The Lord Jesus will return to earth (in the near future we hope!) and bring justice and peace to this sin- sick world. The pains of the groaning creation are the pains of birth. The Kingdom of God is soon to be born.

When the Lord returns, the dead in Christ will rise. Then we who are living at that time will be changed into immortality and caught up in the clouds along with the saints whom the Lord will bring with Him.

Let us think for a moment about two facts. The first fact is that it is the dead "in Christ" who will rise at His appearing. The second is that they will "rise."

What does it mean to be "in Christ"? It means we are living in Him, thinking in Him, speaking in Him. He is dwelling in us and we in Him.

If any person is in Christ he or she is a new person.

To abide in Christ is to meet Him the first thing every morning, greeting Him as Lord of our Life. Then, after having sought His will for the day, we are to order our steps in a manner pleasing to God, including setting aside time for prayer and seeking the Lord and also for meditating in the Bible.

It is one matter to make an initial profession of Christ. It is another matter to work out our own salvation with meekness and fear. There is an initial salvation. There is a continuing salvation. Then there is a salvation that will come to us with the appearing of the Lord Jesus. None of these is to be emphasized at the expense of the others if we would remain "in Christ."

What does it mean to "rise"? It means to be resurrected. The resurrection of the physical body, its change into immortality, is referred to as the redemption of the body. It is the overcoming of the "last enemy." Since mortality is the last enemy to be overcome, all other enemies must first be conquered.

As we press along in our daily walk with the Lord we are fighting against the forces of sin and death. The only way we can overcome the evil that comes against us is to abide in Christ. The evil in the world is becoming worse each day. When we keep living in Jesus we gain the wisdom and strength to live victoriously. Only the Divine virtue found in the body and blood of the Lord contains enough good to enable us to overcome the perversity of the ever increasing malice and wickedness.

Let us be counted among the wise virgins who will be ready to go to the wedding when the Lord comes. Where the carcass of the slain Lamb is, there will those be gathered who live by eating His flesh and drinking His blood.