My ornithologist friends will, undoubtedly, immediately recognise the birds in the picture as "Brown Boobies". The picture is courtesy of a regularly changing background that I receive when I go online! I now have quite a varied selection of shots - from the simply beautiful to the very interesting.

My reason for saving this particular picture is that I am currently reading through Paul's letters to the early believers in Thessalonica - generally accepted as being among his very earliest correspondence. I wonder if you can work out the connection!!

Paul's Thessalonian correspondence has a lot to say about the rapture - that unannounced event in which the true church (not CINOs - Christians in name only!) will meet with the Lord Jesus "in the air". By the way, it is interesting that Paul uses a specific word that refers to the lower reaches of the atmosphere of planet Earth. There is a different word for the higher, more refined, atmosphere. This, of course, is significant. It us the same word that he uses when, writing to the Ephesian believers, he refers to the adversary as "... the prince of the power of the air ..." (2:2). In other words, he is declaring to the Thessalonians that the Lord Jesus over-rules the satan - even in the domain in which he thinks that he has the power! Hallelujah!

The relevant words in I Thessalonians, are found in chapter 4: "... this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord." (vs. 15-17).

What a wonderful prospect for those who are truly, "... in Christ Jesus." (Rom.8:1). We shall meet the Saviour, and spend eternity in His presence. That word "meet" is also significant. The Greek word is only used three times in the pages of the New Testament. In each case it refers to an 'advance party' that has been sent to meet a visiting dignitary and escort him to the one who had sent them. It is used in Acts 28:15 where, we read: "And the brethren there [i.e. in Rome], when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them Paul thanked God and took courage." The other reference is in Matt.25 where "... ten maidens ... took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom." (v.1). The five wise maidens, who had brought additional oil for their lamps, then "... went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut." (v.10).

The Matthew passage is, of course, also speaking of the return of the Lord Jesus, and the basic message is that 1. "... you know neither the day nor the hour." (v.13); and that 2. because of that, we should always be ready. That was my first thought when the picture of the Brown Boobies appeared on my screen. You see, they are "looking up"! I have no idea what it is that they see; or if they are all looking for something in particular. However, they are, to me, looking upward, expectantly.

That, of course, is how every disciple of Jesus ought to be. Looking upward (not always literally - I don't wish to walk into a lamp post!) in anticipation of that call of the archangel, and the sound of the trumpet (which, I suspect, may actually be the sound of the shofar!), "... awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:13-14).

A belated, but no less sincere, wish for a blessèd 2020 to all of my readers.