September 3, 2013, Reading

First Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11

¹ About times and dates, brothers, there is no need to write to you

² for you are well aware in any case that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night.

³ It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that sudden destruction falls on them, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there is no escape.

⁴ But you, brothers, do not live in the dark, that the Day should take you unawares like a thief.

⁵ No, you are all children of light and children of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness,

⁶ so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober.

⁹ God destined us not for his retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord JesusChrist,

¹⁰ who died for us so that, awake or asleep, we should still live united to him.

¹¹ So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already.