OUR DAILY BREAD             Friday, February 10, 1995
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READ:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18


                   THE BIG DIFFERENCE

         "We who are alive and remain shall be
        caught up together with them in the clouds
               to meet the Lord in the air."

                         - 1 Thess. 4:17

As I walked out of the chapel after a memorial service
for a Christian friend, the funeral home director
remarked, "You know, there's a big difference between
the funerals of those who are Christians and those
who are unsaved."

This man had witnessed hundreds of funerals and had
been impressed by the striking difference between the
behavior of true believers and those who did not have
faith in Christ.  He had observed that Christians are
comforted by Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 4, "If we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God
will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus... Then we
who are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air"
(vv. 14, 17).

Of course, we do grieve when death temporarily separates
us from our loved ones.  But the grief is greatly eased
and the heartache gently softened by the truth of God's
Word:  Christians who die go into the presence of the
Lord Jesus Himself, and they will accompany Him when He
returns to this earth.

We who are looking for our Lord's second coming can take
courage and find comfort in anticipating that glorious
reunion.  That's what makes the big difference!

                                -- Richard W. De Haan

        We'll meet again - perhaps today --
        The dear ones who have passed away;
        Oh, wondrous joy to meet them there
           At that blest union in the air.

                                -- Smith
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           THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
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  The bright ray of hope in the darkening skies
       is the promised return of the Son.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Numbers 18-20

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Our Daily Bread,  Copyright 1995,  used  by permission of
Radio Bible Class, Grand  Rapids,  Michigan  49555,  USA.
Written permission  must  be  obtained  from  RBC for any
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This copy  redistributed by Larry Holder (larryh@utm.edu)
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Redistribution is only to individuals and lists that have
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file: /pub/resources/text/Our.Daily.Bread: db950210.txt

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