According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 NIV
Risen First
Surrounded by acres of forest and farmland, Markdale appears cut out of the wilderness. To an outsider, the town of around 1,200 people looks like any other small Ontario town. There’s a quaint downtown strip of a dozen stores selling local goods, a handful of churches, and Canadian flags waving in the wind on every porch. But this sleepy, unassuming little town is in the midst of a revival. This revival isn’t just happening in Markdale. A 2020 survey by RE/MAX found that 32 per cent of Canadians no longer want to live in large urban centres.
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The return of Jesus Christ is the great hope of all who follow Him. When Jesus ascended to Glory following His resurrection from the dead, two men came alongside those who were there to witness it and told them that Jesus would return the same way they saw Him go into heaven. Every Christian longs for Jesus’ return. Paul writes about this in 1 Thessalonians 4:15: “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.” This is a wonderful promise, especially to those who mourn. Those who have passed away in Christ are not forgotten, and they are not left behind. When the Lord returns, they will not miss a single moment of His glory. Death does not have the final word—Jesus does. Because He rose, we will rise. Because He lives, those who belong to Him live also and will rise to meet Him when He returns in all his death-defeating glory.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley