"That Will Be a Glad Reunion Day"

I am noticing that inspiration/messages (from the Holy Spirit) come from many places. It can come through a phrase or an idea that "won't leave my mind" or many times songs that I will hear early in the morning in my mind. I've learned these are messages that I ought to take hold and figure out what God is wanting me to share. This morning the old song "That will be a glad reunion day" was playing. I could hear our old choir at church singing it. I could see the scene in my mind's eye. My father was the choir director at that time and I could hear my mother and old friends who had passed a long time ago singing all the parts (ie alto, soprano, tenor, etc).

It was comforting to hear that old song, to see friends from long ago. I hadn't heard that song in YEARS:). I did some research on what it will be like when we are reunited with loved ones and friends. I came across a couple of passages:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord

Context of Paul's letter to the Thessalonions: This letter was written (estimated) about 20 years after Jesus's death. Timothy came back to Corinth with news about the church at Thessalonica. He told Paul and Silas that the church was strong but that there was much persecution. Some people were saying bad things about Paul and his friends. These people claimed that Paul’s intentions were false. Then the Christians had many questions and were in need of more teaching.

Hebrews 13:5c-6 "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’"
These verses where related to when Paul said that at his first defense, no one stood by him and everyone had abandoned him but only the Lord stood by him. Even when believers abandon us at our time of need, the Lord will not ever leave us and never will He forsake us. Some Christians in other nations where persecution is severe, even to the point of death, may forsake their faith or they deny the Lord but the Lord will not forsake His own even if they’re the last one standing.

These passages say to me that we will be reunited with loved ones when the time comes as we pass OR when Christ comes to bring us home. The passages were meant to comfort Christians who were severely persecuted for their faith.

Are we (in America) severely persecuted for faith currently? Not really. We can worship, read the Bible, attend nice churches and can usually openly talk about our faith. We are blessed. Is this slowly changing? Will it change? Yes. This is my opinion only. There will come a time that we will have to choose to stand for Christ - in the midst of great persecution. And our reward that He promises us is that we will be with Him, our loved ones and holy angels to rejoice in Heaven. The question is: Will we have the strength to stand strong for Him?

FATHER GOD - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PROMISES OF HEAVEN, BEING REUNITED WITH LOVED ONES AFTER DEATH . HELP US TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE WITH US ALWAYS - THROUGH IT ALL. GIVE US STRENGTH TO STAND FOR YOU WHEN WE FEEL TARGETED FOR OUR FAITH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ABUNDANT LOVE AND OUR SALVATION. AMEN.