5. Tuesdays with Thomas 11.18.25

Rapture Ready – 1st & 2nd Thessalonians

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Thessalonians Paul’s first recorded writing

After being on a refreshing one-year sabbatical with our Lord Jesus and His Word, starting the process of sharing what I have learned is a little harder than I expected. It started with questions: Lord why are we on the earth, and what is your purpose for our lives today in 2025?

Even though the information I have is MASSIVE, I have simply started with 1st Thessalonians highlighting Chapter 4 verse 11 & 12. In time, if you stay with me, we will master 1&2 Thessalonians together.

¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Let us finish with the practical things in 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Well last Tuesday stirred the hornet nest. Many of you have asked if the freedom of Acts 20:20 House to House ministry could really work?

I started discovering this freedom almost 40 years ago and have been 100% practicing this freedom since 1993 but I want to focus on what has happened when God relocated us from the State of Washington to Kansas in the year 2020. Did you see that? Acts 20:20 the year 2020.

I have had a goal since I was 20 years old; to own a home and be debt free by the time I was 50. Well, I got close a few times, but I didn’t make it until I was 62. The motive was to have the freedom to minister the gospel without charge; absolutely free.

Today at age 67 Sandy and I own our home and two vehicles with no mortgage, no vehicle payments and no credit cards. We live on the exciting revelation of “Daily Bread” by seizing daily opportunities that Father God turns into provisions. At the end of the day all of our needs are met. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE OUR VERSE?

Let’s finish the results of living a quiet life, minding our own business and working with our own hands…

1. and that you may walk properly toward those who are outside
2. and that you may lack nothing.

NOTE* – STUDY HELP IN MARKING YOUR BIBLE: circle names of people, put a square around names of places, highlight in dark blue all prophesies spoken and fulfilled.

2ND foundational truth The Rapture

Remember this is the first written work of Paul that God calls His Word and inserts into Holy Scripture and the second foundational theme being the rapture. Again, let that sink in your spirit for a minute.

I have inserted a 6-minute animated clip at the end that reveals this reason pretty clearly. But here is the background.

When Paul walked into the city of Thessalonica, he walked into a Greek world of idol worship that had a horrible belief of what happens after death. There were temples and statues giving honor to the Roman gods: Zeus King and god of the sky, Poseidon god of the sea, Hades god of the death and afterlife. Their philosophy of the afterlife was that:

• The soul left the body and went to Hades
• The most virtuous souls might have a pleasant life on a higher realm of Hades
• Most would have a long boring existence in a dark shadowy realm
• All believed that Hades had an inescapable grip on them for eternity

Within this setting, Paul preached the rapture and the message of eternal hope as Jesus who rose from the dead will come again and rescue those who believe in Him. Together they would enjoy the victory of His coming Kingdom.

Bringing it Home

So, if Paul’s first written work recorded in the Holy Scriptures gives us the foundation truth of being “RAPTURE READY” at all times, perhaps we should give it some thought and also practice this today. Let’s highlight in dark blue, for prophecy scriptures, all of the verses in 1^st & 2^nd Thessalonians dealing with the rapture of the believing followers of Jesus.

wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians: 1:10

you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 1 Thessalonians 2:19

at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:13

God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4

God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9

may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 2 Thessalonians 1:7

when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 2 Thessalonians 1:10

concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him 2 Thessalonians 2:1

as though the day of Christ had come. 2 Thessalonians 2:2

that Day will not come unless 2 Thessalonians 2:3

Watch this 6-minute bonus clip on what the Thessalonians believe about life after death. It will help explain Paul’s message on the rapture. Next Tuesday we will discuss some practical ways of being rapture-ready.

(Click for VIDEO – What the Thessalonians believed about life after death)

Let this be a template to lay across our lives and see if any adjustments need to be made.

Father God we are asking for discernment as we war against deception. Amen.