For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Thessalonian Christians were confused about the end. Some thought that Christ had already come, and they had missed it. But the apostle Paul reminds them that the Last Day will be so unmistakable that no one is going to miss it. Others thought that those who had died already were lost, that you had to be alive on the day Christ appears. Paul reminds them that the Last Day is resurrection day when all will rise, and believers will be joined to Jesus for all eternity. 
Paul reminds them that they are not in the dark about the return of Jesus. They are prepared by the Word and promises of God. And to remain watchful and ready for the return of Jesus, Paul encourages them to remember what God has granted them for that day. “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” (Ephesians 6:14). They need not fear the great and terrible day of the Lord. For God has not destined them for wrath, but to obtain salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus who died for their sin, would come again in mercy. 
This is our confidence as well. The uncertainty of life in the dying world can be very troubling for us. We are tempted to doubt and fear all the time. The end is lived in confidence, not fear. It is looked for with expectation, not terror. It holds the promise of resurrection and life for those who trust Christ’s salvation. Christ has made you ready for His return. He declares you to be children of light, having been made so by the Light of the World. “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home, That I may die unfearing;  And in its narrow chamber keep My body safe in peaceful sleep Until thy reappearing. And then from death awaken me, That these mine eyes with joy may see, 
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My savior and my fount of grace. Lord, Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, And I will praise thee without end. (“Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart” LSB 708, st.3)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch