Thought for 29th September

 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

And now brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow

like people who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died.

When we look back, no matter what age we are, the changes we have seen over the last years have been profound.  Whether we are in a position to look back over the last ten years or the last seventy years, the changes in the ways we live our day-to-day lives have been considerable.

I find it amazing that I stood at Bellshill Cross as a seven year old boy looking at the toys in the Cross Barbers shop window waiting with my Mother to see our late Queen passing after she had officially opened the brand new Bellshill Maternity Hospital in 1962.  This is the same hospital where my daughter was born 20 years later.  It was demolished in 2003.

Over many of those years between then and now, we went everywhere by either taking the bus or walking.  Televisions were rented and few families had cars or even telephones for that matter.  My desk at work had an electronic calculator on it in 1972.  When computers began to appear, you needed to know a programming language before you could use them.  If you went to the football at the weekend, you had to stand unless you went to the ‘stand’ where you were able to sit!!!!!  If you wanted to buy something maybe second hand, you could view the items for sale in a local newspaper and anytime you did buy something, it always involved cash.  Holidays meant a trip to the coast either in Scotland or England and if anyone went abroad, it was usually Spain that would be the destination.

How things have changed!  Nearly everyone has a mobile phone, most houses have access to a computer or tablet, and it is not unusual to see more than one car sitting outside a house.  Computers at home or work are reasonably easy to use and are an essential item these days.  Most of us depend on the ability to communicate, work, learn, be entertained and shop online.  We can visit countries these days that would have been outwith our imagination years ago and fewer and fewer of us are using cash on a regular basis.  Who knows what lies ahead?  I hear mentions of artificial intelligence but I haven’t a clue what that is.

The one thing that has remained constant through all this time as well as the preceding two thousand years is what today’s reading conveys.  We do not know when Jesus will return but we do know that this second coming is guaranteed at some point for all who have ever believed in him, and they shall rise and see him for themselves. 

Prayer - Heavenly Father, we thank you that Jesus is our blessed hope, that he died to pay the price for our sins, and rose again, breaking the power of sin and death in our lives and the lives of all who trust in his name.  We thank you for the truth that the same almighty power of God that raised Christ from the dead, will raise up all who believe in him.  In Jesus' name,  Amen