is coming in the future, but we don't know when it is going to be.  While I might get a kick out of flying, that's not going to be the most important thing happening on that day.  Can you imagine what it is going to be like to meet the Lord?  While in the Navy, we would often have the opportunity to play for heads of state from many different countries.  It was always exciting to play "Hail to the Chief" as the president would come into the immediate area.  Some bands would even employ herald trumpets to play the Ruffles and Flourishes.  When the "trump of God" sounds, it is going to be far greater and will demand immediate attention.  it will be glorious.  It is no wonder that Paul concludes this section with the words,  "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."  It is a comfort because we know that whatever happens today or tomorrow or all of the problems that we have had in the past, they will all be chucked into the waste basket on that glorious day.  So, praise God today for the fact that "Coronation Day is Coming."